Also, urgh, I really didn't wanted Eko to come, that will seriously hinder any help we can try to give.
Actually, it might be the other way around. Yes, our first order of business should be to try and control and study the creature, but if that fails, we can kill it with Eko without using necromancy. We can say we used our elven magic (which is technically true since See Vitality is a very low level Life and Death spell that could be casted by someone without much magical capacity) to detect the creature, try to control it or impair it (which isn't visible) and if that fails use Eko's spells to repel it and kill it or trap it. This abjuration spell is especially interesting, since the creature is essentially a concentration of necromantic energy.
Also, interesting to see that Order provides a means to see the structure of order spells, just like Death does for its own spells.
That book account proves that at least the wards work against the creature.
And the other stuff about the Necromantic gods and the prophecy is interesting too. We should make our way to the capital after this and hit the libraries for info about this Morka god and necromancy-related prophecies. And make a mental note to stay away from the emperor, just in case.
We could make our way a bit deeper to the forest, as far as the clearing since it's a relatively short trip, set up a ward there and investigate the clearing and then the area just outside the ward's boarder, with Omo casting Detect Magic and us casting See Vitality. Maybe even investigate on our way there if we can maintain see vitality and detect magic for that long. Or we could set up a mobile ward and then make our way a bit deeper into the forest, but I think we can take a small risk and not waste that mana.
Also, ask if all of this other guys spells were cast from inside the wards - maybe the wards were somehow interrupting the detection magic? Mention that you could no longer sense the vitality of your pursuers once you were outside the forest, indicating that the wards may be blocking your ability to detect them as well as their ability to detect you.
So, Goals:
We've got an improved version of detect vitality, which we might be able to use with our necromantic sight to really figure out more of what's going on with these creatures... IF we can get their attention. We should bring Omo with us, and talk about what's going on away from Eko's ears and talk about larger plans.
If we fail to draw any attention...
Search the woods for animals. Are there any? Bugs, even? Why does this force seem to target people - are the trees flatlined in the same way somehow? Without bugs to pollinate them, how do they spread and persist? If we can detect animals, do they differ from the kind of animals outside the ward - is it only smaller animals or something?
Gather information of this sort.
Other things to do:
Find out if Eko knows anything about synergizing magic. I almost suspect that golems may be something we can't do alone.
Oooh, good point. We should definitely find out about that.
We have Eko cast a ward on himself and maybe on Omo too, but not on us. We make sure to stay outside the range of the ward.
FTFY
PS: I see no problem with your suggestion. carry on...
Why cast wards on 2 people? Won't be any different from having it on Eko. Plus, having it on Eko gives us an excuse to get away from him.
@Deep Waters:
I think you're overthinking things a bit. Eko will know we are a mage as soon as we cast the spell to destroy the curse, if he hasn't already figured it out. If we want to continue to pose as a Life mage (and I think we should, at least for now) then being able to passively detect vitality is not something we need need to hide.
That said, getting Eko to cast an Alarm on a twig which will make a minor ward when the twig is broken would be a very sound precaution. If something bad happens, Omo or Eko can break the twig and make us invisible to the curse spirit.
Eko steps forward, seeming to feel the air in front of his face.
"Well, the ward is just as I left it. No worries there. What do we do now?" Omo looks at you questioningly.
"Do we go in?" "Yeah." You nod decisively.
"Can you find the clearing where we found the children? We can use that as a base camp, if Eko wards it." Omo grins.
"Can I find a random forest clearing I've visited once before in the dark of night? Of course! Who do you think I am?" "Good. Eko, can you protect us with a mobile ward on our way there?" "I can, but you'll have to stay close to me to remain within the ward's influence. You should be fine if you do not stray more than ten feet. How far is this clearing?" Eko asks.
Omo scratches his chin.
"It isn't too far off; an hour's walk, maybe two." Eko nods absently, rummaging through his pack for his chalks. Pulling out a nub of yellow chalk, he begins muttering to himself as he traces odd patterns on his hands. Omo watches incredulously as Eko pulls back his sleeves to draw on his arms, then pulls up his robe to scrawl on his belly. You watch with interest; not from any particular desire to see Eko's stomach (which is rather chubby and distressingly hairy,) but because you want to see what Order Magic looks like.
Unfortunately, this spell just looks like a crazy person rubbing himself with a piece of chalk. Though the patterns are quite intricate, full of square shapes and right angles, they don't look like anything special. After drawing on every body part Eko can easily reach, he spends a few minutes with his eyes closed, still murmuring incomprehensibly to himself. With a sigh, he opens his eyes and nods.
"There. One Minor Ward against Necromancy, ready to go. As I said, stay close, and you'll be protected as well as I am." "Well, if your spell is ready, there's no need to hang out on the edge of the forest. Lead the way, Omo!" Omo leads you once more under the leaves of Aloclesno. The thick forest is much less oppressive in the daytime, though it is still rather gloomy. Perhaps the most striking difference is the noise; at night, the forest seemed unnaturally quiet, but by day the familiar chirping of birds and drone of insects fills the forest. Leaves rustle as a squirrel jumps to a smaller branch. Somewhere in the distance, a crow caws raucously.
However, even the usual noises of forest life are drowned out by the tramping of Eko Cleanvise.
Omo throws up his arms as yet another dead branch cracks beneath Eko's feet.
"Burn me to ash, but are you going to step on every twig in this forest, Eko? Because you're making a good start!" "Well excuse me for getting an education instead of playing in the woods all my life." Eko grumbles.
"Not everybody can ignore little things like calendars and souls in favor of moving like deer. Never did like forests; they're far too disorganized." Omo snorts.
"All I'm saying is that you're making enough noise to wake the dead." "That's the plan, right? We'll rouse that Necromantic monster from whatever haven it hides in, and then deal with it once and for all." You wince as Eko shuffles through a pile of dead leaves.
"Well, speaking of that; from what you said about Kiros's expedition, it seems like the wards kept the monster from finding him." Eko nods.
"That is quite likely, yes." "Is it possible that the wards also kept him from finding the monster?" Eko shakes his head.
"No, that's not how the wards work. The Divinations are Order magic, and... they reach out past the wards, would be the easiest way to explain it. The wards would prevent Necromantic magic from entering- the stronger wards, anyway- but none of them would prevent Order magic from flowing out to find signs of Necromancy." "Hm. Well, to change the subject slightly, I'm interested to know what kinds of tricks you can do with your Alarm spell." Eko chuckles, twigs snapping beneath his feet.
"Yes, that's quite a devious little spell. Some Wizards say the applications of Alarm are a school unto themselves. People have made some very clever things with Alarm; accurate timekeepers, intricate traps... one Wizard made a series of Alarms and Divinations that played a song from the sounds of different places." "Really? Could you, say, set an Alarm to trigger a Ward, or an Abjuration if we do something simple like break a stick?" Omo snorts.
"He's broken enough sticks, if you ask me." Eko gives Omo a sour look before shaking his head.
"I know what you're thinking, but things are a little more complicated than that. I'd still have to prepare a Ward the same as usual, so it would only work if you plan to lure this creature somewhere specific that I can prepare beforehand. And Equations and Divinations are even trickier, because they are not normally prepared for as Wards are. To tie one of those spells to an Alarm, I'd have to simulate the conditions for casting them within the Alarm itself, in addition to the provisions that allow the spell to be held in suspension, which tends to make the spell both more expensive and more unstable." "So... you can't do it?" Eko sighs.
"I can try, but it's not easy. I can only tie one spell to an Alarm, and it will cost more Mana than casting the spells separately would. Centering a ward on a person, or casting a Divination or Abjuration would likely consume my entire mana pool. I certainly shouldn't try right now, if you want a ward at this clearing of yours." "Hm. Alright. I wish you had mentioned that when you were describing the spell earlier." "Forgive me for not relating my lifetime of magical studies on the walk here." Eko says dryly.
"Actually..." You reply,
"I had a random thought; do you know if mages of different Faiths can combine their spells? Life and Order, or Water and Earth, or something?" "That is an odd question." Eko says with a grin.
"I don't know of any spells that absolutely require the presence of multiple Faiths. Of course, there are many spells which work well with those from other Faiths, merely by virtue of their effects. Legends tell of mythical weapons and armor forged by the combined efforts of Dwarven Earth Magicians and Fire Giant Invokers, for example, and occasionally mages of other Faiths will study with the Wizards to use their Divinations to aid their own research." "Interesting. Do you know-" "Hey." Omo interrupts.
"We're here." The clearing looks no different in the light of day than when you first saw it; the ground is flat and covered with tall grass and leaves, and two young trees near the center of the clearing stretch toward the midday sun. At a nod from you, Eko begins walking around the clearing, preparing to enclose the entire area in a
Minor Ward. You cast
See Vitality, and at your urging Omo casts Sense Vitality.
You take a moment to look at Omo and Eko with your newly-enhanced vision. As far as you can tell, the Vitality network within them moves just like that of Ado Drunkenstumbles back at the Temple, except they aren't wounded. You don't see anything new, and while every individual you've looked at with this spell has had a unique Vitality system (Omo definitely has longer ears, among other things,) you don't notice any major differences between Omo and Eko. Of course, all this confirms is that something was very wrong with the Vitality of the victims of Aloclesno.
Examining the rest of the clearing reveals nothing out of the ordinary; the young trees are healthy saplings, the grass is basically tiny useless tubes of Vitality, and the surrounding trees all appear to be in good shape despite their unfriendly appearance. While Eko works on his ward, you and Omo take a quick circuit just outside the clearing.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Omo asks, stepping over a particularly large root.
"I don't know." You shrug.
"Anything out of the normal, I guess. Have you seen any larger animals in here?" "Not with that boar you brought along smashing through the brush." Omo says, nodding toward Eko.
"But we were following a game trail most of the way here, so there must be some kind of larger wildlife in here. Probably deer." "Huh. So if there's some horrible Necromantic monster in here, why does it only target people, and not the other living things?" "You tell me, you're the... you know." Omo shrugs uncomfortably.
"Speaking of that, what did you bring Eko along for? I thought we were keeping this kind of stuff on the down low." "He's got some useful skills. And besides, I think if we prove our good nature to him, he won't try to kill me. He seems like a reasonable guy." "Yeah, sure. Reasonable. Just a drunk and a liar." "That seems a little harsh." You say, frowning.
"What have you got against Eko?" "Eh, nothing, really." Omo shrugs, bending to inspect a mossy rock.
"I'm just saying, he's not the most holy of priests. He's gonna let those kids die if we can't solve this thing, remember." "That's their law; it's weird and wrong, but that's how it is. And he's not just letting them die; he's out here with us, right?" "Yeah, yeah." Omo says, looking around.
"Looks like Eko is done back at the camp; anything else you wanted to talk about out here?" "Nothing that can't wait, I think." You've seen no trace of the monster of Aloclesno; not surprising, since you've been out from under the protection of Eko's ward for less than ten minutes. You rejoin the portly priest in the clearing.
"So this is where the kids fell, huh." Eko says, looking around.
"Well, this area is warded off, now. It'll be up for about a week, longer if I renew it. What should we do now?" It's not quite midday, and you still possess most of your mana. Eko is running low, though he still enjoys two more hours of protection from his mobile ward. What next?
Vitality- 11/11
Mana- 11/12
XP- 27/35
Inventory- Belt Pouch (
80 Silver Pieces),
Elven Traveler Garb,
Elven Cloak, Headband, Belt Knife,
Hatchet, Leather Backpack(Bedroll, Flint&Steel,
Weak Mana Potion, Scroll Case(4 blank Parchment,
Charcoal),
Trail Rations Fishing Equipment,
Spare Traveling Clothes x2,
Prestidigitation for the Beginning Practitioner by Joddo Meadtrust, Crystal(5oz))
Abilities-
Sense Necromancy(Passive),
Improved Necromantic Sight(Passive)Skills-
Competent Fisher,
Dabbling SwimmerStatus- Curious
7th Felsite,
Twenty two days since Manifestation
General
Detect Magic- 1 MP - Detects spells and magical items near you
Calm Animal- 1 MP - Causes wild animals to become peaceful
Sense Vitality- 1 MP - You can detect the Vitality of living things, with a bit of effort
Brew Mana Potion- A Mana Potion takes twice the potions potency in Mana cost, and requires 1/2 hour per point in brewing time
Waterproof- 1MP/Hour duration - Makes an object non-absorbent. Does not prevent corrosion (such as from acid or rusting) or magical effects related to water/liquid
Necromancy
Raise Zombie- ? MP - You can take the formerly living body and turn it into a zombie, but you lack understanding or even much knowledge of the particulars. It seems the mana cost is related to the overall quality of the corpse, and maybe the size?
Command Undead- 2 MP - You can merge your awareness with an undead creature, gauging its general condition and issuing explicit orders it will obey to the best of its ability. You can also give orders that will persist beyond the end of the spell.
Steal Vitality- X MP - Range: Line of Sight. You can suck the Vitality out of living things. This spell removes up to 2X Vitality from the target and gives 1/3 of it to you.
Animate Object- 4 MP - You can force Vitality into inanimate objects, things that were never alive to begin with. It seems to be more complicated than Zombification though- your Rock doesn't do anything, which is hardly useful. You'll need to experiment with this more.
Alter Golem- 2 MP- You can make basic alterations to an existing construct or animated object.
Impair Undead- 2MP- Range: 30ft (close enough to see in detail.) You blinded a zombie with this spell.
See Vitality- 1MP- Allows you to see the machinations of Vitality in living things as well as you see the workings of zombies with your Necromantic Sight.
Vitality- 13/13
Mana- 2/3
XP- 29/35
Inventory-
Elven Tunic,
Elven Cloak, Headband, Belt Knife, Leather Backpack(50' Rope,
Camping Supplies, Waterskin(mostly full), Torch),
Masterwork Elven StaffAbilities-
Track,
SurvivalistSkills-
Novice Observer,
Competent Ambusher,
Competent Staff User,
Poor Liar,
Dabbling SwimmerStatus- Cautious
Vitality- 12/12
Mana- 4/9
XP- 35/50
Inventory-
Priestly Robe,
Wool Cloak, Belt Knife, Flask(Sewer Brew), Leather Backpack(
Line in the Sand: Discrete Forces and Interactions by Joddo Meadtrust,
A Study of Aloclesno by Shezpa Yarnpoets, Waterskin(full), Torches x5,
Colored chalks),
Tasseled ShortspearAbilities-
Clarity,
Union with OrderSkills-
Novice Spearman,
Competent ResearcherStatus- 2 hours of Minor Ward left
General
Detect Magic- 1 MP - Detects spells and magical items near you
Sense Vitality- 1 MP - You can detect the Vitality of living things, with a bit of effort
Waterproof- 1MP/Hour duration - Makes an object non-absorbent. Does not prevent corrosion (such as from acid or rusting) or magical effects related to water/liquid
Order Wards
Ward against Disease- 1 MP - Casting time: 10 minutes. Protects an afflicted area from disease; it cannot cure, but it does prevent new infections.
Alarm- 1 MP - Casting time: 10 minutes. Creates a field that waits on a specific trigger, often the presence of a particular magical energy or the movement or destruction of a physical item. When activated, the field can either create a noise of some kind, or trigger another spell entirely. Has a duration of about one week, though each additional point of mana spent increases the duration of the ward by three or four weeks each.
Minor Ward- 1 MP - Casting time: 15 minutes, possibly longer if covering a larger or unusually shaped area (easily covers ~500 square feet.) Create a field against a specific Magical Faith in a specific place. Lasts for about a week, though each additional point of mana spent increases the duration of the ward by three or four weeks each. Can be centered on a person or object instead for 3 MP total; duration increases are scaled to hours in this case, and the area is reduced to ~60 square feet.
Major Ward- 3 MP - Casting time: 30 minutes, possibly longer if covering a larger area. As Minor Ward, but the field is strong enough to disrupt concentrations of the Magic in question, potentially causing spell failure. Durations are measured in days. Can be centered on a person or object for 9 MP instead, with a duration measured in half-hours.
Sanctuary- 9 MP - Casting time: 30 minutes, possibly longer if covering a larger area. As Major Ward, but the field is strong enough to physically halt or oppose creatures and objects strongly imbued with the Magic in question. This field cannot be tied to a person or object, and the field is not physically tied to the area it is cast.
Order Divinations
Detect Thoughts- 2 MP - Range: 5ft. Detects the mindset of a creature or person, providing clues about their intentions and emotional state. Works less well on those who are strong of will.
Probe Thoughts- 4 MP - Range: 5ft. Detects the surface thoughts of a person, though it works less well on those who are strong of will.
Detect Undead- X MP - Detects the presence of zombies animated by a Necromancer, including a vague sense of direction (but not distance.) Each point of mana spent on the spell increases the radius by about half a mile.
Clairaudience- 3 MP - Range: 500ft. Allows you to hear at a distance by creating an invisible magical sensor at the location. Does not require line of sight, but the location of the sensor must be well known to the caster. Reduce the MP cost by one if the location of the sensor has been prepared beforehand (10 minutes of preparation time at physical location)
Order Equations
Minor Counterspell- 2 MP - Disrupts the casting of a specific spell; easily resisted, target can overcome Counterspell by spending extra mana.
Minor Mana Diffusion- 2 MP - Range: 30ft. Reduces the mana reserves of a target creature by 4 MP; easily resisted
Minor Abjuration- 3 MP - Range: 30ft. Corrects unequal distributions of magical energy; in practice, causes spells to dissipate and repulses magical creatures.
Omo Thunderjaw- Your best friend, brave and true. He is currently an aspiring Ranger, and is eager to leave the Vale.
Eko Cleanvise- The priest of the village of Bedscaled, his wards against the undead have failed him
Bale Matchedstones- The Knight tasked with investigating the crises in Bedscaled.
Curo Nightroar- The Necromancer of Thrimesdur, said to be insane, he controls a massive army of the Undead and threatens the Cremated Empire.
Pirate King- The Necromancer operating along the Jeweled Coast, he commands a mixed force of human and lizardfolk pirates along with his undead minions.
Fale Packunion- A mysterious figure who appeared to you in a dream, attempting to recruit you to the cause of his Death God. May or may not be the Pirate King or some other known figure.
Morka- The aforementioned Death God. You know basically nothing about him/her/it, except his link to the other Necromancers.
-This one's a bit morbid, but bear with me. Take two crayfish. Shell one, leaving the meat inside as intact as possible. Remove the flesh from the second while leaving the shell as intact as possible. Attempt to revive both and compare the results. Is vitality in flesh or in bone? In both? Neither? Regardless of what we find, it should prove instructive.
-Try to find out if zombies have a memory, if they can be made to recognize specific objects. I recomend starting with a ball or something, and instructing a zombie to follow that specific ball wherever it goes. After testing it to make sure it works how we expect, substitute in another ball that has a different colour or a different size, and see if the zombie knows it isn't the right ball to follow. We can move to more abstract things from there, like having if understand things like "any ball" "any non-red ball" "the biggest ball" and stuff like that, or even to sort a pile of pebbles into stacks by colour.
-Attempt to raise a pile of ashes from a cremated corpse.
-Raise an earthworm and then, once it is raised, cut it in half at the border between two segments. Which ends, if any, are still animate? Continue cutting into halves at segment lines until all parts are dead or it has been divided into a prostomium, peristomium, pygidium and a pile of ordinary segments.
-See how much damage a dead body can sustain before it is unraisable
-Also, it seemed interesting that the loop was recognized as the center of life. We should test raising different rope Golems, some who are linear, some who are looped or knotted in different ways. How does the golem react to music, and what if we made one out of clay, with more distinguished features?
- For Animate Object, see if you can make an object levitate, or move to your will. Maybe this could develop into telekinesis..
- we should try pricking our finger, and stealing the vitality of an insect or something, and see if it will heal the cut.
- Another thing we need to play with is fire. Fire golem? HELL YES.
-Play with blood. Maybe that's what the golem needs. Blood. Mix some of your own blood into the clay.
-Like we tried to be the ropeman when we raised our first golem, we can try to be the earth when we make a clay or earthen golem, etc.
- Try to infuse vitality into the crystal to see what it does.
- See what happens if you infuse Mana and Vitality into the same crystal.
1. Imbue a small, uncrushed mana crystal with mana. Cast Detect Magic on it, comparing it to a mana potion.
2. If successful, turn the imbued mana crystal into a golem using 2 vitality. It is important to later experiments that we use exactly 2 vitality. Continue observing with Detect Magic.
3. If successful, attempt to Alter Golem in order to imbue the mana cystal with the ability to cast a cheap spell using the mana stored within it when commanded to. I recommend Detect Magic, since that should be easy to test.
4. If successful, continue to have the crystal cast Detect Magic even after it has run out of mana, in order to see if it can cast the spell using vitality like a mage can. Assuming this works, we will be able to discern the conversion ratio between vitality and mana.
5. If successful and the conversion ratio is > 3 mana per 2 vitality, have a mana crystal that is able to hold at least 3 mana wrapped in thick leather with a single small hole. Firmly attach this leather-covered crystal to a stick that is suitable as a handle
6. Imbue 3 mana into the crystal before turning it into a 1 vitality golem that will cast Steal Vitality as quickly and often as it can on anything that comes within 4 feet of it, draining the vitality into itself.
7. Note to ourselves that, because Steal Vitality works on line of sight, only things that come within line of sight of the single hole in the leather will be drained of vitality.
8. Enjoy our new lightsaber.
- Trying to develop a destroy vitality spell, using the same principles of the steal vitality, except without keeping it usable. It might be possible to do it for cheaper or causing more damage for the same mana.
- Trying to use the principles of the destroy vitality or the steal vitality spell for a disinfectant spell. It will require a lot of fine control, but it should theoretically be possible.
- We could also try to overbuff a zombie. Is there a max to the amount of vitality a zombie can have? And what happens if a zombie gets a lot of vitality?
* Remove someone's soul. Try to store it for a time in a living thing like a tree, or confine it in a mana crystal, then put it back later. See if they're functional.
* Attempt to swap souls between two different bodies.
* Carefully attempt to displace our own soul from our own body. See if we can move around apart from our bodies, like astral projection. See if we can cast while in this state, enter other occupied bodies like a possession, then return to our body later.
World Map
Northwest Thrimesdur
"Clarity" is slightly confusing, imo. How long does Eko have to meditate to get that effect? Does he have to meditate during the attack or beforehand in preparation? If the latter, how long does the effect last? Etc. The wards could use range specifications in their descriptions (assuming we know their range; if not we should probably ask Eko).
Eko takes a few seconds to achieve the proper mental state to use his Clarity ability; it's the rough equivalent of a combat action, inasmuch as those exist in this game. He can use it to recover from mind-altering effects (be they enchantments or just booze/drugs) or he can do it ahead of time to resist them in the first place. He can maintain his Clarity for quite a while, but it does take effort and focus, so it's not something he could comfortably do for more than an hour or so. Note that this doesn't provide immunity, just resistance; he could still succumb to particularly strong magic/drugs, and of course he has to actually use the ability to enjoy the benefit, so it's less helpful if he's ensorcelled unawares. As a side note, he mentioned he habitually uses Clarity before prayers and sleeping, as most priests do.
The wards lack range specifications since physically visiting/marking the location of the ward is assumed to be part of the casting; it would be difficult to cast a ward someplace he can't reach. I did add the rough maximum area of each Ward to the spell description; it's pretty much the same for any ward.
Also, the fact that Eko, who is clearly far more experienced than us, has 9 Mana in comparison to our 12, and has only twice the number of spells we have when we've only been a true mage for twenty-two days really says something, I think.
Something about our TALENT. 
I will note that this was the benefit of taking the Elf starting choice; higher magical capabilities than other races at the cost of nifty equipment, starting knowledge, and readily-accessible corpses. This is also the reason MP-potions are a cottage industry among the other races; they need the boost if they want to get in a full day of magicking.
Anywho let's see if I can get the next updoot out in
less than a month.
Author
Topic: You are a Necromancer! Chapter 2-36 Decisions, Decisions (Read 685478 times)