Turn 73!Weather: Indoors
Time: Late morning
Light: Some
Joe: Yell up the pipe for some moon rock or something.
... Joe yells up the pipe for some moon rock or something. OR DOES HE? You just never know with ambiguously silent protagonists.
Go check out that shop. Maybe they have something in stock that could shed some light on our situation, maybe literally.
Zach heads back around to the mysterious shop and enters it.
:
"WELCOME, CUSTOMER! I am your host, SHOP GUY! I assume you're here to barter, hm? Hm?The grey-hued Shop Guy stands behind a counter in a small room with items lined up on racks attached to the back wall.
:
"Now before I introduce my fine wares, I should tell you how Shop Guy's Shop works, hm, hm? I do not deal in money - not valuable! Instead, items exchanged for SHOP POINTS. Mundane items, 1-3 points. Magicky or rare items, WHO KNOWS, hm? Shop points exchanged for valuable wares. Now, I'm sure you want to see my stock, hm?":
"First up, top left: LEGAL TENDER! Maybe illegal tender, too. Who knows with tender, hm? Leftmost item, 100 simple Mushroom coins. Middle, green jewely thing, no idea where from! Rightmost, bag of ONE THOUSAND COINS! Note: every purchase of five SHOP POINTS gives you a free SHOP GUY RAFFLE TICKET, hmmm?":
"Bottom left, my DELICIOUS POTIONS! Left to right, Health Potion, Magic Potion, Both Potion! Interested, hm? HMM? Right, oh: paper on bottoms shows how many Shop Points to purchase.":
"Up-right, fancy equipment things! Left is weapon type of your choice, middle is armor type of your choice. No quality nor satisfaction guarenteed! No refunds, hm! Oh, rightmost: MAGICAL IMBUEMENT! Very nice, very fancy. Put my slaves er underlings right to work, hm hm?":
"Bottom right: best for last! These are coveted special Shop Guy items, hm, hm? Left is GRAB BAG. Who knows what you'll get? Maybe nothing, maybe something! Middle: SHOP GUY CARD! Use to call Shop Guy Shop anywhere you go as long as not dangerous, hm? Finally, right: more SHOP GUY RAFFLE TICKETS! Prize awarded if won next time Shop Guy Shop is entered. More raffle tickets means more chances! Note: can decline to use raffle tickets, save them up! Good idea, hm?":
"Oh right: current raffle is INCREDIBLY FANCY TIMEY WIMEY STEEL SWORD! Found in washed up temple. Possibly great power, but who knows?""Well then Fuzz, I guess I can't make you tell me what you don't want to tell. I gueesss I'll go into that pipe, did 'he' go into that pipe?"
Shadow Ochita: Swim to the pipe.
:
"I-I DON'T KNOW I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION! PLEASE DONT PUNISH ME COUNSELOR PRINCESS MR TOAD"... Ochita heads for the pipe on the other corner of the room, but immediately finds that swimming in this form is unwieldy. He starts to sink to the bottom, not because of weight but because he lacks the buoyancy of a corporeal object.
As he sinks, he notices a faint light at the bottom of the pool of water, about twelve feet down. He also notices his shadow form is about to run out. In an effort to regain buoyancy, he expends his last LIMIT POINT to morph back!
... Luckily, his
fast-thinking allows him to regain floatation before falling to far, and he easily floats back to the top of the pool.
Dirk cries out in terror. He is a cabbage salesman, he was not made for the dealings of water blubbing thingies and powerful bolts of lightning. Curled up in the floor, he barely manages to ask
"I really need people to explain this place to me. What are you, magical water man? And what is a moonrock?"
... The Nep-enut bends downward toward Dirk.
"MANY YEARS RESTING IN WATER. BLUBLUBUT SOMETIMES WATER STOPS, VISITORS ENTER. MAYBE SET UP LIKE THIS. MAYBE PART OF PUZZLE. ONLY KNOW NEED MOONROCK TO MOVE WATER. NOT KNOW WHY."Bradley followed Oomph's advice, of course. The Koopa hadn't steered him wrong yet.
"Oomph thinks Ghosty should try cold magic. If Moon is opposite of Sun, then Coldness is opposite of hotness!" He proclaimed, blowing all his logic in one feat of intuitive deduction.
Action: Try casting healing magic at the rune, then hit it with my club. Or just disappear, whatever works!
... Oomph attempts to cast HEALING MAGICK on the center glyph, but it fizzles out. Deja vu. Little sparkles surround his eyes but he regains focus and proceeds to whap the same glyph with his club.
... A loud "THUNK" is heard both where Oomph stands and below near Joe and Dirk, but nothing happens otherwise.
... Meanwhile, Bradley takes Oomph's advice and casts a great burst of ice magic on the center rune. It absorbs the magic once again.
Joe and Dirk see a burst of slowflakes and tiny ice crystals fly out of the eastern room across the bridge. After a moment, they disappear.
DOUBLE MEANWHILE COMBO: While waiting for something else to happen, a green swirly TIME PORTAL appears behind Oomph and Bradley.
Out of the portal zooms a green-shelled Koopa on a GRAND PRIX MOTORCYCLE. But wait: Oomph recognizes the new Koopa friend as none other than Oomph!
The portal disappears, and the bespectacled Oomph clone de-bikes.
:
"Past Oomph! It's me, Future Oomph from Oomph Future! Timey wobbly problems happening everywhere, and is up to Present Oomph who is Future Oomphs Past Oomph to fix them!":
"Oomph like Future Oomphs bike!":
"Won in Mario Kart Grand Prix! In fact, won seven times, so have seven Future Oomph time bikes!":
"But why Future Oomph wear cool green glasses? Get in way of eyes!":
"Speak for self. Present but Past at same time Oomph wearing huge helmet Author not be drawing." Future Oomph pushes his glasses up a little, but they fall back down.
"Future Goggles called Everything Goggles. Helping Future Oomph by doing everything yet nothing! Very expensive but worthless.":
"Future sounds confusing and full of false adventising. Can Oomph be having Future Worthless Glasses of own anyway?":
"Past Present Oomph getting ahead of self. Must fix time problems first! Lots of Alternate Time Oomphs need to be saved to die and somehow later help Past Present Main Timeline Oomph. Friar Oomphmore, Omph the Legendary, even King Oomph the Almost Wise!":
"U-u-u-um-":
"Don't be worry, Whimpy Past Bradely. Existing many Future and Other Bradelys to accompany Future and Alternate Oomphs.":
"B-b-but-":
"Would be very bad if Past Present Bradely follows Past Present Oomph though. Too many parrydoxes! Needed to solve puzzles and help other funny smelling Past Present Heroes.":
"B-b-b-":
"Also, Past Present Whimpy Ghost might slowing Future Oomph down. Time Bike much faster than floaty ghost floating.":
"L-L-LET ME SPEAK!":
:
:
"D-d-does this mean you're g-going away, O-Oomph? J-j-just like that? F-f-for h-how long? A-are you coming back? B-b...":
"Aww, Bradely be worrying about old Present Oomph! Er, Oomph! Do not fret, small Bradely. Oomph know some things about wibbly wimey time travel, and should be having many adventures while gone. But from Bradelys perspective, not long at all!":
"Past Present Oomph smart! Will be back before dinner. Unless both Future and Past Present Oomph BECOME DINNER. But Future Oomph try not to let that happen.":
"B-but... but you're my b-b-best f-f-friend. W-what will I do without you? W-who will knock me w-with a c-club when I w-w-worry too much?":
"Small Bradley is right.":
"H-huh?""Worry far too much."Oomph has left the party.Name: Zachary "Zach" Jones
Level: 2 (0/20)
Race: HumanElement: NeutralHealth: 10/10Magick: 6/6Status:Attributes: STR 10 (+0), DEX 10 (+0), INT 12 (+2), WIS 10 (+0), CON 10 (+0), CHR 10 (+0)
Secondary attributes: Armor Class 10, Move 3, Damage Resistance 2
Inventory: Flickering Torch,
Unsettling PapersEquipped: Refined Bronze Sword,
Bronze Armor,
Catena AevitusActive abilities (mouse over to view details): Power Strike IFireball IInspection IStabilis VitaePassive abilities: Name: Ochita
Level: 2 (0/20)
Race: HumanElement: DarkLimit Points: 0/20Status:Attributes: STR 8 (-1), DEX 10 (+0), INT 14 (+2), WIS 10 (+0), CON 8 (-1), CHR 12 (+1)
Secondary attributes: Armor Class 10+3, Move 3, Damage Resistance 3
Inventory: 400 coins
Equipped: Transmogriphic LimbActive abilities (mouse over to view details): Through The CracksCall ChaosTamperer's TrickPassive abilities:LIMIT BREAK: LINGERING DARKNESS!Corrupted Quickening Name: Bradley Oliver Oakes
Level: 2 (0/20)
Race: BooElement: DarkHealth: 9/10Magick: 2/13Bonuses/penalties: Attributes: STR 8 (-1), DEX 12 (+1), INT 13 (+1), WIS 10 (+0), CON 8 (-1), CHR 10 (+0)
Secondary Attributes: Armor Class 11, Move 3
Inventory: 400 coins,
Red Mushroom x2,
The Origin StoryEquipped: Flashing Spellbook,
Frostknife,
Shy Guy MaskActive abilities (mouse over to view details): Darkness IMagiflash IPassive abilities:Star BoonEEEK!Ambient SiphonSpecial abilities:Bowling Boo Name: Joe
Level: 2 (0/20)
Race: ToadElement: EarthHealth: 8/12Magick: 5/5Bonuses/penalties: Weapon bonus: anyAttributes: STR 12 (+1), DEX 8 (-1), INT 10 (+0), WIS 10 (+0), CON 14 (+2), CHR 10 (+0)
Secondary Attributes: Armor Class 10-1, Move 3
Inventory:Equipped: Bronze GreatswordActive abilities (mouse over to view details):Slash StunEmpowered AttackPassive abilities:Thick SkinKingdom Training Name: Dirk Valio
Level: 1 (6/10)
Race: Human?Element: NullBio: A young, down on his luck cabbage salesman from Boston, Dirk was taking an ordinary trip to the bathroom when he slipped on a banana peel and fell in, spiraling down into the Mushroom Kingdom.
Health: 7/10Magick: 0/0Status: Cooldown: Longshot (Three turns remaining)
Attributes: STR 10 (+0), DEX 10 (+0), INT 10 (+0), WIS 10 (+0), CON 10 (+0), CHR 10 (+0)
Secondary attributes: Armor Class 10, Move 3
Inventory: Wall Torch,
Red KeyEquipped: Wooden bowActive abilities:Longshot IPassive abilities:Run Like the Wind