Derm got a +1 to his second roll for the word of the day; good thing too, he needed it.
Turn 13:Attempt to make mental contact with the man.
|As you walk, you attempt to sense the short man in front of you using only your mind. It takes a while, but suddenly, you feel it. There's definitely something there, and it's similar to other somethings surrounding you. You realize you are feeling the mage's presence both in his own body and in the armors. That's...odd. You concentrate on penetrating the main body with your mind. Though this is your first mental intrusion, it comes naturally to you somehow. You imagine your own mind as very sharp needles which prick the surface of the mage's mind without him even noticing. You suddenly get a profound glimpse of both his thoughts, feelings, emotions, and intentions. But it is only for a moment, and it's too much to process. Something must have gone wrong, because you feel the mage's presence retreat from one of the armors. As it clashes down into a pile of apparently empty metal plates, the sound of metal on stone reverberates through the staircase. The three other suits of armor stare at their collapsed comrade (if magically animated armor has such feelings as companionship). The mage physically stops, and mentally becomes more inquisitive, searching for the source of the problem.
|You retreat, leaving a tiny portion of yourself to sense the mage's intentions. You'll be able to tell what he is going to do shortly before he does it. Currently, he is going to continue his mental investigation, which you will have to hide from.
Insult the initiate, calling him a coward. When if charges swing my halbard at him, but with little effort, just make him think I'm attacking him with the halbard. When he dodges, kick him in the shin.
|You successfully come up with over 14 different synonyms and expressions for a coward, and call the initiate all of them. He seems really riled up.
|He charges at you almost madly; you think you can see a bit of foam at his mouth. Looking at his eyes, it's clear that he has lost all control of himself, and will blindly attack no matter what. Also, he will become much easier to hit in this state, as he now knows no fear. But first, you must dodge his attack!
|His nails rip your clothes on your left side slightly, and you seems to have a small scrape which stings a bit, but it won't interfere with your battle.
|You successfully execute an excellent kick at the initiate's shin, using your halberd for both balance and leverage.
|You hit him hard, and he stumbles to the side clutching his right leg.
Attempt to create illusory money, which if successful, will be given to the teleporter as part of payment
|You manage to create some sort of illusion of a round piece of metal, but no way is anyone going to mistake that for a coin.
"All right, you assface travel agency guy. You'd better lower that price or I'll rub my dirty loincloth all over your face."
|You tell the travel agent to lower his price, threateningly motioning to your loincloth. He replies in a burlesque tone that teleportation is expensive to perform; you need the right magic gems to do it. Though these gems are not exactly rare, they are mildly uncommon, and lose their potency with each teleportation. In fact, the agent is already selling you this teleportation at cost, so going any lower will result in a loss for him. After carefully considering his arguments, you take off your loincloth(your companions shield their eyes), and slap him across the face with it, as if challenging him to a dual with a glove. You then calmly replace your loincloth. The man's face assumes an expression that can only be described as shocked, and he shouts “You need 25 gold, 4 silver, and 80 copper! No Exceptions!”
Drop down lower, so I can see everyone clearly, then go down to the travel agency.
|You start to fly away from the town, and find yourself drifting over pastoral countryside. There are a few hamlets here and there, but the ground is far below you now. It'd probably be a good idea to ask for directions, but a manly man such as yourself would never stoop to such unmanly behavior.
This time, I will try to barter to lower our teleportation price.
|Your incessant pleas do nothing to subdue the angry travel agent. He merely repeats his price, and mentions that if you're short on gold, you should get a job somewhere.
Let my mind wander and drift -- think of nothing, focus on nothing; purge my head of all thoughts, and close my eyes.
|You somehow manage to clear you mind and think of nothing. Doing this in a dream state puts you into a deep sleep. The last though you have is “I wonder if I'll be the same when I awaken?”
I explain to the man at the teleportation place that we are on urgent business on behalf of the council and that they will be assuming all our costs associated with teleporting us.
|The man says he knows how the council works; they care almost nothing for ordinary citizens, it seems, and the recluses almost never pay anyone for anything. Most of the supplies they get are gathered by the wizards themselves, or though toadies which probably obey out of fear. He also says that this is probably a good thing as an influx of gold magically created by wizards to pay off their debts would devalue currency.
Status:
Current location: Teleports Now Travel Agency
Health: Excellent
Inventory:
Insulating Clothes (does not take damage in extreme weather)
Multiple IOU's and a piece of paper with a large black spot.
Abilities:
Snow-Walker (Cold Immunity, Fever Immunity, damage taken in warm places without protection)
Minor Water Magic
Current location: Small Shrine to Varsen
Health: Excellent
Inventory:
Flower-Stem Ring of Slumber (can cause any 1 creature capable of sleep to go into a magical slumber)
Deadly Halberd (+1 to enemy dodge, -2 to damage)
Dirty hole-ridden kilt (-1 to interacting with civilized NPC's)
Abilities:
None known
Current location: Physical-Travel Agency Mental-Gone
Health: Cut neck (exertion of the head will open this up more)
Deeply Unconscious(-3, failguard)
Inventory:
Neck bandages and brace (prevents exertion of the neck)
Dream Sword (-1 to damage, not real)
Abilities:
Cursed (will die if he betrays Mal)
Naked (-3 to NPC interactions)
Current location: Teleports Now Travel Agency
Health: Hungover (-1 to mental actions)
Inventory:
Small coin pouch (1 gold, 1 silver)
Dirty loincloth(-1 to interacting with civilized NPC's)
Pretty rock
Abilities:
Has unkempt mustache
Current location: In the air above the countryside
Health: Excellent
Inventory:
Short Sword (-1 to damage)
Steel plate armor (+1 to piercing and bludgeoning, +2 to slashing)
Small coin pouch (3 silver pieces)
Saddled Pegasus
Abilities:
None known
Current location:Giant Spiral Staircase in Ancient Tower
Health: Excellent
Inventory:
Fancy Clothes (+1 to interacting with civilized NPC's)
Traveler's backpack
Box with Mal's Amulet
Abilities:
Poison Immunity
Disease Immunity
Mentally Spying on the Intentions of the Small Mage (will be told what action the mage will take next turn)
Allies:
Little mental antibody companion (can only fight mental attacks)
Current location: Teleports Now Travel Agency
Health: Hungover (-1 to mental actions)
Sore Throat (-1 to talking and eating hard foods)
Bad Headache (-2 to mental actions)
Inventory:
Worn linen clothes
Small coin pouch (1 silver piece, 8 copper pieces)
Flint and tinder
IOU from "Chauncy"
Abilities:
None known
Current location: Teleports Now Travel Agency
Health: Hungover (-1 to mental actions)
Inventory:
Linen clothes
Leather belt and boots
Small coin pouch (Empty)
Cursed gold ring (precious, -3 to taking it off)
Otherwise Unexamined
Abilities:
None known
Quarr's position is now that of a brain-dead player (luckily his action fit with the idea). Should another player claim him, he will re-awaken in his dreamscape (unless Tarran releases him). Sorry for the rough turn despite successful rolls, but that travel agent is already giving you a huge discount; you won't get him to go any lower. Still, with a little luck, it shouldn't take you more than 2 or 3 turns to get the required gold (1 if you're really lucky).
Author
Topic: PUC RTD: Turn 15 - Good luck comes to those who need it least (Read 21876 times)