First of all, check the construct and Omo to make sure he's fine. Just use necromantic sight. No need to waste mana on a see vitality, we can always ask Eko to do that later. As harsh as it sounds, it's more productive to worry about other things for now.
Get some distance (maybe go behind a bush to "freshen up"?) and try to directly create Arosh and use it to poke at something living like a bug, trying to remove its soul and then put it back. Maybe use See Vitality and then try to make a ball like in Steal Vitality and then carefully mold it into the shape of the Unolnimar, before yanking it out? The subject should probably be immobilized somehow (maybe a rock?) in order to make experimentation easier.
+1 to RAM's suggestion of messing with insect souls.
+1. We can check the tree once the sun's actually come up, and Eko probably isn't paying us too much attention during his prayers.
You wipe the sleep from your eyes as you ponder your course of action for the day. You aren't sure you want to jump straight into a full blown soul transplant without any practice, particularly not on your childhood best friend. Unfortunately, your test subject pool is rather limited considering the Sanctuary; the only things in camp are yourself, the praying priest, the golem itself (which has not moved an inch since last night,) and the chirping of crickets... oh.
Keeping an eye on Eko (who still has his eyes closed, and seems to be mouthing the words to a prayer) you withdraw to the very edge of the camp, behind a bush at the edge of the Sanctuary you have both been using for... personal needs. The light is exceedingly poor here, though the faint traces of grey predawn light are finally making themselves felt. After a few moments searching blindly in the dark for a bug, you shake your head and cast
See Vitality. The life around you leaps into focus, and you quickly pick the vitality network of a cricket out of the background of primitive plant life.
You squat down by the bush, getting ready to capture the bug for your experiment, when you notice a problem. The cricket does not have anything you recognize as an Unolnimar. No bundle in the head, no central pulse of Vitality, nothing.
You scratch your head, considering the implications. The insect has no Unolnimar, suggesting it has no soul, like a plant... or a zombie, come to think of it. While the construct of Aloclesno and the human zombies have had concentrations of necromantic energy- of Arosh- in their heads, they haven't had anything nearly as complicated as an Unolnimar. No initiative, no mind, no memory... well, actually, that's not true. The golem holds the memory of a tree in that flat necromantic structure that was created in your struggle to control it, and the zombie in Eko's basement had a much more detailed memory but no similar structure to hold it.
You feel uneasy; not finding an Unolnimar where you expected to makes you think maybe you
don't really understand what a soul is. Maybe you can't do this soul transfer without Fale's god. Maybe you can't save Omo. Maybe-
You scowl, standing up abruptly. There's no use in that kind of thinking. There is a way to do this, if you can just think of it. There must be.
You return to the campfire. While the new day has not truly begun, it is now light enough to make out detail in your surroundings. As you sit down by Omo, you notice a stray leaf has fallen on to his face. You brush it aside, wiping a bit of dirt from Omo's cheek.
"If we can't save him, we need to get him out of the elements." Eko's face looks haggard in the morning light, as though he aged ten years in the night. His voice is dull and defeated; there was no solace in his prayers, it seems.
"What do we do next, Nym?"Vitality- 10/11
Mana- 12/12
XP- 32/35
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),
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- See Vitality Active
9th Felsite,
Twenty four 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, and broke a construct's leg.
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- 8/13
Mana- 3/3
XP- 29/35
Inventory-
Elven Tunic,
Elven Cloak, Headband, Belt Knife, Leather Backpack(50' Rope,
Camping Supplies (pitched in Aloclesno,) Waterskin(mostly empty), Torch),
Masterwork Elven StaffAbilities-
Track,
SurvivalistSkills-
Novice Observer,
Competent Ambusher,
Competent Staff User,
Poor Liar,
Dabbling SwimmerStatus- Empty
Vitality- 12/12
Mana- 9/9
XP- 38/50
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,
Trail Rations),
Tasseled ShortspearAbilities-
Clarity,
Union with OrderSkills-
Novice Spearman,
Competent ResearcherStatus- Base Camp Minor Ward- 5 days remaining.
Sanctuary- ~4 hours remaining
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
Diagnosis- 2 MP - Casting time: 5 minutes. Range: Touch. Provides overall impressions of a being's Vitality network, providing important clues to the maladies they may be suffering from.
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.
World Map
Northwest Thrimesdur
Author's note: I decided to cut the Planned Experiments spoiler in the interests of reducing that wall of clickables- I think my next move will be to merge the spells and the party members to single spoilers as well. You'll have to remember the things you want to do yourself, I'm afraid.
Author
Topic: You are a Necromancer! Chapter 2-36 Decisions, Decisions (Read 685068 times)