"...I don't have much time. I won't make you come with me, but you might save someone's life. It will be dangerous, but you can handle it, you're powerful." With that, the flying trashbin flies away at high speed in the direction of a building that Icatrina doesn't recognize. In fact, thinking about it, Icatrina is pretty sure that that restaurant over there didn't exist before this morning.
"What do you mean- hey come back!" Violet looks like she wants to chase after the machine, but she can't due to her injury.
[-2 Mana]
Something rustles under Seven's jumpsuit around her shoulder blades before bursting forth as a pair of white spikes. The wings unfurl, massive and feathered, a stereotypical symbol of freedom made literal. With hardly a flutter she flies upwards.
Pulses of radar flow over her, followed by a machine panic. Threat! Drone! Missile! Something small and incomprehensibly fast makes the automated systems around her commune in a frightened chatter of machine-language which she can somehow comprehend. But machines on this battlefield don't make their own decisions, and Seven is faster than the human operators.
She appears besides the machine before the ensouled flesh within can notice and reaches a hand out to the steel hull, willing it to awaken.
[-2 Mana]
[Bind 3d6: 13 Magical Form+1 Large Target-1 = 13]
Like maggots writhing out of a corpse, chains spill out of the thing's hull and quickly snap out to gain purchase on the foul machine's limbs. They find it, ripping into the whirling blades keeping the machine aloft. The chains strain, but hold, and the blades halt in a horrible screeching.
"WHA-"
It plummets from the air and meets the hard, merciless ground. The helicopter is rent apart by the collision, its steel unable to resist its inevitable reunion with the ground, and the meat within is smashed by the crumpling cockpit beyond any practical hope of recovery. The dissolution of the two souls within leaves behind a horrible residue which Seven can smell even from the air.
What comes up, must come down again. Ore and ape, returned to mother planet's embrace.
[Aggro 1d6: 2]
"S-something took out the air support! What the hell is that thing!"
Seven is once more bathed in the radio. It speaks up language, just leaving behind the hole of her impression for the targeting system. A man-portable missile rockets towards her.
[Shooting 3d6: 13 Homing+1 = 14]
[Roll to Dodge 3d6: 8 Magical Form Flight+2 = 10]
Seven understands the flash of radar a second too late; sees the bright flare of orange a moment too late, tries to outrace the projectile but there's no time. Her wings fold in front of her to shield from the explosion but it's not much. The magical limbs are torn from her body. It doesn't hurt.
[Injury 1d6: 5]
[Meeting Planet 3d6: 11 Endurance+1 Magical Form-1 = 11]
Hitting the ground hurts a little. Seven rolls over and over the hard asphalt. What comes up...
Gasping from the near miss, she checks for shrapnel wounds and broken bones. There's just bruises and cuts.
"Target down! Someone check the... wreckage??"
Seven is being approached by a fireteam of 3 UAUNIR Rangers. They will arrive next turn and might shoot at her."Y-yes sir! Ma'am! S-sir!"
The rat makes a quick attempt at a salute and then scurries away to places unknown.
[Looking for Trouble 1d6: 3]
After some more wandering around problem areas, Kora doesn't run into anybody looking for a fight, or anybody particularly ripe for picking a fight with. Eventually she finds herself in an alleyway nearer the river docks, where a pair of shady-looking young adults are sharing a smoke in a sort of ostensibly-platonic-romantic sort of way. They look inclined to ignore Kora in a sort of condescending way. They look sort of gangster-ish, though, so they
might be worth fighting?
Practically sprinting, Diane jogs out of her aunt and uncle's apartment, down the steps, and out the back door into a small yard fenced in by other buildings. A small group of younger children are playing where the grass fails to grow, rolling little plastic excavators and APCs over the sandy soil and making wooshing and exploding sounds.
[Sense 3d6: 8 Virtuous!-1 = 7]
"Hey, look at this!" she shouts (or something to the effect), running into the middle of the sandy pit.
[Creation 3d6: 7 Virtuous+1 Difficult-1 it would be really cool though+0 = 7]
[-2 Mana]
Diane raises her hand to the sky, holding a pretend hilt, and wills it to be. Glowing matter quickly weaves itself into reality at her touch, a core of gleaming wood with a hollow core to accept a tang, and soft leather over top. But the blade is stubborn, it refuses to simply
be, it need a reason, a force. Colorful sparks emit from the handle's end, nothing more.
"Wow! She has a sparkler!" a small boy exclaims. "My uncle's fireworks are scarier." a girl scoffs.
Suddenly feeling self-conscious about having attracted attention to herself, Diane redoubles her effort to manifest the blade. The flame is a force of power and destruction, it demands passion and respect. Well, Diane has passion and she'll respect the hell out of this stupid flame! Red and orange tongues flicker out of the sword in unearthly swirling patterns, too orderly and graceful for any mundane flame. Yes! Come, flame! The strands of fire roar to life in an apparently massive geyser, unsteadily following the shape of a blade, toppling this way and that in the wind, and finally the stalk of fire falls over into Diane's face.
[Injury 1d6: 5]
[Burnt 3d6: 12 Endurance+1 = 13]
Thankfully the hot flame just glances past Diane's head on the way to the ground, splashing around her left shoulder. She winces from the pain but pats her clothes off as she jumps on one foot out of the oddly perfect circle of flame forming on the ground, escaping with only a light burn on her arm.
The children watch the small fire burning on their sand. One of them starts to cry.
'Caturday'. Shadesoul flicks an ear, staring at the counter. The two girls keep talking about something or other, but the mercenary isn't listening, she's thinking. Slowly. Nobody said that Shadesoul is very smart.
Suddenly she changes, leaping from her stool and growling at Anna-Leigh.
"Hey! You're making fun of me! You little shit! I'll-"The air in the room shifts nearly imperceptibly.
"Please. The magical organic is my guest. You will not threaten her.""And who are you, restaurant lady?! You can't tell me what to do!" Shadesoul's hand is on the grip on her N5K.
And then there's a crack, and Shadesoul is on the floor with her eyes closed. The air flows gently back into the room like a sigh.
[Follower neutralized]
"I apologize, miss Anna-Leigh. The laws of the galactic community, and My laws forbid me to harm an organic or allow harm to befall one. I have pacified this... cat-thing with a minimum of force."The restaurant pauses for a breath.
"And, in this excitement, I have neglected to introduce myself to you, Anna-Leigh. I am The Dragon. I am glad that you found me, you are safe here."A segmented mechanical arm places a metal tray in front of Francesca, holding bacon, an orange fruit, and some hideously ensugared toast. And a glass of clear liquid.
"I am afraid that I could not fulfill your request for a 'cup' of morphine, miss Richter. Having taken your free will into account, serving that chemical to you in such a form would be a violation of my... aforementioned law.Stats:
Strength: +0
Endurance: +0
Agility: +0
Awareness: +1
Charisma: +1
Knowledge: +1
Health: Fine!
Mana: 20/20
Inventory:
Plain Clothing
Backpack of odds and ends
Water Bottle
Military Rations x5
Powers:
Radio Telepathy: No cost. Instinctual, Capillary.
Allows for telepathic communication with other magical beings. Also allows one to listen in on mundane radio transmissions. Telepathic transmissions are in turn detectable by mundane means, but are instinctively encrypted, sounding like jumbled static though mundane technology.
Magical Form: 1 Mana to transform, 0 to revert to mundane form. Instinctual, Transformation.
A basic and safe form of transformation magic which lightly modifies your body and soul to better carry magic. While in a magical form, any other magic you use is much stronger, but your mundane abilities are a bit weaker, due to being detached from such concerns. In addition, you will be much more noticeable and possibly identifiable as a magical being. If you lose consciousness or run out of mana, you will harmlessly revert to your mundane form.
Cheap Heal: 1 Mana per use. Simple, Amorphous, Generative.
Allows you to touch someone and rapidly regenerate their body into an "ideal" shape. Cheap and effective. Will nearly instantly close wounds, restore organs, and even regrow limbs, but is less effective at nullifying illness or toxins. This power relies on aspects from friendliness and kindness, and will not function if one bears intent to harm the target. This power becomes much cheaper in mana when used by a soul suffused in kindness.
Shield: 1 Mana for first Layer, N+1 for each additional Layer, Concentration. Lattice.
One of the more complex powers taught to beginners, due to its excellent ability to prevent loss of life. The user is surrounded as long as they concentrate in a shining lattice of runes which protect them from any one 'hit': whether a fist, bullet, or point-blank explosion. Regardless of how much damage is absorbed, the shield will immediately shatter. Multiple layers of shield may be active at once, but the cost increases for each. The shield protects a bit more area than just your own body, allowing allies to take cover as well, but making it harder to dodge attacks entirely.
Stats:
Strength: +0
Endurance: +1
Agility: +1
Awareness: +1
Charisma: +0
Knowledge: +0
Health: Singed shoulder
Mana: 16/20
Inventory:
Plain Clothing
Backpack of odds and ends
Water Bottle
Military Rations x5
Powers:
Radio Telepathy: No cost. Instinctual, Capillary.
Allows for telepathic communication with other magical beings. Also allows one to listen in on mundane radio transmissions. Telepathic transmissions are in turn detectable by mundane means, but are instinctively encrypted, sounding like jumbled static though mundane technology.
Magical Form: 1 Mana to transform, 0 to revert to mundane form. Instinctual, Transformation.
A basic and safe form of transformation magic which lightly modifies your body and soul to better carry magic. While in a magical form, any other magic you use is much stronger, but your mundane abilities are a bit weaker, due to being detached from such concerns. In addition, you will be much more noticeable and possibly identifiable as a magical being. If you lose consciousness or run out of mana, you will harmlessly revert to your mundane form.
Improvise!: ? Mana per use. Instinctual, Amorphous, Lattice.
Magic can do anything! Why not give it a try? Channeling Creativity as a way of mimicking other aspects, Diane can bring into existence anything that she can imagine, to the extent that she can indeed imagine that thing. Objects created in this way are unstable and temporary, but no less real. A Knowledge roll may be made to determine duration, and a poor roll can result in unpredictable outcomes. Sometimes, it's better to know what you're doing.
Mana Bolt: 1 Mana per bolt. Simple, Amorphous.
Create a dense structure of Mana and then throw it at something. Roughly analogous to throwing a brick at somebody's head, both in terms of simplicity and efficacy. Though an effective weapon against most organics, this basic form of magic lacks the appropriate aspects to exert lethal force. This makes for a good base to learning more effective and expensive attack powers.
Stats:
Strength: +0
Endurance: +0
Agility: +1
Awareness: +2
Charisma: +0
Knowledge: +0
Health: Fine!
Mana: 18/20
Inventory:
Embroidered Salwar Kameez
Backpack of odds and ends
Water Bottle
Military Rations x5
Seam-Ripper knife
Snacks
Powers
Radio Telepathy: No cost. Instinctual, Capillary.
Allows for telepathic communication with other magical beings. Also allows one to listen in on mundane radio transmissions. Telepathic transmissions are in turn detectable by mundane means, but are instinctively encrypted, sounding like jumbled static though mundane technology.
Magical Form: 1 Mana to transform, 0 to revert to mundane form. Instinctual, Transformation.
A basic and safe form of transformation magic which lightly modifies your body and soul to better carry magic. While in a magical form, any other magic you use is much stronger, but your mundane abilities are a bit weaker, due to being detached from such concerns. In addition, you will be much more noticeable and possibly identifiable as a magical being. If you lose consciousness or run out of mana, you will harmlessly revert to your mundane form.
Spellweave: 2 mana per turn. Instinctual, Capillary, Special.
Anna-Leigh has an instinctual understanding with the waves and strands of magic which surround her. This technique was used by her ancestor long ago, who used it to be a peerless master of the secret, unseen arts. This is just an incomplete version of that power, but it has stupendous potential. While using this power, Anna-Leigh can "catch" powers used by her allies and delay their use, weaving multiple strands and their mana and aspects into a single tapestry spell. As long as this power is maintained, more powers can be added to the tapestry, and the spell will only activate when this power's cost is no longer paid.
Soulsee: No Cost, Concentration. Simple, Capillary.
By concentrating, you're able to directly sense the outer aura of souls as though through a sixth sense. These auras can be brightly seen through smoke or haze, but not through solid objects. By examining someone's aura you can learn about their emotional state and deeper nature, and of course the lack of an aura leads to the conclusion that you're not looking at a human being...
Expensive Mage Sense: 2 Mana per use, Concentration. Capillary.
You are deeply attuned to the magical world and are able to visualize your immediate surroundings using your magical senses alone. You are also able to see human soul auras through walls and can hunt down magical beings from great distances. This power is said to be the first step on the road to deeply understanding the universe, and it is true that it may shift one's perspective. This power is more expensive owing to its user's inexperience.
Stats:
Strength: +0
Endurance: +1
Agility: +0
Awareness: +1
Charisma: +1
Knowledge: +0
Health: Magical Form, Bruised and Battered
Mana: 10/20
Inventory:
Plain Clothing (A grey jumpsuit, adorned with various patches, pockets, and tassels, sewn on crudely by her own hand. The additions appear to be made with torn-apart copies of the jumpsuit itself.)
Backpack of odds and ends
Water Bottle
Military Rations x5
Powers:
Radio Telepathy: No cost. Instinctual, Capillary.
Allows for telepathic communication with other magical beings. Also allows one to listen in on mundane radio transmissions. Telepathic transmissions are in turn detectable by mundane means, but are instinctively encrypted, sounding like jumbled static though mundane technology.
Magical Form: 1 Mana to transform, 0 to revert to mundane form. Instinctual, Transformation.
A basic and safe form of transformation magic which lightly modifies your body and soul to better carry magic. While in a magical form, any other magic you use is much stronger, but your mundane abilities are a bit weaker, due to being detached from such concerns. In addition, you will be much more noticeable and possibly identifiable as a magical being. If you lose consciousness or run out of mana, you will harmlessly revert to your mundane form.
Binding of Obligation: 2 Mana per use, 3 Mana to maintain. Lattice, Summon.
With a gesture, chains erupt from the ground or walls to entangle and trap your target, preventing it from moving. The chains are very strong and a normal human being will be entirely incapacitated, but the power may fail to fully envelop larger targets. Additionally, the target will have their life and motivation slowly drained out of them, as Seven enforces order on their soul.
Fly: 2 Mana per use, 1 Mana to maintain. Lattice, Infuse.
You sprout a large pair of wings from your shoulder blades and gain the ability to fly. This flight is very fast, making it easy to avoid attacks, but is hard to control in tight spaces. While this flight is powered entirely by magic, the wings are a physical manifestation of the magic, and if they're damaged you'll fall. Thankfully these aren't truly a part of your body and will feel no pain nor shed blood.
Stats:
Strength: +1
Endurance: +1
Agility: +0
Awareness: +0
Charisma: +1
Knowledge: +0
Health: Fine!
Mana: 19/20
Inventory:
Plain Clothing (ragged burlap tunic and knee-length pants tied with a belt of sailor's rope, heavily repaired rope sandals, worn out workman's gloves with patched and padded knuckles)
Backpack of odds and ends
Water Bottle
Military Rations x5
Powers:
Radio Telepathy: No cost. Instinctual, Capillary.
Allows for telepathic communication with other magical beings. Also allows one to listen in on mundane radio transmissions. Telepathic transmissions are in turn detectable by mundane means, but are instinctively encrypted, sounding like jumbled static though mundane technology.
Magical Form: 1 Mana to transform, 0 to revert to mundane form. Instinctual, Transformation.
A basic and safe form of transformation magic which lightly modifies your body and soul to better carry magic. While in a magical form, any other magic you use is much stronger, but your mundane abilities are a bit weaker, due to being detached from such concerns. In addition, you will be much more noticeable and possibly identifiable as a magical being. If you lose consciousness or run out of mana, you will harmlessly revert to your mundane form.
Strength Boost: 2 Mana per use, 1 Mana to maintain. Simple, Infuse.
Even devoid of other aspects, Mana is strength. It's a simple matter to feed that mana back into yourself and make yourself stronger. As long as the boost is active, you're more able to strike, lift, and leap. Be aware that while this can make you faster, you won't have enhanced reflexes to match!
Shield: 1 Mana for first Layer, N+1 for each additional Layer, Concentration. Lattice.
One of the more complex powers taught to beginners, due to its excellent ability to prevent loss of life. The user is surrounded as long as they concentrate in a shining lattice of runes which protect them from any one 'hit': whether a fist, bullet, or point-blank explosion. Regardless of how much damage is absorbed, the shield will immediately shatter. Multiple layers of shield may be active at once, but the cost increases for each. The shield protects a bit more area than just your own body, allowing allies to take cover as well, but making it harder to dodge attacks entirely.
Followers:
Name: his name is "Rat" now, whether he likes it or not
Description: Scrawny raggy 13 year old boy. Particularly useless and untrustworthy.
Health: Bruised
Inventory: Satchel of odd and ends
Stats:
Strength: +0
Endurance: +1
Agility: +0
Awareness: +0
Charisma: +0
Knowledge: +2
Health: Fine!
Mana: 20/20
Inventory:
Plain Clothing
Backpack of odds and ends
Water Bottle
Military Rations x5
Mk.9 Target Pistol
.37 Cal Mk.9 Magazine
Powers:
Radio Telepathy: No cost. Instinctual, Capillary.
Allows for telepathic communication with other magical beings. Also allows one to listen in on mundane radio transmissions. Telepathic transmissions are in turn detectable by mundane means, but are instinctively encrypted, sounding like jumbled static though mundane technology.
Magical Form: 1 Mana to transform, 0 to revert to mundane form. Instinctual, Transformation.
A basic and safe form of transformation magic which lightly modifies your body and soul to better carry magic. While in a magical form, any other magic you use is much stronger, but your mundane abilities are a bit weaker, due to being detached from such concerns. In addition, you will be much more noticeable and possibly identifiable as a magical being. If you lose consciousness or run out of mana, you will harmlessly revert to your mundane form.
Heal: 3 Mana per use. Simple, Amorphous, Generative.
Allows you to touch someone and rapidly regenerate their body into an "ideal" shape. Expensive, but effective. Will nearly instantly close wounds, restore organs, and even regrow limbs, but is less effective at nullifying illness or toxins. This power relies on aspects from friendliness and kindness, and will not function if one bears intent to harm the target.
Soulsee: No Cost, Concentration. Simple, Capillary.
By concentrating, you're able to directly sense the outer aura of souls as though through a sixth sense. These auras can be brightly seen through smoke or haze, but not through solid objects. By examining someone's aura you can learn about their emotional state and deeper nature, and of course the lack of an aura leads to the conclusion that you're not looking at a human being...
Followers:
Name: 'Shadesoul'
Description: A "catmodded" young security guard employed by Francesca's father. Beneath a very thin facade of professionalism, she's an adventurer at heart, which is to say greedy and bloodthirsty. A bit tall, with pink hair and yellow eyes.
Health: neutralized
Inventory: "Unassuming" Business Suit, Bulletproof Vest, N5K SMG, 3x .37 Cal N5K magazine
((If there are any errors, I blame solely the hurricane and take zero responsibility.))
Author
Topic: Full Metal Dress: If I could fly... (Read 5188 times)