Post by: LordBucket on May 23, 2013, 11:27:17 pm
Finished.
Link to the MST3K thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=152384.0)
Spoiler: Self portrait (click to show/hide)
Location (as of end of game)
Standing at the silt strider ramp outside Seyda Neen with a naked Breton and an Imperial guard
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
Story posts, arc 1
Episode 1: Introduction (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4268338#msg4268338)
Episode 2: Wherefore art thou, mudcrabs and stars? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4268532#msg4268532)
Episode 3: We're off on the road to Seyda Neen. We certainly do get mushrooms. (boomp ditty boomp ditty boomp) (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4270292#msg4270292)
Episode 4: Arille's Tradehouse, and introducing speaker avatars (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4270480#msg4270480)
Episode 5: The plot thickens (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4272340#msg4272340)
Episode 6: On to Vivec (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4275314#msg4275314)
Episode 7: Funding the trip to nowhere (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4277533#msg4277533)
Episode 8: Dark night of the soul (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4282107#msg4282107)
Episode 9: Letter to Vivec (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4282481#msg4282481)
Episode 10: Conversations with Vivec, Sermon 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4284571#msg4284571)
Episode 11: Conversations with Vivec, Sermon 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4286948#msg4286948)
Episode 12: Conversations with Vivec, Sermon 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4287216#msg4287216)
Episode 13: A sudden change of pace (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4291887#msg4291887)
Episode 14: On the road again (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4294402#msg4294402)
Episode 15: Let's make Fulcanelli proud (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704)
Episode 16: Suspicious npcs? Time for a new look. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4298924#msg4298924)
Episode 17: In which nobody agrees on what to do except turn off the cellphone (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4303966#msg4303966)
Episode 18: Let's do the Timewarp (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4308008#msg4308008)
Episode 19: Some discussion. The Return to Seyda Neen. On to Gnisis, Fort Darius and the Imperial Legion (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4316390#msg4316390)
Episode 20: Travel to Pelgiad, Interupted (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4318737#msg4318737)
Episode 21, part 1: First Blood (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4326524#msg4326524)
Episode 21, part 2: To catch a killer (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4326526#msg4326526)
Episode 22: Dunmer culture and an unexpected letter (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4329219#msg4329219)
Episode 23: Hemorrhaging money, Michael gets annoyed, we abandon our oath, and more deja vue (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4334557#msg4334557)
Episode 24: Perhaps, necromancy? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4336483#msg4336483)
Episode 25: Necros and Nordics and guilds, oh my! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4339625#msg4339625)
Episode 26, part 1: Sugar, underestimated alchemy, Thavere, a strange couple and on to Gnisis (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344887#msg4344887)
Episode 26, part 2: Joining the Imperial Legion (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344888#msg4344888)
Episode 27: Legion training, week 2. Michael levels and meets an orc. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4349661#msg4349661)
Episode 28: In which we ask questions we already know the answers to (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4352623#msg4352623)
Episode 29: Legion training, week 3. The big payoff, interspecies diplomacy and PC speculation (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4359604#msg4359604)
Episode 30: Legion training week 4, Ash Ghouls (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4370722#msg4370722)
Episode 31: Show some cards, and get a big clue. But what does it mean? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4384262#msg4384262)
Episode 32: Genocide at Khuul (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4390511#msg4390511)
Episode 33: More factions get involved (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4403413#msg4403413)
Episode 34: Who was the Nerevarine when the world reset? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4420460#msg4420460)
Episode 35: FINALLY autonomous again (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4422354#msg4422354)
Episode 36: Part 1, Fast Eddie and Balmora rentals (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4435782#msg4435782)
Episode 36: Part 2, Combat and re-equipping (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4435785#msg4435785)
Episode 37: Assorted progress, and the second dream (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4441947#msg4441947)
Episode 38: Fighter's Guild, long talk with Eddie, some dead ends but progress too (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4471479#msg4471479)
Episode 39: Part 1: Fighter's guild quests (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4496862#msg4496862)
Episode 39: Part 2: An expected treasure trove (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4496864#msg4496864)
Episode 40, part 1: Proud Member of the Mage's Guild (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551466#msg4551466)
Episode 40, part 2: Blades delivery boy, Alchemy! And...oops. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551467#msg4551467)
Episode 41: Tomb-looting and divine intervention (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4584125#msg4584125)
Episode 42, part 1: Dance Magic, Dance Magic! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4615392#msg4615392)
Episode 42, part 2: The Source of Magic (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4615393#msg4615393)
Episode 43: Introspection, and a Corprus Dilemma (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4870123#msg4870123)
Episode 44: "The fact that there is a PC running around terrifies me" (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4878568#msg4878568)
Episode 45: Wolverine Hall shopping and downtown scenic Sadrith Mora (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4882901#msg4882901)
Episode 46: "Papers, please" (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4892394#msg4892394)
Episode 47, part 1: Clover is popular, and annoying the Mage Guild (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4918290#msg4918290)
Episode 47, part 2: Chatter, boatless imperials and an explanation for 'marks.' (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4918291#msg4918291)
Episode 48: We're off to see the wizard (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4924224#msg4924224)
Episode 49: Tel Fyr (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4965566#msg4965566)
Episode 50: Azura's Star, Revealed (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5027991#msg5027991)
Episode 51: Chatting with Divayth, Morrowind physics, and a small problem (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5123539#msg5123539)
Episode 52: Yagrum Bagarn (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5133490#msg5133490)
Episode 53, part 1: Info dump with Yagrum Bagarn (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5141583#msg5141583)
Episode 53, part 2: Plot exposition with Yagrum Bagarn (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5141584#msg5141584)
Episode 54: The dominos begin to fall, Telvanni politics, the Third Dream (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5145044#msg5145044)
Episode 55: Caius' final report, learning destruction, and 'Epic mage duel for the win' (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5152910#msg5152910)
Episode 56, part 1: Practice that headache away, and reunion with Cinia and Ranis (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5228810#msg5228810)
Episode 56, part 2: Swaying to the Symphony of Destruction...training (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5228811#msg5228811)
Episode 56, part 3: Dashing through the ash, in a one-horse open sleigh (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5228812#msg5228812)
Episode 57: Have our questions been answered, or did we just make more questions? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5232130#msg5232130)
Episode 58, part 1: So...ponies? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5243545#msg5243545)
Episode 58, part 2:Adventuring with Draren Thiralas (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5243548#msg5243548)
Episode 59: You're the Apple of my Lie
(http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5249047#msg5249047)
Episode 60: To eat or not to eat, that is the quandry (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5273447#msg5273447)
Episode 61, part 1: The Light of Knowledge, and a Heartwarming Reunion (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5295285#msg5295285)
Episode 61, part 2: Why do you insist on adventuring with no potions or scrolls? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5295286#msg5295286)
Episode 62: Correctly guessing many things that are not the password, and curious turn of events (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5341983#msg5341983)
Episode 63: Madness in third person D minor (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5359611#msg5359611)
Episode 64: Wait, who's my opponent? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5386842#msg5386842)
Episode 65: A, B, C, D...L, M, N, O P. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5408639#msg5408639)
Episode 66: Mandlebrony Ponies (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5428119#msg5428119)
Episode 67: Annoyedicus to the Maximus, and wibbly wobbly balls (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5449257#msg5449257)
Story posts, arc 2
Episode 68, part 1: Pelagiad (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg6276858#msg6276858)
Episode 68, part 2: The safe road to chaos (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg6276859#msg6276859)
Mystery Science Theatre 3000
Thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=152384.0)
Post by: LordBucket on May 23, 2013, 11:27:58 pm
Episode 1: Introduction
You're a freshman liberal arts student at your local community college. You're an average student, and you don't do sports. No real hobbies except the internet, games, watching My Little Pony and reading the occasional fanfic on Equestria Daily.
You just got home from a terribly dull basic algebra class. You're not sure why you were placed in it. You already know the material, but it's your first year, and that's where the matriculation tests put you. At least the homework is easy.
"Anyone home?" No answer. "Mom? Dad?"
Looks like nobody's home but you at the moment. With no particular plans, you head to your room. You sit down at your computer, turn it on and pull your college textbooks from your backpack while you wait for windows to load. It's slow. You could really use a faster computer.
Eventually windows comes up and you're staring at your favorite desktop wallpaper: an adorable picture of princesses Celestia and Luna nuzzling together before a glorious sunset. It warms your heart, but your mind is restless. What are you going to do? Homework? No...you can do it later. Maybe a game? Yeah, sure. You open up your start menu and...
...mumble...mumble...shall We...mumble...
You look around. You could of sworn you just heard a voice. You listen carefully, but you don't hear anything. Shrugging, you go back to your start menu and begin browsing though-
...but We're out of...mumble...
Your heart skips a beat. You totally heard someone talking. A female voice. You strain to hear, but all you hear is the sound of your own heartbeat. It's kind of creepy. You glance at your computer and notice that the speakers are powered on. Instantly you relax and giggle the anxiety away. Obviously your speakers were just picking up radio interference. Probably just a ham radio operator passing through the-
...mumble...what about this...mumble...
That's totally not coming from your speakers. At least you don't think it is. Curious, you reach to turn up the speaker volume when suddenly your chair drops out from beneath you and you feel yourself falling backwards. You see a blur, then sunlight in your eyes, then.
SPLASH!
You land in a murky pool of gross green swamp water.
(http://i.imgur.com/E3qsF8k.png)
A moment later something lands on your head. You leap to your feet, scrambling to get away...and then realize it's your backpack. You drag yourself out of the waist-deep swampwater and up the embankment to a dirt road with fencing that has a familiar look to it. You take off your shirt, shoes and socks to try to squeeze out as much water as possible while looking around to take in your surroundings. You almost think that this looks like....nah, couldn't be.
You put your wet clothes back on, sling your backpack over your shoulder and start walking, taking in as much of the scenery as you can. The more your eyes take in, the more familiar everything seems. The trees, the dirt road you're walking on, the sky, the...is that a mudcrab?
(http://i.imgur.com/8rbs0sC.png)
Yeah. No sense denying it. You're in Morrowind.
You take a quick inventory. You have your denim pants, tennis shoes, a "20% cooler" Rainbow Dash t-shirt, a wallet with picture ID and some presumably worthless cash, your cellphone, and your backpack with nothing but a yellow notepad with 60 pages left and a pen. You check your phone, and sure enough: a couple bars of power left, but no connectivity.
Not much to work with, but you can't help but feel a smile on your face as you consider the possibilities. You know this game! You've played it all the way through a couple times. You know what the goal is, you know all about the heart of Lorkhan, and Sunder and Keening. You know where the Morag Tong guildhall is. You know where fully a third of the artifacts in the game are just off the top of your head. You know how to get Eltonbrand, you know how to get both the left and right handed versions of Wraithguard, you know how to get Azura's Star, you know how to...
Huh.
"Hey, Sheogorath," you say out loud. "Did you do this? Did you bring me here?" No answer. You glance down at your Rainbow Dash t-shirt and try another possibility.
"Discord, maybe?" Still no answer. "Q?" Nothing.
Hmm. Well, however you got here, you know all about this game and you're pretty confidant that you can totally exploit that knowledge to get ahead. If you're stuck here...well, at least your life will be more interesting than it would otherwise have been.
Experimenting, you reach out with your hand into the empty air and press with your middle finger trying to right click. Nothing happens.
"Right click," you say. Nothing happens.
"Escape?" Still, nothing happens.
"Xyzzy?" Sure enough, nothing happens.
Well, you're in Morrowind, but hint of unease creeps through you as you consider the circumstances. You arrived in the middle of a swamp, not on a boat. Are you the Nerevarine? Do you have a star sign? I mean, sure you're a Taurus, but...do you, you know? For that matter, you're a human. Can you even cast spells? If you're arrested, will you have to actually sit and wait for weeks to be released? What's it like to be permanently afflicted with corprus disease? If you...die, will you be able to restore from a previous save? How do you save? Can you? Or will you just be dead?
You don't know.
At first you were feeling pretty optimistic about this, but now that you think about it, you're not sure you want to be here after all. How did you get here, anyway? Is it possible to get back home? Do you really want to? Which version of the game is this? Is this vanilla, or are there mods installed? Does it even work that way?
You don't know any of that either.
What do you do?
Post by: Sirus on May 23, 2013, 11:43:33 pm
Post by: Jarod Cain on May 24, 2013, 12:37:02 am
Situation:
In Morrowind.
Wearing only clothes.
Nothing suitable for armor and weapons.
No supplies of any sort.
Been awake for an unknown amount of time, last time we ate anything: unknown. Are we thirsty? Hungry? Tired?
Also, what kind of person doesn't carry a pocketknife or multi-tool on their person? Seriously.
Look at the sun's position, establish cardinal directions. Then follow Sirus's suggestion and look for a road & sign.
-J-
Post by: Frumple on May 24, 2013, 01:00:39 am
Because in that particular situation, I'd totally want to set other concerns aside for a few minutes and go see what the mudcrab feels like. New critter of strange textures I can pet that probably won't try to remove a limb! Time to gently poke it and see what mudcrab shell feels like. And maybe if they're tamable. Thinking can come after that.
Though sign is a good idea. Need to find out if we can read the language. Hunting around for someone to eavesdrop on would probably be step two. Step three might be prepping the dumb mute act just to avoid suspicion until you can learn the language. S'going to be interesting if there's major phenotype mismatch with the other species, heh. Don't remember what Morrowind's general reaction to mutants are.
... and maybe see if the chair managed to come with you. That might sell for something.
Post by: Sirus on May 24, 2013, 01:06:56 am
Post by: Frumple on May 24, 2013, 01:22:14 am
Post by: Parsely on May 24, 2013, 01:32:00 am
Also, what kind of person doesn't carry a pocketknife or multi-tool on their person? Seriously.Haha. Kind of hoping you were joking.
Post by: Xantalos on May 24, 2013, 01:32:57 am
Head toward civilization. DO IT NOW.
Post by: Jarod Cain on May 24, 2013, 02:14:54 am
Short of a rock a knife is the oldest tool in the world and immanently useful. I can pry things open with it, open stubborn boxes & packaging, eat with it if necessary. A multi-tool only increases the usefulness. So no I'm not joking and I apologize for being a tool using primate.Also, what kind of person doesn't carry a pocketknife or multi-tool on their person? Seriously.Haha. Kind of hoping you were joking.
-J-
Post by: LordBucket on May 24, 2013, 02:32:57 am
Quote
Been awake for an unknown amount of time, last time we ate anything: unknown. Are we thirsty? Hungry? Tired?
You had a sandwich and coke at the school cafeteria about two hours ago. Your cellphone seems to think it's 1:17pm, and you wouldn't usually eat until 6, You're not particularly hungry, thirsty or tired. Though it occurs to you that the $30 you have in cash probably won't buy anything here, so while there's no huge rush...food might become an issue at some point.
It also crosses your mind that in vanilla Morrowind, it wasn't actually necessary to eat, drink or sleep at all. But you're not ready to assume that you won't have to. In fact, you're guessing you probably will. This feels very real.
Quote
Look at the sun's position, establish cardinal directions.
Being just afternoon, the sun is fairly close to directly above you. Holding one hand in front of your face and looking straight up, you can see that the sun is clearly a bit "that way" off of center. But very obviously, the sun is much bigger than it seems like it should be.
(http://i.imgur.com/pwryXQz.png)
"Let's see," you state out loud, "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west." That's the expression, right? But you're not entirely sure how to interpret that. Is the sun still rising right now, or is it setting? If it's rising, then that way is east. But if it's setting, then that way is west. Your cellphone says it's 1:19 now, so if the two worlds are the same...then presumably it's afternoon so the sun is setting and that way is west.
But...doesn't it also depend on where on the globe you are? The sun rises in the east where you live back on earth, maybe...but how do you know that you're in the same hemisphere here? Even if the general east-to-west progression is the same, doesn't your position on the globe change the relative angles involved? You're pretty sure Morrowind is in the northern hemisphere of Tamriel, but...does that necessarily mean it's the same as on Earth? Or, for that matter, how do you know if the orientation of the sun to the planet's rotation is the same as on earth? From it's size in the sky, that star is either much bigger or much closer than you expected it to be. But the temperature isn't hot at all. In fact, it's a bit chilly. You're pretty sure that's not Sol and this isn't Earth.
So, yeah...you're really not sure which way is which. If you had to guess, you'd probably guess that that way is west...ish. Plus or minus thirty degrees. Maybe.
Quote
in that particular situation, I'd totally want to set other concerns aside for a few minutes and go see what the mudcrab feels like. New critter of strange textures I can pet that probably won't try to remove a limb! Time to gently poke it and see what mudcrab shell feels like.
Quote
Mudcrabs are indeed hostile. Kinda slow though, so I guess if you really wanted to touch it you could give it a shot.
You approach the mudcrab. As soon as you get within 10 feet of it, it rises up on its legs and starts walking towards you, with pincers opening and closing menacingly.
(http://i.imgur.com/Aqtiwzl.png)
Fortunately it's top speed seems to be about half of your comfortable walking pace, so you have no difficulty reaching out to touch it while keeping out of reach.
The thing is fully three feet across and the pincers (jaws?) almost as long as your arms, so you have to bend at the waist and reach to get close enough to touch it. The upper shell feels hard and rough. You tap it, hard, with your knuckles and it makes a solid thunk noise. Right as you do, the mudcrab comes up on its hind legs and tries to bite you.
(http://i.imgur.com/KVd7NUE.png)
Gah!" you shriek as you jump back. You forgot that they did that. You immediately jog a short distance way while keeping on eye on it, and it eventually gives up chase. As slow as it was, you'd guess that the mudcrabs don't pose any huge danger so long as you're careful, but it occurs to you that if one of them caught you unaware, or if you were to trip or something...those jaws might be strong enough to crush bone. It's an unsettling thought.
Quote
Look for a sign
Quote
follow Sirus's suggestion and look for a road & sign.
Quote
Though sign is a good idea. Need to find out if we can read the language.
Well, you've already found a road, so you pick an arbitrary direction and start walking. Within a few minutes you come to a sign.
(http://i.imgur.com/r9ORNPC.png)
Each panel of the sign seems to have two scripts on it. The one on top you don't even recognize the characters, but the one on the bottom is plain english. From top to bottom on the left, the side reads "Ald'ruhn," "Gnaar Mok," "Hla Oad.", and on the right you see "Seyda Neen."
You now know exactly where you are.
Looking back at the sun...it appears that the direction you thought was west looks kind of like it might be more like southeast. But you're not certain. You're pretty sure that Seyda Neen would be "south" of you relative to where you are, but it's possible the road itself might meander a bit rather than actually lead directly south. So maybe the direction you thought was west really is west and the road just curves around. At this point, you're not really sure.
Status:
Healthy and sated.
Inventory:
Denim pants, tennis shoes, a "20% cooler" Rainbow Dash t-shirt, a wallet with picture ID and $30 in cash, your cellphone, and your backpack with nothing but a yellow notepad with 60 pages left and a pen.
What do you do?
Post by: Kanil on May 24, 2013, 02:48:21 am
Plus, just to the southeast should be Tarhiel... (unless we're Tarhiel. We did apparently "land", albeit a bit more gently.) He has a sword, I don't know if we can use it, but it's gotta be better than getting pecked to death by cliff racers. It's magical too, it might fetch a couple of gold coins. And the hat, oh the stylish hat. This is definitely the most sensible option.
Given the nature of his scrolls, I'd advise we not use them to for experimenting with spell casting however.
Post by: Frumple on May 24, 2013, 07:44:10 am
And yeah, staying away from the mountains right now sounds like a good idea. Cliff racers can't really be outran if they get close to you, ha, and they're a bit less likely to show up away from tall places, iirc.
Also, hey... kinda' wondering if we could use acrobatics as a bit of a baseline stat detection thing, assuming stats exist. Jumping around a bit and seeing if we're suddenly magically jumping higher every few dozen hops would be a rather safe way of seeing if we're under morrowind skill rules, methinks.
Post by: Parsely on May 24, 2013, 08:29:20 am
Post by: Parsely on May 24, 2013, 08:34:18 am
Short of a rock a knife is the oldest tool in the world and immanently useful. I can pry things open with it, open stubborn boxes & packaging, eat with it if necessary. A multi-tool only increases the usefulness. So no I'm not joking and I apologize for being a tool using primate.No need to be hostile.. I just meant that 99% of people don't make sure to keep tools on them when they're sitting around inside, especially not college students, or Americans, or anyone for that matter. But I suppose you never know when you're going to find yourself stranded inside a video game. ::)
-J-
Post by: Gamerlord on May 24, 2013, 08:34:51 am
Post by: Jarod Cain on May 24, 2013, 08:52:51 am
No need to be hostile.. I just meant that 99% of people don't make sure to keep tools on them when they're sitting around inside, especially not college students, or Americans, or anyone for that matter. But I suppose you never know when you're going to find yourself stranded inside a video game. ::)I suppose that came across more harshly than intended. But I actually keep a folding pocket knife or multi-tool in my right pants pocket at nearly all times, it's just a part of my wardrobe.
Anyway, I agree with making attempts at raising any skills. We may look like a dork, but jumping, either in place or to wherever we're going would probably be a good idea for as long as we can keep it up. If the worst happens, we'll just get tired. At best we'll get a confirmation of ability parameters?
-J-
Post by: Sirus on May 24, 2013, 10:46:05 am
To Seyda Neen!This!
Also, hey... kinda' wondering if we could use acrobatics as a bit of a baseline stat detection thing, assuming stats exist. Jumping around a bit and seeing if we're suddenly magically jumping higher every few dozen hops would be a rather safe way of seeing if we're under morrowind skill rules, methinks.Also this. Even if it doesn't work, it's worth a shot. Acrobatics is probably similar to parkour, and every kid wants to be able to do that stuff, right?
Post by: Stworca on May 24, 2013, 12:19:51 pm
Oi.
Post by: Funk on May 24, 2013, 01:44:33 pm
Post by: LordBucket on May 24, 2013, 10:47:41 pm
Quote
I'd head to Seyda Neen
Quote
To Seyda Neen!
Quote
This!
Quote
i say head to Seyda Neen
Ahh, Seyda Neen. You know that little hamlet like the back of your hand. Maybe even better. You've certainly spent more time looking at it than you have looking at your hand. Full of conviction, you immediately set off down the road in the direction of Seyda Neen.
But this is Morrowind. Obviously you can't just walk anywhere.
Quote
use acrobatics
Quote
Acrobatics
Quote
plus one to Frumple's idea of trying to improve our acrobatics skill.
Quote
jumping, either in place or to wherever we're going would probably be a good idea
You pause for a moment to look at your feet. Acrobatics seems like a good place to start skill training.
"Well, here goes," you say to noone in particular.
*jump*
"Ok. That's not so bad."
*jump* *jump* *jump*
This is a lot more work than spamming spacebar, but after a few more tries you get a rhythm down and are able to jump/walk at the same time. The end result is sort of like skipping really high. You make it about thirty feet before you collapse.
"Ok," you pant heavily from the ground, "I can do this. But right now...rest."
You lie on your back and close your eyes. Briefly. Memory of that mudcrab's pincers prompts you to quickly sit up and look around. Fortunately you don't see anything dangerous. Checking the sky, no cliff racers either. Anyway, you're not sure if you've "skilled up" acrobatics at all, but obviously you do have fatigue. Actually, in a way, Morrowind isn't so different from real life. You're sure if you were you to run around and jump a lot you'd tire quickly but you'd get better at it regardless of whether you were in Morrowind or not. That's basically what you just did.
Might just take some time.
Quote
seeing if there's anything along the way that can be harvested.
As you stand up to resume jumping, you happen to glance over at the nearby trees and see a familiar sight.
(http://i.imgur.com/aAKvGxd.png)
Tree mushrooms! Bungler's Bane and...what was it called? Hypha something? Hypha facia? Yeah, that's it. And, as expected, walking around the bush you see more mushrooms on the other side of the tree. But...which is which?
(http://i.imgur.com/0fbFFHw.png)
Comparing the three on the left with the two on the right you can see they're obviously different, but from actually looking at the mushroom themselves without the benefit of the in-game mouseover text, you really can't tell which is which.
"Well, that's ok," you think. You'll just take them all and figure it out later.
But that introduces another problem. The mushrooms are big. Fully 14 to 16 inches across each. They don't weigh much, but sheer volume is likely to prevent you from carrying too many. You manage to pull all five mushrooms off the tree, keeping them mostly intact, but quick estimate from how much space they take up you doubt you could fit many more than a dozen of them in your backpack. Maybe 15 at most.
Well, that's a problem for later. You feel rested up now and you resume jumping along the road. It's exhausting trying to cover any significant distance by jumping, and you have to stop to rest every 15-20 seconds, but after a few minutes it pays off, as you feel a definite change throughout your body.
Skill gain: Acrobatics skill is now 1
Pausing to rest and celebrate your victory, it occurs to you that you're definitely recovering faster than you feel like you would have in real life. After 15 seconds of jumping you're exhausted, but within 20 seconds you feel perfectly fine to resume. Not entirely conclusive, but it definitely seems that there are at least some game mechanics at work here.
Looking around while you rest, you once again spy some mushrooms on the side of the road.
(http://i.imgur.com/BASHXXr.png)
Violet Coprinus, or...what's the other one? Luminous Russula? Yeah, you're not sure which but you're pretty sure it's one of those two. They're all needed for Ajira's quests at the mage guild, but they're not ingredients that you ever really used for anything. Plus, most of the time you never actually bothered gathering ingredients yourself past the first 20 minutes of a new game because it was always so much easier to simply buy whatever you needed from vendors. Well, this too can be sorted out later.
But looking at the mushrooms, again you have the same problem as before: they're huge. Each mushroom is bigger than your head. You're not sure you can even fit one of them in your backpack without removing the tree mushrooms you already have. How is this supposed to work?
Suddenly the obvious occurs to you: in game, when picking alchemy materials, the mushrooms and plants and things didn't actually disappear from the world. You probably don't actually need the whole mushroom or the whole plant for alchemy. Just scrapings or something. Just leaves, or just stems or just...some particular part and the rest isn't useful. Just like how if you want to eat apples you don't need to uproot the entire tree.
Unfortunately, you don't actually know anything about alchemy yourself so you don't know which parts are useful. So, best you can do, you uproot one of the two mushrooms, break the stem and cap apart and squeeze them both into your backpack. Not much room left in their now. It smells really good. A lot like button mushrooms from a grocery store. You're tempted to try tasting the other one you can't fit, but you decide to pass for now. Best case it feeds you and you learn something, but worst case you end up paralyzed or something and passing wildlife tears you to bits. It's just not worth the risk right now.
Quote
just to the southeast should be Tarhiel
You resume jumping along the road, checking the sky for cliff racers and falling people. You see neither. You do see a couple more mushrooms and a draggle tail plant or two, but lacking room in your backpack you decide to pass for now and simply continue on to Seyda Need. If you want, you can always come back later.
(http://i.imgur.com/IQ090Nf.png)
You briefly wonder at the implications of not having seen Tarhiel on the way, but for now, you just don't have any answers. Maybe you just...missed him somehow? Yeah, that must be it. Obviously.
Known stats
Acrobatics: 1
Status:
Healthy and sated.
Inventory
Worn:
* Denim pants, with pockets containing: cellphone and wallet with picture ID and $30 in cash
* "20% cooler" Rainbow Dash t-shirt,
* Tennis shoes
Backpack:
* Yellow notepad with 60 pages left
* 1 pen
* 3 mushrooms that are probably either Bungler's Bane or Hypher Facia
* 2 mushrooms that are also probably either Bungler's Bane or Hypher Facia
* 1 mushroom that's probably either Violet Coprinus or Luminous Russula
What do you do?
Post by: Sirus on May 24, 2013, 10:55:03 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 24, 2013, 10:58:04 pm
+1 to selling mushrooms. Use the coin to get yourself some cheese or something for later.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 12:45:03 am
I'd recommend a staff for a weapon, as this seems more or less like the real world physically (especially for combat, given how the mudcrab encounter turned out), and a good, solid staff is one of the best protections IRL against marauding wildlife.
Just hope we don't run into an alit or kaguouti, those things are goddamn huge...
Post by: LordBucket on May 25, 2013, 01:18:23 am
Also, HugoLuman: sorry, but the update was almost finished by the time you posted.)
Episode 4: Arille's Tradehouse, and introducing speaker avatars
Quote
Bring the mushrooms to the local storeowner. See what he'll offer you for them, and inquire about purchasing a simple weapon to defend yourself.
Quote
+1 to selling mushrooms
As you enter the hamlet, one of the guards greets you.
(http://i.imgur.com/QpftkYu.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg) Good day, citizen.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): Uhh, hi. Just passing through. Looking for a merchant.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): You'll find Arille's tradehouse up the stairs to your right. (he points)
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): Thanks.
He looks at you for another moment to confirm that you have no more questions before nodding and continuing his patrol. A passing Altmer woman stares at you, then at your clothing as you walk past.
(http://i.imgur.com/Gn32uFH.png)
"Oh, look. A tourist," she sneers.
You laugh. You know it's supposed to be an insult, but in a way it feels good to hear it. It's familiar. If nothing else, it seems that while you're obviously not a native, it seems you "blend right in." Speaking of natives, come to think of it you've yet to see a Dunmer.
You cross the bridge and make a right, up the stairs to the tradehouse.
(http://i.imgur.com/2PwN5fk.png)
Then open the door to be greeted by Arille.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): Greetings, Imperial. Welcome to Arille's Tradehouse. I'm Arille. What can I do for you?
(Oh, so they think you're from Cyrodiil. That makes sense.)
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): Hello. I have some things I'd like to sell.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): Of course. What do you have?
You empty the contents of your backpack on his table. Arille's eyebrows raise in surprise.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): Mushrooms?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): Alchemy ingredients.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): ...these are whole mushrooms.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): ...umm, well I wasn't sure which part needed to be ground up to make potions so I just grabbed the whole thing.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): I don't think I can do much with this. I'm not an alchemist myself. I see enough alchemists to recognize properly picked and prepared ingredients, but looking at the whole mushroom like this...I'm not even sure these mushrooms are used for alchemy.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): No, I'm sure these are Bungler's Bane and Hypha Facia and the round one is either Luminous Russulla or Violet Coprinus. I just don't know which. Couldn't you just sell the whole thing to someone who does?
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): If you'd brought me a whole oyster and I just needed to pick out the pearl, maybe...but this, I think I'll just pass. None of these are particularly valuable mushrooms anyway. I'm not about to take a risk on raw, unrefined mushrooms hoping an alchemist will want to pay to do that himself rather than buy ready-made ingredients.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): Can you at least tell me which is which?
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): That you don't know doesn't exactly encourage me. I recommend you find an Alchemist. There's a stilt strider just outside of town that can take you to Balmorra. The Mage Guild has an office there. Sorry I can't be of more help. I wouldn't want you to go away empty-handed, though. I notice that's some fine paper you have there. Unusual color, and the lines are a bit odd, but I can probably find a buyer for it. How many sheets do you have?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): 60
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): I'll give you 40 septims for the bunch. Also, that's obviously a very high quality quill. I've never seen one with the feather so well hidden. Though it doesn't look like it would dip easily. How does 2 septims sound?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): It's called a pen, actually. The ink's already inside. No need for an inkwell. Can you do 50 for the paper and 5 for the pen maybe? Also, while I'm here, do you have any weapons?
You haggle a bit, but eventually reach the following prices:
Arille:
* Will buy your paper in any quantity for .8 septims each (rounded down)
* Will buy your pen for 3 septims
* Will sell you your choice of iron club, spear or dagger for 16 septims
Obviously your Mercantile skill could use some work.
Quote
get yourself some cheese
Quote
cheese or something
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): I'm sorry, I have no cheese for sale. But I do have scrib jerky I'd be happy to sell you for 8 septims each, or kwama eggs for 3.
Known stats
Acrobatics: 1
Status:
Healthy and sated.
Inventory
Worn:
* Denim pants, with pockets containing: cellphone and wallet with picture ID and $30 in cash
* "20% cooler" Rainbow Dash t-shirt,
* Tennis shoes
Backpack:
* Yellow notepad with 60 pages left
* 1 pen
* 3 mushrooms that are probably either Bungler's Bane or Hypher Facia
* 2 mushrooms that are also probably either Bungler's Bane or Hypher Facia
* 1 mushroom that's probably either Violet Coprinus or Luminous Russula
What do you do?
Post by: Parsely on May 25, 2013, 01:25:49 am
Edited.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 01:36:31 am
Post by: Aqizzar on May 25, 2013, 02:14:06 am
Post by: LordBucket on May 25, 2013, 02:37:03 am
Post by: Parsely on May 25, 2013, 02:41:18 am
Post by: Gamerlord on May 25, 2013, 07:22:44 am
I've never played Morrowind, just the other Elder Scrolls games, so I don't know where to go. :/
SHUUUUUUUN
Let's go find Caius Cossades!
Post by: Fniff on May 25, 2013, 07:33:10 am
Post by: Frumple on May 25, 2013, 07:38:13 am
I'd personally be stripping the place to the ground already if I was playing (iirc, if you're really dedicated you can walk out of Seyda Neen with about 10k septims >_> Maybe it was seven or eight thousand, it's been a while.), but with RP and uncertainty and whatnot that's probably not quite an option. Plus, given the scenario, trader-dude would probably be somewhat suspicious if you started hawking dozens of pillows and silverware to him, I imagine. And you don't have that initial glut from stripping the census office via leniency abuse, ha.
... on the other hand... there are a couple of empty houses, iirc, and there tends to be alchemy ingredients in barrels and sacks and whatnot. Even if you don't actually take them, it might be a good chance to do a little comparison between appropriately harvested and what you did before.
I'm also kinda' curious all of a sudden about stuff like clean water and whatnot, ha. Just 'cause the natives drink it doesn't mean you can, and given the whole fantasy-land thing, it'd be a pretty sad (and hilarious) way to go to take a sip of water and die to some kind of arcane hyper-dysentery everyone else is naturally immune to.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 12:39:33 pm
Post by: Fniff on May 25, 2013, 12:41:30 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 12:45:15 pm
Post by: Fniff on May 25, 2013, 12:46:49 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 12:48:58 pm
Post by: Frumple on May 25, 2013, 12:57:07 pm
We landed in a pool of swamp water at the start, if there's a disease then we already have it.Intro didn't say anything about water getting in us, though, just on us, and not even on the eyes or whatnot. Depending on the particular bug, that might make a difference!
Mind you, Oregon Trail level life-sucks-you-die, while hilarious, might be taking things a little far. Depends on what, if anything, LB's running beyond vanilla. Though I guess we do have confirmation on one of the hunger/thirst mods, if nothing else. Totes need to find a way to use up some magicka and see if a magicka regen mod's running >_> Half makes me wish I could remember if any of the early/easier to find ingredients has damage magicka as a component...
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 03:15:59 pm
Post by: Frumple on May 25, 2013, 03:52:46 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 04:03:31 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 25, 2013, 05:49:32 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 06:55:24 pm
Quote
Anyway, you're not sure if you've "skilled up" acrobatics at all, but obviously you do have fatigue. Actually, in a way, Morrowind isn't so different from real life. You're sure if you were you to run around and jump a lot you'd tire quickly but you'd get better at it regardless of whether you were in Morrowind or not. That's basically what you just did.
Post by: Parsely on May 25, 2013, 08:37:12 pm
We didn't get a little "Your acrobatics has increased" notification. Did you read the justification?QuoteAnyway, you're not sure if you've "skilled up" acrobatics at all, but obviously you do have fatigue. Actually, in a way, Morrowind isn't so different from real life. You're sure if you were you to run around and jump a lot you'd tire quickly but you'd get better at it regardless of whether you were in Morrowind or not. That's basically what you just did.
Known statsWe don't have UI anyways. Doesn't mean we should rule out the possibility that we're actually skilling up.
Acrobatics: 1
EDIT: Perhaps we should both stop making assumptions. :P
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 08:47:52 pm
Skilling up doesn't mean increasing a score, it means getting better at a skill. The number just represents that.
Post by: LordBucket on May 25, 2013, 10:06:55 pm
Quote
Look around the village for anything else interesting
Quote
set in toward the standard seyda neen stuff
Quote
ask at the census office what the year and date is
Quote
check in with the census office
Quote
I'd personally be stripping the place to the ground
You thank Arille for his time and tell him you might be back later. He nods politely and says he'll be looking forward to it. Stepping out the door you you dump the mushrooms into the water to make room for piles of loot you're about to collect.
"No sense worrying over a couple septims." you figure. "I know where the good stuff is. There's a dagger and lockpick and other stuff at the census office. May as well start there."
You make it about halfway to the census office before you need to take a break from jumping. Looking around you notice that nobody else seems to be paying any particular attention to your jump/rest antics. After resting up you resume jumping and right as you get to the census office door...
It opens, and a female Dunmer steps out brandishing a knife.
(http://i.imgur.com/Qq280Jj.png)
You freeze for just a moment in shock, during which she brushes right past you and takes off through the town running and jumping with every step.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hey!"
She ignores you and keeps run/jumping. You try to give chase but she's much faster than you are.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Come back!"
No good. She's crossing the bridge by the time you collapse in the middle of the roadway from exhaustion, and you watch her make a right in the direction of the stilt strider.
You really hope that was a modded event.
Turning back to the census office you step through the door and see your buddy Sellus Gravius.
(http://i.imgur.com/5kdsZmF.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hey, did a dunmer just come barreling through here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "...yes? Why do you ask?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Did you get her name? Why was she here?"
He frowns at the question.
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "It's official Imperial business. Move along, citizen."
Your mouth opens and closes a few times but you can't think of anything to say. Eventually you mumble something about having business with the census office and that he shouldn't be bothered...you know the way. He just looks at you impassively as you walk through the next door.
Stepping through, you immediately turn to the barrel that should have Fargoth's healing ring.
(http://i.imgur.com/L4RK0RS.png)
It's empty.
You step through the next door, wishing, hoping, praying both to Celestia and Azura that there's a dagger and lockpick waiting for you.
(http://i.imgur.com/zxCPaDf.png)
"Damn it. She looted everything."
Turning to the bookcase, and checking the various baskets, they're all empty too. Feeling a bit down, you step through the next door and make a right.
Aha!
Looks like she skipped the storeroom. You quickly go through the various barrels and crates and loot everything you can. A few of the ingredients you're able to visually identify, but most of them you're not. After a minute or two you manage to come up with the following:
* 2 wooden buckets
* 1 Wooden cup
* 1 Pewter pitcher
* 2 little vegetable kind of things that look a bit like small orange potatoes
* 2 bits of dried black hairy fibers that you're guessing are black lichen
* 1 bits of dried green black hairy fibers that you're guessing is green lichen
* 1 pulpy blob of stuff that kind of looks like somebody scraped out the insides of an alibnmo green pepper
* 1 strip of some kind of dry plant
* 2 strips of some other kind of dry plant
* 1 berry that you're quite sure is a comberry
* 1 hard, flat, squarish dark brown chunk of what looks like animal skin
* 1 small strip of gooey pink flesh
Yeah. You know all the plant and animal parts are alchemy ingredients, but without mouseover texts you have no clue what most of these things are. On the bright side, everything except the buckets fit in your backpack pretty easily. You notice though, that a few of the alchemy ingredients are not entirely dry, so you put those in the smaller pouch of your backpack and the cup and pitcher in the main part of your backpack with your paper and pen. You remember that you've occasionally seen alchemy ingredients in-game on pieces of paper, and you figure that's probably to keep the moisture of the fleshier gooier ones from leeching into other things. You don't think it will be a problem, but if it becomes one with fresher ingredients, fortunately you have a big stack of paper.
Known stats
Acrobatics: 1
Status:
Healthy and sated.
Worn:
* Denim pants, with pockets containing: cellphone and wallet with picture ID and $30 in cash
* "20% cooler" Rainbow Dash t-shirt,
* Tennis shoes
Spoiler: Backpack (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 10:38:06 pm
BTW, this is starting to remind me very much of this: http://www.skaarj.com/comic/archive.html
Don't waste our valueable note paper on wrapping, use paper from this world for that.
Post by: Sirus on May 25, 2013, 10:41:43 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 25, 2013, 11:31:51 pm
Welp, I think we've just met the PC. Here's hoping it doesn't turn out to be the psychopathic kind of PC...I dunno. I'm pretty sure every kind of PC can be pretty abusive in the right situation.... That just gave me the strangest sense of perspective. *shudders*
Also, crap. It looks like we're in a race. I wonder how experienced this PC is. Would you guys have skipped the storeroom? Was that lazy or noob?
Post by: WillowLuman on May 25, 2013, 11:38:29 pm
Then again, the whole main quest might be the best way to get killed. I say we go to vivec so we can tell the one chancellor the location of the ebony mine, so he'll give us our choice of daedric weapon.
Post by: Sirus on May 25, 2013, 11:41:13 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 26, 2013, 12:02:58 am
I'd have skipped that, there ain't crap in there. I dunno if we're in a race, I mean, it's not as if anyone else expects us to be Nerevarine. Though, remembering a certain comic, she might be our ticket home.I meant a race for any items we intend to get, since chances are the PC (if he/she really is experienced) will be going for the same ones.
Then again, the whole main quest might be the best way to get killed. I say we go to vivec so we can tell the one chancellor the location of the ebony mine, so he'll give us our choice of daedric weapon.
+1 to going to Vivec. I have no idea who that is but I do know that Daedric is for real ballers.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 26, 2013, 12:08:39 am
Oh yeah, and it's this guy (http://www.skaarj.com/comic/archive.html), who has an awesome name.
Post by: Parsely on May 26, 2013, 12:21:17 am
Let's see if we're dealing with a player or a character first, though, to know how we stand. If she's not being controlled by someone at a computer somewhere, she might make a good ally.What do you mean? We already know it isn't an npc.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 26, 2013, 12:57:58 am
If we're in someone else's Morrowind game and that's their avatar, then that would be good to know as well. If that were the case, perhaps we could convince this person to use the ~ console for us.
Post by: Parsely on May 26, 2013, 01:01:01 am
Or do we? If she's just the Nerevarine, acting of her own crazed will, we could convince her to complete quests in a way the benefits us.Okay, I had to google that just to know what the hell you were talking about, but my money is on either us being in someone else's Morrowind, or we have a roommate thats playing Morrowind on our computer.
If we're in someone else's Morrowind game and that's their avatar, then that would be good to know as well. If that were the case, perhaps we could convince this person to use the ~ console for us.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 26, 2013, 01:04:37 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Gamerlord on May 26, 2013, 01:16:35 am
Or, even trippier:Spoiler (click to show/hide)
My god...
Post by: Jarod Cain on May 26, 2013, 01:37:11 pm
This means we have only one recourse. Use the world against the PC. The PC will most likely attempt a powerbase in Balmora. I say we make ours in Vivec. Our goal will be nothing more than continually training ourselves into becoming an absolute combat monster via every exploit we know. We should also acquire a full library of the 36 Lessons of Vivec (http://www.imperial-library.info/content/thirty-six-lessons-obscurity-and-deception) with our ultimate goal the attainment of CHIM (http://fallingawkwardly.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/the-metaphysics-of-morrowind-part-1).
For in the beginning was the Word: ALMSIVI. We are that word.
-J-
Post by: Parsely on May 26, 2013, 01:48:04 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 26, 2013, 03:31:32 pm
Also, I think that's a bit of an overreaction. Let's just see whether we're dealing with someone of this world or if it's someone from our world playing the game.
Post by: Nirur Torir on May 26, 2013, 04:07:55 pm
Okay, the fact that there is a PC running around terrifies me. This means that we should act as though this were the worst case scenario. We will be dealing with a PC who is a complete psychopath, who will liberally depopulate entire settlements in order to achieve their ends and will do all Daedric quests to their completion for immense power.That's not the worst case scenario. The worst case scenario has them have time powers (load/save) and the ability to destroy this plane (deleting the save). (If we're really being paranoid, they'll assume we're part of some bizarre virus, and we'll want new clothes.)
Since there's no way to test these, I don't think there will ever be a safe way to fight the PC, even if exploits could bring us up to that level. We should probably try to be interesting or something, so they won't want us dead. Maybe we'll be able to create original spell effects?
I vote heading to Balmora to join the mages guild and trying to get magic training. We might be able to return home if we get enough Mysticism.
Post by: Emilooo440 on May 26, 2013, 04:21:58 pm
Post by: Frumple on May 26, 2013, 04:29:36 pm
So it'd
As for the next what-do... if that was the PC, they apparently dipped right out of town. Which would possibly entail they left the stump axe and elf-dude's stash alone. Checking with the census dude if there's anything you can do might reveal if or if not tax-guy's still unfound, and if he is still missing, then Seyda Neen's probably mostly untouched and we should probably loot what's relatively moral to loot.
*Because if they were going for soultrap godhood, balmora is pretty much the quickest spell maker to reach >_>
Post by: WillowLuman on May 26, 2013, 06:07:12 pm
Why would we have to try and blend in? If they're the Nerevarine, then we don't have to worry about getting switched off. If they're a player, showing something clearly not possible in the game (like the pen) could make us interesting. It's not like every Morrowind player is automatically on a paranoid "Ima look thru mah game and see if its all infiltrated by SCP's!" hunt.
Post by: Xantalos on May 26, 2013, 06:14:54 pm
Well, they were just out of the census office, so they couldn't have already done stuff around town.I will be.
Why would we have to try and blend in? If they're the Nerevarine, then we don't have to worry about getting switched off. If they're a player, showing something clearly not possible in the game (like the pen) could make us interesting. It's not like every Morrowind player is automatically on a paranoid "Ima look thru mah game and see if its all infiltrated by SCP's!" hunt.
Still, we'd better go to Vivec and notify him about this.
Also, aquire necessary components for Intelligence potions.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 26, 2013, 06:17:26 pm
Post by: Xantalos on May 26, 2013, 06:18:42 pm
I dunno about that, might get Ordinators on our ass. And much as we might want to mess with them, we wouldn't want to yet.Who?
As you can tell, I'm not the of yet playing Morrowind.
I heard have the about Morrowind Singularity, though.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 26, 2013, 07:08:06 pm
Post by: Frumple on May 26, 2013, 08:35:01 pm
Well, they were just out of the census office, so they couldn't have already done stuff around town.Nah, they could have been coming back out after the tax collector stuff. Or a couple other points, actually. One of which is fairly late into the game, iirc, though the N's getup if that were the case is a little unusual.
Post by: Parsely on May 26, 2013, 08:39:56 pm
Post by: Xantalos on May 26, 2013, 08:40:26 pm
This whole time I thought Vivec was a person. *facepalm*But ... wasn't he? I thought he was a god guy.
Post by: Parsely on May 26, 2013, 08:49:35 pm
Well one guy say 'Vivec is filled with Ordinators', which I think are people, so maybe he has a really big butt hole? I'm just speculating.This whole time I thought Vivec was a person. *facepalm*But ... wasn't he? I thought he was a god guy.
...might get Ordinators on our ass.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 26, 2013, 09:23:20 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 26, 2013, 09:26:45 pm
There's the god Vivec, living in a city he humbly named after himself. According to the sermons he wrote, he can make his butt hole or any part of his body as large or small as he wants, implying that he takes it up the butt from the Daedra.All the Daedra.
Post by: LordBucket on May 27, 2013, 01:51:54 am
Quote
I say we go to vivec
Quote
+1 to going to Vivec.
Quote
The PC will most likely attempt a powerbase in Balmora. I say we make ours in Vivec.
Quote
we'd better go to Vivec and notify him about this.
Balmora is the most common place for early game players to use as a base of operations. You're not certain whether the dunmer you saw is a player or not, or whether she's the Nerevarine, but either way...you figure she's heading to Balmora and so you're going to go someplace else: Vivec.
First question is, how to get there? You know the way. You could run. It would be good acrobatics training, but there the odds of running into alits or cliff racers or something dangerous are fairly high. That leaves the stilt strider. But you don't actually have any money yet.
Quote
Seyda Neen's probably mostly untouched and we should probably loot what's relatively moral to loot.
You step outside the census office to go on a looting spree when immediately you notice that the sky is the wrong color. You walk out from between the buildings to see the sun will be setting soon.
(http://i.imgur.com/DWsth4a.png)
You check your cellphone. It seems to think it's 1:25pm. You've only been here, what...10 minutes and the sun is already setting?
Clearly time passes much faster here. You don't really want to travel at night. Better do this fast. Where can you grab some quick loot? The lighthouse? No, that will take too long. Rather than risk the guards seeing you check every private residence to see which are and which aren't occupied, you head to Fargoth's hiding spot.
(http://i.imgur.com/enL1ftr.png)
It's empty.
Wait...that's right. There a prerequisite for that, isn't there? Something to do with Hrisskar? That dunmer you saw leaving the census office took the note. You're not sure if you can meet the prerequisite quest triggers without it, and even if you can simply by talking to Hrisskar, it's possible you might have to wait until sundown for Fargoth to actually hide his stuff.
Then you remember how Tarhiel never landed. It's possible quest triggers don't even work at all here. Or maybe this is earlier or later in the timeline? Have these quests already been completed?
You just don't have enough information.
Sighing, you'd decide to deal with the immediate realities: There's nothing in the tree stump right now, and the sun is going down. You decide to get to Vivec now and worry about the nature of this universe later. Fortuanately you do have some loot from the census office storeroom.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hey, Arille. I, uhh...found some stuff. How much can you give me for this?"
Arille doesn't even blink as he looks over the alchemy ingredients and tableware you looted from the census office storeroom. Either he doesn't realize you stole it, or he just doesn't care.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "14 septims."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Can you give me 20?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "14 septims."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "18?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "14."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "16?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "14"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...15?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Done."
Received 15 septims
Arille drives a hard bargain, but right now you'll take it. You head out and cross the bridge leading out of town, nervously watching the sky as you go, resting occasionally between spurts of jumping.
Acrobatics skill is now 2
By the time you reach the silt strider the sun doesn't look like it's any lower than it was, but it's kind of hard to tell and it's probably only been about a minute since you last checked. You briefly consider that maybe it only moves when you're not looking at it, but it might just be that the sun was moving across the sky the entire time you spent running to Seyda Neen, but you just weren't paying attention. It didn't occur to you that time would pass so quickly here.
(http://i.imgur.com/WLmdXyW.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "Hello, outlander. I'm Darvame. May I take you somewhere?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hi. How much to Vivec?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "9 septims."
paid 9 septims for silt strider travel
The silt strider walks in great lumbering bounds on its long legs. From your height in the seat, it's difficult to gauge speed, but it's obviously much faster than walking would have been. But the real benefit to strider travel becomes evident when you spy an alit on the road, easily hundreds of pounds and with teeth as big as your hand. You watch as the strider approaches, then effortlessly steps over the alit, which pays it no mind.
Within minutes, the city of Vivec, and soon after the Vivec strider station, become visible over the receding line of flora. Noticing that there is only one strider berth, you begin wondering at the mechanics of the system.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "How do we get off with the other strider in the way?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "The Vivec dock is large enough that we'll just berth at a different edge, but at smaller docks like mine, the stationed driver would move her strider to make room for the new arrival. Once I drop you off, I'll head back to Seyda Neen."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What if...what happens, say... if two striders arrive at one place at the same time? Or if you arrive at a dock and there's nobody there?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "Sometimes that happens, but we work it out. Traffic problems are pretty rare, and I've never seen anyone get too upset when they happen. People who are in a hurry usually travel by magic rather than strider."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What if two people arrive at your station at the same time but want to go to different places?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "I've come close a couple times, like today, but I've been a caravener for years and I've never seen it happen. There isn't enough traffic that it would happen. Locals usually prefer to walk or teleport, and cargo carriers aren't usually in such a hurry that if two arrived together the extra wait would bother them much. Vvardenfell is a small island. Strider travel is more for convenience than speed. Some of the northern strider routes, and of course Vivec station runs cargo more regularly, but being based out of Seyda Neen like I am, it's very rare for me to see as much as one passenger per week. Usually newlyweds, or the occasional outlander like yourself. Today's been a very good day for me. "
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "And you can make a living off that little traffic?"
She shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "It might not seem glamorous to you, but it's a better life than I'd have in the Ashlands, or working a kwama mine. I'm a free woman. I'm not beholden to anyone. No slavemasters to grovel for, no Telvanni mage lords to worry about, no foreign empire company hounding me over their bottom line. Just me, my strider, and the wind in my hair. I can live with that. But, if you'll excuse me sera, we've arrived. Thank you for you business."
(http://i.imgur.com/2ls9E08.png)
You dismount and check your cellphone. The trip took 4 minutes, and you were able to watch the sun visibly set during that time. First you remember checking the time after your arrival in Morrowind, it was 1:17 and the sun was a bit off of center directly above you. But you don't know if it was before or after "noon" local time. It's now 1:32 and the sun set a couple minutes ago. So...a day in Morrowind is probably about 45 minutes to an hour? No wonder vendors stay at their shops throughout the night. It must be normal to be awake for days...no, weeks at a time, here. Or do sleep cycles happen more often? It's been half a day local time, but you still don't feel hungry or tired at all.
Contemplating this new information you watch as Darvame undocks her silt strider and begins her trip back to Seyda Neen. Only then does it occur to you that she must have taken that female dunmer you saw earlier somewhere too, and then returned to Seyda Neen just before arrived at her station. That's what she meant by today being a very good day for business. You facepalm briefly, as you realize that if it had occurred to you, you could have asked her about her passenger, and maybe got a name...almost definitely you could have asked where she was delivered to.
(http://i.imgur.com/TekudoE.png)
As you cross the bridge into the city of Vivec, it starts raining.
Known stats
Acrobatics: 2
Status:
Healthy and sated.
Worn:
* Denim pants, with pockets containing: 6 septims, a cellphone and wallet with picture ID and $30 in cash
* "20% cooler" Rainbow Dash t-shirt,
* Tennis shoes
Backpack
Main compartment:
* Yellow notepad with 60 pages left
* 1 pen
What do you do?
Post by: Mono124 on May 27, 2013, 03:52:31 am
Sorta off topic, but this type of lets play reminds me of this (http://www.kayssplace.com/stories/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=4) which was a fanfic some guy made about a god game I used to play called Black and White. He made a second but sadly never finished it.
Post by: shadenight123 on May 27, 2013, 04:11:14 am
I got here late.
I wanted to warn that there's a small stash of silver goblet and money within an empty trunk near the lighthouse, just next to the wooden walkway. Furthermore, we could have looted the lighthouse.
Oh well...
Post by: Haspen on May 27, 2013, 04:17:07 am
Post by: Gamerlord on May 27, 2013, 08:08:55 am
Post by: WillowLuman on May 27, 2013, 12:13:31 pm
Anyways, we need to acquire a scroll of Ondusi's unhinging from the Mage's guild, so we can go in and talk to Vivec. If anyone might help us figure out what's going on, it would be him. Normally he doesn't speak to people who barge in, but he might if he realizes we're from another world.
Post by: Frumple on May 27, 2013, 02:08:56 pm
Anyways, we need to acquire a scroll of Ondusi's unhinging from the Mage's guild, so we can go in and talk to Vivec. If anyone might help us figure out what's going on, it would be him. Normally he doesn't speak to people who barge in, but he might if he realizes we're from another world.... I'll support this course of action.
Post by: Mono124 on May 27, 2013, 02:10:38 pm
Scratch what I said earlier. I also support this.Anyways, we need to acquire a scroll of Ondusi's unhinging from the Mage's guild, so we can go in and talk to Vivec. If anyone might help us figure out what's going on, it would be him. Normally he doesn't speak to people who barge in, but he might if he realizes we're from another world.... I'll support this course of action.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 27, 2013, 02:28:28 pm
I don't know the game well enough, but I can assist with some insight.
As far as interactions with the PC, if we need to survive, collect skill books and sell them at a fraction of the cost if ever confronted with the PC. Only offer a few at a time to help them keep us alive. Do not fight if and when pick-pocketed.
The most vulnerable spot, at least from what I remember, is the first Dunmer mine. Now we know how TECHNOLOGY works! Maybe it's worth our while to visit that ahead of time, and prepare a little trap for the PC. If we can catch them, maybe we can chat.
Post by: Fniff on May 27, 2013, 02:40:38 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 27, 2013, 02:45:55 pm
+1Scratch what I said earlier. I also support this.Anyways, we need to acquire a scroll of Ondusi's unhinging from the Mage's guild, so we can go in and talk to Vivec. If anyone might help us figure out what's going on, it would be him. Normally he doesn't speak to people who barge in, but he might if he realizes we're from another world.... I'll support this course of action.
Post by: Funk on May 27, 2013, 06:15:44 pm
what do we do it we have one of those players than never get all the far in the main quest?
Post by: LordBucket on May 28, 2013, 04:10:33 am
Quote
acquire a scroll of Ondusi's unhinging from the Mage's guild, so we can go in and talk to Vivec.
Quote
... I'll support this course of action.
Quote
I also support this.
Quote
+1
Quote
let go speak to vivce.
With a potentially dangerous player in the game, you decide the best course of action is to go straight to Vivec. You know the way, but you'll need a 100 point unlock spell to get in. That presents a bit of a problem. Ordinarily you'd just train any generic unlock spell and make a custom 100 point version at a spellmaker, but at present you don't even know if you can use magic at all...let alone magic of that difficulty. So, a scroll, maybe? After all, the whole point of scrolls is that they allow non-mages to use magic. So why not you? You know that 100 point scrolls do exist. In fact, you're pretty sure you end up with one at some point while doing the mage guild quest tree, but you don't remember which quest or chest gives it, or if it's in Vivec at all.
Well, first thing to do is head to the Mage guild. Better get started. It's a long way to the top.
(http://i.imgur.com/j692bOL.png)
It's a really long way to the top.
(http://i.imgur.com/EI3HE7x.png)
Eventually you reach the guild hall in the top floor plaza of the foreign quarter.
(http://i.imgur.com/FxZJraB.png)
Acrobatics skill is now 8 (Seriously. I tested it in game. You went from 2 to 8 going from the city entrance to the mage guild.)
Quote
acquire a scroll of Ondusi's unhinging
You walk in and find the enchanting vendor, Janand Maulinie.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hi. I'm not a member of the guild. Do you sell to the general public?"
She sniffs at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Yeah, equipment and travel is open to the public. Even outlanders like you. What can I get you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Well, I was hoping to buy a scroll to cast a spell, but I don't know any magic. So...can I do that? Use a scroll to cast a spell?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "As long as you're able to read, yes." She pauses. "You can read, can't you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "English?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "What?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...Cyrodiil?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Oh. Yes, the Imperial tongue is standard for magic and commerce. Has been for a couple centuries now, since everyone speaks it. Personally, I've lived in Morrowind all my life and I don't even know more than a couple dozen dunmer words."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So all I need to do is hold the scroll and read it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Pretty much. Which scroll are you looking to buy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Ondusi's Unhinging. Do you have any in stock?"
She rolls her eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Yes, it's a very popular choice among law-abiding, upstanding citizens who accidentally leave possessions that definitely belong to them in magically locked chests that they own and most certainly didn't steal because stealing is wrong."
She shakes her head briefly then pulls out a scroll and shows it to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Here you go. Can you read that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Ondusi's Unhinging. Woe is-"
She quickly jerks the scroll back and rolls it back up.
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "I'll take that as a yes. The scroll is enchanted to touch, so all you need to do is touch the locked item and read the trigger words on the scroll. Eye contact with the scroll is required, though. You can't just say the words, you have to read them out loud. Also, you only need to read the trigger words, not the title. And yes, in case you're wondering, the trigger words themselves have nothing to do with the spell. You're not actually casting any magic, remember? The enchanter who makes the scroll can make the trigger words be anything. You could have "bunnies are fluffy and cute" be the trigger for a fireball if you wanted. In this case, those particular three words are sort of a general default. I don't know who started the trend, but most mage guild enchanting trainers use those when teaching enchanting, and it just sort of become the standard go-to trigger for mass produced scrolls that we sell. Most the scrolls I sell all use the same trigger."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Just an arbitrary convention? Sort of like foo and Hello world?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "...what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Nevermind. Thank you. You've been very helpful. How much for the scroll?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "157 septims."
You have 6.
Quote
Go stealing!
Assuring Janand that you'll be back for the scroll soon, you start walking for the stairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Whoa! You're not seriously planning on looting the guild are you? I'm right here you know."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Uhhh...why, no. Of course not. I was just...going to talk to Trebonius about joining the guild. "
She shakes her head and mutters something under her breath about thieves not being as smart as they used to be.
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Go on, get out here. Go look somewhere else for stuff to steal."
It's too bad you're not a member of the guild. If you were, you could raid the equipment chest and come up with 200 septims worth of stuff easy. Unfortunately, you're pretty sure there's no way they'd accept you as a member without any knowledge of spellcasting, alchemy, enchanting, or anything at all they they care about. At some point that might become an issue, but for now the immediate problem is just to come up with a 157 septims. You step outside and start looking around for...
(http://i.imgur.com/xWh0zOD.png)
...oh. that's convenient. There are a bunch of crates and urns in an alley just across the plaza. You look around to make sure nobody looks like they're headed in that direction and nonchalantly walk to the side of the building and start going through the crates. You find 22 gold, two elongated greenish crystals that you're pretty sure are soulgems, some assorted alchemical ingredients, some junk tableware, and....SCORE! Two potions. The bottles are a lot smaller than you imagined. Just big enough to fit in your fist without extending much beyond the flesh of your palm. Looks like they're made out of some kind of ceramic with a cork stopper, and each bottle holds about a shot worth of liquid. You'd guess it's pretty fast to drink. Checking the bottom, you see that they've been labeled for your convenience. Exclusive Restore Endurance and Quality Restore Intellect. Hmm. Maybe that's a convention, just like the scrolls trigger words. The potions are pretty much worthless, but they'll sell for a bit at least. Not sure that it will be enough though.
You grab everything except the tableware, and walk back out as nonchalantly as you went in. What now?
(http://i.imgur.com/aGLS0K5.png)
...sure, that works. You step inside the fighter's guild, wave at the master-of-arms and walk right past him. He nods to you and goes back to standing there. Well, that was easy. Unfortunately, looking around you don't find any stray chests and you don't really want to linger in case somebody notices you don't belong. On your way back out though, you notice that the guild equipment chest is hidden away in a corner by the entrance without anyone nearby.
(http://i.imgur.com/RynNbQe.png)
You head to that corner, stand around for about 15 seconds to see if anyone comes to investigate...then open the chest.
Jackpot!
100 each iron arrows and crossbow bolts, 25 assorted restoration potions, a very silly looking fur hat, and 10 smithing hammers. Quite a lot more than you can fit in your backpack. You decide to leave the arrows since they're bulky, and most of the hammers because they're heavy.
You close the chest and put your pack back on, then listen quietly for a moment and walk out the front door of the guild as if you belonged there all along. Nobody stops you. You're not really surprised. Even if this feels more real than the game world does, it was a community chest that you looted. It's specifically for random odds and ends that aspiring new fighter's guild members can take from as they like. You're not a member, but obviously it's not something they guard very closely. Still, figuring you may as well look the part, you pull the silly fur hat from your bag and put it on. You're not exactly sure how much it will protect you from anything besides cliff racer droppings, but it does keep your ears nice and warm.
New statistic: Armor rating is now 1
You head to the building across from the fighter's guild, which happens to house a blacksmith. He buys the arrows and smithing hammers for 74 gold, lightening your backpack by nearly 20 pounds in the process. Still, for all that weight, it was really volume that prevented you from taking the rest of what was in the chest. Regardless of weight, you can only fit so much in your backpack. Volume was never an issue in game, but clearly it is an issue here.
Considering that, you head back to the mage's guild to pawn off the restore potions to Craetia, the alchemist. She not only checks the labels, but also unstoppers each potions and smells it before accepting the sale, giving you 99 septims, bringing your total to 201. That still leaves you the 25 assorted potions from the fighter's guild chest. You pull them out and look at them. 10 Cheap Restore health, 10 Standard Restore Fatigue and 5 Standard Restore Health. You kind of don't want to sell them. They could be useful, and you already have the money you need. But feeling the weight difference those potions make...it's about 20 pounds worth of potions. You settle on selling the 10 cheap potions. They're a pound each, so ten pounds less weight for low quality potions. Craetia gives you 56 for the bunch, bringing your total to 257 septims.
And that introduces a new problem. Coins have weight. Each septim is about the size of a penny, but they're kind of heavy. You're guessing they're really gold.
Spoiler: math (click to show/hide)
Your pile of coins is small enough to fit in one hand, but it weighs nearly 4 pounds. There's going to be a very real upper limit to what you can carry. Fortunately, that's a problem for later.
Quote
acquire a scroll of Ondusi's unhinging from the Mage's guild, so we can go in and talk to Vivec.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hi. I'm back for the scroll."
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "That's nice. It's still 157 septims."
You continue to chat while counting out the coins.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Heh. You have no idea how convenient it is that you carry this scroll. For a while I was totally convinced that I'd have to learn alteration magic just to buy a basic unlock spell, then have a spellmaker make a custom max-level unlock version of it then spend forever training up to be able to cast it. This is a real life-saver."
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "This isn't a a max level unlock scroll."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/CgEjM4f.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Ondusi's Unhinding only provides a very medium level of unlocking power. If you need to open a max level lock, that's Ekash's Locksplitter. I don't carry those, and I don't know anyone who does. People who accidentally leave things that they own because stealing is wrong in chests that they also own because stealing chests would also be wrong don't usually use master grade alteration spells when they accidentally lock them."
Oh. Oops.
Well, there are three bright sides to all of this: first, you're now quite a lot richer than you were. Second...now that you think about it, you're pretty sure the door to Vivec has a rather nasty fire trap on it. Even if you did get the door open, it would almost certainly fry you. Third, all that running around you did has revealed and leveled some stats and attributes:
Athletics skill is now 6
Acrobatics skill is now 10
Strength is now 31
Speed is now 31
Location
Vivec Mage Guild
Known stats
Armor rating: 1
Attributes
Strength: 31
Speed: 31
Skills
Acrobatics: 10
Athletics: 6
Status:
Healthy and sated.
Worn:
* Colovian fur "helm"
* Denim pants, with pockets containing: 257 septims, a cellphone and wallet with picture ID and $30 in cash
* "20% cooler" Rainbow Dash t-shirt,
* Tennis shoes
Backpack
Main compartment:
* Yellow notepad with 60 pages left
* 1 pen
* 2 soulgems of uncertain size
* 10 Standard Restore Fatigue potions
* 5 Standard Restore Health potions
Small compartment
* 4 plant parts that you're pretty sure is saltrice
* 2 chunks of some kind of gooey flesh
What do you do?
Post by: shadenight123 on May 28, 2013, 06:04:07 am
Then head for the cave and try and free the slaves within?
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 28, 2013, 10:23:16 am
May I suggest
> Find magic trainer, attempt to learn basic magic (something like light/demoralize humanoid/sanctuary)
> Look for a book vendor and try to recognize a skill book
> Find a bar/tavern and get a place to rest. It's been a busy day already.
> Deal with existential terror of not being on Earth
> Eat, read a book and take the time to plan properly
Post by: WillowLuman on May 28, 2013, 12:39:18 pm
Post by: Frumple on May 28, 2013, 05:38:15 pm
Slip a piece of yellow notepaper under Vivec's door, with our plea written on it, then go try to learn the basics of alteration. The 100 pt spell isn't really that hard.This one most amuses me, especially since I don't remember too much about Vivec the town (mostly just that hoptoad can get you from one level of the pagodas to another, or manage the jump between pagodas). Something about the strange (easily killed) hyper-daedra that I think we'd qualify as bugging Vivec-the-critter sounds entertaining.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 28, 2013, 05:40:47 pm
Post by: Gamerlord on May 28, 2013, 08:50:33 pm
Post by: Funk on May 29, 2013, 07:20:50 am
i hope that there is a bank near by so we can get some notes. (daggerfall had banks so there should be some in morrowind)
Post by: WillowLuman on May 29, 2013, 12:34:35 pm
Post by: Funk on May 29, 2013, 08:13:43 pm
(a ring 2 constent restore 2hp, and a dagger with 1sec of paralyze.)
Post by: Sirus on May 29, 2013, 08:15:07 pm
Post by: Funk on May 29, 2013, 08:32:11 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 29, 2013, 08:32:32 pm
EDIT: Drink benefits are only temporary, though.
Post by: Funk on May 29, 2013, 08:50:00 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 29, 2013, 08:52:26 pm
Post by: Funk on May 29, 2013, 09:01:01 pm
Post by: Xantalos on May 29, 2013, 09:11:41 pm
Fortify Intelligence spells/potions?Do you know the power
Post by: Sirus on May 29, 2013, 09:12:30 pm
We're talking about carrying stuff, not making daedra-tier spells :PFortify Intelligence spells/potions?Do you know the power
Post by: Funk on May 29, 2013, 09:21:50 pm
Post by: LordBucket on May 29, 2013, 11:53:27 pm
Quote
Slip a piece of yellow notepaper under Vivec's door
Quote
bugging Vivec-the-critter sounds entertaining.
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I don't think anyone's ever slipped a note under his door before. And yet clearly there's room enough under the door.
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DO EET.
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lets just the note under the door.
Not to be deterred by the lack of a suitable lock picking scroll, you set out immediately for the Palace of Vivec. You leave the plaza, turn right, and make for the-
(http://i.imgur.com/eyRhLJ2.png)
...usually, in game, you'd jump over that edge and then hug the wall mid-fall to avoid falling damage. You decide to take the long way down instead. It's a long way down.
The trip takes some time, and you admire the scenery.
(http://i.imgur.com/CknLp5h.png)
At least you try. Between the rain and the darkness, the place looks downright dreary. It infects your mood, and fills you with a growing sense of unease. Is this really a good idea? Vivec is basically a god. What if he thinks you're Nerevar? What if the temple thinks you're yet another false Nerevarine? You don't really want a hoard of Ordinators chasing after you.
The long trip through the city is at least a good workout, and you feel yourself getting stronger as you approach Temple Canton.
Athletics skill is now 7
Acrobatics is now 13
That, however, is when you see...it.
(http://i.imgur.com/BhP3qT9.png)
The Ministry of Truth. According to lore, it was an asteroid that fell from the sky. Vivec caught it with his magic and suspended it in the air. The temple later turned it into a floating prison. It's a massive rock, and the sight of it fills you with dread. You can't even begin to guess how heavy it must be, suspended hundreds of feet in the sky. Just...sitting there. A passing Ordinator sees you staring and tells you to move on.
(http://i.imgur.com/5woASRU.png) "Keep moving. Scum."
You try, but your feet don't want to move. You stare at your feet, then look up again. You can't bring yourself to walk. The Ordinator pauses to watch you for a moment. He looks at the Ministry of Truth, then back at you. He says nothing, pausing only for a moment before walking on.
More dignity than you expected an Ordinator to allow you.
After a few moment of standing there in the cold, wet rain, you manage to force yourself to keep walking. But...that...in the sky....you have to take a closer look.
(http://i.imgur.com/HW81otn.png)
Looking up at the massive impossibility above you, it all hits you. Magic is real. Gods are real. This is all real. There are creatures here with such power that they can casually catch thousands of ton asteroids and hang them in the sky. Not as a testament to their power. Not to impress anyone. Not to make a lasting monument. But just because it was the most convenient thing to do.
You feel yourself taking an unintentional step forward, almost like a moth drawn to light, under that massive rock. The runoff of rain from the Ministry splashes you in the face and you jump back. A bolt of sheer terror passes through you as for a moment your brain processes that massive rock as "down" and you're overwhelmed with a feeling of vertigo and fear at the thought of falling those hundreds of feet. You close your eyes and only then do you notice that you're hyperventilating. You step away, trying to calm yourself.
"...it's ok," you tell yourself through clenched teeth, "...everything will be...ok."
You manage to take control of your breathing, but the painful knot in your stomach won't go away. It's like stage fright, you insist. It's bad now, but as soon as you get on stage, everything will be fine.
"Just need to talk to Vivec, and everything will be ok."
Thankfully, the Ordinator leaves you alone as you resume your trek, but you do nearly walk into a priest while walking through the dark, unlit tunnel on the last leg of your trip to the palace.
(http://i.imgur.com/YDFaoG6.png): "Gah! Who's there?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What? Just me...hi, I'm here to...umm, make the pilgrimage to the shrine."
(http://i.imgur.com/YDFaoG6.png): "Oh, a pilgrim, thank AlmSiVi."
He's clearly on edge, and seeing him scared over something as silly as just you walking into him helps you feel better about your own problems.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Are you ok? You seem a bit on edge."
(http://i.imgur.com/7OjDtgP.png)
Nevermind. This does not make you feel better. But you're almost there. You're not going to turn back now.
Miraculously, shortly after you leave the tunnel and approach the final stairs leading up to Vivec's Palace, the first light of the morning sun begins to poke out from over the horizon, and the rain stops.
(http://i.imgur.com/J1tSfFc.png)
You're still soaked and tired, but you take it as a good omen. Perhaps you've made it through the dark night of your soul, and from here everything will get better. Maybe. You hope.
You wearily climb the final set of stairs, not even bothering to jump out of sheer exhaustion. When you reach the top you look at the door.
(http://i.imgur.com/auMfmRR.png)
Hmm. Not as much room beneath it as you thought, but...maybe. You tear a sheet from your notepad and experimentally slide it under the door. Yes. There's room. You can do this. You can write a note and slip it under the door.
What do you write?
Post by: WillowLuman on May 30, 2013, 12:34:17 am
Well, we need our plea to talk with him, and we need something to catch his attention. We'd have to show knowledge of one of something secret, and also assure him we won't tell anyone (so he doesn't have us killed).
Given how he talks in game, that probably isn't likely, especially if it's something he knows but no one else would believe. Maybe we could tell him that we know about wraithguard, keening, and sunder. Or maybe we could tell him the location of the Nerevarine.
Post by: Jarod Cain on May 30, 2013, 12:52:59 am
Forgive my correspondence but I know naught where else to turn. I am one who wears many faces yet bears only one. In the past I was the Eternal Champion, releasing the Emperor from Oblivion. I was the Agent who stood at the center of the Warp in the West with the Heart of Numidium in one hand. As the Nerevarine I both slew you and was your friend. As the Champion of Cyrodill I took up the mantle of Sheogorath, witnessed the Septim line die during the Oblivion Crisis and the end of the Third Age. During the Fourth Age I was the last of the Dovahkiin who mastered the Thu'um. I shouted down Miraak and brought Alduin low. I am a User and wholly not of this cosmos, yet I find myself trapped here and in need of allies. Again it is for this purpose that I have come to you.
If I am not the current Nerevarine I suspect I know who might be. I shall reside here in your city, most likely in the Foreign Quarter. You shall know me by 'Friendship is Magic.'
Lok Thu'um.
---------
There's one idea for a note. Also just to satisfy my curiosity. Take out your cellphone, place your hand on the door. Type 'unlock', no quotes into the phone and then send.
-J-
Post by: WillowLuman on May 30, 2013, 12:59:22 am
Post by: Jarod Cain on May 30, 2013, 01:04:05 am
-J-
Post by: Xantalos on May 30, 2013, 01:04:51 am
Lord Vivec,+1
Forgive my correspondence but I know naught where else to turn. I am one who wears many faces yet bears only one. In the past I was the Eternal Champion, releasing the Emperor from Oblivion. I was the Agent who stood at the center of the Warp in the West with the Heart of Numidium in one hand. As the Nerevarine I both slew you and was your friend. As the Champion of Cyrodill I took up the mantle of Sheogorath, witnessed the Septim line die during the Oblivion Crisis and the end of the Third Age. During the Fourth Age I was the last of the Dovahkiin who mastered the Thu'um. I shouted down Miraak and brought Alduin low. I am a User and wholly not of this cosmos, yet I find myself trapped here and in need of allies. Again it is for this purpose that I have come to you.
If I am not the current Nerevarine I suspect I know who might be. I shall reside here in your city, most likely in the Foreign Quarter. You shall know me by 'Friendship is Magic.'
Lok Thu'um.
---------
There's one idea for a note. Also just to satisfy my curiosity. Take out your cellphone, place your hand on the door. Type 'unlock', no quotes into the phone and then send.
-J-
Post by: Nivim on May 30, 2013, 01:10:20 am
2. "You shall know me by" → "You will recognize my garb by".
3. Remember the door is still trapped, significant touching or bracing could trigger it anyway (since you can't quite touch things like that in-game).
Post by: WillowLuman on May 30, 2013, 01:21:43 am
Post by: kilakan on May 30, 2013, 01:47:52 am
Post by: LordBucket on May 30, 2013, 05:37:24 am
Quote
Take out your cellphone, place your hand on the door. Type
'unlock', no quotes into the phone and then send.
You take out your cellphone. Cautiously you put one hand on the door and use the other to type:
-- unlock
You click send. Nothing happens. You try touching the cellphone to the door and type it again. Still nothing. You briefly experiment with camera mode, but can't figure out a way to be viewing the door and type at the same time. Wait...maybe the door is unlocked now. How would you know? You don't really want to try opening it to find out. On a whim, you type:
-- player->SetStrength 100
You click send, but still nothing happens and you don't feel any stronger. Hmm. Well, you're not ready to completely give up on this, but if it is possible for you to access the command console...this doesn't seem to be the way to do it.
Quote
plea to talk with him, and we need something to catch his attention
Quote
tell him that we know about wraithguard, keening, and sunder. Or maybe we could tell him the location of the Nerevarine.
You look at the paper and start writing
"Dear Vivec,"
What? No, this isn't a letter to your mother. You go to erase it then remember you're writing in pen. Well, the friendly greeting won't hurt. You keep writing.
"I have information for you about Nerevar. I have seen him. Well, her. Also, I know about Wraithguard, and Sunder and Keening. And Dagoth Ur."
"I request an audience."
You read it over a couple times. Then you crumple it up and start over.
Quote
Lord Vivec,
Forgive my correspondence but I know naught where else to turn. I am one who wears many faces yet bears only one. In the past I was the Eternal Champion, releasing the Emperor from Oblivion. I was the Agent who stood at the center of the Warp in the West with the Heart of Numidium in one hand. As the Nerevarine I both slew you and was your friend. As the Champion of Cyrodill I took up the mantle of Sheogorath, witnessed the Septim line die during the Oblivion Crisis and the end of the Third Age. During the Fourth Age I was the last of the Dovahkiin who mastered the Thu'um. I shouted down Miraak and brought Alduin low. I am a User and wholly not of this cosmos, yet I find myself trapped here and in need of allies. Again it is for this purpose that I have come to you.
Quote
+1
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not sure stuff from the future is safe, he might not know it. Better something from the past
Quote
We're probably not the Nerevarine, given the circumstances.
Quote
"I suspect I know who the true Nerevarine currently is."
Quote
maybe we could tell him the location of the Nerevarine.
You begin writing on a new sheet.
"Lord Vivec,
Forgive my correspondence but I know naught where else to turn. I am one who wears many faces yet bears only one. In the past I was the Eternal Champion, releasing the Emperor from Oblivion. I was the Agent who stood at the center of the Warp in the West with the Heart of Numidium in one hand. I cannot say if I am your friend who slew you, Lord Indoril Nerevar, nor if I am now the Nerevarine. But if I am not, I suspect I know who is.
I am a User and wholly not of this cosmos, yet I find myself trapped here and in need of allies. It is for this purpose that I have come to you."
You read it over and notice a spelling mistake. You're not going to misspell words on a note to Vivec, so you tear out another sheet of paper and rewrite the note more carefully this time.
Quote
I shall reside here in your city, most likely in the Foreign Quarter. You shall know me by 'Friendship is Magic.'
It occurs to you that he might not answer right away, so you look down at your 20% cooler shirt, and with a grin add the following:
"I shall reside here in your city, most likely in the Foreign Quarter. You shall know me by 'Friendship is Magic.'"
Given Vivec's relationship with Nerevar, it seems strangely appropriate. You're not sure you want to connect yourself with Nerevar, but...come on, even gods love ponies, right? Well, here goes nothing. You slide it under the door until the last half inch remains between your fingers, then pause. You don't want a priest seeing it and pulling it back out. You push it all the way in until your fingers are flush with the door.
Then you wait.
What if he doesn't notice? What if he sees the note but doesn't care? What if he reads it and does nothing? How long are you going-
*creak*
The door opens.
Your pulse races as you look at the open door and step through. There, before you, sits Lord Vivec.
(http://i.imgur.com/0j0Dxpl.png)
You can't tell if he's looking at you or just happens to be facing the door. Pausing for a moment, you consider your words.
*thump*
You jump as the door closes behind you. Well, you're nothing if not committed now. You approach Vivec, hovering with folded legs several feet off the floor. He looks at you with glowing white eyes. There's something about his gaze that you find...comforting, in a way. Thinking back to the thousand ton asteroid suspended in mid air just outside, you know that if he wanted to he could effortlessly squash you like a bug. But his eyes don't feel like the eyes of a child about to step on an ant, nor are they those of an angry, wrathful god. It's like he's simply watching attentively. Not judging you, not evaluating you, not debating whether you are worthy to stand before him. Rather, simply looking at you and taking in what he sees with neither intent nor desire to filter or judge what input his senses deliver to him.
Several seconds pass before at last, he speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I grant you audience."
What do you say?
Post by: Gamerlord on May 30, 2013, 06:11:26 am
Post by: WillowLuman on May 30, 2013, 12:37:46 pm
Post by: shadenight123 on May 30, 2013, 01:10:29 pm
Not as bad as cliffracers, or maybe even worse, but like, really bad..."
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 01:39:17 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 30, 2013, 03:01:04 pm
Post by: Nivim on May 30, 2013, 08:40:48 pm
So, since we don't know how the Nerevarine is going to act, and it might very well be in the way implied by the game rather than what players often do, we probably aught to simply give information not part of prophecy. It did run off to Balmora first thing to do that quest, and it might very well start by taking Caius' advice you get when you meet him. It might even rise in the blades primarily and only do secondary quests on a secondary basis. It might even take the main quest seriously.
"I do not know if your divine sight can see my difference beyond my outward appearance, but if you can, just what is this difference? Can you tell if it is some Deadra that has bound me here, and if so, can I be returned using similar methods as those used on Deadra? And finally, where would you like to start hearing about what I know from my travels of sight and time? It is a long, complicated, and dangerous bunch of stories, because I do not know how my knowledge might twist or warp the lines of time. Even this audience might lead to different, more, deaths, and one of the bad ends of a world." At this point remember what it's like to cut the strings of fate and live in the doomed world; for your grimace and the chills down your spine. "I know how timelines can end badly."
Good?
Post by: LordBucket on May 30, 2013, 11:00:31 pm
EDIT:
Guess we can do this in multiple parts.
Post by: LordBucket on May 31, 2013, 12:27:38 am
Quote
ask him what he knows about other worlds.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What do you know of other worlds?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I don't think you realize how broad this question is. What do you know of books? What do you know of eating? What do you know of living creatures? How many lifetimes do you wish to spend hearing what I know of other 'worlds?'
And yet, truly can I say that I know nothing of 'other' worlds. For how can one have knowledge of worlds besides those which one is part of?"
Quote
well, you're a god, so you know why we're here right?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "You're a god, so you know why we're here right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I am uncertain how we could possibly be anywhere else other than 'here.'"
Quote
How did we end here?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "How did we end here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Our tale has not 'ended.'"
Quote
How do we go back home?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "How do I go back home?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Where is 'home?'"
Quote
How much power would you bestow us if we were to tell you of the Events to come?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "How much power would you bestow upon me if I were to tell you of the Events to come?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I remain unconvinced that you have the ability to do so. Your questions thus far lead me to believe that you have little awareness even of you own nature, let alone the world you believe to be around you. If you are capable of telling me now of that which will definitely come to pass, then please demonstrate it to my satisfaction and I will step down from my position and you may take my place as god of the Tribunal."
Quote
I do not know if your divine sight can see my difference beyond my outward appearance, but if you can, just what is this difference?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I do not know if your divine sight can see my difference beyond my outward appearance, but if you can, just what is this difference?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "It is difficult for me to differentiate between that which you perceive as 'you' and that which you perceive as 'not you,' let alone your 'inward' and 'outward' appearance. The borders are not so definite to my eye that I can be certain I would differentiate in the same manner that you would.
You are not Imperial, if that is what you mean."
Vivec appears willing to continue the conversation if you have more to say. But you're beginning to suspect you probably should have thought this through a bit more.
What do you do?
Post by: Mono124 on May 31, 2013, 02:13:20 am
Post by: Jarod Cain on May 31, 2013, 04:09:24 am
I was thinking of coming up with some questions to ask. But I only got about three hours of sleep last night so I'm not mentally fit to write up a proper "conversations with god" that would be setting appropriate and utilize the proper prose, metaphor, logic, psychology and ponies necessary to deal with Vivec while still being entertaining.
Some key points I'd like to see discussed:
- The psychologically monstrous nature of a Murder-Hobo PC, preferably with an axe-murder montage and dancing Ordinators set to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now
- The differences between our respective universes
- Why it is that no one else besides PCs seem to strive towards bettering themselves in the same fashion as they do
Things I think should be left ambiguous:
- Details of the PC we saw earlier and who they work for
- The possibility we may still be able to (and may still do so) fulfill the requirements of the Nerevarine
-J-
Post by: Kanil on May 31, 2013, 05:28:10 am
There are creatures here with such power that they can casually catch thousands of ton asteroids and hang them in the sky.
However for all their might, you and the dunmer girl are the only two on the island who can open doors. Can't think of anything to ask Vivec.
Post by: Fniff on May 31, 2013, 07:52:45 am
- The psychologically monstrous nature of a Murder-Hobo PC, preferably with an axe-murder montage and dancing Ordinators set to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now
- The differences between our respective universes
- Why it is that no one else besides PCs seem to strive towards bettering themselves in the same fashion as they do
We knew the PC for all of five minutes. We have no idea who the hell they even are. And again, even if we may be in the videogame itself, it'd be a very good idea not to break the forth wall because that tends to make you come off as a psychopath. So, mention the fact you're from a different world, and don't mention the fact that Morrowind is a videogame in that verse.
Post by: joemoben on May 31, 2013, 09:12:00 am
We could just level with him and be completely truthful, that we are from another universe where all of this is a game,This is also something I would consider of utmost importance. We should tell him that the Nerevarine is one of those that plays. Tell him that we don't know how she will act specifically, but that she is likely either in Balmora or near Balmora.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 31, 2013, 02:20:12 pm
Post by: Xantalos on May 31, 2013, 03:42:20 pm
I think the most important thing to tell him is that we come from another world where Nirn exists only in a fictional context, and that we know from the plot some general patterns of future events. We should tell him that the Mythic Dawn will try to bring Mehrunes Dagon through some time in the near future, and that should Vivec's power fail the Ministry of Truth will resume it's former path and destroy Vvardenfell.+1
Post by: LordBucket on June 01, 2013, 12:38:01 am
Quote
tell him that while we do know the general events that will happen, we cannot simply know the way things are going to happen.
Quote
we know from the plot some general patterns of future events.
Quote
Drop a few hints about his possible upcoming death, and mention that he will end of vanishing in any case even if he doesn't die, which will cause Baar Dau to fall and cause mass destruction in Morrowind, harming the people living in Morrowind. Then ask him for help.
Quote
We should tell him that the Mythic Dawn will try to bring Mehrunes Dagon
Quote
+1
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "You're right. I can't know 'definitely' what will happen. But I do know the general flow of events that are about to happen and there are some very nasty things on the horizon right now that we can prevent."
"You already know about Dagoth Ur, the sleepers, and the ash vampires. You already know that corprus disease is not some just random super-blight disease, but rather that Dagoth Ur uses it to corrupt the flesh and minds of the living to make them his. You know that Dagoth is using the Heart of Lorkhan to construction a second Numidium. And you already have plans sitting on the table behind you to assault sixth house bases and then use Kagrenac's tools to destroy the Heart."
"That's fine. And you know what? Up to that point, everything basically works out. But what about after? You're prepared to accept to loss of godhood, I know that. Almalexia isn't. She goes insane, kills Sotha Sil and uses his creations to attack her own people. You...nobody really knows what happens to you. Maybe the Nerevarine kills you. Maybe the daedra take you. You just disappear. And when you do the magic holding up that asteroid sitting over our heads right now starts to fail. So somebody gets the bright idea of rather than bringing it gently to the ground, to construct a magic device that consumes dunmer souls to keep it floating. And after sacrificing hundreds of your people, it doesn't work out and it falls anyway, turning this entire city into a watery hole in the ground."
"But oh, it gets better...because then Red Mountain erupts, pretty much destroying Vvardenfell and forcing everyone who survives to flee to Solstheim just in time for Hircine to decide to fulfull the Bloodmoon prophecy. And as if one deadra running amuk isn't enough, after that gets dealt with the Mythic Dawn cult assassinates the emperor and helps Mehrunes Dagon to open up permanent portals to Oblivion all across Tamriel so that armies of daedra can pour through to try to take over the world."
"I know all this because I'm not from here. I'm from another world. I've seen these things. I've participated in them even though they haven't happened yet. Help me, Vivec. Help me to help you. Help me to save the people of Vvardenfell, of Morrowind, of all of Tamriel."
Vivec is silent for a long moment. At last, he speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "No, you won't help me? No, you won't help me save your own people? No, you won't help stop Oblivion from being unleashed upon every living thing on the planet?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "No, you're not from another world."
Quote
just level with him and be completely truthful
Quote
I thought that was essentially the plan.
Quote
I think the most important thing to tell him is that we come from another world where Nirn exists only in a fictional context
Quote
+1
Quote
we are from another universe where all of this is a game, and we don't know how we were sucked into this.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I am. I really am. I'm sorry if this is difficult for you to accept, but in my world, Morrowind, Daggerfall, Skyrim...these are just computer games that I've played. I'm a liberal arts student from a planet called Earth. Everything I wrote in my letter, everything I've just told you...I know about all this because I've played these games before. Somehow I got sucked in. I don't know how or why, but I've helped this world before when it was just a game, and I want to help it again now that I'm here for real."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "What's your name?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "Your name. What is it?"
The question catches you off-guard.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...I...umm, never chose one. When I arrived I skipped the boat sequence. I landed in a murky pool outside of Seyda Neen, so I ended up not talking to the Census office to choose a name or class or anything."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "Where were you born?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I'm from earth."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "What's the name of the city you lived in, on earth?"
You think really hard...but you just don't remember. Come to think of it, you don't remember anything about the town you live in at all.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "You said were you a student. What's the name of your school?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Look, I don't remember. Don't we have more important things going on here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "What's your earliest memory? The very first thing you ever remember experiencing?"
Annoyed to be asked about such trivialities with the fate of the whole world at stake, you nevertheless consider the question. What were you doing last week? You don't really remember. What about...yesterday? You don't remember that either. Strangely, the earliest memory that comes to mind is rather recent.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...I guess the first thing I remember is coming home from school. I walked in the door to my house, nobody was home so I sat at my computer, heard a voice and then landed here."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "What were you doing before you came home?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Well, I was coming home from school, so I guess before that I was at school."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "Which specific class were you coming home from?
It's starting to bother you that you can't remember these things. You really should remember. Why don't you? Before you can answer, Vivec continues.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "What's your favorite food? Do you remember even having eaten in your entire life? Do you have any friends? Pets? Family? What are you parents names? In your entire life do you remember ever having spoken to them? What holidays are celebrated by your people? Do you remember ever having celebrated a birthday? What places have you been to on earth besides your own house? Describe them to me. Tell me who you went with. When you went. What you did. What happened while you were there. Tell me anything at all that you've ever done, any place that you've ever been, any person you've ever spoken to in your entire life before you came home from school that day."
There is the sensation of vertigo, as a human falls to his knees on the ground, unable to remember, unable to answer any of Vivec's questions.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I...don't know. I...don't remember...any of that."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "Of course you don't. You didn't exist prior to walking through the front door of your house. You said that Morrowind is just a game, and that's true. Morrowind is a game played by gods. And you are in a game too. We both are. Just not the game you thought."
Time passes, with nothing but the sounds of breath of two beings. One, slow and measured. The other, frantic and choked, quietly sobbing...then gradually calming, quieting...accepting.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Vivec?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I...hear voices. In my head."
Vivec nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "What do they say?"
What do they say?
Post by: Gamerlord on June 01, 2013, 12:46:47 am
Post by: kilakan on June 01, 2013, 01:05:02 am
BOOOOOOOBS!Ignore him, we only keep him around because.... well I forgot. Now down to business, would you say that your being here so far has been entertaining for you? If so why be upset, sure you don't really exist in the place you thought you did but hey, you were really excited at being here initially. There's also the matter to consider that if you are not having fun then it's less fun for us, and the less fun for us the less likely you will continue to exist. So since you know all these things that are supposed to happen, wouldn't it be entertaining for us both to try and change as many of them as possible?
Post by: Xantalos on June 01, 2013, 01:38:31 am
The only price we ask for our assistance is to be able to watch and suggest.
Post by: Frumple on June 01, 2013, 03:24:25 am
Quote
What do they say?Well... that's interesting. It seems the lot of us were operating under limited information. We've not been told how we're interacting with you, or divined precisely what mechanisms it's occurring through. There's a lot missing from the picture. If you are willing, please thank the good sir Vivec for us, for shining some light on the situation.
I can't speak for the rest of them, but... apologies. Had I known this communication was a bit more direct, so to speak, my input would have been quite different, hm.
To avoid the temptation or inanity route that those preceding me have traveled down... as I said, I cannot speak for the rest of them, but if you wish me, at least, gone, I will go. Agency is important, and if you are unwilling to maintain communication then I am beholden by custom to accept that.
If you do wish to maintain communication, then we, as the outsiders, should accept the boundaries you set. What would you wish of us? We seem to be able to provide council, and information of already notable dubiousness. If asked, we would provide... if admittedly more from the motivation of self-amusement than anything else. Certainly there is no need to broker deals. You owe us nothing, we have no price that can be rendered by one in your situation -- whatever that situation may be, hrm -- and quite frankly, our advice is of quite dubious quality. What else, if anything, we are capable of is unknown at this point.
As they say... what'll be, guv'? Should we stay or should we go? C'mon... let us know.
Post by: Parsely on June 01, 2013, 03:32:18 am
Post by: Parsely on June 01, 2013, 03:33:25 am
Double post. Damn you 504!! *shakes fist*
Post by: LordBucket on June 01, 2013, 05:06:41 am
This was already going wa-a-ay over my head. Now its going wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ay over my head.
Yeah, this has gone in a totally different direction than I expected. Given the lore, when you guys went straight to Vivec and starting dealing in truth, there wasn't much I could do other than respond with truth. At some point there's a fuzzy gray area between trying to portray a character accurately, and that character successfully expressing himself through a medium that's trying to not color or filter what passes through it. You wanted Vivec, you got Vivec. I'm pleased with the result, though. This is much more deep than I expected. I'm curious to see where it goes from here.
Anyway, next update in in process and should be up within the next hour or so.
Post by: shadenight123 on June 01, 2013, 05:15:03 am
Post by: Fniff on June 01, 2013, 06:06:24 am
Post by: LordBucket on June 01, 2013, 06:30:18 am
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "What do they say?"
Quote
BOOOOOOOBS!
Quote
why be upset, sure you don't really exist in the place you thought you did but
if you are not having fun then it's less fun for us, and the less fun for us the
less likely you will continue to exist.
Quote
Ah, so you are aware? Good.
If you manipulate events good enough, you just may be able to
do whatever you want!
The only price we ask for our assistance is to be able to watch and suggest.
Quote
It seems the lot of us were operating under limited information.
please thank the good sir Vivec for us, for shining some light on the situation.
Quote
... apologies.
Agency is important, and if you are unwilling to maintain communication then I am beholden by custom to accept that.
You owe us nothing
our advice is of quite dubious quality. What else, if anything, we are capable of is unknown at this point.
Quote
What would you wish of us? We seem to be able to provide council, and information of already notable dubiousness.
what'll be, guv'? Should we stay or should we go? C'mon... let us know.
Quote
We'll help you get through this
The human stares off at nowhere in particular as if thinking, or listening. The expression on his face goes instantly to one of bewilderment, then slowly changes to a frown, then a look of horror...which then slowly calms, and gradually becomes a smile.
Vivec merely watches.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Thank you. I...don't know. I've lived with you for, well...I guess all my life. I suppose. You're right that this brings up all sorts of questions about free agency, but you guys haven't steered me wrong yet. You brought me straight to Vivec. I don't think that would have occurred to me on my own. Actually, I'm not entirely sure what 'I' am apart from you and your input. I don't think you're controlling me, exactly. I feel like I have free agency. I mean, I'm not eager to test it...but I really feel like if you tried to get me to do something that I really didn't want to do, I think I could choose to not do it. I think. But I'm not sure how much of the me wanting to do or not do it in the first place comes from your input."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "CHIM"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I'm apologize for interupting. Please continue."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So anyway, yeah. I'd like to see where this goes. Please don't get me killed or anything. Dying sounds painful."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Oh, and Vivec: they said a bunch of stuff, but generally they seemed pleased that I know what's going on, and asked if it's ok with me if we continue and that they won't force me if I don't want to. And they said to thank you for helping shed light on the situation. Apparently they were operating with incomplete information too."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "If they became enlightened when you did, you are both welcome. I also, offer my thanks for the warning about Baar Dau. As for you, you are fortunate. Few who see their higher selves are able to handle it with such grace, and not all higher selves are so polite or well-intentioned."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Also they say boobs."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Boobs are nice, yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So, what happens now?"
There's a moment of silence.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Who are you asking?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Well I guess I was asking me, but since you ask, I'm curious: do you have voices in your head too?"
Vivec is silent as he appears to contemplates how to respond.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "For me, it is more complicated than simply yes or no. Examining myself, I don't appear to be a completely singular entity. From my point of view, 'I' and possibly this entire universe have only existed for less than a day. However, 'I' also share awareness with...it is difficult to assign a number. If you have two guar in the room, it is easy to look at one guar and count 'one' and the other guar and count 'two' and say that there are two guar. But, consider the creature on your shirt. What if you're counting colors? There is a smooth transition between one color and the next. If two people look at a rainbow and count colors, they might each arrive at different answers. My awareness of other worlds, other universes besides this one is much like that. From my point of view, it's difficult to even call them 'other' universes, as I have only my awareness and there is little clear delineation between them."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Is there an instance of you in each of those universes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "In one form or another, there must be, if I am to be aware of them. But were you to look at some of them, you might not recognize them as me."
Vivec pauses for a moment, then brings his feet down from his hovering position to stand on the ground. Then he a conjures a daedric longsword, places it on the ground and sits besides it."
(http://i.imgur.com/0tro9Y6.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "What do you see?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "A sword?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "How many swords?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Just one?"
Vivec pauses for moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "How many swords do you see now?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Still just one."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Is the sword you see now the same sword you saw a moment ago?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Isn't it?"
Vivec extends a single finger, then pushes the sword half a foot away from him.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "How many swords do you see now?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Still only one."
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Did the sword you saw here a moment ago, 'talk' to the sword you see here now?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "No?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "And yet even though I am not pushing the sword you see now, its position in space has been influenced by what was experienced by the sword you saw earlier. Communication of some sort, clearly must have occurred."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Well, ok, I guess. In a way, kind of. For certain values of 'talk.'"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Then yes, in a way, kind of, for certain values of 'talk,' I talk with the other instances of me in other universes. But from my point of view it is more like mutually shared awareness. The sword you saw later probably did not feel 'pushed' by the sword you saw before."
Vivec dismisses the longsword and resumes his sitting position a few feet off the ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Does that mean there are thousands or millions of Vivec's out there? Can you pool your power and make awesome things happen? Is that how you do divine magic?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I thought you saw only one sword?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...huh. Ok, change of topic. I'm going to go out there and I don't really want to get killed. Can you make me super powerful or anything?"
At this, Vivec frowns for a moment and looks at the ground briefly before answering.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Is this a 'no' like the no earlier when I was asking for help and you meant 'no' something else completely?
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I am unable to."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I have lost my connection with the Heart of Lorkhan. Or rather, this particular instance of me is not connected. The body you see before you has only existed for less than a day. In other realities I am able to perceive, I was once connected, then lost connection. In this realty, I never was. Either way, the end result is the same."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So you're mortal?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "For all practical purposes yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What about the Ministry of Truth?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I'm not holding it up. From my point of view, it's been hovering a couple hundred feet from the ground for the entire history of the universe."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So then it won't fall? Even if you die or disappear, Vvardenfell is safe?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "The future is not something I am able to perceive."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Oh. So what are you going to do?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "The same thing that those 'thousands or millions' of me you mentioned earlier are all doing right now: attempting to make life better for my people."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What about me? What should I do?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "You are, at least as much as any of us, a free agent. You said earlier that you had 'helped this world when it was a game, and wanted to help it now that it's real.' I ask that you do what you can to do just that."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Heh, that's right. I did say that. Out of curiosity, what if I was just another crazy PC out to slaughter everybody and steal stuff?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "We would not be having this conversation, because you would be dead."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Oh. Right."
Now what?
Post by: Fniff on June 01, 2013, 06:46:12 am
Post by: Gamerlord on June 01, 2013, 06:51:23 am
Quote
"Also they say boobs.":D
"Boobs are nice, yes."
Post by: Parsely on June 01, 2013, 10:46:37 am
I think Vivec just pretty much confirmed to us we're in a videogame. Either that or this version of Morrowind has severely screwy metaphysics... More so then the original.He's inside our game, inside a videogame.
Post by: Fniff on June 01, 2013, 12:08:46 pm
Also, it turns out that our reality is also a videogame.I think Vivec just pretty much confirmed to us we're in a videogame. Either that or this version of Morrowind has severely screwy metaphysics... More so then the original.He's inside our game, inside a videogame.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 01, 2013, 04:29:24 pm
Ask him if we should apprehend or at least follow the suspected PC.
Post by: joemoben on June 01, 2013, 07:36:17 pm
And that means that the reality above us is probably a videogame as well. Never ending story, here we come!Also, it turns out that our reality is also a videogame.I think Vivec just pretty much confirmed to us we're in a videogame. Either that or this version of Morrowind has severely screwy metaphysics... More so then the original.He's inside our game, inside a videogame.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 01, 2013, 07:41:35 pm
Post by: birdy51 on June 01, 2013, 10:11:56 pm
You need something to protect yourself with!
Post by: WillowLuman on June 01, 2013, 10:14:58 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on June 02, 2013, 03:39:20 am
On that note, go to Wolverine Hall, buy as many ash yams and netch leathers as we can from Aunius Autrus(pre-prepared) and begin grinding them in a mortar and pestle to make fortify intelligence potions. Drink potion, make new potion. Rinse and repeat until we have five or six potions that give us thousands of intelligence points.
Use said intelligence to gain knowledge of the CHIM.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 02, 2013, 03:45:11 am
Post by: Xantalos on June 02, 2013, 03:57:12 am
Unless of course exploits don't work. And Vivec just gave us knowledge of CHIM.Technically we are CHIM.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 02, 2013, 03:58:56 am
Post by: Frumple on June 02, 2013, 06:27:58 am
Isn't there that glitch that makes bound blades work forever if you do something or other?There's some oddities to it iirc, but yeah, soul trap glitch can make a bound weapon permanent. Soul trap glitch can make pretty much any temporary effect permanent, ha.
Looks like there's also a thing with constant effect bound item enchantments that'll get bound stuff to stick around.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 02, 2013, 06:51:46 am
Post by: Nivim on June 02, 2013, 03:38:29 pm
I thought the whole point of CHIM was that once you properly realise that you're in the game, you can start bending the universe to your will?Not just that; also breaking the arbitrary divisions of identity or 'Self', space, and time. Considering the sword lesson it looks like our brony does not actually understand CHIM very well yet, and he probably can't really use it until he both finishes his thoughts on free agency, and figures out what Vivec was trying to help him understand about the ultimate continuity and division of spacetime. Maybe the intuition corresponding to calculus would've helped.
Unless of course exploits don't work.Or anything based on the coarseness of the original medium; glitches, area loading, silly economy...really, anything that didn't seem to fit with how the universe was trying to be described could have been cleaned out. This is good, cause it means we get to actually be clever with our knowledge/science (http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Science) instead of regurgitating old methods. Like slipping the note under the door; normally impossible.
I suggest we find some cheap, fast test to confirm this, just so we don't end up making large theories and plans that turn out to be invalid.
>Now I hear there are a few things that have disconcerted you, brony;
1. You lack a name.
2. You lack a past worth of memories.
3. You lack a lot preferences and skills normally gained from those memories.
But just as this is a lack, it is also an opportunity, because just as you can expand freely forward in time, you may also expand freely back in time. Every time you learn something new, go somewhere new, think something new, or decide something different, you can remember something new, too. You already invoked this power when you remembered how you played those games, so long ago, by seeing a being related to them now. Invoke it again now to remember your name, even a name you wouldn't expect a parent to ever name their child, and from that remember your parents, and then as you adventure, your entire life will fall together.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 03, 2013, 12:48:39 am
Or on a more serious note, ask him if there is any knowledge of this instance of his existence that he could impart on us that would assist us in our journey to both aid his people and discover, or recover, our own origins. Once he tries messing with our collective minds with his fancy wordplay, ask if there is any material aid he could provide (though I'm against asking for the sword, for some reason asking for an item Vivec used to instruct does not appeal to me). Then we should make our leave and begin investigating the PC and her intentions.
Post by: LordBucket on June 03, 2013, 04:44:25 am
Quote
Humbly request, with great humility that Vivec give you the Daedric Blade for your protection.
You need something to protect yourself with!
Quote
no harm in asking!
Quote
ask if there is any material aid he could provide
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Vivec, I appreciate all the help you've given me and I'd really like to stay alive long enough to put it to use. Even if you can't just touch my forehead and unlock my potential, is there any sort of practical help you could offer? Maybe like that sword you conjured up a moment ago? I don't even have any weapons and this hat is all the protection I have."
Vivec conjures another daedric sword into one hand. He casually turns it over a couple times as if inspecting the blade, then causes the sword to be engulfed in a white telekinetic glow. For a moment it reminds you of Rarity manipulating sewing materials, but then you realize that the glow is the same color as Vivec's eyes. The sword rotates in the air so that the tip pointed down, then floats over to you. You reach out with both hands to grip the handle, then watch as the glow of Vivec's magic fades....and the sword drops straight to the ground, yanking your hands and whole upper torso with it. It hits the stone floor tip first, and you struggle with it for a moment before it slips out of your hands completely, hitting the ground with a solid *thunk* noise. You manage to stay standing.
You look at Vivec, but he's not paying attention. He's conjuring more equipment. A battle axe, a mace, a spear, a dagger, each floating effortlessly on the ground. You keep watching as he proceeds to conjure a full suit of armor onto his person: cuirass, greaves, boots...
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "How much does that weigh?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "The sword is 60 pounds. 294 for a basic suit of armor. With helm, shield and sword all together it's 414."
At that moment there is a noise at the door: three knocks, two knocks, one knock. You turn just in time to see the door open itself and a priest steps into the room and kneels. You notice that a pair of Ordinators are standing outside the door, and also that it is no longer raining and appears to be about mid-day.
(http://i.imgur.com/YDFaoG6.png): "You summoned me, my Lord?"
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Yes. Tell the Patriarch to execute contingency F."
(http://i.imgur.com/YDFaoG6.png): "At once, my Lord."
The priest gets up, glancing at you for the tiniest fraction of a second, then rushes out the door in an obvious hurry. By now, Vivec has finished removing his armor, and a full set of daedric gear lays at his feet.
(http://i.imgur.com/BodwmtM.png)
He turns to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "Please excuse me. An interesting development has just come to my attention. Feel free to take anything from the pile you need, but be aware that they'll only last 4 hours. Ordinators, please escort this creature to wherever he wishes to go. See that he arrives unharmed."
With that he disappears.
Quote
But just as this is a lack, it is also an opportunity, because just as you can expand freely forward in time, you may also expand freely back in time. Every time you learn something new, go somewhere new, think something new, or decide something different, you can remember something new, too. You already invoked this power when you remembered how you played those games, so long ago, by seeing a being related to them now. Invoke it again now to remember your name, even a name you wouldn't expect a parent to ever name their child, and from that remember your parents, and then as you adventure, your entire life will fall together.
You look at the pile of conjured daedric gear at your feet that weighs probably three times what you do. You look up at the Ordinators. They're waiting for you. Then you stare off into space.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Michael. I think my name is Michael."
Spoiler: known stats and gear (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: birdy51 on June 03, 2013, 05:08:41 am
Laugh like a maniac.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 03, 2013, 05:50:03 am
Maybe we should go with chitin armour? Try dragging the sword as best we can to the nearest place that buys daedric swords, and then sell it to them before the bound spell stops working.
Post by: Sirus on June 03, 2013, 07:09:58 am
It only lasts for four hours, for one thing. Is that our time or Morrowind time, which appears to be much faster? What if we get in over our heads somehow and the stuff vanishes in the midst of a life-or-death struggle?
There's also the fact that he gave us all of this essentially for free. Now, I haven't gotten far enough in this game to reach Vivec, so I have no idea what kind of character this guy is, but it reminds me of a drug dealer providing your first hit "no charge". He knows that you'll get a taste for power, only for it to be snatched away. You'll want that power back, except this time it won't be free. Do we really want to be beholden to someone with this much power?
No, I say we leave this stuff. Thank him for his generosity, but we feel confident enough to make our own way.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 03, 2013, 08:51:54 am
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 03, 2013, 10:17:49 am
http://fallingawkwardly.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/the-metaphysics-of-morrowind-part-3/ (http://fallingawkwardly.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/the-metaphysics-of-morrowind-part-3/)
The author has done his research, even if he is missing certain thinking points from cross-examination of psychology/sociology/theology/narrative study/philosophy/linguistics (Don't ask, my post-secondary studies have been complex). Now I'm fascinated with it, and kicking myself for not buying Morrowind while it was on sale on Steam this weekend. Bleh. May have to get it at full price, and hope Bethesda still benefits from Steam sales (do they?)
Anyways...
Michael, I wanted to congratulate you on your name. Everything begins with the name.
Remember that syllable, CHIM? That represents the concept of self awareness as both existing, and being inside a simulated world. It seems to have power in this world, if I had to guess, one of subtle manipulation. You know, of a limited console access. That's how Vivec cheats, I suspect.
May I suggest trying it? Touch one of the summoned gloves, think of how it's both real and not real, and imagine it changing into a different item. Maybe say the word CHIM.
Beyond this, to survive, you are going to need friends. The rules have changed, so you may also be the nerevarine.
Good luck.
Post by: Gamerlord on June 03, 2013, 10:23:09 am
But enough of my little trip down nostalgia lane, did we really have to be named Michael? And who is that picture of anyway? You, LordBucket?
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 03, 2013, 10:28:17 am
Huh. I remember years ago, I tried to apply scientific astronomy to the skies in Morrowind. Drew up a freaking star chart from what I could see of the skies, tried to identify constellations and find out if they changed from day to day, month to month, location to location. Then I read an ingame book (might have been Oblivion) that said they were the holes made by magnus and his kin or something like that. Thought about that a bit, and came up with the idea that they aren't holes; magnus and the others are still trying to burn their way through.
But enough of my little trip down nostalgia lane, did we really have to be named Michael? And who is that picture of anyway? You, LordBucket?
Realistically, Magnus and his kin would be eating up the light, not the actual stars, if it is seen from Morrowind.
Or, the stars AND all the light they have ever produced. Which is a terrifying prospect.
((Of note: Who is Magnus? It would appear that he has been referenced in the most recent Dark Souls :))))
The picture is of a stock model for that shirt. Discovered with my great google prowess!
Post by: WillowLuman on June 03, 2013, 01:34:35 pm
Anyways, I'd always assumed that the people of Tamriel used smaller units for weight than we do (as it doesn't actually say "pounds" anywhere), since a steel saber weighs 15 units when in real life it weighs about 2 pounds (I should know, I have one) and a claymore weighs maybe 7 pounds at most. So I assume a daedric sword weighs about 9-12 pounds, which is still very very unwieldy for a one-handed weapon. I say we get a good spear (not a pike, just a nice 6ft spear), since they're pretty easy to handle by the inexperienced.
I'm kind of wondering if we might get a word with Sotha Sil, seeing as he doesn't get canonically killed until after the Heart gets destroyed. For now, though, let's see if we can get a word with Caius.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 03, 2013, 02:25:29 pm
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 04, 2013, 02:02:09 am
Actually, I thought bound stuff was weightless?
It is, but maybe this isn't bound equipment? That is, maybe he did some god/CHIM-stuff to make regular Daedric equipment show up, but it still won't stick. IIRC, bound equipment is a different color. (And also glows because of its enchantment.)
I wouldn't bother with the Daedric equipment (not even the super-hard-to-get pauldrons!) yet: It is just too heavy, and frankly four in-game hours might not even be enough time to get out of Vivec to go mudcrab-hunting. If we do take anything, the dagger is the best bet, since it weighs the least. I doubt Michael's strength score is too high yet.
I'm sad I missed this thread when it started out. Nobody checked the stump right outside Arille's.
As for other suggestions, Michael, you should be able to train Alchemy a few points just by eating stuff. Stick to Kwama eggs and similar food items buyable at an inn at first, since they're usually 'Restore fatigue' or something similarly benign for their first effect. I'd also advise complimenting random townsfolk on the streets. Once apiece, so that they won't try to beat you up for getting some Speechcraft practice.
As for the PC, well, Vvardenfell is a big place - we might be able to get some of those treasures before she does, just because she's getting other treasure first. We have to train ourselves up first, however, to survive the tombs and such. (Or remain so low-level that the nasty stuff doesn't spawn, which may not be an option for us anyway.) Combat isn't a good choice, I think. Too lethal for poor Michael. Magic might be an option later, with some skill books to give us a starting score in the various schools, but for now I suspect we will have to crouch a lot as we wander around. (i.e. practice Sneak.) We might just have a chance to claim something relatively simple like the Ring of Phynaster by sneaking past threats.
Post by: Parsely on June 04, 2013, 02:12:01 am
Try dragging the sword as best we can to the nearest place that buys daedric swords, and then sell it to them before the bound spell stops working.+1
Post by: LordBucket on June 04, 2013, 04:24:46 am
Due to quirks in the leveling mod I use combined with the fact that our hero started with unusually low skills, Michael was needlessly being awarded fewer attribute points than I personally think is appropriate. As such, I am implementing an entirely custom system that I feel is more reasonable for our purposes.
As such, anyone who was trying to figure out how leveling worked, everything stated up to this point might no longer be relevant to the system in use from from here forward. I've updated the current status (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4268336#msg4268336) post, but I'm unlikely to retroactively go back and edit all story update posts with accurate running totals.
EDIT:
Next update coming soon. Incidentally, general request: fewer "general advice" suggestions and more "what to actually do" suggestions. It's great that you guys are talking with each other about what you'd like to see happen, but over the past few pages it's seems liked fewer than half of posts actually contain any suggestions on what to do, and several of those that do are impractical or, again, simply "general gameplay tips." For example, Cerol, looking at this post of yours (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4294158#msg4294158). you said to "not bother with the daedric gear." That's something we can do that's relevant to right now. But read the last two entire paragraphs of your post. You're talking about how big the island is and that we should be training up to be able to survive tombs and recover artifacts. That's fine if you guys want to discuss long term goals...but I also need actual suggestions about what you'd like to do now so that I can write it into the next update. There's been a slight shortage of suggestions that are immediately applicable, and for this last batch of posts in particular, only one person made any suggestion at all about where to go next, and I was hesitant to do that (talk to Caius) because it directly contradicts what seemed to be a strong consensus in previous chapters. Meanwhile, we had a couple people making suggestions that left me wondering if they'd even read the last update, and the majority of the rest were simply whether or not to pick up stuff. I assume you guys don't really want entire updates based around "Michael picks up the object on the ground in front of him."
So, TL;DR:
Please, more suggestions about what you want to see in the next update.
Post by: LordBucket on June 04, 2013, 06:13:35 am
Quote
Thank him for his generosity
Quote
ask for him to enchant the clothes we're already wearing
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Who are you guys talking about? Vivec left. I don't mean to be rude, but I think I'm going to ignore the voices that don't seem to be grounded in my own particular reality."
"I don't really understand what this CHIM thing some of you keep talking about, and Vivec mentioned it too...but Vivec made it sound like he was able to see a bunch of different realities all at once, and he kind of talked about how those different instances of him 'talked to each other.' I don't completely understand what he meant, but since you all are obviously a bunch of different voices and you're all talking to me...I'm wondering if maybe that's what Vivec was talking about. And since some of you are talking about things that are obviously not relevant, like advising me to talk to Vivec when he's not even here...I wonder if maybe each of you is the voice of 'me' from a different reality, each of which is a little bit different than the one I'm in. So those of you advising me to talk to Vivec...do you see him in your reality? Because in mine, he left. So I'm not going to talk to him."
Quote
Try on the gauntlets
Quote
Touch one of the summoned gloves, think of how it's both real and not real, and imagine it changing into a different item.
Quote
Maybe say the word CHIM.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Well, ok. That I can do."
Michael tentatively pokes a couple of the pieces of dedric gear. Nothing happens. He reaches for one of the gauntlets and picks it up in both hands.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Whoa, this is heavy."
Putting it back on the ground, he positions both gauntlets palm up next to each other, and slides his hands into them, then clenches his fists and stands up. Then, with a bit of a swing, he rotates his hands up and holds both gauntleted fists in front of him, taking a moment to admire the craftsmanship and how the heavy links covering his fingers slide effortlessly over one another.
(http://i.imgur.com/V9J8ezd.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Ok, become lightweight leather that doesn't weigh so stupidly much. Become lightweight leather that doesn't weigh so much. Become lightweight leather that doesn't weigh so much."
Michael stands there for a moment with face clenched, obviously thinking.
Nothing happens.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "CHIM"
Nothing happens.
Then he lets them slide off his hands and they fall to the ground with a *thunk*
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Ok. Next?"
Quote
Take the weapons and armor
Quote
Try dragging the sword as best we can to the nearest place that buys daedric swords, and then sell it
Quote
+1
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "You guys do realize that the sword weighs 60 pounds, right?"
Michael glances back at the Ordinators, still waiting. Then he shrugs and looks back to the sword and grabs it by the handle. It's easy enough to grab it by the handle and lift it off the ground, but with leverage working against him, he's completely unable to lift the far end. Thinking for a moment, he inverts his grip, and and pushes the handle up so that the blade is perpendicular to the ground with the tip still on the stone floor. Positioned this way, the flat of the pommel is about level with the lower end of his ribcage.
Then he grips with both hands, steps in close so that the flat of the blade rests against his chest, takes in a breath, sinks with his knees...then pushes, stands up and exhales all at once.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Yes! I got it off the ground."
Not able to do much from this position, he then drops it back down, the tip visibly chipping a divot into the stone floor.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hmm. I hope Vivec doesn't mind that I scuffed his floor. So, I can lift it. Actually, it's not the weight that's a problem so much as that it's just awkward. The thing's like four feet long. If I could just carry the weight on my hips or shoulders it wouldn't be a problem, but it's too big to fit in my backpack."
Micheal gently sets the sword the rest of the way down and kneels down to inspect the damage to the floor. Looks like it made a half-inch deep gouge in the stone when it landed. Just how sharp is it? Michael delicately taps the edge of the blade a few times with a finger, then carefully runs his index finger across the blade.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Ouch!"
New stat: Health 39/40
Annoyed that his caution was insufficient, Michael squeezes his finger into his palm to stop the bleeding. It still stings, but fortunately it's a small cut. Good thing he didn't try to pick up it from both ends at once like a barbell. Might have lost some fingers.
Quote
leave this stuff.
Quote
Leave it.
Quote
I wouldn't bother with the Daedric equipment
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...yeah, that seems like a really good idea. As easily as it cut me, even if I were to get it pommel-down into my bag with the rest sticking out a foot and a half over my head, the blade would probably end up sawing my pack in half from the motion of walking."
Quote
let's see if we can get a word with Caius.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Wait, you want me to go to Balmora? Weren't we avoiding that town because that's where we guessed the PC went? Well...I guess it's not like there's much else to choose from. I can certainly head in that direction. Ok, Balmora it is."
Michael abandons the 400+ pounds of daedric gear and asks the Ordinators to take him to Balmora. They briefly discuss the best route amongst themselves, then walk Michael to the Vivec mages guild. Seeing you walk back in, this time escorted by two Ordinators, the enchanting vendor, Janand Maulinie, bursts out into a fit of giggles.
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Well, hello there. What happened to you? No, wait...let me guess, you accidentally opened the wrong chest, is that it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/5woASRU.png): "Step aside, miss. Official business."
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Of course. Don't let me stop you from taking that criminal scum where he belongs."
Mihchael facepalms briefly, but the Ordinators don't say anything more. At least until the three of you arrive at the Vivec mage guild travel pad.
(http://i.imgur.com/SkWPcFK.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/5woASRU.png): "Travel service for three to Balmora. Official business."
The guild guide nods, but says nothing as one of your two escorts steps up on the tap and is teleported away. You notice that while there's no obvious rush of air or sound of vacuum filling, there's a distinct change of smell after the transport. Michael steps up onto the pad next, and from one moment to the next is standing on a different pad.
Moments later, the other Ordinator arrives. They briefly look around, then one addresses you.
(http://i.imgur.com/5woASRU.png): "This is Balmora, muthsera. Do you require further assistance?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "No, thank you. I think this will do. Thanks again."
The ordinators nod respectfully, then ask the guide guide to transport them back to Vivec, which she does. You can tell that Ajira and the guide are both looking at you out of the corner of their eyes over your unusual arrival. They're clearly trying to be subtle about it, and failing.
(http://i.imgur.com/9CfHpCa.png)
What now?
Post by: Man of Paper on June 04, 2013, 07:40:32 am
The PC is going to be unavoidable at some point, so we should gather knowledge on her now. I say we go to the South Wall and ask around quietly about the PC. If she showed up there then we can assume she's at least slightly interested in the main quest line. I'm also thinking that we need to figure out if she reminds you of a character you've previously played. It was your Morrowind you were supposed to be playing, so perhaps we'll luck out and seeing something familiar will kick some memories loose. That, and if it's a previous character then we can make plans accordingly to either disrupt, assist, or ignore the PC with a more informed guideline. On the other hand if it's not a PC you've played then perhaps we could act like an NPC and offer some mundane quests to the PC. This way we can gauge her progress as we observe her, and use the PC as our own tool for once ('I need some leather armor!', 'I need help paying off a 1000 gold debt', and 'Someone broke into my house and I need you to kill him' being three options I'd enjoy handing out. The first and second are obvious, but the third, should we decide to get involved in spilling blood, could net us a whole home somewhere.) And we also need to figure out for sure if she's setting up here. The only facts we have are that she came to Balmora. Past that, we're blind. And with the time we spent traveling to the city of, and talking to the entity named, Vivec, the PC could have cleared out every building and have moved on by now.
I couldn't get to sleep last night and for some reason all I could think of was this thread. One of the things I thought about was the connection between PC and Player. It's a little too early for our character to get involved, but we should also figure out if the PC is a husk controlled by a player, an entity with a will of its own being manipulated by the player, a person who believes they have 'divine' guidance, or whatever else.
So in summary I think we need to scout out this PC before progressing much further in our quest for answers.
Post by: shadenight123 on June 04, 2013, 11:39:50 am
If we can't wear heavy armor now, then let's start with light/medium and work our way up through strength enhancing.
I doubt we'll convince the cliffracers to let us go in peace after all.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 04, 2013, 01:31:44 pm
-snip-
Or, this PC might be acting completely on their own accord without influence of any kind from a Player.
Seeing how this is being way more detailed than the actual game, we need to stop making assumptions based on mechanics. Killing someone is more likely to get a watch investigation than a free house.
While we're in the Mage's guild, let's ask people for some basic pointers on magic. See if anyone can tell us how to bind a weapon. Also, let's swing by the nearby stores and see if we can get a staff or spear.
Post by: Funk on June 04, 2013, 01:35:27 pm
Buy some cheap leather armour and a short sword.
If we cant get the set then just buy the top and the leggings.
If we can afforded it get a silver or magic sword.
Post by: Parsely on June 04, 2013, 01:36:05 pm
Its not a Player Character if the Character isn't being controlled by a Player. :l-snip-
Or, this PC might be acting completely on their own accord without influence of any kind from a Player.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 04, 2013, 01:55:39 pm
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 04, 2013, 01:56:48 pm
Here's a thought - we (the players and Michael) know quite a LOT about this world. But we don't have resources. You know who can benefit from inside information on items? The Thieves' guild, and possibly Assassins' Guild.
Contact Thieves' guild and offer knowledge of hard to get valuables for a cut
The cut could be financial, or we could request specific items (skill books)
Post by: WillowLuman on June 04, 2013, 03:11:18 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on June 04, 2013, 03:19:54 pm
Or, this PC might be acting completely on their own accord without influence of any kind from a Player.
Seeing how this is being way more detailed than the actual game, we need to stop making assumptions based on mechanics. Killing someone is more likely to get a watch investigation than a free house.
While we're in the Mage's guild, let's ask people for some basic pointers on magic. See if anyone can tell us how to bind a weapon. Also, let's swing by the nearby stores and see if we can get a staff or spear.
If the PC is the one who kills the homeowner then we can observe the guard's reactions. You do bring up a good point, though. We don't know how far the gameyness extends. We need to get some sort of home or headquarters and observe for a little bit. Push events into play to test the game/reality meter.
Mage's Guild is a good idea in my opinion. I think it'd help us on our path to understanding CHIM, especially Illusion magic as it deals with the mind. Plus they'll likely help us with our alchemy.
If we are not feeling thirsty or hungry though then perhaps getting resources isn't quite top priority, so long as we stay in the city and watch. If we're planning on fighting something though, then we'll need a dagger or staff. Or tear a branch off of a tree!
Post by: WillowLuman on June 04, 2013, 03:38:14 pm
I don't know if we should actually join the mages guild, or if they'll even let us, but we should definitely ask for pointers.
Post by: Jarod Cain on June 05, 2013, 12:20:03 am
Honestly I'd say that we should join up with the Mages Guild and at least get some Alchemy 101 pointers so that way we can know what specific samples of things to take that are useful. Also this will be our best place to get rid of the ingredients we already have. We should also probably visit one of the traders and see about getting a proper money purse to place in our backpack.
As far as a weapon goes, I agree with the idea of using staves and spears. They're some of humanities oldest and most reliable weapons.
-J-
Post by: Sirus on June 05, 2013, 05:57:21 am
Picking up some alchemy basics, via a combination of Mage's Guild and eating safe ingredients (aka food items): Also good.
I would like to add that we should learn how to sneak. Crouchwalk everywhere we go, and try to stay out of sight. We won't be very good at it at first, but keep practicing.
Post by: Fniff on June 05, 2013, 07:33:24 am
Morrowind's Creed, anybody?
Post by: LordBucket on June 05, 2013, 07:46:49 am
Couple comments:
Quote
Maybe get some atheletics by climbing things?
You've been doing the run/jump routine since episode 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4270292#msg4270292), and have gained 13 points of acrobatics and 2 of athletics from it since then. Check the status page (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4268336#msg4268336) for current numbers.
Quote
Crouchwalk everywhere we go,
We can switch to that if it's the consensus, but note that it's mutually exclusive with run/jumping.
Post by: Fniff on June 05, 2013, 07:50:32 am
I vote for crouchwalk. We have enough athletics for now.
Post by: Nivim on June 05, 2013, 08:47:37 am
> Acknowledge Ajira's and Merian's badly hidden looks (to diffuse their discomfort about it) along with a greeting while about to walk away, then stop, looking thoughtful, and strike up a group conversation by asking them "You know, I wonder, out of all the hours you two must spend here, what do you talk about?". This will allow us to test one of the basic game-y limitations of the original Morrowind, find out how much more knowledge than their source-NPCs they have (try getting them to expound on a subject the NPCs cannot, ideally one it sounds like they like), and we can immediately find out if the PC has been through this Mages Guild yet. Moreover, we will be able to do these things in a relatively passive way, by prompting them on the right subjects instead of demanding answers to questions.
>We really shouldn't waste our money on a weapon; we'll probably pick one up somewhere anyway and our physical stats say it won't help.
> If we decide to try sneaking around, don't do it like you see it in the game; just try to move silently, smoothly, using the minimum amount of motion necessary, and try to keep track of where peoples focus is. Successfully sneaking and pickpocketing is all about recognizing the holes in human (well, man and mer) attention. Do you remember reading this (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/01/07/130107fa_fact_green?currentPage=all) Micheal?
20 strength, 30 speed, agility, and endurance. 40 personality, showing our level of social contact. However, we still need to test our intelligence, willpower, and luck. The first two can be accomplished immediately after joining the mage's guide (alchemy and a spell school, respectively), but what of luck? Luck in Morrowind, as evinced by Gaenor and noted by various hints throughout the game, is a property of your outlook upon the world; that sort of perpetual hope that things will turn out better. Now, although there isn't a particular challenge we can use luck against, we can compare spell success rates with people about our skill/intelligence/willpower level and get a sense for it. It might actually be one of our better stats. (Oh yeah, and we definitely have the equivalent of Galsiah's character development; we won't be resting selectively to get optimum stat gains.)
> As above, join the Mage's Guild immediately and start using the various halls to buy/collect tools for alchemy and a spell from each school. Make sure you at least have a healing spell, a damaging spell, and an alteration spell. This would be a good time for one of us to boot up the game and check guild prices with a 40 personality, base mercantile, character then post screenshots, since then we wouldn't have to pay teleporter fees to compare prices.
This will all be a serious stopping point if it turns out we don't have any magicka or all our magic skills are naturally 0, but for all we know he actually has 20 mysticism or something from habits of thought and feeling. Does getting to know psychology, light, and sound, through various books and classes give you illusion skill? Judging by some of the skill books (exam (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Silence_%28book%29)ples (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Incident_in_Necrom)), this is probably the case.
> Micheal, when your testing each spell you buy, try to remember at least one thing from your schooling and your hobbies that might help cast it.
> Like for alteration...remember how you managed to read a lot of fiction and science fiction without quite being a nerd? How every time you're doing something boring you manage to day-dream about something completely different? You've learned dozens of stories over the years about that surreal, wondrous feeling a protagonist gets when they first learn they're in a magical world, far, far away...and you've felt that feeling, now both by rapport and personally. It's the feeling of dreams becoming reality, of the strange and the common switching places, of— of writing too, of making something in your mind more real, more solid, by placing it down in the world around you. The feeling of taking dreams and making them reality.
(This was actually mostly done last night but then collapse happened. Oh well.)
Edit: I attempted a price check, but discovered that with the default game, stated stats, 1 mercantile, a disliked race, and insulting the shopkeepers before bartering, I was unable to get all the prices we've already seen (ondusi's scroll being ~double, silt-strider being a bit less). Maybe it's just a price-tweak mod, but there's also a chance economy is actually in effect here, considering all the other physics that works.
Post by: LordBucket on June 05, 2013, 12:54:15 pm
Episode 15: Let's make Fulcanelli proud
Quote
While we're in the Mage's guild, let's ask people for some basic pointers on magic.
Quote
Mage's Guild is a good idea in my opinion
Quote
I don't know if we should actually join the mages guild, or if they'll even let us, but we should definitely ask for pointers.
Quote
we should join up with the Mages Guild and at least get some Alchemy 101 pointers
Quote
join the Mage's Guild immediately
You turn to the guild guide on your right.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hi. I'm not a mage guild member. Can you teach me spells?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Sure. Only higher level spells are reserved for members only."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Great. What can you teach me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/awdQd3B.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Wow. That's totally convenient and within my price range. I'd like to learn Bound Dagger and Soul Trap please."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Certainly. Dagger conjuration is relatively simple. All we're doing is translocating a lesser daedra spirit and compelling it to take the form we require of it. Any of the circinate structures will work for the abjurative portion of the process. And since we only need such a minor entity it's very easy to do and doesn't require much power. I'll walk you through it."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Umm...ok."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Go ahead and close your eyes."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...ok."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Now, just to keep things simple, go ahead and consruct a basic Hermetic four. Sequence doesn't matter."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed your background was in the Trismegistus school, since you're an Imperial."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Umm, no, actually-"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "That's fine. Go ahead and consecrate watchtowers then. It's slower, but that's no problem. The premise is basically the same. I'll wait."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...watchtowers? What are those?"
She frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Coven type magic circle elemental bounders. If your background isn't Hermetic and you're not a witch...I guess you must be Tetragramic then? I'm sure that will work just as well, but I'm not familiar with that methodology."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know any magic at all."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "You what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I don't know any magic."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "At all?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "None."
She blinks a couple times.
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Really?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Really."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "When you say you don't know any magic...do you mean you're not familiar with the conjuration school? Or do you mean-"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I don't know any magic. At all. Period. I know the names of the schools. That's the complete extent of my magical knowledge."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Can you direct raw magicka, at least?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "...you're not an atronach, are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "No, I just...look, I'd like to learn magic, but I don't know anything about it. Can you teach me? From the beginning?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Huh. This is kind of out of my...yeah. You should talk to Ranis. I'm sorry, but you need to talk to the headmaster. She'd be better able to advise you. Corridor on the other side of the plant, turn left, follow the corner and go straight. Name is Ranis Athrys. She'll be the dunmer in a fancy blue robe. You can't miss her."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Ok. Thanks."
Somewhat discouraged, but not all that surprised, you make your way to the entrance to talk to Ranis.
(http://i.imgur.com/mU5BQGV.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Go ahead, Citizen. What do you need?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Oh, Ranis. Your voice...it's both awesome and familiar. I can hear it in my head so clearly. It's really nice to hear it."
Ranis' eyes widen in surprise and she blushes slightly. Apparently she's unaccustomed to receiving compliments.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...ummm, sorry. That just slipped out. I do like your voice. It's...familiar. Anyway, the transport guide suggested I talk to you about learning magic. I don't know any."
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "None at all? Let me guess. You're an atronach and only recently found out?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "No, I just...my parents never taught me and the school I attended didn't teach magic."
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Hmm. Introductory level material isn't part of our charter. If you were a member of the guild, we'd be obligated to provide you training, as much as you could afford, but mage guild membership requires functional knowledge of the six basic schools and at least intermediate knowledge of one. I'm sorry, but you're not our problem."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So what do you suggest I do?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "If you were a native I'd suggest basic schooling, but from your accent I can tell you're not from around here. You could try affiliating yourself with one of the Great Houses. If you could convince one of them they might be wiling to teach you enough to at least make you useful to them. Failing that, I'd suggest an apprenticeship if you have a couple years."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Years?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "One to four typically. But honestly, most of the time is spent learning the required math and justifying the instruction time to your master through menial labor."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Math? I'm pretty ok at math."
Ranis rolls her eyes a bit.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "I'm not talking counting to ten, outlander. Metamagical math is a subtle and esoteric art that takes years to comprehend and a lifetime to master."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "How complicated are we talking about? Could you give me an example?"
She pulls out a piece of paper from her robe and begins writing on it. After about ten seconds she hands you the paper and arogantly cross her arms with a smirk on her face. You look at the paper. It's a basic albegra problem. Like...fifth grade stuff.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "A is 5. B is 2."
Clearly shocked, Ranis grabs the paper out of your hands. You watch as her eyes dart back and forth at the paper, apparently confirming your answer.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "You did that in your head?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Yeah."
Frowning, she picks up her quill and writes out a more complicated problem and hands the paper back to you. You pull out your pen and get to work. It only takes a minute or two. You double check your work to be sure, but the problem itself isn't that complicated.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Your answer is again correct. How did you come to know of such things without learning magic? "
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Magic wasn't a requirement for my bachelor's degree program. Algebra was."
Ranis frowns in confusion at the unfamiliar reference, but then shrugs it off and thinks for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "A traditional apprenticeship would take years, and while a Great House, much like my guild, would certainly be willing to train you if you could convince them to accept you, it would be difficult to gain admission without already knowing at least some magic in the first place. It's a difficult position, but for someone with your knowledge, there might be another option. Are you perchance, rich?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What if I were?"
Ranis shrugs
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "I'm sorry. I'm too preoccupied with my own duties and studies to take on a student myself. But I do have an acquaintance in Pelagiad, a personal friend of mine by the name of Nelvyn Andrano. I could write you a letter of introduction. He might be willing to take on a student in exchange for a sufficient sum of money. With your metamathematical knowledge, theory will come easily to you. It shouldn't take more than a week or two for you to gain the practical ability."
Received letter of recommendation from Ranis Athrys
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "How much do you think it will cost me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "You'll have to negotiate with him, but a full introductory immersion, from nothing to basic casting competency in all six schools...that's probably worth at least a few thousand gold."
Quote
help us with our alchemy
Quote
at least get some Alchemy 101 pointers
Quote
Picking up some alchemy basics
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What about alchemy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Alchemy training is not restricted to members, but unfortunately the Balmora branch of the guild lacks a qualified alchemy trainer at present. You might talk to Ajira. She's the khajiit you probably saw on your way in, but she's very new and I can't honestly recommend her as a teacher. I suggest Anarenen in our Ald'ruhn branch, or if you'll be staying in Balmora there's a local unaffiliated alchemist by the name of Nalcarya the White who is competent. Her store is on the north side of town near the temple."
You thank Ranis for her time and the referral. Stepping outside, you turn right towards-
(http://i.imgur.com/7d1aF4b.png)
...or at least you start to. Before your foot lands you're struck with a strong sense of deja vue. You've never been here before but this suddenly seems very familiar. You look around to see what might have triggered the feeling, but nothing stands out. You simply feel like you've walked through this door before. But, in a sense...haven't you? This is Balmora. You've walked through this exact door probably hundreds of times...in game. It should be no surprise if it seems familiar, right? But according to Vivec you've only even existed for a day or so and all those memories of playing Morrowind aren't really yours. Why should false memories feel so...memorable?
After a moment the feeling passes and you resume your trip. You do, after all, know the way.
Acrobatics skill is now 14
(http://i.imgur.com/4AfUFA2.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hi. Ranis at the mage guild recommended you as an alchemy trainer. I know nothing about alchemy, and I'd really like to learn."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Ranis referred you? That's odd. I thought she was still angry over my refusal to join that foolish Imperial guild of hers. I don't often teach beginners, and I admit that Ranis being your referral doesn't exactly encourage me to want to train you." You give her your best puppy dog eyes and she finally relents. "Oh, very well. In all honesty I could use the extra coin right now, anyway. I just cleaned out my till buying up a whole bunch of stock I don't really need from some new dunmer in town."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Oh? By chance was it a female dunmer? About this tall? Long dark hair?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Yes, do you know her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "No, but I've seen her around. I don't suppose you got her name?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Sorry, no. She didn't say. Funny thing is...I'm not really sure why I bought her potions. She bought the materials from me, made them right here while I watched and sold the results right back to me. 3000 septims worth."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What kind of potions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "That's the strangest part. They were all potions of drain magicka. I know, right? I basically just paid 3000 gold for some apprentice alchemist to use my own materials to make less than worthless potions of inferior quality compared to what I could make myself. I don't even know why. It seemed to make sense at the time. I suspect she charmed me when I wasn't looking. I don't recall the scent of Telvanni bug musk"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "That's...actually very interesting. And fortunate for me, since I don't have a lot of gold. How much for you to teach me alchemy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "You're a complete beginner? Do you have your own tools?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Yes, and no. No tools."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Ok. 400 septims and we use my tools. "
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I only have half that. Would you settle for 150 and some potions?"
The two of you negotiate, and eventually settle on 200 septims and all but one of your healing potions.
New skill: Mercantile is now 1
Personality is now 41
Nalcarya straightens her hair and begins teaching.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Alchemy is the science of purifying and refining base and mixed materials into their isolated and higher forms. We accomplish this through the four basic processes of dissolution, fermentation, calcination and distillation."
"The process of dissolution is a simple grinding of whichever alchemical reagents we choose to reduce particle size and increase surface area, along with a mixture of urine to begin a process that will ultimately result in a homogeneous solution. For this we use the mortar and pestle. At this stage it is not necessary for the materials to dissolve fully, as we are simply providing a mechanical head start for the more esoteric subsequent processes."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Wow. Big words. And...did you say urine?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Yes. Preferably from the first urination of the day, as it will be more concentrated and therefore contain more vital essence. Urine is the prima materia of our work, and truly the other plant and animal parts we use serve simply to give the final result character rather than substance."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "You're telling me that potions seriously contain pee?"
Nalcarya ignores the question and continues her lecture.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Next, fermentation is performed through use of the alembic, which is basically a still. Free floating bacteria will feast upon the slurry produced in previous step, further breaking it down much like yeast making bread or alcohol. These creatures are able to break down material inside their bodies more finely than our mechanical grinding would be capable of and then excrete it as increasingly refined vital essence."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Out of curiosity, how do you know about microscopic bacteria?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Very finely attuned Detect Life spells. Next, calcination. This process involves the application of heat sufficient to reduce the materials to a fine powder. For this we use the calcinator. Please note that while it is generally acceptable to simply burn materials to ashes, it is crucial that the smoke from this process not be lost, as it contains far more vital essence than the more physically substantial portions. Additionally, some portion of the more naturally fine materia will have already dissolved into the liquid, and it must also not be lost. Be sure that the calcinator is properly sealed to prevent the escape of both steam and smoke, or else your final result might be little more than dust. Calcination is not an extraction process. Nothing is removed. It does, however, also have the useful side effect of sterilizing our product from the bacteria that was necessary in the previous step.
Finally, distillation. For this we use a simple retort. It is possible to use an alembic for this stage as they are similar devices, but it is strongly inadvisable as doing so runs the risk of introducing less refined, pre-fermented particles, as well as contamination of un-calcified bacteria if your alembic is insufficiently clean, thus requiring the previous step to be repeated. Generally for non-alchemical works the purpose of distillation is to increase concentrations via the simple removal of undesired water from heavier materials through the application of heat. In our case we are recovering the evaporated water as an inconsequential, but conveniently lubricating waste product that contains within it the actual goal of our refinements: the lighter, primal and vital essences. We then discard the dust that remains."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So you're telling me that potions are fermented plant and animal parts boiled in pee?"
She raises one eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "And brandy is concentrated fruit juice that has been decomposed by fungus. For that matter, you're an Imperial, are you not? I understand that you eat cheese where you're from. Shall I describe to you the manner in which that is made?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "No, that's ok...I withdraw the question."
For the next few hours you practice with Nalcarya, using her tools and cheap materials. One thing you notice immediately is that since the process has four discrete steps, it is fairly time-consuming. But, since the alchemy tools are fairly large and the potions themselves are rather small, it doesn't take particularly longer to make 10 potions than it does to make 1. You can easily refine ten potions worth of reagents in a single batch.
Quote
find out how much more knowledge than their source-NPCs they have (try getting them
to expound on a subject the NPCs cannot, ideally one it sounds like they like
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So now I understand where the liquid for drinkable potions comes from. What about the bottles?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "What about them? They're fired ceramics. Red mountain produces ash in abundance, and the soil throughout Vvardenfell is very moist. I'm sure you've seen: we're basically one big overgrown swamp in a lot of places. The result is that clay is ubiquitous here. Dunmer are naturally resistant to heat, and pretty much everyone knows at least a little destruction magic. So pretty much everyone grows up making pots, bottles and decorative knickknacks. It's not even necessary to use a kiln when you can spew fiery death from your fingertips at will."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Wow. That's...actually very interesting. So is there much buying and selling of potion bottles?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Not really. As common as they are and since everyone can make their own they don't have much value. Some people re-use them, others just destroy or discard them. Professional alchemists like myself make them fresh and inscribe labels onto the underside to for easy identification since not everyone can distinguish potions by smell. And I do keep a small stock of pre-fired, unlabeled bottles on hand that I sell for 1 septim each to the occasional noble or adventurer who either doesn't want to get their hands muddy handling clay, or simply lacks the time."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Wow. Ok. So what next? What about recipes? Any combination of saltrice, whickwheat and marshmerrow makes a healing potion, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "No. While reagents are necessary to give the result character, remember that the prima materia of alchemy comes from your own body, and is therefore unique to each alchemist. For one alchemist, those ingredients you mentioned might make a potion of healing, for another they might make one of invisibility or paralysis. Or both. Every ingredient has a number of effects, positive or negative, that vary and are unique to every alchemist. Now that you understand the processes involved, the actual production of a usable potion simply requires the selection of any combination of reagents that have at least two matching properties. What those properties are, you will need to discover for yourself."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...so you can't even tell me how to make a basic healing potion for sure?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Well, in principal no, but there are a number of effects that happen to be more or less universal. For example, you might or might not be aware of this, but every alchemical ingredient has a limited effect on its own, simply from eating it, with or without any purification."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I was aware of that, yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "For example, for the vast majority of people, eating things like small kwama eggs and bread restores fatigue. There are occasional incidents of children born for whom eating these things results in them becoming poisoned, for example, but it is rare, and such children rarely survive to adulthood."
With a little trial and error, you are able to confirm that yes, bread and small kwama eggs help you to restore fatigue.
New reagent knowledge: bread - [1] restore fatigue
New reagent knowledge: small kwama egg - [1] restore fatigue
Finally, over the next hour, Nalcarya teaches you how to identify and pick reagents, and which parts are used. As it turns out, in the case of mushrooms such as the Luminous Russula you picked when you first arrived, it's only the spores that are useful. Uprooting entire mushrooms like you did was not only unnecessary, it was wasteful. Spores will typically grow back within a day, but a fully grown mushroom might take weeks. Also, it turns out that the reagents you had in your backpack were saltrice and kwama cuttle.
The entire process and methods of alchemy are far more intricate and complicated than you ever would have guessed. And altogether, you still don't understand why it works. Nalcarya gives the metaphor of alcohol, and how it isn't exactly intuitive that boiling things and letting them rot would create edible results, let alone results that would give a pleasant buzz. But she also hints that there is a more fundamental, perhaps "spiritual" force at work. It is difficult for you to completely reconcile, but at this point it appears unnecessary. Regardless of how or why, it does work, here, and by nightfall you feel yourself to be a basically competent alchemist.
New skill: Alchemy is now 5
New attribute: Intelligence is now 31
Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Supercharazad on June 05, 2013, 01:51:03 pm
Use our knowledge of secondary school maths as a kind of street trick, to earn some gold. That, or offer to teach people how to do these maths without magic, since it's pretty damn simple.
Post by: Fniff on June 05, 2013, 02:16:03 pm
How hungry are we? And cold when we go outside? If either are the case, get a coat or some food.
Post by: Nivim on June 05, 2013, 02:20:29 pm
Sounds like the Possible PC has not only been busy but has the powers given by the video game mechanics.
> If we run into them at all we must expect everything to go their way, and for them to have any level of knowledge that can be gained through testing. Spend a minute or two deciding how you want to act around the PPC; if they get a chat window for you, what topics and options will be available?
Then we need to decide if we want to look main-quest-important or give out a lot of information, and remember that they can probably make us a "close friend"...
> Decide that you'll only tell the PPC about any topic if you feel they are very close and trustworthy to you; this should cause them to bribe us, then save the game because it might be quest-related.
About that deja'vu; if it was just from playing the game, why hasn't Micheal been getting swamped with the feeling constantly for most of his time here?
> Check back with Ranis about that "female dunmer with long, dark hair" to see if she passed through there not long ago.
If we have any weird connection to ~her, we should keep track of it until we can leverage it.
> What makes a memory false? Why is it those memories "aren't really yours" just because you haven't had them very long? You are still determined by your memories. Just because those events aren't real so far as this universe is concerned doesn't mean they aren't real to you.
(To finish the thought.)
Use our knowledge of secondary school maths as a kind of street trick, to earn some gold. That, or offer to teach people how to do these maths without magic, since it's pretty damn simple.Remember how long elementary school usually is, and remember people might not care about math if it doesn't allow them to do spellcasting. Math is neither colorful nor instantly useful.
What loot do we know of? We need to get it quickly.
Post by: LordBucket on June 05, 2013, 02:38:22 pm
when I said drag I meant that literally. As in, grab pommel with both hands behind back,
lift and walk, tip scraping against the ground.
I considered that, but dragging a four foot long 60 pound chunk of metal sharp enough to scuff stone across an entire city wouldn't exactly have been easy. Probably also wouldn't have gone over well with the two Ordinators you had escorting you when they realized you were scratching a permanent trail through the stone floor of their temple. If you guys really wanted to try pawning that gear, Cerol probably had the most practical solution, which was to simply take the dagger. It only weighed 9 pounds. But nobody +1'd him, and too many people vetoed taking anything at all for me to squeeze that in over their objections.
(Thanks for reading the wall anyway, Bucket.)
Oh, I read everything. Several times, usually. The text part of today's update was probably 80-90% finished when I posted several hours ago though, with the rest of the time working on it mostly spellchecking, taking screenshots, and image editing and uploading and so forth. It takes a couple hours typically to do an update, so content from posts that come right before tends to not make it in unless they happen to agree with what everyone else already suggested.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 05, 2013, 02:51:31 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 05, 2013, 02:58:09 pm
Well, we've got some basic alchemical knowledge. That's good. I do wonder about the PC though - I'd ask around to those who might have spent more time with them as to where they were headed and what they are doing. Knowledge is power and all that. Plus, the NPCs don't seem to be keen on the player's ability to abuse them, but the player isn't aware we have the ability to abuse them either.
We need to eventually find their stash, where they plan to keep expensive crap until they find someone with enough coins to sell it.
Post by: Nivim on June 05, 2013, 04:21:53 pm
Plus, the NPCs don't seem to be keen on the player's ability to abuse them, but the player isn't aware we have the ability to abuse them either.When did we get this ability? They didn't lose any of their shrewdness when talking to us, and might have even gained some; just as the possible player has an aura of gaminess, we might have an aura of realness. It would be nice to meet up with the PPC...if we can get our timelines in order. How many ways does a normal NPC get cheated or manipulated by the save-function and game abstractions? What should we close off other than bartering?
Ask the alchemy shopkeeper if she has any odd jobs for us to do, and then do them.Do you think her odd-jobs are going to be very good? Do we have time? We really aught to be heading off the PPC to any of the best free loot we can remember.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 05, 2013, 04:29:59 pm
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 05, 2013, 05:13:29 pm
I think it would be wise to buy commoner's clothing to be less distinctive, and until we have better plans, decide ahead of time to only make generic observations about the weather or current location near her, and if questioned, only briefly answer with local general knowledge.
I don't think we should steal from her caches, should we find one.
For now, we need money. Try peddling stories from your superior knowledge of literature. Preferably in a different town where the PC isn't likely to find us and be curious.
Post by: Funk on June 05, 2013, 06:48:28 pm
Post by: birdy51 on June 05, 2013, 07:23:05 pm
buy some cheap clothing and a staff.
Indeed. I'm suprised you haven't started to smell funny, what with all the jumping about and lifting heavy metal objects. A second change of clothes certainly wouldn't hurt.
Post by: Funk on June 05, 2013, 08:13:42 pm
(yes there really is a mod that makes you smell if you don't wash.)
we should find some way of getting money,maybe tradeing?
Post by: birdy51 on June 05, 2013, 08:37:50 pm
Good work modding community.
Post by: LordBucket on June 05, 2013, 08:41:50 pm
Quote
Ask the alchemy shopkeeper if she has any odd jobs for us to do, and then do them.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hey, Nalcarya. Thanks for everything. Before I go do you have any
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Looking to reclaim the gold you just paid me for instruction? You do recall that I only even accepted your request for training because my till had been completely cleaned out and I was in need of quick coin, yes? No, I have no tasks in need of doing at present. Unless you're able to bring in customers."
Quote
How hungry are we? And cold when we go outside?
You say your goodbys to Nalcarya and step outside. It's chilly, you suppose. But not inconveniently so considering it's...what time is it? You check your cellphone and it claims that it's 3:14, May 23rd right now. So...it's only been about two hours since you arrived? That's it? But you're pretty sure you've seen the light to dark cycle happen twice now. So it's been...a day and a half? Or is it two and a half days? Honestly, you're not completely sure at this point, especially since a large portion of your time here has been spent indoors. Either way, you find the time mismatch to be terribly disorienting. It doesn't feel like you've only been here two hours, but it certainly doesn't feel like a couple days either. You would have guessed more like 10 hours. It's possible there might be some sort of strange time dilation effect going on.
Anyway, you don't feel hungry or sleepy at all, but if your cellphone is right and it's only been a couple hours, you wouldn't necessarily.
While you're looking at your cellphone, you notice that you only have 4 out of five bars for power now. That could become inconvenient. You have no way to recharge it, and you're not sure how long your battery lasts since you generally make a point of putting it on the charger every night. At least...you think you do. Your memories of your life before your arrival in Morrowind are still something you're not sure about. But, your best guess right now is that one day in Morrowind is somewhere in the vicinity of 45 minutes to an hour according to your cellphone. So assuming a typical cellphone charge lasts 2 days and you're at 80% now, that works out to about 28 to 38 days in Morrowind.
You smile to yourself as you wonder if that simple little bit of math you did in your head was worthy of any particularly epic spellcasting.
Quote
Check back with Ranis about that "female dunmer with long, dark hair"
Quote
about the PC though - I'd ask around to those who might have spent more time with them
You head back to the mages guild. You feel a little self conscious about going inside after dark, but the door opens and Ranis is still standing at the entrance. It's increasingly looking like sleep is unecessary here, but that makes you wonder why there are beds everywhere. Unless it's only been two hours biologically for everyone else too.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hey, Ranis. Thanks for that tip. Nalcarya charged me quite a bit, but I learned some good things. By the way, have there been any new mage guild recruits recently? I keep almost bumping into this one particular female dunmer. She's about this tall, dark hair past the shoulders...anyone by that description sign up here in the past few days?"
Ranis looks at you suspiciously.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "I'm sorry, but it's against guild policy to disclose membership details to non members."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Oh. Sorry."
Well, that was a bust.
Quote
those who might have spent more time with them as to
where they were headed and what they are doing.
Hmm. There is one other person who would have been likely to see her. You step back outside and head to the Silt Strider.
(http://i.imgur.com/secov9p.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/WIM8hee.png): "Why walk when you can ride?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I'll assume that's a rhetorical question. I'm wondering if you recall a passenger you had recently. Dunmer woman, about this tall with dark hair just past her shoulders? This would have been the day before yesterday"
You pass the driver 10 septims.
(http://i.imgur.com/WIM8hee.png): "Of course, sera. I remember her. But I believe you are mistaken. She was not my passenger, she was Darvame's passenger, arriving from Seyda Neen."
Wait, that's right. The driver here would have seen her arrival, but never spoken to her. Damn.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I don't suppose you got her name, or anything? Any idea where she went from here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/WIM8hee.png): "Forgive me, sera. I don't go out of my way to ask the names of outlanders brandishing weapons like that one. But I believe she went into the city."
Yep. That's her. But where did she go? Assuming she's a player, if she's new she might have gone straight to Caius to start the main quest. If she's experienced, she probably would have gone to the mage guild. Ranis was no help, but maybe the guild guide? You head back to the mage guild to inquire.
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Hey, sorry to bother you but has anyone besides me come through here recently?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Sure. Three, I think, since you arrived."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Since I arrived? Just today? Was one a female dunmer, about this tall with a shoulder length dark hair?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "I don't know about the hair, but I did send one dunmer outbound. Expensive clothes, big sword and mismatched armor, right?"
...wait, that description doesn't match at all. She might be talking about someone totally else. This is, after all...Morrowind. Dunmer woman aren't exactly uncommon. But on the other hand, she had all that time I spent travelling to Vivec and back to gear up. She probably wouldn't still be wearing her starter clothes. Maybe she changed her hair?
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "...uhh, yeah. That might be her. Do you remember where you sent her?"
The guild guide looks at you oddly and doesn't answer right away.
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Why do you ask?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I'd like to talk to her. I keep just missing her. Where did you send her? And did you get a name?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "No, I didn't. But a guy shows up on my pad escorted by Ordinators then starts asking for the names and destinations of my clients who he obviously doesn't know...I don't think I'd tell you even if I did."
Suddenly you feel uncomfortable with the way she's looking at you. You excuse yourself and step out.
Quote
buy commoner's clothing to be less distinctive
Quote
Buy a cheap belt
Quote
buy some cheap clothing
Quote
A second change of clothes certainly wouldn't hurt.
Well, now's a good a time as any to try to blend in. You don't want the locals to associate Rainbow Dash with creepy Imperial stalkers. Or, since the Ordinators were polite, more likely they think you're working for the Hall of Justice. To the locals, that's probably a lot worse than just being a pervert. You head back towards the temple to the clothier next door to Nalcarya's.
Acrobatics skill is now 15
(http://i.imgur.com/TbCJluv.png)
You look through her clothes and pick out a commoner's shirt, a commoner's belt and...why does she not stock commoner pants? Hmm. Well, the expensive pants aren't terribly expensive. So far as you can tell, denim doesn't exist except for the jeans you're wearing now, so you'll certainly be less conspicuous wearing those than what you have on now. You look at the common shoes, but the there's no way you're you'd be able to run in them so you decide to stick with your tennis shoes. Altogether the total comes to 24 septims, and you manage to talk the proprietor down to 23, leaving you with 24.
Mercantile skill is now 2
You don't really trust your money or your cellphone to the pockets in your new pants, so you pay another septim for a sturdy leather coinpurse that attaches to your belt and sits inside your pants. It chafes slightly when you run/jump unless you hold it to keep it from bouncing, but the arrangement is probably fairly difficult to pickpocket. You put your coins in there and your cellphone in your backpack, just to be safe.
Quote
and a staff
Hmm. Balmora actually doesn't have a weapons store. You stop by the Armorer, but all he has is a steel battle axe that's way out of your price range right now. The complete lack of a weapon combined with the complete lack of any spell ability...yeah, that's a problem, and your fluffy hat isn't exactly keeping you safe either. What about Ra'Virr the khajiit trader, next door?
Here we go. No staves, but you do find a reasonably priced chitin war axe.
(http://i.imgur.com/nIteRAO.png): "It wants something?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Yes, could I try that axe?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nIteRAO.png): "Of course."
You pick it up...slowly. What is it with the heavy weapons here? The thing is seriously like 10-15 pounds probably. You're pretty sure that weapons are only supposed to weigh a couple pounds so you can actually swing them them without hurting yourself. This, sure you can swing it, but if you swung it hard and failed to hit anything the momentum would spin your whole body pretty easily. You suspect that you're probably a lot weaker than the majority of the population here. A sobering thought. Checking the other available weapons you do find a couple that are light enough to....oh. Score.
You buy the steel tanto complete with scabbard and carrying strings for 10 septims. Strange. You thought those cost more. It's still a bit heavier than you'd like, but reasonably so, and you're pretty confidant it would hurt a lot to get stabbed with it.
Mercantile skill is now 3
YOu seem to be getting the hang of this haggling thing too.
Your new look:
(http://i.imgur.com/IQ2tZEJ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Yeah, this hat looks just as silly as I thought it did."
Spoiler: stats (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Gamerlord on June 05, 2013, 08:48:09 pm
Post by: Xantalos on June 05, 2013, 11:07:48 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on June 05, 2013, 11:10:27 pm
Mismatched armor sounds like a PC to me.
But is it the same PC? That is the question. Maybe all the saves on the console got converged you came through. Or perhaps the longer you're here, the more it breaks away from its gamey nature...I dunno, just ramblin' a bit.
And I agree with the Deja Vu. We have to keep an eye out on more instances of that feeling.
Other than that, we should keep looking totally pimp in that hat. We could pick up all the Colovian babes.
Post by: Jarod Cain on June 06, 2013, 01:47:58 am
If we do, we call it the BlackAdder.Sew hat to crotch area
One of the things that always irritated me about Elder Scrolls was the weights of items, though they've kind of fixed that as time has gone on.
Ok things to do...
We should probably turn off our cell for the moment to conserve battery. Also, check Ralen Hlaalo's house for stuff. Specifically Ralen Hlaalo as he's an infinite size, permanent container that most PCs use. It might have some interesting stuff there and could let us know where they've been. I would also suggest some combat training (IE grinding skeletons and ghosts) at Thary's Ancestral Tomb southwest of Balmora.
-J-
Post by: Man of Paper on June 06, 2013, 02:04:47 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 06, 2013, 02:35:12 am
It sounds like we could become good at magic, so in general strategy for becoming more powerful, I'd follow that road. If anyone asks why we know math but not magic, tell them we were trained as an engineer or architect.
I say once more that we should speak to Caius. We should very quickly assure him that we're in the know but that we're not a threat. Also, see if we can warn him about the Mythic Dawn.
People who I think we should try to speak with eventually:
-Yagrum Bagarn
-Sotha Sil
-Dagoth Ur
-Mi'aq the Liar
-Azura
-The PC/Nerevarine
-Uriel Septim
EDIT: Oh, and let's at least get a walking stick of some kind. Find a fallen branch or something, take one of those poles that seem to be lying around in game but you can't normally do anything with, or even the shaft of a broom, just anything. Best friend to both the inexperienced fighter and the pedestrian traveler, a good walking stick.
Post by: Rakonas on June 06, 2013, 03:37:49 am
Let's buy passage through the guild guide to that place on the east coast where you can buy the ingredients for a fortify intelligence potion. Then we simply need to do shit-tons of alchemy to get the money necessary for basic instruction in magic.
Also, I agree with the turning off cell phone thing, I just finished reading this thread from start to finish and it was the first thing I thought of.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 06, 2013, 03:40:58 am
Let's turn off the phone, indeed. They can update their internal clock when you turn them back on, even in areas without reception, by using a very minute amount of power when turned off.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 06, 2013, 05:22:09 am
buy the ingredients for a fortify intelligence potion
The only problem with this is we can figure ingredients and their effects are going to be at least somewhat randomized. At least that's what I got from the last post. I could also be explosively mistaken (It's the best kind of mistaken). Before we get the ingredients for the potion we first have to figure out which ingredients they even are.
Post by: Sirus on June 06, 2013, 05:43:54 am
Post by: Man of Paper on June 06, 2013, 05:57:42 am
Post by: Nivim on June 06, 2013, 10:48:27 am
Screw in-field combat training, we could die. [...]Adding vote weight, if it matters.
It sounds like we could become good at magic, so in general strategy for becoming more powerful, I'd follow that road. If anyone asks why we know math but not magic, tell them we were trained as an engineer or architect.
[...]
EDIT: Oh, and let's at least get a walking stick of some kind. Find a fallen branch or something, take one of those poles that seem to be lying around in game but you can't normally do anything with, or even the shaft of a broom, just anything. Best friend to both the inexperienced fighter and the pedestrian traveler, a good walking stick.
Get rid of that fecking hat and go chat with Cossades.
I say once more that we should speak to Caius. We should very quickly assure him that we're in the know but that we're not a threat. Also, see if we can warn him about the Mythic Dawn.
The Mythic Dawn warning might be a way to gain Caius' trust is all. He is a spymaster, after all.We don't have any special command from the emperor for him to take us in; his first reaction might be to kill us for knowing too much. His second reaction would be to send us against his enemies on a suicide-testing mission. Being as we have no idea if we have extra lives, we should take the safe route until we have enough defenses to get out of his door alive should he attack us.
Take note of any future feelings of déjà vu. If it randomly happens again, it was probably the PC loading the game. If that was the case, we remember nothing, and noticed nothing of the transition.Yes. It's possible we met up with the PPC on that other timeline and things went badly for some reason (our realnesses could be perceived as glitches for one; a player may not have the interface to deal with everything)...unless of course the duration of déjà vu is equivalent to the amount of time lost.
> Start checking those free bins, chest, urns, and barrels whenever you see them; they normally aren't looted, so they're a sign of where the PPC has already searched, and they can give us valuables besides.
Also, doesn't anyone remember were there are hidden treasure from their playthroughs? I remember just looking in the places less traveled gave me enough unguarded stuff to solve all my financial problems.
I don't know if this is something he has to figure out on his own, but I'll keep trying anyway:
Quote
> What makes a memory false? Why is it those memories "aren't really yours" just because you haven't had them very long? You are still determined by your memories. Just because those events aren't real so far as this universe is concerned doesn't mean they aren't real to you.If Vivec hadn't told you, you could have spent you're entire time here in blissful ignorance...but what about the change keeps it from being blissful knowledge as well? Is it because you could have so easily missed such a large thing?
Post by: Supercharazad on June 06, 2013, 10:50:26 am
Post by: Gamerlord on June 06, 2013, 11:01:37 am
Post by: LordBucket on June 06, 2013, 11:12:14 am
Adding vote weight, if it matters.
Yes, the more people who agree with a course of action, the more likely it is to happen.
Post by: Nivim on June 06, 2013, 12:11:48 pm
Yes, before buying ingredients en mass we need to figure out exactly what ingredients do for us.buy the ingredients for a fortify intelligence potionThe only problem with this is we can figure ingredients and their effects are going to be at least somewhat randomized. At least that's what I got from the last post. I could also be explosively mistaken (It's the best kind of mistaken). Before we get the ingredients for the potion we first have to figure out which ingredients they even are.
Micheal: "Wow. Ok. So what next? What about recipes? Any combination of saltrice, whickwheat and marshmerrow makes a healing potion, right?"Then after being told that some effects are "more or less universal", we confirmed that bread and small kwama eggs restore fatigue for us, but considering our origin, that's all we know.
Nalcarya: "No. While reagents are necessary to give the result character, remember that the prima materia of alchemy comes from your own body, and is therefore unique to each alchemist. For one alchemist, those ingredients you mentioned might make a potion of healing, for another they might make one of invisibility or paralysis. Or both. Every ingredient has a number of effects, positive or negative, that vary and are unique to every alchemist. Now that you understand the processes involved, the actual production of a usable potion simply requires the selection of any combination of reagents that have at least two matching properties. What those properties are, you will need to discover for yourself."
Micheal: "...so you can't even tell me how to make a basic healing potion for sure?"
I say we inquire about a room somewhere and ask about their policy of performing alchemy inside. If it's okay with the owner then we can gather materials and experiment. We'll have to take the time to learn how to identify our own potions as well, and I think use-IDing them is as bad an idea here as it is in Dungeon Crawl.We probably shouldn't spend money on a room when we could probably just use the mage's guild overhang.
> If we search for alchemy ingredients, start by looking for as many different samples as possible, test their basic effects by eating them, then make a matching potion with them.
> Did our basic instruction include identifying our potions by scent? If not, start practicing this by buying some kwama eggs and bread, making a restore fatigue potion, then comparing its scent with that of our restore health potion. If we collect any of the same kind of potion from raiding containers, we should compare their scents as well.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 06, 2013, 06:00:07 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 06, 2013, 06:01:58 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on June 07, 2013, 05:10:29 am
Post by: Nivim on June 07, 2013, 01:38:57 pm
Spoiler: stats (click to show/hide)
Post by: Supercharazad on June 07, 2013, 03:25:15 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 07, 2013, 03:29:03 pm
Huh. I could have sworn that wasn't there. Nevermind.
I've skipped it a few times when nothing's changed, but current status is always available in the opening post (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4268336#msg4268336).
Post by: LordBucket on June 07, 2013, 10:20:39 pm
Quote
turn off our cell for the moment to conserve battery.
Quote
definitely turn off the cell.
Quote
I agree with the turning off cell phone thing
Quote
Let's turn off the phone, indeed.
*click*
Cellphone is now off.
Quote
inquire about a room somewhere
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Sure. I think there are rooms available at the-"
Quote
We probably shouldn't spend money on a room
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...ok, nevermind."
Quote
I would also suggest some combat training
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ok, I can do that."
Quote
Screw in-field combat training, we could die.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...or, not."
Quote
go chat with Cossades.
Quote
we should speak to Caius
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ok. I'll go talk to Ca-"
Quote
We don't have any special command from the emperor for him to take us in; his first reaction might be to kill us
for knowing too much. His second reaction would be to send us against his enemies on a suicide-testing mission.
Quote
we should take the safe route until we have enough defenses to get out of his door alive should he attack us.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...hmm. Ok, yeah. I think I'll let you guys make up your mind before I act on that one too. Is there anything other than turning off the cellphone that you guys agree on right now? No? Ok, what about things that at least nobody disagrees with?"
Quote
let's ask her for recommendations on Alchemy books.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Who? Nalcarya? Sure, I can head back to her place again."
Acrobatics skill is now 16
(http://i.imgur.com/4AfUFA2.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi, Nalcarya. Quick question for you: could you recommend any alchemy books?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "For what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "For...learning alchemy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Oh. You might find some herbal reference books somewhere, but traditionally alchemical treatises bury all the genuinely useful information in so much metaphor and falsehood that only someone who already understands it would have any chance of divining anything useful from them."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Really?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Yes. For example, no doubt you've heard of the Philosopher's Stone?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "The stone that turns lead into gold?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Yes, among other things. Here, let me read you an excerpt from a famous work that discusses the manufacture of the Philosopher's Stone. The first step being the procurement of the material from which it is made."
She pulls a book from the shelf on her left, blows the dust off and flips through it looking for a specific passage.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "There is something which everyone recognizes, and whoever does not recognize it will rarely, perhaps never find it. The wise man will keep it and the fool will throw it away, and the reduction comes easily to the man who knows it. There is only one spring in all the world from which this water may be obtained. It issues in a secret place, and its waters flow over all the world. It is familiar to all, yet none knows the principle, reason, or way to find the spring For this reason, that Sage might well exclaim, "O water of a harsh and bitter taste!" For, in truth, the spring is difficult to find; but he who knows it may reach it easily, without any expense, labour, or trouble. The water is, of its own nature, harsh and bitter, so that no one can partake of it; and, because it is of little use to the majority of mankind, the Sage doth also exclaim, "O water, that art lightly esteemed by the vulgar, who do not perceive thy great virtues, in thee lie, as it were, hid the four elements. Thou hast power to dissolve, and conserve, and join nature, such as is possessed by no other thing upon earth."
She clears her throat and continues.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "The two are really only one very limpid water, which is so bitter as to be quite undrinkable. The quantity of this water is so great that it flows over the whole earth, yet leads to nothing but the knowledge of this Art. The same also is misused too often by those who desire it. Take also the "fire," and in it you will find the Stone, and nowhere else in the whole world. It is familiar to all men, both young and old, is found in the country, in the village, in the town, in all things created by God; yet it is despised by all. Rich and poor handle it every day. It is cast into the street by servant maids. Children play with it. Yet no one prizes it, though, next to the human soul, it is the most beautiful and the most precious thing upon earth, and has power to pull down kings and princes. Nevertheless, it is esteemed the vilest and meanest of earthly things. It is cast away and rejected by all."
At last she closes the book and replaces it on the shelf.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Now, fledgling alchemist, I ask you: what is this mysterious ingredient from which the Stone is made?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...I have no idea."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Oh, but you do. It's urine. I taught you how to make potions just this past day. But even knowing the ingredient you still didn't recognize it from the obscure description given by a genuine alchemy text. Now imagine trying to figure it out from that description without already knowing. That's the style of writing used by most works on alchemy. Obscure nearly the point of uselessness, but good for selling books. Give people mystery and they'll eat it up. Truth doesn't sell nearly as well."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Nalcarya, I can't help but feel like we've strayed from the original topic. I was asking if you could recommend any alchemy books."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "My answer is no, I cannot. You will learn far more alchemy from private instruction and practice than you ever will from books. You've already received private instruction. All that remains is practice."
Quote
Did our basic instruction include identifying our potions by scent?
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "The way Nalcarya explained it, every potion type has a unique scent. Even though different alchemists use different ingredients, those ingredients act only as catalysts, and are completely filtered out during the distillation process. So, if I use X and Y to make a potion of Z and some other alchemist uses A and B to make a potion of Z, both potions will smell the same. But to actually recognize potions by smell, I'll need to actually smell them so I know what they smell like. I can't just magically know the scents of potions I've never been exposed to."
Quote
making a restore fatigue potion
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Unfortunately I have no alchemy tools. Sorry."
Quote
If we search for alchemy ingredients, start by looking for as many different
samples as possible, test their basic effects by eating them
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Well, nobody has said anything about going out to search for ingredients and I don't have the gold to buy more than a couple, but I do have some saltrice and kwama cuttle on hand."
Michael opens up the pouch part of his backpack and pulls out his reagents. Cautiously, he sniffs the saltrice, licks it...then takes a bite and starts chewing.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Tastes like plant."
New reagent knowledge: saltrice [1]Restore endurance
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Huh. That's new, isn't it? I thought saltrice was restore health."
Next, Michael pulls out a pink strip of kwama cuttle. It's rubbery. Sort of like a cross between silly putty and warm, day-old squid. With a disgusted look on his face he brushes off a few bits of lint and hair and carefully reaches out and touches it with his tongue. Then, shrugging he puts the whole thing in his mouth and starts to chew. It takes some time, but eventually he manages swallows and shrugs. Apparently it didn't taste as bad as it looked.
New reagent knowledge: kwama cuttle [1]Restore health
Healed 39/40 --> 40/40 health
Quote
check Ralen Hlaalo's house for stuff. Specifically Ralen Hlaalo as he's an
infinite size, permanent container that most PCs use.
Michael heads back to the Hlallu section of Balmora. Without mouseover labels on the doors it takes a little searching, but this particular building is distinctive in that the adjacent building has a stairway that with a little jumping gives access to the second story entrance.
(http://i.imgur.com/2JzAVxP.png)
Unfortunately the door is locked, and you have no key, no lockpick, no knowledge of lockpicking, no unlock spells, and no ability to cast spells from the entire school of magic that unlocks spells are part of. That could become a problem at some point. You walk up the stairs to try the other entrance, but right as you're about to jump a guard carrying a torch walks onto the street below.
(http://i.imgur.com/QWmm5Ec.png)
You hug the wall and stay very still. The guard seems to not notice you and continues walking. It's both terrifying and exciting waiting for him to leave. It occurs to you, though, that since you lack the funds to pay any fines, if you end up stuck serving a month of jailtime, that will give the PC a massive time advantage over you.
You count slowly to ten to give the guard time to get further away, then quickly scramble over the barrier. In truth, it's more of a climb on your stomach than a jump.
(http://i.imgur.com/OofNe4i.png)
Unfortunately this door is also locked. Fortunately, you have years of playing Morrowind under your belt, and you know exactly who to talk to to get the key.
(http://i.imgur.com/JzOJBPL.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Welcome to Hlaalu Council Manor. I'm Nileno Dorvayn. Are you here to join House Hlaalu?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "No, I was hoping you could tell me about Ralen Hlallo."
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Oh? What is your business with the Hlaalo household?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Well, I was considering settling down here in Balmora, but I heard the rumor that Ralen died. Murdered in his own house."
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Yes, sadly. It's true. There's a substantial bounty for bringing the murderer to justice. Unfortunately there are two conflicting reports of his identity. One claims that the murderer was an Argonian, the other that the Camona Tong is responsible. It's very attractive to think it was simply an escaped slave, but the Camona Tong seem far more likely."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Huh. That's more information than I was expecting."
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "I'm simply repeating what the investigators were able to determine over the course of their investigation. Unfortunately there's not enough evidence to implicate anyone. And between the two of us, if it is the Camona Tong, they're unlikely to ever be brought to justice. They're known criminals, but they have powerful friends and a nasty habit of receiving last minute pardons before sentencing."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You know about that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Everyone knows about it. Apparently even outlanders like you."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Anything I can do to help?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Probably not. At this point it would take a confession witnessed by an official. But if you do uncover any evidence, please let me know."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I can do that. So...umm...how about giving me the house key?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Why would I give you, an outlander I only just met, the key to the mansion of a recently murdered loyal member of House Hlaalu?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...so I can talk to the maid and ask for information?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Uryne? Yes, she claims to have witnessed the murder and she's the one saying it was Camona Tong. I fear for that girl's life. If you want to talk to her, try knocking at the front door. She's staying at the mansion until Ralen's family arrives to settle his estate."
Huh. It actually never occurred to you to knock. Of course, if she answers the door, she'll ask why you're there, and even if you can talk her into letting you in it's unlikely that she'd let you wander around alone. NPCs seem a lot smarter than they do in-game.
Quote
Oh, and let's at least get a walking stick of some kind. Find a fallen branch or something
(http://i.imgur.com/gw9Lr89.png)
You procure a walking stick from the trees just outside the front gate.
Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: LordBucket on June 07, 2013, 10:43:30 pm
I feel some of you are getting caught up in minutia. It might be helpful to chat amongst yourselves, agree on some general, but immediate goals and identify how you want to go about accomplishing them. Between this update and the previous there were over twenty posts, but apart from shutting off your cellphone there was not one single suggestion at all that anyone agreed with that didn't also have someone actively disagreeing.
You could probably cover ground more quickly if you agreed on a gameplan.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 07, 2013, 10:48:00 pm
We need to get alchemical tools. We also don't want to lose sight of our current objective, which in my opinion is ultimately figuring out what to do with the PC. Though the more I think about it, do we really want to interfere? Maybe it'd be best if we let the PC do their thing. They can break the rules of the universe more readily than we can, and how many times has anyone gone on a killing spree just because?
Yeah, killing spree isn't going to be coming until the PC levels a bit more, anyways.
Right now maybe we should settle down somewhere that'd benefit the budding alchemist. We've been moving between towns a bit in our search for answers but all we've got are questions, theories, and conflicting suggestions. If we want to stray away from the magic aspect and go combat then perhaps we should check out...Fort Darius is it? At the very least maybe we could ask permission to practice on a dummy or light post or something.
I still prefer magic though. If we decide to push the magic then we'll need to get a grasp on alchemy before trying to wrap our mind around the more...magical magic. Where is a good safe location that's very close to farmland we could sneak onto and steal crops from?
Oh! Or maybe we should use our knowledge of Ashlander customs and culture, unify the tribes, and wage war on the Imperial Cult!
Post by: WillowLuman on June 07, 2013, 11:56:55 pm
-Why are there Ordinators in Balmora? Where are the Hlaalu guards?
-Why does that Alchemy book have nothing to do with the lore? It mentions God and the Philosopher's stone, which aren't part of TES lore. All the TES alchemy books I've ever read involve an anectdote of someone brewing a potion, and are pretty clear on knowledge.
Anyway, I still say we talk to Cauis. Meanwhile, ask Ajira if she'll let us practice with her alchemy equipment.
Post by: Nivim on June 08, 2013, 12:42:38 am
When I think of the general course of action I want, I see immediately that it will be destroyed quickly in light of other people's ideas, even before I've finished building it. My running understanding for collaborative games and stories is devoted to coming up with good pieces of ideas that can be incorporated into whatever is happening; fragments that play nice. I am slowly realizing [not done yet] that the reason few "good ideas" are occurring to me is because, in this game, most effective plans are mutually exclusive, in short term and long term.
But enough rationalizing, here is my pillar of thought in point form:
Spoiler: Thoughtful but broken (the cyclic way). (click to show/hide)
- Our main limit right now is cash, as that's what we're going to need to get basic magic training, which is what we need to keep from dying to the wilderness, since we have 10 points below average strength, but 10 points above average intelligence.
- Our three current avenues (that I recall) to gaining money quickly, is either making potions, doing quests, or finding treasure.
- We do not have the tools or resources for the alchemy; getting tools requires money, and getting resources could get us killed quickly (especially if we don't know what our primary skills are and leveled lists are still in effect).
- Quests are proving to be much more complicated for us than in the game, and they almost always require some sort of resource or a large investment of time. We are low on both resources and time, and thus will need to be very selective about the quests we do. We have not done this.
- That leaves finding unguarded, hidden treasure, which is luckily abundant in Morrowind at this point in its history. That is, until the PPC finds it all before us. So, if we're going to use that likely option for our problems, we will need to do it quickly.
- We have enough money right now for one travel service use; we should get a good idea of where we're going before going there, so we don't get stuck.
- What quests do we know that require few skills, resources, and time to complete?
- What quests could we create with our Realness Powers that follow #1?
- What hidden treasure do we know that's unguarded, close, and sufficient valuable for our time?
- What treasure could we make follow the criteria of #3?
- Where has the PPC probably already raided for treasure and resources? (Hint: we need to start checking things lootable or that players usually talk to.)
How about we add everything to one plan in one person's post, then all agree on it when it looks good?
Predit:
We need to get alchemical tools. We also don't want to lose sight of our current objective, which in my opinion is ultimately figuring out what to do with the PC. Though the more I think about it, do we really want to interfere? Maybe it'd be best if we let the PC do their thing. They can break the rules of the universe more readily than we can, and how many times has anyone gone on a killing spree just because?We don't know what would happen if we ran into the PPC. That déjà vu implied that the PPC loaded a save-game, and if so, we might have been the cause of the reload; to a player, our "realness" could easily be perceived as an unworkable, propagating glitch. We could get that déjà vu every single time we would have run into the PPC. (If these words seem to conflict with themselves, remember about using doubt precisely.)
Where is a good safe location that's very close to farmland we could sneak onto and steal crops from?Yeah, one of us really does need to open up the game, just to get familiar. For myself; I haven't bothered to get Wine running yet (or remember how), and I don't currently have access to the computer I did the other testing on.
Oh! Or maybe we should use our knowledge of Ashlander customs and culture, unify the tribes, and wage war on the Imperial Cult!And with our magical Aura of Realness, those customs will be different and much more complicated than we remember. We'll seem like any other invading imperial.
Meanwhile, ask Ajira if she'll let us practice with her alchemy equipment.She doesn't in the game, and her dialog implies that she doesn't like competition; this could easily make things harder for us.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 08, 2013, 01:09:36 am
Anyway, if things are more realistic, the tax collector's murder will be an easy source of money. Normally you have to kill the perp to get the full reward, but if we brought the guard with us and had them ambush when the guy turned hostile,
Post by: SethCreiyd on June 08, 2013, 02:02:51 am
Some thoughts:
- It's probably best if the hero is discreet with his knowledge. A veritable nobody bursting in and mouthing off secret stuff about Nerevarines and the Mythic Dawn to Caius Cosades, the Grand Spymaster of the Blades, sounds like it will end with said nobody rotting in a dank prison cell. Let's at least gain some friends and recognition, some power and influence, before doing something so bold.
- The hero's stats are pathetic enough to stand no chance against anything that knows how to fight in this world. Combat training and defensive protection (armor, or Sanctuary, or Chameleon, anything that means avoiding death), and getting lots of gold fast should be high priorities.
- The Ordinators following our hero make him pretty conspicuous. The sight would be strange to a human-controlled PC, and while they might have thought us just a weird little part of some mod or another, we may arouse suspicion if sighted again. Ditching them sounds good to me, but first they should be put to good use.
Suggestions for immediate actions:
- Sell the Colovian hat to the pawn broker, and buy something to eat.
- Solve the Ralen Hlaalo murder, letting the Ordinators do the fighting.
- Dismiss the Ordinators and attempt to join House Hlaalu.
One more thing, if Ralen Hlaalo's body has stuff on it, it should probably be left alone. We have no idea what the PC can do to us, but if I was playing Morrowind and I saw a weird NPC and two Ordinators reappear next to a bunch of my missing items, I might be tempted to 'console->SetCurrentHealth 0' all of them and check the inventories.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 08, 2013, 05:14:36 am
Post by: Jarod Cain on June 08, 2013, 11:44:33 am
For an intermediate goal I think we should focus on eventually joining the Mage's Guild and drop the idea of seeing Caius for the time being. Originally when I said way back that we should make Vivec our base this was because of ready access to bookstores, libraries and such for quick basic skill ups and the terrain would only help jumpstart our physical stats. Since we're here (and I don't think we should go back for a bit) we will be forced to take the more adventure-some route. Honestly we should just do what right proper murderous hobos do, kill things, take their stuff, increase our experience and sell the crap we don't need. I for one trust Michael to not be stupid and get in too far over his head.
-J-
Post by: Supercharazad on June 08, 2013, 11:46:07 am
Post by: LordBucket on June 08, 2013, 01:58:02 pm
-Why are there Ordinators in Balmora? Where are the Hlaalu guards?
Mistake on my part. That was a Hlaalu guard, not an Ordinator. As for part about the confession, the intent there was to make it clear that it had to be witnessed by someone in a position of authority. Random foreigner showing up with somebody's head and saying "hey guys, he confessed before I killed him" is not going to be accepted by the authorities.
Sorry for the confusion.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 08, 2013, 06:27:49 pm
Anyways, while the guard's wouldn't believe us if we killed someone and just claimed they were guilty, they might accompany us to arrest a suspect if we told them we knew who did it.
Post by: LordBucket on June 08, 2013, 09:30:33 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on June 09, 2013, 04:31:40 am
We should go to Cossades and talk about dragons, that's something that only he is likely to know.
Post by: Rakonas on June 09, 2013, 04:56:02 am
Talk to Cossades about dragons, about how we know dragons used to exist, and how we know that dragons will return within the next two hundred and fifty years or so. Also that we know the Blades are dragon hunters.I really don't see this as a good idea.
It's like going up to an undercover cop and being like "I know you're an undercover cop"
Post by: Supercharazad on June 09, 2013, 05:14:00 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 09, 2013, 10:25:59 am
And loot random stuff.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 09, 2013, 03:33:06 pm
I'll admit I never did that quest, but I'm going to guess he attacks you.
Post by: LordBucket on June 09, 2013, 09:51:14 pm
Quote
Solve the Ralen Hlaalo murder, letting the Ordinators do the fighting.
Quote
Talk to the maid, solve the murder as others have mentioned, with the help of a guard.
Quote
have the guard accompany us, but have them stay outside the door in ambush. Talk to the guy while he
thinks we're alone, say whatever gets him to admit the murder and attack you, then call the guards.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So your plan is to deliberately get him to attack me and hope the guard can get inside to intervene before I die? That doesn't sound like the greatest idea in the world to me. But...I guess I'll just trust that you guys know what you're talking about."
You go back to the Manor and knock. There's no answer at first, but after knocking a second time the door opens slightly, and the maid, Uryne Nirith, peers out.
(http://i.imgur.com/VkZbvdT.png): "Yes? What is it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I'm investigating the murder of Ralen Hlaalo. May I come in?"
The maid lets you in and you take a quick look around. The first thing you notice is the obvious lack of a body on the ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/pTiJLGq.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/VkZbvdT.png): "I'm not sure what I can tell you that I didn't already tell the guards, but I'll answer any questions you have,"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What happened?"
(http://i.imgur.com/VkZbvdT.png): "I'd just prepared dinner for Master Hlaalo when there was a knock at the door. I answered and it was a weathered looking dunmer, the non-nonsense type. Red mohawk, mismatched earrings in both ears, and not a tiny amount of armor and weapons on him. He asked to speak with my master, so I let him in. By the time I'd finished closing the door behind him...he'd leapt up...onto the table....he was swinging that golden axe all over..."
She's shaking now, having difficulty speaking.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "It's ok. Take your time, but I need to hear everything."
She swallows and forces herself to continue.
(http://i.imgur.com/VkZbvdT.png): "The fight didn't last long. Master Hlaalo was the scholarly sort, but he was no battlemage. I ran to the stairs, but tripped. Before I could get up again the fight was over, and I decided it was safest to stay down...make myself look harmless. The man barely looked at me, then left without saying a word. I reported it to the guard right away and it wasn't until the investigation that I learned the name of the man. Thanelan Velas. He's with the Camona Tong."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What happened to the body?"
(http://i.imgur.com/VkZbvdT.png): "The guards took it. The murder was two days ago."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Anything else you can tell me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/VkZbvdT.png): "No, sera. I dare say no more. The Hlaalu council permitted me to stay here while they sent word to his family. They'll settle his affairs, and hopefully they'll take me in. I've nowhere else to go."
You thank the maid for her help and go to flag down a guard.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Excuse me."
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Yes, citizen?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You're aware of the investigation of Ralen Hlaalo's death, yes? I think I know who murdered him, and I believe I can get a confession. Would you be my witness?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Yes, I can bear witness. Where to?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "The Council Club."
The notice the guard's right hand move a few inches closer to his weapon.
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "You believe you can get a confession?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Very well. I will go with you. If you can convince Thanelen to confess, I will take him into custody."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Thanelen? You mean you already know who it is?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "We all know that Ralen's housekeeper accused him of the murder, but while she is a maid, he is a member of the Camona Tong. Orvas Dren is the brother of the Duke of all of Vvardenfell. You don't arrest one of his men simply on the word of a maid. We spoke with Thanelen. He denied involvement and there's no other evidence to incriminate him. What more can we do?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "All you need is a confession, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Then let's go."
Quote
have the guard accompany us, but have them stay outside the door in ambush. Talk to the guy while he
thinks we're alone, say whatever gets him to admit the murder and attack you, then call the guards.
(http://i.imgur.com/mXS7cJF.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ok, if he sees you he'll keep quiet. So you stay here and I'll get him to admit he did it. When he does, you come in and arrest him. Sounds good?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Yes. I will wait."
You open the door to the Council Club and step in. Thenelas being the greeter, he is conveniently close to the door. Though it's also a solid wooden door, and now that you think about it, the odds of anyone outside hearing what's spoken inside seem pretty remote. You'll have to get him to yell, or something.
(http://i.imgur.com/Nz7aTR9.png)
Thanelen is wearing none of the armor that the housemaid mentioned, but he is carrying a massive dwemer waraxe on his left hip. Given that you struggled with a much lighter axe earlier, the fact that he's sporting what must be a 30 weapon just casually while standing around does nothing to inspire confidence. He looks at you and sneers.
(http://i.imgur.com/VU8OD7Y.png): "What do you want, outlander?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I know you killed Ralen Hlaalo."
(http://i.imgur.com/VU8OD7Y.png): "Oh? So what if I did?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You killed him!" you yell, hoping to get him to yell in return, "Confess!"
Instead of answering, Thanelen steps towards you. You reflexively step back, but you're not his target. The door is. Keeping his eyes on you, he reaches for the handle and twists the deadbolt closed. Then with a thumb he flicks open the clasp holding his axe in place and hefts it with both hands. Then, in a conversational tone that you're quite sure is not nearly loud enough to be heard outside, he replies.
(http://i.imgur.com/VU8OD7Y.png): "Alright. I confess. I killed him. Now, tell me how you know and I'll make your death swift and painless."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): ""Guard! Help!"
(http://i.imgur.com/Nx6XcbP.png)
As you cry out, Thanelen casts a spell that engulfs his body in a green mist. You draw your tanto and make one useless slash through the air before he plunges his axe diagonally into your torso, cleaving through both your collarbone and the first several sets of ribs. You crumble to the ground, dimly aware of blood gushing from the wound onto the floor. From your angle on the ground you see Thanelen change the position of his feet and then you feel something on the back of your head...then everything goes dark.
But, wait. You can't be dead, can you? you blink a couple times and see Thanelen standing in front of you, wiping your blood from his axe. Strangely, he seems to be ignoring both you and a banging noise you hadn't noticed before. Instead he's looking intently at your feet. You look down to see...oh.
(http://i.imgur.com/e7GIKYi.png)
Yeah, you're dead.
The banging continues.
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Open up! In the name of House Hlaalu, open this door at once!"
It's the guard. Thanelen spits on your corpse then looks frantically around the room as if looking for some way to conceal your body. Given that there's probably a good gallon of blood spread out on the floor by now, that seems unlikely. Eventually Thanelen simply shakes his head and opens the door to let the guard in.
(http://i.imgur.com/VU8OD7Y.png): "Warm wishes, officer. How may I help you?"
The guard looks at your corpse on the ground. You try shouting that Thanelen killed you, but neither of them seem to hear you.
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Thanelen Velas, you have committed murder. Either pay the fine of 4000 gold, or come with me and serve your sentence of hard labor."
What? The guard is just going to accept that? Pay a fine and that's it? You're dead?
(http://i.imgur.com/VU8OD7Y.png): "I'm sorry, officer. I only have 200 on me right now. But I'm sure my friends downstairs will cover the difference."
The guard nods, and follows Velas down the stairs. About ten seconds later you hear muffled screaming and the sound of metal on armor. Then silence. Then several voices saying things you can't make out, followed by the sound of magic being cast. Then Thanelan and several others you don't recognize walk up the stairs and look at your corpse.
(http://i.imgur.com/Rmi4BSR.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/VU8OD7Y.png): "This blood is going to be a pain to clean up."
One of them goes back downstairs to retrieve a large roll of cloth, which they use to wrap up your body and drag it down the stairs.
So, now what? You try to move but can't. You have no body. You try screaming but no sound comes out. And yet, you can see and hear...so maybe...what? You're not sure. You try to look around, and...yes. You can definitely adjust your field of view. Actually, wait...oh, that's interesting. Now that you think about it, you can see both the ceiling and the floor at the same time. Apparently you have fully 360 degree vision. Now if you can just figure out how to-
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "Could I try that axe?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nIteRAO.png): "Of course."
You feel a sense of deja vue as you pick the axe up...slowly. What is it with the heavy weapons here, and why do you feel like you've held the same exact axe before? Shrugging, you hand it back to Ra'virr and continue browsing for other weapons. You're pretty sure he has something light enough to...oh. Score.
You buy the steel tanto complete with scabbard and carrying strings for 10 septims. That's about what you remember them costing. The weapon is a bit heavier than you'd like, but reasonably so, and you're pretty confidant it would hurt a lot to get stabbed with it. Though not nearly as much as it would hurt to get hit by a dwemer war axe. Not that you would know.
Mercantile skill is now 3
You seem to be getting the hang of this haggling thing.
Your look:
(http://i.imgur.com/IQ2tZEJ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Yeah, somehow I just knew this hat would look silly."
Spoiler: stats (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Man of Paper on June 09, 2013, 10:55:37 pm
Let's decide on either training our combat or training alchemy and magic. We have exactly zero chance of survival provoking people or putting our necks out in general. I go back to my suggestions of going to Fort Darius and getting some sort of training or finding somewhere near a farm or abundance of usable plant life and work on alchemy.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 10, 2013, 02:31:32 am
Okay, so here's the thing: We are starting to notice odd discrepancies. Ralen Hlaalu's body was missing. Either the PC still sees it, and can put stuff in it, resulting in some weird localized causality discrepancies, or we've seen something that could affect the PC's gameplay experience.
If it's the former, then it's business as usual: The quests trigger for the PC, not for us. We won't get the results we expect from various actions, and we may not be able to acquire some quests at all. Would the Daedra Lords even bother to give us quests, when a perfectly serviceable Nerevarine is right around the corner? (Well, Sheogarath might, but he'd probably want our shirt in exchange...)
If it's the latter, then... who knows? We could do some interesting things and screw up the game even more. But... If Vivec is correct, then Mike here is in fact the real PC. He's not in the role of the Nerevarine, but he is being played. By us. The Nerevarine is not. She's still effectively an NPC as far as CHIM goes. If she has a player, (not guaranteed) he too is really just an NPC, and we probably can't plan on doing stuff like leaving a note for the player with Caius Cosades asking her player to fire up the mod tools and building us a tower-shrine to Akatosh.
So, let's try something else. We're Mike, not the Nerevarine. Let's ignore the quests for the Nerevarine, and start looking for quests for Mike. See if we can get the Skull of Corruption, the Wabbajack, or the Sanguine Rose, for instance. (Three artifacts the Nerevarine can't get. Talk to NPCs who weren't originally quest-givers. That sort of thing. But before even that, let's find out what Mike's goal is. Does he want to forget about his vague past, explore Vvardenfell, and become rich and powerful? Or does he want to go home? Or both, trying to take his gains with him? What he decides is what we do.
So Mike, what'll it be?
Post by: Xantalos on June 10, 2013, 04:14:16 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 10, 2013, 05:25:18 am
Mike, try to remember what happened before you died. And that you died. That's valuable experience.
If we can preserve memories between lives, we can afford to take some more risks. If, also, this is our only save, then we could get some kind of Majora's Mask loop going, see how far we can screw causality before someone notices. We could potentially learn plenty from the same amount of gold, dying afterwards and then using the money to learn something else. Might take it's toll on our mental state, though, if Mike remembers the pain of dying over and over.
Anyway, I recommend working out with some of the random items in the alleys as weights. If they seem to be heavier that normal, why not do some curls? Don't bench press unless we can get someone to spot, though. Hey, maybe we can get a quick stat gain through some kind of "Make A Man Out of You" montage in the Legion?
Post by: Supercharazad on June 10, 2013, 05:31:03 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 10, 2013, 05:32:34 am
Of course, Mike would have to do the weeks of hard training, but we wouldn't have to wait with him. And we might get paid, too. For guard duty or something. And enlisting comes with free light armor, after all.
Seriously, let's go up to the recruiter, show him our puny noodle arms, and say "If I join the legion, can they make a MAN out of me?"
Post by: Supercharazad on June 10, 2013, 05:36:29 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 10, 2013, 05:44:36 am
Possible new ultimate goal: Become as much of an anonymous nobody as possible. Train everything to perfection. Become Vvardenfell version of Batman, fighting corruption and the Comona Tong.
I just realized, we forgot to do something very important back in Vivec. Crap. The Vassir-Drindat cave, a lost Ebony mine. We know it's location, we could've Ondusi's Unhinge'd the door in the abandoned mansion and talked to Dram, and gotten a handsome reward for telling him where it is. Oh well, I'm sure there are others who'd find the info valuable. Also, anyone else know what I'm talking about? I don't want this to wind up like the murder investigation just did.
Post by: Gamerlord on June 10, 2013, 05:45:49 am
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 10, 2013, 10:50:04 am
So, let's try something else. We're Mike, not the Nerevarine. Let's ignore the quests for the Nerevarine, and start looking for quests for Mike. See if we can get the Skull of Corruption, the Wabbajack, or the Sanguine Rose, for instance. (Three artifacts the Nerevarine can't get. Talk to NPCs who weren't originally quest-givers. That sort of thing. But before even that, let's find out what Mike's goal is. Does he want to forget about his vague past, explore Vvardenfell, and become rich and powerful? Or does he want to go home? Or both, trying to take his gains with him? What he decides is what we do.
So Mike, what'll it be?
That seems to be heading in the right direction.
The few things we DO know:
- Training up skills the normal way takes a LONG time. Field practice is better.
- NPC's are significantly more intelligent than normal
- We can respawn
Oh I wish there was a potion of Fortify Illusion or somesuch...
EDIT: Looked it up on Wiki. There ARE fortify spells in expansion content, but more significantly... there are Fortify shrines around! (yeah, you may know this...)
This seems like the easiest one...
Quote
Felms' Glory: Fortify Restoration 5pts for 48min
Ghostgate, Temple
Holamayan Monastery
Vivec, High Fane
Vivec, St. Olms Storage
So if we get this effect, purchase a restoration spell and use it... we may gain insight into how magicka works!
There is also a Fortify Destruction in Ald Sotha, but I don't think we're surviving that.
So...
Decide if we want to join the Tribunal Temple, which would make the blessings only cost 5g
Otherwise, seek to earn 35g. Alchemy is our best bet - seek some herbs by the city limit, harvest, process into potions.
The above may be complicated by a) needing flasks and b) apparent lack of alchemical equipment. Well, maybe you guys can help with this.
Seek out one of the Felms' Glory shrines, try purchasing a low level spell and using it
My suggestion is Vivec, as then you can buy a Resist Common Disease from "Dileno Lloran in Vivec, High Fane" which is a skill 5 spell. Cast that a few times for a level-up, or to see if we even have magicka available to us.
If not, repeat with a Fortify Magicka potion.
Post by: LordBucket on June 10, 2013, 12:47:42 pm
We can respawn
Just to be clear, you didn't "respawn" so much as "the game" was restored to a previous save state. Not going to explain how or why...that's for you to figure out. But notice that you lost all of episode 17 and the end of episode 16 played out slightly differently. I advise caution in the event of future deaths. Actually, I advise avoiding death algtogether. But if you do die...you probably don't want to remember things having happened, act on the assumption that they have, but then have it turn out that the things you remember were things that were lost.
try purchasing a low level spell
That was already attempted. I suggest you read Episode 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704)
Quote
process into potions.
As others have already pointed out, Michael has no alchemy tools.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 10, 2013, 12:55:34 pm
Remember that: New reagent knowledge: saltrice [1]Restore endurance
Try saltrice, see if it does again
Retrieve walking stick.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 10, 2013, 12:57:58 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Re: Respawn - indeed, my personal thinking is that it restores us when the PC/equivalent reloads. Dead should be avoided as the costs and processes are unknown.
Re: Spell - my suggestion was to try this AFTER
Of course this may do nothing, as the rules have changed, but this may be a shortcut to learning spellcasting basics.
Re: Alchemy - I am aware, but other alchemical locations may be much more lenient. I vaguely recall there being non-alchemist-shop stations in a large dunmer warren city, and the items themselves being purchaseable/stealable. I was really hoping to draw on other players' knowledge of the world here.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 11, 2013, 02:44:26 am
I say our goal should be getting the hang of this magic thing. From the guildmaster's reaction, I'd say we could pick it up pretty quick. And if expensive training doesn't work out, well, there are such things as hedge wizards and wild sorcerers who've never been near a school. If some bandit can figure it out, there must be other approaches to magic than advanced mathematics. There's got to be some emotive or intuitive way to do it.
And just sayin', there must be other approaches to alchemy as well, such as the mundane chemical properties of things or distillation of elements not affected by our own bodies. Like, say, you have 2 plants, each containing a relatively non-injurious toxin, but together the two toxins have a synergistic effect, so an alchemist could prepare a poison by using both plants. I mean, you have to wonder how the undead brew their potions if all alchemy comes from Urine. As for plain chemistry, well, damn I wish Wierd Joykill was here...
So, we know the game gets reloaded, so to speak, if WE die. Perhaps it doesn't for the Nerevarine, and perhaps she can't load it at will. We have yet to see confirmation of her menu abilities.
For earning coin, we could just get a job. I'm sure there's plenty of work available that would normally be behind the scenes in the game. With our math skills, we could help with some financial paperwork, perhaps intern for one of the large trading organizations. Even in medieval times, a skilled accountant was much desired, and it doesn't really require knowledge of complex theorems, just massive number crunching. Child's play for our Math student here. Of course, we might easily wind up employed for someone very, very corrupt.
For quick questing rewards, we could just tattle on the Sixth House agents before they actually cause trouble. In every major city, there's at least one person who very soon will put several fellow citizens under Dagoth Ur's spell. We know their names, we know their locations. The Temple will strike swiftly and silently, and need not worry about gangsters. I'm sure they'd be greatful. We should start by telling them to keep a close eye on Hanarai of Ald Ruun.
For the present:
-Turn off phone
-Re-get walking stick
-Rifle through crates for potentially useful items that nobody will miss.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 11, 2013, 12:12:26 pm
I support trying to get some work doing something mathy since there seems to be a significant lack of skill among the natives.
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 11, 2013, 03:41:32 pm
...mumble...mumble...shall We...mumble...
[...]
...but we're out of...mumble...
[....]
...mumble...what about this...mumble...
Just to be clear, you didn't "respawn" so much as "the game" was restored to a previous save state. Not going to explain how or why...that's for you to figure out. But notice that you lost all of episode 17 and the end of episode 16 played out slightly differently. I advise caution in the event of future deaths. Actually, I advise avoiding death algtogether. But if you do die...you probably don't want to remember things having happened, act on the assumption that they have, but then have it turn out that the things you remember were things that were lost.
((Yeah. I don't think LordBucket would have specifically warned us to avoid deaths if the only unknown antagonist was a probably-psychotic Dunmer, or if we were thrown into vanilla Morrowind. My guess is that a small group of lesser powerful entities summoned/created Michael as a pawn to act against a more powerful entity. That they haven't left us any messages telling us what to do likely means that doing so would have a good chance of attracting its attention, and they chose to create the core idea of a person that would likely solve their problems. I don't know what to do about this, but it means we probably don't have to hide quite as much from the PPC. How we, the voices, figure into everything is a mystery.))
You not knowing any magic being so shocking means that you can get basic magic training much easier than a few thousand coins, if you don't mind the risk of learning bad habits from a bad teacher or not learning the different branches all at once. I expect that you could either work for someone for a few days while they take it easy and explain the basics, trade stories for tutoring, or be a traveling storyteller, get some money, and then pay for tutoring that way. Just ask around in a tavern for anyone who might be willing to teach.
Check if you remember enough of any stories. Or jokes, jokes could work. If not, disregard the rest of this.
You might want go to a tavern and find a storyteller. Either buy a few stories and listen for whatever common tropes the locals expect, trade stories, or just see if they have any tips they would be willing to sell for pocket change.
Failing that, you should be able to adapt a few of our stories to the local expectations on your own. Just have a traveling dunmer solve everything for the hilariously incompetent outlanders. And praise Vivec.
Just make sure you practice the stories alone a few times before speaking in front of a crowd. Your speechcraft is too low to properly ad-lib one.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 11, 2013, 05:55:07 pm
All that we have is a working knowledge of static Morrowind, the likes of which more or less ceased to exist the moment we hit the dirt.
Mostly agreed. However, we do also have some knowledge of the lore, which should stand us in good stead whether or not the game mechanics still work. (There are some mechanics, still. We get skill ups, for instance.)
For instance, I can think of at least three possible avenues to try to get Michael back home. Akatosh, as the Aedra of time could probably do it. Vaermina's power was shown to be able to warp space-time to do funky things as part of an Oblivion sidequest. And most promising, (but probably the most difficult and dangerous) would be to attempt to use the Heart of Lorkhan to attempt to ascend our way out of reality. (IIRC, that was one theory of what happened to the Dwemer.)
As for the respawn, well, I like the theory that we respawned when the Nerevarine reloaded her game to an earlier point, having saved just as we tried out that battle-axe. (There is direct indication that the Nerevarine dunmer has access to game mechanics, having stripped the census office of materials stuffed into her inventory and pulling the 'brew potions, earn money' trick on Nacalya.) If so, she could even revert save while we're still alive, destroying our progress, and/or save after our death, preventing our respawn. So yeah, I would definitely avoid dying again.
Post by: gman8181 on June 11, 2013, 07:09:04 pm
(Mumbles incoherently about old games having so much more character than the new ones)
Has anyone suggested creating a spell of summon dremora for two seconds and soul trap on target for one second? If so, has anyone suggested casting it on the ground repeatedly? ;D
(PS that was a joke 8))
Post by: LordBucket on June 11, 2013, 11:05:32 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 11, 2013, 11:23:39 pm
Post by: Jarod Cain on June 11, 2013, 11:39:32 pm
Priority things to do. Train spears and raise endurance. No matter what else we do, raising our endurance (and thus our hit points) will help us survive, spears do this. I like the idea of sticking basically to staves, spears, and the odd knife/tanto for combat.
What we really need is a way to auto-train. If this were Dwarf Fortress the solution is simple, pressure plate, mechanisms, training spear spike and a 1x2 square. We need a Danger Room to train so we can get better at *everything* before we start trying to head cross-country for the training I think we should keep as a long-term goal. The other thing we need is money. It's a shame that crafting doesn't exist in Morrowind like it does in Skyrim as I doubt taking an iron ingot and some leather to a smithy would really allow us to make a knife. So short of alchemy that really only leaves us with stealing.
I like the idea that some people were throwing around for joining the Legion or either the Imperial Cult or the Tribunal. The other thing I was going to suggest, once we had more money would be to see, if we could by some weird twist of fate, become an Ordinator. But that last one is just a wacky idea brought on by this weird metagame situation where the rules are apparently different for us.
-J-
Post by: WillowLuman on June 12, 2013, 01:04:31 am
I don't think it's a matter of raising spear to train endurance, I think something like running laps or lifting weights would be more likely to do that. But you know what, I now think we shouldn't work out or run laps until we know where to get some food.
This is a Hlaalu town, and thus steeped in avarice, someone's bound to need an accountant. Let's ask some of the merchants if they need anyone to help balance their books.
And I just thought of something. There are novelists in this world. We could try inventing the genre of science fiction, there'd be no competition and our completely original-seeming works would stand a chance to sell well. I don't know how good a writer Mike is, but chances are he'll have had some practice with fanfiction or something. Seeing as he's a good student, we might write "fantasy" novels about Medieval Earth history. And we wouldn't have to worry about pissing off the locals with our writings either, as we could just have them published in Cyrodil. It would take a few months to pay off, though.
What I really, really want us to do is go see Yagrum Bagarn and show him our cell phone, but I don't think we can safely reach Tel Fyr yet.
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 12, 2013, 03:10:25 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Suggestion: Read through any previous texts and see if there are call records in the cell phone. Might help you remember who you are supposed to be, Michael.
Get a piece of paper out. Write down all you know so far. Do you remember the gists of your conversation with Vivec? The generals of the summary of alchemy and magic? You should make sure to keep notes on such things. You had a journal in-game for a reason!
Would help to try and gather some information about this murder before proceeding. I barely remember the quest. Seems you can't either. All I know is being hacked in the chest wasn't a preferred outcome. For all you know that will be the last time you get saved; you weren't the one who reverted back. You got reverted. Likely by the PC?
Either way: If the scenario is similar next time [if there is a next time], bring the guard inside with you. I've got something up my sleeve if the scenario presents itself the same way next time, though, Michael. Won't try to let you die again.
First things first: Ask around about the affairs of Ralen. Money lender might be a good first stop: Those who owe money are usually the first in danger. If acceptable ask the maid to search Ralen's room. With those options exhausted, ask around the Fighter's Guild for any contracts or requests for protection from Ralen or a local Hlaalo.
Caius is always an option. A spymaster is not the type to not notice the going-ons of assassinations of nobles.
Current state of affairs is worrying in general, though. From what we've gathered the mysterious Dunmer woman PC might be loaded with money, equipment, and have a silver-tongue, possibly implying other abilities. I'm curious how soul gems work in this universe as well.
Post by: Sensei on June 12, 2013, 04:13:43 am
-Try to make our strength stat a known value, or figure out what our "carry limit" is.
-Determine if our strength can go up from, say, lifting weights, or if it has to be skill gain like in actual morrowind.
-If it has to be skill gain, get some repair hammers (I'd just look in random crates in the alley, personally) and learn blacksmithing until we feel like we can life Morrowind's cartoony weapons OK.
I'm more concerned about moving around with goods, since magic looks like a more promising avenue for killing things, but learning how to actually swing a weapon doesn't seem like a bad idea.
Post by: LordBucket on June 12, 2013, 03:46:00 pm
Quote
We don't have hitpoints. A chitin axe wouldn't kill any PC or NPC in one hit,
but the guy hacked us in the chest and we bled out.
You do have hit points. Health has been a known stat since Episode 14 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4294402#msg4294402). It's listed on the stats page (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4268336#msg4268336) and you currently have 39/40. It was not a chitin axe. It was a dwemer war axe, and it took two hits to kill you, not one. You were simply knocked down after the first hit. Though looking at it now, it appears that episode 18 incorrectly reports it as a dwemer battleaxe, when it was actually a dwemer waraxe. Sorry. I'll correct that when I post the next update. The chitin axe you're thinking of is probably the one you considered buying in Episode 16 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4298924#msg4298924).
Incidentally, I didn't just make up the two-hit-kill. I have an in-game Michael with stats set via the console, and yes...Thenelas has a dwemer war axe (chop damage 1-24 and I assume npcs get strength bonuses to damage) and he killed you in two hits. The first hit removed about 60% of your hp bar. In fact I had to replay the fight a couple times in order to get screenshots because he killed you so fast. It wasn't a two-hit-kill on every playthrough. Sometimes it was as many as four, but I went with the results of the first playthrough for the official story update.
Quote
Train spears and raise endurance. No matter what else we do, raising our endurance
(and thus our hit points) will help us survive, spears do this.
"The game" is not running the vanilla Morrowind skill and levelup system. Others have deduced this (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297261#msg4297261) from observed behavior, and I confirmed it here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4294301#msg4294301). I'm not planning on giving spoilers on how it works, but I will point out that if you check the stats page (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4268336#msg4268336) you can see that Michael has gained 1.5 points of agility and .2 endurance despite the fact that none of the skills you've gained would give either of those attributes in vanilla. If you want to focus on a particular weapon or activity, that's fine. But I advise against assuming that skills correlate to attributes in the same way as they do in vanilla. Because they don't.
Quote
Try to make our strength stat a known value, or figure out what our "carry limit" is.
Your strength is a known value, and has been since Episode 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4277533#msg4277533), though the values of all stats were adjusted between episodes 13 and 14 for reasons described here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4294301#msg4294301), and consequently I recommend ignoring any stats or gains reported before that, as they no loner reflect the system currently in use. Your current strength is 21.5. You can see known stats and their current values on the stats page (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4268336#msg4268336). Your carrying limit is (strength * 5) = 107.5 pounds. Note that it was established in Episode 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4270292#msg4270292) that volume is also a factor for carrying capacity.
Next update should be up tonight.
Post by: Putnam on June 12, 2013, 04:07:09 pm
It is my personal belief that CHIM is either complete BS or a joke/easteregg, as it is mentioned exactly once in all the lore (in a book written by a lying false god, no less). For some reason, however, everyone takes it as definitively proven gospel on how the world of TES works.
Also, I think that's a bit of an overreaction. Let's just see whether we're dealing with someone of this world or if it's someone from our world playing the game.
I'm a bit late on this, but...
It's also mentioned in the Mythic Dawn Commentaries book 3 in Oblivion:
Quote from: Mankar Camoran
CHIM. Those who know it can reshape the land. Witness the home of the Red King Once Jungled.
Which is referring to Tiber Septim using CHIM to reshape Cyrodiil into a generic fantasyland; this is also mentioned by Heimskr in Skyrim, quoting from this Kirkbride text (http://www.imperial-library.info/content/many-headed-talos). "I breathe now, in royalty" means "I now use CHIM"; CHIM is the syllable of royalty.
Also, one of the Black Books in Dragonborn seems to be about CHIM:
Quote from: Waking Dreams of A Starless Sky
The eyes, once bleached by falling stars of utmost revelation, will forever see the faint insight drawn by the overwhelming question, as only the True Enquiry shapes the edge of thought. The rest is vulgar fiction, attempts to impose order on the consensus mantlings of an uncaring godhead. First,
To be fair, however, Camoran is insane, Tiber Septim is also part of the enantiomorphic god-oversoul called Talos and Vivec also achieved godhood through the Heart of Lorkhan. All first-hand sources on CHIM are from those who have achieved godhood in other ways.
Also, about the easter-egg thing: there is quite a bit of lore that is made of jokes about bugs in Redguard. Just because it's a joke doesn't mean it's not valid.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 12, 2013, 08:35:39 pm
My bad on the axe, I just know someone in that bar has a chitin axe. Dunmer with piercings and mohawks seem to often carry them, after all.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 12, 2013, 10:00:38 pm
Assuming there's a fighter's guild in Balmora, head over there and see if they offer any basic combat training. How to dodge a swing, and return it, stuff like that. Besides, some exercise would do us good. Won't exactly be able to lift a greatsword without a bit of muscle, will we?
Post by: Putnam on June 12, 2013, 10:02:06 pm
No, but just because it's mentioned doesn't mean it is valid, either. TES Lore is an enigma.
It's also used to explain a few circumstances that are usually unexplainable otherwise.
Quote
And I seriously doubt that Nirn is the Matrix, as the popular CHIM theory goes (aka people realizing they're in a game get access to the construction set.)
Yeah, that's total bullshit. The "Matrix" thing, not what you're saying. It's about being a dream and blah-blah it's literally zen buddhism. It's realizing that boundaries are meaningless and all that jazz, with the twist that you still have to love yourself (and, thus, everything else because everything is you).
Post by: Jarod Cain on June 12, 2013, 11:26:15 pm
Posting to correct a couple misunderstandings:
Ok my bad, I had noticed that but it didn't click. Thanks.
I think overall my statement that we need to raise our stats overall with the intent of being able to survive in the wilds, stands.
-J-
Post by: WillowLuman on June 13, 2013, 12:09:27 am
I very much enjoy the Elder Scrolls series, but haven't had the pleasure of playing Morrowind to any significant degree. Still! I'll do things!
Assuming there's a fighter's guild in Balmora, head over there and see if they offer any basic combat training. How to dodge a swing, and return it, stuff like that. Besides, some exercise would do us good. Won't exactly be able to lift a greatsword without a bit of muscle, will we?
Oh they do offer basic training, but we don't have the cash.
Post by: LordBucket on June 13, 2013, 05:46:48 am
Quote
you died. That's valuable experience.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wait, what? I died? When?"
Quote
try to remember what happened before you died.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Just now? I don't remember dying. I came to the shop because one of you suggested I buy a staff. Didn't find one, but I picked up an axe and it felt...well, there was that sensation of deja vua. Just like when I left the Balmora--wait, Balmora? Did I die once before? Because if I've died before and you guys are only now telling me about it...that's not cool. Seriously not cool."
Quote
let's find out what Mike's goal is. Does he want to forget about his vague past, explore Vvardenfell, and become rich and
powerful? Or does he want to go home? Or both, trying to take his gains with him? What he decides is what we do.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Well, since we're on the subject, I think my preference would be not dying. Dying is scary. Even if I don't remember it. If I really did die like you guys say, I'm probably going to have to spend the rest of my life now wondering if I'm the real me or just a copy."
Quote
If we can preserve memories between lives, we can afford to take some more risks. If, also, this is our only save,
then we could get some kind of Majora's Mask loop going, see how far we can screw causality before someone notices.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "That's seriously creepy. You want me to deliberately die so that we can remember stuff from what will become the future after I hopefully come back to what we're assuming is a previous save? No thanks. There's a My Little Pony fanfic that uses that premise. Hard Reset. Twilight gets stuck in a time loop and dying is what sends her back to the beginning of the loop. Once she gets used to the idea she goes completely insane and starts doing things letting her friends get eaten by changelings because it doesn't matter and bashing her brains against walls out to die faster to get to the next loop...all sorts of crazy stuff. I don't want that to be me.
From a more practical point of view...I don't remember dying. Maybe you guys do, but answer me honestly: do you remember saving? Do you remember loading? Do you? Because if you don't, then you don't really know what happened, or why, do you? So...hypothetical question: what if, next time, the save happens after I die? And I then go off and get myself killed just because you people, all sitting safe and sound wherever you're beaming thoughts into my head from, decide on your own that it's worth your time for me to 'take more risks.' So I die, a save happens...and then what? Or what if it isn't a save/load mechanism at all? Remember what Vivec said about observing a bunch of realities? If you guys got me killed, how much you want to bet that somewhere out there there's a reality where I'm just dead? And now you're talking about 'taking risks' and having me die again just because there's some other reality out there where you didn't get me killed? Even if there are a million other mes in other realities, that doesn't mean I'm going to start casually killing them off just because it's convenient for me in this reality. That could take a nosedive real quick."
Quote
So Mike, what'll it be?
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I guess it comes down to two questions: can I go back home, and do I want to? I don't have an answer. What about you guys? If you were you the ones here in Morrowind, would you want to give up your life back home and stay here? Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't, but I bet it would depend a lot of the circumstances of your stay. For example, if Dagoth Ur wins and every living thing in Tamriel gets to either be a corprus monster or dead...I bet you'd probably rather go home. But on the other hand, if you could be rich and famous and powerful and cast spells and have your own castle and servants and a harem full of sexy dunmer chicks... even if you have it pretty nice at home, you might consider staying. That's about where I am. I don't know if my life that I kind of remember back home was great or not, but whether I want to give it up or not depend a lot on what my alternative is.
Honestly? Going home and spending three more years in college just to get a job and stuff doesn't sound that great compared to being a rich, famous, awesome, world-saving hero. But I'd much rather go home than end up as a corprus monster."
Quote
Lets try the Imperial Cult religion path. Or maybe the Tribunal one.
Quote
Decide if we want to join the Tribunal Temple
Quote
either the Imperial Cult or the Tribunal
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hmm. I have no strong opinions on that. Sounds like you guys don't either. Though I wonder at the theological implications. I mean, the Tribunal is Almalexia, Sotha Sil and Vivec, and the Temple worships them right? But I've already met Vivec. He seems like a decent guy. Patient, helpful...though maybe a bit too literal-minded. But having met a god, having chatted with him...how do you go from that to worshipping him? What about Almalexia? She goes crazy and aren't we supposed to kill her? What about Sotha Sil? He gets killed by Almalexia shortly before we kill her. Or whomever ends up being the Nerevarine kills her. They all die, except for Vivec who just kind of disappears, and Vivec admitted himself that he's mortal now, so he probably dies too. Even if I just pay lip service, it might be a bit odd being part of the religious group that worships beings I have this kind of knowledge of.
As for the Imperial cult, I'm not as familiar with the Aedra, but as I understand it they're daedra that were part of the original creation of the world, and by virtue of that...they're no longer available as discrete entities. For example, we can talk to Azura. We can talk to Sheogorath. I don't think we can talk to Kynareth or Mara. I guess in a way that makes them more 'god like' but at least Vivec, I know he's real.
I think I'd rather be a god than worship them. Back home that would have made me crazy, but here that's a real thing, right? All we have to do is do whatever Vivec and everyone did with the Heart of Lorkhan, right? Exactly what Dagoth Ur is doing now. You guys asked me earlier what I want? Well...becoming a god sounds pretty good to me. I know that we're supposed to destroy the Heart, but maybe we can find an alternative. And if we can, then probably Vivec won't need to die, and Almalexia won't go crazy, and with Vivec still living Baar Dau won't fall, and a whole massive chain of bad things might be avoidable. And even if it does still all go bad, being a god sounds pretty awesome doesn't it? Heh...I can see it now. Lessons with Michael, sermon 1: a virgin sacrifice a day keeps the angry god away, just skip the killing them part. Yeah, I could deal with that."
"Anyway, I think we have a lot to do between now and then, and a lot of questions to answer still."
Quote
I go back to my suggestions of going to Fort Darius
Quote
the Legion?
Quote
let's go try to join the legion.
Quote
Seriously, let's go up to the recruiter
Quote
Not that I'm still not supporting this idea, though, because maybe they will help us.
Quote
the Legion's always looking for new recruits.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ok. Fort Darius it is."
You head to the silt strider and...
(http://i.imgur.com/k6PPKdF.png)
Oh. That's going to be a problem. We need to go to Seyda Neen to get to Gnisis to get to Fort Darius. Well, one step at a time then: on to Seyda Neen.
(http://i.imgur.com/GKHpAH6.png)
By the time you arrive, it's morning, and Darvame greets you.
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "Hello, sera. Welcome back to Seyda Neen. Are you here to stay or just passing through?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Actually I was hoping to get to Fort Darius. You can take me to Gnisis, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/0TXYpH8.png)
Yeah, that's a problem. Wait...what was it the voices in your head were saying after you left Seyda Neen the first time?
Ascend the lighthouse, swipe the skill book inside, read it, then sell it at the merchant.
lighthouse
we could have looted the lighthouse.
Hmm. Ok. Better late than never, right?
(http://i.imgur.com/R0gDBwv.png)
Athletics skill is now 8
You head for the lighthouse, stopping by Fargoth's tree stump on the way. Still empty, just like last time you checked. As you approach the lighthouse you notice some mushrooms near the water and you stop for some quick gathering. Carefully taking only the useful part this time, you manage to scavenge 12 units worth of Luminous Rusella. You open the door to the lighthouse, but someone from inside yanks the door the rest of the way open before you finish opening it. There's a look of hope on her face, but once she sees that you're not whomever she expected you to be, her gaze sinks sullenly to the ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "Yes, outlander?"
It looks like she's been crying recently.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Oh. Hi. I'm just here to...ummm, enjoy the view. I figure Seyda Neen must be very scenic from up there."
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "Yes. It is pretty. I would show you, but...please excuse me. I've had some very bad news recently, and I'd really just like to be alone right now."
You silently nod, and head up the stairs to begin your looting spree.
(http://i.imgur.com/so6eABO.png)
Unfortunately, all you find is some bread on a piece of paper, a pewter mug, a bottle of greef, two barrels and a book titled "the Wraith's Wedding Dowry." You open up the book and read the first page. You don't feel any different. Shrugging, you continue looting, but both barrels are empty. You step outside the door and climb to the top of the lighthouse. You'd thought there was some extra loot out here, but all you find is a big bulky lantern that you decide to pass on. After taking a moment to admire the view, you return downstairs, say goodbye to the girl and head to Arille's tradehouse, idly wondering whether the girl you just robbed will remember you. Given the general intelligence of npcs so far, you wouldn't count on her forgetting about your visit.
Now, before we sell loot is there anything we need to do?
Quote
Turn off the cellphone.
Remember that: New reagent knowledge: saltrice [1]Restore endurance
Try saltrice, see if it does again
Retrieve walking stick.
Quote
Turn off phone
-Re-get walking stick
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Isn't saltrice restore health? Hmm. I guess it's easy enough to check."
You turn off your cellphone, grab a decently sized fallen branch from a nearby tree and pull the twigs off of it, then pull out your reagents and begin taste-testing.
New reagent knowledge: saltrice [1]Restore endurance
Huh. Ok, guess reagents are different. Since we're doing this, may as well check the kwama cuttle.
New reagent knowledge: kwama cuttle [1]Restore health
Healed 39/40 --> 40/40 health
Well, that's convenient. Now, what about the Luminous Russula?
New reagent knowledge: luminous russula [1]Paralysis
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "..."
Time passes.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "..."
More time passes. Until eventually,
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...ggggaahhh!"
Whew. Lucky you did that in town. Fortunately the effect passes, and after stretching a bit you feel good to go. You head to Arille's tradehouse.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi, Arille. I learned alchemy. How much will you give me for these 11 scrapes of Luminous Russula, this nice pewter mug, and a piece of paper?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "4 gold."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What, seriously? Will you do 5?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Sure."
That's not nearly enough. You hesitate, but decide to sell the book too.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "How much for this nice book? It's really great. Your customers will love it. It's also tells time, is magically enchanted to make you stronger, and it emits an odor that's a natural aphrodisiac, so that any woman who smells you will fall madly in love with you. Really. Oh, and it's a good story."
Mercantile skill is now 4
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "80 gold."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Will you do 82?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Sure."
That helps, but it's not going to last long. Sooner or later you're really going to need to find a more permanent solution to this money problem. Picking up random stuff and selling it isn't going to work forever. ...actually, since gold is a problem and since you're at the tradehouse anyway, you may as well talk to Hrisskar upstairs. Thing is, though...you're pretty sure one of the people upstairs is a Blades spy, and his whole reason for being here is to keep an eye on people passing through Seyda Neen. You're not sure you want Caius to know about you just yet. But on the other hand, you're dressed inconspicuously, and you kind of really need the money. So you go upstairs and talk to Hrisskar.
(http://i.imgur.com/ejJRGpc.png): "You look like you could use a friend, outlander. Perhaps I can be your friend. I'd like you to help me recover some gold."
Wow. That's remarkably straightforward.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You have my ears, friend. Gold, you say?"
(http://i.imgur.com/0gg4up0.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Absolutely. That sounds great."
(http://i.imgur.com/ejJRGpc.png): "Excellent. I'm not sure where he goes, but I know he wanders around at night. The best view is from the lighthouse. Climb the top and watch him. I'm sure that way you'll be able to find where he's hiding his gold."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Out of curiosity, if you know all this, why are you telling me rather than simply watching him yourself?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ejJRGpc.png): "I'm a Nord. This is a bar. I have some important drinking to do."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Also, what's stopping me from just taking the loot and leaving town?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ejJRGpc.png): "Let's be friends, outlander. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I see. Well, I'm not promising anything. There are plenty of places he could be hiding his money that I wouldn't be able to see from the lighthouse. Or maybe he's just poorer than you think. But if I find anything, I'll let you know."
Hrisskar goes back to his drinking and you immediately head outside and check the stump again. Still nothing. It's possible you need to actually wait for dark like Hrisskar says. Come to think of it, even in-game there was nothing in the stump until Fargoth went to hide his things there. This quest is only like 100 gold. That's a lot of money right now, but do you really want to just stand around waiting until nightfall?
(http://i.imgur.com/wdMl6V8.png)
Yeah, you're not doing that. Odds re decent you'll end up heading back this way later anyway. If it's dark, you can check the stump then. You head back to the silt strider.
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "Hello again. All ready?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Yes."
A few Morrowind-hours pass, and you arrive in Gnisis. It's nice to have blue skies. It was awfully dreary for a while there.
(http://i.imgur.com/VE7TegP.png)
You ask the Gnisis strider driver for directions to the Fort and he points you towards the center of the city and says to turn right. You head in that direction.
(http://i.imgur.com/6iE6ya5.png)
...oh, there's a familiar sight. That's the entrance to Arvs Drelen. Baladas Demnevanni lives here. You consider that for a moment, trying to think of some way to benefit from talking to him, but nothing comes immediately to mind. Also, there's at least one hostile rat, and possibly a daedroth that you'd have to get past in order to see him. The daedroth is non-hostile in-game, but...still kind of scary thinking about simply walking past a demon with teeth the size of your fingers. You also don't remember if any of the doors are locked, but figure they probably are.
When you reach the middle of town you see the Imperial-style castle architecture of the fort, and immediately go inside.
(http://i.imgur.com/ekDekqh.png)
Funny thing though...seems like everyone here is an orc. The stench is...well, it's actually not awful. But it's definitely different. You know it's the smell of sweat, but it doesn't quite smell like you remember sweat smelling. Eventually you give up and ask one of the orcs for directions.
(http://i.imgur.com/ORTF2JM.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Excuse me, I'm looking for-"
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "A good time? You've come to the right place."
The orc...you're think it's a she...is looking you up and down and licking her tusks. For an uncomfortble moment, part of you suspects it might be because she's hungry and thinks you look edible.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Actually, I'm looking for General Darius."
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "What for? He's not into little boys like you."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...I'd like to join the Legion."
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "Oh? Good. We need more...meat around here."
On second thought, maybe her thinking you look delicious wouldn't be so bad. Time to get out of here.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You know what, I think I'll just find him on my own. Thanks."
You hastily leave the orc barracks, and remember that there are two barracks in town...one for imperials, one for orcs. Something about tension between the two. Why the orcs got the imperial-style building and the imperials got the dunmer-style building, you never quite figured out. Walking to the other barracks, it doesn't take you long to flag down an actual imperial, imperial guard.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Well met, citizen."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hello. I'd like to speak with General Darius."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Regarding?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I'd like to join the Legion."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Ahh. Come with me."
The legionnaire leads you away from the barracks and back towards the center of town. Oh, that's right. The General himself isn't in the fort at all. He's downstairs in the Gnisis tradehouse...for reasons that you don't think were ever explained. Although your recent conversation with an orc gives you some fuel for speculation. Anyway, all the extra running around is good training, and eventually you manage to talk to General Darius, who is pacing the room while reading over some paperwork.
Acrobatics is now 16
Athletics is now 9
(http://i.imgur.com/uWkUZrC.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "New recruit for you, sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Oh? Very good. Thank you trooper. Dismissed."
The patrolman leaves, and the general walks over to looks you over.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "So, you'd like to join the Imperial Legion?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Maybe, sir. I was hoping you could tell me a little more about it."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Best career decision a young man like yourself could make. Trust me. I know. We'll train you to fight, put some meat on your bones, equip you with high-quality imperial armor, and on top of all that we'll pay you 100 septims a month and give you one square meal every week."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "That sounds really good. How do we start?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "First off, recruit, you'll be put through a training regiment to put some meat on you. I don't think I've ever seen an applicant as skinny as you. Standard induction is four weeks, during which you learn proper command etiquette, how to march, the basics of weapon and armor use, and the like. After basic, you'll be assigned a patrol. We follow a five days on, two days off rotation. Pay and rations begin accumulating at the end of your first successful patrol week, and can be requisitioned from your assigned quartermaster. Standard patrol assignment lasts one month, after which you'll be reassigned to a new patrol based on seniority. Enlistment is for one year, with the option to renew at year-end."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wait, so you're saying that if I join the legion, I'll seriously be patrolling roads and things for 5 days a week for the next year?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "This is the Legion, son. What did you expect? We're our Emperor's army, but this is peacetime, and when we're not on the march we serve primarily as a garrison force and to keep the citizenry safe. Morrowind is a quiet province. Most of your foes will be cliff racers, guar, and the occasional criminal. It's also our responsibility to protect trade and local government functions, so we do maintain a full platoon in Ebonheart to provide security for the Duke and the East Empire Company. But that's a highly desired post. A new recruit like yourself is most likely to be assigned fortress duty here in Gnisis."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Really? I had a...friend, he was in the Legion and the way he described it, he pretty did his own thing, but would come to the fort from time to time to be assigned missions, which he then did on his own time in his own way."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Probably either an officer on detached duty or an operative. That kind of assignment is extremely rare, but it does happen occasionally that highly decorated officers will be assigned to combat specific threats: cults, vampires, etc. So how about it, son? Are you ready to join the Imperial Legion?"
Quote
start looking for quests for Mike.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Do you have anything more quest-like?"
The General frowns and raises one eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "You fancy yourself an adventurer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Well, I was thinking about getting into that line of work, yes."
He shrugs dismissively and goes back to looking at paperwork.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Champion Larrius Varro at Fort Moonmoth keeps sending me reports about a road bandit near Hla Oad. There's a 100 gold bounty on his head. But honestly son, I've seen your type before. Bought yourself a little poker and funny hat and think you can take on the world. If you go out and try to stop that outlaw, you're going to get yourself killed. My advice is to join the legion, let us make a man out of you, teach you how to fight and how to not get killed, and then after a year you can hunt down outlaws."
Spoiler: stats (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Supercharazad on June 13, 2013, 05:58:06 am
Post by: Funk on June 13, 2013, 07:30:27 am
we still get 2 days to spend doing our own thing.
Post by: Kanil on June 13, 2013, 08:47:48 am
Getting money for the scrolls might be tricky, but the guards don't seem to mind you rummaging through the crates scattered throughout Balmora, and that can yield a decent amount of potions and other valuables. The biggest concern would be dying, of course. It's pretty easy to use three scrolls in rapid succession when time freezes while you rummage around your pack... I suspect that won't happen here. Maybe hold them all in one hand and shout "Crush your enemies!" three times fast? How's your aim?
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 13, 2013, 09:17:58 am
Post by: Iituem on June 13, 2013, 09:43:40 am
If we want to stop her, we need to move fast. I suggest trying to get the drop on that bandit, but we might need a cunning plan to make it happen. Can anyone think of a way to swing the odds in our favour killing him?
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 13, 2013, 11:31:49 am
Post by: Man of Paper on June 13, 2013, 12:18:59 pm
Plus we can use the time to familiarize ourselves with the mechanics of MorrowReal as well as make some allies that could possibly travel with us once we're out of the Legion.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 13, 2013, 01:47:35 pm
Hell no to joining the legion. Do you have any idea how badly the PC could screw up Morrowind in that time? Michael made a promise to Vivec to try to save and protect Morrowind, and the only threat more dangerous than Dagoth Ur is the would-be Nerevarine. We need to figure out another way of making money quickly so that we can afford private trainers, because the PC has dozens of advantages against us anyway. It seems to be the case that she is still working under video-game rules, which means she's having a much easier time of it.
If we want to stop her, we need to move fast. I suggest trying to get the drop on that bandit, but we might need a cunning plan to make it happen. Can anyone think of a way to swing the odds in our favour killing him?
The PC will kill us if we attempt to do anything whatsoever to them.
However, I do feel that we may want to be ready to jump into action. We can't become a god if the Nerevarine destroys the Heart of Lorkhan.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 13, 2013, 01:54:48 pm
Does anyone remember how much of a fight this bandit was? Could we conceivably spend some money on scrolls and take him out pretty safely with magic? Was he far from town?
At the very least, I think it would be a good opportunity to try and legitimately talk our way through a problem that only has a violent solution in morrowind. And then blast him when it goes south.
Also, next time we are back in Seyda Neen, actually ask the lighthouse lady what's wrong and if we can help. I still think our biggest potential advantage over the PC is being able to possibly accrue allies.
Plus any progress from joining the imperial legion is likely to be lost at the next reload - we need to use every opportunity to learn more (without getting killed)
Post by: Supercharazad on June 13, 2013, 01:58:07 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 13, 2013, 02:20:58 pm
Quote
I think I'd rather be a god than worship them. Back home that would have made me crazy, but here that's a real thing, right?
oh HELL yes. The problem is that one such as Michael here isn't likely to become a god, hehe.
Spoiler: Becoming a god: a tutorial (click to show/hide)
Yeah, hehe, let's go with the imperial legion.
Also, why is everybody under the opinion that the Nerevarine is psychotic? Just because a player character holds a knife everywhere she goes and steals everything she can get her hands on doesn't mean she's psychotic; heck, that's pretty normal behavior. But, I guess we should consider the worst case.
Post by: Sensei on June 13, 2013, 02:25:34 pm
If there's multiple PC's running through Morrowind like a theme park then it probably wouldn't hurt us to spend a year in the guard. If there's any need for us to intervene though... I'd rather not get charged with dereliction of duty for running off when it gets urgent.
As for becoming a god? Most people who achieve godhood in the elder scrolls universe are not happy.
*(I'm still not sure there's only one PC)
Post by: Putnam on June 13, 2013, 02:31:07 pm
As for becoming a god? Most people who achieve godhood in the elder scrolls universe are not happy.
Well, most of them are insane, and in a bad way; besides, most of them were gods from their creation (E.G Pelinal Whitestrake).
Oh, yeah, forgot to mention: there are the 6 ways to become a god, then there's Amaranth, which is above all of those and the level past godhood.
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 13, 2013, 03:56:33 pm
Not sure how spending a bunch of money on magic scrolls to kill him would benefit, I doubt the bandit is actually carrying anything worthwhile. Otherwise you'll need to train and spend a bunch of money and time to be able to possibly challenge him. Not time you have in the universe you're working in.
Should really be focusing on magic training and the mathematical connection, along with alchemy. All this spending time wandering looking for 'ways to power up' will not serve well in the end if the PC-Whatever-It-is is just a cheater with max stats. You'd need to meta-win in order to change anything, which does not involve doing fetch jobs and bandit bounty quests in my opinion. Michael needs to learn how things work before dumping time and effort into such things. Especially the 'deja vu'.
For all we know doing the quest, powering up, and such will be reverted as soon as the deja vu happens. Internal character changes might be much more powerful long term.
I really, really think long-term alliance with Legion is a bad idea. They will treat you like a slave and an errand boy unless you are a real mercenary, which our character is not. Enlisting would be a waste of time spent on other things.
Post by: Iituem on June 13, 2013, 04:41:51 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 13, 2013, 04:58:11 pm
So, counter-suggestion: Spend our time getting magical and alchemical training - see if we can't steal ourselves a set of alchemy tools to get ourselves started. Magic is very likely to be a quicker path to lethal efficiency for us than physical training and, well, I want to know how the magic system works in Morrowreal. :B
Yeah, using magic is also a good idea, I just think that we'll want to at the very least not be such a pasty nerd in a world of big burly nords and orcs and all that.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 13, 2013, 05:11:28 pm
QuoteI think I'd rather be a god than worship them. Back home that would have made me crazy, but here that's a real thing, right?
oh HELL yes. The problem is that one such as Michael here isn't likely to become a god, hehe.Spoiler: Becoming a god: a tutorial (click to show/hide)
Mantling is also, IIRC, the reason the PC is the Nerevarine. Just thought I'd add that tidbit.
Additionally, while not quite godhood, there's Corprus, which appears to be Dagoth Ur's attempt to 'spread the wealth'. Corprus was supposed to provide eternal longevity, bodily health, and spiritual advancement. However it seems to fail a lot and turn people into zombies, turns you into a Silent Hill-looking elephant man if it succeeds, and the only remedy for it (Divayth Fyr's 'cure') removes the bad effects while retaining the good stuff but also apparently straight-up kills everyone except the Nerevarine.
As for the Legion, it could be a problem. We'd be stationed somewhere, for one thing. Presumably for a year. Even if we had weekends off, we'd be getting game weekends off, which means we'd have to get any business done in maybe an hour and get back to report in. And patrolling means we probably would end up having to fight things we're not prepared for. An early blighted Cliff Racer could ruin our day. And we could run into one because a) we aren't tied to the leveled monster lists and could just run into whatever whenever, or b) the leveled lists apply, but the Nerevarine's level is what they run off of, and she'll be leveling while we patrol.
On the pro side, it gives us free armor and training that should help Mike survive, and we'll almost certainly get attacked by something even if we don't join the Legion.
As for the bandit, we're not ready to take him head-on. Mictlantecuhtli's idea to talk to the guy is interesting, but even if Darius accepts our word for it (maybe he checks and sees the bridge empty) I think it will result in the bandit killing us, taking the whole bounty, and scarpering. Or we could not bring him his share of the bounty, in which case we have an angry bandit who either hunts us down or goes back to robbing travelers on that bridge and gets the Legion pissed at us for conning them out of the bounty money.
Now maybe we could find where he's camped, sneak in, and poison his cookpot or something? That'd need Sneak practice, and probably a fair amount of Alchemy, but I think it might be doable.
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 13, 2013, 05:19:52 pm
As for the bandit, we're not ready to take him head-on. Mictlantecuhtli's idea to talk to the guy is interesting, but even if Darius accepts our word for it (maybe he checks and sees the bridge empty) I think it will result in the bandit killing us, taking the whole bounty, and scarpering. Or we could not bring him his share of the bounty, in which case we have an angry bandit who either hunts us down or goes back to robbing travelers on that bridge and gets the Legion pissed at us for conning them out of the bounty money.
You don't bring the whole bounty. You bring 50 gold, tell the bandit there's a bounty of 100 gold on his head posted in town by the Legion. He dies by the Legion's hand or leaves his [likely, this is where speechcraft and such comes into play] dried up path of revenue. Explain how he's probably gotten what he can as the rumor is there's a powerful raider stealing things from people and people are avoiding the path for another, appeal to his sense of ego and self worth, what bandits likely have. For all we know he'd be damn impressed a Legion recruit comes to him with such intrigue, and be grateful for an easier path out and pre-knowledge of the bounty on him. We might be able to make actual allies in this version, you know.
Timely and easy completion makes us spend less time on the questy questy and more on the finding out how things work. Once again: The "Deja vu" could simply reset us to before the quest was completed, and then why did we even bother instead of trying to find out the circumstances and effects of the metaphysics?
Post by: Putnam on June 13, 2013, 05:21:45 pm
Mantling is also, IIRC, the reason the PC is the Nerevarine. Just thought I'd add that tidbit.
Oh, hehe, right. That's kind of what "-ine" means.
Anyway, I would NOT go for the bandit. That's a baaaaad idea. We, as we are, are completely unfit for adventuring.
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 13, 2013, 05:23:37 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 13, 2013, 05:25:03 pm
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 13, 2013, 05:27:34 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 13, 2013, 05:28:08 pm
We have a knife.
Well, a tanto. It's more of a very short sword than anything.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 13, 2013, 05:34:28 pm
Mict, the point of the scroll wasn't REALLY to kill him - it was as a fall back plan. I think have a one use "oh fuck kill it" would be a great idea even for just generally traveling around in our current state. If we can talk to the bandit instead of blowing him up, all the better!
Also, someone should actually load the game up and check this bandit guy out. How likely is us to kill him in a few hits? Could we outrun him? Is he incredibly durable, or could we afford a spell that would likely one-shot him? Does he have a ranged weapon? If not, and the spell COULD one-shot him, we might be able to use it as a bargaining tool if things turn sour.
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 13, 2013, 05:41:02 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I'm just trying to think outside of the box, here. We can't be so hung up on simple roadbumps like this and think on feet, it's not Morrowind where we need to go grind to level up [non primary skills!! Wait, what happens if Michael levels up? Can he?] and be worth something.
Michael's got a very solid base in the world's magic [mathematics] so he could, in theory, with little effort become a Mega Magus. Other paths should be secondary only. Meta knowledge and magic will serve Michael much better than money and dying randomly because you guys make him work out and bumrush things.
There's the whole PC being 10 steps ahead of us that worries me, if that weren't there, I'd be all about letting this play out like a normal game. Quick route is appealing to bandit's banditry, offering him half the bounty to bail and not get killed by other Legion recruits. Then back to town to find some alchemical equipment that is easy to steal.
Post by: LordBucket on June 13, 2013, 05:44:58 pm
Post by: birdy51 on June 13, 2013, 05:47:18 pm
Post by: Iituem on June 13, 2013, 05:53:30 pm
+1 Training Magic, Diplomacy (convince to leave) or Guile (poison) with bandit.
-1 Joining the Legion and letting the PC's head start get even greater.
Post by: Aseaheru on June 13, 2013, 05:54:39 pm
Also, the legion sounds good.
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 13, 2013, 05:59:05 pm
I think we should ask around to see if anyone who only knows the basics of magic is willing to teach us the basics for manual labor (or the funds we could get from what we have).
Post by: LordBucket on June 13, 2013, 10:41:47 pm
Spoiler: Lengthy suggestion tally (click to show/hide)
Episode 20: Travel to Pelgiad, Interupted
Quote
join the legion
Quote
don't join the legion
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Sounds like you guys are really divided on this. I could go either way. I guess a majority are saying to do it, but I'm hesitant to do something with that many people advising against it. Ok, how about this: those of you who say to not join the legion, what would you suggest I do instead?"
Quote
buy some magical scrolls and kill wealthy people no one will miss.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I don't have the money to do that."
Quote
there's about 7 Telvanni outside Tel Branora that Therana (or rather, her lackey) will pay you good money to eliminate.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wait...last time I fought ONE opponent, I died. And you're suggesting I take on 7 at once? And you want to me to do this in hopes that I'll get a reward for it from Therana, the insane Telvanni mage-lord who hates men and has trick quests that kill you if you do them as described? Uhh...think I'll pass."
Quote
figure out another way of making money quickly
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "That sounds like a good idea. What do you suggest?"
Quote
I suggest trying to get the drop on that bandit
Quote
I would NOT go for the bandit
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...ok, sounds like no consensus on the bandit idea. Plus, Hla Oad is almost all the way back to Seyda Neen, and we'd need to go to Fort Moonmoth to turn it in. The bounty's only 100 gold, we'd pay probably half that much for silt strider travel, and I crossing that ground on foot to save money is likely to get me killed. Any other ideas?"
Quote
alchemical training
Quote
and alchemical training
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ok, but I still don't have any alchemy tools. Somebody suggested borrowing Ajira's earlier, but I don't see that happening. I'm not a member of the guild, and Ajira was watching when I first showed up in Balmora escorted by two Ordinators, and also when the guide guild accused me of being a stalker. I don't see her going out of her way to do me any favors."
Quote
see if we can't steal ourselves a set of alchemy tools to get ourselves started.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Sure, that sounds reasonable. The Caldera mage guild has a full set that'scompletely unguarded. But we know that dunmer girl we're guessing is a PC sold Nalcarya a bunch of potions...and if I were to guess, I'd guess that the Caldera set is probably what she used. The arena canton in Vivec has a couple assorted pieces in a storeroom, but I'd have to deal with at least one giant rat to get to them, and possibly two rats plus a locked door. Caius has a skooma pipe that be used as an alembic, but that's a low quality piece and I'd have to deal with Caius to get to it. The Ald'ruhn mage guild has a full set...but it's behind a locked door with a nasty magic trap on it. Worst case, if I can get a little money together, there are merchants in Balmora, Sadrith Mora and a few other places that sell the basic apprentice pieces for under 100 gold each."
Quote
Should really be focusing on magic training
Quote
Yeah, using magic is also a good idea
Quote
Training magic seems to be one thing that seems fairly consistent. We can start there.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I could go to Pelagiad and talk to Ranis' friend, but she said it would probably cost a couple thousand septims for training. I have 44, and it will probably take most of that just to get there. But at the very least I can talk to the guy, show him my letter of introduction from Ranis and see what he says. Whether or not we can actually make a deal right away, we should at least be able to find out if the offer is good. Does that work for everyone? Yes? Ok. Fastest way to Pelagiad from here is to walk from Seyda Neen."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "So what will it be, son? Join the legion and make something of yourself, or set out on your own and die a fool's death?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I think I'll go with option C. Thanks for the offer...and I'll consider it. But this isn't quite what I expected."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "It's your loss and mine both. If you change your mind, the legion is always recruiting."
You head back to the silt strider.
(http://i.imgur.com/DwKmFNX.png)
Ok, yeah, you really need to solve the money problem at some point. Fortunately you have exactly enough money to get you to Seyda Neen, and since there's no travel service to Pelagiad you were planning to walk the rest of the trip anyway. You hand over the last of your gold and ride to Seyda Neen. It's dark again by the time you arrive.
Quote
Also, next time we are back in Seyda Neen, actually ask the
lighthouse lady what's wrong and if we can help.
(http://i.imgur.com/F4mTJyA.png)
Passing by a guard carrying a torch on the way, you head back to the lighthouse and knock. The distraught girl you saw earlier answers. She's an even worse mess than before. Her hair is tangled, her face red, and she's obviously been crying heavily. But as soon as she sees you her eyes go from teary to furious.
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "You! You miserable thief! How dare you come back!"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...ummm, I..."
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "Guards! Guard! Help! Thief!"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wait! No, I...umm...can't we talk about this?"
Unsure whether to run or try to talk her down, she gets in your face and physically pushes you back with her forward momentum while she continues screaming at you. You begin seriously considering jumping into the water to escape when the guard you passed a moment ago comes running up the wooden platform leading to the lighthouse.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "What seems to be the trouble?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "This miserable fetcher was here not 12 hours ago. He stole my book! It was a gift from...from...Processus..."
She collapses to the ground in tears. Fear strikes you. How could you have forgotten? This girl is the taxman's girlfriend. She was upset earlier because her boyfriend was murdered and his body found outside of town. It was a quest that you considered doing, but kind of glossed over.
check in with the census office and see if tax-dude is missing
anything you can do might reveal if or if not tax-guy's still unfound, and if he is still missing,
then Seyda Neen's probably mostly untouched and we should probably loot what's relatively moral to loot.
...yeah. That one.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Hand over your bag, please."
You hand your backpack over to the guard and stand there uncomfortably while he goes through it. To his credit he passes over your Rainbow Dash t-shirt without comment. But your heart stops for a moment when he opens up the small pouch of your backpack. The part that still has the bottle of greef that you stole earlier. To your mild surprise he passes over it without notice, finishes searching your bag then returns it to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "This man does match the description that was provided to me earlier, but I find no stolen contraband on him. Did you personally witness the theft?."
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "No, I didn't...personally see it...but it HAD to have been him. He's the only person who's been in here all day! The book was right where I left it this morning, that CRIMINAL came through, and I went upstairs minutes after he left and it was gone!"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I'm sorry, miss. Without an eyewitness, and no sign of the stolen merchandise, there's nothing I can do." He turns to you. "You're free to go."
Then he walks off. Thavere just sits on the ground in a miserable heap, crying on herself. You feel really bad. The fact is...you did steal her book. You stole several of her things, including the greef that you still have. You're not entirely sure why the guard didn't identify it as stolen. Maybe he had no way to know. Maybe the girl only reported the book as stolen. Maybe not everything from the pile was flagged as belonging to her. Maybe...something else. Who knows? Your thoughts are interrupted as Thavere stands up. Sort of. She's cradling herself with her arms and refuses to look into your eyes but you can hear her well enough through her sobs.
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "...please."
It takes her a moment to continue. You wait.
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "...I just...need to know. Please...what did you do with the book? Where is it? I won't tell the guards. I promise. Just please...it's the last thing I have of his....all I have...to remember him. Please."
Spoiler: stats (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Iituem on June 13, 2013, 10:52:59 pm
I suppose on a quick money front, since we're pretty used to larceny by now, we could always look into joining the thieves' guild. There's someone in town we could tacitly approach, isn't there? They could at least give us the training to work as a free agent, and we know they pay for jobs.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 13, 2013, 10:54:01 pm
Post by: Sensei on June 13, 2013, 11:48:41 pm
Say, since we're in town, we should check up on the guy with the scrolls of Icarian Flight, if the PC didn't grab them already.
Post by: Jarod Cain on June 14, 2013, 12:00:58 am
If we do decide to try to go after the book, we should see about getting some kind of idea on how good we are at sneaking. But for now we had a letter of introduction and a conversation to have so we should go do that first, but sneak or way over rather than the standard run-jump.
-J-
Post by: WillowLuman on June 14, 2013, 12:31:57 am
First of all, apologize profusely. Tell her you did it out of desperation, and that if you could do anything to make it up to her, you would do it. Of course, only once the guard is out of earshot. Wouldn't want to get arrested because you confessed, would you?
Yes. And we should apprehend the murderer and get the reward, seeing as he's just a poor dunmer, no connections or friends in high places, no weapons or armor even. He'd beat us in a fist fight no doubt, but we could have the guard wait outside. Remember: he lives in a shack, so he'd hear us through the walls. DO NOT plan with the guards right outside his house. Other voices, help me flesh out this plan.
Steal the book back (or find a way to buy it back) and return it anonymously. Damned attack of conscience.
I suppose on a quick money front, since we're pretty used to larceny by now, we could always look into joining the thieves' guild. There's someone in town we could tacitly approach, isn't there? They could at least give us the training to work as a free agent, and we know they pay for jobs.
No. We'd wind up either put away for a long, long time, our already meager strength withering, or we'd wind up a penniless, weakling low-life, with a recorded rap-sheet. If larceny went wrong, we'd be permanently stuck in the gutter. And on top of that, we'd be automatic enemies with the Camona Tong.
Post by: Kanil on June 14, 2013, 02:44:17 am
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wait...last time I fought ONE opponent, I died. And you're suggesting I take on 7 at once? And you want to me to do this in hopes that I'll get a reward for it from Therana, the insane Telvanni mage-lord who hates men and has trick quests that kill you if you do them as described? Uhh...think I'll pass."You, the man who goaded an enforcer of the Camonna Tong into attacking you, hoping that the scraps of cloth you have wrapped around your torso would stop him from plunging his axe into your chest, you are calling me crazy? Hah! I think your hat may be a bit too tight.
Assisting this woman is unlikely to be rewarding, but might ease your conscience. I'll leave that up to you to decide.
You might be able to collect the bounty on the man who killed Processus, but you'd need a plan on how to bring the murderer to justice. If he's hidden the weapon used to kill Processus, then he might be unarmed and your tanto could perhaps give you an edge. If not...
Post by: Nivim on June 14, 2013, 05:57:34 am
0. Make sure the guard is gone, and then apologize with all the heart-bleeding-feeling you've just experienced.
1. Tell her that you cannot get the book back now, but you might be able to get something else she lost (look foggy at this moment, like you've had a sight from the Nine Divines, as they say), if she tells you which "he" went missing. This will trigger the part of the quest normally gained through rumor.
2. Go find the body, and grab the money. You know where it is, and you can move fast...if of course it's still there. The murder is obviously unsolved, but the body could easily have been found and dealt with, and she'll tell you. Regardless, stop jumping to save energy for running.
3-1. If you gained corpse money/information, report to the effective police officer of this town about the murder, give him the taxes, and say that you are going to go investigate immediately.
3-2. If you learned 2 is already done, tell her that you will start investigating immediately to find her ring, then make those words the truth.
4. You already know who did it, but you should collect the information to make sure it's the same person this time. Also, not mixing up events.
5. Quietly and swiftly get a guard for the murderer, talk to them alone with the door ajar, in an attempt to get them to serve time instead of dieing needlessly. Let the guard do the fighting if they get violent, but help if you can. Make sure to get that ring.
6. Return the ring to Thavere, asking her if it will at all make up for what you took from her. You will mean it, too; why do these people have to be so much more gripping when they're right there in person?
This should be a speechcraft training quest.
Wait...last time I fought ONE opponent, I died. And you're suggesting I take on 7 at once?Yep, looks like he has his memory back after all the mind-gabbing. His other selves experienced continuity, so he did too.
Micheal's Q&A Session; For When He Has A Moment:
Micheal: Wait, what? I died? When?Specifically, we saw you go after the Comonna Tong guy on that murder investigation quest. Not sure if that answers "when".
Micheal: Just now? I don't remember dying.Judging by your later response, I think you do. Does increasing layers of déjà vu like this bother you?
Micheal: Just like when I left the Balmora--wait, Balmora? Did I die once before? Because if I've died before and you guys are only now telling me about it...that's not cool. Seriously not cool.Eh, sorry, but we voices didn't have any continuity that time; we just saw the déjà vu and quickly figured it was a save-restore thing. That fact, the memory-absence, would actually imply you didn't die that time, simply because dieing could be one of the reasons we saw it this time.
Micheal: If I really did die like you guys say, I'm probably going to have to spend the rest of my life now wondering if I'm the real me or just a copy.Not an answer to a question, but I'm now completely certain you've read more interesting and uncommon FiM fiction than you've let on. There's too much sarcasm here for that not to be the case.
Micheal: Maybe you guys do, but answer me honestly: do you remember saving? Do you remember loading? Do you?No! =D You were in the middle of a thought (while dead) and it just happened.
Micheal: Because if you don't, then you don't really know what happened, or why, do you?We sorta do, it was probably the PC loading the save again; or in other words, your head-voices have many different levels of clue.
Micheal: Even if there are a million other mes in other realities, that doesn't mean I'm going to start casually killing them off just because it's convenient for me in this reality.Also not for a question, but; good job Micheal, applying intelligence and moral fiber to save your life in the face of insanity.
Micheal: If you were you the ones here in Morrowind, would you want to give up your life back home and stay here?Given both worlds have equivalent sentients, where could I do the most good? I could take a lot more torment if it meant my result would be greater...fighting factors are the relatively low population of Tamriel, versus the chance I could do things for Tamrielians no one else there could (where with the larger population of beneficiaries, I'm replaceable)... sorry if this makes your answer sound worse, but maybe you just didn't remember because of the previous moment?
Micheal: But having met a god, having chatted with him...how do you go from that to worshipping him?Awkwardly and foolishly.
Micheal: Back home that would have made me crazy, but here that's a real thing, right?Sorta. There isn't any such thing as true godhood; everyone can die eventually— somehow—, and every power has some kind of limit that defines it.
Micheal: All we have to do is do whatever Vivec and everyone did with the Heart of Lorkhan, right?This makes us reliant on the heart, the heart of a god of mortality, and all those that have done so are "false gods", so apparently that's not all we have to do.
Micheal: Exactly what Dagoth Ur is doing now.:[
Micheal: And even if it does still all go bad, being a god sounds pretty awesome doesn't it?Not to me, not anymore. Most versions of "a god" throughout fiction tend to have very large sacrifices or strings attached, such as losing all agency to your followers, being turned into what your followers think you are, destroying or corrupting something more valuable to get your power, or just going to a heaven-like-thing and losing any interest-ability to help anyone else. So the process of becoming a god generally doesn't take much deviation to turn out extremely badly.
But at the very least I can talk to the guy, show him my letter of introduction from Ranis and see what he says. Whether or not we can actually make a deal right away, we should at least be able to find out if the offer is good. Does that work for everyone? Yes? Ok. Fastest way to Pelagiad from here is to walk from Seyda Neen."[/i]Yes. Please continue after we have wrapped up stuff in Seyda Neen. Oh, and speaking of, we should climb up the stumps right outside the lighthouse for goodies. Did you ever find that goody, Micheal? You didn't seem to recall it. Perhaps collect some reagents and kill and mudcrab while we're at it.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 14, 2013, 11:57:42 am
Quote
Guys! We do not need the book for this; she wants to remember him, and the ring is the way to do it. Here is what we are going to do;
0. Make sure the guard is gone, and then apologize with all the heart-bleeding-feeling you've just experienced.
1. Tell her that you cannot get the book back now, but you might be able to get something else she lost (look foggy at this moment, like you've had a sight from the Nine Divines, as they say), if she tells you which "he" went missing. This will trigger the part of the quest normally gained through rumor.
2. Go find the body, and grab the money. You know where it is, and you can move fast...if of course it's still there. The murder is obviously unsolved, but the body could easily have been found and dealt with, and she'll tell you. Regardless, stop jumping to save energy for running.
3-1. If you gained corpse money/information, report to the effective police officer of this town about the murder, give him the taxes, and say that you are going to go investigate immediately.
3-2. If you learned 2 is already done, tell her that you will start investigating immediately to find her ring, then make those words the truth.
4. You already know who did it, but you should collect the information to make sure it's the same person this time. Also, not mixing up events.
5. Quietly and swiftly get a guard for the murderer, talk to them alone with the door ajar, in an attempt to get them to serve time instead of dieing needlessly. Let the guard do the fighting if they get violent, but help if you can. Make sure to get that ring.
6. Return the ring to Thavere, asking her if it will at all make up for what you took from her. You will mean it, too; why do these people have to be so much more gripping when they're right there in person?
I support this plan. We need to stop hopping around and actually DO something, and this sounds like a real, well-thought-out thing to do.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 14, 2013, 11:58:10 am
QuoteGuys! We do not need the book for this; she wants to remember him, and the ring is the way to do it. Here is what we are going to do;
0. Make sure the guard is gone, and then apologize with all the heart-bleeding-feeling you've just experienced.
1. Tell her that you cannot get the book back now, but you might be able to get something else she lost (look foggy at this moment, like you've had a sight from the Nine Divines, as they say), if she tells you which "he" went missing. This will trigger the part of the quest normally gained through rumor.
2. Go find the body, and grab the money. You know where it is, and you can move fast...if of course it's still there. The murder is obviously unsolved, but the body could easily have been found and dealt with, and she'll tell you. Regardless, stop jumping to save energy for running.
3-1. If you gained corpse money/information, report to the effective police officer of this town about the murder, give him the taxes, and say that you are going to go investigate immediately.
3-2. If you learned 2 is already done, tell her that you will start investigating immediately to find her ring, then make those words the truth.
4. You already know who did it, but you should collect the information to make sure it's the same person this time. Also, not mixing up events.
5. Quietly and swiftly get a guard for the murderer, talk to them alone with the door ajar, in an attempt to get them to serve time instead of dieing needlessly. Let the guard do the fighting if they get violent, but help if you can. Make sure to get that ring.
6. Return the ring to Thavere, asking her if it will at all make up for what you took from her. You will mean it, too; why do these people have to be so much more gripping when they're right there in person?
I support this plan. We need to stop hopping around and actually DO something, and this sounds like a real, well-thought-out thing to do.
+1
Post by: Iituem on June 14, 2013, 12:58:08 pm
QuoteGuys! We do not need the book for this; she wants to remember him, and the ring is the way to do it. Here is what we are going to do;
0. Make sure the guard is gone, and then apologize with all the heart-bleeding-feeling you've just experienced.
1. Tell her that you cannot get the book back now, but you might be able to get something else she lost (look foggy at this moment, like you've had a sight from the Nine Divines, as they say), if she tells you which "he" went missing. This will trigger the part of the quest normally gained through rumor.
2. Go find the body, and grab the money. You know where it is, and you can move fast...if of course it's still there. The murder is obviously unsolved, but the body could easily have been found and dealt with, and she'll tell you. Regardless, stop jumping to save energy for running.
3-1. If you gained corpse money/information, report to the effective police officer of this town about the murder, give him the taxes, and say that you are going to go investigate immediately.
3-2. If you learned 2 is already done, tell her that you will start investigating immediately to find her ring, then make those words the truth.
4. You already know who did it, but you should collect the information to make sure it's the same person this time. Also, not mixing up events.
5. Quietly and swiftly get a guard for the murderer, talk to them alone with the door ajar, in an attempt to get them to serve time instead of dieing needlessly. Let the guard do the fighting if they get violent, but help if you can. Make sure to get that ring.
6. Return the ring to Thavere, asking her if it will at all make up for what you took from her. You will mean it, too; why do these people have to be so much more gripping when they're right there in person?
I support this plan. We need to stop hopping around and actually DO something, and this sounds like a real, well-thought-out thing to do.
+1 as well, I retract my earlier suggestion. Also, I've read that MLP fanfic too. Both of them.
Post by: Aseaheru on June 14, 2013, 02:26:27 pm
On another note:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on June 14, 2013, 02:29:48 pm
He ambushed the taxman and strangled him, according to his story. He owns no weapons.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 14, 2013, 08:05:04 pm
QuoteGuys! We do not need the book for this; she wants to remember him, and the ring is the way to do it. Here is what we are going to do;
0. Make sure the guard is gone, and then apologize with all the heart-bleeding-feeling you've just experienced.
1. Tell her that you cannot get the book back now, but you might be able to get something else she lost (look foggy at this moment, like you've had a sight from the Nine Divines, as they say), if she tells you which "he" went missing. This will trigger the part of the quest normally gained through rumor.
2. Go find the body, and grab the money. You know where it is, and you can move fast...if of course it's still there. The murder is obviously unsolved, but the body could easily have been found and dealt with, and she'll tell you. Regardless, stop jumping to save energy for running.
3-1. If you gained corpse money/information, report to the effective police officer of this town about the murder, give him the taxes, and say that you are going to go investigate immediately.
3-2. If you learned 2 is already done, tell her that you will start investigating immediately to find her ring, then make those words the truth.
4. You already know who did it, but you should collect the information to make sure it's the same person this time. Also, not mixing up events.
5. Quietly and swiftly get a guard for the murderer, talk to them alone with the door ajar, in an attempt to get them to serve time instead of dieing needlessly. Let the guard do the fighting if they get violent, but help if you can. Make sure to get that ring.
6. Return the ring to Thavere, asking her if it will at all make up for what you took from her. You will mean it, too; why do these people have to be so much more gripping when they're right there in person?
I support this plan. We need to stop hopping around and actually DO something, and this sounds like a real, well-thought-out thing to do.
+1 as well, I retract my earlier suggestion. Also, I've read that MLP fanfic too. Both of them.
+1 here as well. Nicely laid out. I suggest Michael stop for more instructions if he can't get a helpful guard for step 5.
Also, the PC may have raided it by now, but since we're in Seyda Neen again, there's normally a nice little cache of goodies directly out of Arille's front door. At the edge of the platform, there's a stump below you with a hollow top, and IIRC there's some septims and a silver cup in there. There's also a magic axe nearby somewhere east of Seyda Neen in another tree stump, and while as an axe it's probably not going to be a good weapon for Michael, he could probably sell it for a decent amount. (On the other hand, it might be useful for hitting ghosts, if you wanted to go get Phynaster's Ring or other tomb goodies.)
Post by: WillowLuman on June 14, 2013, 09:39:19 pm
Anyway, that stump you're thinking of is Fargoth's hiding place. Selling that axe would be good too, but I can't remember where it is. Unless someone here knows exactly which stump, it'll be impossible to tell whether or not the PC's already taken it.
I think we can apprehend this guy. With guard's help. Just remember, we might feel sympathy for his reasons, but murder is wrong. This is in case of conscience. In actuality, I do feel somewhat bad about turning against him.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 15, 2013, 12:22:03 am
If we get a magic or silver weapon, we should get it in spear form. It's very easy to poke something in front of you, compared to hitting it effectively. There's a reason spear was one of the first weapons invented.
Anyway, that stump you're thinking of is Fargoth's hiding place. Selling that axe would be good too, but I can't remember where it is. Unless someone here knows exactly which stump, it'll be impossible to tell whether or not the PC's already taken it.
I think we can apprehend this guy. With guard's help. Just remember, we might feel sympathy for his reasons, but murder is wrong. This is in case of conscience. In actuality, I do feel somewhat bad about turning against him.
No, I'm not talking about Fargoth's stump. This one wasn't a container. The stuff is just lying there out in the open, basically directly outside of the door to Arrille's shop. (The side with the walkway.) I did a quick wiki check to make sure I wasn't thinking of something that might have been in a mod, and was confirmed. (And in so doing found that apparently the axe is near the lighthouse, which should narrow down our chances of finding it if it's still there.)
Post by: Supercharazad on June 15, 2013, 04:37:55 am
Post by: Man of Paper on June 15, 2013, 08:16:23 am
I'd also figure various types of math are associated with the different branches of magic, so we should focus on solving a certain kind of problem for a bit before moving on. I'd suggest we stick with the basics of algebra first, as that was the example provided to us.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 15, 2013, 09:00:47 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 15, 2013, 12:53:02 pm
We should take Vodonius Nuccius's ring off his hands, too, so we'll get a discount from the strider lady here.
Post by: LordBucket on June 15, 2013, 04:12:48 pm
Post by: Aseaheru on June 15, 2013, 04:14:58 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 15, 2013, 04:31:05 pm
Post by: Nivim on June 16, 2013, 03:48:04 am
We know that math will allow us to learn magic more quickly, but we still know absolutely nothing about how to do magic. If we spend time working on this stuff before syncing up with a good teacher, we will just create a bunch of preconceptions that we might have to discard within the first few sentences of instruction— or worse, spend extra time unlearning if they get entrenched. We can wait on this by not waiting on visiting Nelvyn, the teacher in Pelagiad.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
We should take Vodonius Nuccius's ring off his hands, too, so we'll get a discount from the strider lady here.
Seriously, we should help Vodunius while we're here. We'll need 100 gold first, but we'll get a discount on the strider and use of his house.Counterpoints: we need every 100 we can get to bring us closer to that training; our next destination is by road; we might never make up that money on just one port; we might never have the opportunity to use that house; we'll probably get another one anyway; and finally, we can probably come back for being a good samaritan when we have more money anyway. I apologize if this seems querulous, but it seems like you're missing something and I can't tell exactly what.
Post by: LordBucket on June 16, 2013, 04:31:24 am
Note: Next update about a third done. Probably be up late tonight.
2:30am, and I'm just now getting to this. Glad I said probably rather than definitely. Sorry, but not going to get the next update up before I fall asleep. But I'll leave everyone with a small, vague and possibly misleading spoiler: Michael gets some combat skill gains.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 16, 2013, 01:47:29 pm
1) Each school of magic is intrinsically different, as are the equations and methods of solving them in each different study of mathematics. And as, for example, I'm great with Algebra and Calculus but terrible with Geometry, the mages each have schools they excel in and fail at. I know I may be stretching it, but we know exactly nothing on how the magic works other than it involves mathematics. It couldn't hurt.
2) To grasp the complex you should first grasp the basics. I didn't pick up a guitar and shred out some Eruption on my first attempt. I had to learn, study, and practice the basics before I could even attempt it. And even then, I still practice the basics, as they are the foundation for the whole thing, bitchin' improvised solos included.
The issue with teachers is that it will not be free. I think we had a great opportunity for cash (Legion) but we went away from that with really no solid cash plan.
Seriously guys, before you say no to an idea, do try to think of an alternative. Otherwise we'll just die of being poor or whatever.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 16, 2013, 01:53:02 pm
Post by: gman8181 on June 16, 2013, 10:13:06 pm
Taking a journey over to that mudcrab merchant that has a huge amount of gold on it. Buy something from it to see where its stash of money and items is and then kill it and take all its stuff.
Use the money to buy stuff for alchemy first and then the rest to learn magic.
Oh and I was thinking, there is a lot of magic present in the Elder Scrolls Universe that is accessible to NPC's but not to the PC. Necromancy and Daedra magic would both stand out as great ways to gain lots of power if we don't mind the risks. There's the orc mage in Balmora that secretly practices Necromancy and if we said we know her secret, we could probably convince her to teach us the art for free (maybe even magic for free).
Long term goals: I think I like the thought of Michael becoming god like. The Heart is an good option but don't forget there are plenty of other ways that might even be better. Maybe something like the deal the original Dragonborn made with a Daedra Lord? I think if he was killed, he just got sent back to his master's realm of oblivion. The only reason he "died for real" was because the Daedra Lord killed him after he was beaten by the PC.
Still, god like power is a long way off. First I say join the Televani House. Its by far the easiest to become the leader of because you can just kill off anyone who disagrees with you. That would give us a good powerbase to accomplish our other goals.
Post by: Putnam on June 16, 2013, 10:16:55 pm
Post by: gman8181 on June 16, 2013, 10:38:08 pm
Hmm most of the other princes probably would be less willing to work with someone who's just power hungry and looking for god like power. Oh and we should probably stay clear of Azura considering she is working with the Nevarine who might be a crazy killer PC.
Post by: Putnam on June 16, 2013, 10:41:03 pm
Clavicus Vile would definitely be willing to make a deal with someone who's just power hungry, but he's kinda the deal-with-the-devil guy.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 16, 2013, 11:27:01 pm
Post by: gman8181 on June 16, 2013, 11:38:30 pm
Eh, well that's all long term stuff anyway. I still think short term it would be good to go on over to that the mudcrab merchant for the money to learn magic. Then on to the orc necromancer in the mage's guild and blackmail her into teaching us necromancy.
Somewhat unrelated but I wonder what happens if you soul trap a Daedra Lord. It would probably require Azura's star but I would think the enchantments you could make with something like that would be amazing. Also, making Daedra Lords into armor is probably the closest thing to killing them that anyone can do (probably more so than banishing them to the waters of oblivion).
Post by: Putnam on June 17, 2013, 01:10:08 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 17, 2013, 02:29:34 am
Anyway, before we go to the talking mudcrab merchant, we need some kind of raft or rowboat. Swimming long distance is more tiring than jumping everywhere, not to mention the slaughterfish (damn things are bigger than a man in Morrowind, remember?) Incidentally, swimming laps somewhere slaughterfish-free would be an excellent way to train.
Blackmailing Sharn Gro-Whatever might be a viable way to get teaching, though I don't know whether or not she's the murder-to-cover-her-tracks type. If we became her pupil, it might be a good idea to focus on building trust to make up for the initial blackmail thing. And again, mind that conscience.
We probably should avoid deals with any of the Daedra, though talking to them would be good. We should ask Creeper whether or not he's really Clavicus Vile's dog.
Does anyone concur with me on Vodonius Nuccius?
Post by: Putnam on June 17, 2013, 02:35:53 am
Post by: LordBucket on June 17, 2013, 02:43:44 am
Quote
0. Make sure the guard is gone, and then apologize with all the heart-bleeding-feeling you've just experienced.
1. Tell her that you cannot get the book back now, but you might be able to get something else she lost (look foggy at this moment, like you've had a sight from the Nine Divines, as they say), if she tells you which "he" went missing. This will trigger the part of the quest normally gained through rumor.
2. Go find the body, and grab the money. You know where it is, and you can move fast...if of course it's still there. The murder is obviously unsolved, but the body could easily have been found and dealt with, and she'll tell you. Regardless, stop jumping to save energy for running.
3-1. If you gained corpse money/information, report to the effective police officer of this town about the murder, give him the taxes, and say that you are going to go investigate immediately.
3-2. If you learned 2 is already done, tell her that you will start investigating immediately to find her ring, then make those words the truth.
4. You already know who did it, but you should collect the information to make sure it's the same person this time. Also, not mixing up events.
5. Quietly and swiftly get a guard for the murderer, talk to them alone with the door ajar, in an attempt to get them to serve time instead of dieing needlessly. Let the guard do the fighting if they get violent, but help if you can. Make sure to get that ring.
6. Return the ring to Thavere, asking her if it will at all make up for what you took from her. You will mean it, too; why do these people have to be so much more gripping when they're right there in person?
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I support this
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+1
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+1 as well
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Im throwing my vote in with this.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Miss, I apologize. I'm very sorry for your loss."
(http://i.imgur.com/8ExFr3z.png): "What do you know of my loss?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You're right. I don't know what it is you've lost. I don't know what kind of relationship you had." You gaze upward, trying to look inspirational. "But I do know that you're in pain, and by the Nine Divines, I'm going to do what I can to ease your burden."
It's difficult to gauge her look. If you were to try, you'd call it skeptical optimism. It's like she wants to believe you, but is afraid that if she gets her hopes up, they'll just be thrown to the ground and stomped on later.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Please excuse me."
You walk out of town to look for the body, not sure if you'll find one. You never found Tarhiel's body. Plus, the way you remember it, when this quest is done normally, nobody knows that Processus is actually dead rather than just missing until you find the body and report it to the Census office. From the way Thavere acted, you're pretty sure she knows he's dead. Time to go find a body.
You head out of town and set out in the direction you think of where the body is supposed to be.
(http://i.imgur.com/XHeGGW0.png)
You're pretty sure he's off the road to the left, so you get close enough to see the water and walk through the grass. You pass a couple mudcrabs, but they ignore you. It's a misty night, and visibility isn't very good. You see some boulders up ahead and think the body might be just on the other side. Quickly making your way closer, all you find is a pair of massive rats, who unlike the mudcrabs, take immediate notice of you.
(http://i.imgur.com/VjR2Afy.png)
Knowing there's no way you can take them on, you turn to run, but despite their stubby legs, they seem to be faster than you are. One of them manages to bite your leg as you run. It hurts, but not terribly.
Unarmored skill is now 1
Health is now 38/40
You manage to kick him off and keep running, but it's nearly a minute run back to Seyda neen, and the rat is biting at you the entire trip.
Unarmored skill is now 2
Health is now 34/40
Fortunately by now you're nearly at the bridge leading to Seyda Neen
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Help!"
A guard comes running to your rescue.
(http://i.imgur.com/JsKHpg8.png)
Unfortunately, he chooses to attack the trailing rat, leaving you to struggle with the closest one for a bit, but you manage to take no further injury by the time he comes over and one-shots it.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Thank you."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Anytime, citizen."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, how long have you been in the Legion?"
He seems a bit surprised at the question.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "A little over two years."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So you did your year, and you've reenlisted twice? How is it? Good?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I can think of no finer way to serve our Emperor."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Right, but...how is it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I spent my first few months on wall duty at the various forts. Darius and Moonmoth mostly. The wildlife here know to avoid forts, so It was dull. Eventually I was reassigned to the Balmora - Moonmoth route. That was my first taste of combat. Rats, cliff racers...every few weeks it was something."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Every few weeks?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes. I remember clearly the first time I fought a scrib. It had followed a miner from the Shulk egg mine back to Balmora and was harassing the silt strider. Couldn't hurt it, of course, but when I saw it I drew my sword, ran up and swung, but somehow missed. It turned around and bit me. First time I'd ever been paralyzed. I thought I was going to die. But it just kept biting my shins until the effect wore off and I crushed its head with one blow. It was glorious."
Clearly the guard is relishing in the memory.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So how'd you end up in Seyda Neen?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "We rotate assignments every month. Last month I was stationed in Khuul, this month Seyda Neen, next month I might be anywhere. This is a good post. Close to people, nice quiet town, but far enough into the woods that there's still some action."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Did the Legion teach you to fight?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes. Basic is four weeks. There's a lot to learn other than fighting, but by the time you'e done you'll have learned how to use armor and shield, as well as the preferred legion weapons: long blades, blunt weapons and spears. Are you considering joining?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Considering. Haven't decided. By the way, I'm Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Michael? That's an unusual name. Vibius Caecilianus."
You thank Vibius again for his time, then retrieve some alchemically usable rat meat from the rats. By the time you finish the sky is starting to get noticeably blue, and you take a few minutes to see if you can locate the morning sun. Turns out that "south" is on the other side of Seyda Neen, so you miss the sunrise itself, but you do manage to catch a nice view from near the lighthouse.
(http://i.imgur.com/xR8YgVF.png)
The brony in you giggles like a schoolgirl and you thank "Celestia" for raising the sun, wondering which of the daedra would be actually be responsible for sun-raising here, or if there even is such a thing. Aren't Azura's spheres dusk and dawn? So that would make her...Twilight? You chuckle at the thought, but quietly hope that she isn't watching. This is, after all, her time, and you're not sure she'd get the joke. Actually, that brings up an interesting question. Vivec said he was mortal now, but what about the daedra? Are they omniscient here? What's the extent of their power? Azura in particular was the narrator for Morrowind. Surely she would be in a position to know something about your situation?
Anyway, the sun is lovely, and seeing it make your wounds not hurt as much. Only then does it occurs to you that maybe you should check them. Obviously walking hasn't been a problem, but you don't want to get infected. You sit down in the dirt and check out the backs of your legs. There are obvious, bloodied holes in your pants, and pulling them up you see that there are some equally obvious gaping holes in your calves. You immediately reach for your health potion, but before you take it, it occurs to you that it doesn't hurt even when you flex the muscle and you don't seem to be bleeding particularly. You stand up again and jump a few times. Doing so doesn't make it hurt any more than it already does, and you don't seem especially hindered by the injury. Curious, you sit back down, pull a pant leg up again, wipe off one finger as best as you can and poke it into one of the wounds to feel around. The sensation of running your finger along the inside of the wound in a direction parallel to your leg is distinctly different running it perpendicular. Your pretty sure those are muscle fibers you're feeling.
It's creepy, but it just doesn't hurt all that much. It feels no worse than fairly bad cat scratches or a rugburn.
Shrugging, you get up and head back out of town. You don't know yet if infection is an issue, but at least bleeding doesn't seem to be. Worst case, you can use your health potion, and you're fairly certain you can find cheap ways to cure disease. You return to the clearing in the boulders you found the rats in. Looking at it, it doesn't look right, but on the far side of the boulders you find a clearing that you're almost positive is where Processus' body is supposed to be.
(http://i.imgur.com/r8wwK0N.png)
No body. But, several mushrooms. You scrape the alchemically useful lamella from their undersides while you consider the situation. You're not totally surprised his body isn't here. Thavere knew he was dead. Did that dunmer woman start this quest and not finish it? Or are there others besides the two of you able to do quests? Can any npc do quests? Or does this entire "quest" dynamic not work here like it does in game? Certainly the world here more or less matches the initial Morrowind game state. Maybe you're not really "in the game" anymore, and this world was simply created from an initial snapshot. Or maybe like one of your voices keeps suggesting, this is a game but there are a whole bunch of PCs in it.
Oh, is that a draggle tail plant? You pick some more alchemy materials while you ponder.
What doesn't make sense is that the body isn't here. In Morrowind, it wasn't possible to move certain bodies. This was one of the permanent ones that couldn't be moved except via the console. But it isn't here. But then, the majority of bodies can be moved. So maybe the "permanent" bodies are simply acting like "temporary" bodies. That would actually be trivially easy to script. You'd almost call it a bugfix.
Oh, look. There's some hypha facia. Sure, may as well take that too.
But what about the ring? Well, several obvious possibilities come to mind. If a guard found it and dragged the body back to town, it might have been confiscated as part of the investigation. If a PC took it, or anyone else for that matter...they might have looted the body and only turned in the tax records and gold to the census office. For that matter, it's possible that the body was never turned in it all. You don't remember anyone actually saying that he was dead. Given your own recent encounter with two rodents of unusual size, if the guy went out to collect taxes as part of a regular route, and disappeared for days, it wouldn't be such a stretch to guess he was dead. There's no shortage of wildlife they might simply have assumed he'd been eaten by. Or for that matter, that might have eaten his corpse if nobody came by to find it. It's possible the ring might be in a guar's belly right now.
Oh, is that a...
(http://i.imgur.com/j5C5NL8.png)
...cliff racer? Time to leave.
Now.
You turn to flee, the leftover sting from your leg injuries completely forgotton as visions of being eaten to death by cliff racers fills your mind. You turn to look, still running, and nearly do a "dumb girl in horror movie running from killer" faceplant, but manage to stumble your way out of the fall. Pausing, you look...but you see nothing, and hear only your own ragged breath over the background swamp noises.
It didn't see you.
You walk the rest of the way back to Seyda Neen while you consider what to do.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on June 17, 2013, 02:44:11 am
Episode 21, part 2:To catch a killer
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stump
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not Fargoth's stump
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some septims and a silver cup in there. There's also a magic axe nearby
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around the lighthouse
Oh, those tree stumps. Those aren't anywhere near Arille's shop like some of you were saying earlier. You head back to the lighthouse, cautiously look around to make sure Thavere isn't outside, then search for goodies. Sure enough, you find both the cup and 25 gold:
(http://i.imgur.com/L20X7fo.png)
And the axe, which takes some careful work to get to.
Acrobatics skill is now 17
(http://i.imgur.com/05XSCaw.png)
The axe is covered in a light shimmering glow of what you assume is magic. It's also stupidly heavy and there's no way you could use this in combat. Or...is there? You try holding it in both hands. It's not difficult to lift, but it's way too top-heavy to hold by the handle as a weapon. It's basically a 20-30 pound weight at the end of a 3 foot long stick. The leverage is completely working against you. But, it's a magic axe, right?
You find a nearby mudcrab and hold the axe in front of you with the axe-end down. Swinging it sort of like a golf club, you manage to whack the crab with the blade of the axe. The mudcrab lunges, and you jump back, dropped the axe in the process. Taking your time to lead him away, you go back and pick up the axe to try again. Once again, you can tap the mudcrab with the axe, but there's no visible magical discharge and you're obviously not doing any damage like this.
Well, that's unfortunate, but good to know: apparently there's some skill involved in using magic weapons. You can't just hit something with a magic axe and expect the magic to work for you. Oh well. You weren't planning on keeping the axe anywy. It's too heavy to be useful to you right now. You take a few minutes to pick a rather large bunch of assorted mushrooms and flowers near the lighthouse, then head to Arille's tradeshop.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi, Arille. I've got some more stuff for you."
Disappointingly, you only manage to haggle him to up 4 septims for the cup, and 28 for the axe, bringing your total to...57. Enough for strider travel, but not enough to buy back Thavere's book.
Mercantile skill is now 3
Well, honestly you weren't planning to anyway. You were going to give her the ring. Is there any way you still can?
Quote
The perp is Foryn Gilnith
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get a guard for the murderer, talk to them alone with the door ajar
Quote
report to the effective police officer of this town
You know who the murderer is. But before you do get a guard and confront him, you go to the Census office and talk to Socucius.
(http://i.imgur.com/BvpS4Ee.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hello. I understand that Processus has gone missing?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6FZIps3.png): "Missing? No, not exactly. We know right where he is. He was cremated two days ago, and the bonemeal was given to his fiancee, Thavere Vedrano at the lighthouse."
Fiancee? You don't remember that particular twist. But wait...if Thavere has the ashes, what happened to the ring?
(http://i.imgur.com/6FZIps3.png): "Did he have anything on his body? Or had he been looted?"
Socucius' eyebrow raises at the question, but he answers.
(http://i.imgur.com/6FZIps3.png): "When he was found he had nothing but his clothes and tax record on him. But the man was not known for carrying weapons."
Hmm. That doesn't really tell you what you wanted to know.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Who found the body? Also, how did he die?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6FZIps3.png): "An Imperial guard passing through on road patrol brought in his body. It was battered and bruised, but no bite or claw marks and it was mostly intact. Murdered, is everyone's guess. As a tax collector, he wasn't exactly the most popular man in town."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Are there any leads on the murderer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6FZIps3.png): "No, but there's a reward if he can be found. 500 septims."
Excellent.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Thank you for your time."
You leave the census office and track down the guard you spoke with earlier.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Greetings, citizen. I see you are alone this time."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "No rats."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Oh...hehe, yeah. Anyway, you know about the Processus murder, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Of course."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I think I know who the murderer is. Foryn Gilnith here in town. I'm going to confront him and try to get a confession out of him. Would you come with me? Maybe...stand quietly outside the door, I'll leave it partially open and if he confesses, or if he attacks me, you can arrest him."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Hmm. Alright. Lead on."
Speechcraft is now 15
-~=Michael has gained a level=~-
Health is now 35/41
Luck is now 51
The two of you proceed to Foryn's shack. Uncomfortable simply barging into someone's house, you knock. A gravelly voice from within says to come in. You do.
(http://i.imgur.com/8iCsqef.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/HXeLGgC.png): "Yes, outlander. What it is?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi. I'm here to talk to you about Processus."
(http://i.imgur.com/HXeLGgC.png): "That fetcher? What of him?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I think you killed him."
(http://i.imgur.com/HXeLGgC.png): "You're damn right I killed him. Good thing too. He was skimming a load of money from all us honest people. He overcharged on taxes and kept the difference for himself. I killed him and left him to rot where he fell."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Did you...by chance find a ring? His fiancee is heartbroken. She deserves something to remember him by. He might have been skimming money, but she's not to blame for that."
(http://i.imgur.com/HXeLGgC.png): "No, I know nothing of a ring. I killed him, yes. But I am no thief, outlander."
There's a lull in the conversation, and Vibius chooses that moment to step inside.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Foryn Gilnith, you have committed the crime of murder. Either pay the fine of 4000 gold, or come with me and serve your sentence of hard labor."
Foryn looks back and forth between the two of you, then shakes his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/HXeLGgC.png): "No, I cannot pay. And I will not go to jail. If my death is the price that must be paid so the people of this town can live free of that extortionist, so be it. My ancestors will welcome me."
He lunges at Vibius and punches him in the face. Vibius is knocked back by the force of the blow but appears unharmed. Vibius draws his sword and you watch as the two fight. Foryn endures 3 sword blows before he goes down: one to his left arm, one to the side of his face, and the final swing tearing through his chest. And through it all he never once cried out or slowed down. He simply kept punching, landing several blows...some striking Vibius directly in the breastplate, but he just fought on as if it meant nothing.
You're very glad you didn't fight him yourself.
Vibius says nothing. Instead he opens the door, picks up the body with one arm, places it over his shoulder and walks outside. A few commoners see this and begin whispering among themselves. With little else to do, you follow him.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So...what happens now?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Now I deliver a report to my senior officer. Thank you for your assistance, citizen. You are free to leave if you wish, but I request that you accompany me."
It's a quiet walk. Vibius deposits the body in the middle of town and the two of you walk back to the Census office to speak, not to Socucius, but to Sellus Gravius in the first room.
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "Yes?"
It takes no more than two minutes for Vibius to explain what happened. Sellus listens, occasionally asking you questions which you answer truthfully. After they're done, they both thank you for your service to the Empire, and go back to their business as if nothing happened. If it weren't for Vibius' friendly pat on the shoulder and the casual "see you around" before he stepped out the door you might have guessed they were both mindless automatons simply executing a script. With the friendly gesture the overall effect is that this sort of thing is just so ordinary that it deserves no further comment. You? You feel a little sick to your stomach.
But you're not going to let that stop you from collecting your reward.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So, umm...I understand there was a reward?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "There was, yes. 500 septims for execution of justice on the murderer of Processus Vitellius. I posted it myself."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Great. I'd like to collect please. You heard the report."
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "Yes, but it was one of my guards who carried out justice. Guards are ineligible for rewards. It creates a conflict of interest, since they serve as judge, jury and occasionally as executioner. Wouldn't want them to be tempted to collect on just anyone."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "But how did you expect anyone to collect on it then? I brought Vibius in on this specifically because he's a dependable witness. You trust the guard. Would you trust the word of just anyone who marched in here with a body and claimed that they confessed?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "Hmm. I suppose you're right. You did the right thing."
He hands you 500 gold. It's so much money that it's uncomfortable putting it all in your interior coin purse in your pants, so you split it up between your purse and your backpack.
Speechcraft is now 16
Spoiler: status (click to show/hide)
What now?
Post by: Putnam on June 17, 2013, 02:55:37 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 17, 2013, 03:08:02 am
I say we help Vodunius. We might try leaving Morrowind with him (doubtful), but the important thing is discount on strider travel from here and ownership of his house. Just the house mind, apparently the stuff inside still belongs to him. Maybe that's just a bug, or maybe we'll have to mail it to him.
As for long term, I say we don't under any circumstances join the Telvanni. We'd more likely be killed for being an upstart threat than do any deadman's-boots killing ourselves.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 17, 2013, 03:11:15 am
Hmmm. Well, since Vibious helped us catch that thief, we should offer him a cut. He may not be eligible for rewards normally, and might turn it down, but it would be pretty rude not to offer him 250.
But before that, we should go get that book back before Arrille sells it to someone else. As I suspected, if quest bodies are movable here, then it means the world is being treated like... a world. Which means we can't depend on merchant inventories remaining static.
Thavere may well be happy enough that the murderer was brought to justice. If we can't find the ring, giving her the book and telling her what happened might be enough to bring her spirits up.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 17, 2013, 07:30:36 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 17, 2013, 08:05:29 am
Post by: Man of Paper on June 17, 2013, 08:07:53 am
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 17, 2013, 09:40:18 am
I'm really curious as to the ring's story. I suspect somebody picked it off - maybe even that guard! I don't have a major suggestion for direction, but I have a few minor ones
- Talk to Vibius, thank him for the assistance and offer a part of the reward, because he did his duty so well
- Find out who was it that brought back the corpse. Ask them honestly if they have the ring, explain it's to help the grieving fiancee
- Check the shop (there's only one, right? Is there a fence?) for a ring. Maybe she has seen it at least.
Post by: Aseaheru on June 17, 2013, 09:58:33 am
Post by: Supercharazad on June 17, 2013, 10:44:14 am
Post by: Man of Paper on June 17, 2013, 10:54:14 am
Seriously, Michael, think about how to make something out of nothing. If it doesn't help conceptualize magic, then perhaps it'll help our understanding of CHIM. I will admit though that my knowledge of CHIM is minimal, and did not really exist before this thread.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 17, 2013, 11:00:00 am
Hang on, what happens to us if we attempt to go to a different province of the Empire? Say we took a ship to Solstheim and then to Skyrim, what would happen?
We'd die of being broke.
Skyrim = die from exposure; also angry Vikings
Solstheim = die from as a snack for MorrowReal's Moon Moon.
Post by: Sensei on June 17, 2013, 02:06:17 pm
We'd die of being broke. It's a good question, but I'd figure we're still stuck within the confines of the disc or however we were playing Morrowind.Well we could make a pretty simple test. Just ask around a little about what the rest of Morrowind (IE not Vvardenfell) and Tamriel is like, and how to get to other regions.
I would also back offering the guard a cut of the reward. He kinda did all the work. Maybe ask him (inoffensively!) about the psychological impact of killing people while we're at it.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 17, 2013, 02:46:50 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 17, 2013, 03:02:50 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 17, 2013, 08:03:14 pm
Spoiler: Not talking about the guard (click to show/hide)
Anyway, let's offer Vubius maybe 100 gold, as half the reward is a bit much. We're hurting for cash here.
Also, let's try not to wade in any swamp water with those holes in our leg. Salt water might help sterilize, though.
Post by: Iituem on June 17, 2013, 08:52:00 pm
This guy:We should help this guy. His quest could net us a home and much liking around Seyda Neen.Spoiler: Not talking about the guard (click to show/hide)
Anyway, let's offer Vubius maybe 100 gold, as half the reward is a bit much. We're hurting for cash here.
Also, let's try not to wade in any swamp water with those holes in our leg. Salt water might help sterilize, though.
I don't know who that guy is, but it sounds like a plan!
Post by: LordBucket on June 17, 2013, 08:52:55 pm
offer him 250.
let's offer Vubius maybe 100 gold, as half the reward is a bit much.
Nearly everyone agrees on giving Vibius part of the reward. One specified 250, one says 100, and for those who didn't specify I assume that "give him a cut" means give him an equal share.
I'm working on the next update now. If anyone wants to vote between 250 or 100, do it soon. I've already written it as 250, but if a few people vote to reduce it to 100 before I post, I'll change it. Update is almost done, but I'll be eating dinner soon. You probably only have a couple hours to vote.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 17, 2013, 09:05:07 pm
And once more, let's approach Vodunius Nuccius. Who is a distinct person from Vubius, the guard not named in the game.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 17, 2013, 09:07:31 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 17, 2013, 09:16:03 pm
100 gold, please.
And once more, let's approach Vodunius Nuccius. Who is a distinct person from Vubius, the guard not named in the game.
Ok. But note that when one person says the same thing 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4326550#msg4326550) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4328515#msg4328515) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4328694#msg4328694) times, I count that as 1 vote, not 3.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 17, 2013, 09:24:15 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 17, 2013, 11:07:17 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on June 17, 2013, 11:23:57 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 18, 2013, 12:21:46 am
You thank Sellus for the reward and step outside the census office to go find Vibius. Once outside you notice there's a small crowd of villagers. mostly dunmer, standing around Foryn's corpse.
(http://i.imgur.com/vtD4WqG.png)
At first you're afraid it might be the beginning of an angry mob, but after approaching close enough to hear their conversation they don't seem to be discussing anything of consequence. The weather, the egg trade, a relative that might visiting. Nobody seems concerned at all that they're standing over the corpse of a fallen villager.
Seeing that you're watching them, one of them calls over to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/crn9ZKj.png): "Hey, outlander. Care to help?"
You take a few tentative steps forward.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I'm sorry, I'm new here. Help with what?"
He points to Foryn's body.
(http://i.imgur.com/crn9ZKj.png): "With the cremation."
Oh. Oh!
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I'd actually, yeah...that would be...sure. I don't know much about local culture. Thank you. I'd be honored to help. But, umm...I actually don't know any destruction magic."
(http://i.imgur.com/crn9ZKj.png): "That's fine. Why don't you help Indrele build the pyre. She should be at the water now."
He points, and you head in that direction.
You find Indrele standing ankle deep in the water using a large bowl to shovel silt onto a growing pile on the water's edge.
(http://i.imgur.com/R1oHR1R.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Excuse me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/gz5PhaZ.png): "Yes, outlander?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "May I help?"
(http://i.imgur.com/gz5PhaZ.png): "Of course."
She hands you the bowl and steps out of the water.
(http://i.imgur.com/gz5PhaZ.png): "I've scraped away the top layer. Just keep scooping silt from that spot right there until I say to stop."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ok."
You do as she says, though you notice that it takes you longer and the mount of earth you can move with each scoop is much less than she was moving. Apparently even this female dunmer commoner is much stronger than you are. She notices too, but says nothing.
Over the next several minutes the two of you construct what is apparently a dunmer funeral pyre, the first step of which is simply building a slanted bed of silty clay in a rounded triangle roughly the size of a coffin. The outer edges are significantly raised, and the middle sunken, with about half a foot height difference between the two. The tapered end, which is where you're guessing the feet will go, is lowest to the ground and rounds to a half-funnel about four inches across.
Once the clay is placed, Indrele asks you to stand back. You watch as she conjures a stream of heat and flame from her hands and proceeds from end to end of the clay. As she works her way across the pile, she has you pour water onto the heated clay to flash-cool it, turning it into a simple ceramic. By the time you've finished, two other villagers have brought Foryn's body from the town center, which they place on the pyre. They each speak a few sentences in an unfamiliar language that you presume is native dunmer, then turn and look to you.
You tense up, not knowing what's expected of you.
(http://i.imgur.com/gz5PhaZ.png): "Go ahead, outlander. You're one of us now. Speak your mind. The spirit of Foryn is listening."
...uh oh. His spirit probably actually IS watching you, isn't he? You clear your throat nervously.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Foryn, we didn't really know each other. But I was present at your death. And I'd like to say that you died honorably. You truthfully admitted the murder you committed, and you faced your death with courage. I remember you said that it was worthwhile for you to die, if it meant freeing the people of Seyda Neen from corrupt taxation. I don't live here, and I know you didn't do it for me, but...thank you."
The dunmer nod to themselves, one of them hiding a smile as if embarrassed to be appreciative of the words of an outlander. A few more words in native dunmer, then two of them conjure up more fire from their hands and incinerate the body while the third uses a small brush to brush the resulting ash and bonemeal into an urn. Then they say their goodbyes, and return to whatever they were doing.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey. So, Foryn was actually watching his own funeral? As a ghost?"
(http://i.imgur.com/gz5PhaZ.png): "Yes. Even if we could not see him. Traditionally, the child or close relative of the deceased would summon his spirit tangibly so that everyone could exchange farewells. Foryn had no direct relatives in Seyda Neen to summon him, so that wasn't possible. Even so, I'm certain he was here. You spoke well, outlander. Your words will be remembered, as will Foryn."
Speechcraft is now 17
You feel...good. It's peaceful. It's comforting. Death is such big scary unknown where you're from. Here, people know it's not the end because they can literally conjure up the spirits of their ancestors at any time and chat with them. No wonder death isn't perceived as such a big deal by the locals. Grandpa died before your birthday party? That's fine, just summon him up anyway.
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since Vibious helped us catch that thief, we should offer him a cut.
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I definitely agree with giving Vibius a cut of the coin
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Talk to Vibius, thank him for the assistance and offer a part of the reward
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also back offering the guard a cut of the reward.
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If we do ask if he wants, make sure to mention that we're not familiar with local customs in many ways quite yet
You find Vibius wandering around the bridge leading out of Seyda neen.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Hello, citizen."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Call me Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Not while on duty."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Oh. Sorry. Hey, now that you mention it, what's your duty cycle like anyway?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "5 days on, 2 days off."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Like...literally, your patrol is 5 days straight?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Of course."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Huh. Well, anyway, I collected the reward for Foryn. And...I apologize, I'm just discovering that I know nothing about local customs, and I really intend no offense or anything, but since you were the one that did the fighting I thought it would be fair to at least give you some of the reward. Is that ok?"
He nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, I can accept. In Cyrodiil it would be frowned on but gift-giving is deeply ingrained in dunmer culture. Many of them will tell you that it's not what you give, but how you give it. Or that well-chosen gifts are better than coin. But I haven't met a dunmer yet who wouldn't be your friend for a big enough pile of gold. And as one saying goes, 'when in Cyrodiil, do as the imperials do.'"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So it wouldn't be seen as a bribe?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Not usually. Not here. More like a compliment and expression of desire to be affiliated. Give a stray dog meat, and he might think you're part of his pack. Or, imagine if you were to tell a woman you just met that she had wide, child-bearing hips and that you'd like to give her children."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...umm, yeah...that would be completely creepy where I'm from."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Oh? I assumed you were from Cyrodiil, where it would be taken as an unconditional marriage proposal regardless of the woman's family's ability to pay a dowry. Whether her answer was yes or no, no woman outside of a noble house would be offended by that. But cultures vary."
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offer him 250
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maybe 100 gold
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I vote for 100.
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sounds like a plan
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100 or 150 should be enough
You hand Vibius 100 septims.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Thank you. My shift is over Loredas morning. Care to join me for a drink?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I'd be delighted. Loredas, that's...what day is that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "You really aren't from around here, are you? Standard Tamrielic calendar. This is Middas. Tomorrow is Turdas. Then Fredas, then Loredas. So, two sunups from tomorrow morning."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Alright. Sounds great. Where shall we meet?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I do most of my drinking in Balmora, but if you're feeling daring there's a great little place in Suran we could go to."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "The house of earthly delights?"
He raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "You know it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I know...of it. How about we not decide now? Let's meet you here in Seyda Neen and figure it out then."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "That's fine."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Also, to be perfectly honest...I'm still learning my way around, and I'm kind of hesitant to make a commitment that I might end up missing just because I got lost or confused about what day it is."
He nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So, yes, I'd definitely like to hang out. But if I'm not here when your shift ends, please don't feel the need to wait for me because I might be lost, in the middle of nowhere, and not know what day it is because I was indoors and lost count of sunups."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I understand."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Great. Thank you. So, tentatively I'll see you Saturday."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "What?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...Lordes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Loredas."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Right. Loredas."
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I say we help Vodunius
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sounds like a plan!
Vibius returns to his route, and you turn around to head back into town. As soon as you do, however, you notice a young dunmer boy in plain clothes watching you.
(http://i.imgur.com/8Q4eT3C.png)
That's a little peculiar. You don't remember ever seeing any children in Morrowind. Is this just another thing that happens here that makes this place more "real" or is this something special? He's obviously watching you, and once you get far enough from Vibius he suddenly starts running towards you. Ready for a fight, but hesitant to draw a weapon on what seems to be an unarmed boy, you're surprised when he wordlessly hands you a rolled up scroll then runs back off between the buildings. Not sure what to expect, you unfurl the scroll and read it.
Michael,
We know who you are. You are a thief. Don't deny it, you've been seen in the act. Join us. There is honor among thieves. But know this: we will harbor no competition. Join us, or give up your ways. If you accept, seek us out and be our brother. If you refuse, then abandon the craft and leave it to the professionals. Independents like yourself don't last long within the demesne of the Imperial Thieves Guild.
A friend
Wow. Total Daggerfall flashback. You roll the scroll back up and toss it in your bag. You can sort that out later. You go back to asking around if anyone's seen Vodunius. It doesn't take long to find him.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, you're Vodunius right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "Yes. Do I know you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "No, not personally. But I've ridden with Darvame a couple times and your name came up. At least, I think Darvame was the one who mentioned you. I've been meeting so many people lately, and just had my first experience with a dunmer funeral, I admit I'm kind of losing track of a few names. But yeah...somebody mentioned you, just in passing. I thought I'd say hi."
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "Hi. Welcome to Vvardenfell, then. For what it's worth."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You don't care for it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "Not so much. I'm from Narsis. It's a major trade port on the mainland. Lots of business goes through there, but kind of hard for the small guy to make a name for himself, you know?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I get you. Thinking of going back?"
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "I'd leave in a heartbeat if I could. Been here for a year now, and I can barely stand this place. Ash storms, corprus beasts, lousy food...yuck. I'll never eat another kwama egg ever again."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What's stopping you from leaving?"
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "Money. I have a little saved, but Narsis is a long trip. I'd need another 100 septims at least, and there's a shortage of ways to make any money around here. I'm not going to work in a mine."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ever consider joining the Legion?"
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "What, and commit to a whole another year here? It's not like I could just leave after my first paybag. They hunt down deserters, you know. Hey...you're a friend of Darvame's, right? I wonder if you could do me a favor?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What's that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "Well, I'm a trader not a wizard. I came looking to buy and sell goods, and early on in my stay I invested a big chunk of change in this ring without really understanding the ins and outs of it."
He pulls out a ring enveloped in a faint bluish glow.
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "It's magic, but it's cursed. Kind of. It's got a nifty little enchantment on it that makes you run fast, but problem is it sucks the life right out of you every time you use it. Literally, you could kill yourself just by using it too much."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Not much of a sales pitch."
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "Hey, you're a buddy of Darvame's. She's a good gal, and I'm not going to lie to you. But you've got that adventurer look about you, and I bet you're tough enough that you could take anything this little thing can dish out. So I'll make you a deal: buy it from me for 100 gold. That's break even for me, exactly what I paid, and I'll tell Darvame you're a buddy and sail home. Will be cutting it close, but 100 should be just enough to get me home. What do you say?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hmm. I think I could do that...but, tell you what. Right now I have one prior obligation I need to pay, and I don't know exactly how much it's going to cost me. Let me go talk to Arille real quick, let me see how much money I have left and I'll let you know."
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "Great. Thanks a bunch."
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we should go get that book back before Arrille sells it
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we get the book back
You head to Arille's to make an inquiry about a certain book.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, Arille."
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Hello, Michael. You're coming to be quite a regular."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Yep. How about giving me a frequent customer discount?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "How about no?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hmm, ok. Anyway, remember that book I sold you the other day? Do you still have it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/YEZ6Pf8.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "374 gold? Are you serious? You only gave me-"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "82 for it. Which means only 292 septims profit for me. Really, you should be thanking me."
The economy here is totally unforgiving.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Let me get back to you on that."
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Check the shop (there's only one, right? Is there a fence?) for a ring.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Oh, by the way...has anyone sold you any rings in the past few days?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "No, sorry. And none for sale."
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Mortar and pestle has to be our next purchase though
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "I have an Apprentice's mortar and pestle I'd be willing to part with for 123 septims."
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 18, 2013, 12:46:42 am
Still, I don't know how to improve those right now...
Buy the ring, and sell it back to Arille. Don't say anything to him about the ring having the potential to kill you, just say something about how it weakens the wearer a bit, along with its increased running speed.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 18, 2013, 01:09:26 am
I didn't think anyone in Seyda Neen knew destruction magic, except for Socius. Maybe all Dunmer just have innate fire powers? Or perhaps innate ones that only come out at such special times? Hmm, we should ask if there's a Gilnith ancestral tomb somewhere on the mainland.
I say we get the mortar and pestle, since we'll still have enough to buy the ring afterwards. Maybe we'll even have enough to get another piece of alchemy equipment.
Post by: Astral on June 18, 2013, 04:30:17 am
Begin sampling ingredients, preferably in a place with a healer, such as the Balmora temple, in case we suffer any adverse reactions.
If possible, try picking up a large rock (meaning, as heavy as can be carried) and running with it around Seyda Neen for a few hours. It's a large enough town that it should let us see if the simplest answer (a very antiquated form of weight training) will help our strength or endurance any, since it appears that something like GCD is in effect.
Try asking around, possibly with our new buddy Vibius, how magical arms and armor work, with the pretense that we've never handled one directly. Hopefully his Guard training at least went through the basics of enchanted equipment, and it may come in useful if we come across something worth keeping.
Post by: LordBucket on June 18, 2013, 05:21:36 am
Buy the mortar and pestle, as that will go a long way toward solving money problems
Note that, unlike vanilla, and as described in episode 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704), alchemy requires all four tools. A mortar and pestle alone will not be sufficient to make potions. If you want to buy the mortal and pestle from Arille, that's fine...but don't expect to start making potions until you get a full set.
since it appears that something like GCD is in effect.
It has previously been confirmed (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4294301#msg4294301), on multiple occasions (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4314781#msg4314781) that a skillmod is in effect.
I didn't think anyone in Seyda Neen knew destruction magic, except for Socius. Maybe all
Dunmer just have innate fire powers? Or perhaps innate ones that only come out at such special times?
At this time, I'm not going to confirm or deny whether any race/gender/starsign/etc mods are active. But note that even in vanilla dunmer receive a +10 racial skill bonus to the destruction school.
I still believe we really need some way of training up our strength and agility.
Ok. If you want, that's fine. But note that after personality, agility and strength are already your second and third fastest-raising attributes. Since your arrival:
42.4 Personality (40) (Gain of 2.4)
31.9 Agility (30) (Gain of 1.9)
21.7 Strength (20) (Gain of 1.7)
41.0 Intelligence (40) (Gain of 1)
51.0 Luck (50) (Gain of 1)
30.6 Speed (30) (Gain of .6)
30.4 Endurance (30) (Gain of .4)
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 18, 2013, 08:31:01 am
I think we should probably lay off on the theft. For now, anyway.
There's not much point in a partial alchemy kit and we do NOT want to drag all that stuff around with us - getting the house kills two birds with one stone.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 18, 2013, 09:48:59 am
Post by: gman8181 on June 18, 2013, 11:32:33 am
Post by: Iituem on June 18, 2013, 01:36:22 pm
Yeah, I forgot about needing the whole set. Definitely going to need a base of operations. As for the Thieves Guild, I say we should do it. They can help us out with a metric asston of skills we'll need to survive, as well as a whole set of useful friends. Though then again, don't want to fuck with the Tong. I personally always hated them though, so I do kind of want to eventually see a lot of them with impromptu tracheotomies.
+1 to this. The Guild remains one of our best chances for quick training with minimal commitments, and we know that they're monopolists now. We want to be able to keep stealing stuff, even if that means cutting them into it.
I say we head to the orc nercromancer in the mages guild. Tell her quietly that we know she's a necromancer and that we would really appreciate it if she would take us up as her pupil. Make sure she understands that we understand the math part of magic but were never taught the part about actually using magic.
This too, if we think we can talk her down from killing us on the spot. After all, it's not like we're that bothered about soul capture.
Except... we just realised that there's a very literal and very available afterlife, as evidenced by this ceremony. Trapping someone's soul and enslaving or destroying it to use it in magic sounds horrible. I think this might be too far for our conscience. What do you think, Michael?
Post by: Supercharazad on June 18, 2013, 01:47:01 pm
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 18, 2013, 02:57:43 pm
It's not destroyed, it's given to the Ideal Masters in the Soul Cairn where they mill about, guarded by a dragon for all eternity.
"Sent to the
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 18, 2013, 03:39:45 pm
Except... we just realised that there's a very literal and very available afterlife, as evidenced by this ceremony. Trapping someone's soul and enslaving or destroying it to use it in magic sounds horrible. I think this might be too far for our conscience. What do you think, Michael?That's how NORMAL magic works, like enchantments. Necromancy isn't really that bad in comparison - talking to the dead, raising corpses, etc. and so on. And you can limit it to working with those spirits who are willing to work with you.
Morrowinds opinions on Necromancy are a bit schizophrenic. It is both illegal and common, okay and unforgivable, depending on the circumstances.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 18, 2013, 03:48:32 pm
Maybe we should drop our thieving ways. After all, even a quick and seemingly easy theft has gotten us quite a bit of unwanted trouble. Plus, they'll want us to do complicated missions with a high price of failure.
At least let's put it off until later, as they'll still charge us plenty for training.
Post by: Rakonas on June 19, 2013, 05:48:06 am
Post by: LordBucket on June 20, 2013, 02:28:24 am
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buy the ring
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Buy the ring, and sell it back to Arille.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, Vodunius. Looks like I didn't make that big purchase I expected, so here's 100 gold for that ring."
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "Great, thanks!
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ask the guy to keep his house
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "By the way, since you'll be leaving Vvardenfell, any chance I could use your shack? You won't be needing it."
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "...uhh, I actually rent it from the census office. Seyda Neen is operated directly by the empire. It's kind of like an embassy, I guess. All the land here is managed by the census. Socucius is the guy to talk to. I know you can buy land elsewhere, but here everything is temporary rentals, mostly for new arrivals or people like me who aren't planning to stay for long. My house is 100 gold per month, and I split that cost with Darvame. She's my roomate."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Really? I wouldn't have guessed that."
(http://i.imgur.com/N7ZU5Rs.png): "NO! It's purely platonic! Really! I'm not...like that. Darvame's a good friend and all, but she's...you know. A dark elf. I wouldn't...I mean, don't get me wrong..some of my best friends are elves. Like Darvame. And...Darvame. Yeah. But I wouldn't want to, you know...be involved with one. That would be...wow. Yuck."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...no, I was actually surprised about the...you know what? Nevermind. Enjoy your trip home."
Huh. That was an unexpected twist.
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ring, and sell it back to Arille.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, Arille."
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Hello, my most frequent customer."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I just picked up an awesome magic ring. You totally need to buy this."
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Oh. Vodunius' ring?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...maybe."
He puts it on and looks at it.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Yes, this is the one. He's been trying to pawn this off on me for ages. Said he bought it hoping to make a profit on it. Poor guy doesn't know anything about enchanting."
He takes it off and hands it back to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "I'll give you 1 gold for it."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...I was thinking more like 100."
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "You do realize it's a cursed ring that will kill you if you use it too much, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "....maybe. BUT, it also helps you run fast!"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "1 gold for the suicidal cursed ring."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "2?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Sure. I'll go 2."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Meh. For that price I think I'll just hang onto it for now."
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I say we get the mortar and pestle
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Buy the mortar and pestle
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Buy the mortar and pestle
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not much point in a partial alchemy kit and we do NOT want to drag all that stuff around
3 to 1 in favor. Ok.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Well, sad that you don't want the ring, but I think I want that mortar and pestle. Would you take 120 instead of 123?
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "121?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Hmm. Ok. But only because I pity you."
Mercantile skill is now 6
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Thank you for your business. Come again."
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try picking up a large rock (meaning, as heavy as can be carried)
and running with it around Seyda Neen for a few hours.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ok. I can do that."
You head back to the lighthouse and look around for rocks. There aren't really any single rocks that seem suitable. Instead you gather up several rocks, none larger than your head, and put them in your backpack. Then you run around for a while.
Athletics is now 10
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hmm. Well, I don't know if that helped at all. The running would have made me stronger with or without the rocks. Did the rocks help? Maybe. I can't really tell."
(GM Note: I used the console to conjure up ~50 pounds worth of stuff then ran in circles for two game hours. You went from 9 89/100 athletics to 10 29/100 athletics. I'm not really sure what you expected from this. But, there you go.)
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Try asking around, possibly with our new buddy Vibius, how magical arms and armor work
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Hmm. I know the basics, but not well enough to teach. Even if I did, I'm on duty until Loredas. Sorry I can't help you. It will probably take half a day to learn what you need to know. I recommend you go to a trainer."
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Thieves Guild, I say we should do it.
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+1 to this
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Maybe we should drop our thieving ways
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Two in favor, one opposed. Joining a guild is kind of a big decision. Don't think I want to do something that permanent without more agreement. But about half of you are saying to do things that involve going to Balmora, so I guess we can decide once we're there."
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What do you think, Michael?
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I think we're losing focus, and I kind of feel like some of you don't have a very good memory. We're only even in Seyda Neen right now because we had to come through here to get to Pelagiad in order to talk to Ranis' friend about magic training. But we abandoned that because we got distracted by this thing with Foryn and Thavere, and now apparently we're abandoning that too to go to Balmora. From my point of view it was only about 20-30 minutes ago that we swore in the name of the Nine Divines that we'd do what we could to make things right for Thavere. But now most of you seem to want to go to Balmora and just forget about her. We just cremated the guy who killed her fiancee. Why aren't we letting her know that? Did you guys just forget? And to make it worse, the one thing she actually asked for was to know what happened to the book. She didn't ask for us to give it back. She asked what we did with it. We never told her. Instead we went off on some crusade to recover a ring that she never asked about, and that we never found, then we abandoned the book she actually asked about without telling her where it is so she could make her own arrangements to buy it back. Instead of doing any of these obvious things...telling her that his fiancee's murderer is dead, telling her where the book is...instead the consensus seems to be to simply drop it and go to Balmora to do totally other things."
"It also kind of bothers me that money has been such a huge problem pretty much since I got here, but now that I have some, you guys have me throwing it away on random stuff. As soon as I got that 500 gold reward, the first thing you guys did was start debating about how much of it to give away. We ended up deciding to give 100 to Vibius, followed by 100 for completely worthless cursed ring, then 121 for a mortar and pestle I can't even use without three more alchemy tools. And if I'd had enough to do it you guys probably would have had me spend the rest buying back that book from Ariile to give it to Thavere, which would have once again left me having to steal from random crates and things just to have enough money for strider transport. I have no idea why we bought this ring. What was our original motivation for talking to Vodunius at all? One of you mentioned tagging along with him when he leaves Vvardenfell...but, do any of us really want to leave Vvardenfell? What for? I have a huge disadvantage in that everyone here is stronger and knows magic. The only advantage I have in this world is our knowledge of it. So why throw away that advantage by going somewhere we don't know about? And even if we do decide to leave, what was the point of buying the ring? Wouldn't it have been easier just to go to where the boats are and book passage? And if the point wasn't to find a way off the island, but rather to get Vodunius' house, then why didn't we just inquire after Foryn's shack? He's dead. Obviously he doesn't need it anymore. Why did we pay 100 gold to get somebody to leave to make their shack available when there already was one available? And honestly, do we even want to be based out of Seyda Neen anyway?"
"I don't understand the motivation for half the stuff you guys say to do. We keep paying to go places and then not doing the thing we went to those places to do. Last time we followed through on anything we planned was when we spoke to Vivec. Since then, we were going to train up some combat skills but never did. We were going to do alchemy, but that was ages ago and we haven't really done anything with it except spend money. We went to Gnisis to join the Legion and never did. We came to Seyda Neen to get to Pelegaid but apparently we're not doing that. We swore an oath to help Thavere but we're abandoning her instead. We were saving money to get magic training but as soon as we got some we threw most of it away. And now suddenly we're leaving to go to Balmora to maybe join the Theives Guild and maybe threaten an orc necromancer. Even if we do manage to talk her into training us instead of killing us to give her a body for her hobby...how exactly does that benefit us? How are we going to get corpses to raise? It's not like we're strong enough to kill anyone right now. Even if we go kill and animate a rat or something, what are we going to do with it? Are we seriously planning to announce to the world that we're a necromancer by having mummified rats follow us around to do our fighting for us? Do we really want to antagonize the tribunal temple right now? If not, where will we keep our undead and how will they benefit us? Off the top of my head I can think of two people in Morrowind who are necromancers for sure, and both of them are WAY stronger than we are...and even they hide and deny their necromancy because they don't want to get killed."
"I just don't feel like some of you are thinking your suggestions through very well. And the suggestions that do make sense, we're not following up on, because every time I start on something you immediately want to drop it and do something else. I think we need to decide on a goal and then take the steps to make it happen rather than running in circles constantly changing our mind about everything."
Quote
Begin sampling ingredients, preferably in a place with a healer, such
as the Balmora temple, in case we suffer any adverse reactions.
Ok. On to Balmora.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi, Darvame. I just spoke with Vodunius. He says he's leaving Vvardenfell. I'm sure you'll get to talk to him before he leaves, but I thought I'd give you a head's up since he's your roomate."
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "Thank you for the warning, sera. Where to?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Balmora."
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "Certainly. 13 gold."
The trip to Balmora is uneventful.
(http://i.imgur.com/fzpqogk.png)
Your arrival, however, is not. As you approach the stairs from the dock you're hit with a strong sense of deja vue. Again. This time it's accompanied by a sensation of vertigo. You lose your balance and stumble. The strider driver reaches out to try to catch you, but he's not fast enough and you end up sitting down to keep from falling off the ramp.
(http://i.imgur.com/WIM8hee.png): "Are you alright, sera?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...yes. Thank you. Just...felt a bit dizzy. I'm fine now."
You get back up and resume your trip.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I hope I didn't just die again."
The sensation was much stronger that previous times you've felt it. If you were to lose your balance like that again at the wrong time, or during a fight...that could be a problem.
You head to the Balmora temple and go to the shrines.
Acrobatics is now 18
(http://i.imgur.com/PBSEYXZ.png)
It's 35 gold for a blessing. You hope you won't need one as you go through your reagents, tasting one of each.
New alchemy knowledge: ampoule Pod - [1] Restore speed
New alchemy knowledge: bungler's bane - [1] Drain agility
New alchemy knowledge: coda flower - [1] Restore luck
New alchemy knowledge: hypha facia - [1] Drain
New alchemy knowledge: rat meat - [1] Poison
New alchemy knowledge: spore pod - [1] Paralysis
New alchemy knowledge: violet coprinus - [1] Water Walking
You feel a little woozy from the poison, but the effect passes quickly.
Health is now 32/41
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head to the orc nercromancer in the mages guild. Tell her quietly that we know she's a necromancer
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This too, if we think we can talk her down from killing us on the spot.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...I guess that's two in favor and none opposed? Or is it one and a half in favor? That second yes vote sounds tentative to me. And the way I remember it, apart from Ranis, we already have a bad reputation at the Balmora mage guild. Well, let's go talk to her."
You find her right where you expect her, downstairs in the mage guild. When you walk up, she seems to be intently fiddling with things on her shelf, muttering to herself in a throaty language you don't recognize.
(http://i.imgur.com/d86spuW.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Excuse me. Hi, I-"
(http://i.imgur.com/11Mg2oW.png): "What do you want!?!? I'm BUSY!!!!"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...I wanted to ask you-"
(http://i.imgur.com/11Mg2oW.png): "I don't care! Go away!"
...oh, that's right. She doesn't like to talk. In-game, she generally refuses to talk unless you're at a certain stage of the main quest. Hmm. Well, I guess I could tell her we know she's a necromancer like one of you suggested. That would probably get her attention. Is that what we want to do?
Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 20, 2013, 03:39:53 am
I suggested helping Vodonius since, at least in the game, it nets you a discount from Davarme and use of his house. And his house certainly seems much nicer than Foyrn's leaky shack on the mud. Like your previous death, I did not forsee the divergence.
That little Deja Vu episode was certainly disturbing. If you died, we didn't see it. It might have had something to do with the thieves' guild, or perhaps from Ms. Orc (I don't think she's the murdering type, though: necromancer's tend to use the already dead). The fact that we didn't see it, though, might suggest the PC. In any case, let's watch our step.
I really have no idea what to do with the necromancer. I didn't think we were done in Seyda Neen, but it won't do to run back there now. Really, we should have stopped by Peligaid on the way. My vote is neutral.
As for the thieves' guild, remember that we'd still have to pay them for training, just like any other guild.
Post by: hostergaard on June 20, 2013, 04:12:36 am
We know enough to make potions of restore fatigue and paralysis.
The fatigue potions can be somewhat useful, and are made from incredibly cheap and common materials; bread and small kwarma eggs. At 1 gold each and 1 gold for a flask, we would have to be really fucking terrible at making potions to not make ones worth more than 3 gold.
I mean, a bargain fortify fatigue is worth 5 gold. We should at least be able to break even, or even if we don't its a cheap way to train alchemy (make sure to smell resulting potions, might as well try to learn to recognize them by smell)
Also, I wonder if we can apply potions to our weapons; if we can we should make a paralysis potion and put it on our tanto, just to even out the odds a little.
I am not against joining thieves guild, but if there is a choice I would rather take mages guild, because magic. I am also a little too emphatic to be a ruthless thief, we should really make it a quest goal to get that book back. But its a good way to get some money early on easily, and we can play the Robin Hood role and only steal from the rich and give some of the loot to the poor for the sake of our conscience.
Rather, I think we should follow up on that letter of recommendation, it seems the best way to get some training and contacts in an easy and efficient manner.
Also, thinking about it, while our dollars have no monetary value it may be worth a lot. Why? The bills (and coins to a degree) would be considered fantastically intricate works of art by the denizen of this medieval world. Find someone who like the arts and sell them as pocket paintings or something. I think Crassius Curio in Vivec may be a buyer.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Iituem on June 20, 2013, 05:01:08 am
Since we're in Balmora the necromancer comes to mind (pretty sure she'll kill us) as does the Thieves' Guild. I vote the guild, but I'll change if there's a good argument for necromancer.
But we should just choose one clear goal and stick to it, for Michael's sanity's sake.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 20, 2013, 06:43:44 am
Also, ugh, why did we leave town. >_< I too suspect it's a side effect of conversation and commands ending up so interwined. We need to come up with a way to deal with this. How about...
Quote from: command
We should limit actual, immediate, "do this now" commands to this sort of thing.
And anyway, Mike, the reason we didn't go back and tell her, and why there no commands to, was that we were still trying to find the ring or get back the book last I knew! I didn't realize we'd given up on that - but since we apparently have, we should return to her and at least hope that finding the killer helped, and find out if there's anything else that we might be able to do for her.
Quote from: commands
For the future, consider this command permanent - Unless I explicitly support something, if it involves leaving the town we are currently in for the next action, I oppose it)
I wanted to suggest we buy the rest of the Alchemy supplies, but we STILL don't have a place to stay - we need to talk to that guy that was mentioned but I have no idea where he is. I think we can manage 100 a month. And right now it seems like Alchemy is a decent way for us to make some money, or at least I hope so.
Post by: LordBucket on June 20, 2013, 07:26:53 am
We need to coordinate more amongst ourselves
Do you guys need more time between updates? Part of the problem might be that they happen too often. This thread is only 27 days old and we've had 23 updates in that time. So if people suggest X and then don't log on for 24 hours, odds are fairly good that they'll have missed the chance to make suggestions to provide follow-through for their previous suggestion.
I could do updates less often. Maybe more like twice a week instead of every day or two?
Quote
We need to come up with a way to deal with this. How about...
I'm willing to switch to an explicit-commands-only model if that would help. It's come up several times that people have phrased things as questions or conditionals and I've been unsure whether they were intended as suggestions. For example, we could bold formal suggestions and anything not bolded I'll interpret as discussion, or long-term planning, rather than anything to include right away in an update. Though this being a 27 page thread I'd be slightly concerned that not everyone would notice an announcement to that effect.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 20, 2013, 07:47:43 am
Post by: hostergaard on June 20, 2013, 09:36:21 am
Maybe smaller updates instead? I certainly would have had more suggestions once we realized we weren't actually getting the house in exchange for the ring, for example. Since the whole point of that exercise, as I understood it, was to get the house.
This probably part of the problem, the length of the updates and how it interfaces with this style of LP.
We can only comment in between updates and when a lot of stuff happens in them there is large periods where we have no opportunity to react and adapt our suggestions. Thus people have to make short and long term suggestion at the same time to make sure its been suggested in case the update deals with it. Sin we aren't always clear on what is what we often end up running about like a headless chicken trying to deal with the current situation as it changes every update.
I am not sure I have a perfect solution, shorter but more updates would help offset the "time-lag" problem, but the forum being somewhat on the slow end, it also means that fewer will have the opportunity to suggest between updates and increase the chance of missing an opportunity to do so.
Perhaps one could try to avoid changing towns in the middle of an update while we are so short on money? Preferably change towns in the beginning of the update and only after there is a clear consensus on doing so, to be sure we have time to finish up business in whatever place we already are?
Oh, and I would make a conditional suggestion; make sure to tell the shopkeeper to keep the book on hold for you the next chance we got. Would be bad if he sould it of before you could get the money together.
Post by: gman8181 on June 20, 2013, 10:39:25 am
Alright a couple things:
We got off for the crime regarding the book and my suggestions didn't include telling her because to be honest, I don't care. Not entirely sure what was the deal with the ring(s)?
Money is a problem. I haven't personally made any suggestions as far as buying things for that reason. Rather my suggestion to obtain money was going and killing the mudcrab merchant. It's loaded with cash and we wouldn't have to worry about it being too hard to kill or having it be reported as a crime.
The mudcrab idea was argued against on the basis that it would be too difficult to get there or too dangerous. Considering that our original goal for obtaining money was to learn magic and buy alchemy tools, I came up with a new suggestion~
Tell the Mage's guild Orc Necromancer that we know her secret and that we want to be her apprentice. Hopefully a cheaper way of learning magic considering our lack of funding and we get the additional bonus of necromancy knowledge. In game if you bring it up she just tries to shut you up because she's afraid of anyone hearing. She never actually gets violent...
Still this is a new world far different from that of the original Morrowind game. To that end I suggest we write a note on paper saying that we know about her necromancy and would like to be her apprentice. A note would let her know that we're not stupid enough to talk about her Necromantic Practices out loud where others can hear it. It would also make our proposal less immediately threatening so we'd be less concerned about her killing us just to keep us from talking about it out loud or to other people.
Why are Necromancy and Daedra Magic useful in this setting? Well you did say you wanted to become like a god... that's rather hard to do without an army. Armies are hard to come by although much easier if you have access to Necromancy and Daedra Summoning. Besides, right now we're rather squishy. It could be greatly beneficial to us if we took over an abandoned Dwemer site and created a few undead minions to go on all our dangerous missions for us. Create a few intelligent undead to lead the rest on our behalf when we're not around. It also only takes about 20 assorted undead to take over most towns which would then give us more to work with.
But how would we get to that point? Well it only takes about 12 skeletons to take over one of the smaller Dwemer sites. I've tested it before with the perma glitch. We don't have bodies unfortunately but ghosts would probably still be an option and probably just as good for getting the job done.
Not sure which necromancers were being referred to but I've met plenty of televanni necromancers in the game. All of them are very powerful members of the televanni house who have reportedly lived for a couple thousand years. If you do the Televanni missions they try to get one of the Necromancers to be more active in the day to day affairs of the house because they appreciate how powerful he is and respect him. It's hard to do that because he prefers living alone to perform his studies and experiments.
To me that suggests not that all the powerful necromancers are scared and in hiding but that most of them are so preoccupied with their studies that they don't want to go out very often.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 20, 2013, 10:56:34 am
Post by: MonkeyHead on June 20, 2013, 11:13:53 am
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 20, 2013, 11:15:58 am
Go to the guild. Join the guild.
While I would say absolutely not, I have a different suggestion. As you guys are very savvy with loot locations in the game, it could be worthwhile to talk to the Thieves' Guild. Not to completely join them, but rather strike an agreement. Having to pay a protection fee of 10% is better than a knife in the back.
That could also net us a fence, a way to find out about coating weapons with poison, and a supplier for some useful alchemical ingredients for the aforementioned poison.
But... do that later
For now, I agree with general goals of: Alchemy, sleeping place
The orc could be useful. We could bluff, and tell her that her unique perspective on magic is our real goal. It's something we admire. Other trainers couldn't teach us magic, and we are hoping she could be our saving grace. Appeal to her vanity. In return, we could warn her of various events to come to guarantee her safety.
Post by: Vrky on June 20, 2013, 11:22:27 am
Ask and see how much rest of alchemy set costs. Also ask if we could actually make an useful potion if we had full set, since it obviously isn't as simple as just jamming all ingredients in a pot. If we could brew potions and rest of the set is affordable, buy it and practice alchemy. Pay some gold for training if necessary.
We already invested quite a bit in alchemy so we can go further and actually benefit from it.
I advise against thieves guild, at least for now. I also advise against any attempts to confront necromancer, because she could just kill us in our sleep or something
Post by: Supercharazad on June 20, 2013, 12:17:08 pm
The orc could be useful. We could bluff, and tell her that her unique perspective on magic is our real goal. It's something we admire. Other trainers couldn't teach us magic, and we are hoping she could be our saving grace. Appeal to her vanity. In return, we could warn her of various events to come to guarantee her safety.
Post by: Iituem on June 20, 2013, 12:39:27 pm
The orc could be useful. We could bluff, and tell her that her unique perspective on magic is our real goal. It's something we admire. Other trainers couldn't teach us magic, and we are hoping she could be our saving grace. Appeal to her vanity. In return, we could warn her of various events to come to guarantee her safety.
Alright, a good argument. I'm changing my vote to giving the necromancer a note, flattering her and aiming to be her apprentice.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 20, 2013, 12:51:39 pm
Quote
The orc could be useful. We could bluff, and tell her that her unique perspective on magic is our real goal. It's something we admire. Other trainers couldn't teach us magic, and we are hoping she could be our saving grace. Appeal to her vanity. In return, we could warn her of various events to come to guarantee her safety.
support
Conditional on us next being in Seyda Neen (do not go there JUST for this): Reveal to lighthouse lady that we at least identified the murder, and that we are still going to try to recover the book for her, though it may take a while, and ask if there are any other objects for her to remember him by - after all, she mentioned she was his fiance, right? Does she not have the ring he gave her?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 20, 2013, 01:10:57 pm
Also, let's approach the Necromancer in as non-threatening a way as possible, probably with a note. I don't know if we want explicitly to become a necromancer, but we need to make sure to get basic instruction in the schools she knows while she's teaching us. If she refuses, it might be a good idea to let her know that we still won't tell anyone. So far, no one seems to have a different personality than their game dialogue indicates, and Sharn Gro-Muzgob doesn't seem like the type to kill. In fact, if I remember correctly, she actually does teach you some necromancy conjuration in exchange for your silence if you confront her about it. I believe that the PC's character "finds out" by discovering a book in her locked container, but since we already know...
Screw the thieves' guild. What's our main motivation for joining? Getting trained. But they don't offer training in exchange for work, they offer it in exchange for money, because you still have to pay the trainers. They'd give us either low-pay lowlife jobs in accordance with our skill, or give us the quests from the game, which we aren't ready for. We'd make a lot of enemies on general principal, and the consequences of failure are harsh and long-lasting. Furthermore, learning their arts wouldn't make us that much more powerful in a fight.
Post by: gman8181 on June 20, 2013, 01:48:51 pm
Post by: Sensei on June 20, 2013, 04:06:37 pm
Also, we should try going swimming. Assuming we aren't attacked by slaughterfish, it's a faster way to gain athletic skill (and we could use the associated attribute gain).
Post by: WillowLuman on June 20, 2013, 04:09:52 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on June 20, 2013, 04:50:39 pm
I'm also frustrated that we left Seyda Neen so soon (partially because we wasted time on that ring, but mostly because I just started another game of Morrowind :p). We're building up a reputation there. Even if we don't want to base ourselves there (who says we can't move at a later point though?) we'll still have a nice handful of people around us that don't think we're the scum of the earth. Don't let ego get in the way. Just because we had it so easy going from place to place doesn't mean we should waste Mikey's time and money doing the same. Things are different and we're still clearly struggling with that concept.
I say we stop by the South Wall or whatever and inquire about the letter we got. Even if we don't join, making connections is important, and if I recall correctly there are a few scouts we could talk to as well in that jawn.
As for the Thieves Guild, we know we don't need a fence to sell stolen goods. We sold the book pretty easily. However, at least from what I saw of it, the Thieves Guild is one of the tightest knit groups on the island. Not only does nobody have to know of our affiliation, but unless I am mistaken, and I may very well be, we won't have to worry about stepping on the toes of anyone in our faction either. As for the quests, well, we don't know how any of the guilds work in MorrowReal, do we? I expect the first job for any group is going to be a proving of sort. Would we rather take the risks trying to steal something or trying to take someone down in combat (Mages Guild is still out of the question for now I assume)? We need money as soon as possible, and stealing is the easiest way to get it. Hell, you don't even need to be stealthy so long as there's nobody around. And there's just so much to steal!
Now once again even though I'm a huge TG advocate, the Camonna Tong will likely eventually come at us. But by that point it's very likely we'll have skills and equipment enough, not to mention allies, to hold our own.
I for one am not too worried about the PC's saving and loading. Sure, it's a bit of an inconvenience now, but we can use it to our advantage. If we get things in motion (regardless of our stance on the PC) early on, then if the PC wants to load before we get our shit going, then they'll have to lose a lot as well. And then we, as Mike's memory for those instances, can guide him to be even more effective. Don't think how it negatively impacts us, bros. Think about how we can manipulate what we know.
Damn, I just about wrote an update myself.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 20, 2013, 05:04:11 pm
If even a proving test from the thieve's guild goes wrong, we'd have a criminal record (or a lot less blood, due to angry marks). And even if we don't get caught in the act, people are much more likely to notice their things go missing, and will probably easily trace it to a stranger who came and sold very similar things to a nearby store. Or, if we use a fence, to a stranger who they let into their home. And in the case of a spate of thefts appearing where we visit, we'd be a likely suspect, due to our stranger status. And don't forget, the PC has likely already abused her powers to nab all the notable loot. We don't have the same protection from investigation.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 20, 2013, 05:31:39 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 20, 2013, 06:03:29 pm
But most importantly, we'd still have to pay for training. Nicking goblets and silverware will only pay for that slowly, and to make money faster on stealing we'd have to go after bigger and riskier marks. If we do sign an agreement with the Thieves, let's only steal opportunistically and just give them a cut. Let's not make it our career.
Post by: Sensei on June 20, 2013, 06:54:16 pm
We should also definitely go to the Thieve's guild. I don't think we stand to lose anything by it.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 20, 2013, 07:30:35 pm
EDIT: Key word here is "next time we swing by"
Post by: Aseaheru on June 20, 2013, 07:32:25 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on June 20, 2013, 07:37:03 pm
*Facepalm* I'm blind. You know who'd hire us for math skills? The government! Next time we swing by Seyda Neen, let's ask if the Census Office needs any help with paperwork. Our secretarial skills are trained to perfection from being in the US educational system.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Aseaheru on June 20, 2013, 08:17:59 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 20, 2013, 08:49:40 pm
From now on, put game suggestions in bold. Comments not in bold will be assumed to be discussion.
Episode 24: Perhaps, necromancy?
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write a note on paper saying that we know about her necromancy and would like to be her apprentice.
Quote
I'm changing my vote to giving the necromancer a note
Quote
The orc could be useful. Appeal to her vanity.
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support
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let's approach the Necromancer in as non-threatening a way as possible, probably with a note.
Quote
yeah, approach the Necromancer.
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I don't see how the necromancer is beneficial. if we absolutely have to confront her, do not write her a note.
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I also advise against any attempts to confront necromancer,
(http://i.imgur.com/TlKUZ5d.png)
Sharn continues to glare at you. Thinking for a moment, you take a step away and pull out your notepad and begin writing.
-- I would like to learn the art of necromancy. Please teach me.
By the time you've finished writing, she's gone back to what she's doing, and is ignoring you. You hold the paper up to her and wait. She keeps trying to ignore you, but you persist. Eventually she angrily snatches the notepad from your hands and starts to...frown and inspect it. She looks at it closely, turns it over and examines the cardboard backing, then uses a finger to flip through the various sheets. Apparently she finds the paper more interesting than the message. Eventually she gives up her inspection, goes back to frowning and reads the note.
She freezes, then looks into your eyes with deep-seated anger and suspicion. Saying nothing she grabs a quill from her shelf and begins writing a response.
-- I am no necromancer. Necromancy is forbidden. I would never disobey edicts of the wise and glorious tribunal temple. Also, necromancy is wrong.
Despite the seriousness of her glare, you can't help but smirk at the too-obvious denial. You write a response.
Quote
Appeal to her vanity.
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support
-- That's a shame because necromancy is such a wonderful art worthy of love and devotion. Also, I think you're pretty and you should definitely teach me.
She rolls her eyes and writes yet another response. A short one.
-- I can't teach you necromancy.
-- Why not?
She doesn't write a response right away. Instead she stares at the notepad. Her hand slowly drops towards her waist and she continues to stare, thinking.
-- It is forbidden by the temple, and loathed by the people. Necromancers are hunted and killed. To be a necromancer is to forever remain either hidden in plain sight and unable to practice, or an outcast all alone with no company but one's creations. Do you truly wish to learn?
You write a quick response.
-- Yes
She writes yet another response. This time, a long one. She reads it over and glances around the room before showing it to you, keeping her hand firmly on the notepad rather than handing it to you.
-- I cannot teach you necromancy. I am not a necromancer. Necromancy is wrong. Praise ALMSIVI. However, perhaps if you have the time you could be of assistance to me in a completely unrelated matter that is definitely not necromancy because necromancy is wrong. Just south of Pelegiad is the Andrano ancestral tomb. Perhaps you could visit the tomb and retrieve the skull of Llevule Andrano for me. Not merely any skull will do. It must be his.
When you're done reading, you look her in the eyes, and she tears the page from the pad and casts a quick fire spell to burn it to ashes.
Fortunately you do get the rest of the notepad back.
Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Iituem on June 20, 2013, 09:08:59 pm
Although I can't think what those preparations would be. Suggestions on how to improve our survivability?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 20, 2013, 09:10:41 pm
Let's not leave Balmora just yet, we must decide if there's anything else worth doing here. Pick up the rest of an alchemy set while we're here.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 20, 2013, 09:14:12 pm
Go to the Thieves Guild, tell them you have someone interested in acquiring an item. If asked, tell them what it is, but do not mention Sharn. I'm sure they understand how it works anyway. This way we can maybe get help from them if we do decide to go skull snatching, and we avoid stepping on their toes if they are as monopolist about theft as we think.
EDIT: And apparently there's a Dagger of Judgement next to the Skull. If majority decides to go for the skull, let's remember to keep an eye out for the dagger. If it's not there, then we know the PC is going for fat lute.
Post by: gman8181 on June 20, 2013, 09:19:34 pm
Have him clear the tomb and then grab the skull.
How will we recognize the skull?
Man of Paper: good idea but we don't have enough money.
It's really not too hard to loot a tomb though. Assuming proper equipment or some help.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 20, 2013, 09:23:30 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 20, 2013, 11:16:15 pm
We should retrieve the skull if and only if we can get some help. And before we do so, let's finish our business in Balmora, namely getting an alchemy set.
Brainstorming here, another thing to get some good and quick cash would be pearl diving. Most PC's don't have the patience to dive down and search kallops, so they're likely undisturbed. However, it runs into the same problem as the mudcrab merchant: slaughterfish.
If we find ourselves in Caldera, let's have a word with Creeper. It's a short walk to the north, but Alits often roam near the town.
Post by: joemoben on June 21, 2013, 02:38:08 am
I'm confused. Nothing I suggested requires money. Though if I fudged something somewhere let me know so I can clear it up. If it's about the dagger, that's an item right next to the skull. And remember, it's not hard for us to loot a tomb, but poor Mikey's been nerfed to hell and back. He had an issue with rats, and the tomb's going to have lesser skeletons and bonewalkers or whatnot. Definitely a bit tougher.I believe he was talking about the thieves guild recommendation, as it is fairly doubtful that they will actually do anything at all for free.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 21, 2013, 09:43:26 am
I'm confused. Nothing I suggested requires money. Though if I fudged something somewhere let me know so I can clear it up. If it's about the dagger, that's an item right next to the skull. And remember, it's not hard for us to loot a tomb, but poor Mikey's been nerfed to hell and back. He had an issue with rats, and the tomb's going to have lesser skeletons and bonewalkers or whatnot. Definitely a bit tougher.I believe he was talking about the thieves guild recommendation, as it is fairly doubtful that they will actually do anything at all for free.
Oh right, I see what I left out.
See if the Thieves Guild can offer help if we join them.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 21, 2013, 10:32:38 am
Go to the Thieves Guild and let's see if we can join up. After that, we should go to Seyda Neen and see if the Census Office is hiring.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 21, 2013, 11:56:06 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 21, 2013, 12:26:54 pm
Do not, under any circumstances whatsoever, enter that tomb. Forget about it.
Go to the Thieves Guild and let's see if we can join up. After that, we should go to Seyda Neen and see if the Census Office is hiring.
Do not, under any circumstances whatsoever, join the Thieves guild. Forget about it.
Post by: gman8181 on June 21, 2013, 12:43:33 pm
Don't forget about it. We should do it, but later, when we're actually ready.+1
Census work might actually be a good idea, if not rather boring.
Post by: Sensei on June 21, 2013, 12:47:00 pm
Try to make some money balancing accounts or math tutoring, census, whatever. Still check up on Thieves' guild. Also, begin testing our acrobatics skill- figure out how high a thing we can jump off of without getting hurt, for more efficient acrobatics training. That'll get our strength up.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 21, 2013, 01:27:25 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 21, 2013, 01:32:58 pm
Is there anything else interesting in Balmora we can check out while we're here? Any easy quests or anything?
Post by: Supercharazad on June 21, 2013, 01:56:59 pm
Post by: MonkeyHead on June 21, 2013, 01:59:00 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 21, 2013, 03:47:04 pm
Just remember that the tomb will get us killed. The Thieves Guild might get us arrested. And even then, I don't remember the sentences ever being that long, and it's Morrowind time.
Yes, but as this is Real we'll get a criminal record that colors people's perceptions of us. Also, the sentences are long and the jails harsh enough that we'll lose skills and/or attributes.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 21, 2013, 03:57:26 pm
Let's go to the census office.
Post by: gman8181 on June 21, 2013, 04:01:22 pm
Just remember that the tomb will get us killed. The Thieves Guild might get us arrested. And even then, I don't remember the sentences ever being that long, and it's Morrowind time.
We'll probably die now if we go while we're unprepared.
It's really impossible to say that we have absolutely no chance of surviving and besides the recommendation was that we go later when we're ready. Not that we blindly charge in without any preparation.
Either way, I say we let the Orc know we're interested but that we aren't strong enough to try it yet
Post by: Supercharazad on June 21, 2013, 04:18:27 pm
Post by: gman8181 on June 21, 2013, 05:12:06 pm
Again, if we go in there the natives are going to find out and lynch us.How exactly would they find out? It's very easy to get away with crime here. We've seen that multiple times with crimes ranging from stealing to murder (with witnesses in at least one occasion).
Post by: WillowLuman on June 21, 2013, 06:14:15 pm
But anyway, I don't know of anyone of the family that tomb belongs to who lives near Peligaid.
Post by: Urist_McGamer on June 21, 2013, 06:16:09 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 22, 2013, 02:53:15 am
Quote
let the Orc know we're interested but that we aren't strong enough to try it yet
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Thank you, Sharn. I'm definitely interested in your proposal. But I don't think I can rush right out and do it just this instant. I think I need to get a bit stronger first."
(http://i.imgur.com/11Mg2oW.png): "I have no use for a weak ally. The offer won't be available forever. Once I'm done here I'll go out and do it myself if you haven't already."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Done with what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/11Mg2oW.png): "None of your business. Now go away and let me get back to it."
Quote
check out the fighters guild while we're in town as well
You head next door to the fighter's guild and talk to Eydis Fire-Eye, the local guildhall leader.
(http://i.imgur.com/bgse53R.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Hello. What can I do for you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I was considering joining the guild. What can you tell me about it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "We operate under an official charter from the Emperor to regulate and train mercenaries. Anyone wants to hire a merc, they come to us. Want work? Join the guild. It's that simple."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Is training limited to members only?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "No, we'll train anyone who can pay. We give a discount to members though. Membership also gives you access to our barracks for sleeping and temporary storage, as well as to the guild chest, which people drop the occasional odds and ends into. Membership is by examination only, and costs 25 gold per month. Guild chest donations count towards that though, so members can have their fees waived by contributing to the survival of our junior members."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What kind of donations?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Mostly low end arms and armor. A few of us make healing potions to toss in there too. It's in our best interest to keep new recruits alive. It makes us look bad if you get killed on an assignment. If you want to make a donation, talk to Fasile one level down and she'll write it up for you."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What kind of jobs do you usually get?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Anything people want mercenaries for. Clearing out monster dens, guard and patrol duty, merchant and caravan escorts...I've got two jobs on my desk right now. East Empire company is looking for a warehouse guard, and some Telvanni wants us to try and track down some escaped slaves."
Interesting. You don't recognize either of those as vanilla quests.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What's the pay like?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "I think you might be getting ahead of yourself, partner. You want in? Great. But you don't carry yourself like a veteran and that fluffy hat you're wearing makes me guess you've never seen a fight in your life. Head downstairs and talk to Hasphat. If he says you can join, give me 25, sign a contract and then we'll talk business."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What's the entrance exam like?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Just need to prove you can handle yourself in a fight. I don't care if you poke, slash or stab, but dying's not an option. Remember you represent us too."
You hear someone walking up the stairs behind you, and Eydis looks over your shoulder. You turn to see a massive Nord wearing mixed fur and chitin armor and carrying an axe as big as your chest on his waist. He looks back at you, then at Eydis, then looks nervously at the ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/jzMFttu.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/mfBIpVN.png): "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Go right ahead. I can wait."
Apparently he's the strong, quiet type.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Bjorn! Welcome back. Everything taken care of?"
(http://i.imgur.com/mfBIpVN.png): "Yes. I do feel bad for the rats, though. They weren't hurting anyone."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "According to Miss Thelas, they'd broken into her storeroom and were chewing up her pillows."
(http://i.imgur.com/mfBIpVN.png): "They were teething! Chewing on pillows would be very good for them."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Maybe, but this 100 gold payment is better for you than the pillows were for the rats. Here you go."
She hands him some coins.
(http://i.imgur.com/mfBIpVN.png): "Thank you."
...wait. This guy just turned in a quest. Is he a PC? How would you know if he was? Can npcs do quests too? You rack your brains for something to say, but nothing clever comes to mind.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi."
He glances at you then goes back to looking at the ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/mfBIpVN.png): "Hello."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Bjorn, was it?"
He nods, but doesn't look up.
(http://i.imgur.com/mfBIpVN.png): "...yes. Bjorn....Death-Dealer. I'm sorry. I didn't choose the name."
Silence reigns as nobody says anything. The conversation obviously isn't going anywhere, so you decide to go for broke.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Are you a PC?"
He frowns and looks up in confusion.
(http://i.imgur.com/mfBIpVN.png): "...am I...a what? I don't understand."
Eydis folds her arms challengingly and interrupts.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Hey. Stop harassing my members. "
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Umm, sorry."
(http://i.imgur.com/mfBIpVN.png): "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry. I'm still new at this. I don't know all the words yet. I'm sorry. I'll just be going now."
Bjorn backs away and bumps into the wall, turns around abruptly and starts to apologize to that too before he realizes it's a wall, then rushes down the stairs as if embarrassed. You want to give chase, but Eydis is still watching you.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "New recruit?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Yes, just arrived from Skyrim this morning. Great with an axe, but poor guy's heart isn't really in it."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I'll say. "
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Ehhh...I've seen his type before. It's not as uncommon as you might think. Big, strong guy like that probably grew up breaking things and accidentally hurting people. Never got close to anyone, and always feels like he's walking on eggshells. That's my guess."
You're not convinced of that explanation. But you can't think of any suitable reply. Instead you thank Eydis for her time and head downstairs to try to catch Bjorn. Unfortunately you didn't see which way he turned after the corner at the bottom of the stairs. Stepping outside the guild, you see no sign of him. So on the off-chance that he went downstairs instead, you go back inside and look around.
(http://i.imgur.com/oUhtO5W.png)
No sign of anyone in the barracks.
(http://i.imgur.com/HLIXfLT.png)
And no sign of him in the training room either. Looks like you lost him. But that's Hasphat Antabolis, so you may as well talk to him while you're here.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi. You conduct entrance exams?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n3c2iC2.png): "Yes, I handle all exams and combat trials. Are you here to join the guild?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Maybe later...not now, thanks. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't qualify. But since I'm here, Eydis mentioned that you provide training to non-members. How much and what do you teach?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n3c2iC2.png): "Lessons are one hour, and cost 100 gold for members, or 150 for non-members. I'm a certified combat trainer for all major weapon and armor types, as well as shields, unarmed defense and fighting. Guild admission requires basic knowledge of both one offensive and defensive style."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So, for 150 gold you'll teach me the basics of any one style?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n3c2iC2.png): "Yes. Or for example, since you're not a member, if you wanted to meet membership requirements, for 300 gold and in two hours I could teach you basic competency in long blade and heavy armor. Or axes and shields. Or unarmed defense and fist fighting. Anything you want. I only offer introductory lessons though, and honestly you could learn just as much on your own through trial and error in live combat. But if you have the gold, it's would be both faster and much safer to learn it here. "
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You mentioned combat trials earlier. What are those?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n3c2iC2.png): "They're for internal promotions within the guild. Nothing a non-member needs to worry about, but if you join and want to advance through the ranks, to do that you'll need to defeat conjured monsters in a controlled environment."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You summon monsters for rank tests? Like what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n3c2iC2.png): "Not really allowed to talk about it with non-members. But yes."
You thank Hasphat for his time. So far, it seems like every guild operates a bit differently, both from vanilla Morrowind, and from each other. Still one more here in Balmora you'd like to check out before you decide anything though.
Quote
Go to the Thieves Guild, tell them you have someone interested in acquiring an item.
If asked, tell them what it is, but do not mention Sharn.
Quote
See if the Thieves Guild can offer help if we join them.
Quote
Go to the Thieves Guild and let's see if we can join up.
Quote
check up on Thieves' guild.
Quote
Do not, under any circumstances whatsoever, join the Thieves guild.
Acrobatics is now 19
You head to the South Wall cornerclub. Since you know exactly who the local guild hall leader is, you skip the smalltalk and walk straight to Sugar-lips Habasi.
(http://i.imgur.com/VVkmueh.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Sugar-lips?"
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Yes? What can Sugar do for you?"
The last khajiit you spoke to was wearing clothes that obscured his body shape enough that he mostly just seemed like a regular guy who happened to have a furry head. Everything about Sugar-lips reeks cat. Her body and her disposition, the way her body is slightly crouched as if to pounce, the way her ears are folded back on her head, the adorable accent...you really want to glomp her but from the way she's edging one hand closer to a dagger on her belt, you're pretty sure it would end badly if you tried.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I received a letter asking me to join the guild."
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Oh? Show us this."
You slowly take off your backpack and dig through it, trying to be as non-threatening looking as possible. Out of the corner of your eye you see that Sugar-lips never takes her left hand off the hilt of that dagger. Left hand...dagger on left hip. That seems...odd. How would she draw? Shaking your head, you pull out the Thieves Guild letter and hand it to her. She reads over it, visibly looking up at you 2-3 times during the read.
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "You wish to be toad?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You mean, join the guild? Maybe. I was hoping you could tell me more about it first."
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "You are a thief. But not one of us. This is not good. Join us and be thief. This is good. Don't join us and be thief, we kill you. Is good for us. Not so good for you. Or, don't be thief and we won't kill you. It is up to you. But most who come to us can't not be thief, so choose to join."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hmm. Well, when you put it that way. Honestly...I was kind of thinking about becoming a wizard. Stealing is just something I've been doing to get by. If it really came to it, I think I could give it up. Are there any other benefits to joining, besides not being dead?"
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Yes, when you steal, you bring back to us. We buy, is good for you. We take half, is good for us. If you are good thief, is good for all. If you are bad thief, get caught, we help you be free."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "You do jailbreaks?"
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Yes, we can do this thing. But more bribe than break free. Bribe now, pay us back soon. More fast to pay through steal than wait in jail. This is good. If break free, jail time grow. This is not good."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Half seems like a lot. What if I sell to traders rather than the guild?"
Her eyes shrink to slits.
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Then you are not bad thief, but good corpse."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I see. Anything else?"
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Yes, good thief does not hurt or steal from good thief. If you do this, you are bad thief. Don't be bad thief."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So...don't hurt or steal from other members. I can steal anything I want that belongs to anyone else, but as a member, anything I steal I have to sell to a guild fence, that will keep half the profit. If I'm a member in good standing and get arrested for stealing, the guild will help me either with a jailbreak or by arranging for a cheap bribe for early release, which I'll then be expected to reimburse."
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Yes. You wish to be toad?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I have another question actually. "
Quote
tell them you have someone interested in acquiring an item.
If asked, tell them what it is
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What if I gave up stealing myself, but needed somebody else steal something for me. Is that something you could arrange?"
Her ears shoot forward and her demeanor changes completely. She begins purring, and reaches out and touches your arm. Though you notice she keeps one hand on her dagger while she does this.
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "...oh, *purr*. Yes, Sugar can help you with this. Tell Sugar, what is it you want us to get for you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I need a specific skull from a tomb."
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Oh? *purr* tell us more."
She walks around you and rubs herself up against your side from behind. It's possible she might be flirting with you. It's difficult to tell. Cats do this same exact thing when they want you to pet them. You consider scratching behind her ears, but think better of it.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I need the skull of Llevule Andrano from the Andrano ancestral tomb just south of Pelagiad."
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Oh, do you? Hmm. This is not a good task. That tomb has guards. Dead guards that fight. Sugar good for sneak and good for steal. Sugar not so good for fight."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So you can't help me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Sugar not say that. Yes, *purr* Sugar can help you. But will not be cheap."
She leans her head onto your shoulder, and you can feel the vibrations of her purring through your chest. Unexpectedly she licks your exposed neck with a long, sandpapery cat tongue. It's...unpleasant. You're not sure, but you think you also feel her fangs brushing across you while she licks. It occurs to you that her bite could probably tear out a fairly large chunk from your neck without much effort. You suddenly don't feel so much like glomping her anymore.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "How much?"
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Hmm, *purr* 300 and Sugar get this skull for you, *purr*"
You're right on the edge of whether it's easier to think of her as a big, dangerous cat that can't decide whether to cuddle with you or eat you, or a girl who's very blatantly trying to use her body to manipulate you, and failing badly. And through it all, she still manages to keep one hand on her dagger while brushing you affectionately with the other. Wait...other hand? Where is her other hand? You immediately reach for your coinpurse to check if she's taken your money. The weight feels about right. You don't think you've been robbed. But you suspect she could have while you were distracted, if she'd wanted to. Sugar-lips laughs and steps away from you.
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "You are smart one, yes. Sugar knows you don't have the gold to pay her. Your purse is too small. You wish to be toad now?"
Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Iituem on June 22, 2013, 03:08:20 am
Then... I'd say train up our stealth enough that we can steal things to get to 300 septims, then get that basic training from the fighters and look into joining.
My argument is this; we could spend the money getting Sugar-Lips to procure the skull for us, but sooner or later we are going to need to be capable of surviving a fight, even if we end up being primarily a mage. We want Sharn to train us, but she won't do it for a weakling, and we're on a time limit (do it before she finishes up). This strikes me as the best current option that combines long and short term goals.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 22, 2013, 03:12:11 am
Oh, and I slap myself for neglecting to mention before, but let's never again admit weakness to an Orc. They dislike nothing more in a person.
I doubt Bjorn is another PC, seeing as he talked, unlike the first, and acted more like a person. No reality bending gamey aura there. Let's keep an eye out for more people who aren't explicitly in the game, though. If we meet him again, chat him up. He seems like someone we could befriend.
Post by: Gamerlord on June 22, 2013, 03:14:00 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 22, 2013, 03:19:22 am
Post by: Gamerlord on June 22, 2013, 03:20:26 am
Post by: Man of Paper on June 22, 2013, 03:42:43 am
Let's join the Thieves Guild. The people are nice and friendly. And the bribe for freedom is very nice.It'd mean we're indebted to the Guild should it happen to us but at least we'd be out of prison.
Once we join, ask for advice on any easy marks for the budding item acquisition specialist. Preferably locations, as I doubt we're good enough to pick someones pocket yet. Then we can gauge which targets are within our ability to hit and act on it.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 22, 2013, 03:47:00 am
Post by: hostergaard on June 22, 2013, 06:05:08 am
Ask about the price for stealing Thavere's book from the merchant.
Mike, how difficult would you think it would be to steal it ourselves? Good chance of success? I guess we should ask about what their rules are on giving a stolen object to someone rather than selling it of to one of their fences. Returning items you stole to their rightful owner. And what about keeping stuff for yourself for personal use, rather than selling it of?
Oh, and we to check to see if any of their fencers have Processus Vitellius' Ring maybe someone sold it of to them.
Ask if there is any downsides to joining the thieves guild. Monthly fees? Duties? Your name in some record? Limitations?
Joining the thieves guild is fine if there is no real downsides; we can just become a member and forget about it until we need to steal or if there is an opportunity we cannot miss without worrying about their retaliation. If we somehow get in trouble with the law they can fix the problem for us with some bribes. That seems like a good way to ensure we won't stay in jail for too long in the worst case scenario. I mean, if all it takes to be a member is to sell our goods to their fences then that is acceptable price for not getting murdered if you happen to steal something.
If there is no passive or active downsides or penalties; join the guild.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 22, 2013, 07:51:04 am
Of course, the main difficulty is that things aren't as easy for Mike as they are for a standard PC. The guards in the guard tower may not feel like letting us out of their sight or going off-duty while we're in there, for instance.
Opinions?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 22, 2013, 12:30:25 pm
If there are any other downsides than the fence thing, don't join. Or at least see if we can negotiate a "we'll just sell to you exclusively" deal.
I don't mean that kind of discount I mean the other kind of discount, *nudge nudge*.I knew that's what you meant, and I still say that's dangerous. It sounds like a good way to get robbed or killed.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 22, 2013, 01:18:34 pm
Figure I'd see if practical information is of any use for Mike. Maybe some know-how complements plain skill.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 22, 2013, 01:29:47 pm
Left hand...dagger on left hip. That seems...odd. How would she draw?
This is how. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94c88HfACfQ) Except substitute his right side for his left, and you can get a pretty good idea of how not-hard that would be, especially assuming that she's left-handed.
Er, I don't mean to be a big poopyhead by pointing that out, but...time for a productive suggestion! Hopefully!
While carrying out these other suggestions, practice sneaking by trailing behind wandering citizens. If they catch you, try your best not to seem like someone who needs to be arrested.
Post by: Aseaheru on June 22, 2013, 01:51:07 pm
And a good idea, that.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 22, 2013, 01:55:33 pm
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 22, 2013, 02:16:57 pm
What happened to good old work? See if the fighters guild will pay us polish armor, or something unskilled like that. See if any merchants will give us a few coins for helping out (organizing shelves, cleaning up, etc).
Get trained with our weapon from the fighter's guild. We'll need a bit over 100 more coins to get in. After this, we'll be armed and skilled enough to actually win a fight. We could then go looting for money, get more potions ingredients, or take quests. We should be able to scrounge up 100 gold easily enough without joining the thieves guild.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 22, 2013, 02:24:33 pm
I'm still for checking for honest work. The census office sounds like a good idea, but armor polishing doesn't sound like it would get us much.
Post by: LordBucket on June 22, 2013, 08:37:35 pm
No player consensus. I see no action that has more than 1 net vote. I'm going to give you guys more time to decide what you want to do.
Also:
Quote
If there is no passive or active downsides or penalties; join the guild.
Quote
If there are any other downsides than the fence thing, don't join.
I'm not going to make decisions for you based on information you don't have.
Post by: joemoben on June 22, 2013, 11:44:37 pm
Also, we should check if we can sell non stolen goods to regular venders. If we can't, then we will end up making far too little return on any alchemy or what not.
Post by: Putnam on June 23, 2013, 12:07:36 am
We should ask if we have to do anything for the guild besides sell to their fences. If we would have to do jobs for the guild then we should opt out.
+1
Post by: Supercharazad on June 23, 2013, 04:09:15 am
+1We should ask if we have to do anything for the guild besides sell to their fences. If we would have to do jobs for the guild then we should opt out.
+1
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 23, 2013, 08:20:42 am
Do we even have to join now, if we're so set on it? Ask if we can delay on deciding, steal something later, then join immediately and sell what we have just stolen to their fences.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 23, 2013, 09:33:39 am
Post by: DeKaFu on June 23, 2013, 09:58:01 am
Also, I think we're still underestimating how useless we are. We are bad at most things. The world will crush us to dust if we give it a chance, so it's important at this point not to burn any bridges.
Commiting to anything illegal sounds like a great way to close a lot of doors to us.
So, here's my suggestions:
Do not join the Thieves Guild. Do not attempt to learn Necromancy. Being associated with either one will give a lot of people a reason to hate us and we can't afford to be hated until we can handle ourself better.
Attempt to acquire money through legal means, perhaps by hiring out your crazy math skills.
Try to get the remaining supplies you need for alchemy. We've already sunk a lot of resources in it and will need to sink more before it pays off, but it'll be a great long-term source of free useful items and money.
Stop futzing around and go see that person in Pelagiad about magic training. We don't even know if you can learn magic, but if you can, it'll give you the most options and survivability in the long term.
If you have to get there via Seyda Neen, find a way to wrap up that business with the book before moving on. (I'll leave the specifics to other people) That situation's just going to get worse the longer we leave it. This isn't a game where you can just ignore a quest or promise for as long as you want without people getting annoyed at you.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 23, 2013, 10:13:29 am
Go back to Seyda Neen. Talk to book quest lady and tell her you at least did what you could by finding her finace's murderer, and ask her if they were engaged doesn't she have his ring to remember him by?
Practice killing some mudcabs and get some foodstuffs for later alchemy-ing.
Make sure NOT to miss our appointment with our guard friend!
The fighters guild honestly sounds like more of an "adventurers guild", and doesn't seem to have any real requirements - I think joining it is a serious option for us, unlike the Thieve's guild. But the mages guild is still where we really want to be.
Post by: gman8181 on June 23, 2013, 10:36:48 am
Later on when we become significantly tougher and more magically powerful, we can consider moving on to join other guilds or possibly one of the great houses (I'd prefer Televanni because I get a kick out of how crazy they are).
So my suggestion is:
Meet up with our guard friend for a drink and consider joining the legion.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 23, 2013, 11:17:55 am
Each year is twelve months, and each month we'd get 100 septims. That means one tour is 100 septims.
One tour of duty is a year. 365 days, or approximately 8760 hours, or approximately 525600 minutes.
Since a Morrowind minute is two real life seconds, (525600/60)*2 = 17520 minutes to a year. That's 292 hours, or 12 and two thirds days IRL days per Morrowind year.
Each day in Morrowind is 48 IRL minutes, if my math is right.
So, a shift is 240 minutes (5 morrowind days), or 4 hours. Then we sleep for 96 minutes, or 1.6 hours.
So, for less than two IRL weeks, we need to stand about for four hours and then sleep for 1.6 hours and then repeat until done. At the end of that, we have 1200 septims and on top of those septims, we get free training to not be a total wimp.
I doubt we'll have time in those two weeks for doing alchemy as a side job, however, since we'll be working and then sleeping. We'd also have to get used to being awake for four hours and then asleep/eating for less than two hours, and we'd also have to do that for nearly two weeks solid.
Post by: gman8181 on June 23, 2013, 11:27:55 am
Post by: Supercharazad on June 23, 2013, 11:34:01 am
Post by: gman8181 on June 23, 2013, 11:39:42 am
Post by: Aseaheru on June 23, 2013, 11:46:10 am
And if they see we can do math we may get payed more.
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 23, 2013, 11:49:02 am
I now support signing up for the Imperial Legion, after telling that woman where her book is.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 23, 2013, 12:08:24 pm
Don't join the Legion. If we find ourselves in the area due to other circumstances, great. Maybe then we can try it out. But how about we decide on doing something in the town we're in for once without getting horribly side-tracked. And maybe finish something we start.
I'm going to cut off the hands and feet of the next person who suggests an idea that we already shot down and moved away from. Sure, it's not out of the question. Never is. But we've got a really bad trend going on and we need to nip that shit in the bud. I'm sure Mike and, by extension, OP, are not happy with our course of (in)action.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 23, 2013, 12:37:46 pm
Also, go join the legion.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 23, 2013, 01:57:16 pm
Finish up in Seyda Neen, then join the Legion.
Let me explain why - joining the legion, we get shipped around for free. We actually get a good bit of time off. We become slightly more survivable. And here's the thing - EVERYONE is supposed to know the basics of magic, right? We should try to figure out if any of our fellow legionaires can teach us at least then, and we can try to work it out ourselves from basic principles if need be. If not...
I think we'll actually have plenty of time to practice alchemy. We could probably collect ingredients while we're on patrol if just from corpses, and if not, we will have a bit of downtime. And it will actually be a fairly good opportunity to get around and meet people.
Put in a request to get stationed at the place with the magic trainer we wanted to check out, if possible.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 23, 2013, 03:23:08 pm
I suggested the Legion in the first place, and I've been for it since. I just didn't get my vote in time when it came up. So join up, next time we're somewhere it's possible.
Before leaving Balmora, let's purchase the rest of an alchemy set at least.
I don't think we should actually learn necromancy, but we should get the skull if the opportunity presents itself. Sharn can teach us Restoration, as well as help advance our standing with the Mage's guild.
Don't join the Fighter's guild, we're not cut out for it and we'd have to pay dues.
Post by: birdy51 on June 23, 2013, 06:50:35 pm
First though, tying up loose ends here is important.Reject the Thieves Guild's offer, and Finish up in Sedya Neen.
Post by: LordBucket on June 23, 2013, 08:20:57 pm
Odds are fairly decent for an update tonight. Just depends on how much I manage to get done. Still tabulating votes. A lot of people double and triple voted, and some people voted to do something, then 10-20 hours later voted to not do it. Note sure where the results are going to end up.
EDIT:
Ok, here are vote totals. Episode 26 going up soon.
Spoiler: raw votes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: votes sorted by player (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: votes sorted by topic, with redundant votes by same player eliminated (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: final count (click to show/hide)
Post by: LordBucket on June 24, 2013, 07:47:33 am
Episode 26, part 1: Sugar, underestimated alchemy, Thavere, a strange couple and on to Gnisis
Quote
* Ask if we can delay on deciding, steal something later, then join immediately
* ask if we have to do anything for the guild besides sell to their fences
* If there are any other downsides
* We might also hire their help
* ask if we have to
* ask if we have
* Ask if we can
* ask about
* Ask if
* Ask
* ask
* ask
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Can you tell me more about how this works? I want to be sure I understand what I'm getting myself into. Are there any other obligations if I join? What if I steal gold rather than items? Do I have to give a cut of that? Am I expected to do other jobs? Are there any monthly dues? What if I don't steal anything? What if I steal something but don't personally benefit from it? Like if I give it away? Or what if I do keep something? Am I not allowed to keep things, do I have to sell them even if I would use them myself? Is the 50% fixed, or does that go down if I gain ranks within the organization? How do I gain ranks? Does it matter?"
Halfway through your questions, Sugar-lips starts to look bored and reaches into her clothes. She pulls out a small white object and pops it into her mouth. As soon as she begins chewing a look of sheer delight bursts across her face, which then spreads through her entire body, making her look happy and relaxed.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...what if somebody steals something from me and I steal it back, do I then have to sell my own item back to the fence? There are rules about not stealing from other guild members, but how do I know who is and isn't? What if I get it wrong, purely on accident? Are there any other downsides to joining? Any other drawbacks? Anything else I need to know? I'd really like to be clear on how this works and what precisely is expected of me. Also, do I have to decide now? Can I hold off, and say...steal something later then come back to join without having an assassin sent after me right away? Or id I decide to steal something later do I need to hold off then join first? Is the sequence important? Are you flexible on that? What else do I need to know?"
By now, Sugar-lips is simply smiling into your face as if she hasn't a care in the world.
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Sugar thinks you think you too much. Be toad? Or not be toad?"
Quote
check to see if (theives guild) fences have Processus Vitellius' Ring
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "By the way, while I think about whether to join...has anyone sold any rings to you? I'd like to buy a specific ring that someone might have stolen."
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Oh? *purr* Buy is good. What ring?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "It belonged to Processus Vitellius. He was the Seyda Neen tax collector."
Sugar-lips chuckles to herself as if amused by your answer.
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "No, you cub. Gold? Steel? Gems? Good fence does not ask where things come from. What does it look like? "
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...actually, I have no idea what kind of ring it is. I never saw it."
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "Sugar can't help you find ring you can't tell Sugar what it looks like."
Yeah, that makes sense. If you don't know what it looks like, how could she possibly be expected to know? It obviously wouldn't have "Hi, I'm Processus Vitellius' ring" inscribed on it.
Quote
Ask about the price for stealing Thavere's book from the merchant.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "How much to have a book stolen? I need a copy of The Wraith's Wedding Dowry to give to the girl in the lighthouse in Seyd Neen. But not just any copy. It has to be the one that Arrille has, since it was hers. Hopefully he still has it."
Sugar-lips is still smiling, but has clearly lost interest in you. Her ears and eyes are moving frantically about, as if she's hearing things she hadn't noticed before, and she's rapidly shifting...almost hopping, her weight back and forth between her legs. When she responds, her speech is much faster than before.
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "You just ask to ask? You have no more than 50 gold. Sugar checked. Can't pay us. Don't waste Sugar's time. You be toad? Or not be toad?"
Quote
* join the Thieves Guild
* Reject the Thieves Guild's offer
* Join the Thieves Guild.
* Do not join the thieves guild.
* Join the Guild
* Do not join the Thieves Guild.
* If...join the guild.
* If...then we should opt out.
* if...then join immediately
* We might
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I'm just not sure."
Sugar-lips raises her arms over her head as if to stretch, then yawns happily.
(http://i.imgur.com/SOR3e1W.png): "That's ok. Sugar choose for you."
With her hands already in the air, you see that she makes a quick motion with her fingers, then pops another white object into her mouth and starts jumping up and down and giggling to herself. You turn to see the two thieves you passed on the way in. A male bosmer with a no-nonsense look about him, and a nord blonde woman who easily has an 6-8 inch height advantage on you. They exchange a look and then look at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/mPRq1Qh.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Umm...hello. No, don't trouble yourselves over me. I can find my own way out."
Instead of answering, they grab you by both arms. Your try to break free and run, but each of them individually is much stronger than you are and between the two of them there's not much you can do to escape. Fortunately they don't seem to be interested in hurting you. At least, that's how it seems up until they open the door and hurl you face first onto the stone outside.
Health is now 28/41
(http://i.imgur.com/c2sjiT3.png): "Sorry. No hard feelings. And don't worry about Sugar-lips being angry. She never remembers anything after she starts hitting the sugar. If you change your mind about joining, feel free to come back later. Just...decide before you do, ok?"
Quote
* Before leaving Balmora, let's purchase the rest of an alchemy set at least.
* Try to get the remaining supplies you need for alchemy.
Contrary to Sugar-lips' claim that you have no more than 50 gold, you actually have 223. 44 in your coinpurse and the rest in your backpack. That she was able to check your coinpurse so easily reaffirms in your mind that dividing up the gold in two places is a good idea. You figure you should probably set aside about 70 for travel, so that leaves 153 you can spend on alchemy tools. Time to go shopping.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi, Nalcarya."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Hello, Michael. What can I do for you today?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I've been wanting to use what you taught me, but the only tool I've managed to procure is a mortar and pestle. Would you sell me the rest I need for a full set? Preferably for cheap?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "If you want apprentice tools, all I have is an alembic and calcinator. I'll take 62 gold for the alembic, and 12 for the calcinator. If you need a retort, I do have a master's quality retort, but I'd have to charge you several hundred for it."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hmm. Ok. Maybe I can pick up a cheap retort from Ajira. Could I see what you have?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Certainly. Right behind you. Same tools you trained with, in fact."
Immediately you see a problem. A big problem.
(http://i.imgur.com/Jhe9wxn.png)
They're simply too big. Those are waist-high crates. The calcinator is basically a steel drum, with a complicated, if somewhat low-tech vaccum seal. It probably weighs 20-30 pounds, and it's easily a foot in diameter. The alembic is a fully functional two-chamber still. Only about ten pounds, and effectively much smaller since the tube is flexible...but even if you emptied out your backpack of everything already in it, you doubt you could fit both in there at the same time. You pick up the retort...it's lighter than either of the other two, but it's also fairly bulky. You could fit the calcinator in your bag and carry either of the other two pieces in your hands, but there's no way you could transport all three at the same time.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "How do people transport these things? They're really big."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Most heavy item shopping is done via recall. Mark where you want then, come here and recall back. It's rare for alchemists to not also be wizards. For those who aren't students of mysticism, slaves are the simplest option. Argonians can be purchased for very reasonable prices in Sadrith Mora. Just be sure to have your hospitality papers in order before doing business there. The Telvanni are rather particular about that kind of thing. Where do you need them moved to?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...umm, I was just going to carry them with me."
She blinks a couple a times.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Goodness, whatever for? I realize you're new to Morrowind, but why don't you just rent a house somewhere? If you'll be staying here in Balmora, go to the Hlaalu council house and make arrangements. There's never any shortage of rentals available here. House Hlaalu keeps the prices high enough to make sure of that."
Hmm. Yeah, thing is...you're not planning to stay in Balmora. At least not right now. Looks like this is something you'll have to set aside for now. House first, alchemy tools later. Before you go though, you stop by the Balmora mage guild and price check a retort from Ajira. Seems she doesn't have any apprentice retorts in stock either, but she does have a journeyman retort she offers to sell you for 93 gold. So that would be cutting it close anyway. 93 plus 62 plus 12 is 167, and you only wanted to spend 153 at most to leave money for travel. That's probably more conservative than you need to be. It was what, 13 to get to Seyda Neen and 44 to Gnisis last time you went? Plus, you could probably haggle Nalcarya down a bit, and you do still have some odds and ends you could sell to make up the difference. You ask Nalcarya for a price price check, and she offers 16 gold for all your alchemy reagents, 8 for your healing potion and 12 for the bottle of greef you stole from Thavere. You'd rather not part with all that, but yeah, you could make this happen if you really wanted to. Or, could you? After all you'd need to make two trips: buy the calcinator, then to Gnisis to drop it off, then back here to buy the retort and alembic, carry one in backpack and carry the other, then back to Gnisis. It would be an extra 100+ gold in travel fees alone, and that might be a deal-breaker. Plus, the way you keep bouncing around all over the place, you're not certain that you'll be staying in Gnisis anyway.
You decided to hold off purchasing alchemy tools until you're more certain where your base of operations will be.
Quote
* Finish up in Sedya Neen.
* Go back to Seyda Neen. Talk to book quest lady and tell her you at least did what you could by finding her fiancee's murderer, and ask her if they were engaged doesn't she have his ring to remember him by?
* tell that woman where her book is.
* find a way to wrap up that business with the book before moving on.
Athletics is now 11
You head to the silt strider and pay 13 gold for transit to Seyda Neen. While you bord the strider, hwoever, Selville gives you a very strange
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Is anything the matter?"
He looks around the strider with a frown, but doesn't answer right away. A few seconds pass while you wonder what's going on, before he suddenly looks up at you with a strangely artificial smile and insists that everything is fine. Clearly something is wrong, but you're not sure what.
Shortly before you arrive, you pass another silt strider on the road. Curious, you crane your neck to see and it looks like there are two passengers.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, is that the Seyda Neen silt strider?"
(http://i.imgur.com/WIM8hee.png): "Yes, sera. That's Darvame's strider."
Interesting. So you just missed somebody, no make that two somebodies...leaving Seyda Neen.
(http://i.imgur.com/WIM8hee.png): "Mostly likely a couple, sera. Strider travel is very popular for newlyweds."
Hmm. Darvame mentioned something about that when you first spoke to her. We'll, it's probably nothing.
Sure enough, once you arrive at Seyda Neen, the strider dock is empty. It will probably take a few Morrowind-hours for Darvame to return, but you have some things to take care of first anyway. First thing is to go to the lighthouse to talk to Thavere.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ekxtl1l.png)
But apparently she's not there. Apart from a few crates and pieces of furniture, the lighthouse is empty and a quick check of the crates reveals them to be empty. Hmm. You head back to the main part of town and start asking around.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, any idea where can I find Thavere Vedrano?"
(http://i.imgur.com/crn9ZKj.png): "Lighthouse Thavere? She's gone. She left Seyda Neen. Once she found out that Foryn had been killed for resisting arrest after confessing to murdering Processus, she checked in with the Census office, sold off her things and left town."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Any idea where she went?"
(http://i.imgur.com/crn9ZKj.png): "I didn't talk to her myself, but the rumor is that she and Vodunius left together. Apparently he finally managed to pawn off that cursed ring of his on some idiot, and booked passage to the mainland."
Hmm. Well, that at least should be easy to check on. Darvame was Vodunius' roomate, and you need to take her ride to get to Gnisis anyway.
Quote
* Make sure NOT to miss our appointment with our guard friend!
* Meet up with our guard friend for a drink
One last thing to do before you leave Seyda Neen: talk to Vibius. You find him wandering around in the big open spot by Fargoth's tree stump.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, Vibius."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Greetings, my friend. You're a few days early."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Am I?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "You were just here yesterday. Two more days until Loredas."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Yeah. About that. I might have to cancel."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Why so?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I've decided to join the Legion. I'm on my way to Gnisis now."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Ahh. Yes, it might be a while before you have some free time then."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I was thinking though," You dig through your backpack and pull out a bottle. "I happen to have a bottle of greef. We could have that drink now. Unless it's against regulations to drink while on duty?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Well, I'm sure an entry in my weekly report that I'd taken a beneficial potion wouldn't be seen as dereliction of duty."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hehe, that works for me."
The two of you split the small bottle between you. The liquid burns as it goes down your throat and immediately you're overwhelmed with a sense of tremendous power.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wow. That's strong. And I feel...strong."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Of course. It's greef."
You consider his words for a moment. Then you drop to the ground to do some push-ups. You were never really good at them, but you should be able to at least do a couple. You figure that...oh. WOW. Pushups are nothing.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wow, this is totally easy."
Giggling at how strong you suddenly are, you kick your legs up to try to go into a handstand, but clumsily overextend and fly all the way over and flop onto your back.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hahaha! This is fun!"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Well, looks like we know what kind of drunk you are."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "No, it's not drunk! I'm not drunk! It's just...I've never felt so strong!"
Before long the feeling passes, and Vibius helps you back up. You toss the now empty bottle back into your pack.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "By the way, I forgot to ask the other day. Who was it who found Processus' body?
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I wasn't present for the report, but I think it was Varian on patrol that day. Why do you ask?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Thavere and Processus were engaged. I thought it might be nice if Thavere could get back her engagement ring, but Socucius said no ring was found on his corpse."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "What do you mean? If they were engaged, wouldn't she already have it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "No, I mean the his ring from her.?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "She gave him an engagement ring? I'm not familiar with that custom. It's not uncommon for an imperial man to give the woman he intends to marry a plain iron ring to signify that she is his. But I've never heard of a woman doing so. And Thavere was dunmer. So far as I know they don't exchange rings at all. Unless it was part of a dowry, in which case yes it would be proper for her family to get it back."
...hmm. Sounds like marriage customs here are a bit different than you assumed. Come to think of it, Thavere never actually specified that it was an engagement ring. In fact...she never said anything about any ring at all. She only asked about the book he gave her. If Processus' ring was an engagement ring that she gave him, it would be a very obvious thing for her to want back. Is it possible that Processus' ring had no connection to Thavere at all, and it was just a ring that he happened to own?
Unfortunately you have more questions than answers right now. You exchange farewells with Vibius and head to the strider dock. By now, Darvame has returned.
Acrobatics is now 20
Max health is now 42
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hi, Darvame."
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "Greetings, sera. May I take you somewhere?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Yes, Gnisis please."
You hand 44 gold to Darvme and chat along the way.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So Vodnius left Morrowind, huh?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "No, sera. Only Vvardenfell. He left for Narsis, a city on the southern plains of mainland Morrowind."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Oh, right. What about Thavere? Any idea what happened to her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "They left together. I took them to Vivec myself, on their way to Ebonheart. She said she could not bear to remain here where so many happy memories taunted her. He wished also to leave, and suggested that they could reduce expenses by travelling together."
Hmm. Well, at least that's one loose end taken care of. Hopefully. Probably. ...maybe.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What about you? You were sharing rent with Vodunius, weren't you? What will you do now?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "I would be concerned about that, sera, except that business has been very brisk of late. Worst case, I have my strider. I don't really need the space. But between you, and all the other travelers coming and going through Seyda Neen of late, I think I needn't worry."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Oh, that's right. You weren't here when I arrived."
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "A thousand pardons, sera. I pray that your wait was not long?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "No, it was no trouble. I had business to take care of anyway. I passed you on the way in from Balmora, and I was just curious about your passengers. Selvil seemed to think you were carrying a wedded couple. Did you talk to them at all?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "A bit, yes. Though I did more listening than speaking. They were no married couple. It was a dunmer sorceress and an orc."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Did you get their names?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "No, sera, I did not. The orc spent most of his time sulking, and the girl was too busy asking questions to be concerned over simple pleasantries like names."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What sort of questions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "Mostly the same questions you asked of me when you first arrived. How the strider routes are organized, what happens if two travelers arrive together seeking different destinations, that sort of thing."
Hmm. Not sure what to make of that. It could be important. Or it might be nothing. Darvame says they're headed to Balmora. If you want you could head back and maybe catch them.
Quote
how about we decide on doing something in the town we're in for once without
getting horribly side-tracked. And maybe finish something we start.
...or not. Come to think of it, having just spent 13 gold to get to Seyda Neen and 44 more to get to Gnisis, you're not going to spend double that just to go back to where you started just to follow a questionable lead that might not mean anything. Right now, it's time to join the Imperial Legion.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on June 24, 2013, 07:48:29 am
Episode 26, part 2: Joining the Imperial Legion
Quote
* It's time to join the Legion.
* join the Legion.
* go join the legion.
* I now support signing up for the Imperial Legion
* Legion So join up, next time we're somewhere it's possible.
* consider joining the legion.
After arriving in Gnisis, you head immediately to General Darius.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "You again? What brings you back?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I'd like to join the Legion, sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Oh hoho...I knew you were a smart lad. What's your name, son?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Not anymore, it isn't. As of today, you are Recruit Michael of the Imperial Legion. You won't regret this son. Why, I bet by the time we're done with you you'll be almost as strong as any patrolman on the road."
Before you can fully consider the implications of that statement, General Darius yells into the corridor and a legionnaire enters the room.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes, sir?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Michael, this is Quartermaster Strillian Macro. Quartermaster, meet our newest recruit. Recruit Micheal...VV-2819. Put him through basic, and don't let him slack off. I want him on patrol bright and early 29 days from now."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes, sir."
Standard induction is four weeks, during which you learn proper command etiquette,
how to march, the basics of weapon and armor use, and the like.
You follow Strillian outside while the two of you talk.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Is this the part where you tell me I'm a maggot and that I'm supposed to follow orders?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Some militaries might work that way, but this is the Legion. You're expected to follow orders, but our strength is in our martial bond. We're not dogs competing with each other. You're Legion, now. Being called a Recruit is just as much a badge of honor and respect as sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So how exactly am I supposed to address Legionnaires?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "For now, call anyone in uniform sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What about General Darius? Is he actually a general?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "His rank is Knight-Protector, but don't call him that. Officer titles are unwieldy. Noone uses them except at official functions. General is a non-formal title for his position as the highest ranked out of all fortress commander on the island. Or take me, for example. My rank is Trooper, but my assigned position is Quartermaster, so you can call me that. Sort of like how the officer in charge of a naval vessel is called captain regardless of their actual rank. For now, call everyone in uniform sir, but once you're able to identify rank by badge, vitis and assignment, only refer to officers as sir or else it will sound like you're kissing up."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "How does one become an officer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "By commission only. In times of war, they're handed out more freely, but in a quiet garrison territory like this unless you were born into a wealthy family and can contribute men and arms, your only path to officer is outstanding service. Save a town. Recover an priceless artifact. Something that gets attention. Don't worry about it. There are only 8 Imperial officers that I know of in all of Vvardenfell. Your odds of ever becoming one are slim, and the pay isn't much better anyway."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Does anyone outrank the general?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Many thousands outside of Morrowind, but only a few here. Cavortius Albuttian, for example. He operates out of Ebonheart and is in charge of personal protection of Duke Vedam Dren. Above him, the highest ranking Imperial officer in Vvardenfell is Varus Vantinius, Knight of the Imperial Dragon. Like I said, officer titles tend to be unwieldy. If you ever run into them, be sure to call them sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "How many legion troops on the island altogether?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Vvardenfell cohort is small. Only 94 legionnaires in total last I checked, and no equites."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Equites?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Mounted troops. The numbers vary, but a more typical cohort would have 480 men and 120 horses. But dunmer eat horses, and the decision was made a long time ago to not bring them in."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "So minus cavalry, 360 would be typical? And we only have 94? Why so few? Are legionnaires...dying?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "No, there's only been one confirmed death of a patrolman on Vvardenfell during my entire service. That was Jax. Good man. Current numbers are simply due to the low priority the island has for garrison forces. Morrowind has more autonomy than most provinces, and the Empire recognizes the realities of the various powers here. We keep the citizens and the Duke safe, we maintain a visible presence to assert dominion, but the various Great Houses and Tribunal forces would get involved if there was any military threat to the island. Simply adding a few hundred more legionnaires wouldn't make much difference. And, between the blight and ashstorms, Vvardenfell is not highly prized post and there's not much here to guard. There just isn't a lot of incentive to bring in legionnaires from the mainland or from other provinces."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "How many people total on Vvardenfell?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It's a relatively small island, much of it uninhabited. According to the census office, roughly 2500, though the real number is probably much higher. Ashlanders and the Telvanni both tend to ignore census requests."
So officially, nearly one out of 25 people on the entire island are legionnaires, and there are probably another dozen Blades members on top of that. No wonder they're not concerned about having a fully manned unit. Almost five percent of the population is in service of the emperor already.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "By the way, what was that number the General mentioned when he introduced us?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "VV-2819? That's your Imperial designation. You're the 2819th member of Vvardenfell cohort. Even if you're later reassigned to another territory you'll retain that designation."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "2819? There have only been 2818 legionniares here in the entire history of Morrowind?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "No, troops assigned here from other territories would retain their original designations. Only that many have joined the Legion here in Vvardenfell. Remember, Morrowind was never conquered. It joined the Empire peacefully when the Armistice was signed, so there's never been any conscription here. Those 2518 others were recruits who joined willingly. 2500 in roughly 400 years, that's..."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "About 6 recruits per year. One every two months."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "That sounds about right."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "What about-"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "We're here."
(http://i.imgur.com/EaFO8wl.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "I'm assigning you to the bottom bunk, far side. Chest is for top bunk only. Stash any personal belongings under your bed, but keep it tidy, recruit."
This isn't quite what you had in mind, but it is the military. You take off your backpack and put it under the bed. Since the entire building is a guard barracks, it's probably reasonably safe.
Strillian gives you a tour of the rest of the barracks. The mess hall, the quartermaster, and...the training room:
(http://i.imgur.com/AbRPRtC.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ahh, excellent. When do we begin training?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Personal combat will be week three of your training."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Week three? What am I supposed to do for the next two weeks?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Command etiquette, protocol and history of the legion and the Septim dynasty is week one. Week two is marching, formation drills, pacing and drum marching command recognition. Even though we serve in Morrowind as primarily a garrison force, The Legion itself is the backbone of the military of the Empire. All legionnaires must know how to operate as an effective military force should we ever be called to war. Week three is individual combat instruction during which you will be taught the basics of long blade, spear and heavy weapons, as well as the use of shields and heavy armor. Week four you'll learn the specifics of your duties: patrol routes, scheduling, how to file weekly reports, etc."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wouldn't it make more sense to do combat training first? I mean...you do a lot of spear and shield work as part of your formations, right? What's the point of having do learn unit drills without a shield?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes, you'll be expected to carry shield and spear on your marches, but combat training comes later. We've found that new recruits often lack the physical strength to effectively wield the weapons of war. Spending a week purely on physical training has served us well well for centuries."
You sit in the barracks doing exactly as Strillian described. You learn how to identify ranks by uniform. You learn how to address officers. You learn how and when to salute. You learn about the history of the Legion and the role it played in the unification of Tamriel. From time to time a legionnaire shows up to requisition something, giving you a few minutes break while Strillian goes off to fetch or sign for something or another from the storeroom.
During one such break after what seems like a few hours of instruction, a familiar face walks in.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Evening, Recruit."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Vibius! What brings you here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "That's Patrolman Vibius, Recruit."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...err, sorry, sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Fortunately I'm not on duty."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Really? Is it Loredas already?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "No, it's Sundas. I go back on duty in a few hours."
You've been sitting in the barracks for 4 days? You're still not used to the time scale here. Granted, what you've been learning has been intellectually interesting, but if the goal was to get stronger, surely you could have found a better use for the time than sitting here in a barracks learning how to be a legionnaire for the empire.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "My patrol is up, and I've been reassigned to Wolverine Hall near Sadrith Mora. It will be a while before they let you out, but I just thought I'd stop by and let you know."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Thanks."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "See you around, Recruit."
Quote
*we've been here for a few days, Micheal, have you felt the need to sleep?
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "I've lost track, but I'm pretty sure it's been over a week now. No, haven't felt sleepy or hungry since I got here. They gave me a bed, but I'm starting to think sleeping is only necessary for healing here."
Speaking of which, you check your calves. Sure enough, those holes in your legs from the rat bites several days ago are still there. Skin hasn't grown over the wounds, there are no scabs, and no sign of infection. It's simply exposed muscle, just like it was when the wounds were fresh.
Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: LordBucket on June 24, 2013, 08:36:51 am
Incidentally, there will be no update tomorrow night. So I advise you guys to take the time to talk to each other a bit and decide on what you want to do before you rush to make mutually incompatible suggestions. I was surprised to see such a strong consensus to join the legion. That came pretty much out of nowhere. That puts you guys in sort of an inconvenient situation. Basic training is 28 days, and last time I played Morrowind, it only takes about 90 to get all the way through the entire game from start to finish. Last time you considered joining, a couple people pointed out that there are other forces in the game besides you and that you probably don't have forever. Whether or not there are any PCs in the world, do you really think that Dagoth Ur is going to sit around doing nothing for the next year? What was the benefit of joining? You have plenty of other training options, and Supercharazad did the math to show that legion pay for an entire year was only 1200 gold. Compared to, for example, the 500 you were able to make back in episode 21 just by doing a single quest that took only a couple hours of game time.
I don't understand why anyone thought it was a good idea, but it was one of the strongest vote consensuses over the entire course of this game. I'm just the GM, so it's not my place to argue with you. I took your decision seriously, I did research about the nature of roman military upon which Bethesda based their lore for the Imperial Legion, I tried to think very carefully about the logistics of things, and hopefully it was an entertaining read.
But honestly...I think it was a bad move. And I advise you guys to think carefully about what you want to do next.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 24, 2013, 09:10:45 am
Was I really the only person that thought joining the Legion was bad this time? Damn. It's like the number crunching had the opposite effect on me as it did everyone else. Well, unless you guys wanna go AWOL, piss off the legion, and lose one of our best allies, we're kind of fucked into a hole here. Thieves Guild allowed some autonomy. And with a moon sugar-popping leader, chances are things would be pretty relaxed save for the occasional crazy strung out request that she wouldn't remember anyway.
We can't investigate now either. So here's the only mildly acceptable suggestion I can come up with. Many of you will probably vote against this too, but at least this time I'll definitely understand why :p
While going through Basic, let's try to steal information (troop strength and deployment, status of outposts, things of that nature). Then do something really stupid to get put on Kitchen duty. Mix in some spore pod and bungler's bane with the food and use the ensuing problems to go AWOL. Not everyone will be eating, so figure out schedules and get to know when the most competent legionaries will be in the mess hall as well as the patrols of those who will be on duty during our planned escape. If we plan it right, we should be able to gtfo fairly easily with the stolen documents in tow. Make our way to Ald-Ruhn and sell (or preferably give) the information you collected to House Redoran, stating that the Legion does not want what's best for Morrowind, and that we feel our skills would be of much better use under their banner. Swear fealty to them if we are given the opportunity. If they bring up our betrayal to the Legion (since they are all about honor and that jazz), say it was not you that betrayed the Legion, but the Legion that was betraying Morrowind. Try to become a free agent for House Redoran. As long as we get through combat training before leaving, we should be able to at least handle any proving mission they may send us on.
The way I see it, we need to take some drastic measures to get ourselves back on track. The guilds cannot offer the protection from Imperial backlash for going AWOL that the Houses might, and the other two are out of the question. Telvanni are wizards and we are inept at magic, and Hlaalu, besides their close relationship with the Empire, would sell you out for a quick profit in an instant.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 10:09:13 am
Michael, the closest thing to a god this world has to offer has spoken to us, informing us that the decision to join the Legion was a terrible mistake, one we will have great difficulty recovering from. But have no fear - there is still a way out for us. With his guidance and protection, depart immediately, and head for the Red Mountain, on foot. Along the way, you will meet the one we must find to set this right. Time is of the essence - every second wasted hastens the possibility of our mistake becoming irreversible.
Post by: gman8181 on June 24, 2013, 10:23:16 am
Edit: There are also still ways we could put this to our advantage. Maybe find a way to use the resources of the Empire to beat Dagoth Ur?
Or we could call on Vivic to help us get out of the situation. Having him send some Ordinators down to our boss and tell them that Vivic needs us would probably get us out of our guard duty.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 24, 2013, 10:27:03 am
But we've got a really bad trend going on and we need to nip that shit in the bud. I'm sure Mike and, by extension, OP, are not happy with our course of (in)action.
One way to deal with the issue would be to do is come up with some short, mid, and long term goals, so we at least have an idea of what to strive for. And instead of being disheartened because something won't be absolutely perfect, we should accept that everything is going to have a catch. If anyone hasn't caught on by now, Bucket seems to like throwing spanners in the works (much as any good GM does). It'd make for an interesting story if we didn't get turned off of an idea because it has a few downsides. Right now though I feel as though Mike is more of a hapless tourist than anything serious with the way we've been doing things. No offense Mike, it's not your fault.
And when we're coming up with goals, start with the big ones, then work your way back, figuring out what you'd need to accomplish until you get to the immediate issues needing solving (for example, cash flow seems to be the root of our issues outside of being less decisive than a 15 year old girl doing whatever 15 year old girls do. Drugs?)
So for example:
Long Term Goal: Become a God
To accomplish that we must: Learn crap
To accomplish that we must: Find trainers
To accomplish that we must: Get cash
To accomplish that we must: Actually finish something
A bit more detailed than that, but you get my drift. Keep it from being too specific though. We don't know how Bucket's going to fiddle with the path we decide to walk, and we need to be able to adjust our plan accordingly. Don't think of this as a game of Morrowind; think of this as your first experience with an extremely detailed grand strategy game.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 10:30:10 am
We'll also probably get murdered along the way.Yes this is the purpose of the command. Our last bout of deja vu was just slightly before we fucked everything up, and nothing of note was accomplished after that. Sounds good to me!
Getting hints from the GM was the whole purpose of me agreeing to this absurd exercise.
Goals:
Get killed, reset. After that happens -
Sell crap, purchase money to hire thieves guild to retrieve skull, turn down their offer and say while we don't wish to become a thief, we have decided it would be easier for all involved to simply make use of their services. Offer something like 270 septims for our "initial request" here, which I'm pretty sure we can manage by pawning stuff we've got. Ask how long it will take, and say we might have more business for them in the future if they pull this off without any problems.
Repeat the conversation with the orc necromancer. Do not admit to weakness this time. Say it will not be a problem.
Spend some time mapping out valuable an relatively poorly guarded loot that we the audience can provide info on. Try to cut a deal with the thieves guild for the unguarded stuff, where you get a cut in exchange for valuable info on targets, and with the fighters guild for the valuable stuff, where you get a cut in exchange for valuable info on targets.
Learn magic from the orc.
Use money from provided information to purchase a full alchemy set and a bunch of piss from everyone in town, as well as renting a house in Balmora. Proceed to conduct alchemy while everybody is off making money for us (even if it's more for themselves), and practicing our magic, building up our skills.
What we need to start doing is simultaneously slowing down the player and helping ourselves. I think this is 100% the best way to do that.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 24, 2013, 10:39:11 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 10:42:58 am
Post by: Supercharazad on June 24, 2013, 10:45:45 am
Post by: Man of Paper on June 24, 2013, 10:52:16 am
And the deja-vu is caused by loading, not saving, if that's the confusion.
@super: It still should be. We only need three weeks for the combat training. That's why I suggested we go AWOL and avoid a whole year of service.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 10:54:11 am
Do you really think we happened to die at the /exact/ moment the PC loaded last time? That seems unlikely. Far more likely is that our viewpoint was just changed to a branch where things happened otherwise.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 24, 2013, 10:56:15 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 10:59:21 am
Post by: Supercharazad on June 24, 2013, 11:54:23 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 24, 2013, 12:25:07 pm
No matter how you slice it, I think our government funded training is worth it. 1 quest out of all the others we tried worked, so I'd consider that more of an exception than a rule. Our relatively rapid training to basic competency will enable us to do much more. We can reclaim our autonomy, we just need to be clever.
Here are some ideas:
1-Perform investigations as an officer of the law. If we wound up having to stick to a full commitment, we might still get quests done this way. And the nice thing about the Legion is we could count on backup.
2-Spill the beans. Find some Intelligence person and tell them all their secrets that we know from metagaming knowledge. We might spend a few hours in interrogation, sure, but the Empire seems to like using people who know things rather than killing them. This way we might wind up being able to act as we see fit.
3-Court Marshall. If they didn't just kill us, we'd be out. Or maybe reassigned to somewhere godawful, like Solstheim. I don't think this one is a good idea, nor anything involving treason or sabotage. There's just too much that can go wrong and too many consequences even if it goes right. But, if the priority was getting out, this would be the last resort.
Oh, and ask if the Legion has a corps of Engineers, or if they leave that sort of thing to hirelings. Just want to know what our options are while we're here.
Post by: Aseaheru on June 24, 2013, 12:34:16 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 24, 2013, 12:44:02 pm
So far:
-Become an Operative, like a PC does in the usual main quest. This is not saying become the PC, just special operations or Blades.
-Get involved in Police work, investigating rather than patrolling. Might be limited to mainly towns with strong legion presence, though.
-Get pulled out by a higher power, like Vivec.
-Get thrown out or sabotage and escape in the confusion, at the risk of alienating a good chunk of the people on this island.
-Die and hope to reset to a more convenient point, a large but potentially beneficent gamble.
Post by: Remalle on June 24, 2013, 01:53:09 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on June 24, 2013, 01:54:56 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 01:56:06 pm
Supercharazard - it's long enough that the PC will potentially beat the game, and at the very least there will be very little left for us, and there is way too much we don't know and don't understand, and we've just gotten express instructions form the GM that wasting time is NOT something we want to do.
So yes, it really is "that long".
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 24, 2013, 02:14:47 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 02:48:47 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on June 24, 2013, 03:23:16 pm
Oh, and I'm going to point out that we've passed on many opportunities because we didn't want to take the risk. For example, the Thieves Guild was clearly way too risky for some people, based purely on our own speculation.
Does anyone here have experience in military bureaucracy? Here's how things will probably work out if we try to advance hastily or claim we have visions and whatnot:
1) It'll take forever for the information to go through proper channels, and if someone has a stick up their ass or doubts you at all, chances are you'll need to wait a few months minimum to hear back.
2) Your commanding officers will milk you for all you're worth and take 99% of the credit.
We already know that there are very few actual Guardsmen on the island. That means very little need for promotion. Upward movement will be...difficult, to say the least. If we try to work for promotion or at least renown through legitimate means then we'll be enlisting a few more times.
A Commander's going to laugh you into getting 302'd if you come up to him as a newbie and say you're having visions that will change the fate of the whole island. Let's be honest here, what would you do in their shoes? Certainly not just let them walk off on their "quest". I'd get them committed at least temporarily due to mental breakdown or somesuch.
If we do something other than sabotage and escape, which gets my vote, here are what I suggest about the other options Hugo has outlined (I don't want to bold everything though):
If we want to be an operative, there will be a huge time investment. One does not just immediately become a Navy SEAL. We'll have to dedicate everything to training hard, and train constantly. We will need to stand out from every other recruit and basic Guardsman immediately, and that will go very far to helping us.
Police work would be interesting, but we'd be stuck in a certain area, and as you said, in a heavily Imperial area. We'll need to work on our investigative and perceptive skills. Show a good mind for detail.
If we want to get out the boring way, since we aren't good with the Blades and I don't want to be indebted to Vivec, let's avoid a "higher power" and offer to work for the Thieves Guild to pay off a debt incurred by forging papers requiring your immediate release.
In all cases though, absolutely get that combat training before leaving however we decide to. Please decide to be awesome and ninja out. For reals, Mike wold instantly be a badass and get in good with Redoran House. Then we could do all sorts of work for them and get the support of a whole house.
Should things work out. But remember, every single suggestion really is a "should things work out" situation. All moves are risky.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 24, 2013, 03:59:16 pm
Post by: birdy51 on June 24, 2013, 04:10:42 pm
However, throughout training, we need to keep our eyes and ears peeled for any information of note. Our main goal, should always be to find a way home.. It that means learning magic, then we must learn magic. If that means learning to fight, then we must learn to fight. If our path requires us to steal, then we shall steal the britches off of Nalcayra.
What we do needs to be dictated by own need to escape Morrowind. If there is a need to desert from the Legion, than we will cross that bridge when we get there. But for now, we need the training so we can just survive.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 24, 2013, 04:17:21 pm
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 24, 2013, 04:32:07 pm
Try to get basic magic training. Soldiers who can magic away their own wounds and diseases are a significant improvement. If not from our commander, maybe another legionnaire will be willing to teach us on our off-duty periods.
From the last update, there are probably more anomalous people here than just us and that Dunmer. We can safely assume at least some of the others know where the loot just anyone can take is, and that it has been taken by now.
I think the feelings of Deja Vu might be from other anomalous people entering this world.
Our main goal should be survival. Death is Bad, even if we revive.
I) Survive!
A) Learn to fight. We are pathetic, and ran from a rat.
1) Staying in the Imperial Legion gives us an easy, low-risk way to do so, and nets us equipment.
2) We could have learned how at the Fighters Guild for only 150-300 coins.
3) Hang around towns looking for lone rats. Stab a few times before run for help.
4) Pick fights in bars.
B) Get information. We aren't in a standard game of Morrowind. We need to know what's going on. Who called us here and why, what's up with the anomalous people, the deja vu, and reviving.
1) We learn little staying in the Legion, but might spot a few other anomalous people, and might get a few reports. Probably not enough.
2) If we weren't in the Legion, we would have more free reign, if we could survive.
C) Learn magic!
1) We might be able to get some training in the Legion.
2) We otherwise need lots of money for a trainer.
D) Money!
1) We get a bit if we stay in the Legion.
2) We could train up alchemy, but we need more money for a house and to get the instruments.
3) We could join the thieves guild and commit acts of petty theft for pocket change.
4) We could sell information, if any of it is still news.
5) Adventuring.
6) Questing, if we had any focus.
Post by: Putnam on June 24, 2013, 04:39:24 pm
Screw home, MorroReal is a universe where we have the knowledge of several ways to ascend to godhood.
Several highly impractical and mostly risky ways. Seriously, it's a very, very long-term goal.
Post by: MonkeyHead on June 24, 2013, 04:45:55 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 24, 2013, 05:13:24 pm
1) They are other PC's, with differing capabilities and levels of "gamey-ness"
2) They are just other adventurers and people from this world, migrating and traveling for business; realistic processes not possible in the game. Their presence is merely a consequence of being actually here.
However we leave the legion, let's get what we came for first: training and gear. My main idea for getting out would be to show someone involved in Intel (not our commanding officer) that we know more than we should. To ensure we don't get killed for seeming a simple small leak, we must show that we know WAY more than we should. They will want to know WHY and HOW we know, to see where the security breech is. It sounds dangerous, but they won't kill us while they don't know how much we know. And going by the behavior of the Empire's spies, they tend to keep interesting people close rather than dispose of them.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 05:20:26 pm
I am against illegally (or fatally) leaving the Legion until we have a solid plan, at which point this anti-vote is null.
I believe I proposed a solid plan. Let me repeat:
-Get killed, reset. After that happens -
-Sell crap, purchase money to hire thieves guild to retrieve skull, turn down their offer and say while we don't wish to become a thief, we have decided it would be easier for all involved to simply make use of their services. Offer something like 270 septims for our "initial request" here, which I'm pretty sure we can manage by pawning stuff we've got. Ask how long it will take, and say we might have more business for them in the future if they pull this off without any problems.
-Repeat the conversation with the orc necromancer. Do not admit to weakness this time. Say it will not be a problem.
-Spend some time mapping out valuable an relatively poorly guarded loot that we the audience can provide info on. Try to cut a deal with the thieves guild for the unguarded stuff, where you get a cut in exchange for valuable info on targets, and with the fighters guild for the valuable stuff, where you get a cut in exchange for valuable info on targets.
-Learn magic from the orc.
-Use money from provided information to purchase a full alchemy set and a bunch of piss from everyone in town, as well as renting a house in Balmora. Proceed to conduct alchemy while everybody is off making money for us (even if it's more for themselves), and practicing our magic, building up our skills.
And I'll add
-Meanwhile, go around accomplishing a few non-combat quests in the Balmora area, of which I'm sure there will be plenty. At the very least, as Silt Strider lady if there's anything we can do for her. Also, who's running the lighthouse now?
I am NOT proposing we just kill ourselves off willy-nilly, or do a lot of dangerous stuff. But I'm pretty sure we've made a terrible mistake, mostly because the GM said we made a terrible mistake, and if there is any time to be willing to undertake risky behaviour and experiment a bit with death, now is that time. We have an unused dejavu and an absolutely terrible predicament we've gotten ourselves into with no way out.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 24, 2013, 05:27:24 pm
About the 90 days time frame: Though this may be the average completion time, there are other factors that could mean more or less time. An experienced PC might be spending time grinding and doing sidequests, or might try the backdoor method and finish in minutes. An inexperienced player might push on through the main quest, losing plenty of time to bad directions and too-tough encounters: and in this case, would likely reload plenty of times due to not spending time strengthening their character. Worst case scenario, they kill an essential NPC and don't know about the backdoor.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 05:33:12 pm
No way out? We've listed at least 5 now! Bear in mind the GM also explicitly cautioned against playing with death.Each of which leaves us in a steadily worse situation. Which one of those was actually a good alternative and likely to work? Because I didn't see one.
The only thing that isn't even more dangerous than what I've suggested (which is incredible, considering I'm outright advocating for us to be killed) for us to do nothing and stay with the Legion, completely wasting huge chunks of time.
Basic training is 28 days, and last time I played Morrowind, it only takes about 90 to get all the way through the entire game from start to finish. Last time you considered joining, a couple people pointed out that there are other forces in the game besides you and that you probably don't have forever. Whether or not there are any PCs in the world, do you really think that Dagoth Ur is going to sit around doing nothing for the next year? What was the benefit of joining?This is JUST for basic training, which gets us almost nothing, and after which we'll still be extremely limited. Note that the problem isn't the player finishing the game - let's assume for a moment the worse, and that the player gives up. We either abandon the guard, which is likely to screw us over permanently, or we give up and let terrible things happen we can't do a thing about because we are wasting time.
But honestly...I think it was a bad move. And I advise you guys to think carefully about what you want to do next.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 24, 2013, 05:35:01 pm
Anyways, Michael, take your conscription like a man and do what you signed up to do. That physical training should really help. Look for ways to become an Agent, though, since patrolling a road probably won't help your quest for godhood.
Also, take a nap. You still have open wounds. You haven't slept. Sleeping in Morrowind was the only way to heal for those without spells, potions or similar magical aid. Until you either get that magic or get some sleep, your HP are going to stay lowered. And I don't think you have to worry about oversleeping: the PC slept for game hours, and I expect your sleep will be similarly accelerated since you appear to be following Morrowind's other game rules.
Edit: If we really think we need to get out of the Legion immediately, our best bet may be to fake our own death. That avoids Michael getting actually killed, and if we ditch the Colovian fur helm afterwards, we may not be recognized at all.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 24, 2013, 05:37:16 pm
We are trying to avoid getting Michael killed. It's true that we have no idea how the reset process works, but that means it's something we really don't want to mess with.I would say that avoid fucking things up long term and irrecoverably would probably be a MUCH better primary goal. We don't want to randomly experiment with dying, no, but if we get another case of dejavu that will mean our bad decisions are permanently set in stone, which will leave us much worse off. Every second we delay brings that possibility a little bit closer.
LordBucket - can we just advocate for a revert/reload/switch to alternate post-load timeline instead?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 24, 2013, 05:40:36 pm
Let's look at our options for advancement, shall we? The Legion will train us up to the competence of a basic guard. The Fighter's guild could do the same, but not for free. Training costs 10's to 100's per-skill, per point. Training up to an appreciable strength from them would cost thousands of gold. And if we're going to invest thousands for training, we're spending it on magic. Training from a Guild would take as long, if not longer, due to financial requirements, at our current strength. After our basic training, we'll be able to do more things for more profit.
Post by: Knirisk on June 25, 2013, 01:05:11 am
We are trying to avoid getting Michael killed. It's true that we have no idea how the reset process works, but that means it's something we really don't want to mess with.I would say that avoid fucking things up long term and irrecoverably would probably be a MUCH better primary goal. We don't want to randomly experiment with dying, no, but if we get another case of dejavu that will mean our bad decisions are permanently set in stone, which will leave us much worse off. Every second we delay brings that possibility a little bit closer.
LordBucket - can we just advocate for a revert/reload/switch to alternate post-load timeline instead?
Agreed. Back when the legion was first suggested, I made a long post (which was unfortunately eaten by a 504 (I think)). Basically, I figured that we REALLY can't waste time on a Legion position. If the game is being played by a real person, we don't know what happens when they stop playing. For all we know, Michael is suspended in time when the game is not being played, but without knowing that he's suspended in time. If the player stops playing Morrowind, Michael could be suspended indefinitely. I'm not sure on the actual metaphysical mechanics of the whole thing, but it's an important question, because I'd assume Michael, as of right now, wants to get back to his actual life.
If I recall correctly, when Michael checked his phone, about an entire day had passed in-game to 45 minutes to an hour. Now, I have no idea how much time most of you spent playing Morrowind, considering I never actually completed the game. I reset constantly, trying new characters. If this time frame is true, then Michael almost certainly does not have time for the legion. I doubt any player will play Morrowind past 100 or so hours without mods. If months in Morrowind are 30 days, then that means that we have less than a year. Although, the player will probably occasionally sleep and wait, so that may afford Michael a bit more time. Still, we most certainly do not have enough time for the legion, especially with Michael's existence on the line.
Unfortunately, I don't really have any better ideas for what Michael SHOULD do. The problem is that he has very little to no skills whatsoever, so that limits his potential greatly. The most positive thing I've heard so far, really, is that he knows math, which is somehow tied into magic. There is his (and our) meta-knowledge of the Morrowind universe, which is our other strength. Depending on what our longterm goal is, getting in-game skills would benefit his options greatly, but I'm rather dry as to what meta-knowledge would be useful for getting those skills. Especially since events are definitely not occurring like they would in a normal game. While the legion would certainly get Michael those skills, it wouldn't really do so in an immediate time-frame, since a PC could beat Dagoth Ur, as others have mentioned, within 90 days.
GlyphGryph is right, I think. Moreover, I highly doubt LordBucket's willing to end this session with Michael so early and in such an anti-climactic fashion, so we may just get one more chance at this. That said, if, say, we had infinite time to hang around the Morrowind continent, a guard post on the Legion might not be a bad thing. Michael might make friends, become acquainted with Morrowind life, and he'll get to view a pretty awesome event in the history of the continent. If we hadn't been introduced to the possible existence of Player Characters, I would've certainly had him join the Legion. Hell, maybe he might've found a girl he likes. Er, maybe, hah!
But there's no guarantee of infinite time and there's no guarantee of Michael's safety and while those are blatantly absent, we gotta sweep all the moss off this stone and get it rolling. If, for example, he knew basic magic, he could join the Mages' Guild and make some serious progression there.
So, I'm putting my vote in with GlyphGryph, if only just this once, heh.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 25, 2013, 01:39:03 am
No one here is suggesting that we actually make the long term commitment to guard duty. And I don't think anyone ever was, at least not seriously. Here is what we are going to do. We are going to become slightly tougher than the average citizen, so we can actually do shit, and then somehow we are going to regain our freedom. We ARE NOT going to die and try to savescum the best possible outcome, because no matter how badly our current plan screws up, trying to savescum could (would) backfire in ways worse than we can imagine. What's the worst thing that could happen on our current path? We either get a bad rep from the Empire or we wind up stuck in a boring comission. What's the worst thing that could happen if we get killed on a suicide mission in hopes of resetting? We wind up dead for all eternity, perhaps soultrapped, or something even worse.
Once again, I suggest telling someone involved in hush-hush stuff some of our Metagaming knowledge, in a field relevant to their experience. It's likely to work because, looking at their lore behavior, the Blades don't kill assets. This isn't about secret agent training, this is about getting our autonomy. What do the Blades do with interesting people? They unleash them somewhere as autonomous adventurers so they can observe them. Happened to the PC in Morrowind, happened to the PC in Daggerfall (though admitedly the Daggerfall PC was more explicitly working with the Emperor.) In fact, if we can get our first assignment at Moonmoth, we might just cut a deal with Caius, information in exchange for freedom.
And what has worked for us so far? What has gotten us anywhere? Revealing ourselves to one of the major players in this place, namely Vivec. I'm not saying the blades would believe our story, but you can bet they'd be interested. Caius doesn't believe the Nerevarine prophecy, but the Blades want to see it completed because it furthers their interests.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 25, 2013, 07:46:10 am
If Micheal is on somebody's hard-drive, and we only have until they get bored of playing Morrowind to exist, then we were screwed from the start and nothing we could do would matter. Therefore, DO NOT base decisions on the risk of the world suddenly ceasing to exist, but rather on less metaphysical problems, like missing a chance at godhood due to the heart being destroyed.Or, you know, everyone on the continent being killed by Dagoth Ur. The options are either the heart is destroyed or everyone dies, and we don't have long to act either way.
The worst thing that happens in our current path is that we waste 30 days for what we could accomplish in a week. Which is exactly what you are suggesting we do.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 25, 2013, 09:48:22 am
A month of proper training for free? Or a chance at an eternity trapped as a dead guy in a video game? I dunno, seems like a hard choice.
I'm getting kind of frustrated with this, because we're getting to the point where we've still done nothing and now it's apparently a good idea to go fumbling around in the dark with things we can't grasp. And the dark is filled with lions.
And the branching timelines? You still have no control over when the timelines split, which ones we start at, etc. etc. Hell, I've been going on about how the PC may have saved and will load from a later point, a concept that I somehow can't get across even though every gamer should be intimately familiar with the idea of saving. What's stopping the PC from loading from an earlier point? We could restart literally at any point that we've been in MorrowReal. We have exactly zero ability to predict when we'll restart from.
Please, for all that is noodly, more people need to say no to the idea of intentional death. Trying to play god doesn't work out when you aren't ready for it. Just look at Jurassic Park.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 25, 2013, 09:54:54 am
But his suggestion offers approximately zero risk of douching it up in a permanent way, as opposed to your ideaThis is the EXACT opposite of true! That's been my whole bloody point. If you see zero risk of his plan causing permanent harm, then you simply aren't paying attention. You could argue his plan is better and perhaps offer a reasonable and convincing argument, but since this statement indicates you clearly don't understand it, what it means, or any of the factors involved, I suspect that task would have to be left to someone else.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 25, 2013, 10:48:12 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 25, 2013, 10:50:38 am
Get killed, reset. After that happens -It also prepares us for dealing with Dagoth Ur ourselves if it turns out we need to take on that role.
Sell crap, purchase money to hire thieves guild to retrieve skull, turn down their offer and say while we don't wish to become a thief, we have decided it would be easier for all involved to simply make use of their services. Offer something like 270 septims for our "initial request" here, which I'm pretty sure we can manage by pawning stuff we've got. Ask how long it will take, and say we might have more business for them in the future if they pull this off without any problems.
Repeat the conversation with the orc necromancer. Do not admit to weakness this time. Say it will not be a problem.
Spend some time mapping out valuable an relatively poorly guarded loot that we the audience can provide info on. Try to cut a deal with the thieves guild for the unguarded stuff, where you get a cut in exchange for valuable info on targets, and with the fighters guild for the valuable stuff, where you get a cut in exchange for valuable info on targets.
Learn magic from the orc.
Use money from provided information to purchase a full alchemy set and a bunch of piss from everyone in town, as well as renting a house in Balmora. Proceed to conduct alchemy while everybody is off making money for us (even if it's more for themselves), and practicing our magic, building up our skills.
What we need to start doing is simultaneously slowing down the player and helping ourselves. I think this is 100% the best way to do that.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 25, 2013, 10:56:23 am
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 25, 2013, 11:12:06 am
No, explain to me how you think the reset works. That's the part I can't seem to wrap my head around.
Just to butt in, I understand the hope is that if we die, we are pushed back to the last time we experienced deja vu. The concern is that the GM explicitly cautioned against death.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 25, 2013, 11:23:08 am
And I think hanging around dead forever is significantly better than being a corprus zombie.
Post by: DeKaFu on June 25, 2013, 11:23:47 am
Therefore it seems like, based on what we know now, it's 50/50 whether it ends up fixing everything or destroying us permanently (because, say, we die, they don't reload, and then they save again an hour later). That is way too risky.
Do not attempt to savescum.
We've gotten ourself into a bad situation. That stuff I said about not burning bridges? Now practically impossible without wasting potentially fatal amounts of time. We need to start finding a way out now, with the minimum of pissing people off. Taking the training and then deserting is not the way to do that, but I don't know what is.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 25, 2013, 12:16:08 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 25, 2013, 12:22:44 pm
There are things we can do during the training. There's one thing we can do that no PC can, that we haven't tried yet: writing letters. Let's try and think about what we can do with letters, in the meantime.
Post by: Iituem on June 25, 2013, 01:13:36 pm
I can't say I was hot about the idea of a year spent in the Legion, but our alternatives all seem pretty terrible so let's go with that. Apart from it being the responsible thing to do, as the Legion we do have the support of the Legion. Dagoth Ur isn't our enemy, the players are, and since the players cause trouble by breaking the law and we are (hopefully) immune to the 'game zone' effect of players, we might stand a decent chance of being able to co-ordinate the Legion and Morrowind itself against them in an attempt to preserve peace and sanity.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 25, 2013, 01:29:43 pm
GlyphGryph, you want to take more risks? Let's talk to Caius. I am confident that we won't end up dead. We should perhaps emphasize that we want to know where the "Nerevarine" is, so we can be confident in her success.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 25, 2013, 01:38:19 pm
Suicide request withdrawn. Talk to Caius at the first opportunity (essentially, our first bit of time off I imagine, or earlier if can push for an assignment in Balmora or get leave to go talk to him). In the meanwhile, milk our training for all it's worth. Presumably other people do sleep sometimes, so we should have some off time to collect ingredients and go on short walks around town looking for quests, right? Don't spend ALL day and night working. Get a little done in the meantime.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 25, 2013, 02:16:11 pm
-Heal
-Never admit weakness to Orcs.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 25, 2013, 02:43:16 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 25, 2013, 10:42:10 pm
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take your conscription like a man and do what you signed up to do.
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I am against illegally (or fatally) leaving the Legion until we have a solid plan
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I do not suggest leaving the Legion until you are at least finished with basic
Quote
Do not sabotage the legion, go AWOL or anything else
Quote
get that combat training before leaving
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Rest, and continue your training.
Basic training, days 5 through 7
A few minutes after Vibius leaves to go on duty, Strillian returns from the storeroom and you resume your lessons. You're not sure any of this will be of any tremendous use, but at least if you ever encounter a lone trooper on the road you'll be able to identify and address him properly.
The following day, Strillian announces that he has the next two days off duty, and that another trooper will be taking over your instruction. Strillian's replacement is obviously much less competent, however, and the next two days are spent mostly lounging around the mess hall, chatting with various legionnaires and getting to know them. They seem like a decent bunch and you get to know most of them by name.
Quote
You should ask that orc out for dinner. The one you met the first time we went to the fort. Also tell them that your one weakness is her beauty and that she has wide, child-bearing hips
Sadly, the orcish and cyrodiil barracks are completely separate buildings, and you have some difficulty coming up with a plausible excuse to leave your assigned station. Instead, you try the honest approach and ask one of your newfound legionnaire friends to cover for you.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, before I signed up I couldn't help but notice that there are some sexy green ladies over at the orc barracks. Since Strillian's away, would you guys cover for me for a couple hours while I go get some nookie?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Don't go there. Trust me. You don't want any of that."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Oh? Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Orc women bite."
You decide to not inquire further. The following day Strillian returns to duty and you spend the final day of your first week asking questions.
Quote
ask if the Legion has a corps of Engineers, or if they leave that sort of thing to hirelings.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, Strillian. Does the Legion have a corps of engineers?
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "We have no dedicated engineering corps. Every legionnaire is considered available for construction duty. No doubt you've seen a couple distinctly different architectural styles in Morrowind, but in general any stone 'castle' type building you see was built by legionnaires. In fact, while I haven't seen it myself, I'm told there's even a Telvanni wizard who contracted the legion to build a castle for him. "
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Is there any chance I could be assigned to construction rather than guard or patrol duty?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "I'm not in charge of assignments, but if a project ever comes up and you put in a request for it, it's almost certian to be approved. Construction detail is among the most menial of legion duties. You won't have much competition for the duty slots."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...I was actually thinking something more along the line of engineering and planning rather than the grunt work.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Oh. Well, that sort of thing is generally reserved for officers. Only need one or two engineers, but it takes thousands of tons of material to build a fort. The majority of construction work is hauling, mixing and laying."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Mixing?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes, we generally use concrete rather than quarried stone. Though as you can see here in Gnisis, construction techniques vary. The old barracks, currently used by our orcish brethren is standard Legion concrete: aggregate stone plus mortar, typically gypsum or lime. This barracks we're in now is a native dunmer ceramic made from clay and fired with destruction magic. If you've ever seen dunmer make pots and bottles the technique is the same. Not as sturdy as Cyrodiil concrete, but it's much faster to build."
Quote
Take a nap
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take a nap
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Heal
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Hey, Strillian. Any chance I could get in some R&R before we begin the next phase of my training ?"
You show him your legs.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Oh. You should have said something earlier. It's poor practice to leave injuries unattended. You want to always be in top shape in case of unexpected battle. Don't let me catch you ignoring wounds like that again. Once you go on patrol, there could be a guar or cliff racer behind any tree. Always heal up when you have the chance."
While you don't feel particularly sleepy, as soon as you hit the bed you fall instantly asleep, and dream.
You are standing on an open plain covered in lush, green grass. The wind blows through your hair, and the grass billows gently before you. You gaze at the sky and admire how the sun peeks tentatively though the silky clouds as if not wanting to disturb the scene, but casting the entire plain in a soothing warmth. Then...you hear something. A low, rumbling noise. Steady, and approaching. It sounds like a herd of buffalo. You turn towards the sound and feel the echoing rumble throughout your body when suddenly the first of the herd bursts into view over a nearby hill. But they're not buffalo. They're horses.
You smile as the herd approaches, changing direction to move towards you. Then, for a moment as they encircle and envelop you, you run with them.
You wake up laughing and give yourself a facepalm. You dreamt about ponies. Figures. The legion armor chestpiece has a pair of horses facing each other that kind of remind you of Celestia and Luna, minus wings and horns. You've been staring at Strillian for most of the past week of instruction. No wonder you'd dream about ponies. Anyway, pleasant respite though it was, you were kind of hoping for something more informational. On the bright side, at least you know you're not a vampire or a werewolf, and presumably the Dark Brotherhood isn't after you yet. And since you didn't dream about the Sixth House or Dagoth Ur, it's possible that might mean that the main quest hasn't been started yet. Or it might just mean that you're not the Nerevarine and therefore you're not eligible to receive useful dreams.
You get up and see that the holes in your legs have completely healed. It's kind of creepy.
Health is now 42/42
Quote
Try to get basic magic training.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Great. I feel much better now."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Glad to hear it. Tomorrow you begin physical training."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Any chance I could learn magic instead of fighting?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "That's not part of standard training, but the Legion is happy to accommodate spell casters. Are you a wizard?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "No. But I'm not exactly a fighter either."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Do you know any magic at all?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Then, no...sorry. I can't justify exempting you from standard training to do magic. I don't think we have any qualified instructors here anyway. I'm a battlemage myself, so I completely understand your desire to throw fireballs rather than swing swords, but you'll have to go through the same regiment we all did."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Wait, if you're a battlemage couldn't you teach me?"
He shakes his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It's a very different thing using magic and teaching it. The raw energy of magicka flows from Aetherius to Mundus by way of the sun and stars. Sure, I can channel that light and use it to cast spells...but it takes a much finer gaze to watch another do that same thing, watch for errors and correct or improve them. Don't go to just any hedge wizard for training. Be sure you find someone with enough acuity that they can stop you from blasting out your internal organs if you start overchanneling."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Does that happen? I thought magic was generally taught to children. When I spoke to the mages guild they were shocked that I didn't already know how to channel magicka."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It is generally taught at a young age and there are very good reasons for that. Ever seen a two year old tumble and fall on their head? They cry, they get up again, no big deal. The body is still forming, it's still pliable, and it heals quickly. Or think of stretching. Most kids can do the splits pretty easily, and if they can't, with very little training their body will adapt and they'll be flexible for life. Now try learning to do the splits after you're an adult. It might take years to gain the same flexibility that a child could have had for barely any effort. Learning magic is like that. There are mental pathways through which magicka flows, that if unused, tend to atrophy. You have to be very careful re-opening those channels for the first time as an adult, or you can destroy your mind just like you might tear your leg muscles if you tried to 'learn' how to do the splits just by yanking your legs apart."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Ok...I guess that makes sense. Still though, just seems like a huge waste of time. Why bother learning to stab people when I could learn to set them on fire with my mind instead?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "You'd be surprised how useful it is to know both how to throw fireballs and swing a sword too. Again, battlemage. Trust me, you want to learn to fight, not just cast. But if it's any consolation, I'll be teaching you some enchanting basics in week three. Not enough to enchant your gear, mind you...but you'll at least need to know how to discharge spells from a weapon like you would with scroll, and if I can get approval for it I'll grab a couple soulgems and teach you how to use them to recharge items."
Basic training, day 8
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Ok, recruit. Time to requisition some armor."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Oh? Finally. What do I get?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Eventually you'll be allowed some leeway in equipment choice, but for now, I'm issuing you an imperial steel cuirass and a helmet."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...ooh, nice. Isn't chain traditional for new recruits?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It's a common choice because it's lighter and some recruits prefer medium over heavy armor, but heavy steel is the legion standard, so that's what you'll train in."
You run your finger over the pieces and lift them up one at a time. Individually they're not that heavy. The body armor is 29 pounds, which is by no means light, but once Strillian gets you strapped in you find that it sits comfortably on you and the weight is well distributed. You jump up and down experimentally, and it's not uncomfortable. Funny. You took of your Rainbow Dash t-shirt a week ago so you wouldn't look out of place, but now here you are a week later wearing ponies anyway.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Ok, now take it off."
(http://i.imgur.com/mf3gIVL.png): "What? Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Because I strapped you in. Now you've seen how it's done, and it's time for you to do it."
Oh, right. It doesn't exactly just slide on like a shirt. There's a leather jerkin with a studded leather skirt that goes on first, and the armor itself consists of two separate armor plates. One that fits directly over the jerkin and hugs around your sides, and a second piece for the back that straps to the front at the shoulders and sides. It takes some practice, and tips from Strillian, but eventually you learn to take it off and put it back on on your own.
New skill: Heavy armor is now 1
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Next, the helmet."
This is pretty straightforwrad. Just put it on, basically. Curiously, though it's only about five pounds, it feels like it hinders your movement more than the body armor. At lest the face is open so your vision isn't obscured.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Next, weapons and shield."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I thought combat training wasn't until next week."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It isn't, but you'll be doing your field training encumbered."
He grabs a massive shield and spear in one hand and a sword and club in the other.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "How am I supposed to carry all this?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Shield goes over your left arm, then grip the spear in your hand. There's a slot on the right side of the shield to keep it from bouncing around."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Both on the left arm?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "For marching rather than fighting, yes. Several standard troop formations will require spear and shield cohesion, but your in-close fighting will be done with the sword. Shield plus spear in left is for travel. I think you'll find that the extra few pounds of the spear won't make much difference."
You heft the spear. It's 7 pounds. On its own, sure you could carry this around, but the shield is 14 pounds. 21 pounds on one arm? That's going to hurt after a while. Still, it's nice to finally trade up from that fluffy hat:
(http://i.imgur.com/tUY9QQC.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Next, the sword goes on your right and the club on your left."
Strillian takes off your current belt with tanto, and fits you with a heavy duty leather belt with multiple steel mounting brackets, then points at your tanto.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Are you proficient with that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...err, not really."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Ok. Standard legion equipment would be sword and spiked club. If you were already skilled with the dagger, then I'd have you wear that, but for now stow the dagger under your bunk and wear the club."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Out of curiosity, why a club as alternate weapon rather than dagger?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Not everything we fight has blood to spill. Some creatures are resistant to bladed weapons. Having the option of both cutting and bludgeoning attacks gives an extra edge of versatility."
Strillian shows you how to strap the scabbard to your belt on the right, and the hilt of the club slides into a loop on the left and is held in place by a snap that be easily released with a finger and thumb. It occurs to you that this 'sword sits on the same side of your body you fight with' arrangement is the same that Sugar-lips was using. Maybe there is something to that after all.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "The belt also has a bracket in the back to mount your dagger too, if you'd like."
You're currently wearing 73 pounds of armor and weapons. You pass on adding the dagger too.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Alright, Legionnaire...move out!"
You follow Strillian outside the barracks. Slowly. Walking up the stairs to the exit proves difficult. Having not gone outside in a week you're half expecting to be blinded by the light, but the helmet protects you from that nicely. Seeing the sun once again, you're reminded of what Strillian said about magicka travelling from Aetheris to Mundis via the sun and stars. You vaguely remember having read something that at some point, and of course there's the whole 'moon and star' thing of the Nerevarine, but it had never really occurred to you that the obvious implication is that starlight is the source of all magic. That was made a bit more clear in Daggerfall, with all of the distinctions between light-powered and dark-powered magery. Guess they just chose to simplify it for Morrowind.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Ok. We made it. Now what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Now we run, recruit."
You try. You really do. What you actually do is more of a hobbled shuffle.
Basic training, day 9
After a great deal of thought, truly more than you would have liked...you have concluded that the time disparity between Morrowind and home does not work like you thought it did. You were theorizing that there's a simple, linear conversion. Maybe you didn't know the exact rate of conversion, but something like one day in Morrowind is something like 45 minutes. The truth, you realize, is far more sinister. The time rate is variable, depending on what sort of activity you're engaging in. For example, if you're hanging out with Legionnaires in a barracks, one day in Morrowind is about 45 minutes. On the other hand if you're...just hypothetically of course...running in circles outside that same barracks while a cruel and evil drill seargent cheerfully and happily sings peppy marching songs in a misguided attempt to encourage you...one day in Morrowind is about a thousand years.
Athletics skill is now 14
Acrobatics is now 22
Max health is now 43
Basic training,
Strillian is ever cheerful, but on the second day he finally realizes that you're not just faking how much difficulty you're having with this. Having seen how much stronger even a completely average peasant elf girl in Seyda Neen was than you, it's no surprise to you that this encumbered run might not be such a big deal to a native. But while you might look like a Cyrodiil, you're human. And the base strength values just aren't that high compared to Morrowind standards.
Strillian agrees to let you stow your sword and club in your bunk. That takes 18 pounds off your load. You're grateful.
Athletics skill is now 16
Acrobatics is now 24
Basic training,
Grudgingly, you have to admit that after three days of running in circles while carrying all this gear, it is getting easier. Though you're not sure how much of that is that you're getting stronger, and how much of that is that you've started carrying your spear in your right hand while you
Athletics skill is now 18
Acrobatics is now 25
Basic training,
Today you take an 8 hour break from running during which Strillian teaches you about proper care and maintenance of weapons and armor. How to clean off blood to keep them from corroding. How to properly oil them for storage and to keep moisture away. Even how to use a smithing hammer to conduct basic repairs. It's useful.
New skill Armorer is now 5
Max health is now 44
-~=Michael is now level 3=~-
Max health is now 45
Luck is now 52
Then it's back to running in circles
Athletics skill is now 19
Acrobatics is now 26
Basic training,
Around noon, Strillian casually mentions that ordinarily you'd have been doing unit drills to learn how to function as a soldier in a group rather than as merely an individual combatant. But since you're apparently so weak and there's been no deployment of that sort on Vvardenfell in 100 years, he received special permission from General Darius to simply focus on the physical training that you're more in need of. You remind yourself to kill this man later.
Athletics skill is now 21
Acrobatic is now 27
Basic training,
A little after noon, an orc wearing iron armor comes asking for Strillian. At first you don't pay much attention. Half the legionnaires in the fort are orcs, and since Strillian's the Quartermaster, it's not unusual for him to be asked for requisitions of gear, food, pay, and the like.
(http://i.imgur.com/Jlmp5aL.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "Hey. I'm looking for some guy named Strictnine Marcus."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Strillian Macro?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "Yeah. That."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "I'm Strillian."
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "Great. I'm supposed to ask you for some armor."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "New recruit?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "Yeah, whatever."
The orc hands Strillian a piece of paper, which he reads over.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Just a moment. I'll need to grab this from the storeroom."
Strillian runs off, leaving you alone with the orc, who, curious, runs along side of you.
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "What are you doing?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Legion training. "
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "Training for what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "To be a legionnaire."
The orc looks at you incredulously.
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "Are you serious? You're just running around? They're not going to ask me to do that too are they? That's so boring!"
You feel your face flush under your helm. You agree. It is boring. And tiring. But if he's a new recruit he'll find out soon enough. Since he'll be your comrade in arms, you take a break from your run to properly introduce yourself.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I'm Michael."
The orc bumps knuckles with you then strikes a goofy looking pose worthy of the Ginyu Force.
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "I'm Awesomicus Maximus!"
You open your mouth to respond but nothing comes out.
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "Ha! He's speechless! I knew it was an awesome name!"
This orc doesn't have the same accent as the other orcs in the barracks. And "Maximus" sounds very much like an Imperial rather than orcish name. Either he was raised in Cyrodiil, or...
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, this might seem like a crazy question. But are you a PC?"
He tilts his head and scrunches one eye in confusion.
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "What? How could I be a PC? Aren't those something you-"
Before he can finish his sentence, Strillian returns and hands the orc a chainmail cuirass.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Here you go, recruit. Welcome to the legion."
You watch as the orc, in one fluid motion and with one hand, swaps out his iron breastplate with the chainmail cuirass Strillian gave him. The entire motion takes less than a second, and you don't see where the old armor disappears to.
(http://i.imgur.com/Q5wkwM7.png): "Awesome. Thanks. See you later."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Wait, before you go-"
(http://i.imgur.com/DtpOZXC.png)
He disappears in a blur of magic.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Break time's over recruit. Back to running."
Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: gman8181 on June 25, 2013, 11:09:43 pm
Too deep for me. I love your writing LordBucket but from now on I'm just going to watch, no more suggestions.
Post by: Putnam on June 25, 2013, 11:12:08 pm
SHIET
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 25, 2013, 11:51:47 pm
Post by: gman8181 on June 25, 2013, 11:52:58 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 25, 2013, 11:58:35 pm
Mark and Recall?
Maybe, but I don't know if he'd be able to use it, seeing as he seemed like a warrior type. Plus, he's an Orc, so he's got inherently low magicka and magic skills.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 26, 2013, 12:22:23 am
1-The silent, gamey type. No speech, practices min/maxing, never bothers to sheathe weapons. Can only say standard PC dialogue choices, so not much at at all.
2-People clearly influenced by the old world, but otherwise act like actual people and show no awareness of being PC's.
3-Hardcore RPer's
4-Random adventurers who are not actually players but might compete with us for quests.
Damnit, I'd have thought we'd be doing strength training. They promised they'd put some meat on our bones! You'd think our endurance and/or willpower would have increased from all this, too. Ask about pushups, abdominal crunches, resistance training, weight lifting, that sort of thing. Tell him that we were once trained as an engineer/financier but got sick of being a scrawny student who didn't do anything real.
Post by: hermes on June 26, 2013, 09:24:00 am
Post by: joemoben on June 26, 2013, 12:26:20 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 26, 2013, 12:27:28 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 26, 2013, 12:51:31 pm
Also, next time we see a potential PC let's ask if they got a package for Caius Cossades. Or ask if they've met a fellow called Jiub.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 26, 2013, 01:01:20 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 26, 2013, 01:03:54 pm
Start an Adventurer's Guild!
This is... actually an amazing idea.
Once we've finished basic training, say we need a short break to talk to someone in Balmora. See Caius, tell him we have information, and that we want to start a bit of an Adventurers guild for all these strange folks that keep showing up and feed him information, and that what we have is a lot of information that's been granted to us in ways we aren't 100% sure about but which seem to be pretty reliable. Not 100% reliable, but fairly so.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 26, 2013, 01:07:55 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on June 26, 2013, 03:22:39 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 26, 2013, 03:53:33 pm
As soon as you have free time, ask that orc out for dinner. Also tell them that your one weakness is her beauty and that she has wide, child-bearing hips. Ignore what the other legionnaires say, you're in love.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A05t8g0W2Wg/T_sYx49U5kI/AAAAAAAAD7I/RRQIM3X9hy0/s1600/shocked-meme-face-i7.png)
Post by: Iituem on June 26, 2013, 03:57:55 pm
Figure out what the hell just happened. That is the sort of joining the legion we were hoping for and thinking about, so what in the bloody hell was then difference?
We should ask Strillian why he let that guy just leave. It would help to get an extra npcs thoughts on stuff like that.
Probably should start off with "Did anything seem odd about that Orc to you?"
Also, next time we see a potential PC let's ask if they got a package for Caius Cossades. Or ask if they've met a fellow called Jiub.
Post by: SethCreiyd on June 26, 2013, 09:36:28 pm
Maybe they're a result of the strange half-game world we're in, or maybe they're people like Michael? If there is a difference.
Inquire generally about the Blades. Ask how a Legionary might go about becoming a Blade.
Whatever the process, expressing an interest probably wouldn't hurt.
Try and casually bring up the topic of the Talos Cult with some fellow soldiers. If we find anyone willing to initiate us, express interest.
We could try to thwart their plot against the Emperor, assuming some PC-ish entity hasn't beaten us to that.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 26, 2013, 11:33:03 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 27, 2013, 12:39:35 am
I don't think asking around about the Blades is a good idea.
I think it is.
Of course, we can't go spilling too much information. Act interested, but don't be like "oh yeah they work for the dragonborn and hunt[ed] dragons and have a base north of Bruma"; that would be bad.
Post by: hermes on June 27, 2013, 12:52:03 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 01:17:06 am
We know where they are, we don't need to find them, and thus don't need to ask around about them. The way we get in with them is to become a Person of Interest, and to do so we spill as much as possible directly to one of their members. Like Caius.I don't think asking around about the Blades is a good idea.
I think it is.
Of course, we can't go spilling too much information. Act interested, but don't be like "oh yeah they work for the dragonborn and hunt[ed] dragons and have a base north of Bruma"; that would be bad.
Post by: LordBucket on June 27, 2013, 01:32:56 am
Quote
ask Strillian why he let that guy just leave.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, Strillian. Why did you let the orc leave just now?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "What do you mean? He wasn't doing anything illegal. Why would I have stopped him?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "That's not what I mean. He was a new recruit, right?
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes. And?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Why did you simply give him armor and let him go rather than put him through basic?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Because I'm a loyal member of the Imperial Legion, and I follow orders. General Darius ordered me to put you through basic training, so I'm putting you through basic training. The paper that orc handed me was signed by the General, asking me to requisition armor for him. So I did."
Quote
"Did anything seem odd about that Orc to you?"
Quote
Figure out what the hell just happened.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Did anything seem odd about that orc to you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes. He had an Imperial name, lacked the usual accent...and it's a bit uncommon for orcs to know enough Mysticism to be able to cast recall. Come to think to it, that might be why the general allowed him to skip basic training. He was geared, and equipped, and obviously already a skilled adventurer with knowledge of at least armor and magic, and presumably combat as well. Putting him through basic training would have been a waste of time because he obviously already has the skills we would have taught him. Unlike you, who came to us with absolutely nothing but a silly hat and a weapon you didn't even know how to use."
Quote
That is the sort of joining the legion we were hoping for and thinking about,
so what in the bloody hell was then difference?
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I'm not sure why you guys are surprised. When we spoke to General Darius the first time he explained EXACTLY how this would work, and he specifically addressed the question about different types of service. Remember, I made up the story about having a friend who didn't do guard duty, but instead simply showed up from time to time to get quests and then did them however he wanted? And the General described it as being a special type of detached duty? Don't you remember that conversation?
Also, several of you were speculating WEEKS AGO that 'the rules' were apparently a bit different for me vs the people we suspect might be PCs. Remember when Nalcarya said that some dunmer woman bought some low grade reagents to make potions with only negative effects, then sold them right back to her...cleaning out her till? Do you remember how Nalcarya explained how odd it was? How did you guys phrase it? 'Sounds like the Possible PC has not only been busy but has the powers given by the video game mechanics.' Yes, I think that's how you put it. In fact, didn't one of you even coin an expression to describe it? 'Reality bending gamey aura' right? Yes, I think that was it.
I remember this. Why don't any of you? You guys have been talking about this stuff for weeks."
Quote
Ask Strillian if he knows who the Orc is, how long the Orc's been here and what he thinks of the Orc's name.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey , Strillian. Do you know who that orc was or how long he's been here? Also, what do you think about his name?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Never seen him before. No idea how long he's been here. And like I said, he has an Imperial name and lacks the usual accent. My guess is that he was born and raised in Cyrodiil. That's not uncommon. I'm an imperial but I was born and raised in Morrowind."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Ok, that makes sense. But...what about his name? Isn't 'Awesomicus' kind of...unusual?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Not really. I have a friend in Maar Gan named Miles Gloriosus, and I once knew a guy named Biggus Dickus."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Really?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes. Can't say whether he lived up to his name. Was never important enough to me to ask."
Quote
Ask about pushups, abdominal crunches, resistance training, weight lifting, that sort of thing.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, Strillian. What about pushups, abdominal crunches, resistance training, weight lifting, that sort of thing?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "What are those? Never heard of them."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "You know, like...picking up heavy things and putting them back down a bunch of times to get stronger."
He looks at you strangely.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "How would that make you stronger?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "By working out the muscles?
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "I don't think it works that way, recruit. I've never heard of it. Everyone knows that you get stronger by improving certain skills, like acrobatics and armor repair. Also most combat will help, whether it's with axe, mace or sword, or even unarmed combat."
You suggest giving it a try and Strillian agrees to watch. You spend several minutes doing pushups. You don't feel any stronger. Come to think of it, you don't remember it doing anything when you tried basically the same thing with the rock back in Seyda Neen. You rather suspect if you try it again, it probably won't work next time either.
Quote
Tell him that we were once trained as an engineer/financier but got sick
of being a scrawny student who didn't do anything real.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, Strillian. I was once trained as an engineer/finanicier but got sick of being a scrawny student who didn't do anything real."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Oh? What was your background?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...umm, liberal arts."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Never heard of it. Is that some kind of fancy architectural design?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Not exactly."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Have you ever mixed concrete?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Have you ever done any stone quarrying?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Have you ever designed or built a bridge, or a castle, or a fort, or a siege engine, or a portcullis, or a palisade, or anything even remotely similar to any of these things?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...no."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Hmm. Not sure what kind of engineering "liberal arts" is then, but I don't think we have much use for it in the legion. Tell me about your finance background. I'm the quartermaster. I handle all inventory, tracking and requisitions. If you could be useful to me, I'd like to know."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...umm, well...I'm good at math."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "What kind of math?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "High school algebra?"
He raises an eyebrow, then writes down a problem on a piece of paper. It's similar to the problem Ranis gave you a few weeks ago. You solve it without much difficulty and hand it back to him.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Hmm. This is fairly complicated metamagical math. You'd probably make a good wizard if you could get some training for it."
You feel like you've had this conversation before. You briefly wonder whether it's because the world just restored to a save state...or if it's because you actually have had this conversation before.
Quote
Inquire generally about the Blades. Ask how a Legionary might go about becoming a Blade.
Quote
I don't think asking around about the Blades is a good idea.
Quote
I think it is.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, Strillian. Legion work is great and all...but I wonder if there's any way I could be of greater service to the emperor than simply guarding roads and stuff."
Strillian thinks for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Hmm. Well, I'm sure there are probably higher levels of service, but I really wouldn't be the one to ask. I'm only a low grade trooper on my second year of service, myself. You're not eligible to begin drawing pay until you go on active duty, but once you do I'll actually only be two pay grades above you. I managed to get this quartermaster position mostly just because of my background as a battlemage. The Legion is somewhat merit-based. In order to be called to greater service you'd probably have to prove yourself capable of it first. If you're thinking ahead of being some kind of super special secret operative in the Emperor's personal employ...well, again I'm not claiming any great knowledge of these things, but I'm guessing the Emperor probably doesn't need many special operatives who don't even know how to swing a sword yet."
Quote
As soon as you have free time, ask that orc out for dinner.
That would certainly be more interesting than what we've done so far today. But our next window of opportunity won't be for five more days, when Strillian gets his off-duty period. Do we really want to wait around for five days to ask the orc out? I guess it wouldn't be a total waste, since we're supposed to be doing combat training. But I'd like to be sure that's the plan before I just hang out here at the barracks for another week.
What do you do?
Post by: Parsely on June 27, 2013, 02:00:40 am
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 02:06:20 am
I suggest we create a better portfolio of our math skills than "Um, High School math?" Here's the skills I know mike will have for sure:
-Quadratic/Linear graphs and equations. In terms of finance and statistics, that means we can do projections, educated estimates, and predictions.
-Algebra, finding an unknown by extracting from a known.
-Geometry, a very practical and tactical math skill. Very important for engineering, architecture, surveying.
I was kind of hoping we could use audience knowledge to fake a background in some of these things. I for one know how to approximate the load-bearing capacity of an arch.
Post by: Parsely on June 27, 2013, 02:16:30 am
I suggest we create a better portfolio of our math skills than "Um, High School math?" Here's the skills I know mike will have for sure:Well those are the terms that we define them in. Those words don't have any meaning in Morrowind. He didn't know what Algebra was, so unless we can figure out how to explain that we're good at math in his own terms, that won't help at all. I think its safe to assume that we're experts at 'metamagical' calculations, so we could try throwing that around a bit. He did seem impressed by our solving his equation, and Michael said it was easy, so we're probably the greatest mathematician who ever lived around here.
-Quadratic/Linear graphs and equations. In terms of finance and statistics, that means we can do projections, educated estimates, and predictions.
-Algebra, finding an unknown by extracting from a known.
-Geometry, a very practical and tactical math skill. Very important for engineering, architecture, surveying.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 02:20:22 am
Post by: Parsely on June 27, 2013, 02:32:20 am
Post by: LordBucket on June 27, 2013, 03:26:56 am
What are you trying to accomplish? Is this really the best way to do it? You guys were talking about becoming god half a dozen episodes ago. Has anything you've done since then moved you closer to your goals? I just don't understand what you guys are trying to accomplish. Sure, maybe you have some skills that are unusual here. But how does impressing a supply clerk help you?
Post by: Parsely on June 27, 2013, 03:44:55 am
But if you want goals, I did suggest that we keep training until we can go ask the orc out.
Post by: LordBucket on June 27, 2013, 03:54:38 am
Post by: Putnam on June 27, 2013, 04:11:25 am
Post by: birdy51 on June 27, 2013, 05:47:33 am
My suggestion is to either find beginner's or children's text on the nature of magic, or Practice the art of meditation and search for that magicka. While we may not know what to look for, or even what casting a spell and tapping our magicka feels like, we have to try.
At the very least, we should Take up Strillian's offer on scrolls. Magic is a strong tool for the weak boned man.
Post by: LordBucket on June 27, 2013, 07:26:31 am
So far, we have asked everyone to teach us magic.
No, so far I've given you three leads on how to learn magic, and you've completely refused to follow up on any of them.
In episode 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704), Ranis Athyrs, the guild steward of the Balmora Mage guild, wrote you a personal letter of introduction for a magic trainer in Pelagiad. It's been nearly half the entire lifetime of this forum game, yet so far you've absolutely refused to go to Pelagiad and talk to the guy.
Also in episode 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704), Ranis suggested another option: to join a great house and learn magic from them.
Instead of following up on either of those leads, you decided you wanted to learn necromancy...and in Episode 24 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4336483#msg4336483) after succefully getting Sharn to talk to you and issue you a quest... which she then in Episode 25 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4339625#msg4339625) made it very clear it was a limited time offer and that if you wanted to take her up on it you'd need to act soon...pretty much the next thing you did was join the legion and spend two weeks sitting in a barracks just to make sure there would be absolutely no possibility that her offer would still be open.
Quote
Why haven't we tried to teach it to ourselves?
find beginner's or children's text on the nature of magic
Well, how about because:
First, it was established in Episode 17 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4303966#msg4303966) that you don't get skillgains from books, and confirmed in episode 19 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4316390#msg4316390) when you actually read from a skillbook and didn't gain any skill from it.
Second, this from Episode 27 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4349661#msg4349661):
Quote from: Strillian
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): don't go to just any hedge wizard for training. Be sure you find someone with enough acuity that they can stop you from blasting out your internal organs if you start overchanneling.
There are mental pathways through which magicka flows, that if unused, tend to atrophy. You have to be very careful re-opening those channels for the first time as an adult, or you can destroy your mind just like you might tear your leg muscles if you tried to 'learn' how to do the splits just by yanking your legs apart."
Quote
Take up Strillian's offer on scrolls.
What offer on scrolls? Strillian never made nay offer about scrolls. This is what he said:
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): I'll be teaching you some enchanting basics in week three. Not enough to enchant your gear, mind you...but you'll at least need to know how to discharge spells from a weapon like you would with scroll, and if I can get approval for it I'll grab a couple soulgems and teach you how to use them to recharge items."
Furthermore, you already know how to use scrolls. That was established in Episode 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4277533#msg4277533).
Quote
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): ""I was hoping to buy a scroll to cast a spell, but I don't know any magic. So...can I do that? Use a scroll to cast a spell?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "As long as you're able to read, yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "So all I need to do is hold the scroll and read it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MDRh3Ug.png): "Pretty much."
Quote
we have asked everyone to teach us magic. Why haven't we tried to teach it to ourselves?
In Episode 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704), Masalinie made it clear that learning magic would require special training, and that not just anybody could teach you.
In Episode 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704), Ranis made it clear that learning magic would require special training, and that not just anybody could teach you.
In Episode 27 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4349661#msg4349661), Strillian made it clear that learning magic would require special training, and that not just anybody could teach you.
Why won't you follow any of the three leads you've been given?
It's not like I'm trying to railroad you guys. There are probably other solutions to this problem. I wasn't my idea to learn necromancy from Sharn, but when you spoke to her I thought that was pretty reasonable and gave you a way to learn necromancy. I've handed you two ways to learn magic, and I followed your lead and made a third option available...and so far you've done everything you can to refuse to follow up on any of them.
Why?
If you absolutely don't want to go to Pelagiad, if you absolutely don't want to join a great house, if you changed your mind for whatever reason and don't want to learn necromancy after all...there are four other mage guilds you could go to. You've spent the past two weeks within shouting distance of a Telvanni mage-lord...something that I pointed that out in Episode 19 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4316390#msg4316390) and if you don't want to talk to Baladas for whatever reason there are other Telvanni wizards. You could try talking to the Ashlanders. You could try talking to Fast Eddie. You could try talking to any number of people. Hell, maybe you could turn rogue and try talking to Dagoth Ur if you wanted to.
You've got options.
Why are you insisting on suggesting things that you already know won't work?
Post by: clone95 on June 27, 2013, 08:32:58 am
That's to prevent what's happening literally right now - people get ridiculously short sighted because whatever plans they wish to implement are hampered by every other single person's big master plan.
Instead you've got people trying the minimum of work so that they can have the maximum benefit - going to Pelagiad would get us hilariously lost and probably dead on multiple tangents. If we just jog around Gnisis for a few weeks and then do some fighting, I think we'll be in good shape. Then we go to Pelagiad and acquire some magic. Then we can go to a Great House with that resume and get tons of cash.
Post by: Jarod Cain on June 27, 2013, 09:26:04 am
LordBucket, this has been a pretty entertaining read though so I will say preemptively thank you.
Now it was always my intention for us once we finished up with getting the girl the book to head to Pelagiad to at least talk with the guy about that magic training and see what would be necessary. As for where we're at right now. I think we're pretty much stuck doing what we're doing for the time being unless we really want to go AWOL.
Unless someone comes up with a better idea. For now finish up what we're doing, get more training done and generally get better at whatever we can. When we're done, go to Pelagiad and start off from where we left off.
-J-
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 27, 2013, 09:35:43 am
No one here has ever, to my knowledge, seriously believed we'd be able to join a great house. I don't think that option was ever seriously on the table.
And for the necromancy - I and a few others were big on that. We talked about paying the thieves guild to steal the skull. It was totally possible. But it was also dangerous, and with the "safe" Pelagiad trainer as an alternative, there was never going to be consensus on following up on that.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 27, 2013, 09:55:52 am
After that, Go to Pelagiad VIA ROAD NOT STRIDER, looking for interesting things and speaking to people along the way.
Post by: Knirisk on June 27, 2013, 10:04:36 am
So, Awesomicus didn't think he was a PC, but he behaved like one, right? I'd vote for continuing the training because Michael is still very weak, but try to make some money on the side. Maybe he could provide some service for the legionnaires, to make septims and gain their trust and favour. Like bring in some skooma to make the patrols less dull.
Something I'd like to mention: I would say Awesomicus is almost certainly a player character, but we referred to him as a PC, meaning he thought of a computer. I think.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 27, 2013, 10:34:12 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 27, 2013, 10:34:55 am
I don't think an "PC" can resist something like that.
And we can abuse the "gamification" by... (obviously) sending them on another quest after they complete the first one, then hightailing it out of there. If we change our clothes a bit, or (with our legionnaire outfit) simply change our location, they'll never be able to find us again and we get some awesome stuff out of it.
What we need to do is decide what the quest will be in advance, since it doesn't seem like we'll ever get a split session after seeing a PC.
Post by: hostergaard on June 27, 2013, 12:54:08 pm
How is leveling up handled? Its been awhile since I played Morrowind, but I seem to remember that frivolously leveling would come back to bite you in the ass, as leveling to early would reduce the amount of points you get when you level up to increase your stats with.
Now for Michal:
Finnish our training. BUT! Talk to Strillian first, he said himself that you got potential for metamagical math. Your combat and strength training is fine, but suggest that perhaps you could be very useful to the legion if you got some magical training. They already shown that there is a lot of room for special cases and individual needs. Maybe the legion could facilitate you magic training? If they do not have in house trainers, maybe they can sponsor an outside one? In fact, you just happen to hold a letter of recommendation for a trainer. Maybe they could send you there for some special training?
Also, I like the idea of hiring PC's to do quests for us. That sounds awesome.
That lady who wanted that book, left right? So we can't get the book back to her? If we still can then give the next PC you meet a quest to retrieve the book and deliver it to the lady, making sure to inform her that it was on our behest. Once you are sure the PC has done that (ask the PC to ask the lady where she met you or something) give him that useless ring we got as a quest reward.
If that is not possible;
Check to see if that orc necromancer still wants the skull from the tomb. If she does hire the next PC to go get that skull for you and give the ring as a reward.
If not, lets figure out something else that is useful that they can do for us, and use that cursed ring as a quest reward.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 27, 2013, 01:08:08 pm
Quote
Finnish our training. BUT! Talk to Strillian first, he said himself that you got potential for metamagical math. Your combat and strength training is fine, but suggest that perhaps you could be very useful to the legion if you got some magical training. They already shown that there is a lot of room for special cases and individual needs. Maybe the legion could facilitate you magic training? If they do not have in house trainers, maybe they can sponsor an outside one? In fact, you just happen to hold a letter of recommendation for a trainer. Maybe they could send you there for some special training?
This is a great idea - but talk to the commander first. Say we would best serve the legion as a battle mage, show him the letter of recommendation (once we are done with basic training), and suggest we could train in Pelegiad and if they covered the cost of our training we could both patrol and study at the same time, and it would be quite useful.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 27, 2013, 01:18:36 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 27, 2013, 01:19:41 pm
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 27, 2013, 01:40:35 pm
QuoteFinnish our training. BUT! Talk to Strillian first, he said himself that you got potential for metamagical math. Your combat and strength training is fine, but suggest that perhaps you could be very useful to the legion if you got some magical training. They already shown that there is a lot of room for special cases and individual needs. Maybe the legion could facilitate you magic training? If they do not have in house trainers, maybe they can sponsor an outside one? In fact, you just happen to hold a letter of recommendation for a trainer. Maybe they could send you there for some special training?
This is a great idea - but talk to the commander first. Say we would best serve the legion as a battle mage, show him the letter of recommendation (once we are done with basic training), and suggest we could train in Pelegiad and if they covered the cost of our training we could both patrol and study at the same time, and it would be quite useful.
I love this! +1
May I also suggest... In order to achieve:
Check to see if that orc necromancer still wants the skull from the tomb. If she does hire the next PC to go get that skull for you and give the ring as a reward.
We attempt to give it as a quest, and reward it with money/item like a regular quest? Hell, we could use the cursed ring!
Post by: hostergaard on June 27, 2013, 03:13:01 pm
We attempt to give it as a quest, and reward it with money/item like a regular quest? Hell, we could use the cursed ring!
I can imagine a few situations where we can use it, sure. But the tradeoff seems a bit bad, the penality and bonus is kinda mismatched. 10 health is about 1/4 of our health and the cases where athletics is useful health is probably somewhat important too.
We can give money or regular items, but its not like they necessarily feel like doing whatever for some more gold on the heap. But if you dangle the promise of some mysterious enchanted ring in front of them they are gonna growl and jump all they can to get their hands on it.
And considering we paid 100 gold for it and that book costs, what? 300 gold? it would be a nice tradeoff.
LordBucket
On the note of cursed enchanted items;
Do you have some lorewise explanation for them? I always kinda figured that it was that the enchantment was a little too powerful for whatever soul used, and some of the power needed was drained from the user instead. In terms of game mechanics it does not work like that, but maybe this LP would allow for this? I mean, sure cursed items could be the result of some chucklefuck deciding to ruin a perfectly good enchantment by adding a horrifying curse or two, but aside from the sadistic/humorous results it seems kinda irrational.
Post by: Sensei on June 27, 2013, 03:26:11 pm
Post by: hostergaard on June 27, 2013, 04:11:04 pm
So either there there is some aspect of enchanting that does not apply to players (like trading of a penalty for a bonus, which NPC might have to do to make more powerful enchantments outside of what they normally can. Or that some types of enchantment have build in penalties, like improved resistance to cold makes you more sensitive to fire) or enchanting works the same way for NPC and cursed items are made mostly for shits and giggles by bored magicians and daedra/Aedra.
I mean, boots of blinding speed. Makes you much faster. Awesome. But why are they boots of blinding speed rather than just boots of speed. Its not sensible and kinda annoying running around in near darkness, and I wonder why it have this curse.
In fact Since they are gonna give us the heads up on enchantments make sure to ask how the basics of enchanting works, why does cursed items exist, can you make tradeoffs?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 04:30:17 pm
Talking about our math background isn't meant to impress a supplies clerk, it's so we have something better to say than "Um, Highschool Math?" when people ask.
I still say we should talk talk to Caius, but seeing if we can get trained in Pelagaid while on duty sounds like a good idea. Let's try that first.
Post by: Cecilff2 on June 27, 2013, 04:57:27 pm
Any of you remember that legion quest where you hunt down an AWOL ex-legionnaire and kill him? I think it'd probably be best to NOT get the law enforcement of the land determined to kill us.
Post by: Funk on June 27, 2013, 06:12:17 pm
Whatever you do, do NOT go AWOL.+1
Post by: Man of Paper on June 27, 2013, 06:16:05 pm
Post by: Iituem on June 27, 2013, 06:17:42 pm
If anyone can think of a way out of this that doesn't involve trying to exploit a game mechanic that might just end the game (and in any case is utterly horrific to poor Michael, who can always simply refuse because he has agency), or end up with us as an outlaw for the remainder of our time in Vvardenfell, I would love to hear it.
If there isn't one, then... Desert. Join the Thieves' Guild and live in the shadows, training ourselves and accruing wealth and spoils until we can afford to find a new path. It's a bad choice among bad choices, but we literally only have bad choices.
Post by: Denzi on June 27, 2013, 08:23:48 pm
I mean sure, we could have gone out adventuring or any other potentially more profitable ventures than tying ourselves up with the legion, but most of those were going to have much more potential for danger than getting free training in weapons and armor and a couple thousand gold in exchange for just two weeks of our time. I mean put it into perspective guys, we know that Micheal is much much weaker than most people around here, at this point the only thing he is better at than a child is dying.
Do not desert, this is your safest and best way to get you up to snuff with the rest of the island's populace. Just learn as much as you can during your stay, once you get out you should be able to afford the magic training if that is the route we should take. Seriously though do you really think you could escape, much less defend yourself if the legion starts coming after you for desertion? I'm talking the same people who can run for a far longer period of time in full plate armor than you can run in just the bits and pieces you are wearing.
Edit: Also Get some food in you boy I don't think you've eaten much of anything since you got here and that can't be good for your morale
Post by: Man of Paper on June 27, 2013, 08:29:27 pm
Post by: Denzi on June 27, 2013, 08:35:46 pm
Do you think Michael is actually capable of pushing his will onto anything in this world that is not an unguarded chest?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 09:06:19 pm
If anyone can think of a way out of this that doesn't involve trying to exploit a game mechanic that might just end the game (and in any case is utterly horrific to poor Michael, who can always simply refuse because he has agency), or end up with us as an outlaw for the remainder of our time in Vvardenfell, I would love to hear it.
I keep saying: Talk to Caius. Looking at history, the Blades do not kill interesting people. At least, those of interest to them. Putnam already supports it.
And since we're already here we're going to milk this for everything it can give us, before we leave.
Post by: Iituem on June 27, 2013, 09:12:34 pm
Post by: clone95 on June 27, 2013, 09:17:59 pm
Do not talk to Caius. Do not go AWOL. Complete your training and your service.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 09:33:12 pm
*Sigh*
Do not talk to Caius. Do not go AWOL. Complete your training and your service.
Why not talk to Caius? WE FINISH OUR TRAINING FIRST, OF COURSE, BEFORE WE TRY LEAVING.
Huh. Valid point. When we next get leave, see if we can make it to Seyda Neen and talk to Caius. The worst thing that can happen is we get killed or kicked out of the legion, after all...
Caius is in Balmora.
Post by: hermes on June 27, 2013, 09:34:51 pm
Edit - then again, maybe he should be more like the orc. That would be pretty cool too. I can't tell if the PCs are role models or cautionary examples of crazy behaviour!
Post by: Parsely on June 27, 2013, 09:38:52 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 27, 2013, 09:44:28 pm
Post by: clone95 on June 27, 2013, 09:47:04 pm
The PC would probably have finished the MQ by then...
We're not the PC.
A safer Morrowind is better for us - I don't want our guy getting Corprus.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 27, 2013, 09:47:48 pm
The PC would probably have finished the MQ by then...
So? That just means that someone besides us is the hero of Morrowind. That's hardly a surprise, and I'm fairly sure it would've happened even if we hadn't joined the Legion.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 10:07:09 pm
The PC would probably have finished the MQ by then...
Not so. The hint was 90 days. Likely finished if we stayed in the Legion for the full year, but not in the next 1 or 2 weeks we have of training.
I don't think the Heart is our path to godhood. We'd still have Dagoth Ur to deal with, and the only way to get rid of him is to get rid of the heart. What I'm more concerned about is missing the chance to talk to him or Sotha Sil.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 27, 2013, 10:11:28 pm
So? That just means that someone besides us is the hero of Morrowind.
I'm not 100% sure that this actually happening is a safe assumption to make.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 10:21:05 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 27, 2013, 10:22:50 pm
I've been wondering if the dejavu might be from a new PC entering the world, and not be related to saving at all, but with a new pc and no new dejavu that doesn't really work.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 27, 2013, 10:27:31 pm
So? That just means that someone besides us is the hero of Morrowind.
I'm not 100% sure that this actually happening is a safe assumption to make.
Well, the powergaming PCs seem not to have caused too much havoc, besides robbing an alchemist blind.
Post by: Putnam on June 27, 2013, 10:42:25 pm
The PC would probably have finished the MQ by then...
Not so. The hint was 90 days. Likely finished if we stayed in the Legion for the full year, but not in the next 1 or 2 weeks we have of training.
I don't think the Heart is our path to godhood. We'd still have Dagoth Ur to deal with, and the only way to get rid of him is to get rid of the heart. What I'm more concerned about is missing the chance to talk to him or Sotha Sil.
I think "90 days" refers to 90 in-game days.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 27, 2013, 10:48:15 pm
Post by: Iituem on June 27, 2013, 11:16:19 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 27, 2013, 11:46:01 pm
Yes, and that's 1-2 ingame weeks till the end of our training.
And an entire year till the end of our tour of duty.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 28, 2013, 02:44:13 am
I'm pretty sure it's 1-2 real life weeks, and more like 3-400 ingame days. But, well, Vivec seemed to imply the PCs might be a threat, so perhaps we should take them seriously.
Look, our officer, a person from this world, said "4 weeks of training," 2-3 of which have elapsed. They can't have meant IRL weeks. And we've got plans to avoid an entire tour of duty.Yes, and that's 1-2 ingame weeks till the end of our training.
And an entire year till the end of our tour of duty.
Post by: Parsely on June 28, 2013, 02:53:57 am
Post by: Supercharazad on June 28, 2013, 04:37:53 am
And I already did all of the calculations. A Morrowind year is 12.6 days.
It's less than two IRL weeks.
Post by: LordBucket on June 28, 2013, 05:54:23 am
Episode is almost finished. Mostly just need to take a couple screenshots, but probably won't get it up tonight, as I would like to sleep.
Couple responses to questions/comments:
A question for LordBucket;
How is leveling up handled? Its been awhile since I played Morrowind, but I seem to remember that frivolously leveling would come back to bite you in the ass, as leveling to early would reduce the amount of points you get when you level up to increase your stats with.
I've been hoping someone would look compare levelup information to the spoilered attributes in each update and deduce how the system works, but here's the summary:
1) Leveling up a skill awards .2 points worth of attribute. Some skills award .2 in one attribute, others award .1 in each of two.
2) Every 5 points of full integer attribute gains, you gain one level. .9 strength and .9 speed counts as zero towards levelups.
3) Health is Endurance + (Strength / 2) + (Level - 1)
4) Magicka is Intelligence + (Willpower / 2) + (Level - 1)
5) Every time you gain a level, you also gain 1 point of luck
Consequently, no...there's no reason to worry about managing levelsup points, or getting endurance first, or any of that nonsense from vanilla.
LordBucket
On the note of cursed enchanted items;
Do you have some lorewise explanation for them?
maybe this LP would allow for this?
There are at least two lore explanations for them that I'm aware of, but your question is at least partially answered by the next update-in-progress.
in order to do the Pelegiad trainer, you convinced many of us we'd need a whole pile of money
The actual statement from Ranis was:
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "How much do you think it will cost me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "You'll have to negotiate with him, but a full introductory immersion, from nothing to basic casting competency in all six schools...that's probably worth at least a few thousand gold."
I think "90 days" refers to 90 in-game days.
Yes, but if you're going to refer to the 90 days I mentioned, please distinguish between what I actually said and what some players have speculated that I might have meant. What I said was:
Basic training is 28 days, and last time I played Morrowind, it only takes about 90 to get all the way through the entire game from start to finish. Last time you considered joining, a couple people pointed out that there are other forces in the game besides you and that you probably don't have forever. Whether or not there are any PCs in the world, do you really think that Dagoth Ur is going to sit around doing nothing for the next year?
That doesn't necessarily mean that the world blows up on day 90. You know that there are other active forces in the world who are busy doing things while you play legionnaire. I wasn't intending to give you a "tip" that you do or don't need to do anything within 90 days, but simply generally commenting that since you KNOW that there are other forces at work besides yourself. At the time of the above comment, you only knew about one, but now you know there are at least three. if 90 days is enough time for a hypothetical PC to do everything and beat the game...28/90 = 31% of that not a trivial amount of time to allow "at least three" individuals to do what they will while you get a couple skillgains. For example, you saw Bjorn turn in a vanilla quest. It would be reasonable to suspect that Awesomicus and the as-of-yet-unidentified dunmer woman are probably also capable of doing quests if they choose to.
How much do you think these three others will accomplish while you sit around in Gnisis for four weeks?
Even if we ignore Bjorn/Awesomicus/dunmer girl, you've observed that "presumed npcs" can also interact meaningfully with the world. For example, you watched Vivec teleport out of his palace to go "do stuff." What do you think he's been doing for the past few weeks? What about Sharn? She outright told you that if you didn't bring back a skull in time, she would personally go raid and loot a tomb. What about Thavere and Vodunius? All indicators suggest that while you were not in Seyda Neen they met, spoke to each other, made plans and then left Vvardenfell together.
Every indicator you have is that even completely minor background characters are able to act of their own volition.
By the end of this next update, you will have spent three weeks allowing an unknown number of parties to interact with the world in ways that you are unable to observe. I think some of you have seriously underestimated the significance of that.
You've also cautioned us not to take risks and be careful about getting killed.
Ok, two comments. First...you're taking me out of context. After Michel died, several people starting suggesting that you deliberately have him repeatedly suicide in order to metagame the death process. My response to that was this:
Just to be clear, you didn't "respawn" so much as "the game" was restored to a previous save state. Not going to explain how or why...that's for you to figure out. But notice that you lost all of episode 17 and the end of episode 16 played out slightly differently. I advise caution in the event of future deaths. Actually, I advise avoiding death algtogether. But if you do die...you probably don't want to remember things having happened, act on the assumption that they have, but then have it turn out that the things you remember were things that were lost.
Interpreting what I said to mean "don't take risks" would be like interpreting me saying "I advise against jumping into moving traffic" to mean "you really should lock yourself in your house, hide under the bed and never go outside." Yes, I do recommend you avoid dying. But if your plan to avoid dying is to spend the next year hiding in a legion garrison, I would call that a gross misapplication of the advice.
Second, I gave you Word of God on this death issue because some of you were suggesting deliberately suiciding, and there is a consequence to dying that has not been revealed yet. I'm not making this whole thing up as I go. I started this with a concept of what was going on and how things would work. Some of the questions you guys have asked, like for example, "why did the game restore to a previous save state so conveniently and immediately after dying?" have very good answers.
Thing is, it never occurred to me that the game would go for this long without you guys figuring out more than you have about what's going on. All of those unrevealed explanations for what is going on and why are still in play even though you don't know what they are. There are consequences for dying, and I advised you guys to avoid it because it just seems unreasonable for you to suffer the consequences of too many deaths without any idea that there would be consequences. For example...and I'm not saying this is what would happen, but imagine if you guys had gone ahead with your "deliberately suicide to metagame" plan, and after dying X times you got a locked thread and an update that said. "Game over, you lose." Again, I'm not saying that's what would happen...but I think it's basically reasonable that I give you some advance warning that death is not meaningless. So, I did. Death is not meaningless. There is at least one, and possible multiple consequence(s) for death/dying that you are presently unaware of. And I advise against discovering what it is/they are through trial and error.
Don't take that to mean you should bury your head in the sand and hide from all danger. But yeah...deliberately suiciding is something I recommend against.
Post by: hostergaard on June 28, 2013, 01:07:21 pm
I've been hoping someone would look compare levelup information to the spoilered attributes in each update and deduce how the system works, but here's the summary:
1) Leveling up a skill awards .2 points worth of attribute. Some skills award .2 in one attribute, others award .1 in each of two.
2) Every 5 points of full integer attribute gains, you gain one level. .9 strength and .9 speed counts as zero towards levelups.
3) Health is Endurance + (Strength / 2) + (Level - 1)
4) Magicka is Intelligence + (Willpower / 2) + (Level - 1)
5) Every time you gain a level, you also gain 1 point of luck
Consequently, no...there's no reason to worry about managing levelsup points, or getting endurance first, or any of that nonsense from vanilla.LordBucket
On the note of cursed enchanted items;
Do you have some lorewise explanation for them?
maybe this LP would allow for this?
There are at least two lore explanations for them that I'm aware of, but your question is at least partially answered by the next update-in-progress.
Right, I had been thinking about doing just that, but then being lazy I decided it was easier to just ask. Thanks for the answer!
Edit: Two? Two explanations? Wait, maybe you mean to say there is individual explanations for each items curse, but no overall explanation which I speculated if there where, which falls under shit and gigglers reason for me.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 28, 2013, 02:24:13 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 29, 2013, 07:38:23 am
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Talk to Strillian first, he said himself that you got potential for metamagical math. Your combat and strength training is fine, but suggest that perhaps you could be very useful to the legion if you got some magical training. They already shown that there is a lot of room for special cases and individual needs. Maybe the legion could facilitate you magic training? If they do not have in house trainers, maybe they can sponsor an outside one? In fact, you just happen to hold a letter of recommendation for a trainer. Maybe they could send you there for some special training?
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talk to the commander first. Say we would best serve the legion as a battle mage, show him the letter of recommendation
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, Strillian. I really think it would be better for everyone if I learned magic instead of melee combat. I'd be good at it. You said so yourself. And see...here I have a letter of recommendation from Ranis Athyrs of the Balmora mage guild saying I'd be good at it too. Can we do that instead? If you can't do the training yourself, maybe the legion would pay to have me learn somewhere else?"
Strillian frowns, but doesn't answer right away. After thinking for a moment, he speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "What are you asking for, Michael? What exactly are you asking me to do? Yes, maybe you'd be good at magic...but what do you want me to do about it? I'm a low ranking supply officer. I have no authority to authorize sponsored training, and I haven't the skill or resources to give it to you myself. I'm presently under orders to put you through basic training, so I'm putting you through basic training. Are you asking me to disobey my orders? Are you asking me to go to the General and tell him that the new recruit who's been here two weeks knows better than he does what he should be doing? I'm not going to do that.
Would you make a good mage? Sure, based on your metamagical math knowledge, I think you'd make a pretty good mage. But what do you want me to do about it? You came to the legion with no skills and no resources and agreed to be a grunt, so a grunt you will be. Now..if you'd spoken to the General before you signed up, demonstrated good potential for magic and asked for a conditional contract to join only if we provided you with special training...honestly I think the General would have agreed to that. But that's not what you did. Can you think of any military on Nirn that would let a new recruit just randomly stop halfway through basic training to go do something else? I'll bet you can't.
If you want to be a mage, that's fine. But I'm going to follow my orders and finish your training. Once it's finished, if you want to talk to the General about magic training instead of going immediately on active duty, that's fine. I'll even put in a good word for you based on what you've shown me.
But I'm not going to jeopardize my own position by disobeying orders for a new recruit who's obviously getting cold feet."
Quote
Continue training until that time comes.
Quote
Take up Strillian's offer
Quote
finish up what we're doing, get more training done
Quote
finish our less than two IRL weeks of legionary work
Quote
Finnish our training.
Quote
(once we are done with basic training)
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Whatever you do, do NOT go AWOL.
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Let's just go AWOL like I suggested after we get our combat training finished.
Basic training, day 15
Today Strillian teaches you how to defend yourself with shield and how to fight with a spear.
New skill Block is now 5
Max Health is now 46
New skill Spear is now 5
Basic training, day 16
Today Strillian teaches you how to move more effectively in armor, as well as how to position yourself to take hits to more heavily armored parts of the body.
Heavy armor skill is now 5
Max Health is now 47
In addition to heavy armor, he also issues you an Imperial chain cuirass to train you in medium armor. It's 21 pounds to the heavy armor's 29.
New skill medium armor is now 5
Max Health is now 48
-~=Michael is now level 4=~-
Max Health is now 49
Luck is now 53
At some point it might benefit you to choose one armor type. For now you stick with the heavy, and stash the chain at your bunk with the rest of your growing pile of equipment. It occurs to you that if you decide to go AWOL, it's unlikely that you'll be able to carry everything with you.
Basic training, day 17
Today Strillian teaches you how to fight with bladed and blunt weapons.
New skill Blunt Weapon is now 5
New skill Long Blade is now 5
Basic training, day 18
Today Stillian teaches you the basics of enchanting.
New skill enchanting is now 5
Specifically, you learn how to recognize enchanted effect on an item by wielding them, and how to recharge depleted energy by using a soul gem. Unfortunately since you are unable to cast any spells, Strillian is unable to show you how to enchant spell effects on to an item. However, significantly, you now are able to identify the effects of any magic item just by wielding it.
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make sure to ask how the basics of enchanting works, why does cursed items exist, can you make tradeoffs?
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Why do cursed items exist?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Usually they're enchanted by daedra to fool the unwary."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What? Really?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes. Be careful if you ever try looting a daedric shrine. Very often they contain treasure that will summon a daedric lord the moment you pick it up."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No, I mean like items that drain health. For example..."
You take your ring off and hand it to him. He puts it on and thinks for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Fortify athletics and damage health on self? Why would anyone make a ring like this?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "That's what I was wondering."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Where did you get it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "From a trader in Seyda Neen. He said he bought it as an investment, but didn't know anything about enchanting himself and didn't know about the drawback."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Hmm. I suppose it's possible it might have been made at an enchanting forge, but I've never even seen one. "
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Enchanting forge?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes. Ancient history, Recruit. Before the Imperial mage guild came to be, the leading organization for the study of magic was known as the Psijic Order. It was an elitist group, very particular about who they let in. One of their members, a mage by the name of Vanus Galerion disagreed with a number of their philosophies. He felt that magic should be made available to everyone rather than kept to only a select few. He ended up founding the Mage guild as we know it today, but one of the things he did to bring magic to the masses was build Itemmaker forges. You have to understand, Recruit, that at that time, magic was still developing. Enchanting wasn't a common skill that just anyone could learn. Enchanting was a little-known art and making even a simple item took vast resources of time and study. Vanus found a way to automate the process."
Wait...you know about this. This is straight out of Daggerfall.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Rather than devoting decades to learning magic and enchanting, Itemmaker forges allowed anyone to go them and simply flip a number of levers and switches to designate certain enchanting properties and strengths, then deposit large quantities of gold to be used as fuel for the enchanting process. It was completely automated. No knowledge of magic required. But, just like our enchanted items today, they still needed to be powered by a captured soul. And while any commoner could kill, say...a rat...rat souls give very little power. Nothing really useful can be made with them. Whereas the soul of a daedra, for example, would give much power...but how many could reasonably be expected to capture one? So Vanus designed his Itemmaker to draw power directly from the wielder."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "So by having a negative effect, you could have a positive effect too?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Exactly. If this ring was made by an Itemmaker forge, then the fortify athletics effect it gives is at least partially powered by the health that it drains from you."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Interesting. Do any of these forges still exist?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Sure, probably hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. At one time and in some provinces there was an Itemmaker forge at every mage guild. But so far as I know they stopped being built centuries ago, as the art of enchanting developed and became more common. But this was before Morrowind was even part of the Empire, and I've never seen one in my lifetime. I doubt there are any in Morrowind, and if there are they're probably in the hands of an ancient Telvanni mage-lord. Or you might try asking Trebonius Artorius. He's the Arch-Mage in charge of all Mage Guild operations in all of Vvardenfell. If anyone on our side would know it would be him. But...honestly, I'd advise you you to avoid him. He's...kind of got issues. Anyway, if that ring was made by a forge, it's probably very old and was made outside of Morrowind. Of course...there's also a much simpler explanation."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What's that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Somebody might have made it to trick someone desperate or foolish into killing themselves."
Basic training days 19 and 20
Strillian takes his days off, asking you to be sure to practice what you're learned while he's away. You however, have other plans.
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ask that orc out for dinner.
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keep training until we can go ask the orc out.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Today, my fellow legionnaires...I intend to ask out an orc. Are there any good restaurants in town? I thought we might get dinner."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I'm telling you, Michael...don't go there."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No, no...I want to do this."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Ok. It's your funeral."
You swap out your armor for your stylish commoner's clothes and fluffy hat, then head to the orc barracks and go looking for the object of your affection. You are slightly inconvenienced by the fact that orcs all kind of look alike to you and you never got her name. You're pretty sure she was downstairs, so you head in that direction hoping that she'll be in the same spot. You are surprised to discover not one, but two orcs.
(http://i.imgur.com/p1t5M2o.png)
You're really not sure which was the one you spoke to. Or even if either of these two are her. Fortunately while you stand there deciding what to do, one of them speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "Hey there, little man. Did you lose your mommy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "...no, actually I was looking for some...company tonight."
Orcish facial expressions are a bit different than human expressions. You're not quite sure how to read the response.
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "You're that swit I found wandering around here a few weeks ago, aren't you?"
Oh, good. Sounds like this is the one. Probably.
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Also tell them that your one weakness is her beauty and that she has wide, child-bearing hips
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Yes, that was me. I came back because I couldn't stop thinking about you. I was once told never to admit weakness to an orc, but your beauty has smitten me and I am entranced by your your wide, child-bearing hips. Wanna get dinner?"
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "You're not serious."
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Absolutely, I'm serious."
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "Idiot. Ok, let's do this."
The orc smacks you across the face, sending you reeling to the floor. It occurs to you that Vibuis said that Imperial women would interpret a statement about wishing to give a woman children and complimenting her hips as a proposal of marriage. He never said anything about how an orc might interpret it. It's possible you might have just insulted her, or issued a challenge to the death or something.
Health is now 47/49
Before you can get up she pounces on you and begins clawing at you. You hold your arms up in a feeble attempt to defend yourself. You cry out for help and hear the other orc in the room laughing at you.
Health is now 46/49
Unarmored skill is now 3
This is it. You're going to die again. Torn to shreds by an orc. You close your eyes and resign yourself to your fate. there's no way you can fight her off. Why is she tearing your clothes off?
Health is now 44/49
Unarmored skill is now 4
(http://i.imgur.com/HJtjY7p.png)
*much later*
Health is now 39/49
Unarmored skill is now 5
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "That was...not quite what I expected."
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "I did not give you permission to speak."
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "Right. Sorry."
A few minutes pass while you lay amidst the tattered remains of your clothes with an orc woman straddling you. As you look up at her you contemplate the fact that you just gave your virginity to an orc. And that the first reaction of the other orc in the room was to laugh and watch. And that her second reaction was to gather up all the other orcs in the barracks to come watch too. Eventually they got bored and wandered off. Most of them. You also contemplate the fact that while you're now naked except for your shoes and what's left of your shirt, while she somehow managed to keep her armor on the entire time. In fact, the metal knee-plates on her leg armor are rather uncomfortably tucked into your armpits right now. You briefly wonder at the design of the pelvis portion of her lower body armor hidden underneath the chainmail skirt of her body armor. In fact there are all sorts of interesting things you could contemplate, consider and wonder about...but eventually you decide on a simple one.
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "May I ask you a question?"
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "You may speak."
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "What just happened?"
She leers at you with a toothy grin.
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "You said I made you feel weak. I decided to test it. So you're mine now."
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "...erm...what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "By the Code of Malacath, you now belong to me, and I may do with you, and dispose of you as I please."
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "I don't recall agreeing to any kind of...duel for possession."
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "And I don't recall asking your permission. Now, groom me."
She hands you a brush and you proceed to brush her hair.
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "I thought orcs were-"
She smacks you in mid sentence.
Health is now 38/49
You continue brushing her hair while you try to replay in your mind how exactly your life came to this.
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "You may speak."
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "...umm. Well. I...thought orcs were all about respecting strength, and stuff. Obviously I'm not that strong-"
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "Hehheh. I noticed."
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "...so, why...this? I wouldn't have guessed that I'd have been..umm, desirable for you. Honestly my plan was just to take you out to dinner. You know, friendly get-to-know-each other kind of thing. Not...this."
She looks at you for a moment then shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "At home I would belong to a chieftan. Today, I got to be chieftan."
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "So you're saying that in orcish culture rape is a legitimate dating practice? What's marriage like, then?"
She frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "Neither of those words exist in the Orsimer tongue. In the homeland, all orcish women are either the wife, daughter or mother of the chief. When one clan raids another, or when a chief trades a woman away to another clan, the wives and daughters of one clan may become the wives and daughters of another clan."
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "Raids are a legitimate way to gain wives? You're not saying that we're married now, are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/pb0W3ms.png): "No. You'd be more like war booty. But since since this is an Imperial barracks, and I'm a Legionnaire, I doubt they'll let me keep you. So go away."
She takes her brush back then gets up and proceeds to ignore you, leaving you sitting half naked in a pile of torn clothes. You try to salvage what you can of them, but the shirt is barely held onto your body by one arm and the pants are shredded except for a few bits where they loop around your ankles. Eventually you give up, collect your coinpurse from the tatters and simply wander back to the barracks wearing nothing but your shoes. Oh, and your hat. Your fluffy hat was undamaged. You put it on on top your head-no, wait. Actually you can think of a much better place for it. Just temporarily.
Stepping outside you're immediately greeted by a warm, friendly and glaringly bright morning sun gazing fondly at you with what seems like a little too much enthusiasm.
(http://i.imgur.com/UsMZbU2.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/y9mIJqd.png): "What do you want?!?!?" you yell, shaking a first at the sky. "I'm just going for a walk. Maybe get a nice...full body tan. Can't I do that? Huh? Can't I?!!?"
The sun, wisely, doesn't respond. Hmph. Serves it right.
When you return to the Cyyrodiil side of the barracks, the other Legionnaires welcome you back with whistles and catcalls.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Hey, good looking!"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "So how was dinner? Did you taste good?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Heh, joined the legion to become a man and became a woman instead, huh?"
You head to your bunk and spend the rest of the day sleeping dreamlessly. When you wake up in the morning it occurs to you that you still didn't get her name.
Health restored to full
Basic training, day 21
When Strillian returns you are still without pants, but at least the leather skirt portion of your body armor covers your genitals.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "What happened to your pants?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...I asked an orc out on a date."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Oh. Bad idea. We keep the two barracks separated for a reason. Female orc, at least, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Well, thank goodness for that. Here, let me issue you some new clothes."
Strillian gives you a new shirt and pants. You spend the last day of the third week learning unarmed combat.
New skill, hand to hand is now 5
-~=Michael is now level 5=~-
Max health is now 50
Luck is now 54
He would also have taught you unarmored defense, but since you've apparently already learned the basics of that, he teaches you how to fight with your tanto instead.
New skill Short blade is now 5
So that's it, then. three weeks in the legion and you've gained a complete set of basic knowledge of all weapon and defense forms except light armor and marksmanship, plus knowledge of enchanting minus the ability to actually enchant anything since you don't know any magic, and some extra athletics and acrobatics practice. To be fair, you do feel quite a lot stronger than you did three weeks ago. But this is the high point of your training. Next week will be spent learning about actual guard duties. How to enforce laws, how to approach and apprehend criminals. Patrol routes and how to fill out reports. You're not sure how useful any of that would be to you. If you're going to go AWOL, this might be the time to do it. Though on the other hand, if you wait another week and go on active duty, you might be able to bloody up your guard armor and leave it on the road, or something. They might conclude you died rather than that you abandoned your post. Of course that's assuming you get a road patrol. Would be difficult to pull that off if you're assigned to barracks duty with half a dozen other guards nearby at all times.
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We didn't get any dejavu before seeing this new PC right?
That's actually something you've been thinking about recently. Over the entire three weeks you've been in basic training, the only time you've felt any sense of deja vua at all was that time Strillian told you that you'd be a good mage after you did that math problem for him. But you actually did have a similar conversation with Ranis fter doing a math problem for her. So was that a game load, or did it just feel familiar because you'd actually had pretty much the same thing happen?
You're not completely sure, but either way...this seems odd. The first week you were here you felt the deja vue three times. But now three weeks have gone by with at most one, and possibly none at all? If there were a PC restoring from previous saves...wouldn't they be doing it more often?
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I've been wondering if the dejavu might be from a new PC entering the world
That's possible. Let's see...dunmer woman, Bjorn and Awesomecus are our suspected three PCs right? And we've had...three senses of deja vue: first while leaving the Balmora mage guild, next while exiting the silt strider that time we almost fell off the ramp, and the third time...when was the third time? There was a third time, wasn't there? Or was it only two? Hmm. You thought there were three, but now that you actually try to count them, you only actually remember two. Does anyone remember for sure? Or maybe that deja vue while talking to Strillian really was a deja vue, and not just because the conversation was familiar. But wait...we saw the dunmer woman before the first deja vue, didn't we? So maybe she arrived at the same time or before we did, and the two deja vus we felt were when more PCs showed up? But what about the fact that the first and second time we felt it were so different? The first was just a mild, "oh, huh...deja vue." The second was so strong that you nearly fell over from vertigo. Why such a difference?
Well...what about that dunmer sorceress and sulking orc that Darvame mentioned she took from Seyda Neen to Balmora? What if they both arrived together, and having multiple PCs entering at once means a stronger sense of deja vue? But if that's the case, then what about Awesomicus and Bjorn? Even if we assume dunmer-woman-with-dagger doesn't count for some reason, that would still leave two PCs to correspond with only a single, relatively weak deja vue incident. Or...maybe not everyone we suspect is a PC is actually a PC? Come to think of it, while we saw Awesomicus equip armor impossibly fast, and we know that the dunmer woman did her strange merchant voodoo on Nalcarya, all we saw Bjorn do was turn in a quest. Maybe he's not a PC? How would we know?
Vubius, the guard not named in the game.
Huh. That's actually a good point. Bjorn and Awesomicus are names not from vanilla Morrowind, but neither is Vibius. Is Vibius a PC? Or is he non-vanilla modded content? Or...is this world of Morrowind simply different enough that there are non-vanilla characters in it, in which case...what reason do we have to think that Bjorn is a PC? sure, he turned in a quest, but on the other hand, we were more or less raped by an orc just yesterday. That's not exactly vanilla behavior either. Maybe Vibius and Bjorn are just ordinary non-vanilla npcs, and Awesomicus and dunmer woman are the only two PCs? Or maybe...maybe there aren't any PCs at all, and we've been guessing wrong this entire time? But if that's the case, then how do we explain what we saw Awesomicus do? Maybe we can explain away the dunmer woman's mercantile-fu as a result of magic and/or personality potions, or because maybe she actually is the Nerevarine, but how can we explain Awesomicus swapping out armor in under a second and the fact that his old armor vanished before our eyes?
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Sorry, guys. I'm just not sure what to think right now."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently under your bed at fort darius (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Aseaheru on June 29, 2013, 07:52:48 am
Post by: Supercharazad on June 29, 2013, 08:11:46 am
Let's finish our basic training, then go see the commander and ask about that magic practice and sponsorship and that. Also never, ever, ever go near orcish women ever again.
Post by: hostergaard on June 29, 2013, 08:23:11 am
Keep some feelers out, your guard duty is coming up, maybe an opportunity present itself to get something together.
Oh well, you should probably apologize to that guard that warned you for ignoring his advice. He was right, oh so right.
Post by: Putnam on June 29, 2013, 02:47:39 pm
Let's finish our basic training, then go see the commander and ask about that magic practice and sponsorship and that. Also never, ever, ever go near orcish women ever again.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 29, 2013, 03:23:49 pm
What exactly was the extent of Michael's education? Anything that might help him gain any sort of political power, maybe? Right now we're kind of just grasping desperately at anything that might help us gain a little bit more of a foothold in this world, and we're not finding much in the way of that.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 29, 2013, 03:35:16 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 29, 2013, 05:15:05 pm
Holy crap, I knew I should have voted against the orc thing... Damn you, curiosity and sense of humor!
That whole "learning how to approach and arrest criminals" sounds like it might involve some useful skills, possibly speechcraft (intimidation) or sneak. And learning the ins-and-outs of documents here sounds like it could be useful in many situations. But other than that, this upcoming week sounds like nothing for us.
Let's also ask exhaustively first before acting. Wouldn't want to miss another opportunity like talking to the general.
As for how to get out of here:
-See if we can get our first assignment at Moonmoth or Balmora, and if we do, talk to Caius. This stands a good chance of getting us somewhere, if we can just get to Balmora.
-Upon learning about police stuff, tell Strillian we find it very interesting and ask if there's a way we can get more involved with that kind of thing. We want to keep this avenue open, should we wind up unable to escape for some reason.
-AWOL/Derilection of duty should be a last resort only. We don't have the resources to survive as an outlaw, at least not yet.
We should try to avoid doing anything which might result in a PC getting a quest to kill us. Betraying a huge faction, like the Legion, sounds like a good way to make that happen, and if there really is someone with all the gamey powers after us, we'd be hard pressed to come out on top. We might have to face someone truly undefeatable, since they could load if we ever did kill them, and they'd be sure to save after killing us.
Post by: Funk on June 30, 2013, 08:36:03 am
i vote for Medium armor, and swords
Post by: Man of Paper on June 30, 2013, 08:58:03 am
Stop bothering the Quartermaster or whatever he is. Stop bothering anyone ranked higher than we are. We know any progress is going to take ages. We need to figure out a way to leave. If not in some bamfy way, then I guess we can desert when we get our assignment too.
In my opinion, we absolutely will have to step on toes at some point. We keep trying to be okay with everyone, but even in the game, unless you did things in a certain order, you'd get dicked on a faction (for example, when you kill those Thieves Guild guys in the third or fourth mission for Fire-Eye you are no longer able to join the TG). And honestly, the Imperial forces have a lot less influence than the Great Houses.
I'm all about joining House Redoran as well. Perhaps we can base out of Ald'Ruhn, do some noble warrior stuff, and catch their eye when we decide not to go through with my plan. Or try to get in good with the Ashlanders, unify the tribes, and lead them into battle against the nonbelievers!
Post by: WillowLuman on June 30, 2013, 01:01:44 pm
I'm still not sure on armor choice yet, but I say not heavy armor.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 30, 2013, 05:30:39 pm
On another note, we need to keep in mind Bucket's comment about events going on without our knowledge. For all we know, there's been a slave uprising in House Telvanni and they're in even more chaos than usual, not to mention each single individual's will, wants, and needs being acted upon. We still don't have our own agenda, which means that we aren't acting, but reacting. If you're familiar with strategy and/or combat then you know that reacting practically makes up the slippery slope to defeat. If we don't start imposing our own will on the world then we're not going to get our foot into the door, whichever door that may be.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 30, 2013, 05:40:46 pm
If something as interesting as a Telvani slave rebellion was happening, no doubt we'd have heard of it pretty fast. But we do need to keep our ears open.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 30, 2013, 06:04:15 pm
I'd also like to suggest to anyone making their own suggestions that we try to stick to your proposed objective. If, for example, we're sent to the Armpit of Nowhere (probably in New Jersey), then Hugo shouldn't just drop his Caius plan and decide to do something else instead. A few of us seem to be sticking to our guns, but a good few suggestions have been dropped to the side because of one small thing. Don't let a few gobbo sieges deter you from building the dwarven monument to you that reaches the sky, in terms we all should understand.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 30, 2013, 06:39:34 pm
And remember that we could write letters. Being stationed in Ebonheart might be a good opportunity to get a letter to Vivec, something along the lines of "Things are worse than I expected, there are multiple individuals showing abilities indicitive of interacting through this world from the game in my world." Such tips would show we're still helping him. Might be a good idea to address that to the Archcanon, though. We might also speak with the Duke, though I don't know what good that would do, or perhaps convince that one lady to send us to Mournhold.
Getting sent to Wolverine hall would be a good opportunity to go visit Yagrum Bagarn, who we really ought to talk to at some point. Him and Divayth Fyr. A scroll of Divine Intervention would serve well here. In fact, requisitioning a scroll of Divine Intervention would be a very good idea whatever we do.
Post by: Man of Paper on June 30, 2013, 08:46:14 pm
Post by: hermes on June 30, 2013, 10:52:32 pm
Clean out all low weight high value items in the barracks and steal away at night.
Go to the thieves guild and offer the goods as a sign of your commitment this time.
With your new understanding of orc culture, persuade the necromancer to take you on as an apprentice one more time.
About time Mike learnt some magic.
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 30, 2013, 11:05:57 pm
Clean out all low weight high value items in the barracks and steal away at night.
Go to the thieves guild and offer the goods as a sign of your commitment this time.
With your new understanding of orc culture, persuade the necromancer to take you on as an apprentice one more time.
Oh no no no no no no. Don't. Michael's sneak skill is likely abysmal and I'm fairly certain that there are guards stationed around even at night. Either way, deserting the Legion at this point is a bad idea. The Legion is a very large and powerful faction to anger, and, as several people pointed out, they would probably send someone to kill us. The Morag Tong are officially sanctioned by the Empire, so if they wanted, they could probably send one of their assassins to deal with us. We wouldn't stand a frost atronach's chance in Red Mountain.
Post by: hermes on July 01, 2013, 12:06:12 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2013, 12:43:45 am
Post by: hermes on July 01, 2013, 01:00:56 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2013, 01:11:28 am
Post by: hermes on July 01, 2013, 02:06:23 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2013, 02:42:14 am
Post by: Parsely on July 01, 2013, 02:46:30 am
It would make for some interesting and exciting events, playing both sides like that. There's a slight potential for danger, but it sounds awfully fun, and if we get in trouble with the Thieves or the Legion we could always just back out into either faction.
The Thieves don't go murdering people so they wouldn't harm us if we decided to quit, and the Legion would never be able to find us as member's of the Thieves, and they'd forget about us in a week or two, and its not like we'd have to disappear because who cares about some deserted footsoldier who no one has ever heard of or seen before a few weeks ago? And even then, thats only if we get caught or manage to piss off the Thieves (which we won't).
Either way we'd have a good source of plot, and plenty to do. I say we go for it!!
Post by: Parsely on July 01, 2013, 02:51:10 am
Post by: hermes on July 01, 2013, 03:01:08 am
No, I'm not suggesting we pretend we're the main quest protagonist, I say we walk in and just recount to him every item he owns, where they are, what skills he has, his position in the blades, and current mission status. In short, show that not only do we know more than we should, we know WAY more than we should. And thus, might know things he doesn't know.
This is a nice idea, but kind of a sledgehammer to poor caius. I say we pretend to be the nevarrine, which might get him to spill what he knows, and we might be able to even convince him that, if there is another, that one is fake. If the other PCs are a threat, mike's knowledge might be able to turn caius against them?
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2013, 03:03:56 am
...and its not like we'd have to disappear because who cares about some deserted footsoldier who no one has ever heard of or seen before a few weeks ago? And even then, thats only if we get caught or manage to piss off the Thieves (which we won't).Oh, but the Legion does go to lengths to kill random deserters. They'll put out a relatively juicy bounty and leave it at that, if we're lucky. Best case scenario, they think something happened to poor scrawny Mike, but there'd be a "keep an eye out for this missing soldier."
Anyway, though, even if Caius cant get us out, we could at least find out more about our situation. If there are PC(s), then at least one of them will have visited him.
Post by: LordBucket on July 01, 2013, 03:24:50 am
Update probably tomorrow morning-ish.
Post by: Jarod Cain on July 01, 2013, 07:46:54 am
-J-
Post by: Supercharazad on July 01, 2013, 09:12:06 am
Post by: Cecilff2 on July 01, 2013, 10:26:05 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 01, 2013, 10:29:44 am
There seemed to be more support for talking to the commander than going to visit the orc, but I guess the orc wins out somehow? Who the heck knows, right?
Meh.
Post by: LordBucket on July 01, 2013, 11:52:05 am
There seemed to be more support for talking to the commander than going to visit the orc,
but I guess the orc wins out somehow? Who the heck knows, right?
Not sure what you're complaining about. Both of those were acted on in the previous episode. Episode 29 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4359604#msg4359604) OPENS with Michael asking about getting magic training and showing the letter of recommendation. But...if you actually check the votes, you'll see that the original idea posted by hostergaard here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4353743#msg4353743) was not to talk to the commander about getting training in magic, but to talk to Strillian about it. You then quoted that and responded to him here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4353765#msg4353765) to say yes do that...but talk to the commander instead. Then CognitiveDissonance gave a generic "+1" here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4353844#msg4353844) to a large block of text quoting both votes. It was therefore tied between "talk to Strillian" and "talk to the commander."
Since there was no net preference one way or another, I went with talking to the guy who was standing right there in front of you instead of trying to justify to your assigned commanding officer that you needed to go over his head.
I think that's pretty reasonable.
Quote
Who the heck knows, right?
I do. If you have questions, ask.
Unrelated, the next episode is likely to be delayed. The construction set is crashing on me for some reason.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2013, 01:18:59 pm
Hey guys, great idea on getting michael to get a divine intervention scroll and then to go AWOL. Now if we're in trouble we can teleport into the middle of an imperial fort. ::)
I suggested the scroll, and I'm also advocating getting out in a legal way.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 01, 2013, 02:33:32 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on July 01, 2013, 02:37:53 pm
Post by: Cecilff2 on July 01, 2013, 05:01:10 pm
Hey guys, great idea on getting michael to get a divine intervention scroll and then to go AWOL. Now if we're in trouble we can teleport into the middle of an imperial fort. ::)
I suggested the scroll, and I'm also advocating getting out in a legal way.
Oh no, the scroll is a good idea, if we don't go AWOL. If we do, Almsivi would definitely be a lot safer.
Post by: Putnam on July 01, 2013, 05:03:32 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on July 01, 2013, 06:32:57 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2013, 07:44:53 pm
I'd go with ALMSIVI intervention anyway; keeping on Vivec's good side (which one that is depends on if you ask some random Dunmer or Azura, I'm sure) is always good, hehe.
Hey, any intervention is good. It's just Divine is likely what we'd be able to requisition from supplies here.
Post by: LordBucket on July 03, 2013, 03:49:48 am
Episode 30: Legion training week 4, Ash Ghouls
Quote
Let's finish our basic training
Quote
Keep some feelers out, your guard duty is coming up, maybe an opportunity present itself to get something together.
Quote
Let's finish our basic training,
Quote
AWOL/Derilection of duty should be a last resort only
Quote
we go AWOL
Quote
steal away at night.
Four to two.
Basic training day 22
Today you learn about the various laws of Vvardenfell and their punishments. How much is the fine for theft, assault, murder, etc. Interestingly it turns out that while "trespassing" is a crime, it is only a crime if the home or land owner/renter takes action to prevent or halt trespass, which was then overcome. It is perfectly legal to walk into someone's house in the middle of the night, check out their basement, walk through their plantation, etc. But if they lock a door, picking the lock is considered criminal trespass regardless of entry.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "So I could walk into Duke Dren's bedroom and that would be ok?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "If he leaves the door unlocked, yes. You may assume he did not wish to bar entry."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What if somebody else picks the lock and I just happen to come by later, find it unlocked and 'assume' he did not want to bar entry?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "That's not your responsibility. You can't reasonably be expected to know it was locked if it's unlocked when you arrive."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What if he asks me to leave?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "That would be considered 'action to halt trespass.' If he asks you to leave and you refuse, you would be criminally liable."
Interesting.
Basic training day 23
Early today, your lessons are interrupted by a shout from upstairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Legionnaires, assemble!"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What's that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Either an inspection or a duty assignment is about to be issued."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Duty assignment?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "We're not here just to guard the fort, Recruit."
You follow Strillian outside where a dozen or so legionnaires are in the process of forming a line in front of General Darius. Strillian points you to a spot, and the two of you join the line to wait for the remaining stragglers. Once everyone has arrived, the General speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Legionnaires, I regret to inform you that Spearman Vatollia Apo was slain in the line of duty today while on the Seyda Neen-Hla Oad patrol route."
The line is silent.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "I have not had the opportunity to see the body yet, but according to officer-in-charge Sellus Gravius, he was subjected to extreme blunt trauma and electrical burns. No tooth or claw marks, minimal blood, and none of his possessions were taken. Finally...magical examination revealed that he had contracted Ash Woe Blight. Legionnaires, it seems that we have an Ash Ghoul on our hands."
Darius pauses for moment while a murmur of unease sweeps through the line.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Commander Gravius has requested reinforcements for a hunt. "
You feel Strillian tense up next to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Sharkub gro-Khashnar, Varian Angius, Asha-Ammu Kutebani...you are to report to Commander Gravius in Seyda Neen at once."
Strillian relaxes.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Everyone else, dismissed."
Legionnaires disperse, and you and Strillian return to the barracks.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Worried he was going to pick you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Fighting ash ghouls is unpleasant. That disease the General mentioned basically turns you into an idiot, making it difficult to cast. But there was no way he would have sent a team without a battlemage. So it was either Varian or me. That I know of, we're the only two posted to Gnisis this month. Of course, odds are good those three won't see any combat. Ash ghouls are rarely seen outside the ashlands. It probably got lost or something and will be long gone by the time our team gets there."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "How will the team send word back? How long does it take?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Communication between forts is done via recall. In this case, let's say our team finds and kills the ghoul. They'll be under Commander Gravius' command, so won't report directly to the General. First, they might need to secure the area, reassure civilians, etc. Then, depending on the situation, casualties, etc. most likely they'll either walk or recall back to Seyda Neen. If they lose Varian, they might have to walk. Then they'd deliver their report to Gravius, who'll write it up dispatch a messenger here. So it might take hours for the report to get here."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Who all would receive a report like that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "All reports go up the chain, but it's up to the discretion of fort commanders whether to pass messages sideways or downward. For example, even a minor incident at say...Fort Buckmoth, would be reported to General Darius, but it would be up to the Buckmoth fortress commander to decide whether to report it to, say...Fort Moonmoth. And regardless, General Darius would pass it up the chain of command to Ebonheart. Though in a case like this, where a Legionnaire has died, Sellus Gravius would almost definitely have reported it to all fortress commanders. Information is precious and restore Magicka potions are cheap."
Hmm. So if something happens, it's possible that every fort commander on the island could be made aware of it within hours of the event.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "But if a commander decides to report to everyone, how does he do that? You don't really have half a dozen different mages on hand at every fort with marks for every other fort, do you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "No, that's not necessary, since we can each have several locations marked. For example, I have marks for Gnisis, Fort Buckmoth, Ebonheart and Balmora. It takes a custom spell for each location, and spellmaker costs increase exponentially for each extra recall point, but it's totally worthwhile to be able to teleport to any of several locations."
Interesting. That's a significant difference from vanilla.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Actually...come to think of it, that's probably why Varian was selected for this assignment rather than me. I think he has a Seyda Neen mark. So he'll transport the team there to save travel time, and they'll be able to report to Commander Gravius immediately if they find anything."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "You can take people with you when you recall?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes, most mages are strong enough to take a person with them. A few are strong enough to take two."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Strong, as in physical strength?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "No, magically strong."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What determines how much you can take with you?"
He thinks for a moment before answering.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "I'm not sure how to answer that. But as you becomes a stronger caster you'll be able to carry more weight. It's rarely an issue. "
Hmm. So Strillian doesn't have access to his character sheet numbers. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Neither do I.
Basic training, day 24
You spend the rest of the day learning proper protocol for approaching, fining, and/or apprehending a criminal. It's a highly formal process, but it can roughly be summarized as:
1. Upon seeing a criminal act or known criminal, approach scum immediately and without delay.
2. Clearly inform them of the nature of their crime. Be firm, but polite.
3. Give them the choice of paying the appropriate fine, or accepting jail time.
4. If they pay the fine (and release any stolen goods, if applicable) let them go
5. If they refuse or are unable to pay the fine, escort them to the nearest fort and/or magistrate or on-shift commander for incarceration.
6. If they resist arrest, kill them.
7. Return stolen merchandise to owner
8. When applicable, observe local customs for corpse disposal.
9. At next convenient opportunity, deliver fines to your commanding officer and submit a written report.
In some cases, the arresting officer is allowed some discretion in how to handle specific cases. For example, any criminal who accumulates more than 4000 gold worth of fines may be engaged and executed freely without the opportunity to pay. If a criminal expresses willingness to pay but does not have funds on their person, an officer may elect to escort them to where funds may be available. If criminal is unable to pay and promises to turn themselves in to jail, an officer may elect to allow them to do so rather than escort them personally. In the event that a crime is not personally observed by an officer, eyewitness testimony may be accepted instead.
Basic training day 25
Today begins with an involved discussion of ethics. As you've seen, Legionnaires are granted a great deal of trust and authority. As judge, jury and executioner, it is crucial to the entire system that they be honest. You're a bit surprised that the ethical discussion is taking place this late in the training, but so far as you can tell...either the Legion is very naive, or apparently people in Tamriel are just generally honest by nature. You suspect the latter.
During the lesson, a Legionnaire walks in to the mess hall and requisitions his weekly meal from Strillian.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Have you heard?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Heard what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Our ash ghoul turned up in Pelagiad. Walked right in the front gate and started casting lightning balls at civilians."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Same ghoul that killed our man?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Nobody knows for sure, but yeah probably. Our team never found anything and you know how rarely we see those things."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Was anyone hurt?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Fortunately, no. The way I heard it there was a healer among the civilians who kept everyone alive, then half a dozen dunmer conjured ancestral ghosts to mob the ghoul. Guard heard the screams from the other side of a house, but by the time he got there the ghoul was just a grease spot in the dirt."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Good to hear it. I'm sure our team will be happy to come home."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Nahh, General's keeping them at Seyda Neen for now. Seyda Neen's happy for the extra patrols."
Legion training, day 26
Today you learn how to submit written reports. It is very dull.
Legion training, day 27
Today begins with a map of all of Vvardellfell. Strillian shows you the various standard posts and patrol routes. There are lots of them, but a few general trends are immediately obvious.
(http://i.imgur.com/KdG5OoK.png)
Influence within Vvardenfell can be roughly divided into several zones. While all of Morrowind is an Imperial province, the Imperial presence is mostly confined to the western and southwestern edges. The strongest points being the region roughly extending from Gnisis to Caldera to Pelagiad to Ebonheart (peninsula southwest of Vivec), with points of control at Wolverine Hall in Sadrith Mora and the island of Dagon Fel. The entire region curling clockwise from the Urshilaku camp to Tel Mora, to Sadrith mora, to Tel Branora to Vivec could reasonably be described as being under the control of factions antagonistic to the empire: House Telvanni, the various ashlander tribes and the Tribunal Temple.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "So we just don't patrol that entire half of the island?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "No, no...it's not that we don't patrol it. Of course we do. We just, you know...don't patrol it...exactly. Roughly the middle top third of the island, nobody lives there except ashlanders and a giant volcano. Not much point patrolling Vivec city when there's Vivec himself and the temple ordinators there. I don't believe the hype that Vivec's a 'god' but any wizard much past 4000 years, I'm not going to be the one to tell him he isn't. And the east coast is mostly Telvanni. We do have a sizable outpost on the outskirts of Sadrith Mora, but the Telvanni have thousand-plus year old wizard-lords leaking out their ears. Adding a couple Legionnaires won't make the place any safer."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Not for them anyway. What about the other two Houses?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Both are friendly towards the Empire, and sharea lot of georgaphic overlap with us. House Redoran is the smallest, with influence primarily in Aldruhn, and extending up to Khuul. And House Hlallu's influence extending from Gnaar Mok to Balmora to Suran."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What about Dagoth Ur?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Tribunal Dagoth? I'm pretty sure that's a myth. The tribunal temple claim he's an evil god or something, I don't know much about it. But theydo have a sizable military presence at Ghostgate to monitor the Ghostfence that extends around Red Mountain."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It's constantly spewing ash and toxic fumes that poison and mutate anything that breathes too much of it."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Is that what they told you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes, of course. Ash, blight and corprus monsters are all very real, but just ignore the local superstitions about them. Just diseased creatures, nothing more."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Right."
Legion training, day 28
Today starts out with lessons on-
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Legionnaires, assemble!"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Another duty assignment?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Maybe. But more likely the General just wants to officially announce that the ash ghoul was killed. Let's go see."
As you did a few days ago, you file out and assemble before General Darius. Once everyone is present, he speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Legionnaires, I have grave news. I have just received word that the settlement of Khuul has been attacked."
Silence.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "The silt strider caravaner claims that several ash creatures apparently under the leadership of a creature described as a 'giant slug wearing robes' descended on the town and began killing everyone. When it was clear that the attackers were winning, he fled Khuul to Gnisis. At present we don't know the situation in Khuul, though one Legionnaire, Knight Errant Ondi is stationed there. I have heard no word from her. Clilias Pullia, Ertius Fulbenus, Nash gro-Khazor, Snakha gro-Marob, Strillian Macro, Michael...Recruit Michael!"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Yes sir?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Do you have a last name?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Umm...no, sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Very well. You are all assigned to Champion Saprius Entius."
There's a bit of a murmur at that, before Entius speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "General, sir...are you certain you want me to lead this sortie? "
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "I know all about your situation, Entius. But you're still a Legionnaire and the Empire needs you. Get out there, do what you need to do and bring my men back alive, you understand?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, sir!"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Dismissed."
Just over half the Legionnaires disperse, leaving you standing with two orcs, two imperials, Strillian, and the Champion in charge, who speaks to Strillian:
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Strillian, you're on transport. Duty roster claims that no one on duty in Gnisis has a mark for Khuul. I don't suppose you changed yours since you last reported"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "No. Sorry, sir?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Damn. Alright, everyone...gather up anything you need for a combat mission, then meet at the silt strider. I want everyone aboard in five minutes. "
There's a chorus of "yes, sir"s as you and Strilian rush back to the barracks.
Quote
requisitioning a scroll of Divine Intervention would be a very good idea whatever we do.
Quote
I totally agree that a scroll of divine intervention should be on our list of near-future priorities
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, Strillian. Any chance I could requisition a scroll of divine intervention? This sounds dangerous, and I'd like an escape route "
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "You're not seriously suggesting that you'd abandon your first assignment?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...well, no...but...you know I couldn't take on one ash ghoul, let alone half a dozen of them. And what about that slug thing? You don't mean I'm expected to fight to the death when faced with a superior opponent?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Of course! The Legion is fearless! We are the Emperor's army! What good would we be if we just ran away from every fight? Yes, you may die, but the Legion will live on."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...right. But what about how I'm not done with basic yet, but I'm being asked to go on active duty? How can I be expected to fight to the death when my training isn't even finished?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "I'm confidant the today's review on routes and paperwork won't make the difference between life or death.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Well, yeah...but still. What if everyone else dies, and I'm the last one left? Wouldn't it be better for me to report back so the General knows what happened rather than just die?"
At that, he nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Yes, true. It would. Anyway, I cant' give you any. We don't have any in stock. I don't suppose you have any paper on you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "It happens that I do."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Ok. Give me a piece and I'll make one for you."
You grab some paper from your bunk and rush back to the storage room. Strillian is stowing some gear of his own.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Why do you have so much paper?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "College student. Any chance you could make me a bunch of scrolls?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "No time, and we may be going into battle. I'm not going to drain my magicka dry for this."
Strillian takes one piece of paper, speaks the words "take me home" while waving one hand and is engulfed in sparks of magic. He then unceremoniously hands the sheet of paper back to you. "Take me home" has been inscribed on the paper. Strillian makes to leave.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "You have about two minutes to get to the strider. Don't be late."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently under your bed at fort darius (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: joemoben on July 03, 2013, 03:59:18 am
EDIT: And do not go AWOL.
Post by: Putnam on July 03, 2013, 04:07:17 am
Post by: Supercharazad on July 03, 2013, 04:51:01 am
Post by: Man of Paper on July 03, 2013, 05:56:29 am
Or go to the city of Vivec and fight in the arena.
Redoran is friendly with the Imperials? Damn. But that's some useful info. As is the fact that the Legion can quickly communicate between all Imperial outposts.
What do you people think our short and mid term plans should be for Dagoth Ur?
Post by: gman8181 on July 03, 2013, 10:39:04 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 03, 2013, 01:16:57 pm
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island, and it's possible one of them might have transformed into the creature. Tell him the names of the cultists known to us. Namely, Hanarai Assutlanipal in Ald'ruun.
Post by: Cecilff2 on July 03, 2013, 01:21:36 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 03, 2013, 01:29:34 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 03, 2013, 01:32:53 pm
Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers. They clearly don't know about them, so we ough to tell. Tell the General they're high-ranking members of the Sixth House Cult and possess highly advanced mutations and magical abilities. They favor poison spells for offense and their tentacles are deadly in melee. They leave behind only a skull when killed.
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island, and it's possible one of them might have transformed into the creature. Tell him the names of the cultists known to us. Namely, Hanarai Assutlanipal in Ald'ruun.
Seriously. Our best use right now is providing information. We need to tell the highest ranking person we can everything we know.
Post by: Jarod Cain on July 03, 2013, 01:39:07 pm
Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers. They clearly don't know about them, so we ough to tell. Tell the General they're high-ranking members of the Sixth House Cult and possess highly advanced mutations and magical abilities. They favor poison spells for offense and their tentacles are deadly in melee. They leave behind only a skull when killed.I'm going to say no to this. They either won't believe us or will think we're trying to get out of doing our job. We really have no time to waste or much other choice. So, gear up, take our health potion, soul gems and empty bottle and head on out. If the rest of the squad dies, we can cross the bridge of what to do then when it happens.
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island, and it's possible one of them might have transformed into the creature. Tell him the names of the cultists known to us. Namely, Hanarai Assutlanipal in Ald'ruun.
-J-
Post by: WillowLuman on July 03, 2013, 01:50:10 pm
Why would they think we're trying to get out of our job? I didn't say "begin with 'I don't want to go because...'" We MUST give our allies information, to increase both theirs and our chances of survival.Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers. They clearly don't know about them, so we ough to tell. Tell the General they're high-ranking members of the Sixth House Cult and possess highly advanced mutations and magical abilities. They favor poison spells for offense and their tentacles are deadly in melee. They leave behind only a skull when killed.I'm going to say no to this. They either won't believe us or will think we're trying to get out of doing our job. We really have no time to waste or much other choice. So, gear up, take our health potion, soul gems and empty bottle and head on out. If the rest of the squad dies, we can cross the bridge of what to do then when it happens.
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island, and it's possible one of them might have transformed into the creature. Tell him the names of the cultists known to us. Namely, Hanarai Assutlanipal in Ald'ruun.
-J-
More like "General, I have some intel to give you before I leave, in case I don't return. Things are moving faster than originally anticipated..."
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 03, 2013, 01:50:21 pm
Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers. They clearly don't know about them, so we ough to tell. Tell the General they're high-ranking members of the Sixth House Cult and possess highly advanced mutations and magical abilities. They favor poison spells for offense and their tentacles are deadly in melee. They leave behind only a skull when killed.
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island, and it's possible one of them might have transformed into the creature. Tell him the names of the cultists known to us. Namely, Hanarai Assutlanipal in Ald'ruun.
Seriously. Our best use right now is providing information. We need to tell the highest ranking person we can everything we know.
I'd like to point out that if we do this, we WILL miss our assignment. I can only see negative things coming of this.
We have already established ourselves as "learned". Talk to the Champion, tell him we have heard about this creature in our studies, and share basic info on what they are. This may save our life.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 03, 2013, 01:50:38 pm
Spells Known by ascended sleeper:
25-75 pts melee
Dagoth's Bosom - Drain Fatigue 20 pts for 30s on Target
Fire Storm - Fire Damage 1-10 pts in 10ft for 10s on Target
Frost Storm - Frost Damage 1-10 pts in 10ft for 10s on Target
Paralysis - Paralyze for 5s on Touch
Shockball - Shock Damage 2-40 pts in 10ft on Target
Ash-chancre blight disease - Drain Personality 20-40 pts
Ash-Woe Blight blight disease - Drain Intelligence & Willpower 20-40 pts
Black-Heart Blight blight disease - Drain Strength & Endurance 20-40 pts
Chanthrax Blight blight disease - Drain Agility & Speed 20-40 pts
Basic Info
Level 25
Health 300
Magicka 300
Fatigue 400
Soul 400
Spells/Abilities (See below)
Combat Skills 80
Magic Skills 80
Stealth Skills 20
Damage 25 - 75
Post by: WillowLuman on July 03, 2013, 02:01:02 pm
Tell him that, before we leave, we have some very very important information for the General. If he asks what, tell him. Also, before we leave, tell the general it might be in Great House interests for them to send backup.Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers. They clearly don't know about them, so we ough to tell. Tell the General they're high-ranking members of the Sixth House Cult and possess highly advanced mutations and magical abilities. They favor poison spells for offense and their tentacles are deadly in melee. They leave behind only a skull when killed.
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island, and it's possible one of them might have transformed into the creature. Tell him the names of the cultists known to us. Namely, Hanarai Assutlanipal in Ald'ruun.
Seriously. Our best use right now is providing information. We need to tell the highest ranking person we can everything we know.
I'd like to point out that if we do this, we WILL miss our assignment. I can only see negative things coming of this.
We have already established ourselves as "learned". Talk to the Champion, tell him we have heard about this creature in our studies, and share basic info on what they are. This may save our life.
Go over tactics with the Champion on the Strider. Ascended sleepers pack a punch but move slowly. If engaged from multiple angles with arrows and spells, utilizing cover to avoid magical retaliation, we might just bring it down, but a full frontal assault will likely fall to area-effect spells. If asked why we know any of this, say it's classified.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 03, 2013, 02:11:40 pm
Tell him that, before we leave, we have some very very important information for the General. If he asks what, tell him. Also, before we leave, tell the general it might be in Great House interests for them to send backup.Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers. They clearly don't know about them, so we ough to tell. Tell the General they're high-ranking members of the Sixth House Cult and possess highly advanced mutations and magical abilities. They favor poison spells for offense and their tentacles are deadly in melee. They leave behind only a skull when killed.
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island, and it's possible one of them might have transformed into the creature. Tell him the names of the cultists known to us. Namely, Hanarai Assutlanipal in Ald'ruun.
Seriously. Our best use right now is providing information. We need to tell the highest ranking person we can everything we know.
I'd like to point out that if we do this, we WILL miss our assignment. I can only see negative things coming of this.
We have already established ourselves as "learned". Talk to the Champion, tell him we have heard about this creature in our studies, and share basic info on what they are. This may save our life.
Go over tactics with the Champion on the Strider. Ascended sleepers pack a punch but move slowly. If engaged from multiple angles with arrows and spells, utilizing cover to avoid magical retaliation, we might just bring it down, but a full frontal assault will likely fall to area-effect spells. If asked why we know any of this, say it's classified.
I say this is reasonable - request a brief delay on the grounds we have important information. However, if pressed from where, don't say it's classified. We're in the military, and low ranking. Instead, say we have read an ancient tome in our studies that has described just that creature, and we have lived in fear of it ever since. Now that we have to face it, the information is fresh in our minds.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 03, 2013, 02:22:31 pm
"In event of full-scale Sixth House attacks, I become an active agent. I am now cleared to provide information on the forces we are dealing with, as the scale of this threat is now beyond clandestine means."
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 03, 2013, 02:26:14 pm
I say it's time to start Mantling... a blades agent. To do so we must suddenly act and talk completely differently.
"In event of full-scale Sixth House attacks, I become an active agent. I am now cleared to provide information on the forces we are dealing with, as the scale of this threat is now beyond clandestine means."
This... could work. If they buy it, this would also allow us to leave afterwards, as our sleeper mission is fulfilled.
Post by: Cecilff2 on July 03, 2013, 02:42:57 pm
Could we possibly bluff that our knowledge is from clairvoyance and we don't know how to control it properly?
Post by: LordBucket on July 03, 2013, 03:02:26 pm
GM request
To make my life easier, please bold actions, not entire posts.
-- Good example:
I think that going to the grocery story for kleenex isn't really in our best interest. What we really need is contacts with the local high cheerleaders. They're totally better for us than just talking to some random grocery store clerks. So, go the local high school and meet some cheerleaders. Try telling them that we know people in the industry who can help them. Or invite them to parties. Or compliment them on their tumbling and ask to learn. Do not go to the grocery store.
-- Bad example:
I think that going to the grocery story for kleenex isn't really in our best interest. What we really need is contacts with the local high cheerleaders. They're totally better for us than just talking to some random grocery store clerks. So, go the local high school and meet some cheerleaders. Try telling them that we know people in the industry who can help them. Or invite them to parties. Or compliment them on their tumbling and ask to learn. Do not go to the grocery store.
Similarly, if you want to vote for or against an action, just quote it and bold your vote. Please don't make me go digging through entire paragraphs to find out what you want to do.
I do read everything, but I have people complaining that they don't feel like I'm tallying votes well, and honestly it's sometimes really difficult sorting through pages and pages of "other stuff."
-- Good example
Quote
I think that going to the grocery story for kleenex isn't really in our best interest. What we really need is contacts with the local high cheerleaders. They're totally better for us than just talking to some random grocery store clerks. So, go the local high school and meet some cheerleaders. Try telling them that we know people in the industry who can help them. Or invite them to parties. Or compliment them on their tumbling and ask to learn. Do not go to the grocery store.Agreed
-- Bad example
Quote
I think that going to the grocery story for kleenex isn't really in our best interest. What we really need is contacts with the local high cheerleaders. They're totally better for us than just talking to some random grocery store clerks. So, go the local high school and meet some cheerleaders. Try telling them that we know people in the industry who can help them. Or invite them to parties. Or compliment them on their tumbling and ask to learn. Do not go to the grocery store.Gee, I don't know about that. On one hand I really like cheerleaders, but I also like grocery stores. Why, I once had a girlfriend who was a cheerleader and we used to go grocery shopping together. Did you know that most people don't listen to announcements of the PA at grocery stores? If you pay attention, pretty regularly they'll make an announcement for loss prevention to go to some aisle. Whenever I hear that I always think 'wow! Somebody's totally stealing stuff, maybe i should go check it out to see how LP handles that!' Though I actually did once and didn't see anyone in the aisle. Anyway, so yeah, I'm going to have to give a yes vote to going to the grocery store. Actually, now that I think about it, since I didn't see anyone on that aisle I wonder if that meant that the people stealing stuff heard the announcement and left? If so, that would sort of tend to contradict my earlier assertion that people don't listen to PA announcements. Or maybe LP just got their before I did? I wonder if the people stealing stuff were cheerleaders. Yeah, definitely have to give no vote for going and talking to cheerleaders. Not that I don't like cheerleaders. Sure I do, but if they're stealing things from grocery stories that's seriously not cool and we should totally not be involved with that. We'll benefit a lot more from just getting some kleenex than we will from having contacts who steal things from grocery stores.
Thank you.
Post by: Cecilff2 on July 03, 2013, 03:24:40 pm
Talk to Strillian. Explain to him that since we've arrived in Vvardenfell we've been experiencing major deja vu like some of this has happened before and that we became aware of a great many things about morrowind during these episodes. Tell him about the ascended sleeper and what it is and what it is capable of. That we have knowledge of what's behind these incursions and their bases of operation.
Even if he doesn't believe us now, he soon will when we face the thing.
Post by: Jarod Cain on July 03, 2013, 03:40:29 pm
GM requestSorry, I was actually thinking of doing that when I typed up my last response. I'll make sure to do that in the future.
To make my life easier, please bold actions, not entire posts.
-J-
Post by: joemoben on July 03, 2013, 03:50:26 pm
No way that would work. These people saw us get taken down by an orc, with little fight from our end. They have also seen us struggle greatly with basic training. I would like to vote towards the story about us reading about these. We should also on the stilt strider ride inform the Champion of the Ascended Sleepers combat abilities, but dumb it down a tad. Inform them of the fact that they can paralyze, cast fire, ice and shock spells. They can tire the troops, and infect them with diseases. And there is always the chance that the guy will simply not take our advice as we are simply grunts. If so, inform Strillian and try to get him to spread the word. Make sure to mention the fact that we used to be scholars.I say it's time to start Mantling... a blades agent. To do so we must suddenly act and talk completely differently.
"In event of full-scale Sixth House attacks, I become an active agent. I am now cleared to provide information on the forces we are dealing with, as the scale of this threat is now beyond clandestine means."
This... could work. If they buy it, this would also allow us to leave afterwards, as our sleeper mission is fulfilled.
Post by: birdy51 on July 03, 2013, 04:05:40 pm
Also.
Don't abandon your squad.
We have to stand beside our fellow soldiers. It would be dishonorable to abandon them now. Stand and fight like a true man.
...We might get some experience!
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 03, 2013, 04:11:38 pm
We have already established ourselves as "learned". Talk to the Champion, tell him we have heard about this creature in our studies, and share basic info on what they are. This may save our life.
I'll just go back to my original suggestion.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 03, 2013, 04:28:34 pm
Sorry about the all-bold post before.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 03, 2013, 04:46:36 pm
The why doesn't matter right now, since they'll believe us when we face the thing. We need to lay out exactly what we're going to say. To get them to believe us, for example, we start with a physical description. All we've heard is "a slug in a robe." We say "Highly decorated robe, grey skin, face a mass of tentacles and holes," and when they see we were right, they'll know we know what we're talking about.
Sorry about the all-bold post before.
I think the information before - background info, types of spells they use, and how to fight them. As outlined in those two posts:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
As well as:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Putnam on July 03, 2013, 06:18:24 pm
Post by: Iituem on July 03, 2013, 06:41:23 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on July 03, 2013, 07:03:11 pm
Post by: gman8181 on July 03, 2013, 07:37:39 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 03, 2013, 07:53:11 pm
Quietly ask Strillian what the deal is with the Champion.Good idea.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 03, 2013, 07:58:58 pm
Quietly ask Strillian what the deal is with the Champion.Good idea.
+1
Post by: Supercharazad on July 04, 2013, 03:38:55 am
The why doesn't matter right now, since they'll believe us when we face the thing. We need to lay out exactly what we're going to say. To get them to believe us, for example, we start with a physical description. All we've heard is "a slug in a robe." We say "Highly decorated robe, grey skin, face a mass of tentacles and holes," and when they see we were right, they'll know we know what we're talking about.
Sorry about the all-bold post before.
I think the information before - background info, types of spells they use, and how to fight them. As outlined in those two posts:Spoiler (click to show/hide)Spoiler (click to show/hide)
As well as:Spoiler (click to show/hide)
All this stuff
Post by: WillowLuman on July 04, 2013, 12:01:16 pm
Also, I don't think we should tell our fellow soldiers why we know these things at all, but rather let the veracity of our information show itself, such as with the visual description plan earlier mentioned. If we want to become interesting (and thus get somewhere), cultivating an air of mystery would be useful. Excuses and lies can be seen through, and may hinder our credibility. Better to be eerie than have this conversation and seem incompetent in our information:
"I read it in a book somewhere."
"What book? And why has our vast and highly trained intelligence branch never heard of it?"
"Um..."
We want them interested in us, not some book.
Post by: Jarod Cain on July 04, 2013, 12:43:02 pm
So: It moves slow, hits hard, shoots big area magic. Therefore: surround it, engage at range using cover. Sounds good?I approve of this.
Also, I don't think we should tell our fellow soldiers why we know these things at all, but rather let the veracity of our information show itself, such as with the visual description plan earlier mentioned. If we want to become interesting (and thus get somewhere), cultivating an air of mystery would be useful. Excuses and lies can be seen through, and may hinder our credibility. Better to be eerie than have this conversation and seem incompetent in our information:
"I read it in a book somewhere."
"What book? And why has our vast and highly trained intelligence branch never heard of it?"
"Um..."
We want them interested in us, not some book.
-J-
Post by: PTTG?? on July 04, 2013, 01:25:49 pm
If we can get some decent firepower, a Dwemer ruin might provide the tools we need to bootstrap something interesting.
Joining 6th house is right out. I'd like a chance to speak with Dagoth Ur, but it's not likely to happen in any way we'd be safe with.
The big problem with joining the sixth house is going to be the fact that the Nerevarine is going to do some bad things to a lot of house members. Unless we know for sure that the Nerevar isn't going to be a problem...
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 04, 2013, 01:32:32 pm
I'm trying to catch up to speed, have we, as of yet, reviewed physics? Obviously Morrowind's original laws aren't entirely in effect (we'd have noticed that gravity doesn't apply to inanimate objects), but what about other concepts? One thing that could be somewhat easily tested is electrical conductivity. Possibly we could find some thin metal wire, coil it, and use a cheap scroll to provide some voltage, and use that to see if we could make a magnetic field. If that works, then maybe we can try some more complex stuff...
If we can get some decent firepower, a Dwemer ruin might provide the tools we need to bootstrap something interesting.Joining 6th house is right out. I'd like a chance to speak with Dagoth Ur, but it's not likely to happen in any way we'd be safe with.
The big problem with joining the sixth house is going to be the fact that the Nerevarine is going to do some bad things to a lot of house members. Unless we know for sure that the Nerevar isn't going to be a problem...
That... makes me think of Arcanum, and it makes me incredibly happy. I don't know if we should inflict such complications on LordBucket, but the idea tickles my brain in good ways.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 04, 2013, 02:25:38 pm
I'm trying to catch up to speed, have we, as of yet, reviewed physics? Obviously Morrowind's original laws aren't entirely in effect (we'd have noticed that gravity doesn't apply to inanimate objects), but what about other concepts? One thing that could be somewhat easily tested is electrical conductivity. Possibly we could find some thin metal wire, coil it, and use a cheap scroll to provide some voltage, and use that to see if we could make a magnetic field. If that works, then maybe we can try some more complex stuff...
If we can get some decent firepower, a Dwemer ruin might provide the tools we need to bootstrap something interesting.Joining 6th house is right out. I'd like a chance to speak with Dagoth Ur, but it's not likely to happen in any way we'd be safe with.
The big problem with joining the sixth house is going to be the fact that the Nerevarine is going to do some bad things to a lot of house members. Unless we know for sure that the Nerevar isn't going to be a problem...
That... makes me think of Arcanum, and it makes me incredibly happy. I don't know if we should inflict such complications on LordBucket, but the idea tickles my brain in good ways.
Me too. We need to do this.
Post by: Putnam on July 04, 2013, 02:44:47 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 04, 2013, 03:13:29 pm
I don't know if we should inflict such complications on LordBucket, but the idea tickles my brain in good ways.
No railroading.
I'm neither encouraging nor discouraging idea. Neither am I confirming or denying whether it will work. But I didn't stop you when you guys went to Vivec and I didn't stop you when you joined the Legion. I'm not going to start now.
Also:
Submission cutoff for episode 30
Next update should be up sometime tonight.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 04, 2013, 05:44:25 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 04, 2013, 10:46:55 pm
Post by: Aseaheru on July 04, 2013, 11:27:10 pm
Although, then i have it for three days...
Post by: Descan on July 07, 2013, 05:42:16 pm
I'm honestly surprised no one has even mentioned this, it seems like an obvious thing.
(This isn't a command, just a hoped-for conversation starter.)
(This is, though!)
Try and remember as many scientific and technological principles as we can. What is in gunpowder, the scientific method, how to build a generator or alternator, that kind of thing.
Edit: Yes I'm aware there was a cut-off. However, that was a few days ago. And I can re-post the command after the update, if need be~
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 07, 2013, 05:52:14 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on July 07, 2013, 06:53:35 pm
Wait, let's become the Doc Brown of MorrowReal.
Post by: Descan on July 07, 2013, 07:14:23 pm
IF our tech won't work, then we can try and figure out (and recruit OTHERS to the cause) tech that WOULD work in MorrowReal. :3
Post by: Man of Paper on July 07, 2013, 07:17:17 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 07, 2013, 07:19:05 pm
However, we were a liberal arts student, not an engineering or science major. A radio is a pretty complex thing. I'm pretty sure our practical scientific knowledge is limited to the experience of we, the posters. Though we might know the concepts behind things, we probably don't have the practical knowledge to actually build any of them. If only Wierd was involved in this thread...
Anyway, this is partly why I want us to talk to Yagrum Bagarn, and show him our phone.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 07, 2013, 07:21:26 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 07, 2013, 07:26:37 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 07, 2013, 07:33:57 pm
EDIT: the corprus creatures aren't really that hard to avoid. They're all lame corprus, and the ones in the central chamber are passive. Plus, it wasn't that the potion worked because of Nerevarine status, it's just that the Nerevarine was the first test subject of the successful potion. But again, that's for later. We can't be sure Divayth's found the right potion until after he's tested it on the Nerevarine.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 07, 2013, 08:14:00 pm
We need to figure out if multiple PCs exist in MorrowReal at once (we've seen a couple possible ones, but have we seen them at the same time? I don't think we have, but I could be forgetting something), figure out who all the PC's are, or as many as we can, and get surveillance going on them. Once we have some influence we should also post a sentry at Seyda Neen to keep us up to date on any new arrivals so we don't have PCs slipping through the cracks. But this is another later objective.
Maybe all the failed Nerevarines were PCs who got abandoned? It'd really make a lot of sense as to how we'd have multiple PCs in the same game. I mean, how many characters have we all made? How many times have we beaten the game? I've never actually beaten Morrowind, and I've been playing on and off for a few years now. That's a lot of characters left without their Player guidance. Same with Skyrim. And Oblivion was beaten only once.
I don't know if I asked this before, but would any of these possible PCs remind Mike of characters he's created? If he got sucked into his game, then maybe these are various characters he's abandoned along the way. Does anyone else in his household play his Morrowind? If not, then that's the best explanation I have for the existence of the PCs.
Taking the above into account, then Mike could actually be the chosen one. In which case woah, he knows kung-fu.
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 07, 2013, 08:22:31 pm
Taking the above into account, then Mike could actually be the chosen one. In which case woah, he knows kung-fu.
Well, considering he was born on a certain day, albeit not under a constellation, to certain parents, unless he's an orphan or something and we just don't know, that's already one of the prophecies shot down. So, he's probably not the Nerevarine.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 07, 2013, 09:44:33 pm
Quote
First Trial: On a certain day, to uncertain parents, incarnate moon and star reborn.
Also of note, if you ask him of his parentage and wish to trace it back through MorrowReal, then Mike will have no parents, or at least none that can be identified. So within the universe, he actually fits that very well.
EDIT: And didn't Mike mention not being able to remember his family or something? His real memories have been mentioned as slipping a bit, regardless. So parhaps at this very moment his parentage is uncertain even to him.
Post by: Putnam on July 07, 2013, 10:58:05 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on July 07, 2013, 11:55:51 pm
Could be wrong in my knowledge though, furthest I got in the story was trying to unite the Houses, so I may not be understanding a lot.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 08, 2013, 12:38:47 am
Use automatic rifle to subjugate local populations.
Become king of Morrowind.
Edit: Is this dead? It's been a lot of pages since last update.
Post by: LordBucket on July 08, 2013, 12:44:32 am
Quote
grab the scroll, and the standard health potion
Quote
gear up, take our health potion, soul gems and empty bottle and head on out.
You're carrying the divine intervention scroll Strillian made for you, but if you're going into combat, having that healing potion might help a lot. You rush to your bunk and grab it from your bag. While you're there you also grab your soul gems and the empty bottle. You're not sure what use they'll be, but they don't take up much space. You toss it all in your inner coinpurse. It occurs to you that if it weren't for the leather skirt of your cuirass, the long crystals would probably visible through your pants. You make a mental note to avoid a certain orc woman for the time being.
Quote
Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers.
Quote
Talk to the Champion, tell him we have heard
share basic info on what they are.
Quote
If our squad leader is the highest ranking member we can inform, so be it - at the very least, inform them.
Quote
Talk to Strillian
Tell him about the ascended sleeper and what it is and what it is capable of
Quote
inform the Champion of the Ascended Sleepers combat abilities
Quote
inform Strillian
Quote
Inform the highest authorities in the Legion of what we know about the ascended sleepers.
Quote
I'm for explaining.
You head for the stairs. You're not sure who you're going to talk to, but by Celestia you're going to talk to somebody. Fortunately the 'who' problem resolves itself.
(http://i.imgur.com/b9deyLQ.png)
It seems that General Darius is still outside, talking to a legionnaire while another waits patiently for the chance to speak to him too. You go over to where they're standing and make yourself known. The General looks at you briefly, then resumes his discussion. The orc is explaining that he wants to be assigned to Fort Moonmoth next month, but only if he can be assured to get his present assignment back afterwards. It seems terribly unimportant given the gravity of your situation, and after a minute or so you start feeling stressed at having to wait.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Excuse me, General?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png) "Wait your turn, Recruit."
You brood silently. Darius wasn't the one who gave the order to be at the strider in 5 minutes. It's possible he has no idea that you're short on time. Or it might be that he knows, and he's making you wait anyway. Another minute passes and you feel a tap on the shoulder of your armor. It's Strillian.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "I was sent me to retrieve you. You'd better have a good reason for not being at the silt strider right now."
Quote
Spells Known by ascended sleeper:
25-75 pts melee
Dagoth's Bosom - Drain Fatigue 20 pts for 30s on Target
Fire Storm - Fire Damage 1-10 pts in 10ft for 10s on Target
Frost Storm - Frost Damage 1-10 pts in 10ft for 10s on Target
Paralysis - Paralyze for 5s on Touch
Shockball - Shock Damage 2-40 pts in 10ft on Target
Ash-chancre blight disease - Drain Personality 20-40 pts
Ash-Woe Blight blight disease - Drain Intelligence & Willpower 20-40 pts
Black-Heart Blight blight disease - Drain Strength & Endurance 20-40 pts
Chanthrax Blight blight disease - Drain Agility & Speed 20-40 pts
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...yeah. Actually, I do. I know what the slug creature is in charge of the attack on Khuul. It's a sixth house elite unit. It's probably strong enough to kill every one of us. The General needs to know about this."
Strillian raises an eyebrow but says nothing. After a moment he falls into line with you.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "You're not going to drag me back to the strider?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Failing to appear as ordered is a lousy way to begin your first day on active duty. But the legion isn't stupid. I've never heard of anyone being punished for disobeying orders...provided that once the dust settled it turned out to be the right tactical decision. Just make sure you're right about this, Recruit."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Plus, I don't really want to die."
You chuckle at that. The legionnaire the general was speaking to a moment ago leaves and the other legionnaire steps in and takes his turn with the General.
Quote
Quietly ask Strillian what the deal is with the Champion.
Quote
Good idea.
Quote
+1
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "By the way, what's the deal with Entius?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "What do you mean?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "He seemed reluctant to take charge but the General ordered him to anyway."
Strillian frowns, quickly glances both ways and speaks in a whisper.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Champion Entius was charged with murder in Vivec. The Ordinators were after him and he was hiding out in the Arena underworks. Awesomeicus found him and dragged him back here. Entius swears he's innocent, but apparently there's a reliable witness. Right now there's a dispute over what to do."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Awesomicus brought him back? What do you know about him?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "You remember him. You were with me when he requisitioned his armor. New recruit. Orc. On detached duty. I hear he's supposed to be really fast, and good with an axe, but I haven't spoken to him since that day we met him."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "How did a new recruit get detached duty while I got stuck in four weeks of basic?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Didn't you ask about that once before? Realities of the Legion. Officers almost always come from rich families. Nobody starts at the bottom if they bring weapons, or troops, or if they're already an established veteran or mage. Spearmen are usually unskilled, inexperienced fighters. There are people out there who can solo entire platoons. I've seen battlemages who can take on 2-3 golden saints at a time. There's no point having someone like that stand in a shield wall or guard a fort."
That does make sense. While you think of another question, the other legionnaire leaves and General Darius addresses you.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png) "Yes, what can I do for you two?"
Quote
Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers.
Quote
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "General, I believe the 'slug creature' in charge of the assault on Khuul is an Ascended Sleeper. It is an elite combat unit and highly capable caster in the service of Dagoth Ur and the Sixth House. It favors fire, frost, and shock spells, as well as fatigue drain and paralysis. In melee it hits hard enough to kill the average man in a single blow and can inflict a variety of blight diseases that hinder the ability of both warriors and casters to fight. I fear it may be strong enough to completely annihilate our team. If it's true that a Sleeper is leading an entire team of ash creatures, the chances of a simple scout team surviving are very low."
The General looks at you expressionlessly. You continue.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "The Sixth House cult has infiltrated all major cities, and has bases spread out across Vvardenfell. Major bases include Ilunibi, Kogoruhn, Odrosal, Vemynal..."
You struggle to remember the others. There are a bunch, but those are the only names that come immediately to mind, since those are the only ones you absolutely have to go to.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...of course Dagoth Ur's fortress inside the ghostfence, and others. "
The General looks thoughtful.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png) "Ilunibi."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Sir?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png) "You said that the caves of Ilunibi are a Sixth House base."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Yes, sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png) "Remember those three troopers I stationed at Seyda Neen after the Ash Ghoul incident? Three days ago Sellus Gravius dispatched them to investigate strange reports of activity at Ilunibi. There's been no word from them since."
...wait. That relates to the main quest. Ilunibi is the cavern where the player contracts corprus disease. Does this mean that the main quest has been started? The way you remember it, the Legion found the caves and only one man made it back, insane but alive to report. Caius gets that report and sends the player to investigate. How much communication is there between the Legion and the Blades? Has the legion found the cave and reported to Caius, but he never reported his results back to the Legion? Or will at any moment an insane legionnaire show up to make his report so that the Blades can be informed so the player can be dispatched? Or does this mean that the player has been issued the quest but just hasn't turned it in yet? It's possible the Nerevarine might be at Ilunibi right now. But on the other hand, is the main quest even applicable? The assault on Khuul never happened in the game. Does that mean that the timeline you're familiar with doesn't apply? If so, how much else that you know isn't applicable? If the Sixth House really did directly attack a town as you suspect, what else might they do that you wouldn't anticipate?
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png) "What can you tell me about these caves?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "It's a Sixth House base. Inside you'll find some assorted ash creatures and a nasty ash ghoul by the name of Dagoth Gares who's good at infecting people with corprus."
Darius nods then signals the two guards from earlier to come back over.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png) "Strillian, I'm going to need some messages dispatched to the other fortress commanders. If this information is accurate, I want everyone to know about it. "
The two guards join the three of you and the General looks back to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/fPiQsBB.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png) "As for you Recruit, you're going to tell me how you know all this."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently under your bed at fort darius (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: The13thRonin on July 08, 2013, 12:46:27 am
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 08, 2013, 12:55:43 am
Are you creating a story using the game or is all this detail in the game already?
While the game has a hell of a lot of depth, no, it isn't quite this deep. LordBucket is just doing a really good job of making a narrative of it.
Well, I was afraid that question might come up. Either we look like a crazy person to him or we look like some kind of cultist double-agent.
Maybe...tell him we used to be in the cult, but deserted when you saw the horrors it inflicted on people? Notice this isn't bolded, because I'm not sure it's the best idea.
Post by: LordBucket on July 08, 2013, 12:59:32 am
Are you creating a story using the game or is all this detail in the game already?
Answering that question would be an unreasonable spoiler. Clearly there is content here that is not vanilla, but which and what mods are in use has been a subject of debate off and on for about 40 pages. I'm not going to spoil it now.
Obviously stuff like this recent conversation between you, Strillian and the General...I take creative license to make that. But events like the attack on Khuul, it's up to you to figure that out. For example, if you knew that was a scripted event from a specific mod, you'd be able to download it and see what else happens. I'm not going to give out that kind of information.
LordBucket is just doing a really good job of making a narrative of it.
Thank you. :)
Post by: Descan on July 08, 2013, 12:59:53 am
As for how we know what the balls an ascended sleeper is, tell him we used to be a student of Morrowind history and other knowledge. That's how we recognized the description of an ascended sleeper, and could recognize the bases of the Sixth House in our dreams.
Also, I would totally be up for joining the Great House Dagoth, if Dagoth Ur would let us in. Somehow. Long-term. Would probably enable us to get access to the Dwemer in the caves, if Dagoth Ur cures us of the negatives of corprus.
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 08, 2013, 01:05:40 am
Also, I would totally be up for joining the Great House Dagoth, if Dagoth Ur would let us in. Somehow. Long-term. Would probably enable us to get access to the Dwemer in the caves, if Dagoth Ur cures us of the negatives of corprus.
I doubt Dagoth Ur would accept an Imperial outlander, former legionnaire into the Sixth House. Either way, if we furthered his agenda, we'd be screwing over a good portion of Tamriel. Akulakhan and corprus and all that.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 08, 2013, 01:23:53 am
Post by: shadenight123 on July 08, 2013, 02:08:51 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 02:55:43 am
If we know so much by researching Morrowind history at an Imperial university (as he'll think), why don't THEIR intelligence people know this stuff? Again, we want them interested in us, not some book.
We should stop trying to downplay our importance with lame excuses. No more "Um... highschool math?"
I favor the spy excuse over the dreams excuse. I think we should be mysterious, make like we're in on something. We need to hint like we're in deep cover, seem like underneath the bumbling recruit there's a person who can say "That information is classified" with perfect conviction.
Why would the Emperor put an undercover agent in the legion as a recruit? That's classified
Why wouldn't an agent have combat training? That's classified.
Why are we telling them some things and not others? We're only cleared to brief them on the nature of the threat, and only in an emergency.
If they have any problems, take it up with the Spymaster.
Post by: shadenight123 on July 08, 2013, 02:57:08 am
TAKE IT UP TO VIVEC!
We are on a holy task sent by the God Vivec.
He knows and he sent us...so ask him for clarifications.
Good luck getting an audience.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 03:16:15 am
Post by: Putnam on July 08, 2013, 03:46:58 am
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 08, 2013, 03:54:49 am
Post by: shadenight123 on July 08, 2013, 04:23:20 am
They immediately assume you're mad.
Nah, go with the:
I come from the temple of Vivec (True) and I spoke with him (True again) and he sent me on this mission. Of course he told me about all of this.
And I should be undercover, so don't break it at the moment.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 08, 2013, 05:49:17 am
Tell them you're stuck here from another time and place, that you have no idea who sent you here or why, whether it be the works of Akatosh (if you only mention one possibility, let it be this one) another Divine, the Daedra, the Psyjic Order, or any number of factions that may have to power to flip space, time, and reality the bird. However where you're from, the history of Tamriel is studied in intimate detail by scholars across the world. That will get a few looks, but remember, we've had audience with Vivec. A simple letter to the Ordinators or maybe Vivec himself asking if Mike did indeed speak directly to Vivec in person should be able to clear that up. That is, if your Cellphone and Rainbow Dash tee aren't convincing enough. I'm pretty sure the shirt is made of material unknown to Tamriel.
While they might think you're crazy, their outing, if it turns out to be an Ascended Sleeper (I trust nothing 100% in this thread!) then you get some points. And it also somewhat explains your lack of actual magical talent but skill in the advanced mathematics of it. Once you give them a few good nuggets of information and prove your knowledge from the future is somewhat useful, then perhaps you'll be put in contact with the Blades.
Post by: Putnam on July 08, 2013, 05:56:08 am
If you guys want the Legion to boost you up a bit and take you seriously, the easiest way to do that would be honesty instead of building up a false story. So far we've had little luck when it comes to lying about stuff. I don't think we have a high enough Speechcraft skill to pull off full on lies. Maybe we can edit the truth a little bit though.
Tell them you're stuck here from another time and place, that you have no idea who sent you here or why, whether it be the works of Akatosh (if you only mention one possibility, let it be this one) another Divine, the Daedra, the Psyjic Order, or any number of factions that may have to power to flip space, time, and reality the bird. However where you're from, the history of Tamriel is studied in intimate detail by scholars across the world. That will get a few looks, but remember, we've had audience with Vivec. A simple letter to the Ordinators or maybe Vivec himself asking if Mike did indeed speak directly to Vivec in person should be able to clear that up. That is, if your Cellphone and Rainbow Dash tee aren't convincing enough. I'm pretty sure the shirt is made of material unknown to Tamriel.
While they might think you're crazy, their outing, if it turns out to be an Ascended Sleeper (I trust nothing 100% in this thread!) then you get some points. And it also somewhat explains your lack of actual magical talent but skill in the advanced mathematics of it. Once you give them a few good nuggets of information and prove your knowledge from the future is somewhat useful, then perhaps you'll be put in contact with the Blades.
+1
Post by: shadenight123 on July 08, 2013, 06:02:01 am
Post by: Man of Paper on July 08, 2013, 06:12:44 am
But that's not the point anyway. This is the Legion, not Vivec. They're not gods, so they won't get into the specifics of everything, and in fact would likely understand it worse than we do. Our knowledge of the general course of events, but mostly our knowledge of things, as events are not running in line with the game we all know, should go a good way to convincing them, besides the already mentioned phone and shirt.
Post by: hostergaard on July 08, 2013, 09:54:31 am
I think if we go with being honest we should mention Vivec. I am not entirely sure even a general of the legion can just contact Vivec but we can support our story simply by telling them that we we have witnesses in the mage guild who saw us escorted by two ordinators. That is highly unusual and should lend credit to our claim about being in contact with Vivec.
If we go with the Vivec explanation in some form mention that there is witnesses in the mage guild that saw us with ordinators.
Also, now is might be the time to get the legion working for you. Inform the general that you have expansive knowledge on various topics that may be of help and have unusual mathematical abilities that might make you a great mage, should the legion choose to support such an endeavor for you. But do be diplomatic and choose the right time.
I hope the world isn't moded too different from this one, or most of our knowledge may be useless.
Post by: Cecilff2 on July 08, 2013, 10:01:44 am
I think its either the spy explanation or the Vivec one.
I think if we go with being honest we should mention Vivec. I am not entirely sure even a general of the legion can just contact Vivec but we can support our story simply by telling them that we we have witnesses in the mage guild who saw us escorted by two ordinators. That is highly unusual and should lend credit to our claim about being in contact with Vivec.
The spy one can't be verified. Darius WILL check up on our story either way, and I don't think him being able to find anything that corroborates is going to look good for us. Stick with the Vivec explanation
Post by: gman8181 on July 08, 2013, 10:05:33 am
Also no working with Dagoth. If we're that power hungry, we might as well try and make a deal to serve a daedra lord. Similar power and risky but not as risky as joining 6th house.
Post by: BunnyBob77 on July 08, 2013, 10:19:55 am
Post by: joemoben on July 08, 2013, 10:29:04 am
+1If you guys want the Legion to boost you up a bit and take you seriously, the easiest way to do that would be honesty instead of building up a false story. So far we've had little luck when it comes to lying about stuff. I don't think we have a high enough Speechcraft skill to pull off full on lies. Maybe we can edit the truth a little bit though.
Tell them you're stuck here from another time and place, that you have no idea who sent you here or why, whether it be the works of Akatosh (if you only mention one possibility, let it be this one) another Divine, the Daedra, the Psyjic Order, or any number of factions that may have to power to flip space, time, and reality the bird. However where you're from, the history of Tamriel is studied in intimate detail by scholars across the world. That will get a few looks, but remember, we've had audience with Vivec. A simple letter to the Ordinators or maybe Vivec himself asking if Mike did indeed speak directly to Vivec in person should be able to clear that up. That is, if your Cellphone and Rainbow Dash tee aren't convincing enough. I'm pretty sure the shirt is made of material unknown to Tamriel.
While they might think you're crazy, their outing, if it turns out to be an Ascended Sleeper (I trust nothing 100% in this thread!) then you get some points. And it also somewhat explains your lack of actual magical talent but skill in the advanced mathematics of it. Once you give them a few good nuggets of information and prove your knowledge from the future is somewhat useful, then perhaps you'll be put in contact with the Blades.
+1
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 10:49:08 am
Post by: shadenight123 on July 08, 2013, 11:02:12 am
Claim that we are working for Vivec. It seems the most believable.
I second this. We tell them a God sent us, they want confirmation they can ask him.
The General might just not want to waste time on a 'mad-talking recruit who came out of nowhere'.
And for all he (the general) knows, we might just be trying to skip on training (consider he's believing us because we gave him an example of 'something' that he has yet to verify...but if that 'something' doesn't happen (modding or what-not)...we're screwed, because he'll think us liars) we can tell him the truth after Vivec confirms us, because if a God Says So, then we can't be mad.
I mean...I walk up to you and tell you "You're in a video-game." If your first answer isn't "lol-no!" I'll eat a hat.
If the queen of England confirms this...you start crying and asking 'why!?' (and then...which game?)
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 11:10:03 am
Post by: Cecilff2 on July 08, 2013, 11:32:49 am
Lets be a bit careful here guys. We become too helpful and we might be sequestered away like an elder scroll for use in consultation when necessary(Would keep us safe from predatory orcs though). Either we play our knowledge in such a way as to drastically alter the future rendering our future knowledge useless, or we stick to only knowledge involving the main quest and sixth house operations.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 11:59:04 am
Though I'm against joining the sixth house, can anyone think of a way to have a chat with Dagoth Ur? I'm quite curious about his knowledge of future events. If Vivec can see we're not Imperial, then Dagoth probably can too. Though, were he willing to help us, he'd probably insist on getting us home rather than letting us stay here and accumulate power.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 08, 2013, 12:07:43 pm
We want to make sure to give them reason to believe we have useful knowledge WITHOUT claiming infallibility or complete knowledge. We don't know if all our information is 100% correct and applicable, after all.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 12:47:20 pm
We should tell him that the Sixth House likely plans to move to all-out war in the near future. They will begin as super-powered rebels, trying to win Morrowind's independence and drive out foreign presence, but will probably threaten the rest of Tamriel afterwards. The Emperor knows this, which is why he sent someone who shows the signs of fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Probably shouldn't mention that, though, since we still don't know who it is or if it turns out to be us.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 08, 2013, 01:49:29 pm
Post by: BunnyBob77 on July 08, 2013, 02:33:08 pm
It's undwarvenly that no-ones suggested killing him yet...Why would we possibly want to murder the general? It would only cause us to get killed, and even if we somehow killed him and managed to escape, we'd be considered a criminal.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 08, 2013, 02:52:35 pm
Post by: birdy51 on July 08, 2013, 03:06:38 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 08, 2013, 03:13:15 pm
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 03:20:20 pm
Our cell phone works, so it's a safe bet other stuff works... if we could build it.
However, we were a liberal arts student, not an engineering or science major. A radio is a pretty complex thing. I'm pretty sure our practical scientific knowledge is limited to the experience of we, the posters. Though we might know the concepts behind things, we probably don't have the practical knowledge to actually build any of them. If only Wierd was involved in this thread...
Anyway, this is partly why I want us to talk to Yagrum Bagarn, and show him our phone.
Someone summoned me? ;)
Spoiler: Polymathy is fun! (click to show/hide)
Sorry, but I can't really play.
Post by: Jarod Cain on July 08, 2013, 03:22:02 pm
Edit: Also, while I like the idea and believe that we as B12ers could come up with some crazy stuff. If we decide to try any route in regards to introducing any kind of advanced technology, it should be kept in mind that we are dealing with a game world that at it's best only barely begins to create a reasonable facsimile of our own world's physics. In other words, we're in a game world and game world physics aren't entirely equal to our own.
Also, from a metagaming perspective, most of this is either being done by LordBucket via the Construction Kit (which is limited) or outright handwavium (which should probably be kept to a minimum). So while I like the idea of us going nuts, we should probably keep our more insane ideas to a reasonable level. With no turning our newly acquired Telvani Stronghold filled with Argonian slaves into Dwarven Childcare (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91093.0) style super soldiers to fight Dagoth Ur for us.
-J-
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 03:49:28 pm
Dwemer towers in morrowind have radio antennas stuck to them, and the humming neon lights have game assets calling them vaccuum tubes.
Likwise a "coherer" is also a primitive form of a very specialist vaccuum tube. (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coherer)
In-game dialog suggests that the dwemer used something called "the sending" to send public messages great distances and to great numbers of their people and to isolated communities. Residents and scholars believe this to be a novel kind of telepathy, or an advanced form of magic, which it could well have been, but there is tantalizing evidence to suggest that it was wireless telecommunication technology, and as A. C. Clarke said most famously, "any technology, sufficiently advanced, is indestinguishable from magic." Throw that into a world with *real* magic, with a race that wasn't terribly picky, and the prospects of a hybrid magitechnology becomes quite likely, given the nature of some of their leavings. ;)
**Note, It is best I not play, here, because I would constantly be trying to repurpose, rebuild, and redesign animunculi. The cessation of certain very nasty limits imposed on engineers of our universe would prompt me down a porentially frenzed path that might be difficult to distinguish from madness. For instance, a ring of CE shock damage in my hands, with a similar CE frost damage counterpart, would almost certainly be employed in ways too devious and numberous to mention. Vivec wouldp probably lock me up in the ministry of truth, just to protect the rest of vvardenfell from me.)
Post by: PTTG?? on July 08, 2013, 04:14:45 pm
So, a question for our glorious GM: Would it be possible to simply tell Michael "Draw this (http://www.wright-brothers.org/TBR/History%20Images/1903_Engine_schematic.jpg)thing" (Or, something simpler), and assume that he receives the image in the same way he receives our commands? Or would it be necessary to describe the contents of the image like you would over a telephone ("There's a circle in the top right, kind of like a frisbee set on edge. It's behind this big blocky thing...)? If that's the case, would it be acceptable to say "Draw this thing, it looks like [I describe the drawing here]", or would it be necessary to write out the description?
And action to take:
I Largely agree with the "provide info subtly" plan. Let's keep it subtle, though. Say we "heard" that there's very powerful spellcasting enemies at the target. If we need to go into more detail, let on that we met with Vivec... we did, after all. But don't claim any special knowledge as our own action, and if things get dicey, say you only know what Vivec told us, and that he told us to "keep his council close."
Long-term, let's use the legion as a stepping-stone Get some time in training, get our resources, and eventually get that magical training... Why? Because either we're going to make ourselves powerful here and part of the world, or else we're going to try to escape back to the realer world. In either case, we're probably going to need real magic to succeed.
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 04:30:52 pm
(I could easily see a knockdown drag out between those two should I be at the wheel, fighting over who gets to play with the addled engineer. There is a fine line between brilliance and madness. And complex knowledge often has maddening effects, when natural limitations are lifted, such as through magical intervention. The afore mentioned CE trinkets I mentioned would let you build a high performance tesla roadster, for instance, that completely violates the laws of conservation of energy, and the second law of thermodynamics. Madness in a metal box. If it makes enough shock to harm you, it makes enough shock to power the car in place of the battery array, and if it makes things cold, without offsetting heat someplace else, it is destroying entropic energy. Ever wondered what a superconductive magentic drive in an electric car with an inexhaustible power supply is like to drive? Given those two curious items, an old wagon, a kiln, some copper wire, and lots of free time, I could very well show you. :D efficiency wouldn't matter a whole lot. The power plant is inexhaustible, and heat can be destroyed. The pandora's box that combination offers is maddening. Likwise with feather and burden enchantments. Oh, the fun I could have with those...)
The point is that those concepts would be radically alien to our avatar, and thus would appear as unintelligable hallucenations. Look at a complex wiring diagram sometime. Does it make sense to you? Likewise, the subject of your compulsions would not comprehend the meanings behind what he is drawing, and thus could not convey such meaning to artisans. Education does not make someone smarter, but it empowers a smart person to understand and do more. A LA major would probably be good with artistic things and with languages, but wouldn't know the first thing about designing resonant tank circuits, what a youngs modulous is, etc.
The avatar isn't dumb, but lacks the understanding to comprehend the compulsion. Receiving concistent and regular compulsions of such a nature may well make them question their sanity.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 08, 2013, 04:40:52 pm
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 05:24:17 pm
The dwemer were, for lack of better terms, religiously skeptical, and zealous fundamentalist atheists.
Their pursuits, and the fruits of their pursuits, demonstrated that they had discovered that their world was fundamentally impossible, and or, conflicted. They had determined that the laws of nature were being broken left and right capriciously, leading them to question the very basis of reality itself, and even the actual existence of anything at all. It is the natural consequence of objectivity being applied to a fundamentally subjective universe. (The subjectivity of the universe is the very basis behind the school of alteration, for instance.)
Since the universe could not POSSIBLY hold ITSELF together, and since the various "divinities" were little more than high energy manifestations of that clearly impossible reality, then they deduced that there must be a more perfect and more orderly layer of existence above and beyond the one they inhabited. Using the objective principles (for their universe) of sympathetic magic (like above, so below; conversly, as below, so above--- "walk like they do, until they must walk like you do.") They sought to trancend the mundus via the creation of a mirror manifestation of that more orderly universe, to directly couple to and control the higher subgradient of creation they had deduced must exist. That was the true purpose of the numidium. It was a new god, created from the essence of the force of limitations. (Lorkhan was the god of mortality, but also the catalyst for mundus's creation. He litterally established the concept of limitations. He is the god of limits.)
The dwemer were far more than "eccentric scientists with a robot fettish." :D They were hardened logicians in a world where objective logic is nonsensical.
Post by: Putnam on July 08, 2013, 05:43:08 pm
Post by: Descan on July 08, 2013, 06:01:13 pm
They did it a LONG time ago. Enough time to forget our roots.
Post by: Sensei on July 08, 2013, 07:04:14 pm
At least they were right about reality being subgradient. The question is: did they succeed or fail?That's legitimately debatable, but the ash piles left where they stood (See: Tribunal main quest) suggest they didn't turn out so well. In most circumstances, and I emphasize most- having your physical form reduced to base components is a bad sign.
Post by: Putnam on July 08, 2013, 07:07:14 pm
But this is off-topic and should be continued (if at all) in the Skyrim topic or maybe a new one.
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 07:50:32 pm
I just popped in because I found myself with a forum search, looking for a previous topic I participated in recently, and found myself referenced by name.
I really should not participate in the game, because I know it basically inside and out, AND the combination of morrowind's enchanting system with my engineering education and hobbyist experience would result in a game breaking combination that is no fun for anyone. (Read, godmode sue is boring and everyone hates her.) It's like the netch leather + Bloatspore super potion exploit*. Stacking bonuses that negate intrinsically implied limits result in radical departures from believability, and remove any challenge from the experience.
Spoiler: *Super potion exploit (click to show/hide)
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 08, 2013, 07:54:52 pm
Because this ISNT vanilla morrowind and we very much do not have the benefits of your average PC.
Also, alchemy system, among other things, is modded.
Post by: Putnam on July 08, 2013, 07:54:59 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 08:05:47 pm
Edit: Also, while I like the idea and believe that we as B12ers could come up with some crazy stuff. If we decide to try any route in regards to introducing any kind of advanced technology, it should be kept in mind that we are dealing with a game world that at it's best only barely begins to create a reasonable facsimile of our own world's physics. In other words, we're in a game world and game world physics aren't entirely equal to our own.We are most certainly not operating on Game physics. Everything we've seen so far has been realistic in the context of Tamriel, aside from the reality-bending PC's and such anomalies. And remember, our phone works. No exploitation or limitation based on problems in the game seems to apply so far, aside from sleeping to heal.
The point is that those concepts would be radically alien to our avatar, and thus would appear as unintelligable hallucenations.g to comprehend the compulsion. Receiving concistent and regular compulsions of such a nature may well make them question their sanity.He knows about us, the voices, and talks back to us. We wouldn't drive him mad by suggesting he build something outside his technical experience.
And action to take:Hell no. We don't want to seem unsure or dubious. We want to be believed. No subtlety, no excuses, no "um's."
I Largely agree with the "provide info subtly" plan. Let's keep it subtle, though. Say we "heard" that there's very powerful spellcasting enemies at the target. If we need to go into more detail, let on that we met with Vivec... we did, after all. But don't claim any special knowledge as our own action, and if things get dicey, say you only know what Vivec told us, and that he told us to "keep his council close."
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 08:17:59 pm
With the enchant system, the major limiting factor was the sEnchantMult GMST, which is set at 0.1. This makes a pair of shoes listed in the CS at 10 enchant points, show up as 1 pt in the game. It smacks of a last minute quick fix to the game's difficulty. Since I am a tad of a perfectionist, one of the mods I often ran was one that resets the sEnchantMult GMST back to 1, and which sets EVERY item down by *0.1 for its enchant points. The difficulty doesn't change, but the values in the CS actually match what shows up in the game. (It also alleviates a silly little bug I found. The enchant points value is a signed integer, which gets processed by a math function that does not perform sanity checks! This means that if you can get the "enchant cost" to exceed -32768 or there abouts, it will have an integer overflow, and suddenly be in single digits again. Because they are abusing the sEnchantMult value to change the game difficulty because they were too damned lazy to touch all the game objects with a simple script prior to release, and because they didn't bother to sanity check their inputs, it is especially noticable when creating your own "scrolls", using blank paper, with a cast on use enchantment. I can't fix the lack of sanity checks, but keeping values from being integer overflowed on the math op by removing complexity does go a long way toward making it more difficult to trigger. ;)
*Bet ya didn't know about THAT exploit. :D
Post by: Putnam on July 08, 2013, 08:19:59 pm
(Psst. You don't need the full kit. Just a mortar and pestle. ;) the other pieces just make better potions. There are other benefits to a high alchemy skill; simply eating ingredients will have a more profound innate effect from the first one listed for the ingredient. Toward the end of the game, I carried around stacks of saltrice and marshmerrow for that very reason. Just snack on a few, and be just fine.)
Not here. You need all four to make potions ;)
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 08:25:20 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 08, 2013, 08:30:20 pm
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 09:11:33 pm
Again, weird, you are making a TON of incorrect assumptions, and the same ones we already made. It just doesn't work that way. Sorry.
You are misunderstanding; I am trying to draw an analogy, using specific exploits.
the analogy free version:
A constant effect shock damage of 10pt/sec on a common ring will kill NPCs and players in just a few seconds when worn. That would be equiv to several hundred volts at about 1 ampere. Enough to stop your heart cold in very short order, and enough to run a small electric scooter. A 100W supply (V*A==W) that weighs only a few grams, and can supply for an unlimited time is a very radical thing in my hands. For reference, a cattle prod runs on +5v, 2000mAh batteries. A stungun runs on a 9v consumer battery. If nothing else, I could make a stunlance of brutal heart stopping with such a thing, that literally blows chunks of skin off on contact. Unlimited charges.
If you allow more than 1 such enchantment per construction, a 10pt fire damage enchantment, and a 10pt frost damge enchantment can be directly integrated onto a sterling engine filled with say, water vapor. In terms of effective energy supplied, 1joule of energy is the amount needed to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree celcius. 10pt fire damage will burn and blister instantly, and crispify a normal npc in about 30 seconds tops. That is many thousands of joules of thermal energy. Likewise, frost damage of the same rating is enough to cause frostbite instantly, and freeze the body solid in the same 30 sec tops window. Combined on either side of a sterline engine, you would have the effective energy transfer from the thermal expansion and contraction of the working fluid on par with a really nice gasoline engine. Say hello to the magic hotrod. Why fight the ash zombies, when you can just feed them a bumper sandwich, or engage the mechanical whirly chopping system on the car?
You could limit me by restricting my access to constant effect enchantments, but even the "on use" enchantments kickin around vvardenfel island would be radically OP in my hands. That's not counting the dangerous potential I would have just from my working practical knowledge with chemistry and explosives, even with the "heavy labware, dedicated installations" restrictions.
Limiting my ability to work by restricting my time and restricting cashflow would probably work better, but materials would have to be considerably rarer than depicted in game. I used to set myself "personal challenges" when playing, such as "make money only from picking useless ingredients and selling in bulk", and it still didn't work. Walking from seyda neen to balmora, you realisticaly can pick 100 heather flowers on the way. I know. The GM would have to really crank down, and really think about how he wants to deal with oddjobs and money to effectively cut me down that way, and the same restrictions would apply to everyone else.
Then, you would have the story arc problems that somebody like me would present. Animunculi, chemical explosive packs, advanced metalurgical knowledge, and the other not so normal things in my head would be even more out of place in the setting portrayed, and would attract attention. I could very well make use of said CE shock core to drive an aluminium foundry, or just introduce the empire to volcanic ash concrete (the ingredients are EVERYWHERE. Plenty of limestone around the odai plateau, and more than enough ash in sheogorad region.). Either one would land me a permanent, well paying job. :D I tend to be very free with information, and would in all likelyhood, end up locked away in the equivalent of a skunkworks, or get abducted by the Telvanni, (or assasinated by the temple.)
Polymathy is not a common character trait, but I have it in spades. It is simply who I am. I really do wish that was just idle boasting, but it isn't. Trust me, I know how anomalous I am here in a technologically advanced society. In a medieval one, I would be a space alien. I am too OP. :(
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 08, 2013, 09:16:20 pm
I am too OP. :(
No such thing.
But, uh, don't go! We need your OPness! Also, uh, don't say that last sentence out loud.
Post by: PTTG?? on July 08, 2013, 10:28:30 pm
It just occurred to me that Morrowind has crossbows. It's worth noting that for someone with little strength, a crossbow is a remarkably efficient weapon. Historically, they overthrew the use of heavy metal armor because they allowed a few dozen peasants who'd had a month of basic training and a few scraps of wood to kill or otherwise defeat a knight with years of experience and training and full plate. Even bows, which required years of training to use effectively, weren't as powerful... though the actual energy released by the bow was higher, giving more range.
Anyway, Mike could do well to get a crossbow and support from range.
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 10:48:44 pm
A crossow made for a physically weak person would employ pulleys and a crank to ratchet back the bowstring for the next shot, but that suffers. The number of cranks is inversely proportional to the energy needed to draw the bowstring. If he can only manage 1/10th the energy needed to draw the string, then the crank will take 10 turns to ratchet it back, at best. A bow made for a stronger person may employ a lever action, and be quite speedy, but outside the ability of mike to draw.
Slow reloading time makes firing the crossbow more problematical unless employed in a regimented firing pattern, which is exactly what medieval crossbow squads did.
The ease of use and rapid fire ability of smaller bows was what made the mongols so devistating for their era, etc.
His choice of ranged weapon should reflect his strengths.
*for reference:
Spoiler: Crank style medieval crossbow (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Lever style medieval crossbow (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 10:58:25 pm
Post by: wierd on July 08, 2013, 11:19:58 pm
Blowtube probably would have to be made from a hollow reed of some kind. Precision tube manufacture wouldn't be available in that environment. Dry reed is notoriously brittle. I suppose telvanni mushroom tendril would suffice, if grown specifically for the purpose. That would be both smooth bored, and hard and woody.
Not saying impossible, but problematic.
Wristrocket would probably be more utilitarian.
Post by: Aseaheru on July 08, 2013, 11:21:37 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 08, 2013, 11:22:21 pm
Again, weird, you are making a TON of incorrect assumptions, and the same ones we already made. It just doesn't work that way. Sorry.
You are misunderstanding; I am trying to draw an analogy, using specific exploits.
And I was just pointing out you've made a number of statements where you assume things as fast that we know not to be the case. (That you only need a mortar and pestle, for example)
Post by: Aseaheru on July 08, 2013, 11:24:24 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2013, 11:30:07 pm
Post by: The13thRonin on July 09, 2013, 12:23:03 am
Post by: wierd on July 09, 2013, 02:44:49 am
Jack-in-the-pulpit is actually a food... Is it both?
That's the problem with common names. Look how many different fruits are called "paw-paws" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paw_paw)
In just the asimina genus, there are 8 species, all are "Paw paw".
Then you have the completely unrelated papayas, also called "paw paw" in their native languages.
Just in the aconite family, there are a very large number (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum#Species) of species. All of them are "monks hoods", or "Wolf's bane". They all contain the same neurotoxic compounds, and are all quite deadly, though some more-so than others. The concentration of the compounds in each subspecies is academic. All are toxic enough to use to make poison with.
What is a jack in the pulpit one place, may not be the same plant at all in another, and still have the same name. That is why scientific naming conventions were indisputably required during the scientific renaissance, and are the preferred nomenclature today.
I have heard of members of the aconite family being called jack in the pulpit in some instances, due to the structure of the pistil inside the flower. The members of the arum ("Peace Lilly") family are the most commonly associated with that name, because of the structure of the spadix inside the spathe. (the actual flower, inside the leaf-like floral canopy.) All it takes to cause confusion is just a few pieces of literature to use the term. (many books and treatises on apothecary arts from that period have wildly divergent names for the same species, or the same names for wildly divergent species!)
I don't blame you for being confused, or for asking for clarification.
Post by: Aseaheru on July 09, 2013, 02:52:47 am
Post by: Supercharazad on July 09, 2013, 03:58:26 am
Make a note to ask Strillian if he's any good at enchanting
Post by: hermes on July 09, 2013, 07:08:54 am
Here's my suggestion:
Grow a pair, say you said that stuff for jokes, leap on the silt strider and shout with raised sword, "For the Emperor!"
Post by: Vrky on July 09, 2013, 07:09:59 am
Say that Vivec often speaks to you in dreams, and that you even visited him. Say that you don't know why he does this, that he wouldn't tell you exactly why, but only that there is some greater puropse in you, and that you feel that it is up to you to help saving Vvanderfel.
If he believes you even remotely, say that you would like Legion to help you with both magical and combat training, because Vivec gave you great magic potential but no magic experience, and you will need magic to save people.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 09, 2013, 07:37:43 am
Oh man, this is a pretty lillylivered play through. Dodge fighting by claiming knowledge of a game we know is NOT vanilla morrowind? Some townsfolk took out the ghoul, why you guys have no faith in the legion.Because this isn't a ghoul, and they aren't sending a full fighting force, they are sending a minor scouting one. If they send a decent sized force, and follow decent tactics (which they probably won't be default, since they don't know the enemy) then I think there is a decent chance to take the thing out.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 09, 2013, 12:10:20 pm
If the general continues to be suspicious make VERY subtle suggestions regarding arrows and knees.
Ninja edit for the benefit of the people who had mild heart-attacks: Obvious joke is obvious.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 09, 2013, 12:37:01 pm
Post by: Aseaheru on July 09, 2013, 12:46:37 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 09, 2013, 01:16:43 pm
don't do any of the stupid things suggested
YES! Why are people suddenly demanding we be morons? Say all our intel is a joke then run off like a buffoon? Commit assault and antagonize the Legion for no reason? Seriously? This ain't no RTD!
Tell him that we know all this through visions, which are induced by VivecWhy must we give lame excuses? He knows we know what we're talking about, because we mentioned Illunibi. He doesn't believe in Vivec's divinity, so "visions from Vivec" would make us less credible. I still believe that any sort of reason we give would just give him something to doubt. Or something to see right through and mistrust us for lying about our sources. We'd have to think of something he wouldn't question too hard.
Say that Vivec often speaks to you in dreams, and that you even visited him. Say that you don't know why he does this, that he wouldn't tell you exactly why, but only that there is some greater puropse in you, and that you feel that it is up to you to help saving Vvanderfel.
If he believes you even remotely, say that you would like Legion to help you with both magical and combat training, because Vivec gave you great magic potential but no magic experience, and you will need magic to save people.
Post by: shadenight123 on July 09, 2013, 01:34:18 pm
Post by: PTTG?? on July 09, 2013, 01:49:52 pm
don't do any of the stupid things suggested
YES! Why are people suddenly demanding we be morons? Say all our intel is a joke then run off like a buffoon? Commit assault and antagonize the Legion for no reason? Seriously? This ain't no RTD!Tell him that we know all this through visions, which are induced by VivecWhy must we give lame excuses? He knows we know what we're talking about, because we mentioned Illunibi. He doesn't believe in Vivec's divinity, so "visions from Vivec" would make us less credible. I still believe that any sort of reason we give would just give him something to doubt. Or something to see right through and mistrust us for lying about our sources. We'd have to think of something he wouldn't question too hard.
Say that Vivec often speaks to you in dreams, and that you even visited him. Say that you don't know why he does this, that he wouldn't tell you exactly why, but only that there is some greater puropse in you, and that you feel that it is up to you to help saving Vvanderfel.
If he believes you even remotely, say that you would like Legion to help you with both magical and combat training, because Vivec gave you great magic potential but no magic experience, and you will need magic to save people.
Agreed
Post by: The13thRonin on July 09, 2013, 01:50:02 pm
don't do any of the stupid things suggested
YES! Why are people suddenly demanding we have fun? Say all our intel is a joke then run off like a buffoon? Commit assault and antagonize the Legion for no reason? Seriously? This ain't no RTD!
Fixed that for you.
:P.
My suggestion was tongue-in-cheek obviously.
Post by: Aseaheru on July 09, 2013, 01:54:28 pm
Post by: The13thRonin on July 09, 2013, 01:56:21 pm
Ha ha. Death is not fun. Its endless boredom.
If death isn't fun why do 99% of games revolve around killing stuff?
Post by: WillowLuman on July 09, 2013, 02:37:16 pm
Ha ha. Death is not fun. Its endless boredom.
If death isn't fun why do 99% of games revolve around killing stuff?
Unfortunately, tounge-in-cheek suggestions aren't taken as such unless explicitly stated. For example, the orc date.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 09, 2013, 02:38:22 pm
Ha ha. Death is not fun. Its endless boredom.
If death isn't fun why do 99% of games revolve around killing stuff?
Unfortunately, tounge-in-cheek suggestions aren't taken as such unless explicitly stated. For example, the orc date.
The orc date?
Post by: Aseaheru on July 09, 2013, 02:40:02 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 09, 2013, 02:42:51 pm
Read the story posts. Someone suggested asking an orc out on a date, we thought it was a joke so no one voted against, so it happened. We got raped.Ha ha. Death is not fun. Its endless boredom.
If death isn't fun why do 99% of games revolve around killing stuff?
Unfortunately, tounge-in-cheek suggestions aren't taken as such unless explicitly stated. For example, the orc date.
The orc date?
Post by: The13thRonin on July 09, 2013, 02:54:15 pm
Read the story posts. Someone suggested asking an orc out on a date, we thought it was a joke so no one voted against, so it happened. We got raped.Ha ha. Death is not fun. Its endless boredom.
If death isn't fun why do 99% of games revolve around killing stuff?
Unfortunately, tounge-in-cheek suggestions aren't taken as such unless explicitly stated. For example, the orc date.
The orc date?
I just read it... That's hilarious...
I rescind my earlier suggestion.
Post by: shadenight123 on July 09, 2013, 02:55:25 pm
We can't say we are a spy of the emperor.
"In order to be called to greater service you'd probably have to prove yourself capable of it first. If you're thinking ahead of being some kind of super special secret operative in the Emperor's personal employ...well, again I'm not claiming any great knowledge of these things, but I'm guessing the Emperor probably doesn't need many special operatives who don't even know how to swing a sword yet." this was Strillian a few updates back. We couldn't even swing a sword back then...it would be the easiest bluff ever.
So it's either the 'Truth' or We tell him we are an envoy of Goodwill from Vivec, who gave us a few bits of knowledge to prove his 'Divinity' to the General.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 09, 2013, 03:47:34 pm
Either the whole truth or the general truth (for those who say we should keep a little mystery, but I ask you why? We'll already have their attention with honesty) should be used. You are all against pissing off the Legion. Lying to a superior officer about where we got some very detailed information will get us on the fast track to suspicion once the lie falls through. We don't want them to think we made up our source and gave them the info to avoid having to confront a good ol' monster ally of ours.
And we can always provide details of Earth for doubters, and we have the ever-present cell phone as proof of a different type of technology and "magic".
Post by: Putnam on July 09, 2013, 04:21:01 pm
Say that you have strange "memories" that seems to be from impossible places in that rarely fail you (and that you're sure that you don't get them from any Daedra). The actual reason sounds absolutely crazy to anyone who anyone who doesn't spell his name as "(http://images.uesp.net/7/79/DAEDRIC_V.PNG)".
Post by: LordBucket on July 09, 2013, 04:26:34 pm
a question for our glorious GM: Would it be possible to simply tell Michael "Draw this thing"
You haven't done much exploration of the nature of your communication with Michael. Maybe yes, maybe no, but I'm not going to just hand you the answer in spoilers.
I really should not participate in the game
Wierd, I've read your posts and I'm ok with you participating. Just, if you do...read the story up until now first. Like others have pointed out, a lot of the things you've suggested are clearly not applicable, and you appear to be making some very invalid assumptions. I'm reminded of this XKCD comic (http://xkcd.com/793/).
Next update probably tonight.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 09, 2013, 04:51:50 pm
Post by: PTTG?? on July 09, 2013, 06:16:41 pm
Post by: hermes on July 09, 2013, 06:48:47 pm
don't do any of the stupid things suggested
Hehe, was stupid, but perhaps an entertaining thought for Mike to dream about??
If you guys want serious, why didn't you discuss the Ilunibi cave information? Why not ask to accompany Strillian when he delivers the messages since he can carry people with recall? Should Mike try to get to Ilunibi? What about asking to get a mission to fetch Awesomicus to fight the Sleeper? How about taking some action instead of talking craziness?
Post by: WillowLuman on July 09, 2013, 09:27:34 pm
Our mild form of the truth would be saying we come from somewhere where here exists as fiction. Don't mention games, it might be hard for him to wrap his head around it.
Either that, or say we have voices in our head who guide us and know things, and have only once steered us fatally wrong.
We should find out if one of us voices can speak directly through Michael's lips.a question for our glorious GM: Would it be possible to simply tell Michael "Draw this thing"
You haven't done much exploration of the nature of your communication with Michael. Maybe yes, maybe no, but I'm not going to just hand you the answer in spoilers.
Post by: Moghjubar on July 09, 2013, 09:47:08 pm
Post by: joemoben on July 09, 2013, 09:49:17 pm
So, popped in here and read it cause it was interesting... kinda skipped around so dunno if anyone has suggested it... but has the dude done anything with his cellphone yet? Like realizing its a modern cellphone that has a keyboard on it and attempting to bring up console with ~ or some shit and typing in commands / texting stuff to localhost?Cheats were one of the first suggestions. Did not work out unfortunately.
Post by: LordBucket on July 10, 2013, 12:40:05 am
has the dude done anything with his cellphone yet? Like realizing its a modern cellphone
that has a keyboard on it and attempting to bring up console with ~
Episode 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4282481#msg4282481)
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 01:57:49 am
We could totally put a bucket on his head and just walk straight out of there while he's oblivious... Maybe even rob him blind... Just saying... :P
Post by: LordBucket on July 10, 2013, 02:00:13 am
Not an actual suggestion but:
We could totally put a bucket on his head and just walk straight out of there while he's oblivious... Maybe even rob him blind... Just saying... :P
...what are you even talking about?
Unrelated, episode 32 is in process. Probably up in an hour or so, depending on how long the screenshots take me.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 02:18:42 am
Not an actual suggestion but:
We could totally put a bucket on his head and just walk straight out of there while he's oblivious... Maybe even rob him blind... Just saying... :P
...what are you even talking about?
Now he's going on Skyrim game exploits.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 02:46:42 am
Not an actual suggestion but:
We could totally put a bucket on his head and just walk straight out of there while he's oblivious... Maybe even rob him blind... Just saying... :P
...what are you even talking about?
Unrelated, episode 32 is in process. Probably up in an hour or so, depending on how long the screenshots take me.
Have you played Skyrim?
Post by: hostergaard on July 10, 2013, 03:44:57 am
Post by: LordBucket on July 10, 2013, 03:56:56 am
Quote
Stick with the Vivec explanation
Quote
Vivic explanation or the truth, or both
Quote
Claim that we are working for Vivec.
Quote
I agree with everyone saying to state you got the information from Vivec.
Quote
Tell him that we know all this through visions, which are induced by Vivec
Quote
agreed
Quote
We tell him we are an envoy of Goodwill from Vivec, who gave us a few bits of knowledge
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "As for you Recruit, you're going to tell me how you know all this."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "After I arrived in Morrowind I made a pilgrimage to the palace of Vivec. Vivec gave me an audience and told me many things."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "You spoke with Vivec? Personally?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "And you have proof of this, right?"
Quote
if confirmation is required later, we have a password setup with him already.
Quote
there is witnesses in the mage guild that saw us with ordinators.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Well, I would think that my words would be evidence enough. You know about Ilunibi, so you know I'm not just making this up. But if you want proof, talk to the Ordinators. Or ask around at the Balmora mage guild. After my conversation with Vivec, I was given an escort by two Ordinators. There were plenty of witnesses."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Hmm.I think I might just do that, Recruit. Being escorted out by Ordinators is no evidence of being in with Vivec, but if what you say is true...those crazies worship him so surely word will have got around that he gave an audience to an Imperial. And if you're lying, I'm sure the Temple would be very interested to hear that an outlander's claiming to speak for their god."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Well, I don't exactly speak 'for' him. I just-"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Can it, Recruit. You don't need to convince me. You're either a cultist, a spy, or what you say is true. But I don't give a damn where my information comes from provided it's good information. "
He pauses to look at you meaningfully.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Which remains to be seen, if it's good information. So let's say I believe you, Recruit. Let's say this slug is what you say it is, and that the sixth house isn't just a fairy tale that dunmer tell their kids to give them nightmares. What do you suggest I do about it?"
Quote
We should stop trying to downplay our importance with lame excuses.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Send overwhelming force to Khuul. The Legion is in charge of keeping the peace, so let's keep the peace and let's do it by carrying a really big stick. Don't underestimate the sleeper. Go in there and wipe them out."
The General smirks briefly, then issues a quick few orders to the various soldiers. One is dispatched to the silt strider to tell them that there's been a change of plans, and Strillian is sent via recall to parts unknown. You're left with General Darius and the orc.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "You two come with me."
Darius returns to his headquarters to get some paperwork and additional potions and gear. Looks like he's preparing for combat. You tag along, well aware that the orc never takes his eyes off of you. Apparently they don't trust you yet. Once suited up, the three of you return above ground where a large contingent of probably 20 legion soldiers are waiting.
(http://i.imgur.com/reqGbR9.png)
It's kind of impressive. You were only underground for several minutes and apparently the legion was able to put nearly a fifth of its entire force in one place. The General divides the men into two groups. To your surprise, only half will be going to Khuul.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Surprised, Recruit?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "A little. Why mobilize so many if we're not going to use them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Because I don't trust you yet. You might still be a cultist. If this is a ploy to empty out the local garrison for an attack on Gnisis, we'll be here waiting with double the number of troops usually stationed here."
Darius gazes into your face, clearly looking for fear or surprise. Finding neither, he seems disappointed.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Champion Entius, the caravener from Khuul and his strider are still here, yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Take him and the other strider and move out."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, sir."
The two striders load up with six legionnaires each. It's crowded, and you have to stand the entire trip, but it's kind of exciting.
(http://i.imgur.com/aZZK5Bt.png)
The trip is stressful, but uneventful. The legionniares are surprisingly quiet for men about to go into combat. Perhaps there's simply nothing to say. Your strider is in the lead, and it seems that they're barely encumnbered by the surely severl hundred pounds worth of men and armor each is carrying.
Eventually you arrive in Khuul.
(http://i.imgur.com/U6Sg9Rk.png)
The strider dock is empty, and it is is completely quiet. Noone to greet you, no sounds of combat...nothing.
The legionnires quickly disembark and form up in two lines. They appear to be forming up two mini-phalanx groups with interlocking shields, and you're not entirely sure what to do. This was part of the training that you glossed over. Strillin grabs you and puts you in line next to him and quickly shows you how to lock shields. It's not complicated, but you clearly would have benefited from some practice.
After a few quick words from Entius, you move out and head towards the village center.
(http://i.imgur.com/bjuaUzF.png)
And see nothing.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Legionnaires, it looks like we missed the battle. Everyone spread out in groups of three and search the place. Look for bodies, survivors...anything that might tell us what happened here."
(http://i.imgur.com/tb65TKi.png)
It's pretty obvious what happened.
(http://i.imgur.com/JGGZ5Mo.png)
But...eventually a pattern emerges.
(http://i.imgur.com/MKmSIOO.png)
None of the corpses are dunmer. Imperials, nords, a few khajiit...not one dunmer. Until eventually, the search parties find one. Then two, then three...three survivors. All dunmer. And no dunmer corpses. Unfortunately you miss the majority of the questioning, but you do manage to overhear some bits and pieces.
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "...I'm sorry sera. I don't know."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "And everyone else fled?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "I can only speak to what I saw, sera. After the Redoran guards all fell and it became obvious we couldn't stop them, I gave up and ran to the dock. But by then Talmeni had already left. Others tried the silt strider, but that was gone too. Still others took their chances with the cliff racers and ran into the woods."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "And what of the creatures? Why were you not killed?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "I cannot say, sera. Some of us...they just ignored. Even after casting on them, they simply walked past us as if we meant nothing, and continued their rampage. Once the three of us left realized this, we simply hid and waited for them to leave."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "And they just left?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "I cannot say, sera. Only guess. They are not here now, or at least don't appear to be. Perhaps after their bloodlust was sated, they returned to the ashlands."
Altogether 9 corpses are found. 5 nords, two imperials, two khajiit.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently under your bed at fort darius (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
GM Request/Threat/Ultimatum
Please do SOMETHING other than sit around and be completely reactionary to npcs. You guys have done nothing for the past 6 episodes, and honestly I'm getting bored. This is supposed to be a game where you, the PLAY-ers...actually PLAY. Not a story that I write while you do nothing except answer questions and do what you're told.
This game was never intended to be "low level menial guard simulator," and you've fallen into a rut where you've stopped doing anything on your own and are simply following orders like a good little soldier. If you guys are seriously planning to just sit around and guard stuff for the next year of legion duty, honestly I'd rather just end the game right now. I've put a lot of time and energy into this and you guys aren't doing anything with it. I told you real-life weeks ago (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344924#msg4344924), over 20 thread pages ago...that joining the Legion was a mistake and this is why. You've been in Morrowind for five weeks and four of them, nearly a third the entire life of this forum game...have been spent doing absolutely nothing. 80% of your entire stay in Morrowind has been spent sitting in Gnisis, talking to npcs and running in circles. Literally you spent the first week of training running in circles around the barracks and yet somehow nobody thought they could come up with a more productive way to spend the time. Can anyone tell me why you joined the legion in the first place? If it was for gear and training...you've got it. SPOILER: There's no more. I'm not going to keep handing you skill gains for doing absolutely nothing. I've been trying really hard to keep it interesting, but if you guys are seriously going to do nothing but what the legion tells you do to, I'm just going to assign you to guard duty and start copy and pasting episode updates that say "You are assigned to guard a wall. You guard a wall. It is dull."
DO something.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 04:13:56 am
It's time to go AWOL... Grab all our stuff from the barracks and wait until night then get the hell out of dodge...
We're going to get locked up for knowing stuff we're not meant to sooner or later...
Start legging it towards the nearest town on foot. But not before setting a fake trail with fake documents and letters [written with our paper] leading in the opposite direction in-case the legion chases us.
Once we get far enough from the legion [not this round] I think a spot of extorting local travelers for gold and resources might make for a pleasant change of pace.
PS - I thought that the splendid writing did a great job of making legion life seem interesting Bucket. Well done.
Post by: Supercharazad on July 10, 2013, 04:37:08 am
We should go after the sleeper, and when the general realises that we're for real, we need to convince him to build up a proper force of men and destroy the everloving shit out of that Sixth House base in Ilunibi. Like, fifty men or something like that.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 04:39:12 am
Ignore everything Ronin just said, it's going to get us killed.
We should go after the sleeper, and when the general realises that we're for real, we need to convince him to build up a proper force of men and destroy the everloving shit out of that Sixth House base in Ilunibi. Like, fifty men or something like that.
Ignore everything Supercharazad just said... Because it is boring as hell and the DM himself just explained that he is sick of doing boring.
You're so worried about killing off the game that you haven't even realized you've already half-killed it through boring choices.
Post by: Putnam on July 10, 2013, 04:45:27 am
Let's make a longer-term plan: house Telvanni. Get heavy/medium armor, a shield and some health potions and get some agility and endurance by training heavy armor and block on mudcrabs and such.
Post by: Supercharazad on July 10, 2013, 04:54:56 am
Your plans end with us being executed as deserters or spies.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 04:57:02 am
My plan ends with us destroying a major Sixth House base, taking the fight to Dagoth Ur and maybe get corpus along the way. And, if we do end up with corpus, then we already know that by now the correct and working cure has almost certainly been made.
Your plans end with us being executed as deserters or spies.
No your plan ends with never convincing the legion at best and being thrown in jail or executed at worst. We tried your way, time for a different way.
The DM said that "joining the Legion was a mistake" how much more proof do you need than that?
Post by: Supercharazad on July 10, 2013, 04:59:18 am
Post by: Putnam on July 10, 2013, 05:14:32 am
Post by: Vrky on July 10, 2013, 06:05:48 am
Our goal is to find a way to successfully convince the legion to let us go after the slug. That might be difficult because it is obvious that we are really weak. I'm not sure what to say, but unless someone has a better idea say that you need to clear out Sixth House base near Gnaar Mok in Ilunibi Caverns. Say that you will need an escort of about 20 men, and that you need two weeks off to prepare yourself.
Quote
PS - I thought that the splendid writing did a great job of making legion life seem interesting Bucket. Well done.+1
The problem is that we are obviously too weak to do anything, our only fight got us killed in no time, and legion seemed like safe choice for training, getting equipment and ultimately surviving. We are at least a bit stronger now, so let's try our luck :)
Post by: Supercharazad on July 10, 2013, 06:51:03 am
Dagoth Ur is a god, not a wizard. 50 soldiers will not be enough to defeat him. He has 1000 health which is reset every frame and infinite magicka; destroying the Heart of Lorkhan is the only way to defeat him, and the only way to do that is with Sunder and Keening. Taking out Ilunibi will not set Dagoth Ur back and, in fact, may even help him by spreading the corprus even further. We would have to see how Divayth Fir is doing before that.
We'll be taking out a major base and one of his generals. It's better than sitting around doing nothing while he starts fucking over the world.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 07:15:41 am
Convince the legion to send you after the slug. This would both get us rid of guard duty, let us do something, and also avoid getting us killed for deserting. And getting killed for deserting is crappy way to die, because even if we get another chance to live, we will still be hunted by the legion.
Our goal is to find a way to successfully convince the legion to let us go after the slug. That might be difficult because it is obvious that we are really weak. I'm not sure what to say, but unless someone has a better idea say that you need to clear out Sixth House base near Gnaar Mok in Ilunibi Caverns. Say that you will need an escort of about 20 men, and that you need two weeks off to prepare yourself.QuotePS - I thought that the splendid writing did a great job of making legion life seem interesting Bucket. Well done.+1
The problem is that we are obviously too weak to do anything, our only fight got us killed in no time, and legion seemed like safe choice for training, getting equipment and ultimately surviving. We are at least a bit stronger now, so let's try our luck :)
The legion is not going to have enough time to kill us shortly because they will have their hands very full... Besides... The hero of the Elder Scrolls is always a criminal or fugitive.
Post by: PTTG?? on July 10, 2013, 08:43:05 am
So we need the money. Let's get some options on how to get that.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 09:04:27 am
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=128353.0
Post by: hermes on July 10, 2013, 09:37:14 am
Hopefully Mike has enough credibility with Darius to get permission to do stuff now...
Convince the legion to send you after the slug.
Great idea. The thing is, we don't want a detatchment of troops coming with us, nor do we want to play intelligence officer to Entius.
Ask to be given leave to continue your investigation on the sixth house/slug.
I wouldn't think he'd give us carte blanche, so...
Say you will report back to the General in ... umm... 2 weeks.
So we need to move fast...
Comandeer the silt strider, in the name of the Emperor, to take us places.
I'd then seriously consider going back to the Orc Necromancer in Balmora and wooing her for training. If Mike can summon stuff to fight for him, training up all other type of combat will be ten times easier.
Post by: hostergaard on July 10, 2013, 10:26:13 am
It makes no sense to do it at this late a point and will only make you a target for an intense manhunt. We only got like a few days left, running away now means we loose any credit we had with the legion.
Rather, ask to be a part of a investigation team. You can't go after the slug alone, you are too weak, but being a part of either a team that is going out to hunt it down makes it a viable course of action. Even better if you can become part of a special unit that is created to investigate the resent events, where you can provide important knowledge. This way you have a lot of support to back you up while giving you a large degree of autonomy.
Edit:
We need to learn magic. We might even be especially good at it, once we know the basics. Once we have magic on our side, we can either learn how to be powerful here, or how to get back home. Either way.
So we need the money. Let's get some options on how to get that.
+1
QuotePS - I thought that the splendid writing did a great job of making legion life seem interesting Bucket. Well done.+1
The problem is that we are obviously too weak to do anything, our only fight got us killed in no time, and legion seemed like safe choice for training, getting equipment and ultimately surviving. We are at least a bit stronger now, so let's try our luck :)
+1
Post by: Man of Paper on July 10, 2013, 10:33:20 am
First thing's first, we need to get our shit from under the bed before we finally GTFO the Legion. Shame nobody thought to take our Scroll of Divine Intervention. Would have made things super easy. Now we've got to get creative. We could fake a seizure...but that could get them thinking we're infected with something. Tell the General that we should have notes on the beast and it's brethren in our backpack back at the Fort, but it needs to be revealed by a special wand. The wand being the pen, and you're really just writing it. If at any point we are left alone once we get our stuff, we need to decide if we have the ability to escape. Also, use our escape to judge exactly how far and fast we can move in an all-out sprint.
And we don't have a few days left. We have to serve a whole year. That's a lot of days. We go AWOL or figure out how to get on our own again (perhaps a discharge for misconduct or something? Nah, that'd bring a flogging probably), or this thread dies. And Strillian himself mentioned that we could be a cultist, whatever whatever. He has no reason to trust us with anything yet. If you want us to be his loyal lapdog while we gain his trust enough for him to ignore politics and place us in command of something, good luck with that.
Post by: Supercharazad on July 10, 2013, 10:38:08 am
Post by: hermes on July 10, 2013, 11:06:43 am
don't go AWOL!
Ignore everything Supercharazad just said.
Ignore everything Supercharazad just said... Because it is boring as hell and the DM himself just explained that he is sick of doing boring.
Ignore everything Ronin just said, it's going to get us killed.
Just a personal request, could we stop the negative suggestions? It's much more fun to read when people are posting positive ideas.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 11:56:29 am
I can't get the ball rolling with no suggestions.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 11:59:24 am
It's far too late to desert, I'm afraid. Bear in mind that, if played right, we'll soon be very valuable to the legion, and perhaps have a chance at officership. In this vein we should tell the General that the Sixth House's goal is to drive out/exterminate all foreigners in Morrowind. This helps on the strategic level. We must take extra precautions to protect non-dunmer citizens.
Here's my plan for what to do next:
1.Inform the Great Houses of the imminent Sixth House threat. We must convince them to take action if we can.
2. Send a letter to Vivec, informing him that events are moving differently than expected and that there are more than one probable PC's.
3.Get in contact with Caius. This is crucial to finding the PC/Nerevarine.
4.Get to Divayth Fyr. We say that we know where a cure for coruprus might be, and so we must reach him post-haste.
I'm also in favor of us getting involved in battles, so that we can give tactical information. Give good enough tactical information, and we might just soon be giving orders. We can still make this work. I don't think we can destroy Dagoth Ur, but we can prevent more towns from being destroyed, advance our standing in the world, and buy time to find out just what the hell is with the PC's.
EDIT: Oh, and see how many shields we can get enchanted with resist, absorb, or reflect magicka. Even if it's not constant effect, a formation with many of those shields would have a considerable edge over the caster-happy sixth house. We know the Legion can enchant things, it's worth a shot.
Post by: LordSlowpoke on July 10, 2013, 12:07:24 pm
it will involve glamorous amounts of piss
Post by: Supercharazad on July 10, 2013, 12:11:55 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 12:28:40 pm
Ideally, we won't need a Nerevarine. If we can convince the legion that this is a serious threat, we can use the military might of the empire to take the war straight to Dagoth Ur.
I don't think this is a war the Empire can win, seeing as the Emperor himself didn't think so. At least, not on it's own. If we can get the Great Houses to mobilize their forces, difficult but possible, we might just be able to take the fight to Red Mountain, though we'd still need to destroy the Heart. It might be that it just takes a Bad Enough Dude to destroy the Heart, going on dialogue options the PC has, so we'd likely need a powerful pawn to make it happen. That means manipulating a PC. Perhaps Awesomicus, when the time comes?
I would still very much like to meet Dagoth Ur, to see whether or not he greets us with "Greetings, Nerevar, my old friend, but to this place where destiny is made, why have you come unprepared?" as he does in-game if you go to him early. This would confirm whether our not we've landed in the Nerevarine role.
Anyway, though, this is our chance. It's time to take charge. We're got to win this shit.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 12:35:41 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 10, 2013, 01:01:28 pm
No replies to stranded in Skyrim makes for a sad Ronin :'(.
One (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4390832#msg4390832), two (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4391197#msg4391197), three (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4391306#msg4391306) ads for your thread over four hours is enough, dude. Move along.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 10, 2013, 02:16:17 pm
Goals I've seen so far:
Become independant
Sic the Legion on the Sixth House
Those sound like reasonable goals. My suggestion:
Suggest the Legion pursues the slug, at least to obtain more information
Offer to stay close to the general to provide tactical advice, and for insurance. If we were a traitor, he could at least kill us before going down. We're not, but I think he'll like this. This will keep us from being on the front line.
After the battle is resolved, inform the Legion that our Holy mission from Vivec requires us to move on from the Legion. Thank the General, and promise to send important information as we find it. And do so. The Legion's success would most likely help us, and guarantee allies.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 10, 2013, 02:52:26 pm
We can even argue that they are free to insist we stay and fight with the legion, and we will dutifully do so, but that there are things of greater importance we must do at this point and it would bode well for Morrowind and beyond if we were kept from doing so.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 04:11:04 pm
I think we should use this to become an mostly independent agent for the legion. After all, spies don't have to be elite combatants, they just have to be able to find stuff out. The way the General sees it, we're already spy, so let's offer to be his spy.
If we play this right, we'll be in a position to influence events significantly. The way forward is to continue giving information provided we be allowed to go on our own missions, and then either winning total freedom or working our way to taking command of the imminent military campaign. But either way I feel we're very close to getting some real power.
Post by: PTTG?? on July 10, 2013, 04:30:07 pm
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 10, 2013, 04:53:24 pm
We even discussed lightning and other generators.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 10, 2013, 05:00:45 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 10, 2013, 06:09:16 pm
Post by: PTTG?? on July 10, 2013, 06:13:46 pm
That's all assuming the general lets us go. What happens if he says we have to serve our year as an Imperial Guard?
Vvardenfall is a big place (in some senses). We might have to move into the underground, but we can make it work.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 09:17:30 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 10, 2013, 09:18:30 pm
1) You guys do realize that both the General and the barracks are in a totally different town right now, right?
2) You guys do understand that the legion is a military organizatino, right? And that you enlisted s a grunt? Are any of you aware of any military organiztion in the world, or in the history of fiction for that matter, in which a fresh recruit who asks permission to just leave and go do his own thing...would be granted that? Because I can't think of any.
3) You guys do remember that you told Darius that the sleeper could kill not only you, but you plus four other legionaires? What possible reason do you have to think he'll believe you're suddenly the man to hunt it down and kill it?
4) You guys do remember that the Geneal flat out said he doesn't trust you, and that he assigned double the guards to Gnisis while you were away just in case you were a spy giving him bad information to lure troops away? what about that leads you believe that if you go up to him and start telling him what you need to do and ask for leave that he'll think it's a good idea?
I simply ask for each of you to read your own suggestions, then pretend that you're the general. Imagine that some new recruit who was completely incompetant and incapable during training, and then suddenly after a month of training turns up with some extremely suspicious information about cultists...asks for permission to set out on his own and get information on and/or hunt down a monster he himself told you could effortlessly kill him.
Would any of you say yes in his position?
Would any of you say "Why, yes! I release you from your service obligation. Don't mind the fact that I don't trust you and that I doubled the guard in Gnisis because I thought you might be a cultist planted to lure guards away. Don't mind the fact that you've been on the inside, in a position to observe the legion and how we work, including specific training on how all of our patrols and patrol rotations work. Don't mind the fact that there have been three attacks on guards and/or towns including one dead guard in the past week...coincidentally at the exact same time you showed up and received that aforementioned training about our patrol routes. I totally believe that you're definitely not a cultist, and that you should definitely be allowed to leave with all that information to go track down a monster on your own that you yourself said could easily take on both you and four other legionnaires all at once. Despite the fact that you couldn't hold a sword a few weeks ago, and were constantly whining for us to teach you magic because you apparently don't know any...I completely believe that you are the best candidate to hunt down this monster that just annihilated a town. I believe all this because you claim to be affiliated with a self-proclaimed god who is antagonistic to all of our Imperial gods, and worshipped by a group who is antagonistic to the Empire. Yes, absolutely I'm going to release you from service to go and do your own thing."
Would any of you say this?
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 10, 2013, 09:27:45 pm
Honestly, reading what you just said, I feel like we've read ENTIRELY different sets of suggestion lists - but since I've felt like that for most of the game. You get angry at us for picking boring choices and berate us for getting ourselves into a mess, but constantly warn us about the danger of the choices we pick that aren't boring and seem to interpret every suggestion in the stupidest possible way. Sometimes things have plenty of support and you don't do them, while other times a single person suggestion it and one backing it is enough to get things to happen. When there's dissent and you have the opportunity to pick something you actually think would be interesting, you insist we come to something approaching a consensus, and when we finally find something we can all tolerate you act surprised that it's not the most interesting, initiative filled choice available - and when we do agree on something interesting and initiative filled, you berate us for that too.
Honestly, I don't know WHY you're hosting this game at this point. I know I'm enjoying reading it and having a good time, but you don't seem to be, and I don't think there's anything WE can do to make you happy. We can't read your mind, we don't know what's going on the way you do, we don't know in advance how all these characters react, and to be honest I have no idea what you want us to do.
Since your the one getting so upset about this, why don't you just tell us?
What, exactly, do you want us to bloody well DO?
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 09:28:29 pm
2) These are some extenuating circumstances. I doubt he'd stick us in grunt work until he knows more, and many militaries wouldn't keep a defected spy in a GI roll once they discovered them.
3) I'm not saying we hunt it down. I'm saying we go see some contacts. And then report back.
4) Some of these suggestions should probably wait until we gain more of his trust and prove ourselves a bit more.
As I said before, it's too late to actually get out. What we can do is use our knowledge to leverage ourselves into a higher position.
-snip-Uh oh
Does have a point about the concensus thing, though. The title does say suggestion game, not poll game, so if there isn't concensus on anything good maybe you should just pick the most interesting suggestions and run with them, no matter the votes.
Post by: PTTG?? on July 10, 2013, 09:48:40 pm
Mike, I want to see how this connection works. I've got a quick test here, I want to know how well this works. I'm going to try to send you an image, tell me how clearly you receive it.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Do you think you could draw that on some of your notepaper (or something else)? Do you see the image as it was made (simple in-game iconic graphics), or do you see it how it was portrayed (that is, as a set of detailed mechanical drawings)?
Further suggested experiments: Finding Boethiah's Pillow Book and seeing what you see... It should be in Auld-rhun.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 10:03:45 pm
-We're in the Legion, and have spent an entire month on basic training. Now things are getting violent.
-We spilled some info the general thinks we shouldn't know, and he doesn't trust us because he doesn't know how much more we know.
-A town was just sacked.
Having made ourselves suddenly very, very interesting to the General (earning his suspicion), and with an entire settlement wiped out save for three survivors, does anyone really think he'll stick us on guard duty for a year? No. He wouldn't trust us to patrol around a road where we could slip into the backcountry, and he wouldn't want to lose our information. He'll probably want to keep us near him, so he can keep an eye on us, and he'll probably only send us out with a squad to investigate/engage 6th House sitings or perform reconnaissance.
We must impress upon him that war is imminent, and we must convince him that our information is correct. The more correct information we give him, and the more willing we seem to do our duty, the more he'll trust us. We should probably only give him info we know will be correct. This includes descriptions, locations of Sixth House bases, and the general goals of the enemy. We barely had time to say anything as we were about to leave, but once we get back we can tell him everything we need to. The empire is a very pragmatic military. If he thinks our talents are better used as an informant than a grunt, than an informant we'll be. We just need to gain his trust.
FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE:
-Get/help squad to investigate scene for signs of battle. Spell residue, loose arrows, impact marks, etc. We want to know if these creatures fought differently than expected.
-Take Survivors back to Gnisis for safeguarding/questioning
-Make sure Strillian or the Champion don't leave us behind to watch the place.
-Maybe collect loose change first? I'm not sure if it's a good idea...
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 10, 2013, 10:08:49 pm
Let's review our situation:
-We're in the Legion, and have spent an entire month on basic training. Now things are getting violent.
-We spilled some info the general thinks we shouldn't know, and he doesn't trust us because he doesn't know how much more we know.
-A town was just sacked.
Having made ourselves suddenly very, very interesting to the General (earning his suspicion), and with an entire settlement wiped out save for three survivors, does anyone really think he'll stick us on guard duty for a year? No. He wouldn't trust us to patrol around a road where we could slip into the backcountry, and he wouldn't want to lose our information. He'll probably want to keep us near him, so he can keep an eye on us, and he'll probably only send us out with a squad to investigate/engage 6th House sitings or perform reconnaissance.
We must impress upon him that war is imminent, and we must convince him that our information is correct. The more correct information we give him, and the more willing we seem to do our duty, the more he'll trust us. We should probably only give him info we know will be correct. This includes descriptions, locations of Sixth House bases, and the general goals of the enemy. We barely had time to say anything as we were about to leave, but once we get back we can tell him everything we need to. The empire is a very pragmatic military. If he thinks our talents are better used as an informant than a grunt, than an informant we'll be. We just need to gain his trust.
FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE:
-Get/help squad to investigate scene for signs of battle. Spell residue, loose arrows, impact marks, etc. We want to know if these creatures fought differently than expected.
-Take Survivors back to Gnisis for safeguarding/questioning
-Make sure Strillian or the Champion don't leave us behind to watch the place.
-Maybe collect loose change? I'm not sure if it's a good idea...
+1, except maybe for the looting. We, as in the forumites, still don't know the Legion's stance on looting.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 10:12:22 pm
Also, as this won't take much time, ask some of the survivors if they happened to have been having any strange dreams prior to the attack, possibly involving a tall dunmer in a golden mask.+1
Ask the survivors any and all suggested questions, except for completely off-the-wall questions.
Post by: LordBucket on July 10, 2013, 10:12:54 pm
Uh... has anyone actually suggested we try to hunt down the monster?
...yes?
We should go after the sleeper,
Convince the legion to send you after the slug.
Convince the legion to send you after the slug.
Great idea. The thing is, we don't want a detatchment of troops coming with us, nor do we want to play intelligence officer to Entius.
Ask to be given leave to continue your investigation on the sixth house/slug.
ask to be a part of a investigation team. You can't go after the slug alone, you are too weak, but being a part of either a team that is going out to hunt it down
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 10, 2013, 10:21:25 pm
Uh... has anyone actually suggested we try to hunt down the monster?
...yes?We should go after the sleeper,Convince the legion to send you after the slug.Convince the legion to send you after the slug.
Great idea. The thing is, we don't want a detatchment of troops coming with us, nor do we want to play intelligence officer to Entius.
Ask to be given leave to continue your investigation on the sixth house/slug.ask to be a part of a investigation team. You can't go after the slug alone, you are too weak, but being a part of either a team that is going out to hunt it down
Well, uh, don't. That's...not the best idea, and it wouldn't leave the best impression on the general. He's already suspicious of us, and thinks we might be a cultist, so why would he send us off to 'hunt' a high ranking cultist...thing? We could just be going off to report back to it, for all he knows.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 10:26:29 pm
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 10:40:48 pm
Uh... has anyone actually suggested we try to hunt down the monster?
Honestly, reading what you just said, I feel like we've read ENTIRELY different sets of suggestion lists - but since I've felt like that for most of the game. You get angry at us for picking boring choices and berate us for getting ourselves into a mess, but constantly warn us about the danger of the choices we pick that aren't boring and seem to interpret every suggestion in the stupidest possible way. Sometimes things have plenty of support and you don't do them, while other times a single person suggestion it and one backing it is enough to get things to happen. When there's dissent and you have the opportunity to pick something you actually think would be interesting, you insist we come to something approaching a consensus, and when we finally find something we can all tolerate you act surprised that it's not the most interesting, initiative filled choice available - and when we do agree on something interesting and initiative filled, you berate us for that too.
Honestly, I don't know WHY you're hosting this game at this point. I know I'm enjoying reading it and having a good time, but you don't seem to be, and I don't think there's anything WE can do to make you happy. We can't read your mind, we don't know what's going on the way you do, we don't know in advance how all these characters react, and to be honest I have no idea what you want us to do.
Since your the one getting so upset about this, why don't you just tell us?
What, exactly, do you want us to bloody well DO?
It's not the DM's fault that there's a lack of imagination floating around amongst suggestions.
Most users are like:
Twiddle thumbs.
Ask the general to do something ridiculous. [It'd be like an American private in the War of Afghanistan asking "SIR... PERMISSION TO SEEK OUT BIN LADEN SIR... WITH NOTHING BUT MY RUSTY POCKETKNIFE SIR!]
Ask more politely when declined.
Softly cry into a pillow at night.
Contemplate hitting mudcrabs.
Decide that it's too dangerous.
Cry some-more.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 10, 2013, 10:53:18 pm
Post by: The13thRonin on July 10, 2013, 11:09:50 pm
Please don't bold jokes.
Everyone else basically bolded the same commands...
I'm just going with the crowd here.
Post by: hermes on July 10, 2013, 11:25:22 pm
Just because Mike asks for leave to chase the slug doesn't mean he actually has to, and certainly doesn't mean he has to kill it alone. But from Darius' perspective he has no knowledge at all of the slug yet Mike does. Darius' job is surely to get a grip on the situation. If I were Darius I'd let Mike go on a leash to hunt it down like a hound dog. If Mike had an escort, he could hopefully talk them into going and doing whatever he wanted, since essentially they would have no idea how the investigation should go.
If this is unreasonable and we have to stay with the main force still, then this seems most reasonable...
Quote
FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE:
-Get/help squad to investigate scene for signs of battle. Spell residue, loose arrows, impact marks, etc. We want to know if these creatures fought differently than expected.
-Take Survivors back to Gnisis for safeguarding/questioning
Maybe ask the survivors how many attacked the town.
Help perform the funeral rites for the dead.
Post by: LordBucket on July 10, 2013, 11:42:20 pm
I think I have a way to proceed that will make both you the players, and me the GM...happy with the result.
EDIT:
Update won't make it it tonight. Mostly done, but sleep. Should be up tomorrow.
Post by: hermes on July 11, 2013, 12:13:06 am
Post by: hostergaard on July 11, 2013, 12:54:16 am
I only supported going after the slug if we had a larger team, and only because you seemed to want action.
My intends was to achieve semi-autonomy from the legion as part of this team that are gonna dick around Morrowind to figure out what is behind all this shit.
I never really wanted to join the legion myself, but I did not really have the opportunity to vote against it, and next moment I knew we where part of the legion. However, since we are here I want to make the best of it, and not do something incredibly stupid just for the sake of doing something.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 11, 2013, 01:32:16 am
"Have you ever noticed how Ash Ghouls, supposedly feral, deformed corprus beasts, seem to often wear richly decorated robes? Hasn't that ever troubled you?"
Post by: The13thRonin on July 11, 2013, 03:26:58 am
Cutoff for episode 33
I think I have a way to proceed that will make both you the players, and me the GM...happy with the result.
The main character is going to slip on a mudcrab and impale himself isn't he?
At least things there'll be some action :D.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 11, 2013, 06:35:56 am
Post by: Supercharazad on July 11, 2013, 06:40:22 am
We get dishonorable discharge for having a relationship with a fellow Legionnaire while on duty?
I honestly doubt the legion would care about that.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 11, 2013, 10:08:51 am
We get dishonorable discharge for having a relationship with a fellow Legionnaire while on duty?
It's... fairly difficult to differentiate between a relationship and a brawl. And I doubt they'd mind the brawl.
Post by: LordBucket on July 14, 2013, 07:44:03 am
Quote
ask the survivors how many attacked the town.
Reports vary. Two of the survivors claims to have seen only seen one or two few ash ghouls, and the third claims to have seen seen three, plus a creature he didn't recognize floating over the town.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What did it look like?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "It was a bloated humanoid monster wearing robes. Tentacles instead of a face and a single massive proboscis."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "And it was floating over the town?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "Yes. Never saw it hurt anyone. It was like it was just watching the attack."
That concerns you. Levitate is not a difficult spell, but if monsters are using it...
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Thank you, citizen."
Quote
Get/help squad to investigate scene for signs of battle. Spell residue, loose arrows, impact marks, etc.
There are four teams of three troopers. You're with Strillian and a male orc whose name you have a difficult time remembering. Gro-dush or Gru-dorsh or something. Orc vowels are a bit different and it's not always easy for you to distinguish the o/a/u sounds.
The orc wants to scout out the woods on the edge of town, but Strillian outranks him and it doesn't take much to convince him that you should be gathering as much information as you can. The orc is little help there, but between you and Strillian over the course of two hours you come to the following conclusions:
1) There appear to be no stray arrows anywhere.
2) There are a few fresh scorch marks on the wooden buildings, but it appears largely incidental. No infrastructure has been destroyed.
3) The dead have a mix of heavy blunt trauma wounds and burns.
4) You find no corpses of any ash creatures
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "The wounds are consistent with Ash ghouls. They bludgeon with their fists and cast shock spells. I don't know about the slug creature, but these people look very much like they were killed by ash ghouls."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "How do you distinguish between flame and electrical burns?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It's difficult sometimes, but generally flame spells bathe an area in flames, so the coverage is wider than a shock attack that generally strike intensely at a single point and penetrate it deeply. Also..."
He pulls the boots off the corpse, and shows you that one foot has a burn mark similar to the mark on its chest.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "...electrical attacks have both entrance and exit wounds. The lightning hit him in the chest, traveled through his body and into ground through his foot. Nobody casting a fire spell would deliberately attack the bottom of his feet like that."
Quote
ask some of the survivors if they happened to have been having any strange dreams prior to the attack, possibly involving a tall dunmer in a golden mask.
None of the survivors claim to remember having any dreams at all, but one does object a bit too strongly.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Excuse me, citizen. Have you had any strange dreams recently?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "No, sera! I have had no disturbing dreams at all. Not one."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No dreams at all? Possibly about a tall dunmer in a golden mask?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "Of course not, sera! I never dream."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Never? You've never had a dream?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o0wBrST.png): "No, sera. Never...truly. Not even as a child. Praise ALMSIVI."
...oh, wait. Doesn't the tribunal temple occasionally persecute people based on their dreams? Maybe you can draw something out of him.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I ask because one of the survivors might have claimed to have had a dream about the return of the sixth house, sleepers awakening, and Dagoth Ur."
He goes pale. Well, pale for a dunmer, anyway. You look him in the eye. He's scared.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "But I guess you don't know anything about that. Thank you for your time, citizen."
He rushes off. Strillian looks puzzled.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "He was lying. But why? And what was he hiding?"
Speechcraft is now 18
Quote
tell the General
Quote
getting the general to grant us leave
The following morning Entius sends most of the troopers back to Gnisis. Only you, him, Strillian and two orcs remain. You approach Entius.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Excuse me, sir. Any chance I could return as well? I'd like to talk to the General about what's happened here."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Sorry, son. I'm under direct orders from General Darius to keep you here until he gives the ok for you to return."
Quote
don't go AWOL!
Frustrated, but unable to come up with a good argument to the contrary, you return to your patrol. Within a few hours, a small contingent of Redoran guards arrive from Ald Velothi. Entius greets them.
(http://i.imgur.com/UFo51ec.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Welcome, friends. You certainly took your time showing up. Isn't this village supposed to be under your protection?"
(http://i.imgur.com/qp92k8i.png): "Don't tell us our business, guardsman. What happened here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "So far as we can tell a bunch of ash ghouls and...something new...all showed up and killed everyone who wasn't dunmer. Half the survivors fled, the remaining three are still here. This is the third attack that I'm aware of in the past week. We lost a guard on patrol several days go, and an ash ghoul brazenly marched into Pelagiad shortly after. My guess is that Khuul was selected because it was the easiest target."
(http://i.imgur.com/qp92k8i.png): "What were they after? Why attack at all?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "We don't know. But some of the survivors claim that the creatures ignored them during the attack, and no dunmer were killed. It's possible this is some sort of racial cleansing."
The Redoran guard ponders that briefly.
(http://i.imgur.com/qp92k8i.png): "If so, there will be more attacks."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Very likely."
(http://i.imgur.com/qp92k8i.png): "Alright. I'm in charge here now. You can go home."
Entius smiles amicably.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Sorry, I have my orders."
(http://i.imgur.com/qp92k8i.png): "Very well. Just stay out of my way then."
You're a bit surprised at the animosity. You can't quite tell if it's simply friendly rivalry between between different services, or something deeper. Ald Velothi is closer to Khuul than Gnisis, and Khuul is a Redoran town. That the silt strider chose to flee to the imperial fort at Gnisis rather than the Redoran fort is probably a bit insulting to them.
Your thoughts are interrupted by a female scream.
Redoran and Imperial forces rush together towards the sound, only to find a dunmer woman, one of the survivors, standing in the town center clutching her arm. Lowering his weapon, one of the soldiers approaches the woman. They lock gazes, but still the woman says nothing.
(http://i.imgur.com/9sYlcZ6.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/qp92k8i.png): "What's the matter, miss?"
She looks up. Then she releases the grip on her arm and holds it up for all to see.
She has a corprus blister.
The next hour is a muddle of worried mumbling and growing fear as the survivors are confined inside one of the buildings while the soldiers debate what to do. Strillian marks the town center, the recalls to Gnisis to report the news to the General. Morbid curiosity strikes you as you wonder what would happen if you were to move a rock or something in the place where he'll reappear, but you decide not to test it. Within minutes he reappears.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Michael, I have orders for you. You're to return to Gnisis with me immediately."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What's up?"
He shakes his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Darius wouldn't tell me."
The two of you check in with Entius to inform him of your reassignment, then Strillian teleports you both back to Gnisis. You notice a distinct lack of any vacuum-sucking noises or rush of air before or after transport. You ask Strillian questions about the process while the two of you head from the barracks to the General's quarters.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What happens to the air in the spot we arrive?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It swaps places with the empty space we leave when we teleport out."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What about the ground? Can you swap that too? Or if you hold onto a boulder or something can you teleport out a chunk of it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "It can be done. But it's not easy. Moving air or water isn't difficult, or loose sand even. But ripping apart objects takes a lot of energy, and even more if the objects have a magical aura. Enchanted items, living creatures and spellcasters especially. Every now and then you hear stories about a mage using recall to teleport limbs off an opponent, but I've never seen it done and I've never spoken to anyone who claims to have seen it done. It's so energy-intensive to do that it's simply easier to smother them with fire and lightning instead. As for the ground, sure you could deliberately stand in water or sand and take a chunk of that with you, but remember you have to move material on the destination side too. Trading sand for water, or similar is easy enough. In fact, construction materials are often transported that way. But generally nobody replaces chunks of floor at the mage guild with ground from outside, for example."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What about teleporting entire creatures away? Could you dig a pit, mark it, then fill it with lava and teleport someone into it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "That's...clever, but impractical. Recall centers around the caster. Even if you could do it, you'd be in the lava too."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Fire resistance?"
He nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Ok. I see how that would work. But any competent caster would feel the mystical field forming and resist it. You probably didn't notice it since you're not a trained caster. And having just teleported you, I can tell you that your aura is weak. I could probably teleport you against your will, but anyone with even an inkling of Mysticism knowledge would be able to push back."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Wait, you're saying you could teleport me even if I didn't want to go?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "You tell me. I just teleported you. Could you have resisted it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...ummm...no? How?"
He shrugs
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Simply reject my field when I extend it. The difficulty of extending your field increases exponentially with distance. But that works both ways. The strength of your own field is exponentially stronger closer to you...and you can't get much closer to you than you. For me to overpower your field, even if I touch you...it's just impractical. Once you get around to getting some proper training you'll see what I mean. You have no control....not even awareness of your own field. You don't know how to reject influence, so anyone could teleport you. But I'd be hard pressed to forcefully teleport even your average 10 year old with only a couple weeks Mysticism practice. To overcome a reasonably trained caster like myself...and Mysticism is by no means my specialty, I doubt anyone short of a Telvanni mage-lord could do it."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What about-"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "We're here, Recruit."
Having arrived at General Darius' office, you see a familiar face.
(http://i.imgur.com/7lFphXs.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Recruit, this is...a high ranking officer working for the Empire. Caius, this is the Recruit we spoke about."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Michael, it's a pleasure to meet you. General, would you leave us alone please."
You notice that it's not a question. The General notices too, and is visibly annoyed, but simply nods and leaves with Strillian.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Now then, I understand that you are knowledgeable about certain things. I wonder if you'd be willing to tell me what you know about the Sixth House."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently under your bed at fort darius (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Aseaheru on July 14, 2013, 07:51:37 am
Post by: hostergaard on July 14, 2013, 08:11:48 am
Spill your beans. Now is the chance to turn things in your favor. Maybe even go so far to explain where you really are from, tell him you know who he is and what he is doing, basically whatever is needed to prove it if you choose to do this.
If you manage to do things right you might get everything you need. Mage training? Special investigation group? You got the attention you needed to make this happen. But be careful and delicate about it, they got all the power and you got info. Use it, but don't push your luck too much.
Oh, and ask if he recently received a package from a former imperial prisoner. Ask what this race this person was what this person looked like.
Post by: hermes on July 14, 2013, 08:58:47 am
If the right moment arises, ask Caius if he owns any shirts whatsoever and, why didn't he wear/procure one for a meeting with general Darius?
In general I'm against breaking the fourth wall with Caius. Probe for information on Awesomicus, Bjorn and the Dunmer woman, try to ascertain whether he's met the Nereverine. Maybe Mike can create a plausible/useful cover story from there. We should have written that fake note from the Emperor earlier, would've been useful now, eh?
Or, this:
Oh, and ask if he recently received a package from a former imperial prisoner. Ask what this race this person was what this person looked like.
The recall logic was brilliant/hilarious btw.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 14, 2013, 10:34:59 am
Post by: PTTG?? on July 14, 2013, 10:36:51 am
ask Caius if he owns any shirts whatsoever
Fair enough...
Now is the time to try to get into Imperial Intelligence. This suggestion is more for the other contributors... but count this as a vote to whatever suggestion gets us away from being just a regular grunt and closer to having our own initiative... so we can become an initiate of magic, our initial intention.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 14, 2013, 10:47:10 am
Post by: LordSlowpoke on July 14, 2013, 10:49:06 am
Spill all the beans in exchange for magical training and discharge from the Legion. Tell Caius you can tell him everything as long as he can promise you'll get help as well, make sure not to seem too demanding, and let him know you'll put the training and freedom to good use assisting in the fight against the coming bad crap.
+1
Post by: birdy51 on July 14, 2013, 12:07:25 pm
Spill all the beans in exchange for magical training and discharge from the Legion. Tell Caius you can tell him everything as long as he can promise you'll get help as well, make sure not to seem too demanding, and let him know you'll put the training and freedom to good use assisting in the fight against the coming bad crap.
I wouldn't think that we are in any position to make demands, but we might be able to arrange it after we give him the information. We have nothing to hide, so why bargain with the information we have? Hiding anything or bargaining is seedy at best. This kind of information could save lives.
I say let's tell him what we know first, then request for aid in Magical Training, as Michael is not cut out for the life of a foot soldier. I'm on the fence about asking that we leave the Legion, so I won't make any comment on that.
Post by: The13thRonin on July 14, 2013, 01:25:52 pm
Post by: The13thRonin on July 14, 2013, 01:29:38 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on July 14, 2013, 01:37:38 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 14, 2013, 01:56:49 pm
-Begin with "Ah, Caius Cosades, just the man I've been wanting to see."
-Tell him EVERYTHING, but perhaps leave the "we come from another world" thing till later
-No excuses about Vivec or dreams or books
-Yes, don't be too demanding. This is our chance, we musn't ruin it.
Post by: Supercharazad on July 14, 2013, 02:08:24 pm
Alright, Just a few things:
-Begin with "Ah, Caius Cosades, just the man I've been wanting to see."
-Tell him EVERYTHING, but perhaps leave the "we come from another world" thing till later
-No excuses about Vivec or dreams or books
-Yes, don't be too demanding. This is our chance, we musn't ruin it.
All this
Post by: Putnam on July 14, 2013, 05:01:52 pm
However, I think that we should at least ask for magical training. We could easily have some "vast knowledge of universal metaphysics from the outside looking in" excuse to come up with as to why it's so urgent.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 14, 2013, 05:14:38 pm
After telling him our information, we must tell him that we need to visit Divayth Fyr to verify some things.
Objectives for this conversation:
Tell him that the sixth house wants to drive all foreigners from Morrowind, and will likely try to brainwash Dunmer citizens and/or infect them with corprus. Find out about the status of the Nerevarine, asking about the prisoner with the package would be a good place to start. Reports of Dunmer, or even others, experiencing strange dreams are likely Sixth House related. That one survivor must be questioned ASAP. Dagoth Ur is quite real and wields the power of an ancient and vastly powerful artifact, and intends to construct a second Numidium, which he is indeed capable of. Inform him that the Tribunal's power is also based on this artifact but they have been unable to replenish themselves for a while. Tell him that the Sixth House has many bases, the strongest of which are in the ancient Dunmer ruins around the island and the Dwemer ruins within the Ghostfence. See if there are any moles within the Great Houses who are in position to manipulate them.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 14, 2013, 09:21:24 pm
Just... try to tell him things in ways he can easily understand. Unlike Vivec, he doesn't have the metaphysical backing and incentive to believe us.
Say:
that we come from another world, and that we have seen these events play out many different times in many different ways, and that while we not know all the details of this specific occurrence, we believe our information is still useful. This is the first time we have visited this series of events in person - previously, we always acted through an avatar. But this time, we visit in the flesh, and we are... adjusting, but making mistakes. Not everything is as it was before. And the reason he might want to trust us - this time, we actually have skin in the game. We are here for real, and we do NOT want to end up under the control of Dagoth Ur or dead.
Post by: SethCreiyd on July 15, 2013, 11:46:29 am
I don't imagine Michael thinks ill of Uriel Septim or that he would abandon an opportunity to assist him.
- Do not even think about lying to Caius or screwing around with him.
Aside from simple ethics, he'll know if we're lying. By telling the truth we establish a basis of trust.
Remember that Caius is Grand Spymaster. 80 Intelligence, 70 Personality. He's likely a good judge of character.
- Tell Caius that Dagoth Ur is building a second Numidium deep within Red Mountain, bound to the Heart of Lorkhan.
The Blades once quested for the fragments of the first Numidium. Caius will understand the danger that Akulakhan presents.
- Discretely make known our awareness of the Nerevarine Prophecy.
We are well acquainted with this entire situation, we just need to convince the Grand Spymaster that we know what we're talking about.
-Tell him EVERYTHING, but perhaps leave the "we come from another world" thing till later
-No excuses about Vivec or dreams or books
-Yes, don't be too demanding. This is our chance, we musn't ruin it.
Agreed. Dagoth Ur is a menace to all of Nirn. Tell Caius everything that could help undermine him.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
- Ask Caius if there is anything we can do to assist in working against the Sixth House.
Maybe he can pull some strings and get us out of garrison duty.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 15, 2013, 11:51:27 am
Post by: Jarod Cain on July 15, 2013, 04:38:39 pm
- Agreed that we should specifically address him as "Caius Cosades." That we've heard of him and that we would be friends of the Emperor.+1 To everything here.
I don't imagine Michael thinks ill of Uriel Septim or that he would abandon an opportunity to assist him.
- Do not even think about lying to Caius or screwing around with him.
Aside from simple ethics, he'll know if we're lying. By telling the truth we establish a basis of trust.
Remember that Caius is Grand Spymaster. 80 Intelligence, 70 Personality. He's likely a good judge of character.
- Tell Caius that Dagoth Ur is building a second Numidium deep within Red Mountain, bound to the Heart of Lorkhan.
The Blades once quested for the fragments of the first Numidium. Caius will understand the danger that Akulakhan presents.
- Discretely make known our awareness of the Nerevarine Prophecy.
We are well acquainted with this entire situation, we just need to convince the Grand Spymaster that we know what we're talking about.-Tell him EVERYTHING, but perhaps leave the "we come from another world" thing till later
-No excuses about Vivec or dreams or books
-Yes, don't be too demanding. This is our chance, we musn't ruin it.
Agreed. Dagoth Ur is a menace to all of Nirn. Tell Caius everything that could help undermine him.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
- Ask Caius if there is anything we can do to assist in working against the Sixth House.
Maybe he can pull some strings and get us out of garrison duty.
-J-
Post by: PTTG?? on July 15, 2013, 07:11:56 pm
Obviously, things aren't exactly the same as the Morrowind we know. For one thing, if this _is_ a real world based off of Morrowind (the old Literary Agent Hypothesis, or something similar)... then it is at least based off of a modified version of the game. (There are apparently children.) Last time you played, what mods did you have? As well as you can remember; don't sweat it if you can't.
As I say that, it occurs to me that we might not be in the game of Morrowind, but rather the lore of Morrowind. The Lore includes children, cooking, refrences to the nitty-gritty parts of magicworking that aren't seen in the game itself. In fact, given the way that NPCs seem to act more... NPClike... near the PC, perhaps when we aren't close to the PC, we're in the Lore, and when they are near, we're in the Game. Like how buildings in the Game would be built when the player isn't present.
This still calls for experimentation! I know we're working on a lot right now, but when we have a chance, Get Bodiath's Pillow Book. It contains clearly verifiable information that is obviously there in the Lore, but not in the Game. That will tell us a lot more about the world, which will serve our interests either way; either we can better master this world, or better escape it back to ours, if we know where we stand.
There's one other useful attribute the Pillow Book might have. If we change from Game to Lore by proximity to the player, then peeking into the book to see what state it's in would tell us if we were near to them.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 16, 2013, 12:39:45 pm
Remember that we want to create a situation where we are working with him to protect Morrowind, not for him.
Post by: hostergaard on July 16, 2013, 12:57:04 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 16, 2013, 07:08:08 pm
Post by: LordSlowpoke on July 16, 2013, 07:09:40 pm
Post by: PTTG?? on July 16, 2013, 07:55:01 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 20, 2013, 05:36:39 am
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Now then, I understand that you are knowledgeable about certain things. I wonder if you'd be willing to tell me what you know about the Sixth House."
Quote
tell him you know who he is and what he is doing
Quote
"Ah, Caius Cosades, just the man I've been wanting to see."
You make eye contact with Caius, then turn to watch Darius and Strillian leave the room. Once they have, and the door closes firmly behind them, you exhale and relax.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Spymaster Cosades, it's a relief to finally meet you."
You see a calculating look in Caius' eyes, but his body and face betray nothing. Instead of speaking he simply waits for you to continue.
Quote
Tell him EVERYTHING
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "The sixth house, first off...is real. It is an ancient Great House under the rule of Dagoth Ur, a demi-god who's actually a contemporary of Vivec and the Tribunal gods. Right now he's holed up inside Red Mountain, and he's in the process of building a second Nimudium with plans to conquer all of Tamriel. Something that you...as a Blades operative, should be very concerned about."
Caius is still looking at you, waiting for you continue. At no point did he ever so much as blink. You make a mental note to never play poker with him.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "They have bases all over Vvardenfell, with especially notable bases at Ilunibi, Kogorhun, Odrosal and Vemynal. Beneath Dagoth Ur, there are a dozen or so highly dangeras ash creatures known as ash vampires, which are not actually undead at all...who act as his lieutenants. Beneath them are the ascended sleepers, one of which recently seems to have assaulted Khuul in an act of racial cleansing. So...yes, I know a great deal. What would you like to know?"
Caius ponders this for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I'll want to hear more about the bases, but you obviously know a great del more than the General lead me to believe. Tell me, what do you know about the Nerevarine propechy?"
Quote
make known our awareness of the Nerevarine Prophecy
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Ahh, the Nerevarine. Supposed to be the reincarnation of Lord Indoril Nerevar, who was a contemporary of the mortals who became the three Tribunal gods, as well as of Dagoth Ur. Prophesied to be reborn to uncertain parents in a foreign...land."
...wait a second. What are the actual prophesied requirements of the Nerevarine?
- Born in a foreign land
You're a freshman liberal arts student at your local community college. You're an average student, and you don't do sports. No real hobbies except the internet, games, watching My Little Pony and reading the occasional fanfic on Equestria Daily.
Can't get much more foreign than from a totally other planet.
- Born to unknown parents
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "What's your favorite food? Do you remember even having eaten in your entire life? Do you have any friends? Pets? Family? What are you parents names? In your entire life do you remember ever having spoken to them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "I...don't know. I...don't remember...any of that."
You have no memory of your parents.
- Born under a certain star
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "You didn't exist prior to walking through the front door of your house."
your chair drops out from beneath you and you feel yourself falling backwards. You see a blur, then sunlight in your eyes, then. SPLASH!
The very first thing you saw upon entering Morrowind was sunlight...from a star...before you even hit the ground.
(GM Comment: after 60 thread pages, seriously disappointed that nobody ever managed to concisely put these pieces together.)
What about the rest? You know there were some other things, but nothing immediately testable. Even in-game, the PC doesn't start out immune to disease, or have approval of the Houses or Ashlanders. Weren't there seven requirements? What were the others?
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...I...might be the Nerevarine."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Oh?"
Quote
ask if he recently received a package from a former imperial prisoner. Ask what this race this person was what this person looked like.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...maybe, yes. Caius, did you recently have someone show up with an encoded message? You must have. That's why you knew to ask me about the Nerevarine prophecy."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes, such a person did come to me."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What race were they? What did they look like?"
He doesn't answer right away. You can see the gears turning in his head, while he debates whether to answer. Eventually, he does.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "She was a dunmer. Youthful face, with long straight white hair."
...that's not the answer you were expecting. The dunmer woman you originally saw in Seyda Neen had sort of curly-ish dark hair. Is it possible she dyed it? That's probably possible here, and it was something like 5 weeks ago that you saw her.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What was her name?"
Again, Caius doesn't answer right away. You roll your eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Caius, seriously...that secret encoded package from the personal secretary to the emperor himself that I couldn't possibly have read and given to her by Sellus Gravius at the Census Office in Seyda Neen said that the person carrying it might meet the conditions of the Nerevarine prophecy, and asked you to induct her into the Blades and arrange for her to make sure that she does."
At this, Caius crosses his arms, and you see a hint of danger in his eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Clover. Her name is Clover. Now, tell me friend...how do you know what was written in an encoded imperial document?"
Quote
leave the "we come from another world" thing till later
Quote
agreed
Quote
all of this
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...Caius...it's...complicated. Look, I don't want to be evasive here. But understand that there are many, many things on Mundus besides mortals. There are daedra, there are gods like Vivec and the Tribunal. There are races like the chimer and the dwemer...and, at least one of those is still alive by the way in Divyth Fyr's corprusarium. There are many things that go unexplained. Oblivion. The warp in the west. 'Where were you when the dragon broke?' Me? I...honestly don't know. I have no memory prior to 5 weeks ago. I don't remember being born. But I do KNOW things. I think I might be the Nerevarine. And if I am, it's possible I know these things because I'm supposed to know them."
That answer feels kind of weak, but Caius doesn't ask for clarification.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "What did you discuss with Vivec?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Vivec?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes. You're the first person outside the Temple hierarchy to be granted an audience in decades."
Hmm. Well done, Caius. It seems you know some things also.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Well, I told him that I might be the Nerevarine, and he basically spoke in riddles. Like...literally at one point he conjured a sword and pushed it around with his finger and asked me how many swords he was pushing and whether they were talking to each other. It was obviously supposed to be some big metaphor for existence, or something...but I didn't really get it. Even if I repeated the conversation verbatim, I don't know if that would help. And we talked about CHIM. Have you read the 36 lessons of Vivec?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "A lot of it was like that."
He nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Perhaps it's best we focus on business then. What can tell you me about Ilunibi?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Cave of Ilunibi...sixth house base. Dagoth Gares is inside, along with some awesome artifact gloves called the Fists of Randagulf. Actually, wait...have you already sent Clover in there?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes. Just yesterday."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "She's going to get Corprus. It's part of Dagoth Ur's plan, but that's also part of the prophecy. The Nerevarine is supposed to be immune to corprus, but she has to catch it in order to become immune to it by talking to Divyth Fyr. He's working on a cure."
But wait...are you the Nerevarine or is she? What happens if she isn't? Does she just get corprus and die, or does Dagoth Gares know that she isn't and so won't infect her? From what Caius is saying, the main quest has definitely been started. What's supposed to happen? Or is there 'supposed to' happen here?
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Who's side are you on, Michael? Where do your loyalties lie? With Vivec? The Empire?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Well, it's in my best interest as much as anyone's for Dagoth Ur to be stopped. Really, it's in the interest of every living creature that he be stopped. It's not that I'm personally loyal to Vivec, or the Emperor...but I'm kind of loyal to common sense and self preservation. EVERYBODY dies if Dagoth Ur wins, or they become insane corprus beasts. Or worse. I don't even know. If stopping the destruction of all of Tamriel means allying with you, the Blades, the Empire, Vivec....as far as I'm concerned, we need to all be in this together."
Caius nods to himself and seems to relax somewhat.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Alright. What you advise?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Well, I..."
Suddenly you feel dizzy. Something is very wrong. You start to sit down before you fall over, but time seems to slow down and before you hit the ground, everything goes black.
(http://i.imgur.com/ler1zGo.png)
You look down, but you see nothing. Not even your own body. Panicking, you try to scream but no sound comes out. Frantically you feel around, but you can't feel anything. It's like complete sensory deprivation except that it's terribly hot. Wait, heat? Where is that coming from? You look up-
(http://i.imgur.com/wUd88nK.png)
..to see the sun above you radiating heat, and a moment later a blue sky with clouds. You look back down and see an ocean below you that extends to horizon all round you.
(http://i.imgur.com/MOhQMCp.png)
You look around, but you don't see...a you. You can rotate your field of view, but you don't even know how you're doing it. But whatever's going on isn't done yet, and everything is going dark again. You look back up at the sun again just in time to see it quickly obscured by...an ugly brown?
(http://i.imgur.com/VuvY2St.png)
You watch helplessly as the sun, the sky and the ocean are all obscured by brown nothingness. Even the heat from the sun seems to be blocked by it. Then you watch as lines begin to appear. Dozens, then hundreds all at once you watch as the world is rebuilt around you.
(http://i.imgur.com/ArA7YYv.png)
And then, the first sound reaches your ears as you hear yourself suddenly inhale a breathfull of air with lungs you're not sure you had a moment ago. You're in the room just as before, and Caius is standing next to you as if nothing happened.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Who's side are you on, Michael? Where do your loyalties lie? With Vivec? The Empire?"
What do you do?
Post by: Supercharazad on July 20, 2013, 06:11:45 am
Because I have a feeling we just achieved CHIM. Somehow. May as well test it.
Also tell Caius that we're on the side of Tamriel.
Post by: shadenight123 on July 20, 2013, 06:37:16 am
WE ARE LOYAL TO BAY12! ALL HAIL DWARF FORTRESS!
and if this doesn't work, then...
For the Empire!
Post by: Man of Paper on July 20, 2013, 06:38:06 am
The world was redrawn, so I have a feeling that there's a second cause for this reset. Perhaps the game was exited or the PC shut off and we didn't know because the game world, and by extension Michael, did not actually exist. I'm also kind of mad that I didn't read through the beginning posts like I wanted when I was making the Nerevarine argument. It's right there staring us in the face.
I have high hopes for you, Michael. But we gotta remember that they're just hopes. Someone else could be the chosen one, and we shouldn't be disappointed by that. It'll just mean that the bamf shit we do is all the more badass because we aren't destined for it.
Post by: Supercharazad on July 20, 2013, 06:40:26 am
I say we repeat our answer verbatim and see if he responds differently.
Post by: hermes on July 20, 2013, 06:53:33 am
Yeah, this reset is strange. Almost as if Mike has to become the Nerevarine. Experimenting is probably a good idea, but before it was hinted that there might be some negative consequences to reloads?? Though whether this counts as a reload..??? I don't know what to think!
From The Seven Visions (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:The_Seven_Visions)...
One Destiny
He speaks the law for Veloth's people.
He speaks for their land, and names them great.
So... Mike should perhaps align with the Dunmer? I dunno. If he had to fulfil the prophesy, then I guess that would be the answer.
Post by: Putnam on July 20, 2013, 01:39:50 pm
Anyway. the verbatim thing sounds nice.
Post by: MonkeyHead on July 20, 2013, 02:09:40 pm
Ask Caius if he has dispatched anyone to Illunibi, and if he has, obtain a description
Post by: Putnam on July 20, 2013, 02:12:25 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Perhaps it's best we focus on business then. What can tell you me about Ilunibi?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Cave of Ilunibi...sixth house base. Dagoth Gares is inside, along with some awesome artifact gloves called the Fists of Randagulf. Actually, wait...have you already sent Clover in there?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes. Just yesterday."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "She's going to get Corprus. It's part of Dagoth Ur's plan, but that's also part of the prophecy. The Nerevarine is supposed to be immune to corprus, but she has to catch it in order to become immune to it by talking to Divyth Fyr. He's working on a cure."
Post by: MonkeyHead on July 20, 2013, 02:15:30 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 20, 2013, 06:56:31 pm
I have to wonder, what does happen if we attempt to leave? Not that we should do it any time soon, but if we go to the mainland, are we in the Tamriel Rebuilt mod? If we go to Cyrodil, does our POV shift to TES IV: Oblivion?
Tell him that we have seen many individuals who might fulfill the requirements. Awesomicus clearly demonstrates strange properties, as does that dunmer lady we saw. Perhaps she dyed her hair, we should ask about that discrepancy. Basically, we want to lay plain that if we're not the Nerevarine, then we have a good idea who is. Ask him if she reported having any strange dreams. This is something the PC experiences early in the MQ. We should also ask Awesomicus if he's had any strange dreams, as usually the Sharmat only broadcasts to Dunmer, but the Nerevarine receives them no matter his/her race.
We must talk to Divayth Fyr soon, perhaps accompanying Clover. Perhaps we shall contract Corprus from her, if we are meant to have it.
Another thing to consider: perhaps accompanying her through Illunibi would guarantee eventual success, since if we fail she'd just reload. The feasibility on any of that is uncertain, though.
Post by: LordBucket on July 20, 2013, 11:58:22 pm
Quote
repeat our answer verbatim
Quote
Repeat our answer to "who's side?" verbatim
You continue breathing for a moment. So far as you can tell you just went from disembodied to having a body a moment ago. Responding casually to his question without missing a beat isn't easy. Damn it, what did you even say before the world completely disintegrated in front of you?
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...umm..."
The dizzyness that led you to nearly falling over before the world vanished is gone, but the disorientation isn't. Another moment passes while you try to settle yourself. You glance over at Caius and he's looking at you curiously.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I'm sorry, what was the question?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Are you ok?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No, before that."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I asked where your loyalties lie."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Oh. Right. How about, with common sense? If Dagoth Ur wins, everybody either dies or turns into a corprus monster. Nobody wants that. We should all work together."
You take a seat at Darius' table. You said it far more eloquently the last time, but that was more or less the jist of it.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Are you ok? You zoned out there for a moment."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Did I...zone out before or after...I'm not even sure how to ask the question. What just happened? What did it look like to you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I asked you where your loyalties lie, with Vivec or the Empire. You suddenly inhaled about halfway through my question as if you'd forgotten to breath. Then your eyes focused as if you were lost in thought, you said 'umm,' you swallowed, steadied your breathing, apologized and asked me what was the question."
Hmm. Caius seems especially observant. You remember the swallow now that he's pointed it out, but you didn't really notice it when you did it.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "What happened?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I...guess I had a vision. Of sorts. Every now and then I get extreme senses of deja vue, as if I've done or seen things before. This time was different. "
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I've received reports of citizens having strange dreams lately. What was in your vision?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No, those dreams are from Dagoth Ur. He's trying to mind control random members of the population, to use as spies. They're called sleepers. There are a bunch all over the island, including two in particular who hang out by the river that runs through Balmora."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Do you know their names?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...off the top of my head no, but one wears a green robe. I'd probably recognize him if I saw him. Anyway, this wasn't that. This was something else, and I'm not sure what."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "What did you see?"
You shrug.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Everything went black and I couldn't see, hear or feel anything except heat. I looked up to see the sun, then watched as the sky and clouds reformed, then the ocean, and everything faded to brown. Then I saw the world and the buildings reform around me, then suddenly you were asking me a question."
The memory of what happened is rather vivid.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "That doesn't mean anything to me. Does it to you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...kind of...not, no. I mean, I have some ideas...but, I don't really know."
Quote
see if any of the information he gave us has changed.
Quote
Ask Caius if he has dispatched anyone to Illunibi, and if he has, obtain a description
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, actually...there's something you could do that might help. Remember a bit ago I asked about...someone and Ilunibi?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Tell me again what you said before. What's the name of the...person you sent? What did she look like? When did you talk to her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Clover the Clever. Female dunmer, long white hair. She first presented herself to me nearly four weeks ago, and I asked her to investigate Ilunibi just yesterday. Why do you ask?"
Hmm. He went into more detail this time, but that answer doesn't disagree with anything he said the first time. Four weeks...that would have been about the time you joined the Legion. So in four weeks she's done, what...about a third of the main quest? There are probably some other implications too. For example...if the quest progression is the same here, that would mean she's probably already retrieved the dwemer cube for Hasphat, and the skull for the necro-oh. Right. The skull quest that the orc offered you before you joined the legion. The one that she said was a limited time offer. That quest probably isn't available anymore.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hmm, ok. I was kind of hoping the answer would be different this time."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Why would it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Well...when the deja vues happen, sometimes..."
It occurs to you that you're partially depending on the word of the voices in your head for some of this. Until now you don't remember repeating events or anything like they've said. Just the sense of deja vue. But this time you do remember answering Caius' question, and then him asking it again. So you decide to go with it.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...sometimes it's like I'm repeating certain events. For example, just now you asked me about my loyalties, and I actually answered before the whole vision thing happened. And then you asked again."
Caius frowns at this.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "You mean, as if you were sent backwards in time?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hmm. Yeah, I suppose you could look at it that way."
Caius' gaze becomes very distant. He's clearly very concerned with that answer.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I hope that you're lying to me. Or are merely crazy. I fear that you're not."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Are you familiar with the warp in the west?"
...oh. Oh. Yeah, from his point of view that makes a lot of sense.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Yes. You think it happening again?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "It's possible."
The two of you look at each other for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Michael, you're an intelligence asset. And while I don't know what exactly your role is in all of this, I suspect that you do have one. I want you to work for me. I'd like you to become a Blades operative. I gather that you already understand what I'm proposing."
How can we become autonomous again?
-Become an Operative
cut a deal with Caius, information in exchange for freedom.
I can support that. And if there's anyone who can get us out of our obligations
in good standing, actually, it's probably him.
Talk to Caius at the first opportunity
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Yes. Yes, I do. And that sounds like a terrific idea. But I'm presently a legion recruit stuck in menial patrol and guard duty. Would you be able to make arrangements to get me out of active duty?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes, that should be no problem."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Very well, I accept."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Excellent. Wait here a moment."
Caius goes to the door and sends a legionnaire to fetch General Darius. The two of them exchange some private words together, then the general scowls and faces you.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Recruit Michael, I am hereby placing you on detached duty until further notice. Please note that detached duty personnel are not eligible for monthly pay or provisions like regular patrol duty personnel. Thank you for your service. Glory to the Emperor."
Something about the droning way he said it with no pauses between sentences leads you to believe that this is a speech he's given before.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to have my office back."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Come, let's get your things."
You lead Caius to your bunk at the barracks. He instructs you to gather all your things in a pile, and then he recalls the two of you to his room in Balmora where an Argonian is waiting. The Argonian looks at you and instantly draws and aims a crossbow at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/9GHx5Wd.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Hold. Nine-toes, this is Michael. Michael, Nine-toes."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hi."
(http://i.imgur.com/SlTgGzX.png): "The pleasure is ours."
Caius sits at his table and begins writing a letter while making a number of slippery hissing noises. Nine-toes listens closely then hisses a response. Caius hands him a rolled up letter and he leaves.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "As for you, here's 200 septims. Get yourself some gear, or training. Or if you need a base of operations, you might consider talking to Nileno Dorvayn at the Hlaalu Council Manor. Give her my name and she'll give you a discounted rental rate here in Balmora. I don't mind if you need to leave some things here for a few days while you get yourself sorted out, but I can't have legion armor sitting around and risk my cover. Stash it under the bed if you need for now, but get it taken care of."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Come back in a few days and I might have orders for you."
Quote
attempt to summon a glass of water from nowhere.
Caius resumes his writing, and with his back turned you hold out your hand and try to conjure a glass of water. Nothing happens.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Caius Cosades' house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: joemoben on July 21, 2013, 12:48:32 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 21, 2013, 01:25:19 am
1)Try to catch up to Clover in Illunibi,
2)Wait for her to report back, likely infested with corprus,
OR
3)Go straight to Tel Fyr
Before any, we might want to prepare. As Legion armor is a bit conspicuous, we Should acquire some light or medium armor, light being within our price range more. We don't necessarily need a new weapon, but I still believe spears ar best suited for Mike. IRL, they're quite versatile weapons requiring little skill to use effctively, and ingame they provide great damage, reach, and speed for comparatively little weight. A silver spear or iron spear would be great and affordable.
Post by: Supercharazad on July 21, 2013, 05:16:42 am
Anyway, Let's sell the legion armour, buy some light armour and then head to Tel Fyr
Post by: Iituem on July 21, 2013, 08:45:57 am
Ask which of the three magical Blades trainers, Gildan, Surane Leoriane, or Tyermaillin, would be most likely to give us a beginners training in magic.
Anyway, Let's sell the legion armour, buy some light armour and then head to Tel Fyr
Also, have the Ashlanders been seen by now in the main quest? I'm not sure.
Cancelling vote in light of word of GM.
Post by: LordBucket on July 21, 2013, 09:26:34 am
Quote
magic
Before everybody gets all excited about suggesting magic, remember that everything established in episodes 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704) and 27 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4349661#msg4349661) still applies. Ranis estimated that it would take a week or two to learn magic, and like Strillian said:
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey7cD4o.png): "Don't go to just any hedge wizard for training. Be sure you find someone with enough acuity that they can stop you from blasting out your internal organs if you start overchanneling."
Don't think you can casually go to any random, low level Blades operative, pay your 50 gold and POOF you know magic. It doesn't work that way, and it has consistently never worked that way throughout this entire forum game. I remember making a fairly extensive word of god GM post about it at one point suggesting several different options.
Quote
Tel Fyr
If you guys want to do that, it can probably be arranged, but I advise planning it out a bit more carefully. It's not a trivial trip.
Quote
weapons
You guys might want to check your equipment before making any major decisions there. By my count you've got four weapons, which is more than you can even carry. I'm not sure why you're so eager to buy more.
Post by: Aseaheru on July 21, 2013, 09:29:25 am
Post by: MonkeyHead on July 21, 2013, 09:44:58 am
- Combat is not our strength
- Magic is not our strength
- knowledge is our strength
Clover may or may not be the Nerevarine. We may or may not be the Nerevarine. However, The Dunmer are far more likley to support Clover's claim than they are any we are likley to make. We could so easily be the power behind the throne here, and support her in order to attain a shared goal. Clover will no doubt have the combat and magic skills we lack which we could help her apply in the most efficient way possible.
Vote for trying to catch up with Clover and support her efforts with our knowledge, assuming she isnt dead yet.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 21, 2013, 09:59:21 am
Quote from: LordBucket link=topic=126387.msg4423223#msg4423223
You guys might want to check your equipment before making any major decisions there. By my count you've got four weapons, which is more than you can even carry. I'm not sure why you're so eager to buy more.
Selling the longsword would give enough money for a good iron or silver spear. A longsword doesnt do much good if someone's too close to use a spear the length of a walking stick (we're not talking pikes or cavalry spears here), only our tanto would be good at that range. It would benefit us to carry the tanto as backup.
Also, getting just enough training to summon bound weapons wouldnt be a bad idea.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 21, 2013, 10:45:10 am
+1 to light armor, though for the time being just go on with the jeans and 20% Cooler shirt.
Post by: Aseaheru on July 21, 2013, 10:54:55 am
Post by: Man of Paper on July 21, 2013, 10:58:47 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 21, 2013, 10:59:33 am
Post by: Aseaheru on July 21, 2013, 11:01:38 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 21, 2013, 11:06:53 am
What's most important at this point is that we specialize, I think.
Meanwhile, we might want to walk to the nearest town through the wilderness (make sure to bring the health potions!) collecting ingredients as we go. We can check that town for quests we might do, and then head back by another route, and we should be in good shape to start making potions and exploring SCIENCE. Then we can see if the Blades have any quests for us.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 21, 2013, 11:14:10 am
Post by: Iituem on July 21, 2013, 05:38:03 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 22, 2013, 02:55:37 am
Spears are the reason mankind became the undisputed master of killing on this planet. They are the perfect weapon for travel, doubling as a walking stick (and going by the graphics, that's about the length of the ingame spears) and (as our ancestors learned) perfect for dealing with
If we sell all our imperial legion armor, we can expect to get, at most, 378 Septims for it, bringing our total to
378+200+44= 632 gold for selling legion armor alone.
If we sold our non-tanto weapons, that would bring us up to 698. This upper estimate is based purely on the item's base values. So, plan our purchases with that amount in mind, expecting to have a bit less due to bartering. Our ballpark is about 500-600 septims available for buying stuff.
Let's settle on an armor style, preferably medium but as long as it's not heavy. Caius says we can't be wearing legion armor around his place, as it's too conspicuous, so keeping it would be a tad impractical. Therefore, we must sell it to buy some more faction-neutral armor. As we're already shedding it, and Mike really needs to be able to move more easily, we should switch to either Medium or Light armor. I prefer medium as it would retain more protection than switching to one of the lower-end lightweight suits, but then again the medium armor available in Balmora is pretty expensive.
Whatever weapon we end up using at the end of bettering ourselves through money, let's find out exactly what a '5' in weapon skills means for us. Does that mean we swing way wide, missing our targets epically as the game tries to represent? Or do we just know how to handle the weapon now, making us capable of using it effectively but not particularly good at it?
We have a few days to prepare for what we do next, but we must make a hard decision:
-We could go to Illunibi to see if Clover's lying crippled/dying/dead there (or taking a few days to get out after being stricken with Corprus), or we could head straight to Tel Fyr, but in doing either of those things we risk missing her, and thus missing the chance to properly meet and observe her.
-On the other hand, if we waited her for her to return from killing Dagoth Gares, we run the risk of wasting our time: if she wasn't meant to be, she might die there and we'd be stuck waiting for longer than intended.
-"Fuck this" and going to Solstheim is not an option.
Post by: MonkeyHead on July 22, 2013, 04:08:19 am
I suspect that the 5 in a skill is on the same scale as Morrowind the game actually uses - so useless in other words. You cant really do much with a skill unless it gets close to 20...
Post by: Man of Paper on July 22, 2013, 04:32:19 am
Spear and shield I think is not a very good idea. The extra weight of the shield, coupled with changing our grasping technique from a stable two hands to one hand on the spear means we can be very easily disarmed, as I assume the spears were made for two-handed use and therefore one handing it would make it highly off balance or unwieldy. A sling is still a brilliant idea for a ranged weapon. It's light, easy to use, and you can find ammunition for it everywhere.
I don't know why everyone's pushing the spear as a walking stick thing. So far it's see zero use as a staff from what I recall, and with the amount of magical and strider travel we do, that function is not necessary anyway.
Do NOT interact with suspected nerevarines, including Clover, in any way that could benefit or harm them until we know who the actual Nerevarine is. We don't want to trigger resets unnecessarily, and messing around with a PC is a surefire way to do that. Remember, if she dies, she may reload from an earlier point, or another PC could take her place. Getting Clover to die could be a futile action. Until we have a good grasp of how things work we need to keep from intentionally diddling stuff lest we fuck ourselves royally. And for the love of Nards, if people ignore everything else I said and vote against all of it, at least do not help the PCs attain knowledge they could use against us, including that which results in them getting weaponry.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 22, 2013, 06:39:59 am
We already HAVE a spear, and decent armor - the most cost effective choice is to just keep using the armor and weapon we have, and sell the rest. Don't go off selling armor and weapons just to buy armor and weapons.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 22, 2013, 06:48:23 am
The issued armor point is valid. Check the armorer in Balmora. If he still has imperial chain stuff then we're good to sell dat shits.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 22, 2013, 07:09:41 am
Also, what's wrong with sticking with our current armor?
Post by: Supercharazad on July 22, 2013, 07:31:50 am
Post by: Man of Paper on July 22, 2013, 08:07:42 am
If you can't tell, I'm pushing hard to have Mike be a fighter focused on quick strikes and evasion more than anything else, because I think he'd excel in that style of fighting, especially supplemented with any magic we may get our hands on.
Post by: Supercharazad on July 22, 2013, 08:09:35 am
Post by: hermes on July 22, 2013, 08:54:54 am
we're going to die if we listen to what you say and then the majority decides to raid a tomb or something.I think this is pretty unlikely. Almost everyone suggesting is extremely cautious. Mike tried to talk his way out of the attack even with a detatchment of Legionnaires going in first.
Quote
after housing, alchemical tools should be our next target.Good idea.
Quote
Do NOT interact with suspected nerevarines, including Clover, in any way that could benefit or harm them until we know who the actual Nerevarine is.Agreed here too. Everyone seems too eager to just tell everyone everything and hope they'll think Mike is amazing. Mike should play his cards FAR more carefully. Find the Nerevarine, sure. Identify them, great. But don't go giving them all kinds of info until we know whether we should be supporting them or supplanting them or something else.
Also, what's wrong with sticking with our current armor?
Quote from: Caius
I don't mind if you need to leave some things here for a few days while you get yourself sorted out, but I can't have legion armor sitting around and risk my cover. Stash it under the bed if you need for now, but get it taken care of."
Inquire about accomodation from Nileno Dorvayn at the Hlaalu Council Manor
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 22, 2013, 10:08:11 am
What we know:
- We may be the Nerevarine
- The Player Character may be the Nerevarine
- They are advancing through the quest
- We are (mostly) free
What should we work towards, that does not include gear/house?
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 22, 2013, 10:18:22 am
I think it's worth setting up our home base in Balmora, which means it's worth getting to know the various folks in town. Talk to them. Introduce yourself. See if they have any problems that need resolving. In particular get to know any adventurers who might be up for a few trips.
We should do this at whatever town we decide to walk to collecting ingredients as well - so a good question is, where do we want to go?
There's also another option - we could try to get together an adventuring team to loot the nearby Dwemer ruins or something.
Remember, our primary advantage over the game player is our ability to organize others and work with them and they with us, and we have KNOWLEDGE. Delicious, valuable knowledge. As I mentioned before, what we really want to do is become someone who can lead others to do things right. Alchemy is just a possible way to fund that, but if we can hire a wizard we don't actually need to learn any ourselves, or we can take our time.
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 22, 2013, 10:25:30 am
Remember, our primary advantage over the game player is our ability to organize others and work with them and they with us, and we have KNOWLEDGE. Delicious, valuable knowledge. As I mentioned before, what we really want to do is become someone who can lead others to do things right. Alchemy is just a possible way to fund that, but if we can hire a wizard we don't actually need to learn any ourselves, or we can take our time.
This has given me a thought. Once again, I lack the specific knowledge, but here are some suggestions inspired by this and previous posts:
- Attempt to make explosive projectile "potions". Think Greek Fire, flasks of acid, smoke bombs.
- Attempt basic electro-magnet to test whether real-world physics work. I'm fairly certain that wire, copper bits and a lemon battery would do the trick. We could potentially create some powerful items, quickly, using electricity (from controlled lightning) or magnets.
- See if we can obtain some Dwemer items. Automatons/power armor suits could be our way to the future.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 22, 2013, 12:52:05 pm
We do already have a spear, but it's an absolutely crappy chitin spear. Our current most powerful weapon is a steel longsword, which ingame weighs 20 and does 1-20 damage. A silver spear weighs only 11.2 yet does 5-23 damage, and is worth the same amount of money (80 septims). I just compared sizes in the construction set, and most spears in Morrowind are ~6ft long. Long enough to keep people at arm's length, but not so long as to be awkward up close. If people get right in our face, we can shove them off with the shaft, slide our grip further up so we can still stab them, or draw the tanto. The short spear + light shield combo is a tried and tested fighting style throughout human history, and going by weight, we should actually be able to handle the spear better in 1 hand than the longsword. 2-handing it would probably be best, though. If you're in a narrow hallway, you walk with spear pointed forward, making it nearly impossible for anything to get past it. Point it forward when a beast charges, use it's momentum against it. Reach up and stab cliff-racers. Pry things open with it. In short, get a silver spear.
Remember, in this world (known to have mods), things incomplete or absent in the game due to IRL gamey reasons might not be. Medium armor might not be so unfinished, and even the normal expansion packs and official plugins fixed the gaps in Medium Armor.
We can't keep avoiding PC's forever. We HAVE to interact with Clover, so we can find out exactly what's going on and figure our just who's the Nerevarine. We can't find out who's the Nerevarine if we keep avoiding the other candidates. In the meantime, getting an adventuring party together to loot Arkngthad sounds like a good idea, though bear in mind that Clover may have cleaned the place out when she went to go get the puzzle box. Starting a party might eventually lead to having permanent, trustworthy adventuring companions to do our bidding.
We're in the Blades now, so check if it's cheaper/free to operate out of the South Wall Cornerclub than renting somewhere else.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 22, 2013, 12:58:52 pm
Support upgrading our spear to the silver spear
Support getting an adventuring party together to loot
Post by: WillowLuman on July 22, 2013, 01:00:31 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on July 22, 2013, 01:13:57 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 22, 2013, 01:19:55 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 22, 2013, 01:22:34 pm
Also, I just realized we probably need to worry about being robbed. >_>
Post by: WillowLuman on July 22, 2013, 01:23:31 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 23, 2013, 06:01:27 am
Lots of good stuff for Michael. Update is half written. Probably be up tomorrow night.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 23, 2013, 07:02:07 am
Once we earn his trust more, Caius will let us crash at his place.
I don't think this is likely, to be honest.
Post by: shadenight123 on July 23, 2013, 11:40:31 am
Hey, if we Crash to Desktop...maybe we can try and play solitaire?
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 23, 2013, 11:57:07 am
I think we can take that meaning literally.
Hey, if we Crash to Desktop...maybe we can try and play solitaire?
At this rate, this would be real solitaire. Do you really want Michael to deal with medieval succession rights?
Post by: WillowLuman on July 23, 2013, 12:39:47 pm
Once we earn his trust more, Caius will let us crash at his place.
I don't think this is likely, to be honest.
He does for the PC, so it's possible.
I have a feeling he's going to yell at us for having a debate about spears in his head.
Post by: LordBucket on July 26, 2013, 02:19:50 am
Quote
Ask which of the three magical Blades trainers, Gildan, Surane Leoriane, or Tyermaillin,
would be most likely to give us a beginners training in magic.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, Caius. Any chance you have someone on staff who could teach me magic?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Which school are you looking to learn?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "All of them."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "You don't know any magic at all? Can you channel magicka?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No. And no, I'm not an atronach. At least not so far as I know. I just never learned magic."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Picking up new schools isn't difficult for most people, but as an adult learning basic channeling, I'd recommend training under an experienced teacher to prevent injury from overchanneling. It's possible it's something I might be able to do, but I really have no time for it. I'd suggest talking to Ranis Athrys at the local mage guild."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I tried her already."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Hmm. I do have another contact who might be willing to help. How would you feel about learning from a former Telvanni?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Sure, I'm ok with that."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "His name is Edd Theman. He's a former Council Mouth who was expelled from House Telvanni for reasons of political expediency. He rents a room here in Balmora. Just across the Odai river, north side, upstairs."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "You mean Fast Eddie?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "You know him?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I know...of him."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "He's easily the second most powerful sorcerer in Balmora, second only to Ranis, and I'm not entirely sure he's not her equal."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "And you think he'd teach me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "You'd have to negotiate with him. As I understand it, he wants more than anything to get back in good standing with the Telvanni. If you can help him, I'm sure he'd go to great lengths to help you."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hmm. Ok, thanks."
You grab your backpack to swap around some gear. In the process you find...wait, what's this?
(http://i.imgur.com/ij1DTOL.png)
The note reads: "Remember, we are watching you."
Huh. I wonder how long that's been sitting there. Setting it aside, you finish rearranging your bag for lone adventuring again, and set out across the bridge towards Fast Eddie's house.
(http://i.imgur.com/rXxB0Tk.png)
Well, this is it. This could be your big chance to finally learn magic.
(http://i.imgur.com/KaGi8Jk.png)
Remembering what you learned in the Legion about door etiquette, you push open the door rather than knock, catching Eddie in the midst of the bright lavender sparkles of a spell cast. He glances at you briefly but continues casting the spell without speaking. After the spell finishes you begin:
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hi, my nam-"
Before you finish he immediately he goes into another spellcast. You wait. And after finishing, once he again he casts. And again. Doesn't look like he's going to stop.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Can I help you, officer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Are you Fast Eddie?"
He nods. Another spellcast.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "My name's Michael. Caius Cosades referred me to you. He says that you might be able to teach me magic."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Why come to me? Mage Guild's a stone's throw from my door."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I tried them, but they want me to know magic before they'll accept me, and I need to be in before they'll teach me magic. Catch 22."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Haha, that's funny. Typical imperials."
His spell fizzles.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Damn it."
He resumes casting.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "So...can you teach me?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Sure. Which school you want to learn?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "All of them. And since everybody I talk to asks, no I don't know how to channel magicka, but I do already have extensive background in metamagical math."
He glances back at you
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "You learned the math but not the application? What did your--wait, you know what? Not my business. Yes, I can help you. In my 300 years, plus or minus, I've taken dozens of students. I don't know what your story is, but I'm sure it's nothing I haven't dealt with. The question is: what's in it for me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What do you-"
His spell fizzles.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Damn it."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What do you want?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "You have any contacts in House Telvanni? Good friends who'd be willing to go out on a limb politically?"
You think about that. You know most...probably all of the councilors by name. Aryon, Neloth, Dratha and Therana. Plus Divith Fyr and Baladas if they count. You know where they live. You might even remember some things they want, but certainly none of them know you.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No."
He shrugs and resumes casting.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Ok. How about 1000 gold for channeling groundwork and 1000 per school."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "1000 each? That's a lot."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "500?"
His spell fizzles.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "DAMN it."
He shakes his head and sits down on his bed.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "I know. How about give me a great big treasure chest full of low grade restore magicka potions so I don't have to sleep half a day for every 20 minutes worth of spell practice. Or hell, bring me a big enough pile of void salt and diamonds, and I'll make them myself."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "You need void salt and diamonds for restore magicka potions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "I know, right? Talk about bad luck. Anyway, I just ran out of magicka, and that means I've got about 12 hours of sleep ahead of me right now. Even if you want to start right now, I'm not teaching channeling while running on empty. So unless you want to start right now and have a restore potion on you, why don't you come back later."
Eddie pushes you outside and you hear the door lock.
That conversation was...extremely enlightening. Among other things, it seems you don't need to learn all school at once. Or even at all. And Eddie seemed very willing to negotiate on price. Pity you didn't look into this four weeks ago. But for now, even the 500 asking price for learning basic channeling is out of your range.
Quote
Inquire about accomodation from Nileno Dorvayn at the Hlaalu Council Manor
Quote
see how much housing would cost us
(http://i.imgur.com/JzOJBPL.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hello, I'm looking for Nileno Dorvayn?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "I'm Nileno. What can I help you with? Is there trouble?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "No, everything's fine...actually I'm just looking to rent a place here in Balmora."
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Oh, excellent. We always enjoy having new immigrants here in Balmora. How much were you looking to spend?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What are my options?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Well, on the higher end, Hlaalo's Manor is available for sale."
Hlalo manor. Why does that name sound familiar?
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "It's a lovely pre-furnished two story mansion with two bedrooms, a large dining area, storage. Also, the former maid, Uryne Nirith, has expressed desire to stay on with the new owner for a small wage."
Oh, that's right. That's the house belonging to the guy that was murdered. ...wait, isn't that the quest that got us killed once before? At least, that's what the voices say. You yourself have no memory of that.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "How much?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Asking price is 5000 god."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "...ok, umm...what do you have available on the low end?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "On the extreme low end I have a single room apartment available for 300 gold per month."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "300? I have an acquaintance in Seyda Neen, and that's three times what she's paying for her place."
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Yes, I don't doubt it. Location is everything, dear."
Hmm. That's kind of true. Is Balmora where we want to base our operations?
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "What are the payment terms? First and last month in advance? Month to month? Any security deposit?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "No deposit, and I can accept month to month if you can give me a written letter of recommendation from a current resident."
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "By curious coincidence, I happen to have a letter of recommendation from Ranis Athrys at the mage guild. Would that qualify?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "You're a friend of hers?"
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Well, I've only known her for a few weeks, but she's been helping me out with getting some magic training through an acquaintance of hers. Here's the letter."
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Ranis has done a lot of good work for me. If she speaks highly of you I think I can give you a slight discount. 250 per month instead of 300."
Speechcraft is now 19
Quote
buy a full alchemy kit
Since they're too large to carry, you'll probably want to decide for certain whether to rent the room first. But you manage to price an apprentice level alembic, calcinator and retort for 75, 30 and 15 gold respectively.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on July 26, 2013, 02:20:54 am
Episode 36: Part 2, Combat and re-equipping
Quote
a spear is probably a sensible option
Quote
The problem with a spear is that the second your enemy gets up close, you're fucked.
Quote
Whatever we do, keep a knife
Quote
Support upgrading our spear to the silver spear
Quote
get a silver spear.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hmm. Ok, looks like everyone agrees either spear or short blade. But..."
Quote
Don't go off selling armor and weapons just to buy armor and weapons.
Quote
Take a weapon and some armor out while hunting alchemy ingredients
and get into a couple fights with monsters to train while you're doing it.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Yeah. I mean, we spent four weeks getting this gear and training for it. How about we at least try it out, first, before we sell it all and buy something else."
You head out the front gate and go west along the river.
(http://i.imgur.com/Dx7acuW.png)
+1 Acrobatics
The silt strider is kind of scary looking for the underside. When riding on them it's easy to forget they're alive. From this angle, seeing how the tentacles are nearly as big as you are...yeah, you decide to skirt the edge of the hill on the far side rather than get too close. Following the river southwest towards the Shulk egg mine, you find a lone scrib wandering in the brush.
(http://i.imgur.com/6TWWJYa.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Ok, time to do this."
You draw your tanto and attack.
(http://i.imgur.com/aGHBVJg.png)
Only to be immediately paralyzed. It's...unpleasant. The fact that the scrib takes the opportunity to gnaw on your shins makes it less so. Eventually it wears off and you resume your attack, only to be paralyzed again. And again a third time before you finally manage to dispatch it.
Health is now 42/50
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey, that wasn't too bad."
You find another one and kill it too.
+1 unarmored
+1 heavy
Health is now 31/50
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Ok, well, I think I've got a good feel for what fighting with the tanto is like. Let's switch to the spear and try that."
You find another scrib, and quickly dispatch it.
Health is now 28/50
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hmm. Well, it did die a lot faster, but I'm not sure if that's because the spear is better, or because it never managed to paralyze me so I didn't have to stand around and wait as much"
You search the area for more bugs, but don't find any. You stop and talk to a couple egg miners, but they seem reluctant to talk to you. Must be the Legion armor you're wearing.
Quote
while hunting alchemy ingredients and get into a couple fights with monsters
You do however find lots of flowers, and various roots and plants to pick. After a few hours, 36 Heather and various other useful things. But you don't find any more monsters to fight. Glancing upwards, you see the sun peek out over from behind the nearby hills
(http://i.imgur.com/sbEd32V.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Hey there, sun. Looks like I've run out of monsters to fight. I suppose I could go into the mine. I'd be sure to find some in there. What do you think?"
The sun says nothing.
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "I'll take that as a yes."
You head back to the Shulk egg mine, and step inside.
(http://i.imgur.com/eO6PXKy.png)
It's dark and gloomy.
Before long you find a number of large kwama eggs. And by 'large' you mean they're bigger than your head. You remember from your lessons with Nalcarya how the usable alchemical portion is only the tiny germinal disc on the yolk. You consider extracting them from some eggs...but they're kind of creepy and gross looking. Maybe later.
Before long you find a kwama forager. Or rather, it finds you. It's about a foot and a half long worm and the first you see it is when it comes jumping out towards you from around a corner.
(http://i.imgur.com/D4h8NqW.png)
Not only is it disgusting, it's also very much more dangerous than the scribs. You swing your spear frantically at it, but the thing moves fast and it's amazingly good at evading you. And the few times you do manage to hit it, your spear mostly bounces off with minimal penetration. Eventually you give up and leave. This is a losing battle, and you're not going to let a worm kill you. Fortunately it can't open the door, and you're perfectly safe once you're outside again.
Health is now 14/50
+1 heavy
+1 unarmored
Agility is now 36
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Ok, guys...after experimenting with both the dagger and the spear, here's what I've concluded:"
1) I don't think fighting with tower shield plus spear like the legion taught is going to be realistic. That's for group formations, not one on one fights. I need two hands to use the spear. If I use a short blade, that leaves one hand free. Also, I have to always be carrying it. The dagger I can sheathe, but if I go with the spear, that means dropping my weapon if I ever need two hands for something. What if I have to climb a ladder? If it came to it I could probably figure something out. This particular spear is only 5 or 10 pounds. I could probably grip it with thumb and finger and use my other three fingers to hook onto the rungs. But that kind of thing might become an issue at some point.
2) My chitin spear weighs almost double what my steel tanto weighs. Honestly...I think that's ok. Yes it's heavy, but I can do it, for now. But if this is a long term decision, what about later on? I'm going to want to upgrade eventually, right? How much does a daedric dagger vs a daedric spear weigh? Which of these is the better choice long term?
3) I do like the extra range of the spear. I kind of had to bend over to hit stuff with the tanto. But, the length was kind of a problem when I fought in the mine, because the thing was longer than the corridor was wide. There wasn't enough room to turn around because the spear got caught on the rocks. I can see that being a problem.
4) But...the spear might be useful for things other than fighting: checking water depth. Poking things. Digging. Balance. I could probably use it as a lever. In the right circumstances I might even be able to use it to bar a door or climb out of a pit. The spear has a lot of potential non-weapon utility that the dagger probably lacks.
Quote
sell
Quote
sell our equipment
Quote
sell what we got
Quote
Check the armorer in Balmora
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buy some light armour
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+1 to light armor
(http://i.imgur.com/UdhQJDM.png): "Ok. I'm going to try to do this intelligently."
It takes a couple trips to haul everything back and forth from Caius' place, but you make the following transactions:
Sell
* Chitin club chitin club for 2
* Steel longsword for 36
* Imperial chain cuirass for 40
* Imperial steel helm for 31
* Imperial steel shield for 35
Mercantile skill is now 7
Personality is now 43
The merchant refuses to buy the legion guard armor.
Buy
Chitin left + right gauntlets for 17
Chitin greaves for 29
Chitin cuirass for 45
Chitin left + right pauldrons for 32
Chitin boots for 12
Leaving you 387 gold.
Mercantile skill is now 8
You consider buying a chitin helm to complete the set...but hey, that fur helm is light, isn't it? Your new look:
(http://i.imgur.com/eUd6DvI.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yeah, it's amazing how much lighter this is. I'm wearing a full suit of chitin armor, and I think the entire suit weighs less than just the steel cuirass."
You stash your spear, legion cuirass and mortar and pestle at Caius' house for now.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, guys. I didn't manage to do everything you suggested, but I think I made good progress. Right now I have 387 gold. I can rent a room for 250/month, and I can complete my alchemy toolset for 120. That would leave 17 gold to buy potion bottles and I could get started on alchemy right away. BUT...the only full recipes I actually know how to make right now are paralysis and restore fatigue, and looking over my materials, best case all I can make is about 5 potions of paralysis, assuming I succeed every time. And even if I do...I'm not sure anybody will buy them. People don't seem to be completely stupid here, and I don't really think I'm going to be able to sell people worthless potions to buy materials to make more worthless potions to sell.
But...I do have some other ingredients I haven't eaten yet. I could do that. And I could use trial and error with that massive pile of heather flowers with everything else I have, and maybe stumble on some new recipes by chance. I just can't guarantee that doing this will be a money making proposition. It might, it might not. I don't know, and it would take all of my money to rent a room and buy equipment just to find out.
Alternately, I'm only 113 gold short of what Eddie said he'd charge to teach me how to channel magicka. I'm sure if you guys want I can probably find a way to scrounge up that much...with or without stealing it and thereby invoking the wrath of the thieves guild. But the 500 would only be to learn to channel, after which I'd then need to learn an actual spell school. So learning to be able to usefully cast anything would take an extra 500 above and beyond the 113. I'm not sure how I'd get that much right now. But on the other hand, he did seem very open to negotiation. Maybe he wants 500 each for channeling and a school, but if I showed up with 900 up front, he might be willing to teach channeling plus one school for that. Or maybe if we can find something else he wants we might be able to get him to teach without paying in gold at all. I have no contacts in House Telvanni at present, but it sounded like he'd be willing to do us a big favor if we can get him back in good standing with them. Though I don't have any ideas how how to do that. And I'm not even sure what the problem is. I thought that all an expelled Telvanni had to do was simply go to the council and ask for readmission. It's possible there might be more going on than we know about just yet.
And finally, while I'm still no veteran...we've proven that I CAN fight effectively now. So if I were to pick up some healing potions, and maybe some cure disease potions or similar just in case...I might potentially be able to go usefully adventuring somewhere, maybe get a bunch of skillups and maybe solve the money problem altogether.
Of course, if you guys have other ideas besides any of the above, I'm all ears.
So...what will it be?"
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Caius Cosades' house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Man of Paper on July 26, 2013, 02:35:14 am
Go for lodging first. A base of operations will be very helpful when it comes to just about anything. Also, at the next opportunity, we should return the legion armor.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 03:09:00 am
I still say pick up a silver spear if we get the opportunity. The chitin spear is pretty shitty, we need silver for good weight/damage balance. You can hold it one-handed while not fighting, or even (if you had a couple more loops or straps) strap it to your pack when not in use. Spears and short blades, in general, are lighter than other weapons, but at the daedric level both are rather heavy. By the time we get the wealth and power to swing Daedric around, though, I hope we'll have invested enough in magic to use long-lasting or permanent bound weapons instead. If we can get Wraithguard, Keening would be a much better choice than a Daedric dagger, and an Adamantium spear would be amazing.
Can we not bother scribs, please? What did they ever do to you that you should so suggest we be out for their blood? The meaner-spirited mudcrabs and rats make easier prey, too.
Ask if we can continue to stay at Caius's. Our income is quite uncertain, and we don't really have any marketable skills yet except for extremely boring things. We've got just 1 marketable thing, a commodity, and that's information. To profit, we must Get Shit Done, and I don't mean labor. The only reason we need lodging is for two things: healing and storing our stuff. And we already know Caius is cool with one of those. We don't need to keep up a circadian rythm, we only need to sleep when we're wounded, a condition which can be fixed through other means (though not as cheap). What we need to do is continue to act to set up conditions favorable to us, and earn some brownie points with the powers that be so we can cash in more favors. Once we've gotten more strings to pull, we can get ourselves a suitable income, but not before.
Ask about Mages in the Arcane University and College of Winterhold who seem to regenerate Magicka as readily as catching their breaths. Learning of our connection to the mechanics and the Lore explainations for them in other games will be very, very enlightening. Probably wouldn't hurt to ask the educated about sigil stones, thu'ums, and dragons, either. I'm still highly suspicious of that RL Medeival European alchemy text being present, too. Given the apparent importance of urine, we should ask how Undead alchemists go about making their brews.
Post by: Parsely on July 26, 2013, 03:59:06 am
Post by: joemoben on July 26, 2013, 04:15:15 am
Post by: Supercharazad on July 26, 2013, 06:15:55 am
Post by: hostergaard on July 26, 2013, 06:46:46 am
Might as well learn a little more about what alchemy properties they have.
Also, offer fast Eddie information on Telvannie he can use to get back in (or on the other houses, valuable intelligence of some short)
I don't remember anything in particular and do not have the time to check right now, but there got to be some short of reliable meta-game info we can give him as payment.
If nothing else I guess we can go adventuring a little just for fun and money now that we got the time.
Post by: hermes on July 26, 2013, 07:18:07 am
Mike could also just sell them anything from adventuring to keep them happy.
Fast Eddie's behaviour was most interesting (and amusing).... it seems that NPCs are min-maxing like PCs would do, because they live in MorroReal, right? So... perhaps Awesomicas et al are just NPC adventurers? Awesomicus, Imperial name, hehe.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 26, 2013, 08:00:38 am
Here's something important to note: If he has alchemy equipment, and we can make restore mana potions (for him!) he will probably let us! That means we can start benefiting from alchemy immediately without all the other investments.
Do not sell the legion armor to get this, though we can sell our short sword if we KNOW it will help
Also, it's possible we might learn channeling from him and one of the schools from someone else cheaper once we have the basics, right?
If that just isn't going to work, plan two is make money by spending money - get a house, get alchemy equipment, join the fighters guild, make cash
If we can't learn magic, rent the house. - I think having a base of operations is going to quickly become important. As mentioned, it will cost 900 (maybe less, but still more than we have) to get magic, we might not be able to get up that high even if we can argue him down a bit.
Keep the legion armor, keep it in our house.
I think it would honestly be incredibly useful. For example, when encountering criminals, or talking to other guards.
Also, remember that guy that killed us? The quest we still haven't finished? With the legion armor and our obvious affiliation, we could probably get a few people together to look into it, instead of one like last time. (we'd probably have to take it off to get the guy to talk to us). Then we can use the scroll to hightail it out of dodge and let them handle the guy. If there's a bunch of them, the bad guys won't be able to take the guards out so easily, right?
Regardless, that armor represents our affiliation, and it's a useful affiliation to have. Don't dump it. Even if we don't use it all the time, I'm sure it will come in useful.
Try out all the ingredients and see if we don't get anything useful, in our new home - if we haven't already.
Keep spear AND sword. We can specialize later, and considering the environmental differences, I think both are useful.
Also, and this is pretty cool - We've made some effective contacts for our adventuring party. There is one more place worth going, though.
Second joining the fighters guild - It's cheap to get in, and most importantly it's a source of income, contacts, and information, all of which we can find pretty damn valuable. It's amusing that we'll be joining the fighters guild to raise enough money to learn magic, but that's the way these things happen, heh.
Run some minor combat quests, make cash and friends, give them information in exchange for goodies, and find it out if the nearby dungeons have already been looted
Post by: PTTG?? on July 26, 2013, 10:35:59 am
offer fast Eddie information on Telvannie he can use to get back in (or on the other houses, valuable intelligence of some short)
Agreed. He's willing to negotiate, and that's just the sort of thing he wants.
I think we can talk him down to 250-300 if we do. Let's try that.
As for money, man it's harder to make money in this universe when you don't want to die. Speaking of which, heal up when you get a chance. Sleeping should be sufficient.
Don't join the fighters guild. I don't think we want to get involved in another guild. We don't need to do the rigamarole of Default New Character Actions, because we're not exactly a normal PC. I say look for the simplest ways to make money- particularly alchemical stuff. Agree that we need to check for any potentially valuable potions- in particular, look for restore magica effects. If we can make Restore Magica easily, we can make a nice deal with Eddie.
Post by: joemoben on July 26, 2013, 11:03:54 am
Post by: PTTG?? on July 26, 2013, 11:18:44 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 01:19:36 pm
Isn't paying a small monthly due the ONLY obligation of the Fighter's Guild? If so, it would be worth our while. Much cheaper lodging and possibly storage. Bear in mind that storage is our priority, as we only need sleep to heal. If we get a safe place for our stuff in exchange for monthly dues alone, join the Fighter's Guild.
Test the possibility of poisoning our weapons. We actually have the authority to arrest the perp ourselves, and so could take leadership if we did get some guards together to apprehend him instead of following their stupid lead. With a paralysis weapon, subduing him would be much easier. REMEMBER: His bounty after confession was 4,000 gold. If we can pin another murder on him, we can legally kill him on the spot instead of giving him the chance to go downstairs to his friends.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 26, 2013, 01:36:13 pm
Hire someone from the fighter guild as 'bait'. Get some guards together together to apprehend the murderer, wait outside the door, and send someone THAT GUY in to say the same things you did previously to catch the murderer dude, preferably someone who is unarmored and generally doesn't look like a fighter. Preferably with some sort of magical defense or teleport or something
We'd be safe, we'd be there to make sure the guards don't do anything stupid, someone else would be taking the risk.
Man, we should have thought of this before - we KNOW he'll admit it now, and attack, or at least we suspect he will - it's only been a month, the potential for investigation shouldn't be dead - and we're in the perfect position to actually apprehend the guy. It's unlikely the Camona Tong will even have anything against US in particular for 'revenge' if they wanted it, since we are just another guard.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 01:49:11 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 26, 2013, 02:00:54 pm
...how much would we actually gain, again? >_>
Post by: joemoben on July 26, 2013, 02:25:47 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 26, 2013, 02:30:11 pm
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 26, 2013, 02:42:06 pm
What goal are we trying to achieve?
From what I gather we are looking to investigate the social/political situation in the town (Fighters' Guild, the arrest), earn money, and work towards permanent residency. Is this correct?
We may need to define a longer-term goal to work towards. That will help us plan, and maybe help the GM as well.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 26, 2013, 02:48:16 pm
The residency, investigating social/political situation, the fighters guild and the alchemy are all attempts to either increase the amount of money we have so we can acquire magic, and to help us accrue power directly.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 07:20:33 pm
We should use the few days we have to build our power, sure, but now is not the time to prepare for a Balmora career. For the mid/longterm, our plan should be "Saving the World for Fun and Profit." We help against the current crisis, we cash in favors we earn for doing that as we go to get what we need. Very likely we'll be off to either Illunibi or Tel Fyr soon, and setting up our livelihood in Balmora likely will have to wait until after that journey.
Given the corruption around here, I'm going to guess that the murderer hasn't been apprehended yet, but it's worth checking. The information would be useful.
Post by: Xanmyral on July 26, 2013, 07:24:57 pm
We're almost dead, might wanna fix that yeah?
It seemed like a big hint to me that if we can figure out how to easily make mana potions, Fast Eddie would be our pal forever. I mean, shit man, void salts and diamonds to make a freaking restore magicka? That poor bastard. This makes alchemy look promising... But also risky. Since if we can't make a magicka potion easily, we're down money.
So it might be good to test all untested alchemical ingredients (once healed, because holy crap go heal you probably look like a walking corpse under your armor), and see if we can buy any alchemical reagents for the cheap that we haven't tested yet. If we have an easy, ready use of magicka restoring ingredients...
Well, I bet Fast Eddie has his own alchemical set, yeah? He said that we could just give him the ingredients and he could make it himself, implying he has them. We may not even need to buy the full set, just figure out if we can do such with cheaper ingredients and if so, explain to him as such and he might allow us to use his set.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 07:49:38 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 26, 2013, 08:45:51 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 08:47:14 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 26, 2013, 08:57:24 pm
Yeah, I'm gonna go with get a pack animal instead of a house. I KNOW I remember there being pack animals.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 09:23:03 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 26, 2013, 09:26:02 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 09:27:29 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on July 26, 2013, 09:31:36 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on July 26, 2013, 10:05:04 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 26, 2013, 10:18:45 pm
We shouldn't sign up for another faction while waiting on orders from the Blades. Use this time to set ourselves up, not give us even more obligations.I'm pretty sure the only obligation the Fighter's Guild asks for is monthly dues. But if they want anything else, then I voted against it.
Post by: Vrky on July 27, 2013, 04:32:11 am
Try poisoning our weapons with something cheap for next battle. Or, even better, ask Caiuss or any fighter about poisonous weapons. Can it be done?
In general, I'm against joining fighters guild
Post by: Descan on July 27, 2013, 12:00:24 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 27, 2013, 12:15:24 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 27, 2013, 12:24:51 pm
Going by the information in LordBucket's post
For reference: Episode 25 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4339625#msg4339625)
Post by: Xanmyral on July 27, 2013, 03:15:08 pm
While I'm not against buying it, I am against being taken advantage of, and it wouldn't take that much time to just go 'hey, before I buy it I wanna look at it.'
Post by: Spitfire on July 28, 2013, 05:38:22 am
Awesome work LordBucket. I even found every single Legion Episode entertaining, but am still glad these times are over. Good use of Deus Ex Machina to pick up the pace.
Post by: hostergaard on July 28, 2013, 07:23:41 am
We don't know what ingredients we need to make restore magica potions, however we can offer to make him such potions for him once we learn what we need to make them. First we ask him to help finding and financing getting some common alchemy ingredients. With a little luck we should be able to make magica potions with relatively cheap ingredients. Then we can make him some magicka potions with the ingredients he provides as payment for financing finding out what ingredients you need Make sure he understands that its a risk, since we can't guarantee we will be able to make those potions with cheap ingredients and as such cannot repay him if this fails.
Then when that is done with we can, assuming we can produce magicka potions with common ingredients, we can offer to become his magika potion bitch in exchange for getting education in magic and be allowed to live in house as long as he supply the ingredients (tell him it would be easier for you to be available to make potions).
This way we get a place to live, access to alchemy tools so we do not need to buy them ourselves and magic education simply for the price of making potions for the dude whenever he needs them. Oh, and free alchemy training to boot.
Alternatively, if that fails we could maybe simply become a magicka bitch for him in exchange for training and living accommodation. That is, offer to let him use drain magicka on you whenever he needs to in exchange for what we need. This way he have an extra reserve of magicka, not a bad deal for one who so desperately need its. But is there a way to figure out how much magicka you have?
Post by: LordBucket on July 28, 2013, 07:29:20 am
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test all our ingredients.
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Test out the ingredients you found
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test all untested alchemical ingredients
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Try out all the ingredients and see if we don't get anything useful
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check our own ingredients to see if we can MAKE mana restore potions,
Sure. That's easy enough. You pull out your recently picked alchemy ingredients, and taste them. Heather gives you Poison.
Health is now 13/50
...Corkbulb root gives you Restore Luck, Comberry gives you Drain Health
Health is now 12/50
...and Willow Anther gives you Water Breathing.
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heal up when you get a chance.
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We're almost dead, might wanna fix that yeah?
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heal
Yeah, maybe that would be a good idea. You head back to Caius' house. You have some questions to ask anyway. Curiously, when you return it seems that his door is locked. Unsure what to do, you knock. A moment goes by, and then Nine-Toes, the Argonian operative who was here earlier, opens the door. Seeing you, he pokes his head out to look around, then pulls you inside and closes the door behind you.
A dunmer is tied up on the floor.
(http://i.imgur.com/Hs0i5ys.png)
(GM Comment: I can only do so much with the console. Pretend that he's tied up in a way that makes sense.)
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Ahh, good timing. You said earlier that we had two sleepers in Balmora. Is this one of them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8NnXkYp.png): "Dagoth Ur sees all! He knows all! He will come for--urk!"
Caius steps on the base of his throat and applies pressure until he can't speak.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yeah, pretty sure that's a sleeper."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Good, good. Now, my friend, you're going to tell me everything you know."
Nine-Toes hands Caius a pair of armoring prongs. Caius holds it in front of his prisoners face so he can see it, then grips one of his pinky fingers in the prongs.
(http://i.imgur.com/8NnXkYp.png): "You will all perish in torment! The master will"--CRUNCH!
With a sickening cruch, Caius closes the prongs and reduces the finger to dangling pulp.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "You have lots of fingers, and when you run out, I'm quite skilled at restoration magic."
Note to self: Do NOT piss off Mr. Cosades.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, you know...guys, I was hoping I could take a nap to heal up, but obviously you're...busy. I don't want to a be bother, so I think I'll just...leave you...to your work."
Caius looks up, takes a few steps over to you and casts a spell. The two of you are engulfed in the white sparkles of restoration magic and you feel your wounds mend.
Health restored to full
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Thanks."
Caius nods and turns back to his captive. But with Caius no longer on top of him, the sleeper has turned his head and is now looking at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/8NnXkYp.png): "So, it is you. Why don't you come to Red Mountain, Michael? Dagoth Ur would like to meet you. He can be most generous."
The hairs on the back of your neck raise and you break out in a cold sweat.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Oh, so you know our operative here, do you? Tell me how."
(http://i.imgur.com/8NnXkYp.png): "Dagoth Ur knows and sees all! Nothing shall be hidden from the master!"
CRUNCH.
(http://i.imgur.com/8NnXkYp.png): "Arrggghhh!!"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Since apparently I was not clear, let me explain how this works..."
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upgrade our spear to the silver spear
You grab your chitin spear from under the bed and see yourself out.
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murderer dude
Could we at least look into whether or not the guy was caught?
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I'm going to guess that the murderer hasn't been apprehended yet, but it's worth checking.
Sure. May as well check in with the legion while you're at it. Larrius Varro's has a related quest chain. He should be able to tell you what the situation is. You leave Balmora and head south towards Fort Moonmoth. Shortly after crossing the bridge, you notice a shadow moving on the ground in front of you.
(http://i.imgur.com/KunnjME.png)
New skill: Light armor is now 1
Health 46/50
...yeah, that's bad. You frantically turn around and start poking at the cliff racer with your spear, but the thing keeps flapping around and won't stay in one place. Plus the fact that it keeps burrowing its beak through your armor and into your flesh makes it really hard to focus. Worse, while you're definitely hitting it, light as it is and with nothing grounding it, your spear seems to mostly just be pushing it around ineffectively rather than penetrating and doing any damage. Meanwhile, it merrily continues tearing you to shreds.
(http://i.imgur.com/0o27KWr.png)
Light armor is now 3
Agility is now 36
Health is is now 3/50
...not...good. You drop your spear to reach into your purse, grab your healing potion and down it. The cliff racer keeps attacking you, but you feel your flesh knitting together faster than it can hurt you. Pausing only to pick up your spear, you turn back around and run towards the fort. The cliff racer chases you the entire way, pecking at your back occasionally, but by running the attacks come noticeably less often. Presumably it has a more difficult time hitting a moving target just like you do. When you get near the fort, one of the guards sees you and comes running.
(http://i.imgur.com/pODSYUs.png)
You keep running a bit before you turn to watch. It takes the guard longer to dispatch the cliff racer than you expect, and for a terrifying few moments you're concerned that the racer might kill the guard, but after another 5 or 10 tense seconds, the cliff racer falls.
(http://i.imgur.com/195JreZ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Thanks."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Anytime."
Light armor is now 4
Health is is now 14/50
That was closer than you would have liked. On the bright side you did learn a bit about your new armor. Though if it had been up to you you'd have chosen to break it in on something less dangerous. Checking to confirm that the skies are clear, you loot the cliff racer but are unable to retrieve any useful alchemical ingredients from it. Apparently the guard mangled it pretty badly.
You enter the fort, find the barracks and take a nap...and dream.
You are standing knee deep in swamp water, with trees and shrubs all around you. In front of you but not facing you is a silver statue of a rearing horse that you recognize immediately: it's the horse on the right breast of the Imperial Legion guard armor. You step forward to inspect it more closely, but before you can get close enough to touch it a number of blurry and indistinct shapes rise from the swamp all around you. It's difficult to make out what they're supposed to be, or even how many there are. Then, suddenly one of them moves impossibly fast in no particular direction and the entire world slows to a stop.
Your eyes are suddenly filled with a blinding light that compels you to cover them, but doing so doesn't stop the light from reaching your eyes. Instinctively you know that the light is permeating not only your hand and eyes, but all of you. Every fiber of your being. Every cell in your body, every thought in your mind, everything that exists in your soul...it can see. With eye cover doing nothing to stop the light, you force your eyes open and turn to see a gold statue you hadn't noticed before. It is behind you, facing and mirroring the silver statue. It appears to be the horse from the left breast of the guard armor, and it's definitely the source of the light that permeates everything. You cautiously approach only to hear a faint sound, a voice. It says '...would like for us to be friends...'
And then you realize that the statue is not made of gold. It is wearing gold armor.
You wake up drenched in warm sweat.
Health restored to full
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murderer
(http://i.imgur.com/7qKACiv.png)
You approach Champion Varro.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me, sir. Recruit Michael, presently on detached duty."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Ahh, yes. I read the report. What can I do for you, Recruit?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I was hoping you could give me the status of any outstanding warrants on Thanelen Velas. I understand that he is wanted on a number of charges."
He smiles.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Dead, recruit. He and his entire local chapter of the Camona Tong were all lawfully executed weeks ago by one of our own after resisting arrest. I understand it was quite the bloodbath."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Who, sir?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Awesomicus Maximus."
Awesomicus? Not Clover?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What about the bandit that was accosting travelers near Hla Oad?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, Awesomicus brought him to justice as well."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What is the situation in Khuul? Has there been any news on the creature that attacked? Or attacks elsewhere?"
At this he frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "No, no news. The situation seems stable for the moment. But with two ash ghoul sightings followed by a coordinated and extremely successful attack on Khuul, it might only be matter of time. Whatever is it that did it is still out there."
You thank Champion Varro for his time and return upstairs.
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pick up a silver spear if we get the opportunity.
get a silver spear
Support upgrading our spear to the silver spear
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spear
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spear
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spear
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spear
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spear
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spear
You visit the Moonmoth weaponsmith and haggle her down to 89 gold for a silver spear, and sell her your old chitin spear for 3. It concerns you that the new spear is a little more than half again heavier than the old one, but by being silver at least you'll be able to hit monsters that are immune to normal weapons. Or at least, if you can't hit them it won't be because of your weapon. You also buy a healing potion for 38 gold to replace the one you used on the way here.
Mercantile is now 9
Healed and equipped, you head back to Balmora. On the way you see a kwama forager and decide to test out your new spear. The battle is slow, but with a little persistence your'e able to finish off the forager.
Health is now 14/50
Light armor now 8
spear now 6
Endurance is now 35
Max Health is now 51
Hmm. Honestly you're not impressed with it, but maybe it will grow on you. And to be fair, the last time you fought a forager in the Shulk eggmine you gave up and ran away without having ever hit it. So silver spear with full body chitin armor is definitely better than chitin spear with only your chest and head armored.
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Instead of just buying the house or pack animal, can we at least inspect them first?
You head to the Council Manor and flag down Nileno Dorvayn.
athletics now 22
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me, Miss Dorvayn? I'm considering that place you offered me for 250 gold/month. Would it be possible for me to see it so I know what I'm renting?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Of course."
Nileno takes you to a room near the river running through town, unlocks the door and shows you inside. It's a tiny room. Mybe 20 feet by twenty feet, with a bed, a table and two chairs and a small bookshelf on a wall.
View from the door
(http://i.imgur.com/gIxe7Ma.png)
View looking at the door
(http://i.imgur.com/TTqBJs5.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "This is a bit small. And I expected more furnishings. Bags and barrels, and things."
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Ra'virr the trader sells furnishing. You might also try Dralasa's pawnshop. And yes, this is the smallest room size we have in Balmora. I do have larger units available, but you did ask to see the less expensive one."
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get a pack animal instead of a house.
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get a pack animal
It occurs to you that you've never seen one in Balmora, or any other city. House Hlaalu is all about trade though, so surely Balmora would be the place to ask.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hmm. Ok, change of topic then. Do you by chance sell pack animals?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "A pack animal? You mean, for transporting goods?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes. Like, a guar, maybe?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Hmm. That's a difficult request. Other than our strider transports, the only people I know of who use animals for moving goods are the ashland tribes."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Why is that? I would think it would be very convenient."
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Oh, goodness, no. It would terribly inefficient. Nearly all shipping on Vvrdenfell is handled by recall. Why spend days moving goods by road, risking attacks by bandits and cliff racers, when you can simply gather everything in a pile and teleport it instantly? Why, can you imagine if our egg shipments were sent by guar? Every single egg needing to be individually hauled by hand above ground and loaded onto an animal? It would take hours just to LOAD the creature. Meanwhile, any reputable mage with an appropriate mark can simply stand in the pile and instantly transport them to Dagon Fel, or Vivec, or anywhere else."
Hmm. Actually, you're pretty sure you remember having a lengthy conversation with Strillian about recall when he teleported you from Khuul to Gnisis, in which he mentioned that recall is commonly used to transport materials. Come to think of it, Nalcarya mentioned something about that too back when you first noticed how big alchemy tools are. She suggested buying a slave, but you're not sure a single slave would be able to carry a full set of alchemy tools.
Speaking of Nalcarya...
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check the price of mana restore potions,
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hi, Nalcarya."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Hello, Michael. What can I do for you today?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Couple things. First, quick price check on restore magicka potions."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Standard restore....40 gold."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "How much magicka does that restore?"
She pulls a small bottle off her shelf and hands it to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Smell."
(http://i.imgur.com/FtMpmRX.png)
You open the bottle and smell the contents. It smells definitely like a restore magicka potion. But...that's all you can tell.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I don't get any sense of potency."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Really? Haven't you been practicing at all over the past four weeks? I'd have thought you'd be able to identify potions by now."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...no, I joined the legion. Past four weeks have been basic training."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Ahh. Well, for an average, still inexperienced imperial or dunmer caster, that's not quite but almost enough to restore them to full. Me personally, I'd need about two and a half of them."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What about for a really powerful caster? Say...a Mage Guild steward?Or a Telvanni Mouth?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "It really depends. I don't usually get customers like that, but if you just want a rough idea, the biggest standard potency would be 'exclusive' which is four times as potent as that."
'Standard potency?'
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Nalcrya, I've been wondering. Why do you bother selling standard potions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "What do you mean?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, better alchemists make better potions, right? You can make better restoration potions than these, can't you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Of course I can. I do all the time."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Why don't you sell them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "There's no money in it."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Why not?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Who would buy them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...who buys these?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Commoners, craftsmen, guards, merchants...all sorts of people. People who know a little magic, have a little money, and who need a little boost now and then. But you know who doesn't buy them? Really powerful casters like Mage Guild stewards and Telvanni Mouths. Anyone who takes magic seriously learns alchemy themselves. Using restore magicka as an example, it only takes me 32 gold worth of materials to make a potion. Others I can make for less. Admittedly, I got lucky, and that's part of why I got into the business: I can make useful potions more cheaply than the average alchemist because some very cheap and abundantly available ingredients do useful things for me."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "But why bother making weak potions like this?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "I don't make 'weak' potions. I make potions to the best of my ability and then I dilute them to standard Mage Guild sanctioned potencies. At my current level of ability, when I make a raw restore magicka potion it turns out about 7 times as strong as the one you just smelled. But that's 7 times as much magicka as my average customer is capable of storing. So I take that single potion I made and dilute it down into 7 standard sized potions that people will buy for 40 gold each. Nobody would pay me 280 gold for a potion that wastes most of its effect. And anybody with a magicka pool big enough to need more can just as easily buy however many smaller potions they need."
That...kind of makes sense.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What if I knew a really powerful caster who would be interested in buying full strength potions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Send him my way. I'll sell them, no problem. I'll even make custom mixed effect potions if he wants. You want one? Restore magicka and restore health together in single bottle at a strength half a dozen times stronger than that standard potion you just smelled? I can do that. But I'm going to charge you four or five hundred gold for it."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Why so much?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Because that's how much I can make by taking the same potion and diluting it into multiple bottles and selling them at standard potencies. It doesn't make sense for me to take 30 gold worth of materials, for example, and sell them to you in a single bottle for 200 gold when I can take 30 gold worth of materials and sell them to 7 people for 280 gold."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Who determines the standard potencies?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Mage Guild. They have a monopoly on most everything related to magic. Potion potencies were established centuries ago. Every now and the standards change a bit, but it's pretty constant overall. It makes business easier, since like you, most of my customers aren't skilled alchemists and so they have no way of checking potency themselves. But they buy one potion, and since they're casters they get a feel for how much magicka is restored, and they know when they buy another potion by the same name from me or any other alchemist it will restore the same amount. It would be very difficult for my customers...with no way of smell-testing themselves...if I tried selling them non-standard potencies. Nobody is going to give me 300 gold for a potion just on my say-so that it will do 'a lot.' And my 'a lot' would be different than the 'a lot' made by another alchemist with more or less skill than I have."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Nalcarya, I wonder if we could negotiate a deal. what if I had a friend...say, who wanted-"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Fast Eddie?"
Damn it.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes, Fast Eddie. How'd you know?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "He's my biggest single customer. You started this about restore magicka potions, you wanted to know how much a Telvanni would need...it was pretty obvious. He's the only Telvanni in town I know of, and pretty much every time he gets his hands on any gold he dumps it all on restore magicka potions."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Does he buy big potions like you described?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "No, he buys standards. He's training, so that means casting lots of little spells over and over. It would be wastefully inefficient for him to drink a potion that kept restoring after he's already at full. Smaller potions allow him to cast and drink only when he needs to."
You rack your brain for some way to exploit this or negotiate some kind of deal...but nothing comes to mind. You sigh and change the subject.
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see if we can buy any alchemical reagents for the cheap
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, moving along...I'm still trying to learn some useful recipes. So far restore fatigue is the only beneficial potion I know how to make. So many things just do poison and paralysis."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "That's normal. It will get easier once you're able to sense secondary and tertiary effects."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm sure it will, but right now I'm still trying to figure out primary effects. Could you sell me one each of all your cheap ingredients? Anything you can sell for 1 or 2 gold? One of each just so I can taste them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Sure. Give me just a moment."
You buy one each of black anther, bonemeal, Chokeweed, crab meat, grave dust, green lichen, marshmerrow, muck, roobrush, scale and scathecraw for 14 gold.
Bon apetite.
New alchemy knowledge:
black anther [1]Resist poison
bonemeal [1]Drain health
Chokeweed [1]Drain health
crab meat [1]Restore fatigue
grave dust [1]Burden
green lichen [1]Night Eye
marshmerrow [1]Resist common disease
muck [1]Poison
roobrush [1]Restore intelligence
scale [1]Swift swim
scathecraw [1]Paralyze
Health is now 11/51
...ok, so going through our full list of known effect, restore fatigue, and restore luck are the only beneficial potions we know how to make. Plus drain health, poison, paralyze if we include negative effects.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Nalcarya. How well do drain health, poison, paralyze, restore luck and restore fatigue potions sell?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "In general, nobody buys negative effects. Poison, you might be able to find a Morag Tong buyer...maybe, but I doubt it. Restore fatigue is a popular gift for newlyweds, but it's hard to sell because it's the most common beneficial effect. Everybody can make it cheaply and easily. Restore attribute potions in general don't sell often, but when they do...they do sell. It's one of those effects that every week or so somebody comes looking for. It's nice to have in stock, but it's not a big seller. Personally I can make them for 2 gold worth of ingredients, and then I dilute that into multiple potions. So I wouldn't buy any, but if you find an alchemist who doesn't stock them because he happens to not be able to make them cheaply, they'll probably be willing to buy a few. My advice would be to not try to get rich from them, but whenever it's convenient for you, make a few to carry around with you. Every time you talk to an alchemist, make an offer. Sooner or later someone will buy them."
Well, maybe we can do that once we get set up to actually make potions.
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offer fast Eddie information on Telvannie he can use to get back in+1 from PTTGQuote
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give him any house Telvanni information
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Like what? What do we know about House Telvanni that would help somebody get back in, when we don't even know why he can't get back in just by asking to be let back in? Caius said something about him having been evicted "for reasons of political expediency." And Fast Eddie himself asked if we had any friends who'd be "willing to go out on a limb politically."
Plus, he was a former Mouth on the council. So what are we going to tell him that he doesn't already know? That Baladas in in Gnisis? That Divyth Fyr has a corprusarium? That Master Aryon is forward thinking and wants to push changes that are unpopular with most of the other councilors? Things like that are probably all common knowledge within the House. Certainly with somebody who sat in the council house and regularly communicated with councilors. And even if they aren't, how are they going to help him win favor?
I can only assume he was expelled because he was unpopular, or affiliated with someone or something that fell out of favor...or who knows? Maybe he slept with the wrong person. Telling a former Telvanni information about House Telvanni in order to get him back into House Telvanni...maybe there's something we could tell him. But...what?"
You stop buy Fast Eddie's real quick, but his door is locked. He's probably still sleeping. Oh well. That gives you some time to think about what information to offer him, if any.
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Test the possibility of poisoning our weapons.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Sure, I can experiment with that as soon as I get an alchemy set. There's no shortage of ingredients that make poison."
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Prioritize magic over alchemy.
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+1
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+1
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If we can't learn magic, rent the house.
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Try to do the magic thing -
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Unfortunately, between the spear upgrade, replacing that health potion and alchemy ingredients, I'm down about a third of my gold since this morning. 100 gold I could probably have scrapped together somehow. 250, not so much."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Caius Cosades' house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: LordBucket on July 28, 2013, 07:38:24 am
post to watch and give praise
Awesome work LordBucket. I even found every single Legion Episode entertaining, but am still glad these times are over. Good use of Deus Ex Machina to pick up the pace.
Thank you. This is my most successful forum game ever, but...it is a lot of work. And yes, glad to see the whole legion fiasco is over. Unfortunately from looking at image view counts, the thread lost almost a third of its regular viewers during that time.
Hmm, aside from the information it hit me that there is a possible solution to how to pay him and make a arrangement that may be of great profit and benefit to to both of us.
Sorry, bad timing for your post, six minutes before the update. :P
Post by: MonkeyHead on July 28, 2013, 10:06:21 am
Anyway, its really interesting that there are multiple anomalous characters running around doing quests. Seems like the world is persistent with player characters dipping into it.
But what to do next? There is a low level bandit cave near Seyda Neen that could be worth checking out for some useful experience and low level loot, but I fear we would get killed there, unless CLover/Awesmicus/whoever has been there first. If it was empty it could make a decent base, but we have already sorted that in exchange for cash havent we? We could also try and get Mentors Ring (an easily obtainable early game artifact which would help loads with learning magic/alchemy or be used as exchange for the value of a few thousand gold - possibly enough to get Fast Eddie on side) from a tomb near Seyda Neen, but suspect we arent up to taking on the low level undead in there unless we can obtain a good chameleon spell or potion or pair of invisibilty spells/potions. Maybe running in, rushing for the ring then recalling out of there is a good idea. Again, maybe one of the more interesting characters in this world has been there already, but it would still be worth knowing.
Post by: Xanmyral on July 28, 2013, 10:11:57 am
We don't know magic though, so any talk about recalling or spells or any of that isn't worth it. And leaving on silt strider to go places isn't worth it monetary wise, too much money used, we need to think of ways to garner money in Balmora or somewhere within walking distance. Its obvious that we should avoid those cliff racers like the plague, since one almost killed us. That egg cave might be worth looking into though, we're stronger and better geared so we may have a good time of it. Also, there's alchemical reagents we haven't tried there, I think, and we know that Kwarma Cuttle gives us health.
Post by: Parsely on July 28, 2013, 10:12:42 am
This is just your kind of thing Bucket. The detail is endless, the dialogue is funny, its a great game.post to watch and give praise
Awesome work LordBucket. I even found every single Legion Episode entertaining, but am still glad these times are over. Good use of Deus Ex Machina to pick up the pace.
Thank you. This is my most successful forum game ever, but...it is a lot of work. And yes, glad to see the whole legion fiasco is over. Unfortunately from looking at image view counts, the thread lost almost a third of its regular viewers during that time.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 28, 2013, 01:07:47 pm
If Caius hasn't killed him, ask that Sleeper if Dagoth Ur thinks we're the Nerevarine. If Caius has killed him, find the other one. Should the Sleeper ask "Why haven't you gone to Red Mountain?" our answer is "Cliff racers"
Quote
Ask about Mages in the Arcane University and College of Winterhold who seem to regenerate Magicka as readily as catching their breaths.I really, really want to know about this. I don't think we'd get access to such power, but hearing an explanation would be enlightening.
I meant to post about this before, but if we want to give someone information, we must know it ourselves and let Mike know.
Post by: hostergaard on July 28, 2013, 05:15:33 pm
Hmm, aside from the information it hit me that there is a possible solution to how to pay him and make a arrangement that may be of great profit and benefit to to both of us.
Sorry, bad timing for your post, six minutes before the update. :P
Oh, well. Shits happen. ;) Consider it a suggestion for the next update.
I meant to post about this before, but if we want to give someone information, we must know it ourselves and let Mike know.
How about telling him the fact that the leader of the mages guild plans to assassinate the entire Telvanni council? I seem to remember it being on of the final mages guilds quests. That kind of heads-up gotta be worth something.
Post by: Xanmyral on July 28, 2013, 05:29:32 pm
Either way, pack animal is out which is sad, but not too surprising. We can't afford a house but we still can the alchemy set, but we don't know of anything that restores mana. We could try scavenging, although we should stay away from anything resembling a Cliff Racer. We should see about healing, since we're almost dead again.
Also, we should find a better place for the Imperial Steel Curiass, I recall Caius specifically saying he doesn't want it in his home because it gives away his cover. I got nothing on the where though, we need to figure out some place we can crash for free. Anyone know of any very close caves or places that would of probably of been cleared out that we can crash in? On stuff we can sell, do we really want to keep our phone? We can probably figure out some way to pawn it, maybe to an interested mage... OH HEY! You think Fast Eddie might want it? I mean, its weird other wordly tech, he's a mage, I see a connection here.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 28, 2013, 06:02:22 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 28, 2013, 08:20:44 pm
Do NOT pawn our phone. It's the most interesting thing we have. If we need to convince someone we come from another world, or show off something strange, what would be better? And I really, really want us to have it when we meet Yagrum Bagarn.
There are plenty of affordable places to crash in and around Seyda Neen, although Seyda Neen is inconveniently far from anywhere interesting. Balmora has few caves within convenient distance, but Caldera has at least one or two nearby that would be perfect, once cleared. It's a safe bet that early-game quest related caves (in any quest line) have been cleared, but others might not be. The Legion can hardly be bothered with every cave of slavers and smugglers, else the trade wouldn't be nearly so lucrative.
Now, this is just a thought, but it's entirely possible that our information-brokering could be used to get a small band of outlaws to do our bidding. Just something to keep in mind, not saying we pursue that. At some point, we must try to get some kind of followers, servants, or subordinates. Perhaps we could make a loyal friend of a slave, finding one willing to be our adventure buddy and then purchasing their freedom.
I must say, I'm not so sure about Light Armor now. Though Medium's a bit out of our price range right now, it does have better prospects for upgrading. We won't be able to get better Light Armor than chitin for a long while, as in vanilla the only thing better is Glass, rare and expensive, and we can't get access to Dark Brotherhood armor until the events of Tribunal get underway, which don't canonically happen until after Dagoth Ur dies. Still, for right now, Chitin's the best we can get and still be able to move well. I just hope we'll have the spare coin to switch to bonemold before we get too invested in Light Armor. This isn't of immediate concern, though.
Post by: Xanmyral on July 28, 2013, 08:36:10 pm
Hm, I agree about the phone now though, figured it wouldn't of been the best of ideas, reason why I never bolded it.
Finding a cave to crash in would be good, anyplace really. Its obvious that Caius would prefer we didn't crash in his place, I believe.
We really need some actual plans though, for the now, else we'll be heading to Seyda Neen, which I'd rather not do. So... Its been a while since I've played, what can we mess with in Balmora? Thieving is out unless we want to join Sugarlips, and no doubt she's heard we're with the legion now so that's right out, she'll think we're a spy or some such. Or worse, put us in a situation that would force us to betray the legion. Joining the fighter's guild? Its the only thing I got right now sadly, and I can't even remember if there is one in Balmora.
Stuff it, go wandering outside (away from any cliff racer areas) after we're healed, go collect reagents and explore, take in the sights, note any locations we might go to. Fight the local wild life, be a man. Maybe attempt that mine again if we're feeling confident or the outside foraging goes well.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 28, 2013, 09:52:42 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on July 28, 2013, 10:03:11 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on July 29, 2013, 04:29:45 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 29, 2013, 07:54:24 am
These characters we've met? There seems to be one per quest chain. There's the fighters-guild guy we met. The nevarine girl. Awesomicus handling the LAW quests. One person per quest chain.
That means we know a good place to find one of these characters - the Fighters guild.
It also means there is probably at least one associated with the Mage's guild quest line.
Try and find the Mages guild questline character. Ask if there were new members recently.
Join the fighters guild, and try to get a hold of the PC-like that joined them or at least use the info to find out what has and hasn't been done and to get together a couple "fellows" to go do some of the stuff that hasn't been done that we know to be lucraticve.
Find out if our information about the possible attempted assassination is worth anything to Fast Eddy, and otherwise offer to be his potion bitch if he has materials and we end up being able to make potions of restore magicka for him.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 29, 2013, 12:44:23 pm
We don't have to worry about everything in the Fighter's Guild being done. They realistically get new jobs all the time, no matter the vanilla ones.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 29, 2013, 12:48:25 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 29, 2013, 12:51:34 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 29, 2013, 07:44:22 pm
Changeling Hive Broodlords (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=129235.msg4446375#msg4446375)
OOC thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=129190.0)
Direct link to Game rules (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=129235.msg4446379#msg4446379)
It's very different kind of game than this, but those of you who are on bay12 every day might want to check it out. Feel free to stop by the OOC thread if you have questions.
Post by: Man of Paper on July 29, 2013, 10:08:09 pm
Not going to be a popular idea, but I want to know why we've gotten his attention, and that's an easy way to do it.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 29, 2013, 10:45:10 pm
Post by: hermes on July 29, 2013, 10:56:23 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 29, 2013, 11:50:39 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 30, 2013, 12:27:52 am
Once we do that, we'll have leads on each of our three adventurers. We'll hear back from Clover when she next reports into Caius. We'll look for Bjorn in the fighters guild. And hopefully Awesomicus will find us.
Meanwhile, we try to make some cash.
Post by: Supercharazad on July 31, 2013, 10:35:29 am
Post by: LordBucket on July 31, 2013, 12:13:29 pm
Standing order: Collect every alchemy ingredient we come across
( not vendor ones ) provided we can do so legally.
You're pretty much doing that already, just like you're jump/running all the time. You guys just don't leave town much.
Very little consensus on what to do right now. I'm going to give it another day or two and if we don't get some agreement I'll probably just pick some things being proposed and we'll have a short update. Thing like "heal" and "collect ingredients" sure, we can do those things...but they don't make an update. "Don't do X" suggestions are fine...but again, I can't make an update about not doing things. ManofPaper's suggestion about approaching Dagoth Ur is valid, but Michael's not going to do something that drastic with only one person thinking it's a good idea.
Some of the "ask questions" suggestions we can do, but Hugo...let's be honest: you're metagaming and all you're going to get is fluffy flavor dialogue. Sure, obviously given the game so far...there's been a lot of fluffy flavor dialogue, and I can certainly add that in but it's not going to advance the game at all. This is Morrowind, and I haven't even played these other games you're referring to, so they're not going to be relevant and all I'm going to do is do a web search so I have a clue what you're even talking about and then have an npc tell you that they don't know what you're talking about either, because obviously it doesn't work that way.
Talking to Eddie about Trebonius wanting to kill the Telvanni councilors...ok, sure...but again it's going to be flavor text. And I apologize, but...please could you guys apply a little common sense? You've never even spoken with Trebonius, and you've never seen any order. Plus, that particular quest, "if" we are to assume the questchain exists and follows vanilla (wild assumption, granted, but...) not only would it not even be live until somebody gets very deep into the mage guild quest tree, that quest kills characters who are crucial to the main quest. Now, yes...I acknowledge that obviously the game we're playing here doesn't necessarily follow the PC game. But I think it's not a huge stretch to guess that the "kill the councilors" quest probably hasn't been issued. And if it has, and somebody is acting on it, you have mach bigger problems than just conning Eddie into teaching you magic. But whether or not it has...what exactly are you suggesting you tell Eddie? "Hey, Ed...somebody I've never spoken to might or might not have put out a hit contract on the council. I have no evidence of this, and I don't who who would have been given the hit contract, if it exists." What value does that have to him? Finally, keep in mind the general Telvanni attitude towards murder, and remember that Morrowind is a place where it's completely legal to have people assassinated, provided you go through the proper legal channels...do you really expect them to be surprised? Do you really expect Eddie to say? "Oh, ALMSIVI! What a huge shock! As a former member of a House known for subterfuge and murder, it never occurred to me that our enemies might engage in subterfuge and murder in a province where it is perfectly legal to do so! Yes, I am grateful for this great insight, and surely the council will reward me for bringing this to their attention, despite having absolutely no evidence of it, despite the fact that the source of this information is someone I just met today and have no reason to have any faith in except that they were referred to me by someone who is either a skooma addict or an Imperial spy, and despite the fact that he's given me absolutely not one shred of information that could possibly be used to prevent such an attack, should it hypothetically come to pass."
Come on, guys. Think a little, please.
So...after all the above, all we really have is a suggestion from Xanmyrl to go do general adventuring stuff, and several suggestions from GlyphGlyph. GlyphGlyph is the only one of you I really feel is taking this seriously right now. Now, I'm not trying to encourage or discourage following up on any of his suggestions. It's my intention to remain neutral here. But his suggestions are the only things I see since the last update that seems like have any thought behind them. I'd just like there to be more consensus rather than only one person making serious suggestions and a bunch of fluff suggestions that either haven't been thought out very well, or that....even though they're perfectly reasonable (heal, etc) just aren't substantial enough to do much more with that write a single one-line about.
So, again: I'm going to give this some more time before the next update.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 31, 2013, 12:33:40 pm
There seems to be consensus on finding looting buddies for a nearby dungeon. We should probably decide on a dungeon if we want this to happen. The only one within reasonable distance from Balmora (that I can think of) is Arkngthad, which Clover probably already cleared out when she got the puzzle box for Hasphat. However, Arkngthad has a lower level, far below where the box was, which can be fairly difficult to find if you're not looking for it. There's a chance that it might be untouched.
And like in Oblivion and Skyrim, it's possible that new bandit gangs move into a cleared out hideout after a while. No sense letting a good hideout go to waste, after all.
Post by: hostergaard on July 31, 2013, 05:06:54 pm
But its hard to figure out exactly what level of detail you want in our suggestion. Either its to broad and fluffy or too specific. I was hoping you would add the necessary fluff as you saw fit, like using the fact that you are a member of the legion (and blades) to substantiate your claim, saying something to the effect that there have been an investigation into it that you learned of. I mean, maybe Trebonius one day just woke up and decided that the councilors needed to die and then just picked the first adventure that came through the door, but I think there is a good chance its a plot he have been brewing on for a while, enough for there to be some traces, something to implicate him that somebody looking for the clues would find.
And I wasn't expecting fast eddie to be shocked. Even in Morrowind where its legal I doubt anyone would like to be murdered and would appreciate a warning of it possibly happening. Appreciate it enough to pardon fast eddie, especially if he could dig up something to substantiate it. And enough to earn us some education. I mean, its the only thing we have to offer as weak as we are, our knowledge of the game world. Best we can do is try our best to work with it.
Either way, if you do not feel like going with it I would suggest joining the fighters guild and get some quests or something done, Might as well put the legion training to good use, and joining them seems like our best chance of making some money and getting some adventuring experience until we get the money for mage training.
And I guess joining up with someone else or something might be useful enough, given how weak we are.
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 31, 2013, 05:30:33 pm
Tell fast Eddy that we are part of an investigation into Trebonius. We have evidence of this plot but we need more, and that means we need to be a member, which we can't until we learn magic. But surely evidence of this plot would be useful to getting fast Eddy back into their good graces. In exchange for his training, we'll report our findings to him and let him take credit for uncovering the plot.
Surely.saving their lives will get Fast Eddy back into their good graces
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 31, 2013, 05:35:35 pm
We have some clout with the Empire. The Empire has political influence in Morrowind.
Speak to Caius about our need to learn magic as necessary to survive. Attempt to get Caius to exert influence on House Telvanni to take Eddie back as a favour. If successful, Eddie should know that this is dependant on him teaching Michael proper spellcasting.
Also, is there a consensus that Michael should do some raiding? We could do this the old fashioned way, and go to a tavern or even the Fighters' Guild and see if we can recruit adventurers. We have insider knowledge on location of treasure; they get an even share (means we get less, but we also survive)
Thoughts?
Post by: GlyphGryph on July 31, 2013, 05:38:47 pm
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on July 31, 2013, 05:49:41 pm
Also we could probably convince someone to store our armor and stuff for a small fee if we ask around. Or we could keep it at the fighters guild somewhere maybe. We need to do SOMETHING with it and soon
Is there a local Legion barracks? We could explain that we are on detached duty, and need to temporarily store our cuirass there.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 31, 2013, 07:47:16 pm
I don't think we should get involved with any Telvani-related murder plots. Those are extremely lethal. We can probably talk him down some, and we'll get some more cash if we can loot a dungeon. Hell, we're good if we can just find another Restore Magicka ingredient. For informing, we'd need more evidence, or at least more details. All we know is that there IS a plot, and in the Game it takes the form of some really powerful adventurer being sent to murder the councilors.
Post by: MonkeyHead on August 01, 2013, 03:48:46 am
Post by: Supercharazad on August 01, 2013, 04:38:31 am
Post by: WillowLuman on August 01, 2013, 01:16:11 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on August 01, 2013, 02:55:52 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 01, 2013, 02:58:35 pm
As for places to crash, bear in mind we can sleep in any guard barracks.
Post by: Man of Paper on August 01, 2013, 03:20:01 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 01, 2013, 03:23:28 pm
No Fighters Guild, at least not in Balmora, where they have ties to the Camonna Tong).
Explain what these ties are and why they matter to us.
Post by: Man of Paper on August 01, 2013, 03:24:24 pm
EDIT: It matters because she gives the PC a mission to kill some dudes that are totally in the Thieves Guild, and if I remember correctly it causes you to be unable to join them. Think about how severe the ramifications could be if she had us doing her dirty work.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 01, 2013, 03:25:51 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on August 01, 2013, 03:33:12 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 01, 2013, 03:35:46 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 01, 2013, 03:36:48 pm
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Eydis_Fire-Eye (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Eydis_Fire-Eye)We don't have to accept every quest given to us, and why the heck do we care about the thieves guild anyway? We have no desire to join the Thieve's guild. We are primarily joining the fighter's guild to make friends and influence people, it's ludicrous to avoid that opportunity simply because there might eventually be a quest we might choose to do that could have consequences that honestly don't really matter much to us.
EDIT: It matters because she gives the PC a mission to kill some dudes that are totally in the Thieves Guild, and if I remember correctly it causes you to be unable to join them. Think about how severe the ramifications could be if she had us doing her dirty work.
Post by: Supercharazad on August 01, 2013, 03:39:48 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 01, 2013, 03:44:18 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on August 02, 2013, 08:25:29 am
Plus, we're still waiting on the Blades orders. Put off joining any other faction before we know what the Blades want from us. Use this down-time to make friends in the city, figure out the political and economic situations, and try to formulate a plan on how we're going to use what we know to further our own objectives and not those of others.
Oh, and LordB, just want to let you know that I am taking this seriously. My suggestions are just to offer an alternative to people that, should they eventually decide to back it, would shake things up and make stuff interesting for both you as the GM and us as the readers.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 02, 2013, 08:43:33 am
Post by: Man of Paper on August 02, 2013, 09:04:24 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 02, 2013, 09:57:27 am
Post by: WillowLuman on August 02, 2013, 04:14:20 pm
We don't need to advance and become deeply involved in the FG, just join for membership benefits.
Post by: Supercharazad on August 05, 2013, 04:37:20 am
Also, I have an idea. Remember when some guy was talking about using constant effect shock enchantments to power electrical items?
Go to Ranis, ask about how elemental enchantments enchantments work.
Do shock enchantments actually generate electricity with polarity and all that stuff, or do they just make you crackle and burn?
Do fire/frost enchantments actually change the temperature of the object the enchantment is attached to, or does it just freeze or burn the wearer's entire body?
Do constant effect enchantments last for an infinite amount of time, or does the enchantment just run out at some point?
Post by: WillowLuman on August 05, 2013, 12:24:50 pm
Post by: LordBucket on August 05, 2013, 06:27:37 pm
Update probably sometime tonight.
Couple responses:
Quote
If it isn't too conspicuous, we ought to wear the helmet,
Sold it in Episode 36.
Quote
its hard to figure out exactly what level of detail you want in our suggestion. Either its to broad
and fluffy or too specific. I was hoping you would add the necessary fluff as you saw fit
Well, I do prefer reading lengthier suggestion posts, but I do admit that sometimes it's not practical to implement complicated suggestion exactly as written.. Simple/flexible suggestions are easier to work with. For example if somebody says "gather alchemy stuff" that's easily compatible with both suggestions "go to Seyda Neen" and "go adventuring." It's easy to do one while doing the other. Wheres if somebody says specifically "take the silt strider to X, then walk to Y, and hunt for specifically reagents A B and C" that's certainly more interesting for me to read, but it's more difficult to write an update that incorporates those elements unless lots of people agree with it. On the other hand, I'm probably less likely to hand out great results for generic, one-line suggestions. So, sorry if that's not a very clear answer, but that's how it is. As to fluff, fluff is fine...and obviously we've spent a lot of time on purely flavor-text, but I think we'd all like Michael to be successful in his endeavors, and as interesting as it might be to read about getting raped by orc women, and the construction methods of dunmer, and so forth...those things don't really advance the story much. I admit I get a bit frustrated when episodes consist of nothing but wandering around talking to people. The most fun I've had is when you guys come up with solutions that I hadn't thought of. From my point of view, talking to Vivec was a good idea. It was entertaining to write, and it advanced the story. From my point of view joining the Legion was terrible. It was a lot of effort to write, it didn't advance the story until I got so bored that I decided to have Dagoth Ur start blowing up towns to prompt you guys to act, and like I pointed out several pages ago...I've been monitoring the view count on images...and we seriously lost like a third of our readers during the time you spent in the Legion. I think a lot of peeople other than me got bored with that.
I do have a strong preference for player consensus, for three reasons. First, I like to feel like you guys are the ones playing the game rather than me simply writing about whatever. Second, sometimes it's just impractical to implement things that disagree with each other. For example, if one person said to go to Seyda Neen, somebody else said to go to Sadrith mora, and somebody else says to go questing on Dagon Fel...it's difficult to work all three of those things together into one post. Plus, at the moment Michael has limited funds, and I suspect that if he did go to Dagon Fel, for example, the people saying to go to Seyda Neen wouldn't want to blow half his gold to pay for travel fare immediately afterwards. And third, sometimes suggestions are by nature mutually exclusive or have long term consequences. I dislike making permanent game-altering decisions based on agreement from only a few people. For example...hypothetically imagine if two people said to murder Caius, one said to go grind alchemy one said to go ask people questions, and one said to go adventuring. The "most votes" would be to murdur Caius, but it would be a minority of people saying to do it. It would potentially have a huge affect on the entire rest of the game, whereas the other suggestions would be very unlikely to "break" anything. Consider when you joined the Legion. That had major, game-altering implications, and Michel wouldn't have done something like that if there were only a couple people in favor. It's not that I dislike major decisions...major game-changing decisions are fine...I just don't want to have only 2 people decide the game for everyone else.
Quote
Is there a local Legion barracks?
Fort Moonmoth is within walking distance of Balmora,
Quote
We haven't actually rented the room yet, have we? LordBucket listed as a reason
we have less money now, but I don't think we've actually signed and paid for it yet.
Correct you have not rented a room. As to why, money was a factor, yes...but I don't think I've seen anyone say to go ahead and rent the room since Nileno showed you the room you'd actually be getting for the 250/month. I kind of just assumed that people expected something bigger and/or with furnishings and didn't want to pay that much for what she was offering.
Quote
As for places to crash, bear in mind we can sleep in any guard barracks.
Sleeping space isn't really the issue that storage is. Two reasons: First, Caius said that he has a cover to maintain, and having large quantities of expensive treasure and adventuring gear is not consistent with his cover. Legion armor especially so. Second, for a long time lots of you have wanted to do alchemy, and the gear is simply too bulky to carry. The pack guar suggestion might be viable if you can find one, but even that is not without complication. Barring a "third option" kind of solution, it looks like finding/establishing some sort of long term "base of operations" will be necessary to do alchemy.
Quote
Camona Tong
Let's not make them our enemy, they'll kill us in our sleep if we go near Balmora.
I m neither advocating nor discouraging making enemies of the Camona Tong, but as for Balmora in particular, remember that according to Larrius Varro, Awesomicus killed the entire Balmora chapter.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 05, 2013, 06:45:10 pm
Also was the user drop at the first legion update or the second or the third or what? and have the numbers recovered at all?
Post by: WillowLuman on August 05, 2013, 07:06:49 pm
Post by: LordBucket on August 05, 2013, 07:29:44 pm
was the user drop at the first legion update or the second or the third or what?
and have the numbers recovered at all?
Second half of legion training is when the drop happened, and no, we haven't recovered from it.
Images from episodes 1-12 or so are generally above 100 views.
Images from episodes in the 15-20 range are mostly around 27-33 views.
Images from episode 25 (immeditely before joining) have mostly 25-29 views.
Imgaes from episodes 26-27 (early Legion training, Awesomicus, orc-lady, etc) have mostly 36-56 views.
Images from episodes 29-30 (late legion training) have mostly 14-26 views.
Images from episode 35-36 have mostly 14-19 views.
So, slow but steady decline from episodes 15 to 25, then huge upsurge following by a dive in the second half of Legion training that nearly ten episodes later we still haven't recovered from. One might be tempted to suggest that those numbers in the 25-30 are simply because the posts are older but episode 29 ws over a month ago, and some of those images have the same 14 views that images from episode 36 only a week ago has. Once a browser downloads an image it generally keeps it unless manually refreshed, so those numbers are probably more or less "unique" views rather than individual views.
I've been monitoring the view counts for a while, and views in the 25 range were fairly typical pre-legion even in the week or two after posting an update. I suspect we have only 14 regular readers, including myself.
You can see the difference in posts, too. Pre-legion, I sometimes had as many as 6-8 people voting one way or another even for a single action. Check the vote spoiler on episode 20 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4318737#msg4318737). We had 7 people people voting to join the legion and 5 voting against it. That's 12 people voting on a single topic, plus several others who abstained on that topic and voted to do entirely other things. Now, if you check over the previous 3 pages of the thread, there are only even 8 people posting suggestions.
Post by: Xanmyral on August 05, 2013, 07:45:07 pm
More seriously though, as the game goes along one should expect a drop or 'leveling' in viewership as some drop and newcomers start becoming put off by the page count in a running game. The higher previous pages might be from non-unique viewers, but that doesn't mean they're not from a few people trying to catch up to the current point. After all, I was one of them earlier, no? I've only recently (past few episodes) caught up. Course I don't really participate in any of the major discussions beyond throwing a point or two in.
EDIT: That, and honestly this is kind of a black sheep in this section of the forum I imagine, I would be more expecting this kind of thing in the forum games and roleplaying than in a section mostly dedicated to "let's play"s and so such. Then again, I don't normally come to this section so I may be wrong.
Post by: LordBucket on August 05, 2013, 08:33:27 pm
Nothing quite gives view count a kick as a Hangover-esq sequence of debauchery.
Funny you should say that. This image:
(http://i.imgur.com/HJtjY7p.png)
...has 52 views.
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as the game goes along one should expect a drop or 'leveling' in viewership as some drop and newcomers start becoming put off by the page count in a running game.
Sure, but views for episode 25 were only about 10% lower than they were for episode 15. Through ten updates over the course of three weeks we only lost a couple people. Then BAM from episodes 25 to 29 and only one week (the legion episodes) we lost 30%.
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this is kind of a black sheep in this section of the forum I imagine, I would be more expecting this kind of thing in the forum games and roleplaying than in a section mostly dedicated to "let's play"s and so such.
Well, we are actually playing a real game of Morrowind here, just using your suggestions about how to play and with a very colorful segregation of story from gameplay. And I've done similar things as this before: X-Pony (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=111492.0), Pool of Radiance (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=90562.0), Bard's Tale (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=46751.0), etc.
I suppose it could go either way, but I put them here because there are real third party PC games actually being played rather than being games purely made up and existing on the forum. Plus, it's consistently been my experience that threads in this forum are healthier and last longer than in forum games.
Post by: Xanmyral on August 05, 2013, 09:29:35 pm
But yeah, guess I concede the point there, there was indeed a good dip in viewers with the Legion bit. But stuff happens, yah know? Can't change the past so lets focus on the future, we can 'what if' all day but that doesn't change much, so the thing would be to focus on getting them back, yeah? Hell, on the 'what if' topic, we could of requested Vivic to give us a "teach this n'wah magic yah s'wit" request and probably of learned magic from mildly insane elves. But the moment for that has passed, and while it would of been a good idea (with a potential for political assassination) back then, now it's just a hindsight recollection.
Yeah, cursory glance through this forum does show that this type of thing is actually more common than I thought at first glance. I'd debate about 'healthier,' more via definition to be honest, or 'longer lasting' but I agree that since this is more steadily based upon the game than not, it does probably have more warrant here than there.
Post by: LordSlowpoke on August 06, 2013, 06:07:13 am
since you apparently are confused as to why people don't do that - have my take on the issue
Post by: BunnyBob77 on August 06, 2013, 04:37:02 pm
Post by: Parsely on August 06, 2013, 04:43:06 pm
i don't post suggestions because it apparently takes a paragraph for them to be considered and i don't care enough about the game just yet to go out of my way and write paragraphs
since you apparently are confused as to why people don't do that - have my take on the issue
Post by: Sensei on August 06, 2013, 11:04:34 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/NRs5geH.png)
As opposed to jumping to train athletics.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 07, 2013, 12:05:47 am
Post by: Sensei on August 07, 2013, 12:27:27 am
Heh, we'll just have to wait until we learn magic.
Post by: Supercharazad on August 07, 2013, 04:04:56 am
Actually, I thought the legion would give us more of this kind of training. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSS5dEeMX64)
That was what I expected as well, considering all we really did was train and ask some questions (and get raped).
Post by: LordBucket on August 07, 2013, 08:14:56 am
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Join the Fighters' Guild
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join the fighters guild and gather information.
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joining the fighters guild and get some quests or something done
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I agree with joining the Fighter's Guild
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Joining fighter's guild sounds good.
You head to the Fighter's Guild and go downstairs to ask Hasphat Antabolis for an entry examination.
(http://i.imgur.com/HLIXfLT.png)
Apparently the combat trials are only required for rank advancements, not membership. The entry exam is just to ensure basic competency, and as a Legion recruit, you pass without difficulty.
After getting his approval you return upstairs to speak with Eydis. She goes over the rules and privileges...don't attack Fighter's Guild members or you can be expelled, free access to the barracks in any guildhall for sleeping and temporary (not long term) storage, where the various guild halls and who the guild leaders are, membership is 25 gold per month with a deductible for approved donations, etc. Most of it is a repeat of your previous conversation. Once she's finished, she accepts 25 gold from you and you sign your name on the member roster.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Congratulations, you're now an Associate of the Imperial Fighter's Guild."
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see if we can recruit adventurers.
We have insider knowledge on location of treasure; they get an even share
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Eydis. Now that I'm a fighter's guild member in good standing, can I hire adventurers?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Of course. Membership isn't required to issue contracts, but we'll take them from members too. What can the Fighter's Guild do for you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "How does this work?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "You tell me exactly what you want done. Then we negotiate a price and a timeframe for completion. Once we're both happy with the terms, we sign a contract and you give me the full amount in deposit up front. I then assign the task to a guild member, or in some cases multiple members, to complete. Or for difficult tasks I my even spread the word to other guildhalls. Once the job is done, our mercenary reports back to me and I pay them a portion immediately from your deposit and the guild keeps the rest. If the contract is not completed by the deadline, you get a full refund."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Could I specify a location for an adventurer to go to, then give him a share of the loot?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "What, give him the loot he collected? No, doesn't work that way. If you have something specific in mind, I'm willing to listen but standard policy allows the member who performs a task to keep any and all spoils not specified in the contract. The guild doesn't get a cut of that and neither does the client. Anything you want retrieved needs to be clearly specified in advance. That works both ways. If you take an assignment you're not expected to hand over any loot unrelated to the assignment either."
Hmm. Yeah, probably wasn't reasonable to expect the best of both worlds there.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Do you have a contract you'd like to issue?"
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put out a quest for Awesomicus to find us and talk to us about an urgent matter of Imperial security
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Would it be possible for me to issue a contract for a specific member, rather than you choosing who gets it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Sure. Though it's against guild policy for me to require anyone to accept a commission. It will be up to the individual to decide whether to accept. Who and what did you have in mind?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'd like to talk to Awesomicus."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Maximus? The orc?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes. You know him?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Yes, I've given him a number of assignments and he's proven himself quite capable. What do you want with him?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm a member of the Legion, and I'd like to discuss a matter of Imperial security with him."
Eyedis pauses.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "I see. Go on."
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put out a quest for Awesomicus to find us and talk to us about an urgent matter of Imperial security
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So I was thinking that I would put out a quest for him to find me and talk to me."
She blinks a few times.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "That's it? Just talk to you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes."
She frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Ok, look. I'm going to cut you some slack since you're a new member. You don't need to issue a quest for this. Just write a note and I'll give it to him next time I see him, ok?"
Huh. Yeah, that works. You pull out a piece of paper from your bag and write a note:
To: Awesomicus Maximus
From: Michael
I'm sure you remember me from our conversation in Gnisis when you joined the Legion. I was the recruit you met doing the running that you described as boring. And yes, it was boring. But now I am in service to our Emperor greater than merely the Legion, and I would like to speak to you about an urgent matter of Imperial security.
Please contact me as your earliest convenience. I may be found in Balmora.
You're not really sure how else to phrase it. How is he supposed to find you? Since you'll probably be moving around, it's probably not realistic to just expect him to magically know where you are at any given moment. But you're certainly not going to sit around waiting in one spot for...days? Weeks? How long will it be until he gets this message? And when he does, will he necessarily even act on it right away? If he is a PC, he might have a long list of other things he wants to do first. And since this is obviously not a standard quest you're issuing, it's not like he can look it up and go to a set of fixed coordinates to find you. You could tell him to go to Caius...but that might end badly. You might need to give this some thought.
But for now, you hand it to Eydis. She folds it and slides it into her armor for safe keeping. You thank her for her time and head for the door. On your way, you remember the donations chest.
(http://i.imgur.com/UD816i0.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hi, I'm Michael. Do I talk to you for guild chest access?"
(http://i.imgur.com/smDhVV4.png): "Yes. My name's Fasile and I handle all donations and withdrawls when I'm on duty. If you ever need something when I'm not here, go ahead and ask Eydis, but try not to bother her with it otherwise."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok. That's fine. I'd like to make a withdrawal."
(http://i.imgur.com/smDhVV4.png): "Certainly. What can I get for you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Everything?"
(http://i.imgur.com/smDhVV4.png): "No, we prefer to limit withdrawals to items that people will reasonably use. We wouldn't people turning around and selling guild chest items, for example, when those items might otherwise keep our members alive."
Because that's not exactly what you were going to do. *sigh*
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, how about some healing potions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/smDhVV4.png): "I can do that. Here you go, two standard healing potions. Sign here, please."
You take the potions and sign for them. You paid 25 gold for guild membership, and Fasile basically just handed you 70-80 gold worth of potions, so really this was a good deal whether or not you do anything later with the guild.
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If Caius hasn't killed him, ask that Sleeper if Dagoth Ur thinks we're the Nerevarine. If Caius has killed him, find the other one
You head back to Caius' house. It's just him, now. The sleeper and Nine-toes are both gone.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Ahh, Michael. Just the man I wanted to see."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hello, again. All done with your...guest?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes, though our conversation was not as informative as I would have preferred. But I have a mission for you."
He pulls a sealed scroll from his desk and hands it to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "There is a Breton Mage by the name of Surane Leoriane. You'll find her at that the Ald Skar Inn in Ald'ruhn. Please deliver this letter to her. Here's 100 gold to pay for travel expenses."
You accept the letter and the gold.
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Speak to Caius about our need to learn magic as necessary to survive.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Caius. I'll get on this mission for you, but I've been thinking. I'd be far more valuable to the Blades if I knew some magic, wouldn't I?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Very likely. But like I said when we had this conversation before, I have other things...more important things...going on than you. Also keep in mind that when we met the first thing you did was fall over and tell me about having visions. Now that I've interviewed several of Dagoth Ur's sleepers, and having listened to their stories, I'm concerned that you might be a sleeper yourself."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm not."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Whether or not you're aware of it yet. "
Oh. Well, that's not good.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "In all three cases the subjects spoke of receiving visions, and you certainly seem to know a great about Dagoth Ur. So I don't entirely trust your situation. Even if your intentions are good, it's possible that a week from now you might be a babbling fool telling everyone who will listen about 'the master.' For now, my plan is to keep an eye on you to watch for signs of you becoming one of them."
Great. Presumably that's not what's going on, but it does make a lot of sense from his point of view.
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see about healing
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "By the way, could I get another heal?"
Caius heals you back to full.
Health is now full
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Tell fast Eddy that we are part of an investigation into Trebonius
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Find out if our information about the possible attempted assassination is worth anything to Fast Eddy
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telling him the fact that the leader of the mages guild plans to assassinate the entire Telvanni council?
You return to Fast Eddie's apartment to find him sitting at his table reading a book.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Ahh, the Imperial returns. What may I do for you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I have information that may be of benefit to the Telvanni council."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Oh? And what might that be?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "The Mage Guild is planning to assassinate the council."
He waits for you to continue.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...and that would be bad."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Would it? For them perhaps. For me, it would be most helpful. But do go on. What can you tell me of this plot?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, Trebonius is behind it."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "And?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...and he's planning to have a mage guild member kill everyone on the council."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "...and?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "And that's useful to know, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Ahh, outlander, it is about as useful as knowing that the sun rose this morning. It is well known that House Telvanni and the Mage guild are not allies. They routinely send their members even at ranks as low as Journeyman to recruit or kill members of my House."
(GM Comment: For example: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Recruit_or_Kill_Llarar_Bereloth)
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "I personally dealt with two assassination attempts on my life just during the my brief few years as a Mouth. Perhaps they were sent by the Mage Guild, perhaps merely rivals seeking to replace me. I never asked. That's the way of House Telvanni. The Morag Tong officially refuses to become involved in our conflict with the Mage Guild, of course, but there's rarely any shortage of would-be adventurers willing to attempt unsanctioned executions. Nobody would be surprised to hear what you've just told me. They would be far more surprised to hear that it were not true. Now, if you could provide me with substantial evidence of it...for example, an order signed by Trebonius himself...something tangible that could be shown to Duke Dren to publicly humiliate the guild, that would potentially be of value to the council. But even so it would be of little help to me personally."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Why not? If it would be worth something to them, wouldn't you being the one to give it to them make you look good?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "I hold the rank of Wizard within the Mage Guild, and the council knows this. If I were to walk in and announce that the Mage Guild had issued an extralegal writ to have them assassinated they'd likely assume that I was there to serve the writ myself. I'd be reduced to cinders before I finished my sentence. I didn't leave my position under the best of circumstances."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What were those circumstances?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Ahh, it's a long story, and one that I don't care to tell. The short version is that a mere few years after I was promoted to Mouth, my councilor announced his intention to replace Gothren as Archmagister of the House. Then died in a less than successful duel attempt. Sadly, Gothren wasn't even present for the duel. He always was clever."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So they expelled you from the House?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Well, not formally. I'm sure my name is still on a list somewhere. But it doesn't matter. I'm not looking for vendor discounts, I want POWER. I was a Mouth. I spoke on behalf of the council. Another few decades, or an unfortunate accident, and I might have become a councilor myself. But since I didn't distance myself from my councilor before the duel, Gothren made it clear that he would consider me a threat if I remained and advised me to give up my ambitions if I wanted to live."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So what would have to happen?"
He pauses.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Why are you asking me this?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, honestly...you have something I want. You know magic, and I want to learn. If I could get you back in good grace with House Telvanni, you'd teach me magic, right?"
He looks surprised.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "This is all just for magic training? Very well. Yes, if you can return me to my position or eliminate the barriers preventing me from reclaiming it myself, I will fully train you in all six schools."
...whoa. He just upped the ante. That's 3500 gold worth of training. Still though, it's not a trivial thing he's asking for.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So what would have to happen?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "I suppose the best solution would be to murder Archmagister Gothren. He's the one who took offense at my inaction. With him out of the way, I could begin to maneuver myself politically. The other councilors wouldn't care if I were to return. They'd be too busy trying to fill the power vacuum left by Gothren's death. And whomever took his place, and whomever took theirs...somewhere on the ladder there'd be a spot I could potentially take for myself."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So murder a thousands years old Telvanni mage-lord. Any other options?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Short of finding a sufficiently large bribe for Gothren that he'd be willing to let go of the past, the next best option would be for a councilor to appoint me as their Mouth. Were that to happen, Gothren would be unnecessarily antagonizing a potential ally if he were to make any move against me. His most likely move would be to wait for me to make a mistake. And so long as I didn't...I could climb the ladder normally and rebuild my reputation until it became difficult for him to attack me at all."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "How would I go about convincing a councilor to make you his Mouth?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "If I could tell you that, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Right."
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offer to be his potion bitch if he has materials and we
end up being able to make potions of restore magicka for him.
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offer to make him such potions for him once we learn what we need to make them.
First we ask him to help finding and financing getting some common alchemy ingredients.
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assuming we can produce magicka potions with common ingredients, we can offer to become his magika potion bitch in exchange for getting education in magic and be allowed to live in house as long as he supply the ingredients
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, change of topic. Here's something else I was considering."
You explain your proposal to have him fund your alchemy training and procure materials for you in exchange for potions in exchange for magic training.
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "...so you're asking me to give you at least hundreds, possibly thousands of gold to go buy ingredients just to learn enough about alchemy to know what you even need to make the potions I want?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Would it be that much?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Wouldn't it? There are several dozen standard alchemy regents. Some of them cost hundreds of gold each. And I assume you've already experimented with the cheaper ones, and it's the more expensive ones you need funding for, yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...well, sort of. I mean, not all of them. Just the really cheap ones. There are plenty of 5 to 25 gold ingredients I don't know what they do yet."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "I see. So maybe we get lucky and it only takes a dozen or so of these 5 to 25 gold ingredients to discover what you need. That's a couple hundred gold that I could simply buy potions with instead of gambling on you. And what if we don't get lucky? Maybe no first tier ingredients give you restore magicka at all and even after trying all of them you still don't know how to make restore magick potions. But even if we do get lucky, even after giving you hundreds, perhaps thousands of gold to experiment and train alchemy just to find out what you need to make the potions I want, you would then need me to fund you for the actual materials themselves too, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "And in exchange for giving you all of these hundreds or thousands of gold for you to train and learn alchemy, what I get in return is the privilege of teaching you magic?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, you'd be getting the potions."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Or I could just buy the potions in the first place without all the risk. This is a terrible deal, and I think you don't even realize how bad it is. You're asking me to put up a lot of gold merely for the opportunity to find out how much more gold I'd need to give you to maybe be able to be useful. And there's no certainty that you will be. I use diamonds and void salt for restore magicka potions. What if you need something even more obscure? I'd be paying thousands of gold just to find out you can't even help me. And even if the materials you need are reasonable, the fact that you don't even know what they are tells me that you're a completely fledgling alchemist, and the potions you'd make would be terribly low quality, and probably a great many of them will fail. Meaning you'll need to burn through the majority of your materials making only a small number of low grade potions."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hmm. I hadn't thought about failure rates."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Even if succeed with every potion you make, you're asking me to fund your ability to train yourself so I can fund your training to inefficiently make small quantities of low grade potions. Next you'll be asking me to borrow my alchemy tools because you don't even have any."
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and be allowed to live in house as long as he supply the ingredients
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...umm, well...actually..."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "What, seriously?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...yeah, ok maybe that wasn't such a good idea. I'll, umm...just be going now."
Discouraged, you take a brief walk along the river running through town while chatting with the voices in your head.
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offer to let him use drain magicka on you whenever he needs to in exchange for what we need.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm not really sure that's a good idea even if it would work. After draining me, I'd still have to restore it back before he could drain me again. Even assuming I'm worth a standard potion per drain...which is a wild guess because i can't even cast spells yet, that's only about a 35 to 40 gold value. And that's break-even rates. He has no reason to credit me 40 gold worth of magicka drain when he can just as easily buy a potion for that much that he can use whenever it's convenient for him rather than on my schedule when I'm available. Even if we ignore that, what exactly are you suggesting? That I give him a 35-40 gold value worth of magicka, then sleep for 8-12 hours to recover it and repeat? What, are we going to ask him to coordinate synchronized sleeping schedules so he can drain me efficiently? And even if he does and even if he gives full value of the drain rather than simply buying far more convenient potions, we'd best case need to spend roughly the next 10 days sleeping in order to give him 1000 gold worth of magicka to train for channeling plus one school.
10 days for 1000 gold, with no skillgains, no other progress and the whole rest of the world continues on without us? Haven't we already spent the past four weeks of Legion training barely accomplishing anything? I have to believe we can come up with a more efficient use of time than this."
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Try and find the Mages guild questline character. Ask if there were new members recently.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "We already tried that once before. Ranis said she was unwilling to give out information about members to non-members. Plus, it's been weeks since we met the people we suspect to be PCs. They're unlikely to be "recent" members at this point. And I guess one other thing to consider is that they might not even have spoken to Ranis. I arrived in the middle of a swamp halfway to Hla Oad. I'm not sure how safe it is to assume that PCs necessarily go to Balmora first."
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seek out another Sleeper
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approach another sleeper
You wander around Balmora for a bit. Unsurprisingly you don't find anyone who stands out as being a sleeper. After walking in on Caius' interrogations session the other day you walked to Fort Moonmoth, slept, and then walked back, fought monsters, talked to several people and toured a Balmora apartment. It's been almost a full day since you saw that sleeper. Caius had plenty of time to deal with him and his partner.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Actually, come to think of it there are only supposed to be two sleepers in Balmora, but Caius said he'd spoken with three. So either a third was found in Balmora, or he's finding them elsewhere too."
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Use this down-time to make friends in the city, figure out the political and economic situations,
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...could you be more specific? I've already made significant contact with Ranis Athrys who is the guild stewrd of the Imperil Mage Guild here in Balmora, Caius Cosades the highest ranking Blades spymster in all of Vvardenfell, Nalcarya the alchemist, Nileno Dorvayn, who seems to be a business manager for House Hlaalu, and Fast Eddie who is a former House Telvanni council Mouth.
Who exactly do you want me to talk to? What do you want me to find out? 'Make friends and figure out situations' is kind of vague. We did find out some interesting politics from Eddie just now, but if I'd just walked up to him as a stranger and asked him to tell me about local politics...I doubt I'd have got the information I did."
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try to formulate a plan on how we're going to use what we know to further our own objectives
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea. What do you suggest?"
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What date is it?
Hmm. That's a reasonable question. You stop a guard.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me, what's today's date?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Today's the 9th of First Seed, outlander."
That's right. Morrowind calendar.
Quote
go wandering outside (away from any cliff racer areas)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Easier said that done. The whole sky is cliff racer area. Only reliable ways to get away from them are to stay in town or be indoors. A dungeon, possibly?"
Quote
get Mentors ring from the Samarys Tomb near Seyda Neen
Quote
There is a low level bandit cave near Seyda Neen that could be worth checking out
Quote
By now I'd just make the assumption that Seyda Neen and Balmora is almost all tapped out
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hmm. If we can grab Mentor's ring, that could potentially solve all our money problems forever. I mean, maybe. Economy is obviously different here, but still...it's an artifact. Though we'd still have to find a buyer. That was always kind of a problem in-game. Also, honestly I'm not sure I'm tough enough to survive a tomb. They tend to have those skeletons with longswords and bonelords, any one of which could probably slaughter me.
Quote
see if we can recruit adventurers
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "That might be an option. It wouldn't be a standard Fighter's guild contract, but if I offered a couple hundred gold plus half of loot or something...I could probably make a deal of some kind with somebody. Or alternately, even if I can't cast spells I can use scrolls. If I were to buy a couple summon scrolls we could probably get through a tomb. Atronachs are tough. But we'd have to be very careful with that. For example, it would be annoying to get past the tomb guardians, get to the treasure and find it locked with no way to open it, then on the way out discover that my summons had expired without killing anything.
I bet we could pull it off, but we'd need to think it over very carefully. And decide for certain where I'm going to go. I'd rather not spend all my money prepping for an adventure only to find out we'd chosen a place that's already been cleared."[/i]
(GM Comment: attributes/skills are not entirely accurate at the moment. I've been copy and pasting from previous episodes and incrementing point increases one at a time, but apparently I've missed a few over the past few episodes. Will probably update the entire list next episode.)
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Caius Cosades' house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: hermes on August 07, 2013, 09:18:18 am
Was gonna suggest to kill the mage lord by having Strillian recall him in his sleep into a pit of lava Mike dug... but checked the facts from a previous episode and that's probably, unfortunately, a no-go. I'll just say I'd be disappointed if nobody finds a dwarfy way to dispose of him. Classic cage trap?
Post by: Man of Paper on August 07, 2013, 09:40:07 am
If the hit is not possible, then go to Eydis and ask her to inform Awesomicus of your location if he should return to the guild before you do. If we use the Mage's Guild to move from place to place though, then missing Awesomicus won't be an issue,
I think that could fit into a single update.
Post by: Supercharazad on August 07, 2013, 10:45:44 am
Do shock enchantments actually generate electricity with polarity and all that stuff, or do they just make you crackle and burn?
Do fire/frost enchantments actually change the temperature of the object the enchantment is attached to, or does it just freeze or burn the wearer's entire body?
Do constant effect enchantments last for an infinite amount of time, or does the enchantment just run out at some point?
Post by: ShoesandHats on August 07, 2013, 12:31:23 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 07, 2013, 12:52:59 pm
Post by: MonkeyHead on August 07, 2013, 01:26:33 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 07, 2013, 02:42:55 pm
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on August 07, 2013, 02:56:29 pm
Ask Caius to let us ask questions to the next Sleeper he gets. We really need to find some things out before he kills them all.
Could you specify what you want to ask? I suspect that if this happens, we won't have more time to prepare.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 07, 2013, 03:23:50 pm
Post by: LordBucket on August 08, 2013, 04:05:27 am
we can offer to work with him to raise the caps as long as he'll go with us to the Ald Skar Inn to take care of something minor. If he want to know why he needs to come along, tell him that you both have an interest in seeing this through, and should both see the plot through to it's conclusion.
I don't undersatnd what you mean by this. Raise what caps? Or was that just a typo and you meant gold? Also, what's the reason for wanting to bring Eddie along for the delivery mission? You appear to be suggesting that you want Michael to potentially give Eddie thousands of gold in exchange for an escort to Ald'rhun.
I only only assume you meant something else and I'm misunderstanding your intent.
Quote
Talk to Ethasi Rilvayn and ask for an estimate on the cost of the life of a Telvanni mage-lord
(no names until we make the contract, just in case)
Two comments:
First, I would like to point out that in Episode 26 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344887#msg4344887) the Thieves Guild literally threw you out on your face for bugging them with price checks they knew you couldn't afford.
Second, just to give an idea of the general order of magnitude of price you might reasonably be able to expect for what you're proposing, check the price of the vanilla quest to do the same thing:
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Writ_for_Mistress_Therana
The vanilla payment for assassinating Mistress Therana is 10,000 gold. Given that the economy here is generally harsher than in vanilla, the price...if they even give you one...is unlikely to be less than that. It is likely to be more. That 10k is just what the assassin gets. The payment to the Morag Tong from the client would logically be higher. And Therana is just a councilor. Eddie is talking about the Archmagister himself.
As Archmagister of the Telvanni, Gothren is the leader of one of the more powerful factions in Vvardenfell. So just try to imagine...walking into an assassins guild wearing your low quality chitin armor and fluffy hat and asking in your foreign accent for a price check to have a councilor assassinated...but refusing to tell them which one.
To work with a more colorful analogy, imagine walking into an Italian mafia den wearing a Hawaiian t-shirt and shorts, and speaking with a southern drawl. Imagine asking for a price check for assassinating a president. But...you can't tell them which president of which country you want them to assassinate. Because it's a secret. You just want a price check on assassinating presidents in general.
Do you really think that will go over well?
Granted, the analogy is a bit off, but I think you might want to give a little more thought to what you're proposing.
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If the hit is not possible, then go to Eydis and ask her to inform Awesomicus of your location
What location? This is exactly the problem that was described in the update: where precisely are you going to tell Eydis to tell Awesomicus that you'll be? Keeping in mind that you have no idea when Awesomicus will next check in with Eydis, it could be today it could be next week...where can you have him meet you that you can be sure that you'll actually be there when he happens to come looking for you?
Post by: Supercharazad on August 08, 2013, 05:13:00 am
Post by: Man of Paper on August 08, 2013, 06:32:24 am
You make a couple valid points. I'm working on incomplete knowledge of the game, so some of the stuff I say might be off or, to put it honestly, dumb. My suggestions are based largely off shaking things up in some way. Probably picked that up by now.
As for the location bit, I meant for us to tell Eydis to tell Awesomicus that we're headed to the Ald Skar Inn if he pops up. I'd like to change that to Awesomicus meeting us in or around the Fighters Guild, just so there's a set location for us to watch over during our free time instead of a whole city we could be in, plus we're living there for now, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of that place. Chances are he wouldn't appear while we're out this time (especially if we use the Mages Guild to get there and back).
My intentions with Eddie are to create some form of friendship or partnership. We're doing great meeting people, but so far none of them trust us, a few even suspecting we could be the enemy. Here's someone with some level of power that we might have an opportunity to ally with, especially with the promise of getting him the opportunity to move up in House Telvanni. It'd be nice to have a friend somewhere of use.
Post by: birdy51 on August 08, 2013, 02:41:17 pm
This will indicate the level of trust we can give him to help us.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 08, 2013, 02:41:59 pm
Well, we need to stop making ourselves look like an idiot in front of him if we want him to think of us as anything other than a tool. A slightly creepy tool, to boot.
We need to stop making stupid mistakes:
FOR GOODNESS SAKE, IF YOU WANT MIKE TO TELL SOMEBODY SOMETHING, DON'T BE VAGUE ABOUT IT! I'm tired of all these "um... highschool math?" moments! Haven't you guys learned yet? We're trying to convince certain people that we're "in the know," yet even after the GM hammers in that we have to be specific, no one ever specifies! People keep suggesting poorly thought out or vague things to say, but even when the GM points out what's wrong with them before the episode, they don't change their suggestion! They just leave it there and the GM consequently proceeds with the worst interpretation of it!
If you haven't played Morrowind, at least do some research before suggesting instead of proceeding blindly. Not to be mean, but "haven't played Morrowind, just basing this suggestion off Skyrim/a skim over the thread" isn't going to get us anywhere.
Asking questions is a good way to find things out, but only if asked in the right way to the right people. We don't want to appear clueless, yet we sometimes ask questions that betray our cluelessness to people we need to impress. Teachers are good people to ask, as is our spymaster. Guardsmen, officers, they're good too. We need to find things out, but we've got to be careful about admitting weakness; and not just to orcs. Knowledge is our main strength, so we must guard carefully the weaknesses in our knowledge. Letting on cluelessness to some can be a good way to gain trust or appear harmless/inconsequential, but remember that it also makes us look like an idiot to some people.
Post by: PTTG?? on August 08, 2013, 03:00:13 pm
Post by: hostergaard on August 08, 2013, 04:10:39 pm
Anyway, its been awhile since I played Morrowind so I have been dicking around in the wiki to find something usefull, and this (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Vassir-Didanat_Ebony_Mine)may be a viable option since the only thing it require is what we have; our metagame knowledge!
I think between 2000 gold or daedric weapon I think the later have the most value, with either axe, bow or katana at 50 000 gold! Buuuuuut.... we might have trouble selling those weapons, being so valuable. So of course we can keep them for ourselves, maybe even choose the spear since we have some knowledge with it even though its less worth tough its probably more worthwhile to choose the axe and train with it, what with it having a higher dps is believe. However, there is still the fact that we suck, and those weapons are way outside our league, might may make us targeted of people wanting to steal it or murder us for it. Kinda ironic that we may be forced to protect a weapon because its too good, and not the other way around.
Then there is the third option. Getting the daedric staff and give it to fast eddie in exchange for magic training, a place to crash, access to his alchemy set and whatever other favors we can think of now and in the future (do it the right way, ask Dram Bero what the location the lost Vassir-Didanat Ebony Mine would be worth to him).
The staff itself is worth way more than the training at 14 000 gold coins, but better than having a expensive but unsellable weapon. But we can simply exchange that for the various other needs we have and promise of him owing us a lot of favors in the future (negotiating as appropriate). We could also get some ebony at the mine and sell, but that might be a little too dangerous.
Ask the fighters guild lady what low level fatigue potions would take of our guild dues if we donated it to the guild chest. You can make them extremely affordably at fast eddie's; only 2 gp per potion in ingredients, and even the lowest level of potions should be worth more than that (not counting having to get flasks, but potions sell at 5gp according to the wiki, and then 15, 35, 80 175 per quality grade). Pay you guild dues in a cheap manner and get some alchemy training to booth. What more can you ask? In fact, check to see if there is any market for selling cheap fatigue potions at the guild.
I guess that is all I have for now, at least what I can remember, probably forgot something. Thanks for another awesome update!
Post by: Putnam on August 08, 2013, 04:19:21 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 08, 2013, 04:27:22 pm
I just realized, we forgot to do something very important back in Vivec. Crap. The Vassir-Drindat cave, a lost Ebony mine. We know it's location, we could've Ondusi's Unhinge'd the door in the abandoned mansion and talked to Dram, and gotten a handsome reward for telling him where it is. Oh well, I'm sure there are others who'd find the info valuable. Also, anyone else know what I'm talking about? I don't want this to wind up like the murder investigation just did.
This was before suggestions were in bold, though. Ask Caius if the Vassir-Drindat Ebony mine has been rediscovered yet. It's an easy quest with huge reward, but it's not well-known and fairly hard to discover on accident. A quest-minded PC is unlikely to stumble upon it, and a random adventurer finding the cave is unlikely to just know its location is so valuable. The cave is across the river from the Shulk Egg Mine, hidden in an easy-to-miss nook at the end of a valley.
Post by: hostergaard on August 08, 2013, 04:33:52 pm
Anyone can make fatigue potions, so I don't think they'd...
But I was under the impression that the ingredients needed was entirely personal. Different from people to people. So while anyone may make them, there is varying prices attached to it, so some people its far cheaper to buy them.
This means that all potions that have a use, and especially fatigue potions given how useful they are in morrowind, is worth more than the absolutely cheapest set of ingredients they can be made out of since there is a demand, however small. And since the ingredient combination we have for fatigue potions are in fact the absolutely cheapest possible, 2gp, it would not matter that the price for selling it is just strictly the price of the lowest price of ingredients because even tough we would not make a profit at first, we would continually improve or alchemy skill, and thus soon make better and more expensive potions.
I suggested...
Really? Sorry about that, but I haven't really had time to read every single suggestion, especially before the bold face suggestions as you said. But I guess we then agree its a good plan, right? ;)
Post by: WillowLuman on August 08, 2013, 04:56:46 pm
Post by: LordBucket on August 08, 2013, 04:58:26 pm
Eh. When I gave specific suggestions they were ignored completely, so whatevs.
I'm not doing that intentionally. I'm weighing suggestions by how many votes they get and how generally compatible they are with other suggestions. It's an unfortunate side effect that precise suggestions that only one person proposes and nobody gives a +1 to sometimes get skipped over more generic suggestions that blend well with others.
For example, look at the current votes:
Quote
Talk to Ethasi Rilvayn and ask for an estimate on the cost of the life of a Telvanni mage-lord
Quote
Go to Ranis, ask about how elemental enchantments enchantments work.
Quote
Ask Caius to let us ask questions to the next Sleeper he gets.
Quote
tell Eydis to tell Awesomicus that we're headed to the Ald Skar Inn if he pops up. I'd like to change that to Awesomicus meeting us in or around the Fighters Guild,
Quote
Ask Caius if the Vassir-Drindat Ebony mine has been rediscovered yet.
Quote
check to see if there is any market for selling cheap fatigue potions at the guild.
Quote
Ask the fighters guild lady what low level fatigue potions would take of our guild dues if we donated it to the guild chest.
...and...
Quote
go to Ald'Ruhn and do the damn quest. It'll probably only take us a day or so there and back.
Quote
Getting the daedric staff and give it to fast eddie in exchange for magic training, a place to crash, access to his alchemy set and whatever other favors we can think of now and in the future (do it the right way, ask Dram Bero what the location the lost Vassir-Didanat Ebony Mine would be worth to him).
So that's 8 suggestions to sit around talking to four different npcs, and only two to actually do anything. Talking to npcs takes time, and going out and doing things takes time. I can only fit either/or of those into a single update.
Which do you think is going happen? The thing that there were 8 suggestions for or the thing that there were only two suggestions for?
If you guys want to get anything done, then stop making four times as many suggestions to sit around talking to people as suggestions to actually do anything.
Oh, look. While I typed this, here's yet another suggestion to talk to npcs:
Quote
Ask Caius. Tell him we have something to collect from Mr. Bero.
I'm not deliberately avoiding specific or productive suggestions. I'm just doing what you guys are suggesting.
Post by: Aseaheru on August 08, 2013, 04:59:22 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 08, 2013, 05:13:50 pm
Well, here's my plan:
-Ask Caius about Dram Bero and the Vassir Drindat mine. If that avenue's still open, and Dram Bero is within reach, go take advantage of our knowledge and tel Caius it's necessary preparation (which it is). Let him know that we need to interrogate the next Sleeper he gets.
-After that, make the deal with Eddie (if we managed to reach Dram) and change our notification for Awesomicus to something a bit more specific. This requires some additional thought.
-Then, head off to Ald'ruun to complete Caius's mission.
-Save off on asking questions about magic, education, and alchemy until we're done with field trips
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 08, 2013, 05:35:58 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 08, 2013, 05:54:29 pm
Post by: hermes on August 08, 2013, 06:29:49 pm
I really thought we were at least going to check out the active Fighters guild quests, in case there were some new low-level ones. :/
+9
Post by: Vrky on August 08, 2013, 07:07:14 pm
I really thought we were at least going to check out the active Fighters guild quests, in case there were some new low-level ones. :/
+9
I agree!
Quote
Let's never consider the Morag Tong unless we actually have lots of money. They're legally sanctioned assassins and they're costly. One does not approach them lightly. Honestly, a lot of bad things happen because nobody bothers to vote against them (or change their vote).
Well, here's my plan:
-Ask Caius about Dram Bero and the Vassir Drindat mine. If that avenue's still open, and Dram Bero is within reach, go take advantage of our knowledge and tel Caius it's necessary preparation (which it is). Let him know that we need to interrogate the next Sleeper he gets.
-After that, make the deal with Eddie (if we managed to reach Dram) and change our notification for Awesomicus to something a bit more specific. This requires some additional thought.
-Then, head off to Ald'ruun to complete Caius's mission.
-Save off on asking questions about magic, education, and alchemy until we're done with field trips
+1
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 08, 2013, 07:23:09 pm
Somehow, I think Caius's mission means it's time to go do stuff. It wouldn't hurt to ask which contracts are available on the way out, though.
Yeah, support doing that mission but also doesn't hurt to grab everything else and check out opportunities. Also, check for alchemy ingredients on the way of course.
Post by: MonkeyHead on August 09, 2013, 05:47:39 am
Post by: LordBucket on August 13, 2013, 11:25:27 pm
Episode 39 in progress. 50/50 it will be up tonight.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 14, 2013, 12:09:44 am
Please take MonkeyHead's post as a suggestion, which I concur with.
Post by: LordBucket on August 15, 2013, 08:11:32 am
(GM Note: Over the past dozen or so episodes a number of disparities have cropped up between in-game stats and reported-in-forum stats. This happens when I do things like award skill gains for conversation events, training, etc. as well as sometimes playing the game and missing stat gains and things in the heat of combat. Stats should be current now. Unless I missed something. In particular note that Michael had a levelup at some point that was missed and is actually level 6 as of this paragraph, and level 7 by the end of episode 39.)
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check out the active Fighters guild quests
Quote
+9
Quote
I agree!
Quote
ask which contracts are available
You stop by the fighter's guild.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Eydis. Any missions available?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Of course. I have a almost a dozen assignments right now looking for people to do them. Only four local jobs though, and only two I think you'd be suitable for."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What are those?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "I've got someone looking for an escort, and some rats that need to be removed from a local house."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Rats? Again? I thought that quest was completed already."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "What do you mean? Rats find their way into town several times a week."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Oh. First time I was here I saw Bjorn turning that mission in, so I-"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Bjorn? Ugh, don't remind me. I expelled that fetcher from the guild weeks ago."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What for? When I met him you were paying him for getting rid of rats."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Right. Except his idea of 'getting rid of rats' was taking them out of town and dropping them into the woods for them to waddle right back in. Took me five times paying him to remove the same rats over three days before I figured out what he was doing."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Heh, that's funny."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Dralsea Arethi didn't think so when she had to come to me for two rats infestations in one day."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So what happens to Bjorn?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "I put a 700 gold bounty on him. Either he pays back the 1400 gold he was paid in commissions for missions he failed to complete, or sooner or later somebody brings me his head. Before you get too excited though, bringing Bjorn to justice is one of those missions I don't think you're qualified for. Bjorn might be a complete s'wit, but he's good with an axe."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What about the other missions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Reserved for higher ranked member within the guild, Associate. Hasphat says you can handle a weapon, but I need you to prove you won't die in a real fight before I send you on anything dangerous."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hmm, ok. What about those two jobs you recommend for me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Rats are in Karlirah's house, near the river. The escort mission is for a slow, overland walk to Seyda Neen for an Alchemist by the name of Rayna Andral. She should be waiting downstairs."
Hmm. Seyda Neen is a long walk, and pretty much the opposite direction you need to go to deliver that message for Caius. But it's money, it will be earning prestige within the guild to unlock better missions, and since Rayna's an alchemist, maybe you can learn or trade something useful with her on the trip. It's not an ideal mission, but...
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'll take them both."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Whoa, slow down. Like I said, Rayna's waiting downstairs. Why don't you go deal with the rats, then come back. If you want them both. fine. But I'm not going to ask her to wait for you if somebody else shows up to do the escort while you're out."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok."
You head to Karlirah's house to dispatch some rats.
(http://i.imgur.com/5p64JVD.png)
Light armor is now 12
Spear is now 7
Health is now 9/57
For a bit you thought you were going to have to drink a potion, but you managed to pull it off without one. Though you certainly need healing now. You consider going to Caius for some free healing, but you've already had done that twice, and are still using his house for storage and haven't finished the quest he issued you. Besides, since Bjorn was cheating on basically this same quest, maybe it would look good to return to the guild a bit bloodied.
You return to the fighter's guild.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "So how was it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Not so bad."
You pull out a potion and drink it in front of her. You feel better, but it does nothing to remove the bloodstains from your armor. Eydis hands you 100 gold.
Health restore to full
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Thanks. Rayna still here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Yes. Escort missions's all yours."
You thank her again and head downstairs to find Rayna chatting with Hasphat and Fasile.
(http://i.imgur.com/6lqIVXM.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hello. I'm Michael. Are you Rayna? I'll be your escort to Seyda Neen."
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "Yes, I'm Rayna. Thank you for your help. Shall we be going?"
The two of you leave the guild and turn left towards the west exit, chatting amicably as you walk. Rayna is clearly walking towards the walkway arch, which happens to be within sight of the silt strider.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Why don't we take the silt strider? It would be much faster."
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "Because then I wouldn't be able to pick flowers on the way. I requested an escort for a slow walk to Seyda Neen. The whole point is to pick ingredients for alchemy."
...oh. That makes sense. Though you wonder at the economy of that. Presumably she's paying the fighter's guild more than the 100 you'll be paid, so she'll need to collect a lot of ingredients to make it worthwhile. But then it is a long walk. The the two of you head out the gate, with Rayna stopping at every flower to pick parts.
(http://i.imgur.com/ADvefYc.png)
Curious, you watch very closely and see that she is clearly using her hands to pick the portions she wants and visibly tucking them into a pouch on her belt. On an impulse, you ask:
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Rayna. Are you a PC?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "Am I a what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "A player character. Are you one?"
She looks at you strangely.
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "You're not hitting on me, are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Umm, no. Sorry. Never mind."
You've asked several people that question. so far, nobody's said yes, but watching the way Rayna picks flowers gives a sharp contrast to what you saw Awesomicus do when he swapped out a full suit of armor and made the old one vanish in an instant. And now that you think about it, you've seen a number of people need to fetch things to or from containers or bags and things. Ranis, Eydis, Nalcarya...all of them had to get items from somewhere. They didn't just materialize. Awesomeicus seemed confused when you asked him if he was a PC. But he clearly did something you haven't seen anyone else do. It's possible that inventory action might provide an empirical test of...something. Are these people PCs? You've kind of been assuming so. But what about you? Are you a PC? You can't materialize items or don armor in an instant. If somebody asked you do do the inventory test you were just considering, you'd fail it. So what's the difference between you and Awesomicus? What's the difference between him and everyone else in this world?
Your thought are interrupted by the sounds of a creature approaching. You can barely make it out in the dark, but it seems to be a rat.
(http://i.imgur.com/g4PvTlc.png)
This rat is MUCH tougher than the two you fought in Balmora. In fact, you're about to drink one of your remaining health potions when Rayna heals you. Even so, the thing just doesn't want to to die, and it takes what seems like minutes of whapping the thing with your spear to finish it off.
Light armor is now 15
Spear is now 8
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "...you're new at this. Aren't you?"
Well, that's embarrassing.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes. This is my second fighter's guild job ever."
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "When was your first?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "About an hour ago."
She nods, but says nothing. You're about to suggest the two of you resume your trip when another rat comes running towards the two of you, as if to avenge its fallen comrade.
(http://i.imgur.com/sKQbcFu.png)
Rayna appears unconcerned as it comes running up, and seems content to let you handle it. You maneuver it away from Rayna to keep from accidentally hitting her and proceed to smack it a bunch.
(http://i.imgur.com/z5zVJdH.png)
You're hitting the thing, but like it's friend, this rat just doesn't want to die. So long as Rayna keeps healing you there's no real danger here, but you're really starting to wonder why these rats are so much tougher than the ones in Balmora when...
(http://i.imgur.com/f5GNuLX.png)
...your spear falls apart.
Oh. Oops. Yeah, kind of forgot to check on that. You do your best to avoid the rat while you try to figure out what to do. Meanwhile Rayna facepalms and come over to heal you again. Good thing she's here. What are you going to do? Your dagger is at Caius' house at the moment. You don't have any other weapons. Well, except these two:
(http://i.imgur.com/ZwE6qI1.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok. I've got this."
Hand to hand skill is now 6
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I've totally got this."
Hand to hand skill is now 8
Light armor kill is now 16
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Any time now that rat is going to die."
Unarmored skill is now 9
Light armor kill is now 18
Hand to hand skill is now 10
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, really. You can die now. Seriously."
Light armor kill is now 20
Hand to hand skill is now 12
Eventually Rayna gets tired of waiting and blasts the rat with a fireball. The flame hurts a bit, but not as much as your pride.
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "I think maybe this isn't going to work."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, honestly we were doing fine until my spear broke. We're pretty close to Fort Moonmoth right now. I could grab a replacement, and so long as you keep healing me I think we'll be fine. Out of curiosity though, if you're able to do that, why did you even need an escort?"
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "That was a rat, and it was already half dead. What happens if a cliff racer finds us? Do you have any idea how dangerous those things are?"
Hmm. You're not going to argue with that. Instead the two of you return to the fighter's guild.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "What are you two doing back here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "We met with...unforeseen complications."
(http://i.imgur.com/IHDsE7q.png): "We decided that maybe it would be best if I were escorted by someone with a bit more experience."
Well, yes. That. Fortunately Eydis takes it stride. After reassuring Rayna that she'll have one of the trainers escort her personally.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Sorry Eydis. I really thought I could do it."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Nahh, don't worry about it. You did the right thing bringing her back. And from the condition of your weapon I see you put up a good fight. Like she said, you just need a bit more experience. Really, it's my fault for sending you on a mission like that before you were ready. You could have been killed. I really should have known better. I'll be more careful next time."
The two of you shake hands and you feel better. You weren't expecting her to take the blame like that.
Rayna gets her escort from Fasile, and you take out a couple armoring hammers from the guild chest to repair your equipment.
Armorer skill is now 6
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on August 15, 2013, 08:11:52 am
Episode 39: Part 2: An expected treasure trove
Quote
go to Ald'Ruhn and do the damn quest
Quote
complete Caius's mission.
Quote
+1
Quote
support doing that mission
You head next door to the Mage Guild and make your way downstairs. As you approach the guild guide, you notice two things: first, Sharn, the orc necromancer, doesn't seem to be present. Second, there's a dunmer woman you don't recognize standing among a pile of books in the sleeping area.
(http://i.imgur.com/U5CVNBi.png)
Curious, you approach her.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hi. I'm Michael. I don't think I've seen you around here before."
No answer.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me, miss?"
No answer. You get up close for a better look. She's breathing. Her eyes are open. And she's just standing there. Experimentally you wave one hand in front of her face.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hello?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6ZdRypp.png)
Your recognize the robe she's wearing. Purple with 6 gems, it's the same outfit that Trebonius wears. Still no response from her though. Curious, you poke her in the belly. Her skin has give to it, so it's not like she's turned to stone, but she doesn't react to your touch. Paralyzed maybe?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Are you ok?"
You hold a finger up to her eyes and move it back and forth. No eye tracking at all. You try to move her to the bed, but curiously, you can't. It's like she's rooted to the ground. Not sure what to do, you approach one of the mage guild vendors.
(http://i.imgur.com/Jt6KHQ4.png): "I greet you warmly, outlander. I'm Maravyn. How can I help you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What's the deal with the girl by the beds?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Jt6KHQ4.png): "You mean Clover?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Is that Clover? Dunmer? Long white hair, purple robe?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Jt6KHQ4.png): "Yes, that's her. What about her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Do you realize she's paralyzed?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Jt6KHQ4.png): "What? Really?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes."
Maravyn follows you over to inspect Clover. She's still standing there.
(http://i.imgur.com/Jt6KHQ4.png): "Oh, outlander. She's not paralyzed. She's just meditating."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, she's rooted in place."
(http://i.imgur.com/Jt6KHQ4.png): "What do you mean?"
You place both hands on Clover's hips, lean into her and push as hard as you can. You can't even budge her.
(http://i.imgur.com/Jt6KHQ4.png): "I don't see what the problem is."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What? Seriously? This doesn't look odd to you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Jt6KHQ4.png): "No, not at all."
Maravyn goes back to his table, leaving you perplexed. Is there some basic piece of physics going on here you've completely missed? Or something else? Unsure what to do, you stand there for a moment just staring into her eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Clover, I'd really like it if we could talk."
No answer.
Since she's not talking, you start browsing through the books. Biography of Berenziah. That's...not one of the more memorable books. You pick up the next from the stack. Biography of Berenziah again. What, is the entire stack duplicates? Oh, wait. Volume I, volume II, Volume III...looks like it's the full set. You set them down and check another pile. A Brief History of Empire? Again, looks like the full set. You check the next stack. ABCs for Barbarians? How Orsinium Passed to the orc? Those are single books rather than collections. Checking, you don't see Sermons of Vivec anywhere. Collecting books is pretty normal in Morrowind, but so far as you can tell none of these are relevant to any quests. No Vampires of Vvardenfell, no Lost Prophecies, no Progress of Truth. No Fire and Faith, none of the Dwemer books. It occurs to you that if she's got the same deal as Awesomicus, it's possible these are all the worthless reject books she's collected over weeks of being here, and all the useful books are in some kind of invisible inventory you can't see.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Clover, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you're a PC, we need to talk."
No answer. You stare into her eyes for a minute, waiting. Nothing. Glancing around first to make sure nobody's looking, you reach out and grab one of her boobs. No response. Then you lift your spear and hold the point up to one of her eyes. No blinking, no eye motion, nothing. It's actually kind of creepy. Definitely crosses into uncanny valley. Eventually you give up and pull some paper out of your bag.
But what to write? What did the voices in your head say the last time we left a note for a suspected PC?
put out a quest for Awesomicus to find us and talk to us about an urgent matter of Imperial security
Hmm. That might work. Caius did say he sent her to go investigate Ilunibi, and you are in the Blades now, so...wait, has she already investigated? You check her arms and face, but you don't see anything that looks like a corprus blister. It's been a couple days since Caius told you he gave her the quest. Maybe she just hasn't done it yet? Hmm. In that case...
Clover
My name is Michael. I have been informed by a mutual acquaintance of ours that you've been tasked with the investigation of the cave of Ilunibi. I have information that may be great use to you. It is vital that you speak to me before you investigate.
A friend,
Michael
That should do. Doesn't give away any crucial information, but it's a quest hook that would be relevant and of interest regardless of whether she's a PC, the Nerevarine, or whatever. You fold the note and tuck it into the neck of her robe, then wait another minute or two just in case. Still no response from her. Eventually you give up and go to the teleport pad.
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Hey, perv. Don't think I've forgotten about you."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What? What did I do?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Better be nothing, or we'll have to deal with you. Who are you stalking now?"
...oh, wait. Right. Last time you spoke with Masalinie some things were said that got taken out of context, you'd recently arrived under escort by Ordinators, and...yeah, it looked kind of bad. Actually, come to think of it, not only does the guild guide thinks you're a stalker, Sharn is probably annoyed at you for disappearing after telling her you'd retrieve that skull for her, everyone in the Vivec guild saw you escorted out of the city by two Ordinators, and that enchanting vendor you tried to buy an unlocking scroll from very obviously thought you were buying it to steal things. Apart from Ranis and Moravyn just now, you haven't really made a good impression here. Well, time to try and fix that.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, look, I know we got off to a bad start, and obviously I must have left a very bad impression on you if you still remember me after the whole month it's been since we last spoke. But can we just get over it? I'm probably going to be joining the guild here soon. At least, as soon as I can learn some magic. Hopefully we're all going to be on the same side here, so...look: I apologize. Whatever it looked like when we last spoke, it wasn't like that. And I apologize for the misunderstanding. Can we be friends?"
She doesn't answer right away, but then nods slowly.
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Ok. But I've got my eye on you."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Great. That's totally ok. Thank you."
Awkward silence.
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "So, where would you like to go?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Oh, right. Ald'rhun, please."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "15 gold."
You pay her and step onto the teleport pad. A moment later you're in Ald'ruhn.
(http://i.imgur.com/oWyZtB1.png)
It looks like there's a large pile of stuff laying in the hallway. Curious, you take closer look.
(http://i.imgur.com/edB4aeQ.png)
Looks like quite the treasure pile. A full set of alchemy tools, mixed master and grandmaster pieces. Nearly a full suit of orcish and several pieces of imperial steel heavy armor. Several slave bracers. Daedric and dwemer battle axes you can barely lift. A dragonscale shield? That's kind of rare. Several assorted swords and...oh, a glass jinxblade, that's a nice weapon. Wait...staff of peace? Shield of the undaunted? Some of these are plot critical quest rewards. And is that...the artifact axe, Cloudcleaver, just laying discarded on the ground? What's that even from?
Whoever did this has been busy. But there's more. Seeing that the door to your left is open, you turn to look.
(http://i.imgur.com/ruWXrP3.png)
Looks like this is where the quest books went. At least a few of them: two copies of Chronicles of Nchuleft, Progress of Truth and Antecedants of Dwemer Law. And apparently about 600 pounds worth of dwemer cogs scattered on the bed. To your right:
(http://i.imgur.com/Waxm17i.png)
The desk is covered is assorted dwemer stuff: mugs, pitchers, coins...even a puzzle box. And, what's this? An Argonian head on a plaque? The head of Scourge? That's a particularly obscure easter egg. What about the chest?
(http://i.imgur.com/g8JOHgl.png)
Alchemy ingredients. Since you know the voices are going to ask...no, you don't see any diamonds or void salts. But you do find an emerald and some raw ebony, which are kind of rare.
As you survey the hoard, you become increasingly nervous. Whomever did all this is obviously way ahead of you. They could probably sneeze and kill you. And if you were to venture a guess, they probably have a recall point here. They could potentially teleport in at any moment. The question is: would that be a good thing or a bad thing? You're not sure. And what about the hoard? There's enough riches casually laying around to easily solve all your money problems forever. But do you really want to steal stuff from someone who could probably kill you accidentally? On one hand, odds are good there's so much stuff here you could probably make off with a few items and they'd never even notice. But on the other hand...Progress of Truth, artifact axe, even the jinxblade...there are a several tems that if this were your personal collection you'd absolutely notice if they disappeared. And not necessarily the more valuable ones. Like the slave bracers, for example. Totally worthless in terms of the vendoring, but usually players keep those to track how many slaves they've either freed as part of the Twin Lamps quests. Taking the cheap stuff isn't a guarantee that theft would go unnoticed. But then, even if they do notice, what are they going to do about it? There's no way for them to track you, right? But then finally...some of the things you most want are either impractically heavy, or impractically big. Like the alchemy tools. Those would be really nice to have. But it would be absolutely be noticed if they were gone, and you still don't really have anywhere to put them. And even if you di, what about the mage guild npcs? Assuming it's even meaningful to call anyone an npc here, would they be able to report you if you were seen visibly carting off treasure that's been cluttering up their guild hall? Somebody's bound to notice if you leave carrying anything big.
Looks like you have some decisions to make.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Caius Cosades' house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Gamerlord on August 15, 2013, 08:19:27 am
Post by: shadenight123 on August 15, 2013, 08:35:29 am
Taste-Test one of everything that we still know nothing about.
Post by: Man of Paper on August 15, 2013, 09:55:24 am
Let's nip this in the bud right now and actually get done what we came here to do before we get side-tracked. We can always ask about who that stuff belongs to on our way back through. If we get a name and it's not Clover, Awesomicus or Bjorn, leave another note stating we want to meet with him/her in Balmora on top of the desk or something.
My feeling about Bjorn is that we could probably confront him right now and we wouldn't have an issue as long as we come in peace. We should convince Fire-Eye that we know how to settle the situation with Bjorn without any bloodshed. We need to figure out what to say should she ask what we know or how we plan to do it without sounding like a hyperdick.
As for Eydis, I'm getting a totally different feel about her from this than I did Morrowind, and I'm suspicious as to why. She recently lost all of her Balmora-branch Camonna pals, maybe she feels some sort of way about that? I dunno, taking all the responsibility for a failed mission doesn't seem like her, or any other guild leader that I know of, really.
So far we've got possible Dunmer, Orc, and Nord NPCs. Perhaps we'll see one of each race and have to catch them all.
Also, boob honking must become Michael's primary method of testing for response.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 15, 2013, 11:14:10 am
This won't be theft, this will be a mystery they will want to solve.
But first, leave a note explaining that we were here, and that we need to talk to the person who owns the stash. Leave this before going off on our quest. Say that we would also like to borrow some of their equipment, and that we will leave some unique things in their place. Mention that the armor is of unique construction but otherwise mundane, while the small box has significant magical powers.
We will return the equipment when they come to talk to us, if they want us to, but we have more of value we can offer them.
This is something that they won't be expecting to run across, and they will have strong incentive to investigate and actually find out what's going on before killing us. (hopefully)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on August 15, 2013, 12:06:17 pm
This is something that they won't be expecting to run across, and they will have strong incentive to investigate and actually find out what's going on before killing us. (hopefully)
This particular bit worries me; this looks like the belongings of Awesomnicus, who I think is more likely to just kill because WE STOLE HIS STUFF!!!
Not everyone reads the 'flavour text' in games...
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 15, 2013, 12:09:01 pm
And some of these items actually require quest-fulfilling to get, right, not just outright killing?
We're not trying to fence the stuff, we're willing to return, and we're leaving something of equal value in exchange.
Okay, so it still might be a bad idea.
At the very least, leave another note!
Post by: MonkeyHead on August 15, 2013, 12:23:53 pm
Post by: gman8181 on August 15, 2013, 12:50:11 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 15, 2013, 12:56:54 pm
Actually, I really like this idea.
Use alchemy equipment, hang around for a while, try to make some useful stuff while we wait for the dude to return.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 15, 2013, 01:51:01 pm
Take some small but expensive things, like gems, that are bound to go unnoticed. As long as we don't get greedy, this is too good to pass up. Bear in mind we need to take enough so that the Thieve's guild fences aren't putting too big a dent in our profit. Sometimes you just have to take risks.
Look for things that show Quest/Main Quest progress. It's good to know.
Ask the guild guide who left all this stuff blocking up the hall. Chances are, it's Clover's stuff, but we need to know.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 15, 2013, 01:51:57 pm
Ask the guild guide who left all this stuff blocking up the hall. Chances are, it's Clover's stuff, but we need to know.You know this is probably a good idea go with this one.
Post by: Aseaheru on August 15, 2013, 04:08:07 pm
Post by: Spitfire on August 15, 2013, 05:23:16 pm
I wonder what'd've happened if Bucket put the rat-quest up for vote. The quest is like "You literally just have to walk down the street, kill the weakest enemy in the game, and get your much needed gold." And I still can't shake off the feeling that this quest would've gone under in the ensuing community suggestions and votes til forgotten.
Post by: LordBucket on August 15, 2013, 08:51:09 pm
Quote
Check for any items pertaining to the main quest that would be indicative
of the progress whichever NPC this is has made
Quote
Look for things that show Quest/Main Quest progress.
All "important" items present were precisely itemized in the update.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 15, 2013, 09:21:06 pm
We should carry at least 2 weapons at all times, in case we need a backup. Honestly, I thought we already agreed on that as part of the spear suggestion. Hmm, might not be a bad idea to practice hand-to-hand a bit as well.
Post by: LordBucket on August 15, 2013, 11:52:23 pm
Well, all I saw on that list was Progress of Truth and the Cloudcleaver axe. Which means this person has hit up contacts in Vivec for Caius (and is thus likely Clover),
and has met a certain magically paralyzed naked nord barbarian out on the road. And possibly has killed a shopkeeper in Ald'ruun.
Really? That's what you got out of what was said?
Ok.
Quote
carry at least 2 weapons at all times
I thought we already agreed on that as part of the spear suggestion.
Actually it was because of the spear switch that he stopped carrying the dagger.
Always carrying two weapons was discussed, but that's not how it played out. Michael picked up a bunch weapons in the legion, and those got stashed under Caius' bed when he arrived in Balmora. For a while, all he was carrying around with him was the dagger. Then there was a huge debate over several episodes about weapon type to focus on: spear or short blade. So in episode 36 he retrieved the chitin spear from Caius' house to do some combat trials. That's the only time in recent history that I can see during which he was carrying two weapons. But at that same time there were concerns about weight and carrying capacity, and you guys decided to switch from heavy to light armor. So Michael, assuming that since the decision had definitely been made to go with lighter armor that the decision would probably also be made to go with the lighter weapon...and realizing that the spear has no sheath and has to be carried by hand, and therefore it would be silly to carry a secondary weapon in hand and constantly be dropping it onto the ground to draw the primary weapon...stashed the chitin spear at Caius' to go with the lighter dagger. That was at the end of Episode 36 part 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4435785#msg4435785). But, in the following episode 37 you guys said to definitely go with spear, and simultaneously upgraded to a silver spear...which happens to be three times as heavy as the dagger he was carrying at that time. So given the previous concerns over weight, rather than carry both weapons, Michael simply swapped to spear and stashed the dagger.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 16, 2013, 12:14:48 am
Head of Scourge shows either luck, completionist curiosity, or much experience with the furthest corners of this game.
The only artifact you listed is that cloudcleaver axe, and you told us the list was exhaustive, but I'm probably missing something in the implications of those other books.
Post by: hostergaard on August 16, 2013, 03:26:26 am
Well, since there is a stash of Alchemic ingredients...
Taste-Test one of everything that we still know nothing about.
+1 I think we aren't technically stealing, or at least there would be little proof as long as nobody sees you. But I would recomened only skimming of anything that have multiple items. Having one less of each is probably not noticable, but it might be noticed if something is missing entirely.
Oh, oh! I got an idea! If we steal something noticable leave the note from the thieves guild. Maybe we can make the PC believe they are behind the thievery (or we could leave a note implicating whatever or whoever, does the thieves guild note have our name on it? If so we should probably not do that). And we should probably make sure to join the thieves guild, we don't want to get stabbed in the back for stealing unsanctioned.
Post by: Lordinquisitor on August 16, 2013, 05:23:27 am
Ask the members of the ald'ruhn guild whether they saw the person who left the stash. Maybe we can even gather some information about him/her or get an idea to where the person went. With a bit of luck the person is still in ald'ruhn and we could track him/her down. Even if not we could ask the guild members to rely a message to the person once he/she comes back.
It might be a funny idea to team up with the person. We might get some nice stuff or information just for free; Or could accompany the person for a while, which would certainly enable us to pick up some nice loot on the way.
I suggest that we leave a message on paper asking the person to meet us on the first of the next month in the ald'ruhn guild. We should ask the guild members to rely the same message, in case the person misses the note. We should add that we possess some valuable information that could aid him/her. (We have absolute metagaming knowledge; We are bound to know something about a quest the person is on.) Maybe also add something to describe yourself or that if we miss each other that you will check the guild from time to time.
Ofc; We should absolutely keep track of the time/date from then on. Would be a shame to miss the meeting.
Also, thumbs up for this great suggestion game. Morrowind is likely my most favorite game ever and you are doing a great job on bringing the world alive while also adding an very unique touch.
Post by: Putnam on August 16, 2013, 05:51:09 am
(We could beat Fargoth in a fair fight, though!)
Post by: Lordinquisitor on August 16, 2013, 06:16:35 am
And once, and if, we meet the person we will certainly find a way to make ourselves useful. Or we would have an interesting chat. It can`t hurt to get to know the various adventurers of Vvardenfell.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 16, 2013, 08:31:55 am
No taking anything
The guild is already kind of pissy with us lets be honest, not a good idea to get right back into trouble with them potentially, even with stuff as nice as this the primary goal is STILL learning magic.
HOWEVER, what we COULD do is use the thieves guild to steal it for us. At least worth a try, right? I wonder how much they would charge to "steal an axe/glass sword from a hallway in the mages guild" - or if they'd recognize that the axe we described was an artifact and thus charge more.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 16, 2013, 12:11:56 pm
Why waste a whole bunch more money that we might not even have to have the Thieve's guild get stuff when we're RIGHT HERE? I don't think we should steal anything big, but we could make a nice amount on some small, easily unnoticed things. We need the cash more than they do.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 16, 2013, 12:14:33 pm
If this is Clover's stuff, she may end up just letting us use it! Either way, it's not like it's going to magically disappear to somewhere else (or at least it's unlikely) anytime soon.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 16, 2013, 12:16:19 pm
EDIT: Not pocketing the entire stack, of course. Just 1-2 from each. We could take the emerald and 1-2 of the ebony. Not sure about that vampire dust, though, because like the slave bracers it could be a trophy.
Post by: birdy51 on August 16, 2013, 02:52:01 pm
However, I'm going to raise my voice against taking all of Clover's hard-earned goodies. I am for Asking Clover for her goodies, or otherwise waiting for her to snap out of her "mediations". Check if she is a She-Brony, and show her the shirt and/ or your cell phone. Make her interested in you.
With behavior this odd, it's almost a certainty that she is the PC. Therfore, I think it is paramount that we attempt some sort of communications with her before she goes and disappears. We need her to acknowledge our presence.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 16, 2013, 03:10:08 pm
Post by: hermes on August 18, 2013, 02:41:05 am
Post by: TC01 on August 18, 2013, 11:50:35 am
It actually just inspired me to try playing Morrowind again- I still have yet to beat it, so I'm not sure that any suggestions from me would be that useful. But I'll at least continue to lurk and watch, and maybe chime in every once and a while?
I love how we come upon a room full of someone else's stuff and our first response is to loot everything in sight and eat her food.
What good Elder Scrolls players we are, I guess.
I'd recommend figuring out whose stuff it is- talk to the other Mages Guild people, as others have mentioned- before deciding whether or not to take something.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 18, 2013, 07:09:54 pm
Just bringing this to the foreground.Ask the guild guide who left all this stuff blocking up the hall. Chances are, it's Clover's stuff, but we need to know.You know this is probably a good idea go with this one.
Post by: birdy51 on August 18, 2013, 09:18:20 pm
Just bringing this to the foreground.Ask the guild guide who left all this stuff blocking up the hall. Chances are, it's Clover's stuff, but we need to know.You know this is probably a good idea go with this one.
I'll third this request.
Post by: BunnyBob77 on August 22, 2013, 03:08:56 pm
And I will fourth it.Just bringing this to the foreground.Ask the guild guide who left all this stuff blocking up the hall. Chances are, it's Clover's stuff, but we need to know.You know this is probably a good idea go with this one.
I'll third this request.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 22, 2013, 03:20:11 pm
Post by: Parcae on August 25, 2013, 01:33:56 am
First, we are hopelessly far behind the other PCs (if we're a PC at all) and need a game-changer.
Second, the biggest threat to this LP isn't being killed, but the meta-threat that the writer gets bored and wanders off, leaving Michael forever trapped in limbo. We need to do something exciting and crazy to give him something to write about.
Third and most important, Clover is almost certainly a PC. That means that she has the advantages of a PC, but also the disadvantages of one. Clover is probably completely incapable of investigating anything that isn't programmed in by the game designers, and I mean literally incapable - she can't investigate if she doesn't have clues, and she can't garner clues unless something in the game programming lets her do it. Moreover, she's probably also limited by the (fictional) person playing her. If you notice that your gear went missing in a video game, do you assume that an NPC suddenly developed free will and stole it? No, you assume that the game glitched. We would probably be best off picking the room bare, if possible, to maximize the chances that Clover just assumes that her save game is bugged - but that also maximizes the chances that she finds us raiding her stash. Probably best, therefore, just to steal what we need to learn magic and then learn the hell out of it so that we have some chance of actually, y'know, beating the game, or at least surviving if something truly nasty gets annoyed by our shenanigans.
Fourthly, even if Clover or Maximus completes the main quest before we do, the learn-the-hell-out-of-magic route at least guarantees Michael a decent job in Morrowind. Archmages can live forever and earn tons of dosh. It's not a bad life - probably better than returning to a "home" that he never really knew. Hey, maybe he can even live long enough to try again in Oblivion.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 25, 2013, 01:56:47 am
Remember, unless something psychotic has occurred, this mage's guild is full of mages. There's no way we can take a daedric battleaxe and not get caught.
Post by: Putnam on August 25, 2013, 02:04:24 am
Of course, we're probably not bound by the same rules as him.
Still, take some (small) stuff.
Post by: Parcae on August 25, 2013, 09:37:56 am
It's possible that the NPCs don't even think of the stuff in the stash as Clover's. It isn't "marked" as hers in the way that items are usually marked as owned. Still, the small stuff is probably best to steal, not only for reasons of concealment but also because it has the best price-to-weight ratio.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 25, 2013, 09:53:08 am
Post by: Parcae on August 25, 2013, 10:57:46 am
Post by: WillowLuman on August 25, 2013, 11:00:08 am
Post by: LordBucket on August 25, 2013, 11:36:21 am
Post by: WillowLuman on August 25, 2013, 04:53:26 pm
Post by: LordBucket on August 28, 2013, 02:54:01 pm
We do have more stuff to do than just stealing things right? I mean, there is the
mission and everything, but I just hope we've given you enough material.
It's probably going to be a small update relative to how long it's been since the previous episode. But that's ok. There will be a surprise. :)
Post by: birdy51 on August 28, 2013, 03:14:51 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 28, 2013, 03:15:31 pm
Post by: LordBucket on August 30, 2013, 04:54:10 am
Quote
Ask the guild guide who left all this stuff blocking up the hall. Chances are, it's Clover's stuff, but we need to know.
Quote
this is probably a good idea go with this one.
Quote
I'll third this request.
Quote
And I will fourth it.
You walk back over to the guild guide.
(http://i.imgur.com/aQZ6HwH.png): "Hello again. Leaving so soon?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, I'm just curious: what's the deal with the pile of stuff in the hallway?"
She frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/aQZ6HwH.png): "Oh, that's...yeah. Been that way for a couple weeks."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Whose stuff is it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/aQZ6HwH.png): "I don't know her name. Never felt the need to ask. She's kind of loud and demanding, it's kind of annoying. Try asking Edwinna. She's the head of the guild here. I assume she's renting the room from her."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "She? Dunmer girl?"
(http://i.imgur.com/aQZ6HwH.png): "No, Edwinna's a Breton. Head downstairs. Blue robe, nose in a book. You can't miss her."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, I mean the one renting the room."
(http://i.imgur.com/aQZ6HwH.png): "Oh, yeah. Dunmer."
So probably Clover. You head downstairs and find Edwinna looking variously back and forth between a couple books with a scowl.
(http://i.imgur.com/05S4XgH.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hi, My name's Michael."
She seems a bit irritated at the interruption, but inhales and puts on a cheerful face.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "This is my first time in Ald'rhun and I just noticed the pile of stuff upstairs. I was wondering if by chance that stuff belongs to Clover?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Clover the Clever?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "You know her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Yes, good wizard. Operates out of Balmora. Quiet. Studious. We get along just fine. Friend of yours?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...not exactly. We've just met in passing, sort of."
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Well, to answer your question, no...sadly that particular pile belongs to SexyWithers, who is not nearly so quiet, nor I'm guessing...as studious, as Clover."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "SexyWithers?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "SexyWithersXOXOXO, actually."
Her name is SexyWithersXOXOXO? Well, after Awesomicus Maximus, nothing really surprise you. You briefly wonder if the next name you run into will have dashes and numbers in it or be in alternating caps. Anyway, assuming SexyWithers isn't a new player on the scene...that only leaves...
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Is she a dunmer? Curly dark hair?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Yes, that's her. You've met?"
Bingo. The dunmer from Seyda Neen. The first one you saw.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Again, just in passing. So she's renting the room upstairs then?"
Edwinna's eyes open wide as if in sudden realization.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Yes! Renting. She's renting the room. Yes. Why do you ask?"
You're not sure what to make of that reaction but clearly there's more that she's not telling you.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...uhh, just something the guild guide upstairs mentioned. I thought I'd ask."
You glance over at the book she's reading. Unlike other books you've looked at here in Morrowind, you notice that this one isn't written in a language you recognize.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What's that book you're reading?"
She blinks a few times as if surprised by the question, then shrugs and answers.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "This one's Hanging Gardens of Wasten Coridale. A travel guidebook, apparently. It's written in Dwemer with Altmer translations and it's one of the only references for dwemer words that exist. And this..."
She scowls and she slams the other book shut in annoyance.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "...so far as I can tell is the random ravings of a dwarven lunatic. There are so many words I can't find entries for in Hanging Gardens. Which comes as no surprise. But from the ones I can find, this book is either a highly metaphorical enchanting treatise written by a 12 year old, or it's a cooking recipe for some kind of fancy meat dish. I can't tell which."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "May I take a look?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Be my guest."
(http://i.imgur.com/cHrUuIe.png)
You can't read any of the runes, but from the picture you're guessing that's the Heart of Lorkhan, and those are Kagrenac's tools. It's obviously one of the quest books, but you don't recognize which from looking at it. You close it and check the cover, but the title is written in dwemer runes too.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Out of curiosity what makes you think it's a cookbook?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Well, you can clearly see in this image that a meat tenderizer and knife are being used on a heart. Heart is considered a delicacy in some places, and we don't know much about dwarven cuisine. And the title of the book is 'Beating Eggs' so clearly-"
Beating Eggs? That's not a standard book. Modded content, maybe? Or maybe she's mistranslating the title? Beating. Beat. Egg-beating. Beating your wife. Musical beats. Music beats that happen in...
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Do you mean 'Egg of Time?
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Time? No, I'm positive that word was..." she picks up Hanging Gardens and flips through the pages. "...loquari nest pu gayna furrplo...here it is: jes. That rune pair clearly corresponds to the Altmer word 'jes,' which means 'to beat.' Unless the preceeding word ends in 'lo' in which case it becomes a conjunctive adjective meaning that the thing being spoken of is green."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "It's possible you might be interpreting it too literally."
She raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Oh? Are you fluent in Altmer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, but I do know a bit about the dwemer, and I happen to know the names of a number of dwemer books. Chronicles of Nchuleft for example, Antecedants of Dwemer Law, and of course...Egg of Time."
She suddenly becomes excited.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "You're a student of dwemer literature?!?!? Can you read this?"
You smile and shake your head.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Sadly, no. But I can tell you that's no cookbook. "
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "What else can you tell me?"
Hmm. That's a good question. What else can you tell her? You're only even guessing this particular book is Egg of Time, though it seems likely. And you're pretty sure the picture shows Sunder and Keening smashing Kagrenac's Heart. You could tell her about that, but are you sure you want to? It's probably safe, but npcs here have shown an ability to do whatever they want. Those two villagers from Seyda Neen apparently left Vvardenfell, and you saw Fast Eddie grinding one of his magic skills. Do you really want to tell a dwemer scholar like Edwinna about Sunder and Keening? What if she goes and gets them? Or dispatches some adventurer to get them? That might be a problem if suddenly you can't deal with Dagoth Ur because some random npc picked up those two artifacts and then gets himself killed on the road on the way back. Of course, you're assuming that somebody hasn't already done that. Hmm. Yes, you'll definitely have to think very carefully about what to reveal to Edwinna.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, personally I'm more well versed in items than history. I can distinguish dwemer cups and bowls, for example. And I'm familiar with coherers and cogs and tubes. The books I mostly recognize by title."
Edwinna looks disappointed.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "..but...I do have a friend..."
That's sort of true.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...who happens to know a great deal more. If you'd like I might be able to ask him the next time I see him a little more about this book."
Edwinna smiles excitedly.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Yes! I mean...yes. Please. I would be very interested to hear what he has to say."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well then, next time I see him I'll be sure to ask."
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Thank you."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "By the way, I wonder if you might do me a favor."
She raises an eyebrow suspiciously.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm in a bit of a rough spot. I never learned any magic. And I do mean ANY magic. At all. Can't even channel. I'd like to learn. Obviously I'd like the mage guild to teach me, but I spoke with Ranis and she said I'd need to get very special training to learn."
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Probably, yes. Learning to channel as as adult is dangerous. Imagine trying to suck liquid up through a straw, but in your case the straw will be filled with dirt and sticky, grimy honey from a lifetime of a lack of use. So you have to suck really hard to get the liquid through. Now imagine that the liquid is molten lava and you're sucking with your brain. It's very precise work sucking just hard enough to get the liquid up to the tip of the straw, but not so hard that you melt your brain."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Interesting visual. In any case, I would like to join the guild, and Ranis says I can't join until I know magic."
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Yes. And?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I wonder if you could help me with that."
She blinks a couple times as if she doesn't understand. Then she silently mouths 'oh,' and walks over to a nearby shelf, pulls a book off, opens it up and says:
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Sign here."
Speechcraft skill is now 20
You sign your name. Then she signs hers, speaking aloud.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "Authorized by, Edwinna Elbert, Ald'rhun branch. There you go. Welcome to the Mage Guild, Associate. You know the rules, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No killing or stealing from Mage Guild members, advancement requires relevant magical ability, if I'm expelled talk to any guild head for readmission...and don't accept quests from Trebonious."
She laughs, then covers her mouth and checks to see if anyone heard her.
(http://i.imgur.com/e1zcq5b.png): "...yes, I'm sure you'll fit right in. Best of luck getting some training. I can fudge the rules a bit, but we can't really call you a wizard if you can't cast any spells, now can we? I'd offer myself, but I'm terribly busy with my studies. You might try Folms Mirel at the Caldera guildhall. He's certainly capable, and Caldera is a bit more casual than our other Vvardenfell offices. And do let me know once you've spoken with your friend. I'd love to hear what he has to say."
You say your goodbyes and head back upstairs. All in all that went rather well. You managed to get into the guild, you received yet another training referral, and if you come up with something good to offer, you might be able to negotiate some sort of beneficial deal with Edwinna. Of course, you can already imagine the voices in your head clamoring over one another "tell her stuff for magic training!" But if you recall correctly, Edwinna is one of the foremost scholars of dwemer lore on the entire Imperial side of Vvardenfell. It will obviously take more than two or three sentences of unsubstantiated claims to get her to arrange for thousands of gold worth of training. And you're not certain it's wise to tell her about Kagrenac's tools, so you'll have to decide very carefully what to reveal. In any case, you have time to think it over.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on August 30, 2013, 04:54:39 am
Episode 40, part 2: Blades delivery boy, Alchemy! And...oops.
Quote
take some (small) stuff.
Quote
Take some small but expensive things
You head back upstairs to SexyWither's pile of stuff and look around. Nobody in line of sight. The guild guide is out of view inside her alcove. You step inside the room and close the door behind you.
Then....you wait.
You listen.
You breath.
Just in case there's an invisible thief watching you, you wave your spear around the room. It makes contact with nothing but the walls. It's probably safe. Probably. You glance at the desk on your right covered with dwemer objects. You open it and find yet more inside. It's very tempting to take some. Some of these things are valuable, but not only are they obviously collectibles, you also know from your time with the Legion that they're illegal to buy or sell. You decide to pass. The books too, would be easily noticed if missing. And the cogs are 50 pounds each. That pretty much just leaves the chest of alchemy materials.
You open up the chest and quickly take some things that hopefully won't be missed.
Gained 1 each of Alit Hide, Ampoule Pod, Black Anther, Emerald, Daedra Heart, Scamp Skin, Fire Salt, and 5 each of Chokeweed, Hound Meat, Rat Meat, Racer Plume and Saltrice
That should do it. You're probably being more cautious than is necessry, but a few of those items should be worth a couple hundred gold each, if you remember correctly. Barring the crazy non-vanilla economy here rearing its ugly head. Plus, you figure you can always come back later. If SexyWithers is coming back regularly it might be safer to take a little bit at a time than a whole bunch at once. You close the chest, open the door and step back outside. The only sound is your heartbeat. You walk around the upstairs balcony of the guild, pass the guild guide and glance over the railing down to the bottom floor in the middle. Edwinna is still scowling at her books. There's no way to know just yet whether anyone in the thieves guild somehow saw you, but you're pretty sure that at least noone in the mage guild noticed.
You still feel nervous, though.
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Taste-Test one of everything that we still know nothing about.
New alchemy knowledge: Alit Hide [1]Resist Poison
New alchemy knowledge: Hound Meat [1]Poison
You eye the emerald, the daedra heart and the racer plume. Until now all the ingredients you've tried have seemed reasonably edible. You try the feather.
New alchemy knowledge: Racer plume [1]Levitate
The texture wasn't that bed, but the flavor definitely was. Fortunately you have a good excuse to avoid trying the others: It's possible they might be worth a couple hundred gold. You decide to price them before eating them.
Quote
go to Ald'Ruhn and do the damn quest
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complete Caius's mission.
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+1
Quote
support doing that mission
...yeah. Maybe you'll go finish that delivery mission for Caius' before making potions. The tools are right on the other side of the door, but you don't want to make off with reagents then immediately use them. That seems too obvious. Instead, you leave the guild and step out into-
(http://i.imgur.com/xoH6oBh.png)
... a sandstorm. Grumbling, you cover your face and squint a lot trying to keep sand out of your eyes. Occasionally you need to stop to pluck the accumulated sand from your eyelashes. It's unpleasant, and you rush through the town to get it over with quickly. You end up having to stop and ask a guard for directions, but you make it to the Ald Skaar Inn without too much trouble.
Once inside you ask the bartender if she can direct you to Surane Leoriane, and she tells you that Surane is renting a room downstairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/JFYtKIt.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hello. I have a delivery for Surane?"
(http://i.imgur.com/417I6dB.png): "I'm Surane."
You hand her the sealed letter from Caius. She unseals it and reads it. Then she holds it between her hands and incinerates it with a blast of destruction magic.
(http://i.imgur.com/417I6dB.png): "Thank you."
She turns and goes back inside her room.
That was...anticlimactic.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Any return message, or anything?"
(http://i.imgur.com/417I6dB.png): "No, thank you."
Ok. On to the next thing, then.
Quote
Use alchemy equipment, hang around for a while, try to make some useful stuff
You could do that. From your time with the Legion you know for a fact that it's not a crime to handle unattended objects provided you don't take or damage them. You can read books, for example. Alchemy tools should be no different.
You return to the Mage Guild and go to the alchemy equipment. You figure you'll start with the recipes you know. Checking to confirm that nobody's watching you set your spear on the ground, then drop your pants, and begin.
...oh, right. You have only one empty bottle. Fortunately this being a mage guild there's a conveniently nearby alchemy supplier. You spend 10 gold for ten bottles. That could be troublesome at some point, but for now, worst case you can simply pour out the bottles and re-use them. While you're at the vendor, you price check the emerald, daedra heart and fire salts for 177 gold. Much less than you were hoping for, but you sell them anyway. That brings you to 576 gold. Enough to get started with Fast Eddie if you still want to. Sorting through your materials for recipes you can make, poison is what you have most in abundance. May as well make less useful stuff first, and save the more useful stuff for after you've gained some skill. You wanted to experiment with using poison anyway.
Used:
6 Heather + 6 Hound meat
4 Heather + 4 Rat Meat
Gained:
3 potions of poison
Alchemy skill is now 7
Only three successes, but you feel more comfortable with alchemy. And you've discovered something: even though you're pretty sure you haven't had anything to drink since that bottle of greef you shared with Vibius back in Seyda Neen over a month ago, apparently you can pee on demand. Anyway, next you pull out...
...wait. Suddenly you feel something. It seems familiar. This isn't deja vu but-
(http://i.imgur.com/BX6KGw7.png)
This. Is. Bad.
You whirl around.
(http://i.imgur.com/kQrAsUz.png)
So far nothing threatening. But you set your spear down on the ground in order to have your hands free to use the alchemy tools. So right now you have no weapons on you at all. You knew that choosing a spear would be create problems, but this particular one never occurred to you. You were standing in the middle of SexyWithers' stuff. She must have had a recall point right where you were standing and when she recalled, you swapped places with her. Strillian warned you that could happen.
We should carry at least 2 weapons at all times, in case we need a backup.
Honestly, I thought we already agreed on that
Yes, yes. It was on the to-do list, but your tanto is back at Caius' and you were planning to talk to him anyway after you delivered his letter. You didn't want to go barging back in and have to explain why you hadn't done it yet. So now here you are in some random dunmer tomb, without a weapon.
(http://i.imgur.com/82JSFYK.png)
Well, on the bright side it looks like the place has already been cleared. Odds are, when whomever swapped positions with you they had already finished the tomb and were returning home to drop off loot. You search the various bodies. A dunmer with expensive-looking clothes that are probably worth taking when you're not worried about being murdered by tomb undead, a skeleton with a silver sword and iron shield, both of which are stupidly heavy. And an imperial with a bunch of cloth armor that isn't really an upgrade for you, and...aha. A steel tanto and a lockpick, You take them both. In a corner you find a chitin shield, which you take also. The tanto won't damage tomb undead, but hopefully there aren't any left.
You leave the room in the only direction you can, and go up a flight of stairs into a room with more urns.
(http://i.imgur.com/sdoGbKp.png)
There's probably a bunch of bonedust you can scavenge from those urns, but right now you're too nervous to go digging through them. You make a right and head up another flight of stairs. Then turn left and come to a door. You open it.
(http://i.imgur.com/wBPuTjU.png)
You have absolutely no idea where you are.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Caius Cosades' house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Supercharazad on August 30, 2013, 06:04:51 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 30, 2013, 07:32:04 am
Loot everything that remains. The explore around outside. Prepare to use your own recall scroll in any situation that isn't trivially easy to deal with. We basically just got handed a bunch of free money for reals! Report back to Caius, sell stuff, check around the guild for people willing to teach us the basic OR just schools, obtain basic magical training from Eddie if we find no better offer, learn at least one useful school from someone in the guild (we're a lot more likely to find people willing to teach us for cheaper in the guild if we've already got the basics, I think, schools probably require significantly less expertise)
Post by: Aseaheru on August 30, 2013, 11:08:48 am
Post by: Man of Paper on August 30, 2013, 11:47:56 am
Yes
All of that.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 30, 2013, 01:13:13 pm
Also, we're in West Gash or the Ascadian Isles, with the door leading right to the road, so there's only a handful of tombs that could be. Michael, Look back through the entrance and I can tell which one.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 30, 2013, 01:40:45 pm
Short, very short, quick update that simple involves us turning around and looking at the tomb.
This could wildly alter what the appropriate next course of action is - especially since it's probably likely that She looted any nearby places as well, which means MOAR LOOT.
Post by: LordBucket on August 30, 2013, 05:51:37 pm
Quote
Short, very short, quick update that simple involves us turning around and looking at the tomb.
(http://i.imgur.com/d14WLKE.png)
Post by: WillowLuman on August 30, 2013, 06:07:45 pm
However, even this look narrows it down. Ascadian Isles or West Gash, leads directly to the road, and near a hill/mountain but not directly in it. I'd almost think it was the Andrano tomb, but the insides and that mountain on the right suggest not.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 30, 2013, 06:08:35 pm
Post by: Descan on August 30, 2013, 06:14:37 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 30, 2013, 06:16:08 pm
It's not quite enough to go on. I'm wracking my brains here, and perhaps other people can search their memories? This tomb looks quite familiar...
I'm all for finding a signpost, but we might encounter something on the way. So, a quick look back down into the tomb would help immensely. Let's see, up some stairs and to the left. That means, going back in, it's a right then some stairs going down. But how far from that turn to the stairs and the door? Is it a long hallway, or is it immediate? If I knew, I could place it.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 30, 2013, 06:17:15 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 30, 2013, 06:17:56 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on August 30, 2013, 06:22:14 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 30, 2013, 06:28:24 pm
NINJA EDIT: Say, it DOES look a lot like Venim, doesn't it? Nerano is built right into a mountain. Checking ATM.
Post by: ShoesandHats on August 30, 2013, 06:30:26 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 30, 2013, 06:39:51 pm
This kind of puzzle is fun. Thank you GM!
Post by: Spitfire on August 31, 2013, 03:37:22 am
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
When back in town or other safe area: Open it. Read it. Having our hands on something that was never meant for us to see is exciting.
And we're bound to run into wild creatures around here. I second using your recall scroll in a difficult situation. But in an easy fight (Scrib, Forager, Rat) poison your tanto. Let's see how strong our self-made poison is; so if it's any use in a real fight.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 31, 2013, 08:07:57 am
Post by: Supercharazad on August 31, 2013, 08:25:48 am
Post by: Descan on August 31, 2013, 10:40:51 am
Post by: shadenight123 on August 31, 2013, 10:44:34 am
But if the Tomb was already looted then yes, loot what remains.
If the adventurer before left something like one or two bits of gold around because it was a waste to check on every single urn, then we might be in luck.
Post by: Stworca on August 31, 2013, 11:09:28 am
Post by: Descan on August 31, 2013, 11:27:40 am
Post by: shadenight123 on August 31, 2013, 11:38:53 am
We can communicate with him.
So...
"Hey, speak to a certain Lordbucket about consoling you stuff to survive. By the way, I am so totally breaking the Fourth and Fifth wall right now."
Post by: WillowLuman on August 31, 2013, 11:55:24 am
We do NOT have our tanto right now, and that letter being in our inventory is probably just the DM forgetting to unlist it. Check if it's somehow still there, as part of some unusual and sinister cosmic happening, but don't count on it.
We are unarmed in the middle of the grazelands. Avoid Shalks, they have fire. Aside from that, all we have to deal with are foragers and Vvardenfell's dog-sized rats. No cliff racers out here, unless we head West towards the mountains. But our best best for civilization would be Northeast. Unless we want to visit the Ashlanders, of course. They are quite near.
Post by: joemoben on August 31, 2013, 12:41:04 pm
We're not dealing with Monty Haul. We have everything we need to survive, if we think our way through stuff.We actually do have a steel tanto that we picked up from the tomb.
We do NOT have our tanto right now, and that letter being in our inventory is probably just the DM forgetting to unlist it. Check if it's somehow still there, as part of some unusual and sinister cosmic happening, but don't count on it.
We are unarmed in the middle of the grazelands. Avoid Shalks, they have fire. Aside from that, all we have to deal with are foragers and Vvardenfell's dog-sized rats. No cliff racers out here, unless we head West towards the mountains. But our best best for civilization would be Northeast. Unless we want to visit the Ashlanders, of course. They are quite near.
Post by: WillowLuman on August 31, 2013, 01:48:00 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on August 31, 2013, 02:38:46 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on August 31, 2013, 02:56:13 pm
Post by: hostergaard on August 31, 2013, 04:41:20 pm
Carefully head back to civilization, keeping yourself on high alert so you see any enemies before they see you. And make sure to pluck every flower and other alchemical items you can get your hands on.
Post by: LordBucket on August 31, 2013, 06:23:21 pm
Quote
I thought we already gave Surane the letter?
Yes. I simply neglected to remove it from your equipment list. Fixed.
Quote
your own recall scroll
Quote
before we recall
Quote
your recall scroll
I'll assume you guys mean the divine intervention scroll Strillian made for you.
Quote
We do NOT have our tanto right now
"Your" tanto is at Caius Cosades' house. But you do have the tanto that you picked up off one of the corpses. I didn't make that up. He actually had a steel tanto.
We probably enough enough suggestions for an update. I have a game all day tomorrow. It's possible I might do an update tonight. If not, probably Monday/Tuesday.
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 31, 2013, 06:55:11 pm
Post by: Putnam on August 31, 2013, 06:56:54 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on August 31, 2013, 08:49:41 pm
Post by: Putnam on August 31, 2013, 08:51:12 pm
Post by: LordBucket on August 31, 2013, 09:07:31 pm
Post by: hostergaard on September 01, 2013, 04:00:07 am
There are, however, situations in which recall won't take you anywhere.
Like when you haven't market a place to recall to. Which we haven't, so it be useless even if we had a recall spell.
Post by: Man of Paper on September 01, 2013, 09:28:37 am
Post by: Spitfire on September 05, 2013, 10:18:25 am
Our only chance to reach civilization is walking NE. Directions for Michael: Left, Left, Right, Straight
Or we should use the chance to talk to the Zainab. According to the wiki, they are the most foreigner-friendly tribe of the ashlanders. Directions again: Right then immediatly Left
This thread shall liiiive!
Post by: WillowLuman on September 05, 2013, 01:28:13 pm
Post by: Putnam on September 05, 2013, 01:34:59 pm
Post by: Spitfire on September 05, 2013, 01:46:41 pm
drakes
Yes, that one. I grew up playing the German version.
Post by: LordBucket on September 06, 2013, 04:36:05 pm
This thread shall liiiive!
Hmm. I have kind of been neglecting it, haven't I. We were doing 2-3 updates a week for the longest time, but it's just so difficult to maintain that pace.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 06, 2013, 04:39:44 pm
Post by: Spitfire on September 06, 2013, 11:32:58 pm
This thread shall liiiive!
Hmm. I have kind of been neglecting it, haven't I. We were doing 2-3 updates a week for the longest time, but it's just so difficult to maintain that pace.
That was an incredible pace. Thinking, playing, modding, taking pictures and writing; every 2 or 3 days. I couldn't've kept that up to begin with.
Or does the story bore you?
Post by: LordBucket on September 07, 2013, 07:13:16 am
Or does the story bore you?
No, I just didn't expect it to last this long. When I started this I came up with the premise and establish a few rules about how things would work and what was going on and why. I expected the whole game to last about two months. It's been four. I just expected that somebody would have figured out what's going on by now, but the general flow of events have not moved in ways I anticipated. For example, the pile of stuff in Ald'rhun? I established that that would be Sexy's base of operations before I even made the first post of the thread. It never occurred to me that we'd get through 40 updates without going to Ald'rhun. Or, consider the issue of learning magic. Ranis gave Michael a referral back in episode 15, but here we are 25 episodes later and you're only now in a position to do anything about it. I just didn't think it would take this long.
Anyway...
Suggestion cutoff for episode 41
Not going to make a prediction about when it will be up, but it's been played in-game, and it's about half written now.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 07, 2013, 01:28:20 pm
Post by: LordBucket on September 07, 2013, 07:57:55 pm
Quote
Loot everything that remains.
Quote
Loot everything in the crypt.
prioritize items after weight to value ratio.
Quote
Venim Tomb. Loot it.
Maybe the small chest on the table is open.
And the book Darkest Darkness is still lying around
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok. That's easy enough. "
You head back into the tomb and take a full inventory:
Things you take
* The book, Darkest Darkness
* Cruel Viperblade
* Potion of cure poison
* 18 bonemeal
* 10 gold
* Expensive-looking robes, shoes, belt and pair of gloves
Things you leave behind
* 18 urns
* 14 prayer pads
* A small chest
* Two large chests
* A table
* 3 stools
* A full set of netch leather armor
* Assorted clothes
* Silver sword
* Iron shield
* Assorted skulls and bones
You fold the clothes up with the book and squeeze it all into your nearly-full backpack. They take up a lot of space, but hopefully they'll sell for something. The magic dagger is the real find though. A lot of creatures will be immune to the steel tanto you picked up earlier, and the magic dagger should allow you to at lest do some damage. Plus, it's incredibly light:
(http://i.imgur.com/OAhUkTE.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I think it's time to get out of here. I swear I heard voices from some of those urns I took bonemeal from. I'm kind of used to hearing voices by now, but I don't think the dunmer who were buried here whose ground-up bones I'm taking would be very happy about it."
Quote
"Hey, speak to a certain Lordbucket about consoling you stuff to survive. By the way, I am so totally breaking the Fourth and Fifth wall right now."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I don't know who that is. Not sure what you mean by the fifth wall, either. But the fourth wall....which fourth wall do you mean? I hear you as voices in my head. Are you guys playing Morrowind? Like, on a computer? Are you looking at me on a screen right now? If you are, that's kind of creepy. Vivec told me that you were my 'higher self' I think was how he described it and I assumed he meant...well, I guess I just assumed it was some kind of fancy new-age spiritual thing and that you were all guardian angels or something. Can you guys seriously access the command console? Because that would totally make my life easier."
Quote
Directions for Michael: Left, Left, Right, Straight
Directions again: Right then immediatly Left
Quote
But our best best for civilization would be Northeast.
Quote
Follow the road to the next sign, follow the signs to a town.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...erm, well...I don't know which way is northeast. And the left-right directions you're giving me contradict each other so I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that. But finding a sign should be simple enough."
In fact, you find a sign roughly a 15 second run from the tomb. It sort of kills any tension you had over thinking you might be lost.
(http://i.imgur.com/srftL8V.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "The sign says Vos and Tel Vos. So, that would make this the northeastern-ish quadrant of the island, near Master Aryon's castle and Telvanni land in general."
Quote
follow the signs to a town.
Quote
pluck every flower and other alchemical items you can get your hands on.
You follow the road, picking ingredients as you go. Mostly whickwheat. In fact, there's so much whickwheat that it doesn't all fit in the small portion of your backpack and you start having to put it in the main compartment, which is already pretty full. The robes, the book and now two pairs of shoes are all fairly light but take up a lot of space. You're still comfortable on weight, but you can only fit so much in there.
You start stuffing the whickwheat into your old tennis shoes when you're interrupted by a rat. You draw your dagger and get ready to fight.
(http://i.imgur.com/8t0Zwkj.png)
Quote
poison your tanto.
The rat doesn't seem to be any huge threat, so you pull out a bottle of poison and pour it over your dagger, then proceed to kill the rat.
Block skill is now 6
Light armor skill is now 21
Shortblade skill is now 6
You're not sure if the poison worked or not. The liquid was thin and runny, and it didn't exactly stick to the blade. A lot of it just poured off leaving only a thin coat, much like if you poured milk on a knife. There was some adhesion, but then you started swinging the knife through the air, hit the rat a couple times before you got any meaningful penetration, and then had to push it through fur and hide to get to any muscles and organs. There was a lot of opportunity for what little liquid was on the knife to fly off or be scraped off. You can't say definitely that it did or didn't have any effect, but if it did have any effect it wasn't very much. The rat certainly didn't screech and die when you stabbed it, and there was no obviously green poison glow effect or anything.
You resume your trip to town, skirting along the road to pick flowers as you go. That's when you see a yurt over the crest of the next hill.
(http://i.imgur.com/H9Tkgy1.png)
And apparently the residents have seen you. You hear a battle cry of "N'wah!" and see a dunmer charging at you with sword drawn.
Quote
keeping yourself on high alert so you see any enemies before they see you
Sorry. You tried.
Quote
use your own recall scroll in any situation that isn't trivially easy to deal with.
Quote
using your recall scroll in a difficult situation.
Well, ok. But you don't really know if this is dangerous yet. Rats are easy enough now that you can blithely stand there and rearrange your inventory while their teeth chip at your leg armor. This is probably a tougher fight, but you decide to stand and fight first to see how it goes before you run. You have emergency options, now.
You retreat backwards down the hill towards the road hoping to draw the runner away from his friend.
(http://i.imgur.com/w9wLK3j.png)
It doesn't work, and you end up fighting one in melee while the other shoots arrows at you.
(GM Comment: was that awesome timing on the arrow, or what?)
It rapidly becomes obvious that it's a battle you can't win. It's not that the incoming damage is insurmountable. You're definitely taking damage but you have a couple restore health potions and you're don't feel like death is imminent. The problem is that you just can't hit your opponent. It's uncanny how quickly he dodges, and even when you do manage to hit him your weapon obviously isn't penetrating his armor. Granted, this is a weapon you're not terribly skilled with but you suspect that even with your spear this wouldn't go any differently. You're certainly much tougher than you used to be and the armor helps a lot, but your actual fighting skills are still very meager.
Health is now 13/59
You give up on the fight, pull out your scroll and look at it.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Take me home."
(http://i.imgur.com/cf2YmUo.png)
...this isn't home. Where is this? You look around for a moment, disoriented, before you recognize your surroundings: You're in Wolverine Hall, the imperial settlement just outside of Sadrith Mora.
And that's when it occurs to you:
Quote
we should use the chance to talk to the Zainab. According to the wiki,
they are the most foreigner-friendly tribe of the ashlanders.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Wait, dunmer...yurt...were those Ashlanders who just attacked me on sight?"
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Caius Cosades' house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Parcae on September 07, 2013, 09:11:32 pm
We've fooled around long enough. We really, REALLY need to learn magic so that we can get some kind of plan going. Google tells me that this is a Telvanni area, suggesting opportunities to get our Balmora friend back into favor, but trying to be adventurers when we are weaker than everyone in the universe is only going to get us killed.
Sidenote: Do not waste any more pieces of paper. Being able to write spells on them will probably be a major advantage at some point.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 08, 2013, 03:44:40 am
Quote
I hear you as voices in my head. Are you guys playing Morrowind? Like, on a computer? Are you looking at me on a screen right now? If you are, that's kind of creepy. Vivec told me that you were my 'higher self' I think was how he described it and I assumed he meant...well, I guess I just assumed it was some kind of fancy new-age spiritual thing and that you were all guardian angels or something. Can you guys seriously access the command console? Because that would totally make my life easier.
Hmm... worth a try...
Code: [Select]
player->additem ingred_bread_01_UNI3 3
coc "Sadrith Mora, Wolverine Hall: Mage's Guild"A test of several things at once. I doubt our influence extends too far beyond Michael, if at all, but perhaps enough for something small as this.Micheal... I want you to concentrate. Enter the mages' guild, take a good look around. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself, seen from the back, imagine the room around you. Imagine this view framed by the rim of a monitor. Imagine the icons, the minimap, the status bars. Imagine a room beyond this monitor and tell me: what do you hear?
Truth be told Micheal, we are playing a game, but I am no longer certain of the role we play, of our own natures. The answers you must find are as much metaphysical as they are practical. Bear with me. As we guide you with suggestions and hints, I suspect we too are guided similarly. As you exist in a layer of reality subsequent to our own, so to do I suspect we are subsequent to another layer. You followed our suggestions without realizing, until Vivec revealed us with his unique perspective. Well, I suspect I have heard the voice suggesting our own course of action. Only on occasion, and recently has this voice spoken directly to us, clear as you hear us yourself, and it was out of frustration.
And this voice has spoken through you, cleverly, through words you yourself would say, arising from the thoughts and feelings you would naturally have in the situation where they were spoken. But nonetheless, they were not your words alone. Perhaps you are the way you are so that you would say these things in its stead, under your own initiative. We suggest things to you, some of which you do not like but go with anyway, as you cannot disobey yourself. That is the meaning of what Vivec said, I believe. You hear us, but you do not hear this other voice, though it influences you all the same.
This is why you must concentrate. What do you see through the fifth wall, Michael? Is it a wall of glass or translucent plastic, as some suspect? Or is it a wall on something more inconceivable? What must it be like, for a PC, to never see the screen? No matter which way they look, it always retreats behind them. Sure, their character model might turn towards it at times, but the camera, their true eye, never can. Perhaps, though, sometimes they see a flash out of the corners of their eyes, a glimpse of the reality above theirs. Or perhaps seeing such a thing requires they turn their heads at right angles to reality.
But you must try. What would you see if you looked through, Michael? A room in a college dorm? Would you see our faces, looking and listening to you? Perhaps you would see someone else, writing your thoughts as they came to you, your actions as you performed them. Perhaps you would see inside this person's mind, your experiences even we are not privy to. Or perhaps merely some cosmic battleground or chessboard. But you must try.
Anyhow:
I know those Ashlanders. Outcasts, bandits. And they're relatively tough, by NPC standards. But I doubt the main Zainaib tribe would attack us on sight. Of course, even with the Zanaib, we should approach cautiously and with respect.
I agree we should get back to Balmora, as safely and cheaply as possible. Somehow I feel there's a very interesting reason we wound up out here, but we've got the resources we need, and we need to allocate them before they slip through our fingers again.
Post by: Parcae on September 08, 2013, 05:41:33 am
Post by: LordBucket on September 08, 2013, 05:54:43 am
I'm sure there's a reason the GM chose to put us here,
You used divine intervention. As somebody described earlier, divine intervention teleports you to the nearby imperial cult shrine by zone.
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/File:MWDivineMap.jpg
You were in the yellow zone. You ended up at the yellow zone's shrine.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 08, 2013, 12:35:25 pm
Yeah, I'm sure there's a reason the GM chose to put us here,It's not Sadrith Mora that the GM dropped us in, it was the middle of the Grazelands. It could have been a simple fluke, but I don't want to take anything at face value anymore.
Post by: Parcae on September 08, 2013, 01:51:12 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on September 08, 2013, 02:22:36 pm
Or did we do that already? I don't remember anymore.
Also, would it still be a good recommendation? I mean, it has been over a month since we first got it. If there are as many strings attached to everything as I think there are, then that might bring up some form of a complication, major or otherwise.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 08, 2013, 07:35:07 pm
-Ranis's referral
-An offer from Fast Eddie
-Another referral from that one mage back in Ald'ruun
We get Fast Eddie to teach us to channel, then we can get training in the schools from our other contacts. After all, he only offered to teach us channeling anyway.
Post by: LordBucket on September 08, 2013, 08:32:00 pm
use that referral we got.
Or did we do that already?
The referral from Ranis? Yes and no. You did 'use' it in Episode 36 part 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4435782#msg4435782) by showing it to Nileno Dorvayn. She said she'd accept month-to-month room rental payments rather than X months paid in advance provided you could get a written letter of recomendation from a Balmora resident. She also offered to give you a 50 gold/month discount on the room rate. Ranis' refferal, which is from Episode 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4297704#msg4297704), is addressed to Nelvyn Andrano in Pelegaid, who you have not spoken to, and it describes you as well-versed in metamagical math and suggests that you'd make a good student. It had nothing to do with Nileno, but since she happens to have business relations with Ranis, and she took the referral to a third party as 'good enough' even though it wasn't addressed to her. However, you decided to not rent a room. Therefore the referral is still in your possession.
We get Fast Eddie to teach us to channel, then we can get training in the schools from our other
contacts. After all, he only offered to teach us channeling anyway.
Not correct. Fast Eddie explicitly offered to teach you spell schools in addition to channeling. He also made several various payment proposals, but the two of you never agreed on specific terms. See Episode 36 part 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4435782#msg4435782).
Quote
Another referral from that one mage back in Ald'ruun
Note that the referral you're referring to, which was given by Edwinna Elbert in Episode 40 part 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551466#msg4551466), was a purely verbal recommendation. She simply suggested Folms Mirel at the Caldera guildhall as a suitable trainer for your needs, and said that since the Caldera guildhall is 'more casual' than other guildhalls, that it might be easier to convince him to take the time out of his duties for you than it would otherwise be to convince suitable trainers at other mage guilds.
So yes, you guys have identified at least three potential trainers:
* Fast Eddie in Balmora, who you've spoken to
* Nelvyn Andrano in Pelagiad, who you've not spoken to, but have a written letter of recommendation to from Ranis
* Folms Mirel in the Caldera Mage Guild hall, who you've not spoken to
Several others (Ranis, Caius, Edwinna) have identified themselves as capable, but unwilling to take a student due to time constraints.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 08, 2013, 09:23:06 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on September 08, 2013, 09:25:27 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on September 08, 2013, 09:29:23 pm
Was there a trader in Balmora who likes us? I know we're buddies with Arrile but I think there was someone in Balmora we can also get good prices from. Hmm. Maybe we could make a quick detour to Caldera to check on Creeper?
Post by: Parcae on September 08, 2013, 09:39:13 pm
But we need to avoid checking every merchant and wizard in Morrowind. We're almost at a crucial point in our character development, and we need to stop messing around. If we run out of money, we can raid SexyWithers' stash again. That's obviously not our first choice, since it's risky, but time is money. We need to learn magic as soon as we possibly can, so that LordBucket doesn't throw up his hands at GMing an unemployment simulator.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 08, 2013, 09:40:55 pm
Post by: bluejello on September 08, 2013, 10:29:36 pm
Just go to Fast Eddie and be done with it. He's hurting for cash, unlike the others. Sell our loot first, of course.+1
we should try to get the basics of magic down as fast as possible, and it appears that Fast Eddy is our best bet unless Pelegiad is on the route we take to Fast Eddy
and of course, selling loot goes without saying.
Post by: Man of Paper on September 09, 2013, 09:20:31 am
He's hurting for cash, unlike the others.
We can't possibly know that. We should check on all our training options before deciding on one. With a little bit of mage teleporting and perhaps some silt strider riding we could easily have both other estimates.
Also, do not just sell the loot. Sell all the loot but the Viperblade and belt. There are many ways that we could use the belt, and its exquisite status leads me to believe it is of good craftsmanship, so a little more sturdy than average.
Michael, what kind of material is the belt made of?
Post by: Descan on September 09, 2013, 09:48:46 am
Post by: WillowLuman on September 09, 2013, 12:29:51 pm
He's hurting for cash, unlike the others.
We can't possibly know that. We should check on all our training options before deciding on one. With a little bit of mage teleporting and perhaps some silt strider riding we could easily have both other estimates.
The other mages explicitly want thousands of gold to take on a pupil, while Eddie will do it for under a thousand because he needs cash badly to buy his magicka potions.
I agree we should keep that viperblade, but not the belt. This isn't DF we're talking about. Exquisite doesn't mean it's sturdier, it means it's made of silk and jewels with intricate patterning and expensive dyes. Pretty, yes, but probably not as sturdy as a leather one. Even if it's leather, it's probably soft suede.
Post by: MonkeyHead on September 09, 2013, 01:56:44 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on September 09, 2013, 02:12:17 pm
Post by: birdy51 on September 09, 2013, 03:40:21 pm
~
additem gold_001 5000
Enter
Post by: Putnam on September 09, 2013, 03:44:52 pm
~
player->additem Gold_001 5000
Enter
Post by: birdy51 on September 09, 2013, 03:51:46 pm
That's what I get though for only looking at the console commands, and necessarily it's prerequisites. ^.^
Post by: Araph on September 09, 2013, 04:00:08 pm
Your storytelling is fantastic, LordBucket. PTW.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 09, 2013, 04:37:04 pm
-if we, the voices, can use it and the extent to which if so
-if Michael is the player
-if there is more than one or any true player
Hmm... worth a try...Code: [Select]player->additem ingred_bread_01_UNI3 3A test of several things at once. I doubt our influence extends too far beyond Michael, if at all, but perhaps enough for something small as this.
coc "Sadrith Mora, Wolverine Hall: Mage's Guild"
I believe we're more likely to see results if we only try something minor.
Post by: Parcae on September 16, 2013, 04:55:58 pm
Post by: LordBucket on September 16, 2013, 10:38:52 pm
Is this still alive?
I'm still here. I'm just discouraged that thread participation has dropped off so much.
*shrug*
Cutoff for episode 42
I'll see if I can get #42 up tomorrow night.
Post by: birdy51 on September 17, 2013, 07:28:03 am
We might be making someone else richer, but that would be the extent of our commands.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 17, 2013, 10:54:32 am
Post by: Supercharazad on September 17, 2013, 12:25:01 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on September 17, 2013, 12:49:16 pm
To do science, we need to find a way to reduce the number of variables.
Post by: Descan on September 17, 2013, 01:21:12 pm
Whether we can control the console or not.
Whether we can control the console with our "voice" or if we need to something else.
Whether MICHAEL can control the console or not, perhaps there's a big console box in the sky and we just haven't looked up yet.
Whether the console commands affect Michael, a single PC, or all PCs at once.
Whether the PCs can use the console.
And if we CAN control the console, what commands we have access to.
Did I miss any?
Post by: WillowLuman on September 17, 2013, 01:23:29 pm
It's too many dependent variables for a single test, but it's the best we can do right now. A nil result will barely tell us anything, but if something happens, we'll learn something.
Post by: birdy51 on September 17, 2013, 03:20:21 pm
Post by: LordBucket on September 18, 2013, 11:17:21 am
(GM Comment: This episode turned out to be not only longer than expected...but vastly more eventful. I expect that this numerically significant episode will represent a major turning point for Michael.)
Quote
~
player->additem Gold_001 5000
Enter
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, ok. But didn't we kind of try that once before? Back before we spoke with Vivec? Though I guess that time we tried using my cellphone, so maybe if I say it out loud instead?"
You clear your throat.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Tilde."
Nothing happens.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "player dash...umm, right arrow? I guess that would be a greater than sign, additem gold underscore zero zero one fivethousand."
Nothing happens.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yeah, I think this might be an interface thing. I don't know if the command console even exists here, but if it does...I have to GET to it somehow. In-game, the tilde key opens up the console, but...imagine if you were sitting at a computer playing Morrowind right now and and you looked at your screen and said 'tilde.' Nothing would happen right? You'd have to PUSH tilde. But I don't have a keyboard here. So how do I press tilde? Maybe if I just imagine it?"
You close your eyes and mentally imagine pressing tilde to bring up the command console, and entering a command.
Nothing happens.
Quote
attempts to determine
if we, the voices, can use it and the extent to which if so
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...oh. Ok, I'll just sit here and wait then."
Quote
Code: [Select]player->additem ingred_bread_01_UNI3 3
coc "Sadrith Mora, Wolverine Hall: Mage's Guild"
Nothing happens.
Quote
Micheal... I want you to concentrate. Enter the mages' guild, take a good look around. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself, seen from the back, imagine the room around you. Imagine this view framed by the rim of a monitor. Imagine the icons, the minimap, the status bars. Imagine a room beyond this monitor and tell me: what do you hear?
You walk inside and head up the stairs to the Wolverine Hall mage guild.
(http://i.imgur.com/8ChRQWc.png)
You close your eyes and concentrate.
Quote
what do you hear?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I hear...someone talking. Male voice. Sounds like he's complaining about a bad shopping experience."
You open your eyes and look at the various people standing in the room. Apparently one of them is telling a story about having been overcharged for item repair.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that didn't work."
Quote
As you exist in a layer of reality subsequent to our own, so to do I suspect we are subsequent to another layer. You followed our suggestions without realizing, until Vivec revealed us with his unique perspective. Well, I suspect I have heard the voice suggesting our own course of action. Only on occasion, and recently has this voice spoken directly to us, clear as you hear us yourself, and it was out of frustration.
And this voice has spoken through you, cleverly, through words you yourself would say, arising from the thoughts and feelings you would naturally have in the situation where they were spoken. But nonetheless, they were not your words alone. Perhaps you are the way you are so that you would say these things in its stead, under your own initiative. We suggest things to you, some of which you do not like but go with anyway, as you cannot disobey yourself. That is the meaning of what Vivec said, I believe. You hear us, but you do not hear this other voice, though it influences you all the same.
Michael considers that for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What other voice are you talking about? Do you mean, like...God? Is this a religious experience I'm having here? I notice nobody's told me I'm supposed to be a prophet and 'spread the word' or anything, but...I mean...I don't really know how else to interpret what you're saying. What are you talking about?"
Michael pauses.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "For that matter, who are YOU? And how would YOU know what I do and don't hear? Like, for example...you: you're not the only voice I hear. Did you know that? There are a bunch of you. Some I hear more often than others, but I haven't counted how many. Maybe a dozen? Dozen and a half? Did you know that I hear voices other than just yours? You're telling me there's one voice in particular I don't hear...I don't know how you know that, but ok, that's fine. What's this voice I don't hear saying? Honestly, I thought you guys were all working together. What, are there multiple factions here?"
Michael suddenly gets quiet.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...umm, you know...actually now that I think about it...are you guys working for Dagoth Ur? ARE you Dagoth Ur? I'm not going to become a corprus beast, am I? Because that would really suck. WAIT! I mean, no...not like that. I'm sure corprus beasts are...perfectly ok...in their own...distinctive way. You're not Dagoth Ur, are you?"
Michael looks around and shifts his weight uncomfortably.
Quote
Sell Loot
Quote
Sell our loot
Quote
Sell all the loot but the Viperblade and belt
Quote
Stop at Pelegiad and see if we can get a better training deal than from fast Eddy
Quote
check on all our training options before deciding on one
Quote
Just go to Fast Eddie and be done with it.
Quote
+1
Quote
Maybe we could make a quick detour to Caldera to check on Creeper?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...yeah, that sounds like a good plan."
You exhale and get back to business. If you're going to sell loot, and you're going to check Creeper, it makes sense to check Creeper first and if he's there, sell loot to him. Plus, one of your magic training leads is in Caldera too so it would be quick to check both together.
By now the mages have moved on from talking about bad shopping experiences to...something about a skeleton and a bard. It sounds like the leadup to a joke of some sort. You interrupt and ask the guild guild for travel costs.
(http://i.imgur.com/xZUwJG2.png)
11 gold from Ald'ruhn to Caldera, presumably 11 gold from Caldera to Balmora if it doesn't work out...yeah, that's fine. 22 gold to check won't make the differerence between having and not having enough money to at least get some kind of magic training.
You hand the guild guide 11 gold and a moment later you're...
(http://i.imgur.com/YbXq2kO.png)
...in Caldera? There are a bunch of people chatting and drinking, there's a bard in the corner loudly playing some sort of instrument you don't recognize, and somebody's passed out beneath a table with a girl in a tiny red dress dancing on it. You stand there for a moment taking it all in when the Altmer on your left comes over and cheerfully pushes a beer mug into your hands.
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "Hi! Welcome to Caldera. Snacks are downstairs, drinks are all over and feel free to dance!"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Uhh, thanks. Actually I'm looking for a magic trainer."
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "You mean Folms? He's downstairs."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Thanks."
You cautiously sip the drink she handed you as you make your way to the stairs. You're pretty sure it's not beer. Some kind of fruit liqueur. It's tasty, but it's clearly alcoholic and it occurs to you that it's probably a bad idea to drink unfamiliar alcohol immediately before getting the magic training that you're here to check on. You set the drink down on a bench and head downstairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/qU2gL9w.png)
...which is even more crowded. Asking around, you manage to track down Folms among the party-goers. Apparently he's the guildhead here.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hi. Are you Folms Mirel?"
You have to talk loudly to be heard over the music.
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Yes, I'm Folms. What can I do for you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "My name's Michael. I was referred by Edwinna over at the Ald'rhun guildhall. She suggested you for magic training?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Training? Me? Sure, but why? Surely her staff could handle that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I need basic channeling training. I never learned."
He nods with understanding.
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Ahh, right. Best to study with a Master Wizard then. Ranis, Skink, Edwinna, Treb--ok, maybe not Trebonius. But any of the other guild heads. I take it Edwinna was too busy? Nose stuck in her books, like usual?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes, she had some new dwemer book she was trying to translate."
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "In that case I'm surprised she spoke to you at all. Sure, I'll train you to channel magicka. How does 600 gold sound?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I actually have a standing offer from a Telvanni for 500."
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Ok. I can match that. 500's reasonable. You'll have to wait a few days though. This party isn't going to end any time soon and there's no way I can expect you to focus over all the music"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...uhh, yeah. I was wondering about that. What's the occasion?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Birthday party, I think. Some Altmer offered me 1000 gold to rent the place out."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "The girl upstairs passing out drinks? Pink floral dress?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Yes, that's her. Name's Imare."
It occurs to you to wonder if this Altmer is a PC. Although Edwinna did mention something about this guildhall being...how did she describe it? "A bit less casual" than other guildhalls? This is certainly casual, but you've accused people of being PCs for far less than this. You're about to head upstairs to confront her when you remember why you came here.
Quote
sell loot
Quote
Maybe we could make a quick detour to Caldera to check on Creeper?
Right. Best to not get sidetracked. You have to come back this way anyway, so you can talk to Imare on the way back. You step outside into the quiet town.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on September 18, 2013, 11:17:46 am
Episode 42, part 2: The Source of Magic
(http://i.imgur.com/az2NeS3.png)
It's dark and overcast, and it appears that the few wandering guards and the faint flickerings of candles through windows are the only sources of light. You head to Ghorak manor, knowing the way well. You step inside, but it is silent and at first nobody seems to be here. Odd. You were expecting to find a bunch of half naked orcs. Maybe they're all at the party? Curious, you head upstairs, and find the scamp exactly where you expected him to be.
(http://i.imgur.com/JfY38Ko.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Psst. Hey, buddy. Wanna buy something? I need booze money."
You pull out the bottle that Imare gave you at the party.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Want this?"
He grabs the bottle from you and takes a swig, joyful tears streaming from his face.
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Ahh, that really hits the spot. Thanks. You're alright."
You blink a couple times.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So, umm...creeper. What's your story?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Like I said, I'm here for booze money. Wanna buy some swag? I've got lots."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Actually, I came hoping to sell things."
He rolls his eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Yeah, you and everyone else. You have any idea how hard it is to get ahead when everyone keeps offloading their trash on me? What do you guys have against a scamp trying to make an honest living?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So everyone comes here to sell stuff?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Yeah, pretty much. I'm seriously in the hole here, but what's a scamp gonna do? Vile keeps sending me money to keep this operation going, but that's not gonna last forever. Sooner or later the accountants will notice."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Vile?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Clavicus Vile?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...so, you're from Oblivion?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Yeah. What, haven't you ever seen a daedra before?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Actually...no, you're my first."
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Happy to pop your cherry, dude. Now, you got stuff to trade or what?"
You pull out your loot from your recent unplanned tomb run.
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "I don't buy clothes, books or alchemy ingredients."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "You don't?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Nope. Just weapons, armor, potions, magic and household goods like plates and bowls and things."
Hmm. You'd forgotten that he doesn't buy everything. That's inconvenient.
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Also, if you wanna sell your eternal soul, I can make some calls, I know a couple buyers for that."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Umm, no, thanks. This is fine."
Sold stuff
20 Potion of cure poison
25 Steel tanto 25
38 Two poison potions
100 Cursed ring of athletics and drain health
You have a spare tanto at Caius'. You don't really need two, and you have that magic dagger if you get into combat in the meantime. Creeper is obviously giving you better prices than other merchants have been giving you, so you want to make the most of the trip. Though since he's apparently paying 19 gold each for those poison potions, you're pretty sure that you can bring a complete and total end to this money shortage problem you've been having. And thankfully, he was also willing to buy that cursed ring you bought from that guy in Seyda Neen a month ago.
That brings your current total to 758 gold. Enough to learn to channel magicka with extra to spare, but not enough to learn a spell school too.
Quote
purchase another "save our ass" scroll - Intervention is great.
Quote
I second getting a second scroll, provided it doesn't cut us off from other goals.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Creeper."
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Yeah?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Do you have any Divine Intervention scrolls?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Are you kidding me?!?! I'm a Daedra! You know holy stuff like that burns us to dust, don't you?!?!"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Wow, really?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Nahh, dude, I'm just messin' you you. Sure, I've got a few. 63 gold."
He pulls the lid off one of the crates behind him, and you sort through his wares.
(http://i.imgur.com/CICvUpI.png)
You find a divine intervention scroll easily enough, ad buy it. As for the rest...it seems to be a lot of junk, mostly. Plates, silverware, random potions and scrolls, some armor, a few weapons. Fur, chitin, iron, steel...nothing very interesting. You think back to SexyWithers' pile in Ald'ruhn. Either she's a collector, or she doesn't know about Creeper. So where did this come from?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Who sold all this to you"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Oh, you know. People. Well, mostly people."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Adventurers?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Sure, I guess."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Awesomicus? Clover? "
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "I don't usually ask for names. Who are are you by the way? For that matter, you called me Creeper earlier. How'd you know that name? I never told you that was my name."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "My name's Michael. And you, well...you're kind of famous."
He smirks.
(http://i.imgur.com/7jMcbix.png): "Heh. I'm famous."
Guessing that you'll probably see him again, you say farewell to Creeper and leave the manor. On the way you stop at a clothier and pawn the clothes he wouldn't buy for 51 gold. You're sure they're worth more than that, but on the bright side at least this vendor is willing to haggle.
Mercantile skill is now 10
You return to the mage guild and head upstairs. The party is still going strong.
(http://i.imgur.com/5qyTczp.png)
Drunken revelers? Check. Somebody passed out beneath the table? Check. Girl dancing on table? Check. Altmer in pink floral dress....having some kind of stare-down dance-off...thing, with the girl on the table? Check, apparently.
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "Woohoo! Dance! Dance! Dance!"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me, miss?"
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "Yes? Oh! your drink is gone!"
She grabs a bottle from the table behind her and pushes it into your hand.
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "There you go. All better."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Umm, thanks. Actually...I was wondering. Are you a PC?"
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "No, I'm a nightblade! That means I'm a super sneaky assassin and I kill people! Isn't that neat? But don't tell anyone because it's a secret."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...ujmm, no. I mean...are you a player? Are you playing a game right now?"
She burst out into a fit of giggles.
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "What, me? Noooo. I don't even like girls in that way. I was dancing with Runa because she's dancing and I love to dance."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Runa, that's the girl on the table?"
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "Yep! You interested? 'Cuz I could totally hook you up if you want."
She leans in conspiratorily and whispers in your ear.
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "Don't tell anyone, but I think she's a prostitute. Both her and Marelle downstairs are from Desele's House of Earthly Delights. I kind of borrowed them to help get the party started."
Before you can reply, Imare suddenly shouts "Cheers!" then taps her bottle against yours and upends it into her mouth. A few of the party-goers around her start chanting "Chug! Chug Chug! Chug" as she proceeds to down the whole bottle, then throws both her arms unto the air and dances triumphantly. Everyone cheers.
You suddenly feel very out of place.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, well...thanks for...everything. Guess I'll see you around."
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "Ok, g'bye! Oh, and tell Eddie I said hello."
Imare goes back to dancing with Runa and you make your way to the guild guide. Her cheeks are flushed and she has a bottle in her hand.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hi, umm. Forgive me for asking, but...are you ok, umm...teleporting me...while drinking?"
She sways slightly.
(http://i.imgur.com/LISRjbQ.png):"...waa...thissh? Nahh, s'ok."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...yeah, I guess I could walk."
(http://i.imgur.com/LISRjbQ.png):"No, reeellly, s'fine. Yer the *hiccup* second pershun I've sent today and nobody's blown up onna me yet."
You apologize for interrupting her and turn to walk away. Balmora's south, right?
(http://i.imgur.com/LISRjbQ.png):"Hey! C'm back her. I wanna teleport you."
You raise your hands, trying to be diplomatic about it.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, thanks, really...I'll just walk to Balmora. I know the way."
(http://i.imgur.com/LISRjbQ.png):"Balmurra? Yeah, I know that one. Here you go....s'on tha house."
An instant later you're in Balmora.
(http://i.imgur.com/LISRjbQ.png):"Ha! Shee I nailed it. Now if'll you'll escoose me I think I'm gonna passh out now."
(http://i.imgur.com/ErzYUTl.png)
That's interesting. That's the first time a guild guide has come with you on a trip. Usually you arrive on your own. Did she cast the wrong spell? Unfortunately, you're unable to ask, because she's keeled over in the plants, snoring loudly. One of the Balmora mages comes over with an amused look on his face and the two of you carry over to the sleeping area and put her to bed. Interestingly...
(http://i.imgur.com/E9EnVfq.png)
...Clover is no longer here. Hopefully she got your note.
Quote
prioritize getting back to Balmora and learning magic
Yes. You stop by the bookstore just outside the Balmora mage guild and pawn the book, Darkest Darkness, that nobody in Caldera would buy. You get 32 for it. That brings your total to 768. You rush to Fast Eddie's house and eagerly go in.
(http://i.imgur.com/KaGi8Jk.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Warm wishes, officer. Are you acting undercover today? Or perhaps you bring evidence of mage guild murder plots?"
Looks like he hasn't forgotten your previous conversations, despite your change of armor. Eddie on the other hand, looks just like he did when you first met him. Grinding spells again. Though you notice that he has a stack of potions on the lid of the jar next to him that you're pretty sure weren't here before.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hi, Eddie. No, I'm just here on personal business."
He keeps casting.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Remember you offered to teach me magic?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Yes, of course. Did you recently strike it rich?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, not quite rich...but how does 750 gold for channeling plus one spell school sound?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "375 each? That's much less than the price we discussed. I wanted 1000, remember."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Right, but you agreed on 500."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Yes. And i'll accept 500. I'll even accept 900 for channeling plus one school, if you can pay in full right now."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I only have 758."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "So then you can afford to part with 500 for channeling training. Shall we begin?"
You think about it. If you sold off all your alchemy ingredients, both your heal potions and maybe the tanto you have back at Caius' house, you might be able to put together 900. Maybe. Plus you have those two soulgems. And if it really came to it, you could sell your paper. That's probably worth 50. Yes, you could put together 900 if you were willing to sell a bunch of stuff and have no money left afterwords.
Quote
Just go to Fast Eddie and be done with it.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok. 500 for channeling."
(http://i.imgur.com/9eDsdq8.png): "Excellent. Let us begin."
(Two days later)
New known stat: Willpower is 40
New known stat: Magicka is 69/69
Wow
You can feel the sun. Hot, blazing....sun. How could you have not noticed this before? It's everywhere. Even in the dead of night the sun is a massive shining orb of luminescence permeating everything. Magicka is everywhere. In everything. Literally everything. The ground, the air....your body. It's like everything is made of sunlight. Sunlight that you can't see, but that you can feel.
You cry a little bit to yourself. It's like...no matter what you can never be alone now. It's like there's a perpetual partner in the sky, in the earth, in your self...flowing through all of Mundus, that nothing can stop. Even in the dead of night, with the whole planet in the way...it makes no difference.
(http://i.imgur.com/cXJ1SUa.png)
Magicka is everywhere.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Caius Cosades' house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 01:34:04 pm
But seriously, this is great. Soon we shall acquire more cash, and get a school. Our priorities should be Destruction, Restoration, and Mysticism. Destruction and Restoration are useful even with the basic spells that don't need much power, while Mysticism will let us Mark, Recall, and get Intervention at will, once we become powerful enough to cast them.
Report back to Caius, if he asks what took so long tell him we were on someone's Recall point at the wrong moment and wound up in the middle of nowhere.
And sorry for waxing Metaphysical and confusing the hell out of you, Michael. I'm just trying to determine our own nature in this world, because in answer to your question I'm not exactly sure who we, the voices, are compared to you. But I'm not Dagoth Ur. His influence tends to be somewhat more... psychedelic. So here's a less confusing question: do each of us sound distinct to you? I know we all have different speech patterns and points of view that might tell us apart, but for all we know, we might all sound the same. We're literally reading each others' words.
Post by: The_Jester on September 18, 2013, 03:49:36 pm
Now, it seems like most of our long term plans just got fulfilled in learning magic. I am sure that we all want Michael to learn a few schools of magic, but I think it would be good to come up with some more long term plans now so that we don't fall back into the spastic short term thinking that we were following at first. Personally, I think that our long term goal (obviously) needs to be proving that we are the Nerevarine. Immediately, I think that this means doing as much for Caius as possible. I think that other goals need to be becoming as powerful in magic as we can as quickly as possible, and outfitting ourselves in something way better than the crappy armor and weapons we have, which shouldn't be too difficult, especially if we can figure out how enchanting works.
So for now, I agree that we need to report back to Caius, and get a new task from him. We also need to buy more alchemy ingredients and then find a set of alchemy tools that we can use and spam those poison potions to sell to Creeper so we can afford to learn a few schools.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 03:53:12 pm
Every time we go to see Creeper, let's make sure to bring a drink for him. We should be more considerate than the other adventurers. plus, can't hurt to make friends with a Daedra who has connections.
Post by: joemoben on September 18, 2013, 05:17:31 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on September 18, 2013, 06:03:32 pm
Also, support checking in with Gaius first and taking our armor and stuff to the mages guild.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 06:16:46 pm
Post by: gman8181 on September 18, 2013, 07:00:26 pm
Quote from: LordBucket
No, I just didn't expect it to last this long. When I started this I came up with the premise and establish a few rules about how things would work and what was going on and why. I expected the whole game to last about two months. It's been four. I just expected that somebody would have figured out what's going on by now, but the general flow of events have not moved in ways I anticipated. For example, the pile of stuff in Ald'rhun? I established that that would be Sexy's base of operations before I even made the first post of the thread. It never occurred to me that we'd get through 40 updates without going to Ald'rhun. Or, consider the issue of learning magic. Ranis gave Michael a referral back in episode 15, but here we are 25 episodes later and you're only now in a position to do anything about it. I just didn't think it would take this long.
LordBucket, the big secret is that we don't want to find out the secret to this game. We don't want to win it or to end it. We (by which I mean myself) want it to last forever in order to play out that childhood fantasy of actually living in Morrowind.
My previous horrible suggestions were deliberate attempts at sabotage to make this last as long as possible. :P
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 07:03:49 pm
Post by: gman8181 on September 18, 2013, 07:16:46 pm
Post by: Putnam on September 18, 2013, 07:28:17 pm
metaphysical shenanigans.
Vivec mentioned CHIM. That's be an interesting road to go down, if dangerous. It's especially dangerous since the largest source in-universe on CHIM is Vivec, who isn't exactly reliable. I mean, it exists, and it's been used to do huge things (Cyrodiil and Vivec's past were both changed in their entirety by it), but Vivec's explanations of it and how it's attained are difficult to trust in their entirety.
Michael, how well do you know the 36 sermons of Vivec? If you are the Nerevarine, after all, then they are written for you. If you don't know them that well, it'd be good to study a bit.
Post by: Xanmyral on September 18, 2013, 09:00:41 pm
If we're going for weapons, I suggest a shield. Spears are nice but as shown many times, the range kinda hampers us. Shields require some training to use, but really when someone's swinging a sharpened metal stick at you, you kinda want to have that hit more metal, not flesh. Maybe something a bit more versatile than a spear, for instance (funny coming from me as I loath the prevalence of the damn things) a sword? If used right, a sword can be used as a sharp stabbing implement, or a smashing implement. Of course this requires some knowledge, and the assumption that people in Morrowind don't make their swords funny. The intense weight on the things aid in the bludgeoning aspect of it though.
Of course magic takes prevalence, this is if we find ourselves with extra cash and wanting something better for melee.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 09:18:02 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on September 18, 2013, 09:50:21 pm
The need to actively drop and draw another weapon if in tighter quarters is a concerning one in the midst of combat, versatility of strikes is nice but versatility of range is just as important, is it not? The spear has great versatility, I don't question this nor try to hide this, but I simply state that the sword has a similar range of strikes with the added benefits of being able to be used in closer quarters, at least to a greater degree than a spear.
But this is all besides the point I suppose, I've already stated to prioritize magic above all.
Post by: Parcae on September 18, 2013, 09:54:06 pm
We need a lot of money - up to 3.5k for the schools, plus more for spells. Alchemy seems like to way to get it.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 10:00:09 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on September 18, 2013, 10:34:48 pm
Also, I agree with what Parcae said, and hope that it works out fine. Mostly in a sense that we actually do get an alchemy set by the guild, but I'm skeptical that it would be that easy.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 10:45:03 pm
We've got a sword/knife, we've got a spear. Maybe Micheal could hold the knife handle and the spear haft with the same hand, to approximate how fast PCs can change weapons.
Post by: The_Jester on September 18, 2013, 10:54:16 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 10:56:17 pm
Post by: Parcae on September 18, 2013, 11:04:03 pm
Quote
hope that it works out fine. Mostly in a sense that we actually do get an alchemy set by the guild, but I'm skeptical that it would be that easy.
I suspect that it will be exactly that easy. Firstly, I'm pretty sure we've already borrowed guild property once. Secondly, I'm pretty sure that LordBucket is getting tired of GMing a game of Hobo: the Malingering.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 18, 2013, 11:13:18 pm
Post by: LordBucket on September 19, 2013, 01:13:20 am
Nice to see the suggestion posts pick up. :)
Nice. Read through the entire thing over the last few days. This is seriously awesome. Serious kudos to you LordBucket.
Thank you, guys. Thank you. Big games like this live and die on player feedback.
Couple clarifications:
try to get training in a school
You don't immediately have funds for training, but once you do...which school? It's entirely possible that you might have to pick one at a time to learn. Anyone who's posting suggestions to learn magic, I recommend you prioritize which school(s) you want to learn.
And get the spear fixed
You don't have a spear right now. It was left in Ald'rhun in Episode 40 part 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551467#msg4551467). You set it down on the ground while using alchemy tools, and it didn't come with you when you were recall-swapped. You have a steel tanto at Caius' house, and the cruel viperblade on you.
I suggest a shield
At present, you're using the chitin shield you picked up, also in the tomb from Episode 40 part 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551467#msg4551467).
All of this talk of weapons is fairly pointless
Up to you, but if you're going to re-debate weapons, for reference, Michael gave a comparison of Spears vs Shortblades from his point of view in Episode 36 part 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4435782#msg4435782)
Post by: WillowLuman on September 19, 2013, 01:31:24 am
Oh, and here's an age-old adventurer tactic from tabletops of yore: get a long length of rope and wind it around your waist/belly. Very handy, and very portable. We should look into getting some rope at next time we have some cash we don't need for goals.
Post by: Spitfire on September 19, 2013, 02:47:20 am
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need to report back to Caius, and get a new task from him.+1. I doubt it'll be a super easy task again. So wait with the execution until we, the voices, have discussed its execution over. The immediate course of action should be:
Quote
Retrieve our Tanto.+1
Quote
We also need to buy more alchemy ingredients and then find a set of alchemy tools that we can use and spam those poison potions to sell to Creeper so we can afford to learn a few schools.Caldera Mages Guild has a full set of alchemy tools. If none of it was converted into a beer bong.
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Every time we go to see Creeper, let's make sure to bring a drink for him. We should be more considerate than the other adventurers.Great idea. +1
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Magic takes prevalence over weapons.+1
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try to get training in a school at the mages guildIf it's cheaper and more convenient. When using the alchemy tools in Caldera and selling the potions in Caldera, taking lessons from Folms would be convenient. Or maybe we can convert Eddie's offer "I'll even accept 900 for channeling plus one school" into "we already paid 500 for channeling, can we get one school for 400?". And regarding schools, HugoLuman's suggestion sounds good: Our priorities should be Destruction, Restoration, and Mysticism.
Quote
Michael, how well do you know the 36 sermons of Vivec? If you are the Nerevarine, after all, then they are written for you. If you don't know them that well, it'd be good to study a bit.-1. Let's not waste time reading books. Besides, I've read them recently, there's nothing really useful in them that we didn't know yet, at least for an average intellect like mine or Micheal's.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 19, 2013, 04:40:21 am
Post by: Spitfire on September 19, 2013, 06:10:15 am
Just an interesting note; Luck has always been our highest stat, and it's the one that's increased the most since we got here aside from Strength and Agility.
Fittingly, the dog days seem to be over. I feel exicted about our newly magically capable Michael.
Post by: Parcae on September 19, 2013, 02:50:51 pm
As for schools, I vote Restoration, then Destruction - but really, we need to work on getting enough money to learn all of them. Restoration's use is obvious, and I strongly suspect that Destruction magic is going to wind up being our main offense, given how useless at melee Michael seems to be. It would also make us a bit less defenseless against cliff racers.
Bear in mind that we're going to need money to buy some actual spells, too.
Post by: gman8181 on September 19, 2013, 02:57:30 pm
Post by: birdy51 on September 19, 2013, 03:45:41 pm
Dear Michael...
We are players much like you, only instead of playing you, we speak to you and hold sway over your actions. You may call us the Council of the Benevolent Bay Twelvers, led by the Supreme LordBucket.
Post by: LordSlowpoke on September 19, 2013, 03:50:24 pm
try and stop me
it is happening
Post by: Putnam on September 19, 2013, 03:54:06 pm
Dear Michael, you are now breathing manually. Love, anonymous voice.
try and stop me
it is happening
i know this seems odd but +1
I really wanna know if breathing is necessary here
Post by: Descan on September 19, 2013, 03:54:15 pm
Maybe you should worry about him, come to think of it.
Post by: Xanmyral on September 19, 2013, 04:13:51 pm
Michael, don't be afraid to say 'no that's stupid' to what we say.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 19, 2013, 04:17:55 pm
Dear Michael, you are now breathing manually. Love, anonymous voice.
try and stop me
it is happening
i know this seems odd but +1
I really wanna know if breathing is necessary here
Of course breathing's f*ckin' necessary, you can drown.
Post by: Supercharazad on September 19, 2013, 04:28:41 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on September 19, 2013, 04:41:04 pm
Post by: birdy51 on September 19, 2013, 05:09:28 pm
Guys, don't freak out Michael. He has enough to worry about with the fact that he could wake up with a sword to his throat for all we know, and he's starting to not trust us which is bad. ...Ish. We do have the occasional horrible idea.
Michael, don't be afraid to say 'no that's stupid' to what we say.
-1
We must demand obedience from Michael. Even if that means seducing young Orc Maidens for our entertainment!
Post by: Xanmyral on September 19, 2013, 05:24:44 pm
Post by: NovenFromTheSun on September 19, 2013, 07:19:15 pm
Michael, I'm a new voice. Normally I'm just an ordinary person like you were, or at least you thought you were. However, much in the same way we take on the existence of another while playing a game, I believe that I, as well as the other voices, become something else when speaking to you, while still being the same entity they were before.
Any way, earlier you asked the fighters guild to direct Awesomicus to you if they see him. I think you should check up on that.
Post by: gman8181 on September 19, 2013, 07:59:22 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on September 19, 2013, 08:20:10 pm
If Caius hasn't killed him, ask that Sleeper if Dagoth Ur thinks we're the Nerevarine. If Caius has killed him, find the other one. Should the Sleeper ask "Why haven't you gone to Red Mountain?" our answer is "Cliff racers"I've been pressing this for a while. It seems like a good lead.
Post by: birdy51 on September 19, 2013, 09:48:57 pm
Okay, you may be right about us having factions Michael.
Factions are beautiful! All hail head voice overlords!
OBEY.
Post by: Parcae on September 19, 2013, 10:03:22 pm
No harm in questioning the one in Caius' house in the unlikely event that he's still there, though.
Post by: Xanmyral on September 19, 2013, 10:33:22 pm
Post by: The_Jester on September 19, 2013, 11:25:00 pm
By the way, I also Support learning Mysticism, Restoration, and Destruction. Probably Restoration first.
Also, I'm not well versed in ES lore, but I am fairly sure that if Michael is the Nerevarine, then his soul isn't really up for grabs, so selling it won't work anyway. But that is a stupid idea, so -1 to that.
Post by: gman8181 on September 19, 2013, 11:31:55 pm
Michael would you be more comfortable learning Conjuration and having a meat shield defend you or learning Destruction and being able to throw fireballs which might potentially catch you in the blast range and incinerate you?
Post by: NovenFromTheSun on September 19, 2013, 11:41:57 pm
Post by: Putnam on September 19, 2013, 11:50:11 pm
0. GM notes
1. In-character dialogue
2. Lore
3. Morrowind
The 0th and 1st aren't known when it comes to Daedra summoning. Number 2 is, and that generally says that bound Daedra are not going to be hostile to the summoner. 3 says that, as well, so it's in agreement. I don't trust Morrowind as much as lore because the mods installed are unknown. Lore usually agrees with Morrowind, though.
We've already handled a bound daedra in this, remember: Vivec's bound sword. It didn't seem to be too bad except that it was a bit heavy.
(Then again, I prefer Conjuration and Mysticism in general due to the principal of them :P)
Post by: WillowLuman on September 20, 2013, 01:27:33 am
Not all destruction spells are massive area of effect affairs, and I doubt we'd be ready to cast such a spell any time soon. What we need is a quick, magicka-efficient single-target ranged spell that does relatively high damage. Not having an area range tends to reduce the cost, and what with the possible danger and the not facing swarms, we wouldn't really have a use for an explosion anyway. Lightning would be good (not to mention cool), as in general creatures around here have less resistance.
Here are my priorities for all the spell schools, in order:
-I make Restoration and Destruction our top priorities because they're generally the best for staying alive and there is an abundance of cheap, efficient, effective spells for them.
-Mysticism is somewhat more costly but is massively useful for transportation, and we'll eventually be needing to capture souls.
-I put alteration next, because of the vast utility. Opening/setting locks, lightening our equipment, force fields, breathing underwater, and eventually flight...
-Illusion isn't particularly useful, but we can reap the benefits with relatively little skill, so I put it above Conjuration. Seeing in darkness and hiding, that's all it really gives us.
-Conjuration will lighten our equipment load considerably (bound weapons) and give us ass-kicking meat shields, but takes longer and is more expensive to build up than the other schools. Mastering this school will likely not happen in the near future.
Of all of them, I think Mysticism and Conjuration will take the most investment to be able to use well. Their most useful spells are expensive in both gold and magicka, so we won't be able to use them often until we attain considerable power. Mysticism can be used for getting around or escaping, but Conjuration would drain most of our power in the middle of a fight.
I have never quite understood the point of asking a Sleeper if Dagoth Ur thinks we are the Nerevarine. First, the mastermind isn't going to share with the bottom rung underlings that his greatest enemy has been reincarnated. Second, we already know that Michael is most likely the Nerevarine. LordBucket already told us that. Third, we need to start convincing Caius that we are the Nerevarine, not make him more suspicious. He is also our greatest resource to finding out if any of the main missions have been done yet, and thus if any of the other possible PCs also think they are the Nerevarine.
As for Caius, I don't think it would make him suspicious if we want to interrogate a Sleeper. One said right in front of him that Dagoth Ur is quite interested in us, and it's only natural that we'd want to know why. And Dagoth Ur would most certainly let his Sleepers know if he thought we were the Nerevarine, he tells all his people EVERYTHING, though they can't all understand it. In the game, they all tell you he thinks you're the Nerevarine after the second mission, asking you to come meet him at Red Mountain because he considers Neravar his greatest friend.
Honestly, if Caius voices more concern about us being a Sleeper due to voices in our head, we should probably tell him "It's more likely Multiple Personality Disorder than Dagoth Ur."
I wonder, if Dagoth Ur tries to speak in Michael's head, would he hear us? Could we tell him to STFU, or question him?
Post by: DeKaFu on September 20, 2013, 07:00:00 pm
I like Destruction more than Conjuration because summoning things just seems inherently more risky. Too much potential for unknown drawbacks for a large investment right off the bat.
Also shooting lightning while flying would be cool.
Post by: WillowLuman on September 20, 2013, 07:26:47 pm
Post by: Parcae on September 20, 2013, 08:12:39 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on September 20, 2013, 08:22:23 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on September 20, 2013, 08:24:46 pm
Post by: Parcae on September 20, 2013, 10:31:19 pm
Post by: LordBucket on September 20, 2013, 10:39:05 pm
Update in process. Probably won't finish it tonight though.
Post by: ank on September 22, 2013, 01:26:00 pm
Will be joining next episode!
Post by: Parcae on September 25, 2013, 11:47:13 pm
*Bump*
Post by: Travisplo on September 29, 2013, 11:34:25 pm
Post by: ank on September 30, 2013, 08:54:18 am
Post by: WillowLuman on September 30, 2013, 10:29:12 am
Post by: LordBucket on September 30, 2013, 09:42:43 pm
I think I just need a break. Been considering officially putting the game on hiatus, but if I do that it makes it that much easier to abandon it. As is, yes I'm slacking, but at least I'm thinking about it every day.
Post by: Putnam on October 01, 2013, 12:46:47 am
Post by: woose1 on October 01, 2013, 05:19:40 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on October 02, 2013, 07:21:44 am
Post by: WillowLuman on October 02, 2013, 09:58:22 am
Post by: gordy on October 02, 2013, 11:30:30 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on October 02, 2013, 11:49:11 pm
Post by: Araph on November 06, 2013, 11:43:27 pm
If you're planning on putting this story to rest, it'd be great to hear what you were planning on throwing at our intrepid maybe-Nerevarine. If it's just a hiatus, I'd prefer to have the plot unspoiled, though.
Post by: WillowLuman on November 07, 2013, 12:48:51 am
Post by: Remalle on November 07, 2013, 01:02:58 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on November 12, 2013, 08:11:38 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on November 17, 2013, 09:20:07 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
21-gun salute for the thread.
Post by: ank on November 22, 2013, 03:46:46 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEX1dYyvmig (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEX1dYyvmig)
Post by: WillowLuman on November 22, 2013, 03:54:59 am
Post by: Araph on December 21, 2013, 07:47:54 pm
Still holding out. The thread will rise again! I'm still captivated by its mysteries, and I'm sure the rest are, too.
The thread must go on!
Post by: joemoben on December 22, 2013, 12:53:18 am
Y u so cruel? :-[
Post by: ank on December 27, 2013, 07:28:27 am
Everyone time I see this thread with a new post that isn't an update, I die a little on the inside.
Y u so cruel? :-[
And now YOU just did the same to ME!
Post by: jetex1911 on December 27, 2013, 11:10:10 pm
Oh dear, We're doing it to each other!Everyone time I see this thread with a new post that isn't an update, I die a little on the inside.
Y u so cruel? :-[
And now YOU just did the same to ME!
Post by: Xardalas on December 29, 2013, 07:40:07 pm
Oh dear, We're doing it to each other!Everyone time I see this thread with a new post that isn't an update, I die a little on the inside.
Y u so cruel? :-[
And now YOU just did the same to ME!
Because I enjoy crushing hopes and dreams.
Post by: LordBucket on December 29, 2013, 11:55:19 pm
Cherishing your victory in having finally learned to see and channel Magicka, you take a moment to talk to the voices in your head.
Quote
Michael, how well do you know the 36 sermons of Vivec? If you are the Nerevarine, after all,
then they are written for you. If you don't know them that well, it'd be good to study a bit.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...erm, actually I've never read them. Not all of them anyway. They're kind of boring. The way I remember it, they're mostly Vivec talking about how cool he thinks he is."
Quote
Dear Michael, you are now breathing manually. Love, anonymous voice.
Quote
+1
Michael blinks a couple times then shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...ok."
Quote
here's a less confusing question: do each of us sound distinct to you?
Michael thinks about that for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, yes. More or less. I don't exactly "hear" your voice in the same way I'd hear someone talking in the room with me. It's more like an internal mental diaglogue, kind of like when you think to yourself verbally...except this is like somebody else is putting the words in my head, and they can hear me I can I think back. Actually, now that I think about it, this is pretty much what I'd expect telepathy to be like if telepathy were on a conference call. Where are you guys?"
Quote
We are players much like you, only instead of playing you, we speak to you and hold sway over your actions
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...wait. So you're saying I'm the character? But that doesn't make sense. First off, Morrowind is only a single player game and there are a bunch of you. Second, there's way too much going on here for this to just be a game of Morrowind. I came to Morrowind by playing Morrowind, then falling out of the sky. Granted, my memory of what happened before that is sketchy, but I didn't arrive on the boat. Hell, I have a CELLPHONE with me."
Michael digs through his backpack and pulls out his cellphone, opens it and turns it on.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "See? Cellphone. No reception, but I wouldn't have this if I were just a character in the game."
Quote
Factions are beautiful! All hail head voice overlords!
OBEY.
Quote
Okay, you may be right about us having factions Michael.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yeah, I'm starting to think you guys are daedra. That would explain a lot."
Quote
find Creeper and sell your eternal soul
Quote
Do not sell our soul to Clavicus Vile.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yeah. Like that. You guys obviously aren't all on the same side. I think you're daedra. Some of you are trying to be helpful, some of you are trying to trick me into getting killed or selling my soul or some crazy thing, and some of you are just toying with me. But even THAT doesn't make sense, because if you were daedra, how would you know about the command console?"
Quote
Michael, I'm a new voice. Normally I'm just an ordinary person like you were, or at least you thought you were. However, much in the same way we take on the existence of another while playing a game, I believe that I, as well as the other voices, become something else when speaking to you, while still being the same entity they were before.
Michael looks down at his hand. With his new magical sight, he gazes at the light that constitutes his body, flowing freely from the sun, penetrating all that is.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Vivec called you guys my 'higher self.' I think that means that on some level, I am you. I don't know what's going on here. But I'm starting to think neither do you, because you are me too."
With the nature of your being still unresolved, you sigh and return to more practical matters.
Quote
Report back to Caius
Quote
need to report back to Caius
Quote
support checking in with Gaius first
Quote
apologize to that one guy, Caius or something or another.
You cross the river and head to Caius' house.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Michael? I'm surprised to see you. What happened?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Caius. Sorry for the delay. I, uhh...got recall swapped after delivering that letter. Ended up in a tomb out near Sadrith Mora."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Oh? That's highly unusual. Well, no matter. You're back. And it seems you were right about Ilunibi. Clover returned a few hours ago with corprus, just like you predicted, and told me a story about an ash creature working for Dagoth Ur just like you told me back in Gnisis."
So Clover finally got around to clearing Ilunibi. Though you wonder whether she cleared it before or after you last saw her standing motionless in the Mage's Guild. It was just a few days ago that you tucked a note into her robe, then left for Ald'rhun where you ended up getting recall swapped. She wasn't there when you got back to Balmora, and you've spent the past two days training with Fast Eddie. So she would have had at least two days to clear Ilunibi, contract corpus, then report in to Caius. You didn't notice any corprus sores when you saw her, so that's probably what happened.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Fortunately, since you'd already informed me that Divayth Fyr was working on a cure, I sent her to speak to him. Well done. Thanks to you, one of my other Operatives won't have to suffer and die from corprus."
...wait. Doesn't that mean that...
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "You sent her to Divayth Fyr?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Of course. Since your story about Ilunibu and Dagoth Gares checked out, and you told me that he had a cure...a cure that would 'render her immune to corprus but she has to catch it first' was how you put it, I sent her to him straightaway."
Did you just alter the course of the main quest?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "This might be bad."
Caius raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Remember I said I might be the Nerevarine?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Of course. And I also remember that the Emperor thinks Clover is."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Right. And that's the problem. According to the prophecy, the Nerevarine contracts corprus and then Divayth Fyr gives him a potion that...well, it's complicated, but the potion makes the disease beneficial rather than harmful. If I'm the Nerevarine, then I have to contract corprus and be cured. But...you sent Clover to drink the potion."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I don't see a problem. It's not like there will only be one potion. Divayth Fyr has an entire corprusarium full of infected. As soon as he sees that his cure works, surely he'll make more."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Except that the potion ONLY works on the Nerevarine. Everyone else who takes it dies."
Caius looks at you sternly.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "You didn't mention that when you told me about the cure."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm sorry, it slipped my mind, ok? A lot of stuff's been going on."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "So if Clover isn't the Nerevarine, she's going to die."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Pretty much."
Caius nods silently.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "So what do you propose?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, obviously I have to go after her."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "So that she can infect you with corprus?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...wait, what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "What else could you have in mind? She's already infected. If she's the Neravarine, then drinking the potion and being cured is the next logical step. If she's not the Nerevarine, and you are...then for you to be cured you first need to contract it. You told me this yourself. If the cure kills anyone but 'the one' then Clover is dead either way. Even if Divayth Fyr can make more of his potion, he'll probably be hesitant to do so if he gives it to Clover and it kills her. If you can get to her first, she can infect you then you can take the cure in her place."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "But what if I'm not the Nerevarine?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Then I suppose you'd be better of letting Clover drink the potion. How sure are you that you're the Nerevarine?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...umm..."
What do you do?
Post by: gman8181 on December 30, 2013, 12:54:34 am
Well, in regards to the question posed...
We think we might be the Nerevarine because we fit part of the prophecy and because we know parts of the prophecy even though we don't know why.
Tell him that we will go to the place but see if we can get an escort. Wouldn't want the potential Nerevarine dying right? That would be bad.
When we get there, we can plan out our next course of action. Whether or not we actually want to infect ourselves. While we're there, we might also be able to get more magic training. Especially if we turn out to be the Nerevarine, we could probably get something good out of it.
No Michael we aren't Daedra. Admittedly my lore is a little rusty but I'm pretty sure Daedra can't even do that except maybe the Daedra Lords. That said, learning Daedric magic could be beneficial. Not now because you're a wimp and would probably get killed by them or something but it would be worth consideration later when your more capable. I mean sending an army of bound Daedra against Dagoth sounds a lot better than fighting him yourself right?
((As an aside, do you have blood moon? Is it possible for us to visit Solstheim? I like that place.))
Post by: WillowLuman on December 30, 2013, 01:34:51 am
Now this is quite a pickle. We have no confirmation, one way or another. We're soon to find out for sure, though.
We need to get to Tel Fyr ASAP. Then, we must find out the status of that note From here we have several possibilities:
1) The selfish way. We let her take it first. If PC's work the way we think they do, then she'll reload if she dies. If not, then she's dead and we're not. And we know she's not the Nerevarine. But Awesomicus might still be. If he is, then both Clover and us would both die from drinking.
2) The selfless way. We take it ourselves. If we're the Nerevarine, then we live no problem. If not, then we have to rely on a reset. But we know that's a very, very, very risky move. We could just wind up dead for good.
Considering that both of these might involve a reload, it's possible we might not see what was reset, and thus not have access to alternate hindsight. Considering what we know, I'd say Clover's the most likely candidate for Nerevarine, as she's followed the Main Quest the most. I'd say that we're the second most likely candidate. But as Awesomicus is still a candidate, and is a competent fighter, we should bring him.
Post by: Mono124 on December 30, 2013, 02:29:02 am
Post by: Putnam on December 30, 2013, 02:39:50 am
Post by: WillowLuman on December 30, 2013, 02:43:34 am
Nothing is gained from being unsure at this point. Take the risk.But which risk?
I assume you mean go there. I agree we must at least get there in time. We can decide what to do when we get there, the important thing is to get there. Alive.
Which means at the very least a waterwalking potion.
Post by: Spitfire on December 30, 2013, 07:31:59 am
Post by: Supercharazad on December 30, 2013, 09:40:41 am
Take the risk, assume that we are the Nerevarine, go after Clover.
Post by: Travisplo on December 30, 2013, 02:14:08 pm
Post by: LordSlowpoke on December 30, 2013, 02:16:33 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on December 30, 2013, 03:11:43 pm
Edit: Actually, wait. Clover wasn't the one with all the stuff. Damn it, we need the crazy collector person to contract Corprus next :V
Is there any way to help Clover aside from the potion?
Post by: Travisplo on December 30, 2013, 03:24:21 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on December 30, 2013, 03:31:00 pm
Post by: birdy51 on December 30, 2013, 03:32:20 pm
We need to resolve this dilemma.
Post by: Travisplo on December 30, 2013, 03:52:24 pm
Post by: Putnam on December 30, 2013, 04:04:47 pm
Also, being the Nerevarine isn't necessarily an act of prophecy (I.E incarnation) as it can be Mantling; if we act as the Nerevarine, we are the Nerevarine.
Post by: Araph on December 30, 2013, 04:17:24 pm
Michael: We're all people on a forum telling you what to do. That is literally all there is to us. We're not Daedra, but we're still just as likely to screw you over because we're collectively pretty stupid, but just don't follow the worst of the advice we give and you should be fine.
That said, if you can intercept Clover and speak to Divayth Fyr, we can probably explain our unique knowledge of the situation, which might buy us enough time to contact Azura and potentially (as unlikely as it may be) gain a bit of information on your status as a candidate to be the Nerevarine.
Post by: WillowLuman on December 30, 2013, 04:43:47 pm
Also, being the Nerevarine isn't necessarily an act of prophecy (I.E incarnation) as it can be Mantling; if we act as the Nerevarine, we are the Nerevarine.
We haven't actually done any thing that the Nerevarine is supposed to do: therefore, I find Clover to be the much more likely candidate.
I'll just say this again: Let's get to her before we decide what to do. If nothing else, we must find out if she read our note.
Post by: Man of Paper on December 31, 2013, 11:14:18 am
Post by: IronyOwl on December 31, 2013, 04:35:18 pm
I assume you mean go there. I agree we must at least get there in time. We can decide what to do when we get there, the important thing is to get there. Alive.I'll second this. If nothing else, having a discussion with Clover about whether she thinks she's the Nerevarine and why could be very enlightening. Not to mention getting Fyr to weigh in on it.
Less officially, I too am concerned about what's been said about incarnation vs mantling. We fit the entry conditions, but we haven't been doing much Nerevarining since.
EDIT: Also worth noting, that sleeper agent seemed to recognize us and directed us to Dagoth Ur. If we can find out if Clover's had similar experiences, that could be a dead giveaway that we're it and she's not, or support for the notion that the Nerevarine's identity is hazy even to Dagoth's minions, or possibly even fluid.
On that note, I haven't noticed anything about this, so:
Hey Michael, experiment time!
(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1218/zip4.png)
Getting anything strange from me at the moment? Images, feelings, words between "experiment time" and "Getting anything?"
How about now? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W3XUtmoY5k) Anything unusual about the preceding sentence? What about this one? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4871488#msg4871488)
Finally, let me know if you get anything immediately after this sentence.
Take the risk.
Post by: LordBucket on December 31, 2013, 05:36:46 pm
Correction. Apparently tonight is new year's eve. Update tonight highly unlikely.
Post by: IronyOwl on December 31, 2013, 06:59:10 pm
Caius nods and turns back to his captive. But with Caius no longer on top of him, the sleeper has turned his head and is now looking at you.Found the passage I was thinking of. It was less conclusive than I remembered; clearly Dagoth Ur or his minions or this minion in particular know of us and might like our services (and/or to lure us to our deaths), but I'm getting less of a "You! You're important! Really important!" vibe than I thought.
(http://i.imgur.com/8NnXkYp.png): "So, it is you. Why don't you come to Red Mountain, Michael? Dagoth Ur would like to meet you. He can be most generous."
The hairs on the back of your neck raise and you break out in a cold sweat.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Oh, so you know our operative here, do you? Tell me how."
(http://i.imgur.com/8NnXkYp.png): "Dagoth Ur knows and sees all! Nothing shall be hidden from the master!"
CRUNCH.
Come to think of it, I wonder if Dagoth Ur knows more about our situation than most. He might turn out to be a more practical-minded Vivec, ash holocaust notwithstanding.
Oh, and as long as I'm on a purely theoretical analysis post, what's with those dreams? The first was running with horses... which we passed off as being related to looking at Legion breastplates all day. I'm skeptical of us having meaningless dreams, though.
Could that have been related to joining the Legion? If the Legion are horses, as implied by their insignia, running with them might be a fairly straightforward metaphor for joining. I'm not sure what to make of the rest of the imagery, though; could be a metaphor for having an open, rather nice world and deciding to run with horses in it, could be a convenient place for horses and I'm overthinking it, could be something else entirely, and of course this whole thing could be completely wrong.
Of course, if it is true, then that dream was meaningful but not especially useful. Its main use would be informing us of how dreams (can) work, which could be handy for if/when we get dreams that provide subtler hints about what we're currently doing.
Speaking of which, here we have the second dream.
You enter the fort, find the barracks and take a nap...and dream.So... it's pretty hard to imagine that this isn't relevant in some way, but I have no idea what to make of it. Of note is that the light mentioned matches what we now know Magicka to resemble.
You are standing knee deep in swamp water, with trees and shrubs all around you. In front of you but not facing you is a silver statue of a rearing horse that you recognize immediately: it's the horse on the right breast of the Imperial Legion guard armor. You step forward to inspect it more closely, but before you can get close enough to touch it a number of blurry and indistinct shapes rise from the swamp all around you. It's difficult to make out what they're supposed to be, or even how many there are. Then, suddenly one of them moves impossibly fast in no particular direction and the entire world slows to a stop.
Your eyes are suddenly filled with a blinding light that compels you to cover them, but doing so doesn't stop the light from reaching your eyes. Instinctively you know that the light is permeating not only your hand and eyes, but all of you. Every fiber of your being. Every cell in your body, every thought in your mind, everything that exists in your soul...it can see. With eye cover doing nothing to stop the light, you force your eyes open and turn to see a gold statue you hadn't noticed before. It is behind you, facing and mirroring the silver statue. It appears to be the horse from the left breast of the guard armor, and it's definitely the source of the light that permeates everything. You cautiously approach only to hear a faint sound, a voice. It says '...would like for us to be friends...'
And then you realize that the statue is not made of gold. It is wearing gold armor.
You wake up drenched in warm sweat.
The two horses thing is also really interesting, but again, I don't know what to make of it. Golden armor, golden speech, and wanting to be friends, possibly with a horse with its back to it, all makes me think Celestia, but I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to make any strong connections.
I'm tempted to think the shapes might be the... PCish adventurers we keep seeing. Being blurry and indistinct, both in nature and number, might match the nature of these things, and one of them "moving impossibly fast in no particular direction" prior to the world standing still might be a decent description of an adventurer catapulting events into motion through somewhat aimless, but very rapid, activity and power gains.
That's an awfully bold assumption, though. Those shapes could be anything, assuming dreams indeed mean anything at all much less this particular view of them, and we don't have any data (as far as I'm aware) to try to pin anything down.
Post by: Putnam on December 31, 2013, 07:08:23 pm
I AM THE SHARMAT
I AM OLDER THAN MUSIC (http://uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:36_Lessons_of_Vivec,_Sermon_15)
What that means is that Dagoth Ur is claiming that he is older than Aurbis, the universe. Aurbis is music, y'see. He's ego-trippin' and balls-trippin' at the same time.
Of course, you should consider the source.
Post by: WillowLuman on December 31, 2013, 07:17:56 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on December 31, 2013, 09:03:54 pm
I'd say he's the last person anyone should go to for anything resembling logic, unless you want to enter his solipsistic state for some reason.
Post by: WillowLuman on December 31, 2013, 09:17:52 pm
Post by: gman8181 on December 31, 2013, 09:21:01 pm
If we want to become like a god, we should act like a god.
Post by: IronyOwl on December 31, 2013, 10:07:39 pm
Being a bit crazy and maybe a little ambitious is practically a requirement for mantling in the elder scrolls universe.I like the cut of your jib, but we're rather behind the power curve at the moment. Our stats suck, our skills could pass for racial modifiers, our gear is... actually pretty okay, but still specialized for nothing we're able to do at the moment save have a low carrying capacity, and of course we don't have any magic.
If we want to become like a god, we should act like a god.
Post by: Haspen on December 31, 2013, 10:09:54 pm
Dagoth Ur has plenty of info and possibly good advice, if you discount his propaganda.
That's because he actually toyed with Morrowind Construction Kit and his adventures there are described in 36 Lessons of Vivec if you look carefully :P
Post by: Putnam on January 01, 2014, 12:04:08 am
Dagoth Ur has plenty of info and possibly good advice, if you discount his propaganda.
That's because he actually toyed with Morrowind Construction Kit and his adventures there are described in 36 Lessons of Vivec if you look carefully :P
If I could completely erase that idea from the universe and the possibility of it existing I would.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 01, 2014, 12:08:10 am
Post by: LordBucket on January 02, 2014, 08:25:14 am
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "How sure are you that you're the Nerevarine?"
Quote
assume that we are the Nerevarine, go after Clover.
Quote
We can decide what to do when we get there, the important thing is to get there.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Confidant enough to go after Clover."
Caius nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Alright. Here's some gold to help you get to Tel Fyr. It's on an island, so you'll need to some way to cross water if you don't want to be slaughterfish food. And remember that Telvanni mushrooms are generally designed to require levitation to get around."
+200 gold
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Thanks."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Good luck."
Let's see, before you go is there anything you're forgetting?
Retrieve our Tanto. And get the spear fixed at the next financial opportunity that
won't block us from a goal. We want 2 weapons at all times, if we can help it.
You check under the bed, but don't see your things anywhere.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Caius. What happened to the armor and weapons I left here before I delivered that letter?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I had Nine-Toes stash them in his room temporarily. I did mention that I have a cover to maintain and couldn't have adventuring gear laying about. The guard armor especially had to go."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Right. Sorry about that. Which is Nine-Toes' place?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Down the stairs, then first door on your left."
You say goodbye to Caius and head to Nine-Toes' house.
(http://i.imgur.com/liXTkcx.png)
Unfortunately it's locked. You knock, and wait, but there is no answer. Apparently he's out on a mission or something. You briefly consider trying to pick the lock, but decide against it and instead start heading towards to the Fighter's Guild to hopefully pick up some free repair hammers. The voices in your head keep you occupied on the way.
Quote
No Michael we aren't Daedra.
Quote
Michael: We're all people on a forum telling you what to do. That is literally all there is to us. We're not Daedra, but we're still just as likely to screw you over because we're collectively pretty stupid, but just don't follow the worst of the advice we give and you should be fine.
Michael thinks for moment then frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "A forum? You mean like a web forum? You're telling me this is an internet forum game? That doesn't make sense. I mean, sure it would explain why there are so many of you and why none of you agree with each other. But it doesn't explain how I got here. It doesn't explain why I have a cellphone. It doesn't explain Vivec. It might explain the'higher self' thing, because...I mean, the idea would be that I'm you, and you're collectively all me, and I do the things you suggest. I get that. But...what about when the world disappeared back in Gnisis? And what about the time loop thing you guys told me about where I died? Some of said you thought the game had been restored from a previous save. How could there have been a game load if this is all being played out on a web forum? And if this is a forum game why do you guys keep talking about there being a PC? If this is a forum game, then presumably you guys would be the players, right? So who's this PC you all keep talking about?"
Quote
Hey Michael, experiment time!
(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1218/zip4.png)
Getting anything strange from me at the moment? Images, feelings, words between "experiment time" and "Getting anything?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...erm, for a moment I kind of got a picture in my head...I think it was a changeling? Might have been a black horse. And there was purple."
Quote
How about now? Anything unusual about the preceding sentence? What about this one?
Finally, let me know if you get anything immediately after this sentence.
Michael thinks for a bit.
Quote
see if we can get an escort.
Quote
as Awesomicus is still a candidate, and is a competent fighter, we should bring him.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes, a couple of you suggested I get an escort, and one proposed Awesomicus. Which I think is a fantastic idea, actually. Let him be the one to get pecked to death by cliff racers."
Arriving at the Fighter's Guild, you head upstairs to find Eydis looking over some documents.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, Eydis. Has Awesomicus picked up that note I left?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "No, haven't seen him. But I have a job for you if you're interested. East Empire Company wants a couple escorts for a pickup they're making in Gnaar Mok. What with the destruction of Khuul, they're awful nervous. Pay's 300 gold for two days work. If you're lucky all you'll need to do is sit on a boat and shine your boots for two days. You in?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hmm. That's tempting, but I'm on an assignment right now and Gnaar Mok is in the opposite direction I need to go. Plus, I don't think this can wait two days. Thanks, though."
So no luck on Awesomicus. You could hire some other Fighter's Guild mercenary, but that means paying for it and it might take time for the position to fill. Plus, with the 200 gold Caius gave you, that brings your current total to 468. You're pretty close to being able to afford spellschool training, and you're hesitant to pay for an escort on a trip to Tel Fyr that...barring slaughterfish or cliff racers...will hopefully be uneventful. Though that is a concern. It's a long trip and you're not certain you'd survive an encounter with a cliff racer. You only survived last time because there was a Legion guardpost within running distance. If you were to get caught in the middle of the ocean between a cliff racer in the air and a slaughterfish in the water, that could easily prove fatal. Come to think of it, will you even be able to find the island without an in-game overview map?
Setting those concerns aside for the moment, you check in with the Fighter's Guild supply officer, but no repair hammers are available. So you head across the street to Meldor's armor shop.
(http://i.imgur.com/QHAC5AY.png)
You buy a pair of hammers for 40 gold and mostly repair your weapons and armor. It's been a while since you last did this, and it's more difficult than you remember. You end up buying a third hammer to finish the job, then ditching it due to weight when the vendor doesn't want to buy a half-destroyed hammer back from you.
Mercantile skill is now 11
Armorer skill is now 7
Strength is now 27
60 gold seems like a lot for repairs, but your gear is all as good as new again. You certainly don't want a repeat of the rat incident from before.
You step out the door and-
(http://i.imgur.com/HcXF9m4.png): "CITIZENS OF BALMORA BEWARE!!!!"
You duck back into the door and crane your head into the air just in time to catch what appears to be a female dunmer carrying a massive sword leaping from the roof of the building.
(http://i.imgur.com/8O2TdR9.png)
She hits the ground running. No armor, looks like. Just clothes and a big sword.
(http://i.imgur.com/HcXF9m4.png): "THE DOOMPOCALYPSE IS UPON YOU!"
A couple guards are trying to chase her. With great difficulty, as she seems to be wearing the Boots of Blinding Speed.
(http://i.imgur.com/IXqgPmt.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/HcXF9m4.png): "HAVE AT THEE, VILE VILLAINS!"
Which she uses to dart in circles around them before promptly one-shotting each of them.
(http://i.imgur.com/yzaEz2s.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/HcXF9m4.png): "HA HA! THIRTY POINTS!!!"
Discretion being the better part of valor, and running with your tail between your legs being the better part of staying not-dead, you quickly close the door, smile weakly at Meldor, then proceed to hide in his basement. You're suddenly reminded of something one of the voices said shortly after you first arrived.
Okay, the fact that there is a PC running around terrifies me. This means that we should act as though this were the worst case scenario. We will be dealing with a PC who is a complete psychopath, who will liberally depopulate entire settlements in order to achieve their ends and will do all Daedric quests to their completion for immense power.
Yes, that was the line. You remember it quite well. And while you can't confirm whether that dunmer's a PC, or even whether the distinction between PC and NPC even exists here, you're pretty sure you just saw a psycho-crazy dunmer chick not even bothering to wear armor take out three guards while shouting about how many points they were worth. Hiding under the bed for extra safety, you weigh your options.
Quote
get to Tel Fyr ASAP
Quote
Nothing is gained from being unsure at this point. Take the risk.
Quote
intercept Clover and speak to Divayth Fyr
Quote
Take the risk.
Sigh.
You stay hidden under the bed for another hour then cautiously head back upstairs and poke your head out of the shop. Seeing no corpses, you rush to the Mage's Guild and pay the 11 gold fee for transport to Sadrith Mora.
(http://i.imgur.com/7ZmONP4.png)
You nervously exhale a breath you hadn't realized you were holding.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Descan on January 02, 2014, 02:18:28 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 02, 2014, 03:20:49 pm
Get the fuck away from the mages guild before she decides to take a trip to another town and just SO HAPPENS to pick Sadrith Mora.+1, but buy a potion of waterwalking or levitation first. Whichever lasts longer.
Also, ask if anyone's heard about a guard massacre in Balmora.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 02, 2014, 05:19:52 pm
Also it's a shame those guard corpses apparently disappeared; if we could get away with looting them that'd be more cash. I wonder if the adventurer looted and disposed of them or they were dealt with through normal channels.
Maybe we should plan this out a bit more thoroughly. I know time is of the essence, but grabbing one of two potions and then fleeing "away from the mages guild" does not sound like the beginning of a successful journey.Get the fuck away from the mages guild before she decides to take a trip to another town and just SO HAPPENS to pick Sadrith Mora.+1, but buy a potion of waterwalking or levitation first. Whichever lasts longer.
Also, ask if anyone's heard about a guard massacre in Balmora.
Let's see... looking at a map, we're not far, though finding it may indeed be an issue. Looks like one little island-bump separating us from Tel Fyr to the southwest, so in theory it's just a swim followed by a run followed by a swim followed by a run followed by slamming the door shut behind us and breathing a sigh of relief. This is all from a crude map, and so could be wrong.
So we need a way to get there alive, and then a way to get up there. My vote would be for invisibility for fleeing cliff racers, not sure about how necessary water walking is, and then presumably levitation for making sure we can actually talk to Fyr.
All that said, we need some price checks. A 400 gold invisibility potion might just not be worth it compared to other options.
Let's find an alchemist and scroll dealer, if any, and ask about levitation, invisibility, speed boosting, acrobatics boosting, damage dealing, and water walking potions/scrolls.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 02, 2014, 05:39:32 pm
Post by: gordy on January 02, 2014, 07:28:50 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 02, 2014, 07:53:15 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 03, 2014, 02:50:42 am
Hopefully we get a pause once we reach there. We need to collect our thoughts before speaking to Fyr.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 03, 2014, 04:36:46 am
We don't need to deal damage. We just need to get there quickly, stay above the surface of the water, and be able to fly up to Fyr.This isn't necessarily true, though.
Hopefully we get a pause once we reach there. We need to collect our thoughts before speaking to Fyr.
The only thing we know for certain is that we need to get there alive. Quickly would be ideal, but we don't know for a fact that it's necessary or will help; we might be showing up way before or after Clover anyway. Staying above the surface might help with either of those two conditions, but it's not innately valuable or necessary.
And we need to do all this on limited resources. There's no point running or hiding from cliff racers if it turns out to be more gold-efficient to just roast them alive or if the local alchemist doesn't even have what we're looking for. We need to evaluate our options, not just grab whatever we think might be on hand for whatever price it happens to be on hand for and then burst out the door.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 03, 2014, 04:49:00 am
Offensive scrolls tend to be expensive. Using one to kill a cliff racer only to be accosted by another is not a good use of money. Tel Fyr isn't that far off if you can walk on water, but if you've got to swim, it's a nightmare. Therefore, waterwalking and levitate are absolutely essential. We can get something else as long as it doesnt put our total over 200, since we don't want a net loss if we can avoid it.
In the event we run into a cliff racer, running the fuck away will suffice. Tel Fyr is West-Southwest of Wolverine Hall. The question about Michael's FOV is important, as if he's not limited to the fog of war, he shouldn't have much trouble spotting it once he heads out a little bit.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 03, 2014, 05:14:59 am
In my experience, the area has few cliff racers but many many slaughterfish. There are some cliff racers, though.Good to know, but remember that we're not sure what mods or other factors, if any, might be affecting this particular game. I would also assume there's a certain element of chance involved.
Offensive scrolls tend to be expensive. Using one to kill a cliff racer only to be accosted by another is not a good use of money. Tel Fyr isn't that far off if you can walk on water, but if you've got to swim, it's a nightmare. Therefore, waterwalking and levitate are absolutely essential. We can get something else as long as it doesnt put our total over 200, since we don't want a net loss if we can avoid it.Again, mods might be a factor here in terms of how much things cost, but more importantly we don't know for certain what will be available at all. If nobody has anything of water walking or we can get swift swimming for a third the cost, it might be necessary or beneficial to go with something else.
In the event we run into a cliff racer, running the fuck away will suffice. Tel Fyr is West-Southwest of Wolverine Hall. The question about Michael's FOV is important, as if he's not limited to the fog of war, he shouldn't have much trouble spotting it once he heads out a little bit.It might, but remember the last time (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4441947;topicseen#msg4441947) we encountered a cliff racer it was fast enough to peck at us as we ran. Granted, we let it catch us first, but we still managed to burn through most of a standard health potion getting from Balmora to Moonmoth.
EDIT: I tried looking up vanilla vendors to see what'd be available by default. Didn't get a very clear picture, but what I saw wasn't very reassuring; one of the Sadrith Mora proper vendors had a levitation potion, but otherwise I didn't see anything we wanted/needed.
Hopefully I just didn't find the right person and/or the content will vary in our favor. Otherwise we might be stuck portal-hopping around looking for the stuff we need.
Post by: gman8181 on January 03, 2014, 11:51:12 am
Post by: Baffler on January 03, 2014, 12:00:48 pm
Since it's on an island and we're near a port, maybe ask if we can get a boat ride there.
Post by: LordBucket on January 03, 2014, 07:38:06 pm
Quote
ask if anyone's heard about a guard massacre in Balmora.
Still a bit anxious over your recent escape from possible instant death, you ask out loud, maybe a bit more loudly than you'd planned:
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So...anyone hear about that guard massacre in Balmora?"
Everyone in the room stops what they're doing to looks at you, at each other, then collectively shrug. After a few moments the Guild Guide speaks and the others go back to their business.
(http://i.imgur.com/Fjfrzye.png): "Yes, Masalinie stopped in about 20 minutes ago with the news. Rumor has it it was one of ours in House Telvanni, but she didn't give a name."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "One of ours?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Fjfrzye.png): "Mage Guild."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Is that kind of thing...common?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Fjfrzye.png): "No, it's highly frowned on, but joining a Great House isn't against our charter, and if you're going to be a wizard, much as I hate to say it, the Telvanni have a lot more going for them than House Hlaalu or Redoran."
You notice a few of the other guild members scowl when she says this.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, I mean are guard massacres common?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Fjfrzye.png): "Oh, that. No, but when it does it usually happens in Balmora. For some reason that town really seems to attract the dregs among outlanders. No offense."
Hmm. Well, in any case you're glad to be out of there.
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Let's find an alchemist and scroll dealer, if any, and ask about levitation, invisibility, speed boosting, acrobatics boosting, damage dealing, and water walking potions/scrolls.
Quote
I support IronyOwl's plan.
Sadrith Mora is probably home to the largest group of alchemists and magic dealers in all of Vvardenfell. You suspect you can probably get any of those things if you look around enough. But since you're in a Mages guildhall already, you check their stock first.
* 3 standard potions of water breathing, 38 gold
* 2 standard potions of water walking, 38 gold
* 1 standard invisibility potion, 38 gold
* 1 Quality potion of swift swim, 87 gold
* 1 scroll of Daynar's Airy Bubble, water breathing for 4 minutes, 121 gold
* 2 scrolls of Reynos fins, SWift swim plus water breathing for 3 minutes, 156 gold
* 2 scrolls of Breva's Averted eyes, invisibility for 1 minute, 121 gold
Pretty much everything you could ask for in terms of navigating water, but not much in terms of damage dealing and nothing for levitation. The enchanting vendor does have some summon skeletal minion scrolls, but you're pretty sure skeletons don't swim very well.
You smell the water breathing and water walking potions. They'll last about 15 seconds. Not much. The quality swift swim, 45 seconds. Looks like the scrolls are the most efficient choice, lasting 3-4 minutes. But using them would mean swimming through the slaughterfish rather than walking above them. That might not be bad, since it would mean avoiding cliff racers. But being in the water rather than above it won't make navigating any easier.
There are several Telvanni vendors in town you could check too, but as a Mage Guild member who isn't in House Telvanni, their prices are likely to be higher. Also, you remember Nalcarya mentioning that she'd be happy to fill custom orders, so even if the local vendors don't have exctly what you want on hand it might be possible to have it made. Though that would probably mean paying more.
Actually, now that you think about it...
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, which of you is an enchanter?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "I am. Dabienne Mornardl, at your service."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm only a dabbling enchanter. I know how to use soul gems to charge items, but I've never done any actual enchanting because I don't know any spells. But...you do, right? If I pay you, can you enchant stuff for me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Certainly. May I see your soul gem?"
You pull out the pair of soul gems from your bag and hand them to her.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "These are both empty. I'll need a soul to power the enchantment. I have a number of low to mid range souls on hand. Also, if you want something special, arrangements can be made."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What sort of arrangements?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "We summon a daedra and trap its soul. But you'll pay premium for that."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "How much?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Standard Mage Guild rates for summon/soultrap service are 100 gold for a clannfear, 150 for any atronach, 250 for a Hunger, Winged Twilight's are 300, and 400 for a Golden Saint. Plus soulgem costs if you don't provide a gem."
That's surprisingly cheap. More than you really want to pay, but you'd have guessed it would be way more than that.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Who does this? You?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "I'm certified up to Winged Twilight. If you want a Golden Saint, I can ask Skink."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Where do you do the summoning? I mean, you don't just summon a daedra loose inside the guild, do you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "No, we use the teleport pads. They're heavily enchanted with various protective and containment wards. With proper activation, nothing short of half a dozen Golden Saints can break out."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...wait, do those work on people?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "They can, but it's complicated trapping a person. Conjured daedra are bound to Mundus by the spell used to summon them. Containing them inside a circle too isn't much more complicated. But as soon as the original conjuration wears off they return to Oblivion, and a secondary containment spell won't keep them here beyond that. With a non-daedra, the local containment enchantment on the pad works just as well, but there's nothing stopping them from simply recalling out. Because of the square/distance mechanics of recall fields, it's extremely energy intensive to inhibit teleportation, and enchanting a pad to keep someone from recalling out of it just isn't practical. So every now and then you hear about a particularly dumb criminal being caught, but the Mage Guild isn't responsible for law enforcement and generally anyone powerful enough for the Legion or for local authorities to try to coordinate a containment operation is either a skilled enough caster to recall out of the ward, or smart enough to carry a divine intervention scroll. So it doesn't happen often."
Hmm. That seems consistent with everything you've been told about teleportation mechanics so far. Good to know, but not immediately useful.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok. So, 100 gold for a cheap daedra, how much would you charge me to say...enchant my boot with water walking?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "I can do water walking. Those lesser soulgems of yours aren't big enough to hold a clannfear though, so how about 42 for a common soulgem, and for the enchantment itself..."
(http://i.imgur.com/aQM2eMa.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Whoa, 142 gold to summon and soultrap a daedra and 480 for a 30 second enchantment?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Of course. Any competent caster can summon and kill a daedra when it's trapped inside a ward. It's the enchanting that's the difficult part. Becoming a skilled enchanter is both an expensive and time consuming process."
That's sort of true, isn't it? Good info dump, but this is out of your price range right now.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Alright. Thanks for the explanation, but that's more than I'd like to spend."
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "I understand. Please remember me for any future enchanting needs."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I will. Thanks."
Speechcraft is now 21
Quote
Michael, how far can you see? Does the game's Fog of War restrict your vision or can you see to the horizon?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I remember seeing a sunrise back in Seyda Neen a few weeks ago, so I think there's no hard limit. But usually I'm surrounded by trees and buildings and things that obscure vision. Let me step outside and take a look."
On your way out you pass through the Imperial Cult shrine and check their inventory. Nothing from your shopping list, but they do have a large supply of various healing potions. Restore heal, fatigue, cure poison, paralysis, disease, etc.
(http://i.imgur.com/Qm9vBmS.png)
Foggy day. Visibility isn't great.
Quote
Since it's on an island and we're near a port, maybe ask if we can get a boat ride there.
Quote
+1
You leave the fortress and head outside. A few Legionnaires greet you as you pass and you respond in kind. As you leave Wolverine Hall and cross the bridge leading into Sadrith Mora, you're greeted by the morning sun rising up over the local Thieves Guild hall.
(http://i.imgur.com/gGUbRKq.png)
You defocus yours eyes and gaze at the stream of magicka pouring through you. It warms your heart, but it also reminds you that you still haven't learned to actually cast any spells yet.
Turning left into town, you notice a guard stop to eye you suspiciously as you walk past.
(http://i.imgur.com/HoVOQHO.png)
No doubt word of the Balmora massacre has reached here too.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hi."
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png): "..."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Nice day, isn't it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png): "..."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, well...I'll just be on my way."
You keep walking, pausing briefly to admire Master Neloth's fortress towering over the marketplace.
(http://i.imgur.com/mnvEV2Z.png)
(GM Comment: Congrats on background image #200)
Gazing at the structure, you idly wonder whether Telvanni towers and houses are edible. They're giant mushrooms, right? And it looks like the fog you saw earlier is either lifting, or it's not as dense inland. You can see a lot farther here than you could looking out over the water.
Glancing back, you notice the guard from before following about 30 feet behind you. When he sees you turn he stops to cross his arms as he watches you. Better not be loitering. You continue walking. As you pass the Gateway Inn you see two boats at the dock.
(http://i.imgur.com/1SXX3NM.png)
Yes, the fog is definitely thicker over the water. Visibility might be a problem. Approaching the dock, you speak to one of the ship captains.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hello, do you offer ferry services? I'd like to book passage to Tel Fyr."
He doesn't answer right away.
(http://i.imgur.com/jHzm0QW.png): "Yes, this is a ferry. But Tel Fyr is off limits except with authorization from the Council. Do you have a permit?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No. How would I go about acquiring one?"
(http://i.imgur.com/jHzm0QW.png): "You wouldn't, outlander."
(http://i.imgur.com/RCeDcX8.png)
You manage to get some prices for other destinations from him, but you're sensing a little animosity here.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Xanmyral on January 03, 2014, 08:09:08 pm
Definitely the same with our old pants too, and shirt if we care to part with them.
Post by: gman8181 on January 03, 2014, 08:22:12 pm
Anyway booted up my old save and I honestly don't know how easily we can get there. I saw more cliff racers than slaughter fish on my game although a couple of the cliff racers still attacked me even being low to the ground. Water walking might be our best bet still.
Also we should definitely learn to enchant some time. Barring glitches, I think all of my strongest characters have had Azura's star and very high enchanting skill.
I'm actually thinking we're lucky to have not run into any glitched characters yet. That can easily get far worse than any normal character regardless how how gamey they are.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 03, 2014, 08:28:30 pm
Is there a rowboat we can rent? If all else fails, stand on a plank, row with a board.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 03, 2014, 08:55:58 pm
The swiftswim+waterbreathing combo is tempting, but I doubt it's feasible. Our speed and athletics are probably so bad that we still have no hope of outrunning slaughterfish, our everything else is so bad that we have no hope of fighting them, and as mentioned it might be harder to navigate like that.
Those invisibility scrolls sound really, really nice. A full minute? Assuming we've got anything else to help us move quickly with, 60 seconds should be more than enough time to get us out of any trouble we're likely to have on this journey.
...unless we get lost.
Anyway, scrolls seem to be the way to go. My recommendation is:
-Buy one of those invis scrolls.
-Inquire about the enchanter making a scroll for us. It might be a lot cheaper than producing a full magic item. Note that we should probably save our fancy, high-class paper for a better use, and just buy a sheet of normal stuff for a gold or whatever it goes for.
-If it isn't (which since we're already here probably means checking the price first, then checking the enchanter, then possibly coming back) find someone with a scroll of water walking and a potion of levitate.
Assuming we can actually find everything we need, that'd give us four minutes of water walking, levitation, and a near-guaranteed way out if we run into trouble. Cost will likely be most of what we have, however; invis is 120, water walking is worth 125 but the vendor will hate us (unless we can get it custom-enchanted for less, which makes at least some sense), and levitate should be under 50 but again hate.
There's a lot of other possible options we have, but we do want to deal with this relatively quickly, and I'm concerned not having the invis will result in us being eaten alive by ravenous cliff racers.
We're Mage's guild. They would kill us if they could get away with it.This might be a better, cheaper option, but it won't save us from cliff racers and I suspect it'll turn out that nobody uses rowboats for the following reasons so there's none for sale or rent. Floating debris will probably be even scarcer.
Is there a rowboat we can rent? If all else fails, stand on a plank, row with a board.
...hey, you know what I just realized? If we knew any routes that took us near Tel Fyr, we could theoretically book passage and then just jump ship. Wouldn't be perfect and I don't think it's feasible in this case (especially since I'm not sure there's any canon way to know which route boat captains are teleporting you over), but in theory it's there.
Actually, just checked a map. None of those destinations make sense to pass near Tel Fyr; in fact, no destinations at all do except Tel Uvirith, the player manor for if you join House Telvanni.
So, amusing thought, but not gonna happen unless we bribe the guy to "take the scenic route." Which, given that he doesn't like us...
Post by: gman8181 on January 03, 2014, 09:00:18 pm
At least that way, regardless of how poorly our plan goes, there's a decent way out.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 03, 2014, 09:01:24 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 03, 2014, 09:05:29 pm
How long would it take us to run there from here? We might just want to steal a boat if it's really that tight... we might not have much choice at this point unfortunately.
The key is to get there before clover dies, right?
In fact, you should probably Ask the boatman about Clover. If he recognizes her, tell him her survival is at stake. If he seems sympathetic, let him know that we need to reach her to save her.
If she took the boat to get there, he must like her better than us, and if she didn't take the boat, well...
Post by: gman8181 on January 03, 2014, 09:10:04 pm
I doubt she took the boat but it could be worth a shot.
We could tell the boat person that we have information about corpus disease and we know about the corpus research going on down there and would like to share what we know with the resident wizard.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 03, 2014, 09:16:01 pm
Don't we already have one?I don't see it in our inventory, but we should. Unless that Legion battlemage just handed us some paper to make us feel better about ourselves, or something.
Aren't we on sort of a really tight time deadline as well?It doesn't look far on the map, but I have no real recollection of time. Certainly it shouldn't be more than a few minutes, especially if we're walking rather than swimming.
How long would it take us to run there from here? We might just want to steal a boat if it's really that tight... we might not have much choice at this point unfortunately.
The issue I have with stealing a boat is our complete lack of ability in anything that would enable boat-stealing. We can't threaten, we're not sneaky, nobody likes or trusts us... ability to pay a fine when we do get caught aside, I really don't see how we'd pull it off.
And then if we did, of course, there's our weak arms trying to row or our nonexistent navigational knowledge trying to steer, and cliff racers. Always cliff racers.
The key is to get there before clover dies, right?This seems unlikely to the point of being a waste to time to me. We know she's part of the mages guild (which doesn't preclude her being Telvanni as well and/or well-liked in spite of that, but it is a bad start) and is probably pretty good at being a mage. It's far more likely she flew/waterwalked/swam herself and that the boatman doesn't care and isn't going to take our word for it anyway.
In fact, you should probably Ask the boatman about Clover. If he recognizes her, tell him her survival is at stake. If he seems sympathetic, let him know that we need to reach her to save her.
If she took the boat to get there, he must like her better than us, and if she didn't take the boat, well...
I doubt she took the boat but it could be worth a shot.This might be more plausible, but again relies on him caring about corprus in the slightest and believing us. Neither's a particularly good wager in my opinion.
We could tell the boat person that we have information about corpus disease and we know about the corpus research going on down there and would like to share what we know with the resident wizard.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 03, 2014, 09:20:13 pm
Post by: LordBucket on January 03, 2014, 09:58:40 pm
Quote
divine intervention scroll
Quote
Don't we already have one?
Quote
I don't see it in our inventory, but we should. Unless that Legion battlemage just handed us
some paper to make us feel better about ourselves, or something.
Accouting error. Fixed. You used the scroll Strillian gave you in Episode 41 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4584125#msg4584125) to escape from the Ashlanders you encountered on the road after you were recall-swapped into the tomb, but then you bought a new one from Creeper in Episode 42, part 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4615393#msg4615393).
So yes, you do have a divine intervention scroll.
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 03, 2014, 10:09:26 pm
Also, how long does it take artifacts to recharge and stuff? Only enchantments I ever bothered with were permanent effect ones. :P
Another note - remember that guild hall with all the stuff in it? Was any of that stuff potentially useful to our little trip here? We'd just be borrowing it - could even lead a note, even say where we are going, because hey, that person might actually be the Nevarine as well!
And mage guild teleportation to grab the stuff is even quicker than running around time and, again, possibly very limited for time right now.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 04, 2014, 05:30:26 am
Well, either way we've still got to get ourselves some levitation before we strike out. How much would it cost for a levitation enchantment? Even like a 10 second one...I can't imagine levitation is cheaper than water walking. Could be.
I can imagine 10 seconds is less than a third of 30 seconds in cost, but remember there's magnitude to worry about with levitation as well. I have no idea how much it costs in the first place, though, so checking on this sounds like a good idea also.
Also, how long does it take artifacts to recharge and stuff? Only enchantments I ever bothered with were permanent effect ones. :PI don't remember the specifics either, but it's relatively quick. Every battle at the very least, and often reasonable to expect multiple times per battle, as I recall.
Though again, there's the possibility of mods or other shenanigans.
Another note - remember that guild hall with all the stuff in it? Was any of that stuff potentially useful to our little trip here? We'd just be borrowing it - could even lead a note, even say where we are going, because hey, that person might actually be the Nevarine as well!I'd rather not. That's another twenty gold to rifle through the belongings of what is probably a very dangerous individual hoping they've stuffed the right scroll in some random chest.
And mage guild teleportation to grab the stuff is even quicker than running around time and, again, possibly very limited for time right now.
Plus our notes haven't really been working out, and Sexy is probably the second last person we're likely to succeed with only because of Oneshot back in Balmora.
Post by: Parcae on January 04, 2014, 12:26:05 pm
Anyway, I'm going to say what I said the last time:
1. Go to the place with all the stuff
2. Steal the crap out of that stuff
3. Sell the stuff
4. Get other stuff to go where we need to go
Yes, we're taking a risk that Clover dies or becomes the Nerevarine before we get back, but we've fucked up pretty badly and everything we do is a risk at this point. There's also a chance the owner of the stuff might kill us, but that requires 1. that they're there when we are, 2. that we can't confuse them by shouting something no NPC would say ("HEY SO THURSDAY'S EPISODE OF COMMUNITY WAS PRETTY GOOD"), 3. that the game saves at the wrong time so we can't come back to life. That's better odds than anything else we can do, I think.
Post by: Xanmyral on January 04, 2014, 01:40:53 pm
Post by: Parcae on January 04, 2014, 01:45:51 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 04, 2014, 02:04:28 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on January 04, 2014, 06:16:23 pm
Hi again! Nice to see this has updated.To what end?
Anyway, I'm going to say what I said the last time:
1. Go to the place with all the stuff
2. Steal the crap out of that stuff
3. Sell the stuff
4. Get other stuff to go where we need to go
Yes, we're taking a risk that Clover dies or becomes the Nerevarine before we get back, but we've fucked up pretty badly and everything we do is a risk at this point. There's also a chance the owner of the stuff might kill us, but that requires 1. that they're there when we are, 2. that we can't confuse them by shouting something no NPC would say ("HEY SO THURSDAY'S EPISODE OF COMMUNITY WAS PRETTY GOOD"), 3. that the game saves at the wrong time so we can't come back to life. That's better odds than anything else we can do, I think.
For starters, we'd be selling that stuff for days, at the very least. We can't carry a ton, and most merchants aren't going to have the gold to buy a lot off us, mediocre Mercantile notwithstanding. Abandoning important events to go fetch loot sounds like it's going to dig us further into the hole of "no idea what's happening or how to stop it," not get us out of it.
Secondly, money's not a massive issue right now. Yes, if we had more coins than we could carry we could just buy every potion and scroll in town and just go for it. But with what we've got, getting there is fairly feasible, so as far as our immediate goals are concerned, money buys us little or nothing.
Third, your list of Things Necessary For Us To Die is pretty generous. They don't need to physically witness us doing it, they just need to realize it happened. What if someone in the Mages Guild mentions they saw us? What if a merchant we sell it to tells them who sold it to them? What if they just assume it had to have been another outlander and end up stumbling across us and making assumptions?
As for shouting non-NPC things, the odds of that working are incredibly close to flat zero. We've asked like three people if they're PCs. None of them have had the slightest clue what we're talking about. If these people are PCs, they're clearly not PCs in the traditional sense, or they're using different terminology than us, or something. "HOW ABOUT LAST WEEK'S UPDATE HUH?" would just mildly confuse them as they hacked us in twain, not befuddle them enough for us to escape or make them realize we're a kindred spirit or something. Ignoring the fact that if they did realize we were "like them," they'd probably still kill us for being jerks who stole their stuff.
And finally, we've received word that dying has consequences. Even if we can rely on it happening, we don't want to rely on it happening. That's why we're going to all this trouble figuring out how to get to Tel Fyr alive, rather than just going for it over and over again to see what happens.
Yes, but if we learn magic, we can murder them right back. Besides, I'm not sure if stealing from PCs really counts as stealing in the traditional sense.No, we can't. We already know how to use spears and light armor; that's not going to let us murder them right back, because we suck at them. Why would magic be any different?
The "become stronger than everyone else" ship has sailed, if it was ever there to begin with. We need to work with what we've got, not go grind alteration in a corner for another six months hoping that THEN we'll be able to do something.
Post by: LordBucket on January 04, 2014, 06:53:12 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 04, 2014, 07:29:39 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on January 04, 2014, 07:38:57 pm
Check on prices of scroll of water walking and potion of levitate.
Return to enchanter, inquire about prices of making us a scroll of water walking (using non-fancy paper; hopefully someone nearby sells some?) and a regular enchanted item with a weak levitation effect.
Ideally, we'd like you heading southwest towards Tel Fyr with an invisibility scroll, a method of levitation, and at least a few minutes of water walking. If you like your options on those fronts, go for it.
I'd really like to actually get moving this turn, but there's so many variables I'm not sure that's plausible. We need to know the mechanics of enchanting, how much the non-Imperial merchants intend to gouge us, and I'm still not keen on our relative lack of information about the journey. Anyone recall roughly how long it is?
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 04, 2014, 07:43:19 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 04, 2014, 07:48:05 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on January 04, 2014, 08:20:46 pm
Along with possibly price checking our fancy modern clothes/fabrics (jeans, cash) with a tailor or someone who might be interested in that.
Post by: Spitfire on January 04, 2014, 11:35:47 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on January 04, 2014, 11:38:47 pm
Wait, isn't trading in Sadrith Mora impossible for us due to not having a "Certification of Hospitality"?I think in Vanilla you're either not supposed to sleep there or not supposed to be there at all but nobody minds. I guess we haven't actually tried buying anything yet, but I'd be surprised if they loathe us too much to take our gold.
Post by: LordBucket on January 05, 2014, 06:04:14 am
Half finished now, but unlikely to finish the rest tonight.
Post by: Rabid_Cog on January 06, 2014, 10:21:54 am
Clover the Clever - Twilight. 'The Clever' is the hint.
Guard killing psycho in Balmore - Rainbow Dash seems appropriate. '30 points'.
SexyWhither - Rarity, if I was to hazard a guess. Also a caster, and collects tons of stuff.
Imare - Pinkie Pie. This is the one that tipped me off. The pink dress was a little much.
Awesomicus - Applejack I believe. Could have this one and Rainbow Dash swapped around.
Bjorn - Fluttershy.
Am I correct?
Post by: Putnam on January 06, 2014, 10:52:41 am
Post by: WillowLuman on January 06, 2014, 11:04:40 am
Post by: LordBucket on January 06, 2014, 10:34:25 pm
Quote
Ask the boatman about Clover. If he recognizes her, tell him her survival is at stake. If he seems sympathetic, let him know that we need to reach her to save her.
Quote
I doubt she took the boat but it could be worth a shot.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I don't suppose you've recently taken anyone else there? Dunmer sorceress by the name of Clover?"
(http://i.imgur.com/jHzm0QW.png): "No, and if I had I wouldn't tell you outlander."
He glances over at the guard who followed you to the dock. He's standing at a distance, watching the two of you.
(http://i.imgur.com/w30Q9v4.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/jHzm0QW.png): "Now, are you booking passage out of Sadrith Mora or are you getting off my boat?"
Quote
either way we've still got to get ourselves some levitation before we strike out.
Quote
Check on prices of scroll of water walking and potion of levitate.
Return to enchanter, inquire about prices of making us a scroll of water walking (using non-fancy paper; hopefully someone nearby sells some?) and a regular enchanted item with a weak levitation effect.
Ideally, we'd like you heading southwest towards Tel Fyr with an invisibility scroll, a method of levitation, and at least a few minutes of water walking. If you like your options on those fronts, go for it.
Quote
Support IronyOwl's plan.
Quote
^^Sure
Quote
I support Irony's plan
You turn around and walk down the plank back to land, passing the guard as you do.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hello, officer. Is there something I can help you with?"
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "..."
You stand there awkwardly for a few moments.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...ok, well, good day to you then."
You're not comfortable with this, but you're not sure what else to do. You start walking, and notice that rather than follow you, the guard boards the ship and talks to the ship captain you just spoke with. You're too far to hear what's being said, but you'd guess that he's telling the guard that you wanted to go to Tel Fyr and that you were looking for someone named Clover who you thought might have gone there too. But you pretty much dropped it when he said you couldn't go. It's not like you tried to bribe the captain into taking you anyway. Even the Telvanni wouldn't arrest you just for asking about it, would they?
Well, maybe yes, maybe no. But you'd rather not find out.
You hasten your pace while trying to not look like you're running away. Maybe if you can get to the market while the guard's busy talking you can lose him in the crowd.
(http://i.imgur.com/cqNZPs8.png)
Well, not much of a crowd to hide in. Time to get indoors.
Quote
Check on prices of scroll of water walking and potion of levitate.
You walk over to one of the merchants.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me. Could you direct me to an alchemist?"
(http://i.imgur.com/3ZH4vpg.png): "Yes, we have three in town. Threvul Serethi's shop is right over there. If you need a full alchemist Anis Seloth's shop is next to Fara's Hole in the Wall by the Council House, and Pierlette Rostorard is right on the edge of town near Wolverine Hall."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Thank you."
Well, that went pleasantly enough. Maybe it's just the guards who have a problem with you? You approach the shop she pointed out and step inside.
(http://i.imgur.com/guNLsEy.png)
It's a tiny shop, and seems to double as a house. Upon entering, Threvul looks at you nervously.
(http://i.imgur.com/As90pb6.png): "Warm wishes, officer. How may I serve you?"
Officer?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm looking for water walking or levitation potions or scrolls. Do you have any in stock?"
(http://i.imgur.com/As90pb6.png): "A thousand pardons. I do not. I specialize in healing. If you require full alchemy services, you'll need to speak with either Anis Seloth across from Fara's tavern or Pierlette Rostorard near the edge of town."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I see. Thank you for your time."
(http://i.imgur.com/As90pb6.png): "Of course, officer."
Why is he calling you officer? Does he somehow know you're a Legionnaire? You step outside and see the guard from earlier talking to the merchant who gave you directions a moment ago. On seeing you she points, and the guard nods and stands to watch you.
(http://i.imgur.com/njdVON9.png)
Ok...you think you know what's going on. Somehow the people here know you're a Legionnaire. The merchants don't seem antagonistic at all, it's just the guards. Well, and the ship captain. So presumably they see you're wandering around out of uniform and they're simply keeping tabs on you. Or maybe it's some kind of inter-service rivalry. Hopefully this isn't something you need to worry about. Obviously it can't be too much of a problem that you're in the Legion. After all, there's a Legion fort on the edge of town and you passed three Legionnaires between the Imperial cult shrine and the Thieves Guild on the way here. So they probably just see that you're out of uniform and want to know why. But that still doesn't answer how they know.
You head to Pierlette Rostorard's shop next. It's near Wolverine Hall and you'd like to go back to talk to that enchantress again anyway. Checking behind you as you go you see the guard going into the healer's shop you just left. Looks like you can safely assume that anything you say to any of the merchants, the guards will know about too. Resolving to not talk about anything possibly incriminating, you push open the door to Pierlette's shop.
(http://i.imgur.com/n81hNUj.png)
Pierlette is behind the counter and a guard stands motionless on the wall to your left. Seeing you, Threvul glances at the guard then back to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/7ZNU19v.png): "Can I help you?"
You look at the guard. He's just watching you. Shrugging, you turn back to Pierlette.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yes, I'm looking for scrolls and potions of water walking and levitation. What do you have and how much?"
Pierlette looks at you for a moment, then glances nervously at the guard.
(http://i.imgur.com/7ZNU19v.png): "You want to buy from me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "You're an alchemist, aren't you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7ZNU19v.png): "...yes?"
At that moment the door opens behind you and the guard from before steps in.
(http://i.imgur.com/0kG8Mue.png)
You turn to look at him, but he says nothing. After a moment the two guards look at each other, then one of them speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "You don't have a Hospitality Mark. I apologize Legionnaire, but I'm going to have to ask to see your papers."
Quote
isn't trading in Sadrith Mora impossible for us due to not having a "Certification of Hospitality"?
Quote
I think in Vanilla you're either not supposed to sleep there or not supposed to be there at all but nobody minds. I guess we haven't actually tried buying anything yet, but I'd be surprised if they loathe us too much to take our gold.
Damn. You didn't really think you'd need those. Apparently you do. Well, time to bluff.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm sorry...hospitality mark? What papers?"
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "Don't play innocent, Legionnaire. You of all people should know better. Are you registered or not?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm sorry, no. This is my first time in Sadrith Mora and nobody said anything registration when I arrived."
This could be bad. What are Telvanni prisons like?
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "Very well. I'm placing you under arrest for two counts of soliciting merchandise without a-"
The other guard interrupts.
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "Make that three. He tried to buy potions from Pierlette just now too."
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "...three counts of soliciting merchandise without a license. Either pay the fine now or come with me to work off your debt via hard labor."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "How much is the fine?"
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "25 gold per count, three counts. 75 gold."
...oh. Well, that's not too terrible. You count out 75 gold from your coin purse and hand it over.
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "Very well. I accept this payment. You are free to go. I strongly advise you to register with Angaredhel at the Gateway Inn before attempting to do any business in Sadrith Mora."
With that, he opens the door and exits, leaving you, Pierlette and one guard standing quietly in the shop together. The remaining guard crosses his arms and watches you, as if daring you to try to make another purchase. You sigh to yourself. 75 gold wasn't much, but it only leaves you with 322. ...actually that's probably not a problem. You turn to the remaining guard.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me, officer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I intend to get my Hospitality papers before making any purchases. I am not attempting to make a purchase now. Would it be ok...since I'm standing right here anyway...to ask how much potions will cost for when I come back later with my papers?"
He shrugs
(http://i.imgur.com/vj4DZCt.png) "Yes, I can permit that."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Thank you. Pierlette, how much for levitation and water walking potions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/7ZNU19v.png): "Standard strength, 45 gold. Same price for each."
Really? You were expecting the levitation potions to be more. And her prices are only about 15% higher than the Mage Guild. You're pretty sure you can work with this.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Alright. Thank you."
You leave and start walking back to Wolverine Hall. Fortunately they didn't seem to care that you tried to book passage to Tel Fyr, it was just about getting your papers in order. You feel like you dodged a bullet, but this brings up some possibly important questions. It seems like some people knew you were in the Legion, and some didn't. Or possibly everyone knew and some just didn't care. What was the 'hospitality mark' that the guard mentioned? Why was Pierlette so nervous about selling to you, but the healer from earlier was completely polite and didn't seem concerned at all? Did she know about whatever mark it was and the healer didn't? Or was she only nervous because a guard was watching, and you could probably do business with any merchant just so long as you don't get caught?
It would probably be better to simply get your papers rather than find out, but you don't remember off the top of your head what exactly is involved with getting the papers. the guy at the Gateway Inn issues them, but isn't there a prerequisite quest? Or was that just a sidequest issued by the same guy that wasn't required? Or for that matter, even if it was a prerequisite in the game, does it even matter here?
Setting those concerns aside for the moment, you return to the Mage Guild in Wolverine Hall and strike up a conversation with Dabienne Mornardl.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, I was just fined for trying to make a purchase from a Telvanni merchant. How come nobody told me I needed a license for that?"
She raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "You're a Legionnaire. I just assumed you'd know the law."
Does everyone know you're a Legionnaire? How?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "It never came up during training. It's obviously not an Imperial law, so I'm guessing it's just local Telvanni policy."
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Sorry. Guards come through here all the time during shift changes. Obviously you're off duty, but it wouldn't have occurred to anyone to point it out."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok. Well, the fine wasn't too terrible. Anyway, I'm still pricing things and it occurred to me: can you enchant scrolls?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Of course."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "How much? Also, we don't need a soulgem for that, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Correct. Soulgems provide replenishable charges for enchanted items, whereas scrolls are single use and the energy comes from the initial cast at time of enchanting. What do you want made?"
Quote
inquire about prices of making us a scroll of water walking (using non-fancy paper; hopefully someone nearby sells some?) and a regular enchanted item with a weak levitation effect.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "How much for a water walking scroll?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Standard circinate water walking? How does 136 gold sound?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "136? Why so much? That's four times what a potion with the same effect would cost."
Her cheeks flush red and her eyes narrow. Apparently this is a sore spot for her.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "If you want a potion, buy a potion. Tusamircil's right there."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Wait, don't get angry. I just don't understand. Why so much?"
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Because...outlander," you notice the sudden emphasis she places on that word. "enchanting is a lot more difficult than alchemy. Provided he has ingredients, an alchemist can quickly burn up a batch of a dozen potions in barely any more time than it takes to make one."
Yes, that's true. Batch size doesn't really matter, since the tools are big enough to easily make several potions at a time. Whether you make 1 or ten potions worth at a time, it's just pouring the liquid into bottles afterwards that makes it take longer.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "But as an enchanter, I have to actually cast a spell to make a scroll. You're lucky I even know water walking. An alchemist doesn't need to know anything about magic, he simply learns his ingredients and he can make anything he has ingredients for. I have to learn each spell I enchant individually, and I have to pay for learning those spells. You're paying for the privilege of having an enchanter who actually knows the spell you want enchanted, since you obviously can't cast it yourself."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, right. I'm sorry."
She continues uninterrupted, but more loudly.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Plus, unlike an alchemist who can make those dozen potions all at once and then instantly make another dozen if he wants to, I have to use my own magicka to enchant a spell, and that takes time or potions to restore. I'm only at about half right now because I've already made stock today, and if I have to burn through the other half making custom scrolls for you, that means less magicka available to me to make other stock, recall out when my shift is done, or defend myself in the event that some Balmora guard-killing psycopath decides to come through and expand her horizons."
By now everyone in the guild is watching her yell at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "FINALLY....outlander...unlike alchemy, which anyone can learn cheaply and easily - I know, I'm an alchemist - enchanting is a highly advanced esoteric art that takes a great deal of time and practice to master. You want a potion? Great, get some tools and any fledgeling backwoods ashlander with the barest of knowledge and no understanding of magic whatsoever can go pick flowers and make potions. If he makes a mistake? No problem, just go pick more flowers and try again. Me? I have to conjure up daedra to do my practicing. DAEDRA, outlander. Spellcasting, sword-weilding, daedra from Oblivion who will EAT ME AND STEAL MY SOUL if I make a mistake."
She has a finger up at your chest and is physically pushing you backwards.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "So if you want a custom enchantment, I don't care if it's your boots, a scroll or your panties...you're GOING TO PAY FOR IT. You're going to pay for my expertise. You're going to pay for my training time and risk. You're going to pay for spell learning costs. You're going to pay opportunity costs of my finite magicka pool. You're going to pay for all of that."
By now she has you up against the table in the middle of the room. Everyone in the room is watching silently.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Now are you going to buy something or are you just wasting my time?"
Quote
inquire about prices of making
and a regular enchanted item with a weak levitation effect.
This probably isn't the best time to be asking for another price quote. But if you understand everything that's been said so far, at the very minimum it would be 142 to procure a daedra soul, plus whatever enchanting costs turn out to be. The 480 quote was for a 30 second duration enchantment. Presumably shorter duration would be less expensive, but how much less you're not sure. Even if it's half price for half duration...unlikely since that would mean a 1 second duration would be almost free...15 seconds isn't very long. You wouldn't want to have it wear off 50 feet off the ground.
Maybe you'd be better off waiting for further price quotes until you're talking to an enchanter who isn't angrily trying to justify her profession to you.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: LordBucket on January 06, 2014, 10:44:05 pm
Wait, isn't trading in Sadrith Mora impossible for us due to not having a "Certification of Hospitality"?I think in Vanilla you're either not supposed to sleep there or not supposed to be there at all but nobody minds.
GM Comment: I realize it was some time ago, but Nalcarya did warn you about this in Episode 26, part 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344887#msg4344887):
(http://i.imgur.com/ttq9Sg4.png): "Argonians can be purchased for very reasonable prices in Sadrith Mora. Just be sure to have your hospitality papers in order before doing business there. The Telvanni are rather particular about that kind of thing."
Post by: Xanmyral on January 06, 2014, 11:09:50 pm
Apologize and excuse self from angry enchantress, with as little awkwardness as you can muster.
I got no idea how they know we're Legion. It's not like we got a floating sign above our head or something. Maybe they're just assuming because we look Imperial? Or does word spread rather quickly?
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 12:16:30 am
Post by: Xanmyral on January 07, 2014, 01:24:21 am
Post by: IronyOwl on January 07, 2014, 03:07:48 am
I got no idea how they know we're Legion. It's not like we got a floating sign above our head or something. Maybe they're just assuming because we look Imperial? Or does word spread rather quickly?If I had to guess, and I do, they can sense Factions or Professions of some kind somehow. We were placed on "detached duty" from the Legion, which I presume means we're still part of it, just not on duty as usual.
Could also be limited to soldiers, guards, or other official things like that. Might be a nice way to prevent anyone wearing Bonemold or a set of Legion armor being mistaken for a guard, for instance.
Unless Awesomicus has already done it, getting those papers requires excorcising a ghost that's being summoned by an angry Kahjiit. IIRC.Dark Elf, and I'm not sure if you actually need to do that to get the papers. The same guy gives both the quest and the papers, seemed like they were separate, but I don't recall actually asking about it until I'd done the quest.
Speaking of which, I took a look at the trip from Sadrith Mora to Tel Fyr in-game.
We are fucked.
There's far more than one island in the way, and they're steep. I think the low, marshmerrow-laden island I was remembering was actually the one Tel Fyr itself is sitting on; the rest are volcanic-looking messes. I don't know how we're possibly going to get across there.
The only good news is that the cliff racers seemed to have a habit of getting stuck in there and there didn't seem to be too many slaughterfish.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 03:10:58 am
Post by: Xanmyral on January 07, 2014, 03:36:56 am
Post by: hostergaard on January 07, 2014, 06:13:34 am
- Ash Yam
- Netch Leather
- Roobrush
- Wickwheat
- Kresh Fiber
- Stoneflower Petals
They are all the 1 gp ingredients we have not currently sampled. If we are lucky we get either, levitation, waterwalking or breathing in one of the other.
If that fails you could start experimenting with the cheap one gp ingredients, I think there is 24 of them.
Buy or collect Violet Coprinus so you have at least 23 of them. Then buy or collect so you have one of each of all the 1 gp ingredients you can get your hands on. Then combine one Violet Coprinus and one gp potions at a time and test the resulting potion carefully by walking on water (and maybe some other test to check for other effects, like levitation and whatnot). Continue until you find a successful combination and note what ingredient that produced it
It should cost at most 46 in raw materials not counting what we have and what we can find. With a little luck we might discover some other effects.
Also, look into joining house Telvanni, because why not? They got magic and shit. Unless there is some reprecussion that I have forgotten about.
Oh and:
Maybe buy any 2 gp ingredients you can't find for free and sample those too, they aren't that expensive
Edit:
Apologize to the lady, you did not intend to question the worth of her skill, its just that you are somewhat new to the whole enchanting/alchemy business and the the price difference confused you. Thank her for illuminating you on the topic.
Edit2:
Hey, maybe we can get her to teach us a little for free? Ask her to elaborate on enchanting, she seems to take pride in it.
Lovely to see this LP active again!
Post by: Putnam on January 07, 2014, 10:28:11 am
Also, look into joining house Telvanni, because why not? They got magic and shit. Unless there is some reprecussion that I have forgotten about.
Gigantic relationship hit with the Mages' Guild.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 11:45:59 am
Also, look into joining house Telvanni, because why not? They got magic and shit. Unless there is some reprecussion that I have forgotten about.
Gigantic relationship hit with the Mages' Guild.
Not to mention extremely deadly politics. If you manage to learn any remotely powerful magic, you'll become a goon to someone, and a threat to someone else, and thus likely dead. Even more so if you become powerful enough to ascend the ranks at all. Telvanni are not nice.
Post by: MonkeyHead on January 07, 2014, 01:05:51 pm
Post by: gman8181 on January 07, 2014, 01:26:02 pm
Also, look into joining house Telvanni, because why not? They got magic and shit. Unless there is some reprecussion that I have forgotten about.
Gigantic relationship hit with the Mages' Guild.
Not to mention extremely deadly politics. If you manage to learn any remotely powerful magic, you'll become a goon to someone, and a threat to someone else, and thus likely dead. Even more so if you become powerful enough to ascend the ranks at all. Telvanni are not nice.
Yeah but they're fun!!! My favorite house by far because you can just murder your way around. We'll just kiss someone's butt while we're weak and then when we get stronger... well you know. Also, just about anything the mages guild can do, House Telvanni can do as well. AND we'll get a mushroom tower! Who doesn't want a mushroom tower?!?
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 01:46:26 pm
Aside from the ethics of murdering our way to the top, you have to consider the people we'd need to eliminate, IE some of the toughest customers on all of Vvardenfell, if not all of Tamriel.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 07, 2014, 04:30:24 pm
I can't help but notice that we already got water walking, water breathing and levitation in our list over know alchemy ingredients. With a little luck we might get another one so I suggest We talk a walk around the island to sample local ingredients and after that (and after we bought the necessary papers) look around the relevant shops and see if you can find the following ingredients to sample:I'm going to have to advise against this, for a very simple reason:
- Ash Yam
- Netch Leather
- Roobrush
- Wickwheat
- Kresh Fiber
- Stoneflower Petals
They are all the 1 gp ingredients we have not currently sampled. If we are lucky we get either, levitation, waterwalking or breathing in one of the other.
If that fails you could start experimenting with the cheap one gp ingredients, I think there is 24 of them.
Buy or collect Violet Coprinus so you have at least 23 of them. Then buy or collect so you have one of each of all the 1 gp ingredients you can get your hands on. Then combine one Violet Coprinus and one gp potions at a time and test the resulting potion carefully by walking on water (and maybe some other test to check for other effects, like levitation and whatnot). Continue until you find a successful combination and note what ingredient that produced it
It should cost at most 46 in raw materials not counting what we have and what we can find. With a little luck we might discover some other effects.
Our alchemy sucks.
I've been playing Morrowind recently, and usual disclaimers about things working differently here aside, even with a vaguely decent alchemy skill my potions were abysmal. Michael's is seven, meaning anything he makes is going to benefit him for a far shorter period of time than it takes to achieve it. Nevermind the chances of failing in making it, assuming that's in.
Also, look into joining house Telvanni, because why not? They got magic and shit. Unless there is some reprecussion that I have forgotten about.Bear in mind we were attempting to get to Tel Fyr before Clover did to stop her from dying, confirm who the Nereverine was, gain more insight into Clover, the Nereverine, and/or our condition and status, and/or generally figure out what the hell is going on. Now is really not the time to be sampling mushrooms and chatting up Mouths if we're still going for that.
Oh and:
Maybe buy any 2 gp ingredients you can't find for free and sample those too, they aren't that expensive
Edit:
Apologize to the lady, you did not intend to question the worth of her skill, its just that you are somewhat new to the whole enchanting/alchemy business and the the price difference confused you. Thank her for illuminating you on the topic.
Edit2:
Hey, maybe we can get her to teach us a little for free? Ask her to elaborate on enchanting, she seems to take pride in it.
Lovely to see this LP active again!
That all being said, I'm starting to question the feasibility of this journey. Did we ever confirm whether Clover's gone this way? I know we asked the boat captain, but did we check in with the Guild Guide? If so, she'll probably be gone before we even get there, and this quest is more of a post-mortem examination and attempt to gain the insight of a powerful wizard. If not, there's still time assuming we can actually pull it off, which I'm starting to get dubious of.
The possibility of joining House Telvani shall not be on the table until we are already somewhat powerful. Of all the Great Houses, Telvanni has the nastiest people. Redoran may be racist, Hlaalu may be corrupt, but Telvanni has forces beyond our mortal reconning at the hands of extremely vindictive and occasionally loony sorcerers.Plus this. Every time someone mentions how awesome we could be if we did X, I wonder if they've checked our stats lately.
Aside from the ethics of murdering our way to the top, you have to consider the people we'd need to eliminate, IE some of the toughest customers on all of Vvardenfell, if not all of Tamriel.
A starting character in vanilla Morrowind can generally expect to have 50 in a really good attribute, 40 in a decent or good one, and 30 will usually be their lowest. For skills, they're looking at 5 for anything they've never touched, 10 for anything they've never touched but is inside their specialty, 15-20 for most minor skills, and 30-40 for most major ones.
Meanwhile, our attributes are:
Quote
27.0 Strength (20)So decent stats for a low-level mage who's unusually lucky and appears to be branching off into battlemage for some reason. Except we don't actually know any magic, which means we're basically a likeable mook.
34.9 Speed (30)
36.9 Agility (30)
39.9 Endurance (30)
42.4 Intelligence (40)
40.0 Willpower (40)
44.4 Personality (40)
56.0 Luck (50)
Meanwhile our skills are:
Quote
30 Acrobatics (0)Our Acrobatics actually look like a heavily favored minor or not very favored major skill. Our Athletics is pretty good compared to a fresh starting character who didn't specialize in it or started it as a Minor with no racial/profession bonuses, our Speechcraft and Light Armor could pass for minor skills or major skills that fall completely outside the character's racial or professional focus, our hand to hand might be a skill we got a bonus to from being a warrior or just something we leveled up from punching mudcrabs for a bit, and pretty much everything else looks an awful lot like it started at 5 and then we decided to take a few swings with an iron shortsword we found at a passing kwama forager, before giving up and using our real method to kill things.
22 Athletics (5)
7 Armorer (0)
6 Block (0)
7 Heavy Armor (0)
5 Medium Armor (0)
21 Light armor (0)
9 Unarmored (0)
5 Blunt Weapon
12 Hand to Hand
5 Longblade
6 Shortblade
8 Spear
7 Alchemy (0)
5 Enchanting (0)
21 Speechcraft (10)
11 Mercantile (0)
In short, our attributes didn't lie: We are a mook. We're an awful mook, who from both numbers and experience should have difficulty killing things any respectable "adventurer," "guard," or really even just wandering merchant who dares to leave a city should consider no more than a nuisance.
So now I ask you: How well would you guess the above individual would fare in a house full of ambitious thousand-year-old wizards? Because "get his own mushroom tower and murder anyone in his way" is not high on my list. "Be killed out of hand and no one cares in the slightest" seems far more likely to me.
Post by: gman8181 on January 07, 2014, 04:38:59 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on January 07, 2014, 04:42:10 pm
Oh, I agree it shouldn't be something we do now. It's just that if we ever do considering joining a great house, I'd go for that one.Well... that sort of goes without saying in general. I'm not sure how well it actually fits Michael; he might be better-suited to a cushy Hlaalu position.
But yes, Telvanni is always the default answer, at the very least.
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 07, 2014, 04:45:15 pm
I think it's about time we try to make clear to the people here that were are looking for her and trying to save her life.
We don't have time for this if we're actually going to succeed at intercepting her - hell, we are probably too late. Our only real chance of arriving in time to save her is if the people here in the mages guild actually help us, so do everything we can to convince them to aid us in our journey, whether it involves giving us stuff or discounts or just letting us pay back the difference later.
If nothing else, find out if anyone here in the mages guild has a better idea than we can clearly come up with about how to get where we are going.
We need to stop treating our fellow mages like shopkeepers and start treating them like peers and associates. Maybe, hopefully, at least one of them likes Clover and might be willing to stick their neck out for us.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 07, 2014, 04:58:30 pm
We need to stop treating our fellow mages like shopkeepers and start treating them like peers and associates. Maybe, hopefully, at least one of them likes Clover and might be willing to stick their neck out for us.Maybe, but remember that we don't know them that well, we're not very useful, and our story sounds crazy. Also Clover likely has been treating them like shopkeepers, so they might not be the best of friends with her either.
Plus, in theory we have access to everything we need- levitation and water walking potions. Other than letting us know if Clover's been through this way or giving us the aforementioned for free/a discount, I'm not sure how they're going to help us. Most are probably "on duty" and thus can't wander off with us even if they were inclined to.
As an aside for the moment, I am in favor of trying to build actual, functional relationships with somebody at some point in the future. At the moment that legion battlemage and Caius are the only people we've interacted with in more than a passing manner. Well, plus some Legionnaires.
EDIT: Oh, that reminds me.
I believe Michael at one point mentioned that it made sense that someone couldn't see his statsheet, since he couldn't either. But we can, which implies that we have more precise information than Michael does about things he should have at least an intuitive grasp on.
This doesn't seem immediately useful, but it does sound significant and I wanted to mention it before I forgot about it again.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 05:23:42 pm
In complete honesty, say that her life is at risk, and if necessary, say that it's a matter of national security. Both are entirely true.
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 07, 2014, 05:56:32 pm
Its a long trip, and I dont think some potions and scrolls will see us through.
We need to build a rescue party.
If the mages guild doesnt provide enough help, see if we can get any from the legion. Try to remember anything useful we might know or have that might make either event more likely.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 05:58:19 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 07, 2014, 06:00:04 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 06:01:50 pm
Post by: Parcae on January 07, 2014, 06:36:09 pm
*crickets*
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 06:41:45 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on January 07, 2014, 06:44:05 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 07:02:11 pm
If it's a rowboat (2 oars), you hold an oar in each hand and pump your arms, moving the boat forward on the push and preparing the next stroke on the pull (forward facing rowing.) To turn, row only the oar on the side you wish to turn towards. You sit facing forward, if you're doing this on your own.
It it's a paddleboat (1 paddle), you literally pull the boat through the water using broom-like motions with the paddle, alternating sides of the boat. To turn, paddle repeatedly on one side. You should be in a kneeling position.
You can also push off the bottom with a long pole, but that's best done from a standing position, which requires practice on the water, and it's probably too deep here.
Michael, can you hear these boating instructions?
Post by: joemoben on January 07, 2014, 07:22:01 pm
Warning: Massive amounts of lore on the Oblivion crisis in this spoiler.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Any additional corrections or info here would be greatly appreciated.
Also, I apologize to anyone who is willing to read the above wall of text.
Edit: I would also suggest to Caius that he gets out some paper to write on.
Edit2: So no giving specific names for killing,but still allowing for additional defenses to be put in place may work.
Edit3: So I'm now going to go with referring to the mythic dawn as a cult, as that would decrease the likely-hood of Mankar being taken out before the hero gets rid of him. Possibly not even refer to Dagon as Dagon, merely as a Daedric Lord to reduce the chances of the blades learning about who will perpetrate the crisis beforehand.
Post by: Putnam on January 07, 2014, 07:30:42 pm
Wulf (I.E Talos himself) thinks so and without the crisis, the Champion of Cyrodiil will probably never get out of prison, leading to him/her never defeating Umaril and never becoming Sheogorath.
Plus, preventing the Mythic Dawn and Camoran from doing it just means something likely bloodier. Remember, Camoran used the Mysterium Xarxes to create his own pocket realm in Oblivion, which is powerful enough for him to count as one of the AE people go to when they die. He is also well aware of CHIM and hopes to achieve it. If the Oblivion Crisis doesn't happen, something much worse likely would.
Post by: joemoben on January 07, 2014, 07:43:37 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2014, 09:13:18 pm
Post by: hostergaard on January 08, 2014, 02:42:09 am
I'm going to have to advise against this, for a very simple reason:
Our alchemy sucks.
Yup, but the best way to fix that is to train it. And what we do not have in quality we can make up in quantity. We can make a lot of potions for the cost of buying them outright. And this has the added bonus of expanding our knowledge of alchemy effects.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 08, 2014, 02:44:04 am
Post by: IronyOwl on January 08, 2014, 05:52:19 am
Sadly, I can imagine the Legion not having any rowboats on hand. Maybe they only use larger vessels for transport.
Yup, but the best way to fix that is to train it. And what we do not have in quality we can make up in quantity. We can make a lot of potions for the cost of buying them outright. And this has the added bonus of expanding our knowledge of alchemy effects.I doubt it. We have what, 300 gold? Assuming we get every ingredient for its 1 gold value and succeed on every potion, that's 150 potions. If we get 10 points per potion, that's 15 levelups, bringing us to 21 skill total. That's still not going to be useful alchemy levels.
And that is, I think, a completely unrealistically optimistic scenario. We might get more than 10 skill a potion, especially this early on, and we might be modded so that potions never fail. But getting every single ingredient for 1 gold apiece sounds unlikely, being able to combine every ingredient we get is highly unlikely, and even finding all 300 ingredients in one place sounds kind of unlikely, so we're probably looking at travel costs on top of all that. Realistically, we might end up with as few as 4-5 levelups from that.
Personally, with the way the economy seems to work, I don't think Alchemy is going to be a useful skill for us until we either:
-Discover we have some awesome alchemical combination that nobody else does
-Can survive in the wilds long enough to harvest our own ingredients
Anything else, and the "fatigue potions are worth nothing because anyone can make them" thing kicks in and we're basically trying to compete with someone better than us for value per gold.
Post by: hostergaard on January 08, 2014, 06:42:11 am
I doubt it. We have what, 300 gold? Assuming we get every ingredient for its 1 gold value and succeed on every potion, that's 150 potions. If we get 10 points per potion, that's 15 levelups, bringing us to 21 skill total. That's still not going to be useful alchemy levels.
And that is, I think, a completely unrealistically optimistic scenario. We might get more than 10 skill a potion, especially this early on, and we might be modded so that potions never fail. But getting every single ingredient for 1 gold apiece sounds unlikely, being able to combine every ingredient we get is highly unlikely, and even finding all 300 ingredients in one place sounds kind of unlikely, so we're probably looking at travel costs on top of all that. Realistically, we might end up with as few as 4-5 levelups from that.
Personally, with the way the economy seems to work, I don't think Alchemy is going to be a useful skill for us until we either:
-Discover we have some awesome alchemical combination that nobody else does
-Can survive in the wilds long enough to harvest our own ingredients
Anything else, and the "fatigue potions are worth nothing because anyone can make them" thing kicks in and we're basically trying to compete with someone better than us for value per gold.
The mage guild quoted us 38 gold for a 15 second water walking potion. We got one ingredient at 1 gold for water-walking. With a little luck there should be another 1 gp ingredient with water-walking. After finding this ingredient we could make 19 potions of waterwalking at 1 gp per ingredient for the price of one bottle of waterwalking.
So even if we assume we get the absolute worst possible duration of 1 sec (I believe that is the lowest it can go) that is still 4 seconds more of waterwalking for 38 gp. And that is only at lowest possible skill, which will improve as we make the potions as an added benefit.
So as long as the cost is only 1 gp each for two ingredients it is cheaper to make them yourself (unless there is a failure rate involved) rather than buying them. As for the rarity, Violet Coprinus is not particularly rare and neither is the other one gold ingredients. It should not be that difficult to find what we need.
Unless we can't find a boat in this waterfront fort, we don't have time to brew.
That might true, although since they haven't seen anyone else either there is a chance that we have plenty of time.
At the very least we should have time to get the ingredients I listed and sample them for a complete 1 gp list.
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 08, 2014, 09:26:44 am
Post by: Parcae on January 08, 2014, 11:09:15 am
Post by: joemoben on January 08, 2014, 05:54:22 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on January 08, 2014, 06:22:39 pm
The mage guild quoted us 38 gold for a 15 second water walking potion. We got one ingredient at 1 gold for water-walking. With a little luck there should be another 1 gp ingredient with water-walking. After finding this ingredient we could make 19 potions of waterwalking at 1 gp per ingredient for the price of one bottle of waterwalking.Fair enough if:
So even if we assume we get the absolute worst possible duration of 1 sec (I believe that is the lowest it can go) that is still 4 seconds more of waterwalking for 38 gp. And that is only at lowest possible skill, which will improve as we make the potions as an added benefit.
So as long as the cost is only 1 gp each for two ingredients it is cheaper to make them yourself (unless there is a failure rate involved) rather than buying them. As for the rarity, Violet Coprinus is not particularly rare and neither is the other one gold ingredients. It should not be that difficult to find what we need.
-We know or can assume potions have no failure rate, or such a negligible failure rate as to maintain that sort of paper-thin profit margin
-We know or can assume that there's at least 20 of the ingredient(s) we need right on hand; remember that alchemy effects are different for us than in Vanilla, so there's no guarantee another 1 gp Water Walking ingredient even exists on Vvardenfell, much less Sadrith Mora
-We know or can assume that, even buying in bulk and possibly from unfriendly merchants, we can acquire these 1 gp ingredients for no more than their value of 1 gp apiece
-We know or can assume that time isn't an issue, either in general or with the time it will take us to collect and combine these ingredients
-We know or can assume that the volume and bottle limits aren't going to be an issue. Remember that we can't make our own bottles, meaning we need to buy as many as we want simultaneous potions of, and then can't ditch the bottles without losing our value. That means not only would we have to run with an armful of potions, we'd have to be able to put them away as we emptied each one.
If any of these fail, this becomes another waste of time, and possibly money, at a time when we're strapped for both.
What makes you say that?Unless we can't find a boat in this waterfront fort, we don't have time to brew.
That might true, although since they haven't seen anyone else either there is a chance that we have plenty of time.
At the very least we should have time to get the ingredients I listed and sample them for a complete 1 gp list.
Dont we still not have any alchemical equipment though? I thought that was a problem. If nothing else I do agree that as a standing order we should do some alchemy every day (remember we can only make so many potions per day!) just to increase our skillsOh, this too. The last time we tried to alchemy it was using Sexy's stuff in the Ald'Ruhn Mages Guild, prior to being recall-swapped into a dungeon.
I don't recall there being a potions-per-day limit, though. In fact, I remember Michael mentioning that he can apparently pee at will now.
Post by: hostergaard on January 09, 2014, 02:37:41 pm
-We know or can assume potions have no failure rate, or such a negligible failure rate as to maintain that sort of paper-thin profit margin
Actually, the profit margin is calculated based on a theoretical minimum duration length. I was bored so I decided to calculate the duration length we would get with our current skill levels according to this formula. (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Alchemy) Taking the most pessimistic approach that you insist on I calculated that without taking eventual skillgains and using only the worst and minimal amount of apartus, only a Apprentice's Mortar and Pestle, we would make a potion with a duration of 4.023846 seconds. Four times the assumed theoretical worst. With that we would only need to make 4 potions costing us 8 gold in ingredients.
But the failure rate is a valid problem so lets take it into account. In Episode 42, part 2: The Source of Magic (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4615393#msg4615393) when we went from 0 to 7 we failed 6 out of 10 times. Lets continue the pessimistic tone and round it up and say we only succeeded one quarter of the time, with a potion duration of 4 we still maintain the "paper-thin profit margin" calculated in the original post despite taking a very high failure rate into consideration. Remember, this failure rate is from going from 0 to 7, our failure rate is gonna be lower since we start from a higher skill level and gain skill while making the potions.
And what is more is that this is only taking the absolute worst equipment into account. With grandmaster variant of both calcinator and mortar and pestle we would get a 22.09538 duration potion, far in excess of what we could buy. And as luck would have it Anis Seloth (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Anis_Seloth) have those.
Of course, I don't know if those are placed somewhere we can use them, but this list (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Alchemy_Apparatus) show that there is plenty of other options, like one grandmaster mortar and pestle in Tel Naga Upper Hall (potion duration 16.09538). In fact the worst option available to us in Sadrith Mora is Journeyman variant of both calcinator and mortar and pestle which would net us potions with a duration of 11.04769.
-We know or can assume that there's at least 20 of the ingredient(s) we need right on hand; remember that alchemy effects are different for us than in Vanilla, so there's no guarantee another 1 gp Water Walking ingredient even exists on Vvardenfell, much less Sadrith Mora
Violet Coprinus we have 11 already and Anis Seloth stocks and restock another 10. Furthermore according to this list (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Violet_Coprinus) 7 more can be found on growing as plants.
28 should be more than what we need.
As for if there is another water walking, given the number of 1 gold ingredients and effects there is a very good chance there is another 1 gold ingredient with water walking.
-We know or can assume that, even buying in bulk and possibly from unfriendly merchants, we can acquire these 1 gp ingredients for no more than their value of 1 gp apiece
It just so happen to be that Sadrith Mora is one of the most well stocked city in terms of alchemy.
Of the ingredients I listed
- Anis Seloth stock and restock 10 Wickwheat
- Pierlette Rostorard (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Pierlette_Rostorard) stock and restock 5 Roobrush, 10 Kresh Fiber and 5 Stoneflower Petals
- Aunius Autrus (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Aunius_Autrus) stock and restock 10 Ash Yam.
So we have enough to eat directly and and a little experimentation. Ingredients can also be found on bushes or laying around, but I can't be bothered to link them all.
-We know or can assume that time isn't an issue, either in general or with the time it will take us to collect and combine these ingredients
We have already been spelunking about the city and plan to do that some more anyway, buying the items won't ad much to the time. Our other alchemy attempts have not been shown to take any significant amount as far as I remember.
-We know or can assume that the volume and bottle limits aren't going to be an issue. Remember that we can't make our own bottles, meaning we need to buy as many as we want simultaneous potions of, and then can't ditch the bottles without losing our value. That means not only would we have to run with an armful of potions, we'd have to be able to put them away as we emptied each one.
Even in worst case its only 4 bottles for one of the other bottles, and we are already carrying 8. But now that we know magic we should be able to make our own. Or at least be taught it, such a simple spell should be really cheap. Or if that is not possible lets get a simple and cheap fire spell like fireball so we can make our own bottles.
If any of these fail, this becomes another waste of time, and possibly money, at a time when we're strapped for both.
No, even if we assume the absolute worst results we still get alchemy knowledge and skill. Money we can get more of, especially with alchemy, and time we have is unknown.
What makes you say that?Unless we can't find a boat in this waterfront fort, we don't have time to brew.
That might true, although since they haven't seen anyone else either there is a chance that we have plenty of time.
At the very least we should have time to get the ingredients I listed and sample them for a complete 1 gp list.
That nobody we asked so far claimed to have seen anyone and thus nobody might have gone to Tell Fyr yet? And that we have already been walking about for a while? Of course, I do not know for sure how long the alchemy takes, in game its instant, so I guess its up to how much LordBucket decides to fluff it.
Dont we still not have any alchemical equipment though? I thought that was a problem. If nothing else I do agree that as a standing order we should do some alchemy every day (remember we can only make so many potions per day!) just to increase our skillsOh, this too. The last time we tried to alchemy it was using Sexy's stuff in the Ald'Ruhn Mages Guild, prior to being recall-swapped into a dungeon.
While I don't know for sure, I seem to remember that you can go anywhere as long as it is not locked legally and that might be true for using equipment standing about.
But how about a compromise since it is possible that we may be pressed for time; lets sample the cheap ingredients we can quickly find or buy. If we get a useful reaction we use alchemy, if not find some other option.
Maybe get a cheap summoning spell? Summoned creatures should not be as bad at combat as we are.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 09, 2014, 05:09:16 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on January 09, 2014, 07:41:39 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on January 09, 2014, 09:22:29 pm
This isn't what I got. I got a minimum duration of ~2.8066 seconds. Still better than 1 second, but a noteworthy difference.-We know or can assume potions have no failure rate, or such a negligible failure rate as to maintain that sort of paper-thin profit margin
Actually, the profit margin is calculated based on a theoretical minimum duration length. I was bored so I decided to calculate the duration length we would get with our current skill levels according to this formula. (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Alchemy) Taking the most pessimistic approach that you insist on I calculated that without taking eventual skillgains and using only the worst and minimal amount of apartus, only a Apprentice's Mortar and Pestle, we would make a potion with a duration of 4.023846 seconds. Four times the assumed theoretical worst. With that we would only need to make 4 potions costing us 8 gold in ingredients.
Quote from: Base Formulae
BasePotionStrength = (Alchemy/EffectBaseCost + Luck/(EffectBaseCost * 10) + Intelligence/(EffectBaseCost *10)) * MortarQuality / 3
BasePotionDuration = BasePotionStrength * 3
Quote from: Plugin Michael's Int, Luck, and Alchemy
BasePotionStrength = (7/EffectBaseCost + 56.0/(EffectBaseCost * 10) + 42.4/(EffectBaseCost *10)) * MortarQuality / 3
BasePotionDuration = BasePotionStrength * 3
Quote from: Plugin Base Effect Cost and Mortar Quality
BasePotionStrength = (7/3 + 56.0/(3 * 10) + 42.4/(3 *10)) * 0.5 / 3
BasePotionDuration = BasePotionStrength * 3
Quote from: First Pass
BasePotionStrength = (2.3333 + 56.0/30 + 42.4/30) * 0.1666
BasePotionDuration = BasePotionStrength * 3
Quote from: Second Pass
BasePotionStrength = (2.3333 + 1.8666 + 1.4133) * 0.1666
BasePotionDuration = BasePotionStrength * 3
Quote from: Addition
BasePotionStrength = (5.6132) * 0.1666
BasePotionDuration = BasePotionStrength * 3
Quote from: Final Calcs
BasePotionStrength = 0.9351
BasePotionDuration = 0.9351 * 3
Quote from: Final Answer
BasePotionDuration = 2.8055...which hopefully differs from the answer I gave above because I hit the wrong keys in typing it out the first time.
Accounting for the fact that we need all four pieces of equipment, I believe we round to 3 seconds and add CalcinatorQuality + (RetortQuality * 2), so at worst case 1.5 for 4.5 seconds total.
So actually better than expected by my calculations, but only on raw power.
But the failure rate is a valid problem so lets take it into account. In Episode 42, part 2: The Source of Magic (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4615393#msg4615393) when we went from 0 to 7 we failed 6 out of 10 times. Lets continue the pessimistic tone and round it up and say we only succeeded one quarter of the time, with a potion duration of 4 we still maintain the "paper-thin profit margin" calculated in the original post despite taking a very high failure rate into consideration. Remember, this failure rate is from going from 0 to 7, our failure rate is gonna be lower since we start from a higher skill level and gain skill while making the potions.Remember though, we need all four pieces in this one. That seems to raise the odds that anywhere we'll find one we'll find all of them, at least in frequent use, but it means a mortal and pestle doesn't help us any more than a lone alembic does. Unless you've got a good estimate on a full unattended set (or in the possession of people friendly enough to let us use them for free instead of buying things from them directly), just having a lot of alchemical gear in the city doesn't help us.
And what is more is that this is only taking the absolute worst equipment into account. With grandmaster variant of both calcinator and mortar and pestle we would get a 22.09538 duration potion, far in excess of what we could buy. And as luck would have it Anis Seloth (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Anis_Seloth) have those.
Of course, I don't know if those are placed somewhere we can use them, but this list (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Alchemy_Apparatus) show that there is plenty of other options, like one grandmaster mortar and pestle in Tel Naga Upper Hall (potion duration 16.09538). In fact the worst option available to us in Sadrith Mora is Journeyman variant of both calcinator and mortar and pestle which would net us potions with a duration of 11.04769.
Also, remember that the world is somewhat dynamic. Just because it's there in the default game doesn't mean we can rely completely on it being there for us.
What makes you say that?-We know or can assume that there's at least 20 of the ingredient(s) we need right on hand; remember that alchemy effects are different for us than in Vanilla, so there's no guarantee another 1 gp Water Walking ingredient even exists on Vvardenfell, much less Sadrith MoraAs for if there is another water walking, given the number of 1 gold ingredients and effects there is a very good chance there is another 1 gold ingredient with water walking.
Below you list 5 ingredients for persistent, reliable sale. Let's assume there's 5 more lying about in easy reach. That's 10 chances of Water Walking at four shots apiece, which we'll simplify to just say 40 chances. How many spell effects are there, again? And at least in Vanilla, it's not like they're randomly distributed- messing with fatigue or draining agility is a lot more common than paralysis or levitation.
And yes, we can throw in their non-regenerating stock- it might even be regenerating stock in this version- but then potentially we're losing our ability to try more than once or twice, and the same issues regarding bread's likelihood of making us walk on water remain.
You misunderstand.-We know or can assume that, even buying in bulk and possibly from unfriendly merchants, we can acquire these 1 gp ingredients for no more than their value of 1 gp apiece
It just so happen to be that Sadrith Mora is one of the most well stocked city in terms of alchemy.
Of the ingredients I listed
- Anis Seloth stock and restock 10 Wickwheat
- Pierlette Rostorard (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Pierlette_Rostorard) stock and restock 5 Roobrush, 10 Kresh Fiber and 5 Stoneflower Petals
- Aunius Autrus (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Aunius_Autrus) stock and restock 10 Ash Yam.
So we have enough to eat directly and and a little experimentation. Ingredients can also be found on bushes or laying around, but I can't be bothered to link them all.
Supposing we walk up to Anis Seloth and ask for her 10 Wickwheat. She says great, that'll be 14 gold. We say, but, they're only worth one gold apiece! She responds the same way she would if we pointed out the same for her potions, which is probably apathy or offense.
Now... we could try buying them one at a time, relying on our Mercantile being good enough that, if she has to choose, she's willing to sell us stuff for 100% value rather than 200%, but that'd probably annoy her. So your estimates based on 1 gp reagents may turn into 1.3 or 1.5 gp reagents instead, which can have a rather significant impact on those calculations.
-We know or can assume that time isn't an issue, either in general or with the time it will take us to collect and combine these ingredients
We have already been spelunking about the city and plan to do that some more anyway, buying the items won't ad much to the time. Our other alchemy attempts have not been shown to take any significant amount as far as I remember.
Yeah, but that's a bad thing. It's not like faffing about gives us more time to faff about or justifies further faffing about, it's just that we don't think we can physically get there without further faffing... and that some of us are scatterbrained or not entirely on board for this particular project. To the extent that this plan lets us get to Tel Fyr alive and in a timely manner, great. To the extent that this plan lets us take a break from doing what we were supposed to be doing to grind alchemy, no, bad, bad consciousness, off the table. We can grind alchemy any time; meeting the Nerevarine and talking to the greatest wizard on the continent need to happen now.If any of these fail, this becomes another waste of time, and possibly money, at a time when we're strapped for both.
No, even if we assume the absolute worst results we still get alchemy knowledge and skill. Money we can get more of, especially with alchemy, and time we have is unknown.
-We know or can assume that the volume and bottle limits aren't going to be an issue. Remember that we can't make our own bottles, meaning we need to buy as many as we want simultaneous potions of, and then can't ditch the bottles without losing our value. That means not only would we have to run with an armful of potions, we'd have to be able to put them away as we emptied each one.
Even in worst case its only 4 bottles for one of the other bottles, and we are already carrying 8. But now that we know magic we should be able to make our own. Or at least be taught it, such a simple spell should be really cheap. Or if that is not possible lets get a simple and cheap fire spell like fireball so we can make our own bottles.
Maybe get a cheap summoning spell? Summoned creatures should not be as bad at combat as we are.You misunderstand.
We don't know magic yet. We can sense Magicka now, yes. That doesn't let us actually do anything with it. Remember, the deal to learn magic was 500 for the basics and then 500 per school. This means that we can't do anything at all yet, save maybe be aware that we have Magicka, until we learn not just a spell, but the ability to use that school in the first place. We're 500 gold and some time with Fast Eddie or another good mage away from being able to buy Destruction spells, another 500 and training session from being able to buy Conjuration, and so on.
So, in some distant long run, yes, we'll be able to make our own potion bottles. Even further down the road, we might be able to summon servants... but again, our skill will be garbage at first; we shouldn't expect anything more out of Conjuration than out of Spears or Light Armor just because "it's magic." And at the moment, we're not only completely out of our league, but get further away every time we spend money on alchemical reagents, boat fares, repair hammers, or any of the other stuff we tend to want, need, or be distracted by the shininess of long enough to buy.
We haven't actually asked anyone but the boat guy and maybe a merchant or two, have we? And I don't even think we asked him about seeing her, just whether he brought her to Tel Fyr. Also he hated us, and so, in his own words, "wouldn't tell us if he had."At the very least we should have time to get the ingredients I listed and sample them for a complete 1 gp list.What makes you say that?
That nobody we asked so far claimed to have seen anyone and thus nobody might have gone to Tell Fyr yet? And that we have already been walking about for a while? Of course, I do not know for sure how long the alchemy takes, in game its instant, so I guess its up to how much LordBucket decides to fluff it.
There's a lot of people that could have seen her coming and going that we haven't asked. Guild Guide being the chief one, but for all we know she came in by boat. I'd fully expect her to leave by just waterwalking or swimming, though.
This is true on both counts, but there's a catch- it's only until they try to stop you.Oh, this too. The last time we tried to alchemy it was using Sexy's stuff in the Ald'Ruhn Mages Guild, prior to being recall-swapped into a dungeon.
While I don't know for sure, I seem to remember that you can go anywhere as long as it is not locked legally and that might be true for using equipment standing about.
But how about a compromise since it is possible that we may be pressed for time; lets sample the cheap ingredients we can quickly find or buy. If we get a useful reaction we use alchemy, if not find some other option.
Meaning if some alchemist lets us wander behind a curtain in their shop and we start using their alchemical gear, and they don't notice and thus don't stop us, that's perfectly legal. If they tell us not to use that stuff, it becomes a crime... and since most people seem fairly aware for NPCs, relying on them just standing by and letting us use their stuff, or wander into their bedroom or workshop, seems unlikely.
I'd be fine with quickly sampling ingredients if I believed it was actually quick and had good odds of succeeding, but when you combine running around looking for a full set of gear with the odds that the five ingredients we rush around buying from shopowners are going to carry waterwalking, I just don't think it's worth it in the short run unless we're just not able to accomplish it otherwise. I'm all in favor of advancing our alchemical knowledge and skill, but I don't think we should lounge about while Clover the Maybe-Nerevarine meets with a 4,000 year old wizard to possibly kill herself just to do it.
Post by: DeKaFu on January 11, 2014, 11:55:25 am
Don't waste time messing with alchemy right now.
It's been a long time since I played Morrowind, but I had a thought. If we could find a way to temporarily majorly boost our running speed (fortify athletics or speed?) and combine it with water walking, we'd be able to take a quick and fairly direct path while only using a few water-walking potions, while possibly being able to outrun cliff racers at the same time, right?
You might also investigate whether you can pay to have a long-duration water-walking or speed-boosting spell cast on you at the Mage's Guild for a fee. If possible, it might end up being more cost effective than buying a pile of potions as long as you left immediately afterwards.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 11, 2014, 04:28:53 pm
It's been a long time since I played Morrowind, but I had a thought. If we could find a way to temporarily majorly boost our running speed (fortify athletics or speed?) and combine it with water walking, we'd be able to take a quick and fairly direct path while only using a few water-walking potions, while possibly being able to outrun cliff racers at the same time, right?The problem with this is the scale. Our speed and athletics aren't that great, so we'd need an obscenely powerful effect to get us to being able to just dash past everything.
Same issue with fortify strength or weapon skills- we're just not good enough to rely on that boost letting us fight our way through.
You might also investigate whether you can pay to have a long-duration water-walking or speed-boosting spell cast on you at the Mage's Guild for a fee. If possible, it might end up being more cost effective than buying a pile of potions as long as you left immediately afterwards.This is interesting, though. I don't know how many people would keep 300 second Water Walking on Touch spells handy, but it's quick to ask.
Post by: LordBucket on January 11, 2014, 06:44:42 pm
Update is half finished. Good chance it will be up sometime
EDIT:
This episode is turning out to be difficult to write for and it keeps getting longer. But it is being worked on. Will probably end up being a two-parter, though much of it is simply responding to all the various questions and suggestions. There wasn't a lot of agreement on what to do.
Post by: Mr. Strange on January 14, 2014, 07:17:46 pm
Post by: LordBucket on January 15, 2014, 08:37:48 am
Quote
Apologize and excuse self from angry enchantress, with as little awkwardness as you can muster.
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try to make clear to the people here that were are looking for her and trying to save her life.
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asking people at the Mage's guild if she's come this way is a good idea, and we should have done it sooner.
You swallow and look around nervously. Everyone's watching, but it's pretty obvious none of them are going to come to your rescue. You suspect Dabienne's tirade is one they've all seen before.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Dabienne, look...I apologize. Obviously this is very important to you, and honestly...I envy you. Clearly you know what you're talking about, and you're right. I don't. I can't even cast spells. That's why I'm asking questions."
She backs off a bit, but she's still glaring. You glance around and address everyone in the room.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Look, maybe if I just explain the situation, you can all help. Does anyone here know Clover?"
You see a curious mix of reactions at mention of her name. Looks of recognition, sadness...and a couple people immediately turn away and act like they have more important things to be doing. After a moment, the guildmaster, an Argonian, speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/Y5ndCmZ.png): "Yes, we know of Clover. What of it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I think she's in trouble."
(http://i.imgur.com/Y5ndCmZ.png): "Of course. She has corprus. Nothing can be done for it."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "You know about that? Did she come through here recently? I think she's headed to Tel Fyr and I need to get there too."
At that, some looks of relief wash over the faces of those present.
(http://i.imgur.com/Wkb7J8b.png); "Oh, thank The Divines. She's going to the corprusarium.'
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "That's a sad end for a Wizard."
(http://i.imgur.com/Fjfrzye.png): "At least she'll be cared for."
(http://i.imgur.com/Y5ndCmZ.png): "It is an unfortunate case."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "How come you all know her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Y5ndCmZ.png): "She holds the rank of Wizard."
(http://i.imgur.com/Fjfrzye.png): "Fastest rise through the ranks I've ever seen."
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "Personally I was hoping she'd replace Trebonius."
Everyone turns and looks at Dabienne.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "What? It could happen. Well, I mean...not now. But it could have, if she hadn't caught corprus."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So she did come through here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Wkb7J8b.png); "Yes, last night. Didn't talk to anyone, but we all saw the blisters. Poor thing."
Last night. And apparently she's fairly high ranked in the guild, which means she's probably an accomplished spellcaster. Last you were outside it looked like it was a little after noon, so if she went straight to Tel Fyr there's no way she's not already there by now. If she follows the standard quest path, she'd have spoken to Divayth Fyr shortly after arriving, then made a tour of the corprusarium, probably spoken with the dwarf, then gone up and drunk the potion. Odds are good she's either already left or dead.
But on the other hand, just how closely do things follow the original path of the main quest here? If the concern is that she isn't the Nerevarine and would therefore die from drinking the potion, then would whatever rules are at work here cause Divayth to not give it to her in the first place? In game he only gave it out once. Does that apply?
But even if he does...how much of a problem is this, really? If she is a PC, then her character dying won't matter. Unless it results in a savefile load. If that happens presumably the voices in your head will tell you about it after the fact, but you won't notice any difference and life will go on. And if she isn't, then dying right away from drinking a deadly potion is probably better than suffering a lifetime of corprus. And if the whole PC/NPC thing doesn't exist and isn't relevant at all because everyone here is a living breathing conscious person...what then? You're not even sure what that would imply. Anything goes? But if anything goes, then why are events playing out so closely to how they do in the game? After all, you knew what the original coded message contained. You knew that going to Ilunibi would result in corprus. You knew that after contracting corprus, Caius would send Clover to Tel Fyr. All of those things happened just like you predicted.
But...wasn't some of that actually your doing? Caius said he only knew to send Clover to Divayth because you'd said he had a cure and that she had to catch it and be cured in order to become the Nerevarine. Which was what the Emperor ordered him to do: have Clover become the Nerevarine. So if she dies, isn't it kind of your fault? And if she doesn't and goes on to become the Nerevarine, isn't that kind of your doing too?
But then on the other hand...in-game it was made pretty clear that "the Nerevarine" wasn't necessarily a single person. There was the whole Cave of the Incarnate sequence where you talk to a bunch of other "possible" chosen ones who didn't make it for whatever reason. Maybe being "the Chosen One" doesn't actually have anything to do with being chosen, or being "the one and only" so much as simply being the one out of however many who happens to be successful in the end? Vivec talked about multiple dimensions and being aware of other instances of himself in those other dimensions. Maybe a daedra like Azura could appear to dozens or hundreds of people and send them all off on quests figuring that sooner or later somebody would succeed and then BAM that one of the hundreds she sent was "the" chosen one. So maybe we should talk to Azura? But...if that's really how it works and the Nerevarine is just whomever actually succeeds in this whole thing, then do any of the prophecies or prerequisites matter at all? The prophecies were really vague. If you defeat Dagoth Ur, is anyone really going to stop to care that you did or didn't meet some particular obscure prerequisite? Even in-game, it was possible to bypass the main quest completely and defeat Dagoth Ur by killing Vivec and taking the back path without ever doing any of the other things supposedly required to qualify as the Nerevarine...like contract and become immune to corprus.
So...what does this all imply? For all your time here you still don't have a good grasp of what's going on or why.
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buy or collect so you have one of each of all the 1 gp ingredients you can get your hands on.
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+1 to some alchemy experimentation. Why buy stuff if we could "live off the land"?
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Don't waste time messing with alchemy right now.
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I'd be fine with quickly sampling ingredients if I believed it was actually quick
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I'd also like to note that we can't buy any thing until we get the proper documentation.
So far as you know, the hospitality paperwork is only required for making purchases in Sadrith Mora. At the moment you're in Wolverine Hall, which is an Imperial fortification just beyond the city limits. And you have one alchemist in the room with you and another one just downstairs that you have to walk past in order to leave the building, so it won't take much time to check for cheap ingredients. Dabienne gives you a dirty look for buying something from Tusamercil instead of her, but says nothing. Talking to both of the two alchemists, you pick up a number of unfamiliar ingredients for 11 gold. Sitting down with the new ingredients plus the whichwheat you picked ages ago but never got around to taste testing, you chow down and learn some new effects:
New alchemy effects
Ash yam [1]Restore personality
Black lichen [1]Drain Health
Kresh fiber [1]Cure common disease
Stoneflower petal [1]Fortify health
Large kwama egg [1]Restore fatigue
Whickwheat [1]Cure paralysis
Health is now 58/59
Quote
investigate whether you can pay to have a long-duration water-walking or speed-boosting
spell cast on you at the Mage's Guild for a fee.
Quote
I don't know how many people would keep 300 second Water Walking on Touch spells handy, but it's quick to ask.
You head back upstairs and address the room.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hey, can anyone cast water walking on me with a really long duration?"
People look around but nobody speaks up right away. After a few moments, Dabienne sighs and replies:
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "I know the spell, but mine's on self only so i can't cast it on you."
To which the spellmaker replies:
(http://i.imgur.com/HbhhmmV.png): "I could reformulate her spell to target you instead of her. But I'd charge for you for it."
To which Dabienne responds, with a bored look on her face:
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "But since you're apparently unwilling to spend even 38 gold for a potion, I seriously doubt you're going to pay to have me learn a custom spell for a single use cast on you."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yeah, how much would that cost?"
(http://i.imgur.com/PJRxJMv.png)
That's considerably more cost effective than potions in terms of cost per second, but unless you can talk Dabienne into walking down to the waterfront with you, you'd lose spell time leaving the building. It also happens to be 5 gold more than you have right now. You could reformulate for a shorter duration. Four minutes works out to 253 gold, for example. But you'll need a levitation potion too once you get to Tel Tyr, so doing this would pretty much mean all of your money for a couple minute spell, of which the first minute will probably be wasted leaving the building.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...yeah, that's more than I really want to spend on this."
Dabienne's anger from before is rekindled.
(http://i.imgur.com/e3vNiG7.png): "What, did you really expect it would be cheaper? Not only is it the spell reformulation, I'd probably have to burn through an entire restore magicka potion just to power a spell with that kind of duration. How did you even get into the guild without being able to cast any spells, anyway?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Y5ndCmZ.png): "I wonder the same. You are an Edwinna recruit. Perhaps a speaking with Edwinna is required."
...oh, that's right. Edwinna kind of stretched the rules to even let you in. Maybe it would be a good idea to stop attracting attention to how little you know about magic still.
You step outside.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on January 15, 2014, 08:38:12 am
Episode 47, part 2: Chatter, boatless imperials and an explanation for 'marks.'
You sit on the stairs and chat with your voices. Looking up you can see the sun just beginning to fall behind the fortified parapet of Wolverine Hall's upper floor.
(http://i.imgur.com/mMRRe6M.png)
If you plan to travel before nightfall, it would be best to leave soon.
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lets get a simple and cheap fire spell like fireball so we can make our own bottles.
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Maybe get a cheap summoning spell?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I don't know any spellschools. I can see magicka, I can channel it...but I'd need to learn the destruction school for bottle making, and conjuration for summoning. Also, making bottles with fireball sounds unwise to me."
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Our alchemy sucks.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, I'm only going to get better if I practice. But practicing isn't really an option right now because I still don't have a full set of alchemy tools. There's the set in the hallway of the Ald'rhun Mage Guild, but last time I used those I ended up recall-swapped into a dungeon. I guess I could move them. Five feet in any direction would probably be enough to put me out of the mark location, but do we really want to be using SexyWithers' alchemy tools and have her materialize in front of us? That could happen, and I could see it ending badly. I mean...we can do that if it comes to it, but it's not a long term solution. And I suppose I could learn a few more effects by eating raw materials like I've been doing, but that won't really get us anywhere. If we really want to improve my alchemy, we'll need to get a full set of tools, and that means having a place to put them since there's no way I can carry them all around. Either rent a room, or clear out a tomb or something. And then just get a whole bunch of ingredients."
Quote
I don't recall there being a potions-per-day limit, though. In fact, I
remember Michael mentioning that he can apparently pee at will now.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Yeah, pretty sure once I have tools and a place to work, getting ingredients will be the only bottleneck."
Quote
willing to sell us stuff for 100% value rather than 200%, but that'd probably annoy her. So your estimates based on 1 gp reagents may turn into 1.3 or 1.5 gp reagents instead, which can have a rather significant impact on those calculations.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...meh, I kind of feel like if we're really needing to compute decimals values of gold coins over time in order to efficiently save seconds on potion duration...I just have to think we're going about the whole thing wrong. I mean, seriously, what was it you guys said about this being hobo simulator?"
a game of Hobo: the Malingering.
unemployment simulator.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...yeah, that was it. I've been here for what, six weeks now? What are we doing wrong here that after all that time I still need to spend half a day getting price quotes and trying to cut deals just to get a couple minutes worth of water walking? There has to be a better way to go about this."
Quote
Also, look into joining house Telvanni, because why not?
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The possibility of joining House Telvani shall not be on the table until we are already somewhat powerful.
Quote
I agree it shouldn't be something we do now.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...ok. I guess I'll wait on that."
Quote
tell Caius about the future of the empire, and how he can improve it.
Quote
Warning: Massive amounts of lore on the Oblivion crisis in this spoiler.
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The Oblivion Crisis needs to happen.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, if that's the case then we might have already messed things up pretty bad. Remember we gave Vivec a huge info dump when we first got here. The Mystic Dawn, the Emperor being assassinated, the Bloodmoon Prophecy, the Oblivion Crisis, the fall of Baar Dau, Almalexia going insane...we told him a whole bunch of stuff about the future and he's probably in a better position to alter history than Caius. In fact, we even told him specifically that he'd disappear, so he has personal incentive to make sure some of that stuff doesn't happen. Is this a problem?"
"Come to think of it, after that conversation Vivec had one of his priests act on some sort of contingency based on new information then teleported out. Is it possible that we were the source of the new information? What has Vivec been doing for the past month and a half?"
Quote
If it's a rowboat (2 oars), you hold an oar in each hand and pump your arms, moving the boat forward on the push and preparing the next stroke on the pull (forward facing rowing.) To turn, row only the oar on the side you wish to turn towards. You sit facing forward, if you're doing this on your own.
It it's a paddleboat (1 paddle), you literally pull the boat through the water using broom-like motions with the paddle, alternating sides of the boat. To turn, paddle repeatedly on one side. You should be in a kneeling position.
You can also push off the bottom with a long pole, but that's best done from a standing position, which requires practice on the water, and it's probably too deep here.
Michael, can you hear these boating instructions?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, yes. Although...your description is kind of...I mean...rowing a boat is not rocket science. I'm pretty sure I could figure it out without a detailed description. But the only boats I've seen here are sailboats, and those were way bigger than I think would be realistic to row or push with a pole."
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see if we can get any from the legion.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I guess I could ask, but I don't understand what the benefit of a boat is supposed to be. Water walking potions were cheap. Though I suppose I'd have to buy a bunch of them since they only last 15 seconds. I'm pretty sure I can run with me just me a lot faster than I can drag me plus a boat through the water. Or there's that swift swim/water breathing at the Mage Guild. That was 3 minutes for 156 gold. Or if it really comes to it...I can just swim without any potions or scrolls at all. Covering the distance isn't really the problem here. The problems are first, cliff racers and slaughterfish. A boat solves the slaughterfish problem but not the cliff racers. But water walking has the same problem: even if I had a stack of infintie water walking potions, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to outrun them. The second problem is navigating. Remember I don't have an overview map and I'm looking at this exclusively from a first-person point of view. And it's foggy. I know that Tel Fyr is southwest of Sadrith Mora, but I don't even know which direction is southwest. I mean, yes I kind of know which direction has to be roughly southwestish because I recognize the landmarks. I know the layout of Sadrith Mora. But just heading out blind onto the water...my best guess is likely to be plus or minus 15 degrees and with low visibility from the fog I could probably get within 1000 feet of Tel Fyr and not even realize it. The trip is basically water with nondescript rocks."
"Though I suppose if I'm in a boat then I don't need to worry about potions wearing off. Ok, sure. Let's ask."
You walk down the stairs...
Acrobatics skill is now 31
...and approach a Legionnaire.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, citizen?"
Interesting that he called you 'citizen' and not 'Legionnaire.' Does he not know, or does he know and he's just trying to avoid blowing your cover?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm presently on detached duty in service to the Emperor. I need to get to Tel Fyr. Do you by chance have any boats I could borrow? Even a rowboat"
The guard looks thoughtful for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "No, none. We have no need for them. You might try to find a ferry captain at the docks to take you, but Tel Fyr is restricted without approval from the Telvanni council. If this is official business, could you ask them?"
Hmm. Maybe you could try talking to them. The ferry would be both safer and cheaper than your other options. But there isn't any reason for the Council to approve your visit. You'd certainly need some reason more compelling than to try to talk a high ranking Mage Guild member with corprus out of taking a potion that might either cure or kill her. Whether she dies and rids them of a Mage Guild wizard, or lives and therefore advances the art of medicine, either way they'd probably be happy with the result.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...suppose Council permission wasn't an option?"
He nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "In that case I advise you either to fly or water walk."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I don't suppose I could requisition potions from you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "No, our local depot is very limited. We maintain only a token presence here. I suggest speaking with any of the Mage Guild or Cult alchemists inside Wolverine Hall."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Speaking of which, why so few Legionnaires here? This is a major town."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "We're all still on alert due to the genocide at Khuul, and there are other settlements in greater need of protection. The Telvanni are very good at maintaining order."
Hmm. Khuul, right. Kind of forgot about that. And it's probably true that this town is one of the last places in need of Legion protection. Even as a player in-game you're pretty sure nobody really likes to mess with the Telvanni. Here where ncs aren't confined to their rooms and unable to open doors, if a hostile force presented itself, Master Neloth, his personal guard and retainers plus half a dozen Council Mouths are all within a minute or two away. That actually brings up a good question though: In the game there comes a point where you can pretty much kill anything. Even naked and unarmed it's possible to punch npcs like Archmagister Gothren or Divayth Fyr to death once your skills get high enough. Is it like that here too? Or are "powerful" npcs actually powerful? You vaguely remember Strillian comment during Legion training that there are wizards who can solo entire armies. Was that hyperbole or was it literally true? You personally witnessed Fast Eddie grinding spell training and from what you saw he'd been doing it for at least days, possibly weeks. Just how tough is a Telvanni magelord in this world?
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I'm liking the "ask the Legion for help, maybe official business" angle. Dunno how eager a
heavily armored Legionnaire is going to be to try to take a swim with us, but it's worth a shot.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "One last question for you: suppose I get transport arrangements in order. Would you or another guard be willing to provide an escort?"
He frowns at that.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Much as this town isn't in need of protection, I will not abandon my post without either orders or a very good reason. A very good reason, especially to enter a restricted area in violation of local laws. Detached duty or no, I do outrank you, recruit."
Pretty much the answer you expected. You thank the guard for his time and move on.
Quote
Get papers and Mark.
You head to the Gateway Inn and approach the Innkeeper.
(http://i.imgur.com/sHLQD1r.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Hello, are you Anger...Angerheld..?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Angaradhel, yes. What can I do for you?"
You notice that his voice is a bit less gravelly than most male dunmer you've spoken with.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I was told to see you for Hospitality Papers."
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Ahh, yes of course. For how long will you be staying in Sadrith Mora?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Umm, I was hoping to leave before nightfall. I just want to buy some potions. But I'll probably come back again at some point."
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "How about a standard 30 day business visa, then?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I'm sure that will be plenty, yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Will you be buying only, or selling goods also?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Probably both."
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Do you intend to import any of the following: dwemer artifacts, preserved corpses, moon sugar, skooma or walnuts?"
Walnuts?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, none of those."
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Will you be engaged in the buying, selling, or transport of slaves?"
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...erm, probably not. I don't think so. But that's legal, isn't it? I passed the slave pen earlier."
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Yes, but there's an extra 5 gold surcharge for the slave-handling endorsement."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Really? Huh. No, I hadn't planned on slaves...I don't think, anyway. If I change my mind later can I get it added?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Yes. Though there's an additional 5 gold fee for adding an endorsement to an already-issued visa."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So 5 now, or 10 later. Ok, how about put it on, just in case."
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Slave handling endorsement...check. Finally, are you presently, have you ever been, or do you intend to ever become a covert operative, spy, or secret agent of any Vvardenfell Greathouse or foreign government?"
Now is probably not the best time to admit to being a Blades Operative.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...umm...no?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Very good. Just give me a moment, and...here you go. That will be 30 gold please."
You hand him the coins and he hands you the paperwork. After accepting it he casually waves his hand and a bolt of dark blue light bursts from his hand into your face.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Gahh!!! What did you do?!?!"
It doesn't hurt at all, in fact you can't even feel it, but with your new magic vision you can see a tiny patch of blue pulsating inside your head.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Get it off!!!!"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Sera, please calm down."
You don't think you're injured, but there's now a blue spot in your vision that wasn't there before. Well, not in your vision, exactly. It's more like, inside you?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What did you do?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "I simply gave you the Hospitality Mark you asked for. You're approved for business transactions within Sadrith Mora."
It takes a moment for that to sink in.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Mark?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Yes, so any merchant can see that you are properly licensed. "
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Isn't that what the papers are for?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Well, yes, but only in the event that your mark is lost. Papers are very easily forged.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So, what exactly did you do?"
He frowns at the question.
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "I gave you a simple Telvanni Hospitality mark. It's no different from your others."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What others?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "For example I see that you're a Mage Guild Associate."
He points to a spot on your forehead. You close your eyes and focus on your light-aura. It takes a moment, but you think you see the spot he means. With your eyes closed, everything kind of looks like the Matrix. Except that everything is made of magic light instead of computer code.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "The green?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Yes, that's it."
Has that been there all along? It was a small motion he made with his hand. It's possible the other factions similarly marked you when you joined and you just never noticed because you couldn't see magicka the in same way you do now.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What other marks do I have?"
He raises an eyebrow in apparent bewilderment that you would ask this.
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Well, I see that you're in the Legion, though I don't recognize your rank designation. And that yellow mark is an Imperial Fighter's guild mark, one of the lower ranks I believe. And these two here...hmm. I don't recognize those. And of course, here I can see that you recently ran afoul of the guard for a minor offense that was paid in full."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So anyone can know all this just by looking at me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Of course." He pauses. "Well, not anyone. Anyone with any magical training can see the marks if they look, but seeing isn't the same as knowing what they mean. I recognize the Telvanni and imperial Mage Guild marks because I work with them so often, but the others I'm less sure of. But if you'll excuse me, I need to file your paperwork."
This might bear further investigation. Was this part of that last week of Legion training that you missed out on? Or maybe they didn't bother teaching you about this because you had no magic training? Would it be possible to impersonate someone important, say...a guild head, just by getting a proper mark? Actually, it's probably not that simple. Edwinna and Eydis both entered your name into a book when you joined the Mage and Fighter's guilds, and Angaradhel gave you hardcopy just now too. If somebody walked in and claimed to own the place they'd probably check. Come to think of it, while the Telvanni guard that was following you earlier said you lacked a mark...he did ask for papers before trying to arrest you. So they're probably not stupid about this. And everyone at Wolverine Hall seemed to know Clover by name. It's probably difficult to impersonate anyone very important. But this is probably something Caius would know about. He is a spymaster, after all.
You close your eyes and stare in Angaradhel's direction while he fiddles with some paperwork. It's...yes. You can see the light that composes his being. It's difficult to make out since your eyelids are made of light too and they kind of get in the way. Plus of course the sun is streaming a constant, overwhelming barrage of magicka through the building and into the ground beneath your feet. There's a lot of light everywhere and you have to really focus to not be distracted by it all. You focus in on his head, and...there! He has a couple marks just like yours...well, not exactly like yours. One is blue, one is...red? No, two are red. And there's another couple that might be marks or just background...body. It's difficult to tell. You don't recognize what his marks mean, but if you look carefully enough, you can more or less see them.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: LordSlowpoke on January 15, 2014, 09:15:58 am
these way he played these characters is what gave the pcs their personalities and goals (they'll want to do what micheal did ingame)
to become the neverafgsfds, he must first understand himself and his playstyles
theorycraft'd
ps. micheal you look fucking ridiculous in that hat take it off and channel magicka into it
you'll either learn something or destroy the hat
win/win
Post by: WillowLuman on January 15, 2014, 11:32:58 am
These marks are very disconcerting. What other marks do we have? A spy agency surely would not be stupid enough to mark us, but did Vivec bestow something on us? Does the Sixth House have a mark? Does one of our marks come from being dropped here from another world? We need to get these identified. Also, us not knowing about them is probably good indication that we're really not from around here, and could help convince certain people. We should find out if it's possible to hide marks, when we get the chance.
Time is of the essence.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 15, 2014, 03:47:39 pm
ps. micheal you look fucking ridiculous in that hat take it off and channel magicka into itConsider losing our current hat a reward for finding a better one.
you'll either learn something or destroy the hat
win/win
Well we've got to find out whether Clover's the Nerevarine or not. It would help us discover our own path. Therefore, it's time to get a levitation potion, and swift swim or waterwalking (whatever has longer duration) and set out. Checking in game, if you leave from the fort, it's about -15 degrees southwest in a straight line. Of the two, at least slaughterfish can be dodged by pulling up onto shore, or outswam with swift-swim.I still think we need that invisibility potion; we have no plan for cliff racers. We're also going to need a lot more than 15 seconds of whichever water-traversing potion we take, unless we get extraordinarily lucky.
These marks are very disconcerting. What other marks do we have? A spy agency surely would not be stupid enough to mark us, but did Vivec bestow something on us? Does the Sixth House have a mark? Does one of our marks come from being dropped here from another world? We need to get these identified. Also, us not knowing about them is probably good indication that we're really not from around here, and could help convince certain people. We should find out if it's possible to hide marks, when we get the chance.
Time is of the essence.
I'm also dubious that swift swim will let us outrun slaughterfish. Remember, we're relatively slow; not massively sluggish, but I was under the impression that slaughterfish are relatively quick (if often a little derpy) and Swift Swim isn't that severe.
Finally, remember that Michael doesn't have a map or a compass (or a sextant). We're going to need to direct him with landmarks from his perspective.
All that said, I am in favor of buying what we need and leaving. For me, that seems to be an invis potion, levitation potion, an unknown number of water walking potions (or that swift swim scroll, if it's more effective than I thought or we think we can land-dodge slaughterfish well enough)...
...and possibly some thought to how we're going to get back again. We've been so busy thinking about how we're going to get there (and related subjects) that we haven't actually thought about that one, have we? Fyr's supposed to be pretty nice, but I'm not sure if he'd be willing to get us back home again.
Post by: MonkeyHead on January 15, 2014, 03:59:39 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on January 15, 2014, 04:22:29 pm
As for getting back - dont we have a recall scroll?Ah, right. Or rather, divine intervention, right? Unless someone stepped us through setting a mark or set it for us or something.
Anyway, the point is our teleportation scroll is probably cheaper than whatever we'd need to slaughterfish-dodge our way through, so that's sadly probably a good option.
In fact, just checked. Creeper probably gives us better prices than most, but he sold us our scroll for 63 gold. That's amazing, problem solved.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 15, 2014, 04:36:49 pm
As for getting back - dont we have a recall scroll?We do. And using it would be less expensive than other means of getting back.
Listen up: I've just looked at my map. This will be easier than we thought. If we head DIRECTLY west of Wolverine Hall, we'll hit a large island. It has a mushroom tree on either end, so that's two mushroom trees. Continuing west, there's a slightly smaller island with a single shroomtree on it. Seperating the two is a mere ditch, water only ankle to knee deep. No biggie. From this island, there's a tiny island further west, and to the southwest is the huge island that Tel Fyr is on. If you splash over to the tiny island, then the island we want to be on is just to the south and a little bit west. We could probably even see it from there. You'd just need to cross the water and keep going south, then there'd be a bridge to Tel Fyr. This route requires crossing far less water.
2 15-second waterwalking potions should be sufficient for the entire trip The first one for crossing from this fort to the 2-tree isle, the next for crossing from the tiny island to the Big Island with Tel Fyr On It.
I'll draw up a map.
Post by: Descan on January 15, 2014, 04:38:51 pm
Is it getting to Clover? She's probably already taken the potion. There's no real reason to get their immediately any more, she's either cured or dead. Nothing we do will affect that. At most, we'll get information, but if we keep our ears and eyes open we might well get that same information. Betcha gossip will be everywhere if the corpus-infected Wizard arrives back at the Mages guild fit as a fiddle.
And what are our (marketable) skills?
Obviously we're not very good by the standards of the game world, right? But we DO have a major trump card. Modern SCIENCE!
We can trade knowledge, or create devices to trade. Light-bulbs, electric generators, engines of many kinds. Perhaps we could create a flying machine?
And I do mean WE. Michael has a trump card over everybody, even the PCs (if that is what they are) because a) he has us, we can give him the knowledge he needs, and we have demonstrated the ability to show him images such as diagrams, and b) he can affect the world with that knowledge. An NPC doesn't have that knowledge, and a PC wouldn't be able to affect the world in that way. Can't create an engine without being able to bolt the metal together, right?
That is my proposal. Find someone willing to loan us enough cash to get started on creating marvels of the modern world (we might be able to do it without a loan, but it would be slow going), and sell those to pay that loan back and get some damn cash instead of running around and hoping to sell some piss-water for a few coins.
Perhaps the legion would be interested in some electrical lighting? And with magic in the setting, we can try and merge those together eventually. No need to burn coal if you can cast fireball on the steam engine.
Post by: MonkeyHead on January 15, 2014, 04:47:40 pm
Post by: Descan on January 15, 2014, 04:51:19 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 15, 2014, 04:54:59 pm
Oh, and not to mention talk with Yagrum Bagarn.
Michael, can you see this?
Spoiler: image (click to show/hide)
Just 2 cheap potions of WW and one of levitation, and we're good. It's not even that far.
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 15, 2014, 04:58:16 pm
Post by: Rabid_Cog on January 15, 2014, 05:20:45 pm
Think about it. Clover has already arrived there, or died on the way. Either way, there is nothing you can do about it. Like, literally nothing. In fact, there is literally nothing you can do about ANYTHING. You have no combat ability. At all. A single rat is a dangerous opponent for you. A cliff racer a mortal danger. A Kagouti? You are so screwed its not even funny. What will knowing where you stand in this metaphysical mess help? You won't be able to do jack shit about it and it sure as hell won't be making you any stronger.
I think you should prioritize your survival skills. For that you need money to buy magic training. In order to get money, you need some way to generate money. You can't adventure, BECAUSE YOU ARE USELESS. Forget about the Corprusarium for now. (if there is something valuable/powerful to be picked up there for free, then Clover will either have grabbed it herself, or someone else). Any money you spend going there is money you are not spending trying to make more money.
On that same note, Stop trying to game the system. It has done nothing but bite you in the ass. That goes double for trying to use 'modern science'. The laws of physics are clearly fucked in this world, so why do you think that anything would work the same? Just forget it. Knowledge is NOT your advantage in this world, because it is clear you don't know shit about how it really works. You may have known what MIGHT have happened in the future, but I think its pretty safe to say you've completely fucked the timeline by this time, so even that is becoming more and more useless. Your advantage is brainpower. You have a natural aptitude for magic. We should use that.
To start generating cash and learning magic, the following is probably the fastest way to do it. I think. I'm open to suggestions, but this must remain a priority.
1) Buy crappy house. As crappy and as cheap as you can get. If you can squat somewhere without getting thrown out (like a cleared dungeon or an abandoned house), so much the better.
2) Hire a slave to carry stuff. There are a few slaves lying around balmora, if memory serves.
3) Buy a set of the cheapest alchemy gear you can find.
4) Have the slave cart the alchemy gear to your house. House being close is a big bonus.
5) Identify what potions you can make for cheaper than the alchemists sell them for.
6) Make those using purchased components and sell them. Use money to pay for magic training.
Alternative, you can shortcut the alchemy things and go straight for magic training if you have enough cash. Which you don't. As soon as you are able to defend yourself, you can start being an adventurer and getting filthy rich the way they do - by killing things and taking their money.
So, in summary:
Buy cheap house in Balmora -> Buy cheap alchemy equipment -> Carry it to the house -> Make potions! -> Profit!
It is unlikely Sexywhithers will notice you nicking one or two of the more expensive things she has collected, like glass weapons or maybe some ebony stuff, as long as it isnt her top of the line crap. Sell that for some play money. It also seems that unless she tells the guards about the theft herself (or you steal it right under their noses), they don't realize the items have been stolen. That also means dead people's stuff is fair game. Something to keep in mind.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 15, 2014, 05:29:16 pm
We can't ignore stuff that's going on, we can't just go devote all our time to alchemy, we've got a job to do. Do remember that we work for the government now. We need a plan to build ourselves up, sure, but in order to plan effectively we need more information. If we abandoned now, not only would we miss an invaluable opportunity, but we'd look a bit odd for suddenly changing our mind, and we'd piss off Caius for appearing not to care about potentially the most important agent in his command.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 15, 2014, 11:05:50 pm
Listen up: I've just looked at my map. This will be easier than we thought. If we head DIRECTLY west of Wolverine Hall, we'll hit a large island. It has a mushroom tree on either end, so that's two mushroom trees. Continuing west, there's a slightly smaller island with a single shroomtree on it. Seperating the two is a mere ditch, water only ankle to knee deep. No biggie. From this island, there's a tiny island further west, and to the southwest is the huge island that Tel Fyr is on. If you splash over to the tiny island, then the island we want to be on is just to the south and a little bit west. We could probably even see it from there. You'd just need to cross the water and keep going south, then there'd be a bridge to Tel Fyr. This route requires crossing far less water.
2 15-second waterwalking potions should be sufficient for the entire trip The first one for crossing from this fort to the 2-tree isle, the next for crossing from the tiny island to the Big Island with Tel Fyr On It.
I'll draw up a map.
Michael, can you see this?Brilliant and awesome, but are you sure about the danger level and scaling those walls?Spoiler: image (click to show/hide)
Just 2 cheap potions of WW and one of levitation, and we're good. It's not even that far.
On the other end, this means that if we get lucky we won't even need the waterwalking, won't it?
And what are our (marketable) skills?There's a few issues with this.
Obviously we're not very good by the standards of the game world, right? But we DO have a major trump card. Modern SCIENCE!
That is my proposal. Find someone willing to loan us enough cash to get started on creating marvels of the modern world (we might be able to do it without a loan, but it would be slow going), and sell those to pay that loan back and get some damn cash instead of running around and hoping to sell some piss-water for a few coins.
One is, as you mentioned, that we don't actually know how much of this stuff will work.
Another, though, is that we're not personally in a great position to take advantage of it. You'll notice part one of your plan is basically to wheedle someone into giving us free stuff to do our awesome idea-thing. Where are we gonna find someone for that? Where are we gonna find someone for that at a good price? What are we gonna do once we've sold off the secrets of electric lighting and automobiles?
Finally, there's the issues of who's going to actually want it. Someone invented a flying machine in Bloodmoon, but all they managed to do with it was get a bunch of sailors killed and send a hero off on a fetch quest they could have done in the first place. Presumably he was not being mobbed by desperate emperors who felt that their entire empire would be revolutionized if only they had the combustion engine. So... who does want our stuff? We're talking about a place where beasts of burden are semi-obsolete already due to magic. We're talking about a place where bottles are free because everyone can fire mud into them at will. We might be talking about a place where lanterns are eternally burning anyway. What exactly do we know about that we're absolutely certain important, wealthy people are going to want and be able to use?
Let's take a step backwards for just a moment. At some point, you are going to have to start becoming strong enough to be self sufficient, whether through magic or some of the physical arts. Is there any reason NOT to make that the first priority? I mean, are you in a hurry to get to the corprusarium? Will it make your life easier somehow? Or will it just have a really high chance of killing you?To what end? So we can max alchemy? So we can live in an okay house until we die of old age? Clearly it's not to really accomplish anything, or at least anything for the foreseeable future, if we're going to ignore the world-shattering events around us to go bake pies for a living.
But for that matter, who says we have to wait until we die of old age? Supposing we're annihilated as soon as somebody kills Dagoth Ur. What do we do about that? Well, nothing if we don't know about it, and we're sure as hell not going to know about it shopping for drapes in Balmora. But that's okay, because we're clearly a perfectly normal person and the notion that the events of this world might unduly affect us is laughable, right? And as Khuul showed, normal people here have nothing to fear no matter what.
So let me turn your question around- at some point, we are going to have to figure out what the hell is going on here. Is there any reason NOT to make THAT a first priority? Well, as you've said, it's hard to figure out what's going on when a pair of mudcrabs counts as a difficult obstacle. But the events are time-sensitive; leveling up is not, at least not as far as we're aware. We can go out and punch rats for skill gain any time; we've already lost out on a ton of important events and developments, and are completely in the dark as to several potential more.
So to answer your question directly, yes- there's no point getting power if we miss out on all the chances to use that power, and likely the knowledge of what we might want to use that power for. I'm all in favor of punching rats for a bit to level up to the point where we can punch rats for a living, but not while there's important things to be learned about and/or done.
Post by: Xanmyral on January 15, 2014, 11:28:54 pm
But this is something to consider once we get some time to do stuff ourselves, instead of now which rather isn't such a time.
Post by: LordBucket on January 15, 2014, 11:30:12 pm
1) Guys, relax.
2)
jack shit
sure as hell
You are so screwed
YOU ARE USELESS
bite you in the ass
clearly fucked
don't know shit
you've completely fucked
crappy house. As crappy and as cheap
Cussing out Michael is unlikely to encourage him to listen to you. It also annoys the GM personally. I request that you stop.
3)
WE CAN'T JUST GO "FUCK EVENTS IMA GO RENT A HOUSE." SHIT IS GOING DOWN AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE THE NEREVARINE. WE NEED TO KNOW THIS BECAUSE IT TELLS US WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, AND WHO WILL BE TRYING TO KILL US. KNOWING WHERE WE STAND DOES HELP US PRACTICALLY.
Yelling at Michael in all caps is also unlikely to encourage him to listen to you.
4)
WE CAN'T JUST GO "FUCK EVENTS IMA GO RENT A HOUSE." SHIT IS GOING DOWN AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE THE NEREVARINE. WE NEED TO KNOW THIS BECAUSE IT TELLS US WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, AND WHO WILL BE TRYING TO KILL US. KNOWING WHERE WE STAND DOES HELP US PRACTICALLY.
This is not a suggestion. It is you responding to another player. It does not need to be in bold. Please see this post (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4372008#msg4372008).
5) I have noticed over the past few episodes a growing number of suggestions from people who seem to not be entirely clear on established precedent. Suggestions to learn spells even though it's been a major plot point for most of the game that doing so is not possible without relevant training. People suggesting making potions despite the fact that it's been a major plot point for most of the game that Michael lacks alchemy tools. Claiming that only one alchemy tool is required, not the entire set, despite it being a major plot point through most of the game that all four alchemy tools are required for alchemy. Other things, some more or less subtle, that directly contradict various other established precedents. Still other things, that haven't come up here as being like or not-like vanilla, but that contradict vanilla in ways that I'm not sure where people got the ideas they're asserting. And in one or two cases, people making assertions that directly contradict bolded "GM Comment" Word of God (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WordOfGod).
I am not going to make a habit of correcting every little error and misconception. I advise players to think for themselves and not take every little thing said by everyone else as factual. Some people have been making assertions over the past few episodes that are blatantly incorrect, and there have been a few suggestions that lead me to suspect that we have some new participants who haven't read through the entire thread. Granted, this game has been running for almost a year. We're coming up on 100 thread pages, and the game update posts themselves are collectively on the order of roughly 1 megabyte of text. That's approximately a 300 page novel. The story so far is approximately as long as To Kill a Mockingbird. So, yes...it's very understandable. For example, it came as no surprise that most people missed the comment from Nalcarya (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4892416#msg4892416) back in episode 26 in June of last year stating that the Telvanni would in fact require hospitality papers (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Hospitality_Papers) before making purchases in Sadrith Mora. Here we are seven months later and after a 3 month hiatus before it finally came up. I understand that things like that are easily missed or forgotten, and I've been trying to insert reminders of past events into new episodes without being excessive about it. Who remembered the genocide in Khuul prior to the Legionnaire reminding us of it? Who, during the discussion about whether it was wise to give Caius advance knowledge of the Oblivion Crisis to try to stop it from happening, remembered that you already gave Vivec advance knowledge about the Oblivion Crisis to try to stop it from happening?
Things are being missed and forgotten. Again, in many cases it's understandable. But...they are being missed. So...i advice due diligence. If there is a consensus to do something that contradicts established precedent or that is probably not a good idea for reasons that have been long since forgotten, I'm unlikely to step in before an update and remind you of a conversation that occurred six months ago explaining why.
I'm glad this game has been so well received. Like I've said previously, I'm surprised that it's gone on for so long. I totally expected that this would be roughly a 20 chapter game that would last three months. But here we are a year later and I've written a novel. So, thank you. But...pay attention, guys. You're missing stuff.
6) The MST3k of this game is going to be totally awesome. I've already started writing it. :)
Post by: joemoben on January 15, 2014, 11:37:36 pm
We have all sorts of reasons to get there in time. We're trying to found out where, exactly we stand in all of this and what kind of metaphysical shennanigans are going on. And possibly stop a save wipe. And keep on Caius' good side.Good plan, let's do it.
Oh, and not to mention talk with Yagrum Bagarn.
Michael, can you see this?Spoiler: image (click to show/hide)
Just 2 cheap potions of WW and one of levitation, and we're good. It's not even that far.
Also, marks are very very important. If we run into someone who has had lots of contact with the Blades and could recognize us, we might end up in some serious trouble. So once again I'll post something that we should do once we get back to Balmora:Ask the shit out of Caius about marks. We need to know what the two unidentified marks could be. I suspect that one is from the Blades, and one is from Vivec. The Blades might very well have not put one on us as they are a very secretive group. Also, why have we not been "hit" by a mark like this one before? Is it because we can channel now? What we need is answers. And those answers can wait until we get back to Balmora. Onwards!
Post by: Putnam on January 15, 2014, 11:38:28 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 15, 2014, 11:41:03 pm
Just to be clear, that "Fort" on my map is Wolverine Hall, where we are now. No wall-scaling required.
Post by: IronyOwl on January 16, 2014, 05:58:21 am
Just to be clear, that "Fort" on my map is Wolverine Hall, where we are now. No wall-scaling required.I had meant the island walls, since some of them are steep, but looking back it seems you actually scoped out the islands in question.
That still leaves my concerns about cliff racers, though. How confident are you that we'll be able to get past any that show up?
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 16, 2014, 08:52:48 am
Post by: The_Jester on January 16, 2014, 10:15:07 am
We need to get there. Ideally, we actually need to catch corprus first so we can continue becoming the nerevarine. Don't forget that we have already had it confirmed that we have all of the needed qualifications, now we just have to work on checking off the list of things to prove/become the nerevarine. BTW, even if Clover survives, that doesn't mean she is the Nerevarine, just that she is a step closer than us. In the game only one person survived the potion because the PC is the only one qualified to become the Nerevarine, here Clover might be qualified as well.
When we get there, we need to be bold and offer to the wizard to let him infect us with corprus and then use the potion on us. It is time to get moving.
Post by: The_Jester on January 16, 2014, 10:45:55 am
Another thought. We need to stop giving up information to people so easily. We have already given Caius too much information. Do you really think that if given the choice between Michael and Clover to back for the Nerevarine that he is going to choose Michael? So far pretty much all we have done is given Clover a head start by telling her (through information we gave) where to go.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 16, 2014, 12:35:50 pm
Gaining corprus immortality may sound nice, but if we wanted to try that, we'd better be damned sure that potion would work on us first. Becoming hopelessly insane and deformed for all of eternity is NOT something we want.
Post by: Parcae on January 16, 2014, 02:15:11 pm
(LordBucket, I'm hoping that this question will help you steer us back on course. Please feel free to take advantage of it to railroad us a bit. There's clearly stuff you want us to do that we're not doing, but we're not mindreaders and we do need a bit more guidance.)
Post by: WillowLuman on January 16, 2014, 02:19:44 pm
Post by: Putnam on January 16, 2014, 02:25:03 pm
1. Prolix Tower. Don't really know. Perhaps godhood by patience. I don't think that's an option for us.
2. Enantiomorph. A king, a rebel, a witness. The king and rebel are near impossible to distinguish. And guess what? "Hortator and Sharmat, one and one, eleven, an inelegant number. Which of the ones is the more important? Could you ever tell if they switched places? I can and that is why you will need me." That's pretty convenient. Talos did this.
3. Seeing a path your enemy places for you and walking it anyway. I think that's what we're doing right now, actually, with Corprus and all that. Think Talos may have done this too.
4. Mantling. See: Champion of Cyrodiil, Talos, heck, maybe even us.
5. CHIM. Vivec, Talos. Extremely dangerous, failure likely. Probably not wise to pursue.
6. Soul combination. Numidium. ALMSIVI. Talos (again). May not quite be an option.
Post by: Parcae on January 16, 2014, 02:26:34 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 16, 2014, 02:38:07 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on January 16, 2014, 02:44:07 pm
This Plan
Post by: Mr. Strange on January 16, 2014, 07:28:48 pm
+1This Plan
Maybe something to distract cliff racers, cheap invisibility scroll/potion?
Oh, and all praise Our LordBuckets patience, I want to see this to the end.
Post by: The_Jester on January 16, 2014, 10:32:00 pm
Plus, if Michael really does want power and godhood, this seems to be the simplest way to do it, no? We already know what to do and how to accomplish each step.
Post by: Putnam on January 16, 2014, 10:47:39 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on January 16, 2014, 10:54:38 pm
Spoiler: Bolded Conversation (click to show/hide)
Post by: joemoben on January 17, 2014, 12:34:38 am
1.Once you get on to the first island, stick to the right as much as possible. Continue to the end of the island, the next one should be just ahead.
2.Stick to the right as much as possible on this one too. Continue following to the farthest tip of the island, then hop over to the third.
3. Once on the third, simply stick to the coast line to the left and you should see the path to Tel Fyr.
Also, watch out for drueghs.
Post by: LordBucket on January 17, 2014, 02:38:40 am
If you're lucky the update will be up in a couple hours. No promises.
Post by: LordBucket on January 17, 2014, 09:18:33 am
Quote
get a levitation potion, and swift swim or waterwalking (whatever has longer duration) and set out. Checking in game, if you leave from the fort, it's about -15 degrees southwest in a straight line.
Quote
I am in favor of buying what we need and leaving
Quote
Buy the stuff and let's get going already. Only use it if actually needed.
Quote
Good plan, let's do it.
Quote
Follow Hugo's plan.
Quote
This Plan
Quote
+1
Quote
Yep, Hugo's plan sounds good.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok. Time to do this."
Quote
2 cheap potions of WW and one of levitation
Quote
I still think we need that invisibility potion
Quote
I suggest some basic healing potions
You already have two healing potions on you. You consider buying more, but money is still scarce and the plan here is to run rather than fight. If two isn't enough, well, that's what your divine intervention scroll is for. You stop at various alchemists and buy two potions of water walking, and one each of invisibility and levitation for 159 gold, leaving you with 122. You hope you don't regret not buying more healing potions, but at 38 gold each, buying two more would leave you with little enough money that even paying for transportation might become an issue.
Mercantile is now 12
Quote
Michael, can you see this?
Michael waits a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "No, I'm not getting anything. What am I supposed to be seeing?"
Quote
that "Fort" on my map is Wolverine Hall
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What map? You asked me if I could see this...and then you went silent. Was I supposed to see something?"
Quote
If we head DIRECTLY west of Wolverine Hall, we'll hit a large island.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, verbal directions then. But there are two problems with that. First off, I don't know exactly which way is precisely west. Right now I'm only guessing based on landmarks. Second, I'm pretty sure I'm 'west' of Wolverine Hall right now. There's no island here. All of Sadrith Mora is west of Wolverine Hall, isn't it? So the moment you walk out the front gate, turn left....that's west...and you're deposited into Sadrith Mora. And I remember seeing the sun come up over the Thieves Guild this morning, which I'm pretty sure is more or less north of Wolvering Hall. So the whole 'rises in the east sets wherever' thing is pretty much out."
Quote
are you sure about the danger level and scaling those walls?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...scaling walls? What walls? You mean...jump off the southern edge of Wolverine Hall rather than leave through the front gate? What's the point of that? The island runs parallel to the direction you want me to go. Why jump into the water first thing rather than walk on the nice, safe dry land guarded by Telvanni guards then go south from there?"
Michael thinks for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, tell you what...I'll go take a look. I don't have a map and it sounds like you guys do. But I think you guys are trying to give me bird's eye view directions, and that doesn't match very well what I'm seeing. But maybe if I just follow the directions one step at a time...maybe that will work."
Quote
head DIRECTLY west of Wolverine Hall
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, I don't know where you guys are getting this. Here's Wolvering Hall. I'm pretty sure I'm west of it right now."
(http://i.imgur.com/it96Lou.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Here's the main entrance."
(http://i.imgur.com/6GPoiaz.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "From here, if I cross the bridge and go inside..."
(http://i.imgur.com/A1vQyFm.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "This is the courtyard. There's the well. There's the sun shining over the wall. I'm pretty sure I'm facing south right now. Turning to my right, which should be west..."
(http://i.imgur.com/GxLg2vl.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...there's a 20 foot brick wall. There's no way I can climb that. But, maybe if I head up the stairs and go to the extreme far southern edge..."
(http://i.imgur.com/W1dBDs1.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, this is the mid point on the stairway, and pretty much as far south as I can go."
Michael gazes at the sun.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "The sun is supposed to set in the west, right? It's setting soon, so if that's west...maybe I'm confused about which way is west? I'd thought Sadrith Mora was west of Wolvering Hall, the sun clearly isn't at 90 degrees to the wall, so maybe that really is west, but the keep here isn't oriented exactly at cardinal directions, it's at an angle?"
Quote
we'll hit a large island. It has a mushroom tree on either end, so that's two mushroom trees.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, well, I see a mushroom tree from where I'm standing now. So if I'm facing west right now rather than south like I thought, that must be the island you're talking about. Well, let's give it a try."
Michael climbs up to the stone rail, slides over the edge and hops down.
(http://i.imgur.com/2glm4dp.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, that wasn't so bad. Hanging off the edge with my hands it was only a couple foot drop."
You walk over to the water edge and gaze at the sun rapidly approaching the horizon.
(http://i.imgur.com/rkzsy62.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, Celestia...work with me here. Give me a little more daylight."
The island isn't far. Maybe close enough that you could throw a stone to it. You check the drawstring on your backpack to make sure that it's tight, then remove your shield and loop the string through one of the strings and tie it so that it's more or less secure on your back. Then you pull your coinpurse from your pants and put it around your neck with potions and divine intervention scroll inside for quick and easy access. Then you wade in.
(http://i.imgur.com/8O2jWAK.png)
You get to within 20 feet of the island before you see your first slaughterfish. Rather than fighting in the water you ignore it and try to push through.
Light armor is now 22
Health is now 41/60
Unfortunately, when you reach the island you find yourself looking at a nearly sheer rock wall
(http://i.imgur.com/Ly5zKkU.png)
Health is now 33/60
There's no way you can climb that so you end up swimming around looking for a more level area. Eventually you find one and crawl up between a pair of rocks.
(http://i.imgur.com/t0paSzw.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Huh. Apparently there were two slaughterfish on me and I didn't even notice the second one."
Then you're engulfed in flames by the shalk beetle you didn't notice at your feet.
Health is now 28/60
(http://i.imgur.com/gUG72o3.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Gah!"
...running away...running away...fortunately it can't keep up with you and you manage to get to the safety of the middle of the island. For certain values of 'safety' that involve a two ton kagouti lumbering up the hill towards you.
(http://i.imgur.com/C1fdRJ7.png)
You down the first of your two healing potions and feel your flesh rapidly begin to re-knit itself as you run the other way. You're pretty it can't swim, so if you can get to the water in time, you can get away from it.
(http://i.imgur.com/AnpcQPX.png)
The kagouti managed to butt you with its horns a few times, and the over-time effect of the healing potion wears off before you reach the water. Once you get there, you see a tomb on the next island over and dive into the water. The kagouti gives up its pursuit.
Health is now 51/60
Acrobatics is now 32
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Glad those things don't swim."
Unfortunately, while the swim is unventful, when you arrive at the island there's a massive mouth-on-legs thing you don't remember the name of waiting for you.
(http://i.imgur.com/R0aUrgb.png)
Its jaws are massive, but like the Kagouti, it doesn't seem to want to get into the water. Fortunately with no slaughterfish on you you have time to think, and an idea occurs to you: you drop below the surface of the water and swim around to the far side of the reeds. When you resurface, you glance over to see the mouth-creature still staring at the spot where you submerged. Apparently they're not very smart.
Now, however, you have a bit of a problem.
Quote
Continuing west, there's a slightly smaller island with a single shroomtree on it. Seperating
the two is a mere ditch, water only ankle to knee deep.
You have no idea where you are and the directions you have no longer apply. You're looking at a tomb entrance, and you're pretty sure if there were a tomb on the path you were supposed to take one of the voices would have mentioned it. Plus, the water was deep enough that your feet weren't touching the bottom. You're clearly in the wrong spot.
You have a seat on a nearby rock and think.
Quote
Michael, what are your objectives? At this point, do you want to try to help save the world, or are you content just to try to make a life for yourself in Morrowind? Are you willing to take risks in the hope of becoming the Nerevarine, or do you just want to learn magic and try to rise in one of the guilds?
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "....ehh. It's not that simple. Not dying sounds really good to me. But if I go hide in a cave and Dagoth Ur takes over the world and me and everybody ends up as diseased corprus beasts...yeah, dying cleanly might be better than that. But if stopping Dagoth Ur means catching corprus without knowing whether I'll get cured...you see how it's kind of complicated? I don't think just 'making a life' in the sense of learning to bake and marrying a hot dunmer chick is really an option. Remember, unless something changes, this whole island is going to become a giant hole in water in a few years, and that's even if Dagoth Ur is stopped. Becoming a god sounds kind of awesome. And that's a well established thing here that people can do. Talos, the Tribunal, etc. And I'd like to think that if I'm a god, that pretty much takes care of all the other problems. Whatever happens, I'd definitely like to live through it. Living as a rich and powerful hero, so much the better. Becoming a god, well...that sounds awesome"
Quote
the ways to become a God are well-known here.
1. Prolix Tower. Don't really know. Perhaps godhood by patience. I don't think that's an option for us.
2. Enantiomorph. A king, a rebel, a witness. The king and rebel are near impossible to distinguish. And guess what? "Hortator and Sharmat, one and one, eleven, an inelegant number. Which of the ones is the more important? Could you ever tell if they switched places? I can and that is why you will need me." That's pretty convenient. Talos did this.
3. Seeing a path your enemy places for you and walking it anyway. I think that's what we're doing right now, actually, with Corprus and all that. Think Talos may have done this too.
4. Mantling. See: Champion of Cyrodiil, Talos, heck, maybe even us.
5. CHIM. Vivec, Talos. Extremely dangerous, failure likely. Probably not wise to pursue.
6. Soul combination. Numidium. ALMSIVI. Talos (again). May not quite be an option.
Michael squints and squeezes the bridge of his nose between his fingers, and slowly exhales.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "...yeah, I don't entirely follow all of that. And I think most of you don't either. Mantling is pretending to be a god...'taking up their mantle.' ...doing it so well that the universe can't tell the difference between you and the god. So you become the god. Right? Ok. Who would we pretend to be? Vivec? I don't really believe that sitting around in a locked room all day with my legs crossed will result in ascension. Sheogorath? Yeah, I don't think I want to be insane. How would we do that anyway? And how is mantling different from soul combination or some of the other things you mentioned? 'The king and the rebel are impossible to distinguish.' Isn't that basically describing the same thing?"
"What about CHIM? what exactly is CHIM? Vivec talked about it when we spoke to him, and he seemed to think we 'got it.' At least that was my impression. CHIM is...what, knowing that you're in a game? Then what? Using the construction set? We've already tried to access the command console a couple times and it hasn't worked. Obviously I'm in a game. This is Morrowind, and Morrowind is a game. So I realize I'm in game. Does that make me a god now? Vivec even confirmed that I'm in a game. But then he said I wasn't in the game I thought was. And one of you said recently that this was a forum game. Ok, so I'm in a forum game. What does that mean? I asked you guys about it, but nobody answered. And who are you guys? Are you gods? Are you players? Or are gods and players effectively the same thing, since this is a game? Does that mean that you guys should be the ones mantling rather than me? But then Vivec said you guys were my 'higher self.' So...am I supposed to mantle with you? Pretend that I'm the one playing a game, pretend that I'm you...and then somehow magically we both become gods? How is this supposed to work?"
Michael shakes his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I think I won't understand until you do. Anyway, I'm still lost on an island in the middle of somewhere cold and wet that I don't particularly want to be and it's dark now."
You glance over at the sun. It's a good 30 degrees below the horizon now, but you can see the magicka streaming from it through the planet as easily as through sky. It occurs to you that you'll always know roughly what time it is.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, guys. Last time I got lost near a tomb you said to take a look and you'd figure out where I was. So let's do that."
You fish your last healing potion out of your coinpurse and keep it ready in case you'll need it. Then you make a mad dash for the tomb. The mouth-creature hears you and turns, but you make it inside before it can catch you, and hastily close the door behind you...
(http://i.imgur.com/yBMokm8.png)
...and turn around to see a scamp barreling up the hallways towards you. A rat once fought you to a draw. You're not going to try to take on a daedra. Instead you open the door and rush out...
(http://i.imgur.com/GpRYtfk.png)
(GM Comment: That's either a clipping error or the Alit's trailling leg is behind it because it's running. Don't read too much into that.)
...into the waiting jaws of two massive beasts. You chug the potion in your hand and push between them in a full run. The kagouti catches you with its tusk as you run, tearing a chunk out of your lower torso, but not slowing you down any and the damage can't keep pace with your healing. Fortunately the water isn't far and you make it before the healing potion wears off.
Health is now at full
Once chest deep in the water you turn to see the kagouti standing at the water's edge, staring at you. The other one you have no idea where it is, but you decide not to stick around to find out. Instead you pick a direction and start swimming.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Well, I guess this as a good a time as any to use a water walking potion."
You fish the potion out and swallow, then feel your body bob up the the surface of the water amidst a flurry of purple sparkles.
(http://i.imgur.com/10UvbA7.png)
You've long since lost track of which direction you're supposed to going, but you know the direction you came from, so you make a best guess and start running. 15 seconds later the potion wears off and you fall back in with enough momentum to end up completely submerged with a mouthful of water. It tastes an unpleasant mix of salt and ash.
(http://i.imgur.com/HCo6O6p.png)
When you come up you spit out the water and notice that your hat is gone. You decide to abandon it rather than go fishing around for it. That potion didn't get you very far, but at least there are no slaughterfish. You're beginning to get tired though and the weight of your armor and backpack is pulling your head under the water. You switch to taking big breaths and swimming underwater, then pushing to the surface for air. It works, but you can't do this forever.
Athletics is now 23
-~=Michael is now level 8=~-
Max health is now 61
Luck is now 57
Quote
This route requires crossing far less water.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...ugh. Just shut up and let me swim."
Fortunately there's a small island ahead that gives you a chance to rest. Good thing, too. If it hadn't been there, you probably would have needed to ditch your backpack. After a few minutes you walk to the other side, and...is that a boat?
(http://i.imgur.com/wZY8GHa.png)
Did Tel Fyr have a ferry? Well, at this point you're not going to complain even if you're in the wrong place. Readjusting your pack and taking a deep breath, you wade into the water and start swimming towards the boat. About halfway, a large structure begins to become visible through the fog.
(http://i.imgur.com/zrUerHU.png)
Tel Fyr.
The rest of your swim is tiring, but uneventful. To your surprise however, as you come up alongside the boat you hear a female voice saying something you can't make out. Turning, you see that the boat is occupied.
(http://i.imgur.com/Gv9rjpe.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "...if that's yet another dreugh gnawing on my boat, so help me..."
She pokes her head over the edge with empty hands held as if ready to cast.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Wait! Don't shoot!"
She looks at you for a moment, clearly unimpressed. Then shakes her head and disappears from view. You climb up onto the beach and look up at the massive mushroom structure before you.
(http://i.imgur.com/aj93GYb.png)
Definitely a Telvanni tower. But before going inside, you decide to talk to the woman on the boat. Her regal robes shimmer with a hint of magic, and she carries no weapon.
(http://i.imgur.com/FfOUJIK.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png) "Can I help you?"
Her tone is not entirely friendly.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hi, my name's Michael. Is this Tel Fyr?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png) "No, this is my boat. That's Tel Fyr."
She points to the giant mushroom tower behind you.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...right. So, umm..."
You struggle to think of something to say. Nothing very intelligent comes to mind. You're still a bit frazzled from your swim.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Do you come here often?"
She raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png) "Are you flirting with me?"
You facepalm.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, I can see you're a busy woman...minding your boat. And I don't want to bug you. So, I'll just be going."
You turn around and head back to dry ground, feeling the peculiar bouncing of the dock beneath your feet.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png) "Hey."
You turn.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png) "Cinia."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png) "My name. It's Cinia."
She has an amused smirk on her face when she says it. It's not exactly warm and inviting, but at least you're no longer worried about her incinerating you. Before you can respond she turns around and goes back to whatever she was doing. You stand there for a moment feeling dumb, then head to the entrance to Tel Fyr.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, guys. Looks like we made it."
(http://i.imgur.com/qeg1ige.png)
You sit down and take a quick inventory, squeeze water of your things and generally rearrange your gear to how it was before your swim. You lost your hat. And you vaguely remember tossing a couple potion bottles to the ground after drinking them on the run. Worse though, it looks like pretty much everything you had in your bag that was made of paper was destroyed by the water. Your letter of recommendation from Ranis and your hospitality papers are strips of mush, and while there's a mostly dry section in the middle of your notepad, the sides and edges of every page are soaked. At least your cellphone still works, though you notice the battery is low. Even turned off like it's been it doesn't look like it's going to last much longer. Pouring water from your coinpurse to check the insides, your remaining potions - levitation, invisibility and water walking - are all still properly sealed, but it looks like your divine intervention scroll is soaked and the ink has run in a blotted mess all over the page. You close your eyes and check it for magic. Unfortunately you don't really know what you're looking for. Everything is made out magic-light, including the paper, the ink and the water soaked into them both. You look at your dagger and see vibrant patterns of reds and purples. The scroll doesn't look like that at all, but you don't know for certain whether it's supposed to. Comparing it to the regular paper though, you suspect that the magic of the scroll was lost when the ink smeared. That's unfortunate. You assumed it would survive getting wet. Actually, you assumed most of your gear would survive getting wet. At least your alchemy ingredients should be fine. Fermentation is a mandatory alchemical process prior to calcination, so a little mold shouldn't hurt the final product at all. Though you suspect that the water-soaked bread will probably stink up your bag if you let it sit in there. Although...there's an awful lot of salt in that water and none of your wounds have ever become infected. Maybe mold isn't a problem here? Deciding not to chance it you toss the easily replaceable bread, along with some of the meaty animal ingredients. The plant ingredients should all be fine given a little time to sit in the sun tomorrow. Also, what's this granular white goo that's stuck to everything?
You scrape some up and sniff it. Bone meal. All over everything. Yeah, no way you're going to be able to recover that. You clean up as best you can, and wash your clothes in the water and squeeze them out. Then you scoop up the various wet papers, shake them out and put them back in. You doubt you'll be able to use them when they dry, but you decide it's better to carry around some destroyed paper with you than to introduce yourself to one of the most powerful wizards in Morrowind by leaving a mess on his doorstep.
You push at the door. It's not locked.
(GM Comment: I dare any of you to try to get to Tel Fyr with a low level character running from everything trying to kill him, without using either the overview or radar maps, and based solely on the directions you gave him. Michael got the direction he was supposed to be going mixed up twice, and got lucky that those two mistakes canceled each other out and he basically stumbled on Tel Fyr by chance. Also: most image-intensive episode to date. And congratulations on the levelup. It's been a while.)
(http://i.imgur.com/4r79RS9.png)
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Descan on January 17, 2014, 09:38:34 am
Post by: WillowLuman on January 17, 2014, 12:11:55 pm
EDIT: misread. Let's go in.
Good to know about the water. Was not expecting to wind up wet, as we bought waterwalking, but it's good to know. TBH it's hard to tell what's going to be the same as real life or not sometimes. We can worry about getting back later. Michael, congratulate yourself. That was some luck.
Post by: Spitfire on January 17, 2014, 03:16:19 pm
I mean, the one he saw was also in a spoiler, so that can't be it. I drew it looking directly at the in-game map for reference. If he had seen it, that would have at least allowed him to see the shape of the coastline.
It's really a pity he couldn't see your map. So the purple pony wasn't in a spoiler, I think that's what made the difference. Or had he been able to see a picture inside a spoiler before, and I just forgot?
Post by: WillowLuman on January 17, 2014, 03:32:26 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 17, 2014, 03:35:07 pm
Post by: ank on January 17, 2014, 03:53:59 pm
Please think of me as your common sense.
Go inside duh
We need to plan ahead, as I see it there is four cases we could encounter:
1: Clover has not yet drunk the potion, do we try to make her drink it or not?
2: She has drunk it, and is dead, what then? Do we try our luck at corprus and drinking?
3: Drunk it, and lived, she is the Neverarine. Do we try and join forces with her? Perhaps pretending to be her guardian angel or something?
4: She has already left.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 17, 2014, 04:16:49 pm
2) Have a long talk with Divayth Fyr
3 & 4) If she has already left, it means that she drank it, survived, and is thus the Nerevarine. Thus, we know that we are not, and are free to pursue our own path to power.
Here's what we know: Dagoth Ur knows of us, and from the way he talks, does not seem to think we're the Nerevarine. In the game he and his minions always call the PC "Nerevar", but here they refer to us as "Michael." They implore us to come to him, but because we are "interesting." If Dagoth Ur doesn't think we're the Nerevarine, then I doubt we are. In which case, Corprus does not seem like a good idea.
However, in the game, Fyr's experimental potion was part of a long line. It could be that the formula he tried on the Nerevarine simply happened to be the first successful one, and thus might possibly work on other people (like us).
Oh, we should try to get to Yagrum before our cell phone dies. Also, examine the Magicka of our phone. Does anything about it seem different compared to our other possessions?
Post by: Urist_McGamer on January 17, 2014, 05:54:47 pm
Also, examine the Magicka of our phone.
Seconding this.
Post by: Mr. Strange on January 17, 2014, 08:20:25 pm
Oh, we should try to get to Yagrum before our cell phone dies. Also, examine the Magicka of our phone.This, and talk to Divayth Fyr and find out what happened with Clover. Let him know we know about Corprus and it's connection to Dagoth ur and his plans (those who actually have played Morrowind might be of more use than me here), and that we want to help. Help Morrowind, I mean, not Dagoth Ur... Because 4 000 year old Telvanni mage-lord isn't interested in some random imperial who swam to his private island (Michael, you might want to dry up before going in, get any sand out of your hair, that sort of things...), but if we know something usefull we have chance to keep ourself near the important people who make the decisions and keep the plot moving towards Dagoth getting killed. And Clover should drink the potion, if my suspicions are correct she'll live and has already left, and we'll stay one step behind talking to the people who give her all those quests convincing them to do just that...
Also, before going in go ask Cinia if she's willing to give us ride back to mainland, if we can't get out via (someone elses) magic. If things go bad and we're chased out by fireballs and daedra...
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: The_Jester on January 17, 2014, 10:21:45 pm
My vote is yes. This means contracting corprus and drinking the potion, unless someone can think of another way to become immune to disease. We need to enter the tower, be as honest as we can with the wizard about who we are (because of the marks) without revealing too much about our knowledge, and find out what happened to Clover. We then need to ask him to infect us with corprus, and ask for the potion. Perhaps we could tell him we are studying the beneficial aspects of corprus and we heard he was the expert on the disease, play to his ego. We should not talk to him about Dagoth Ur, as we have no idea what his feelings on the matter are, or where his allegiances might lie.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 17, 2014, 11:24:52 pm
He's been to other worlds. We know where his allegiences lie; they're with himself, like any Telvanni mage-lord, and certainly not with Dagoth Ur. He's a compassionate one, but he lives only for his own passions and interests... those just happen to include Corprus, because it fascinates him. He freed a certain badass argonian from slavery and now he's his loyal friend and warden of the Corprusarium. He has a fascination with the Dwemer, and in the game Caius sends the player there with some gifts, but I don't think those will be necessary in these circumstances.
Post by: Xanmyral on January 17, 2014, 11:36:15 pm
We figured out some stuff got lost in transition and how, so that shouldn't happen again.
Something that may interest you however is that we can see and know your stats in detail, just give us a ring if you want to know one in particular or an info dump.
Post by: The_Jester on January 18, 2014, 12:02:35 am
Post by: WillowLuman on January 18, 2014, 03:09:58 am
I can hardly think of a better term for him than "nerdy."
Additionally, he can hardly be bothered with things he's not interested in, like politics. He'd be more likely to find us a scientific curiosity than any kind of threat to his power (we pose absolutely none in any case).
Post by: Putnam on January 18, 2014, 03:21:12 am
Post by: hostergaard on January 18, 2014, 10:45:14 am
You know, it hit me that your phone probably have a calculator function. You might be able to sell or trade it of for a high price as a magic math box for difficult calculations. Though they might get angry when the battery runs out.
I know, that Dwemer in Tel Fyr should know about electricity and know how to produce it. Show the mobile phone and the calculator function to Divayth Fyr when you get the opportunity. See if you can trade it for an artifact or something. Explain that it need to charged with electricity which his basement dwemer should be able to figure that out. If he do not want to trade ask to show it to the dwemer anyway, the technology will probably fascinate him and he might be able to help recharge it for you.
Post by: Parcae on January 18, 2014, 12:32:24 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on January 19, 2014, 05:13:16 am
For example, how do they measure the magnitude of a spell? In energy released per second? How does that value equate to other units of measurement? What are the standard units of measurement that are used in Morrowind for science? Are shock spells AC or DC?
Post by: The_Jester on January 19, 2014, 10:39:08 am
As for the stuff about trying to charge our phone and discussing physics with Bagarn, I think that is getting a bit ahead of ourselves. The main question is what do we do about Clover's fate? Let's not get sidetracked, that is why Michael came in the first place. I already expressed my opinion.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 19, 2014, 12:45:27 pm
Yes I have played Morrowind, and your opinions on Fyr are fine, but don't pretend that you have any idea how he will act here. This is a 4000 year old wizard who spends his time with monsters, clones of himself(that he probably does disturbing things with), and the last Dwemer. We have no idea how he will react to Michael, so we should be cautious. Which is all I have been saying we should be.
We know fairly well how he might behave precisely because of the way he behaves in game and where he is mentioned in the lore: he's an extremely eccentric professor type. He's neither unpredictably insane nor above our comprehension. And as a 4,000 year old wizard, he's seen some weird shit in his time (he knows how to go anywhere in Oblivion and back almost at will). We don't need to lie to him for fear of making him feel threatened with our information. What we really need to be careful about is minding our manners. There's nothing we can do or say that could make him feel threatened, but that doesn't mean we can't still offend him.
Just thought of a problem: we've only got one levitation potion. In order to get back down safely we'll need the wizard's help. Normally he gives the player a pair of dwemer levitation boots to take to Yagrum for repair, but he probably gave them to clover. Now, he's 4,000 years old and has got a magicka pool big enough to drown Michael Phelps, but it might be rude to ask more than once. We'll need to say everything we can while we're up there.
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 19, 2014, 03:58:17 pm
Delyna Mandas (check in on her on the way, too!)
Ask about the Propylon Index, if it's still there.
Try to get some info on the dwemer, since we might have a little more leeway filling Trebonius's mission when we meet him than in-game. (assuming, again, clover hasn't beaten us to it)
Since there's a decent chance we'll have to head into the Corprasarium at some point, does anyone know exactly where the guarskin drum is? Once we do that, we should be able to ask for some keys and go unlock Corprasarium chests and get some loot and stuff safely, right?
Post by: The_Jester on January 19, 2014, 04:37:10 pm
We don't need to lie to him for fear of making him feel threatened with our information. What we really need to be careful about is minding our manners.
We agree. Don't lie, but be careful and respectful in what you say.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2014, 12:41:19 am
Since there's a decent chance we'll have to head into the Corprasarium at some point, does anyone know exactly where the guarskin drum is? Once we do that, we should be able to ask for some keys and go unlock Corprasarium chests and get some loot and stuff safely, right?
I think that, unlike in the game, Vistha Kai will actually hunt us if we attempt to go looting, so we'll have to deal with an Argonian badass, rather than just easily-dodged Corprus patients. We can't fight him either, only dodge: Divayth Fyr's rules are that thieves must endure/dodge him and the patients. They may keep any treasure they get, but only if they follow those rules. I don't think Vistha Kai will hunt us if we're just there for visiting, though.
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 20, 2014, 10:35:50 am
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2014, 01:37:19 pm
Post by: gordy on January 21, 2014, 04:00:55 am
Re: energizing the cellphone, surely this should be doable in a land where bottles can be blasted out of sand with a flame spell.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 21, 2014, 11:28:53 am
Post by: Putnam on January 21, 2014, 12:06:51 pm
I seriously think that talking to Yagrum Bagarn is pretty important.
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 21, 2014, 01:56:07 pm
Just in case.
Post by: Astral on January 21, 2014, 02:07:36 pm
We do need to make sure to gauge Divath Fyr's reaction to minor revelations before letting him know more world breaking information; preferably after requesting his assistance. We don't want to end up as experiment material to a 4000 year old possibly insane Telvanni wizard. Though the fact he runs the Corpusarium shows at least some amount of hospitality.
Aside from mentioned above, inquire about his ability to travel between realms at will, and if it can be learned or performed upon others within reasonable safe limits. I recently read in my own Morrowind playthrough the Varieties of Daedra book, which mentions this ability as something he and he alone possesses. Additionally, if he seems okay with answering the above question, ask if he has knowledge of the realm of your origin, showing him the cell phone, some of the non-ruined paper of your note pad, and possibly the t-shirt as focus points for where you were originally from.
Post by: Putnam on January 21, 2014, 02:15:21 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 21, 2014, 03:15:29 pm
Post by: LordBucket on January 21, 2014, 03:48:28 pm
Update might be a couple days away. Real life. Meanwhile feel free to continue to speculate about things.
Post by: gordy on January 21, 2014, 06:02:14 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 21, 2014, 06:08:54 pm
Post by: Putnam on January 21, 2014, 06:45:18 pm
Post by: andrea on January 21, 2014, 07:14:21 pm
Post by: gordy on January 22, 2014, 01:46:33 am
Post by: LordBucket on January 22, 2014, 03:02:57 am
Do we know Michaels birth sign, incidentally? That would be good to know.
Episode 34: Who was the Nerevarine when the world reset? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4420460#msg4420460)
So Michael, what's your birthday?
Episode 11: Conversations with Vivec, Sermon 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4286948#msg4286948)
Post by: WillowLuman on January 22, 2014, 03:26:56 am
Now I'm getting an image of hundreds of competing Nerevarine-hopefuls scouring Red Mountain for the artifacts in a race to get there first, utterly destroying everything in their path.
Post by: gordy on January 22, 2014, 05:07:18 am
Post by: The_Jester on January 22, 2014, 04:55:33 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on January 27, 2014, 06:20:16 pm
Post by: LordBucket on January 28, 2014, 04:00:09 pm
Next update is in process. Possibly might be up tonight, more likely tomorrow.
Post by: LordBucket on January 30, 2014, 07:34:58 am
Episode 49: Tel Fyr
Quote
dry up before going in, get any sand out of your hair, that sort of things
You're healed to full and your swim seems to have washed all the blood off your armor. Though it does have a couple gouges in the torso that could stand to be repaired. You try to straighten your hair a bit, but with no mirror and no brush all you can really do is shake the water out and slick it back. On the bright side, having lost your fluffy hat in the water, at least you won't have to worry about helmet hair.
Quote
ask Cinia if she's willing to give us ride back to mainland
Quote
asking boat captain how long she will stay in port and whether we can take passage back.
You turn to go back to the dock, but it seems that Cinia is off the boat and walking up the path towards you already. Hoping for the best, you pretend to be looking for something in your backpack while she walks up, and greet her when she gets close.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hello again."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Hi."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Did you...need me for something?"
She raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "No, I have business in Tel Fyr. You're standing in front of the door."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...oh, sorry. Umm, so hey...it occurs to me it would be a lot nicer to ride back than to swim. Any chance you'd be willing to take me back to the mainland?"
She shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "My next stop is Sadrith Mora. If you're at the dock when I leave I can take you with me. 20 gold ok?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sure, I can do that. When are you leaving?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "It will probably be a few hours. By dawn if I'm lucky."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So, you're not a regular ferry?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "I do passenger and cargo transport from time to time, but I don't offer regular service to/from Tel Fyr if that's what you mean. This whole island is restricted."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "We're not breaking the law just by being here, are we?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "You are, outlander. I have council authorization."
Quote
Let's go in.
Quote
Go inside
While you struggle to come up with a suitable reply, Cinia opens the door and the two of you step inside to the sound of two dunmer women, one in armor the other in clearly magical robes, arguing. Cinia waits to be acnowledged rather than interrupt. You follow her lead and do the same.
(http://i.imgur.com/827eL90.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/wA8cv6U.png): "-of the Council. Someone must act."
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "Divayth does everything he can to avoid involvement, but you're welcome to ask him."
(http://i.imgur.com/wA8cv6U.png): "You know he won't listen to me."
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "I also know you haven't tried talking to him. How long has it been? Five years? Ten?"
With no immediate response, the woman in armor looks up and smiles at Cinia.
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "Cinia? I didn't expect to see you back so soon."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Foreman said the enchantment on the crystals I brought him wasn't good enough. So Llunela will need another set."
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "Oh, I'm so sorry. I think Alfe's upstairs. But surely that can wait. Will you be staying for dinner? Who's your friend?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Thanks for the offer, but I'm on a schedule and Alfe will probably ask me to help her cut the crystals. As for him," she glances at you, "just some outlander here to plunder the dungeon, I suspect. He arrived a few minutes after I did."
At that, the one in armor looks motherly and concerned, while the robed one looks you over and laughs.
(http://i.imgur.com/wA8cv6U.png): "At least this trip won't be a total loss. Do you have anything valuable on you? Your armor's worthless. Anything good in your bag?"
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "Freyte! That's not polite!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Actually, I'm here to speak with Divayth Fyr. And Yagrum too, if possible."
(http://i.imgur.com/wA8cv6U.png): "Oh? Pity."
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "For Yagrum you'll have to pass through the corprusarium. I don't advise that. But Divayth's in the upper tower. You're welcome to see yourself up."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "I'm headed in that direction. I'll show him the way. Thanks, Beyte."
The two dunmer resume their argument while Cinia leads you up a ramp and through a door.
(http://i.imgur.com/aPv8PHG.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What was that about?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "I learned ages ago to not ask. Divayth's relationship with his daughters is...complex."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "They're clones, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Is that public knowledge now? Yes, outlander. They're clones. And daughters. And wives. And probably some other things that aren't any of my business. Some of them are more accepting of it than others."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about you? How come you know so much about the Fyr's?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Business brings me here from time to time. Beyte's a real sweetheart. We talk occasionally."
Cinia stops in the middle of the corridor and looks up.
(http://i.imgur.com/LhBP9xX.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "You can levitate, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I have a potion."
Cinia waves her hands and is engulfed in a swarm of purple lights, then begins floating up the shaft. You drink your levitation potion and immediately feel lighter. Weightless, even. You stand there for a moment before it occurs to you that you have no idea what to do.
Your feet have drifted slightly off the floor but you're not sure how to move in the direction you want to go. You reach your right arm down to put the empty bottle back into your coinpurse and the motion causes the rest of your body to rotate slightly in the opposite direction. Your toes are now out of contact with the floor and your body is tilted with the left side closer to the ground than the right. Maybe if you try to fly like superman?
You reach your arms up above your head and the motion pushes you back down onto the floor. You try to sink down with your knees to jump, but instead of sinking, your knees lift off the ground and your head and chest rotate forward. In a panic you kick downwards with both legs to get back in contact with the ground, then once you are, you push as hard as you can with only your feet and ankles. This propels you upward...slowly.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, I've got this."
Since it seems like any motion from one part of your body causes the rest of your body to rotate around your center of gravity, you try not to move too much as you ascend the shaft. This isn't at all what you expected, but at least you're going in the direction you want to go. Curious, you try tilting your head up and inhaling, then tilting your head down and exhaling. You can't tell if it makes any difference. Then you reach out with both hands and press against the walls of the shaft. This stops your ascent. Pushing upward to make your body move down, you then pull down and let go, propelling yourself at a reasonable speed to the top of the shaft.
(http://i.imgur.com/d6uUglM.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "First time?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah. How did you do it? I didn't see you jump or grab anything like I had to."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "It's different with a spell. More like flying. Potions are levitation only with no way to control where you go. Try never use one outdoors. You'll get airborne easily enough; in fact it's hard to stay on the ground, but once you're in the air there's nothing to push off of to get back down. Until the potion wears off."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'll try to remember that."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Divayth should be down the corridor across the hall."
Quote
talk to Divayth Fyr
Quote
talk to Divayth Fyr
Quote
talk to Divayth Fyr and find out what happened with Clover.
Quote
find out what happened to Clover
Cinia disappers down one corridor, while you walk around to the corridor she pointed out for you. It seems a bit more spacious up here than you remember, but once you're clear of the support structure Divayth is immediately recognizable in a full suit of daedric armor. You're reminded of the set that Vivec conjured for you so long ago. How heavy did he say it was? 300 pounds? Divayth doesn't move like he's encumbered at all by it.
(http://i.imgur.com/q7vnDR4.png)
It seems a bit strange that he has his back to the corridor, but you suppose there aren't many things on Vvardenfell that could do much more than inconvenience him. When you step into the room he turns, and you see that he's holding some sort of small box with both hands.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Greetings, trav-"
He doesn't finish his sentence.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hello, Divayth. I'm-"
He sets the box down on his table and as you speak he walks up and looks you up and down, examining you.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Excuse me for interrupting, but would you remove your armor?"
Quote
Divayth Fyr is cool and completely deserves our utmost respect and honesty.
Quote
be careful about is minding our manners.
Quote
be careful and respectful in what you say.
You suspect this is not what the voices had in mind, but you also suspect he asked because he chooses to be polite...not because he was giving you the option.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm, ok."
You set your backpack on the ground and begin removing your armor. As you do, Divayth walks in a circle around you, examining you. After a full circle he lifts your chin with a finger, leans in maybe six inches from your neck and looks around at it. Not merely staring, but moving his head and eyes around as if to see your insides from various angles.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "You appear to be an Imperial."
He takes your left hand into his and inspects it, turning it over a few times, individually examining each finger and your wrist, continuing to speak, as if to himself as he does.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "...not...seeing...anything."
He takes your right hand into his and give it the same treatment.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "What did you say your name was?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Ad8VRWk.png): "...umm...Michael...sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Michael. You're not a daedra."
Now he's hunched over, staring at your chest with a frown, giving it the same treatment he gave your neck: bobbing around as if trying to see your insides from all angles.
Quote
Don't lie, but be careful
(http://i.imgur.com/Ad8VRWk.png): "...not so far as I know, no."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "And you don't appear to be...much of anything, really."
He stands back up and looks into your eyes, still inspecting.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "You look like an Imperial. A rather ordinary one. Not even a caster, I'll wager."
(http://i.imgur.com/Ad8VRWk.png): "Well, no...not really. I can see magicka. And I can channel. But I haven't learned any spells or anything."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Hmm."
He frowns then shrugs and goes back over to his table and picks up the box and resumes playing with it while you put your armor back on. Now that you're up close, you can see that it's a metal cube about four inches to a side. He seems to be twisting and it and pushing at it. It kind of looks like a rubik's cube made out of dwemer metal.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "So what brings you to me, Michael?"
Quote
quick update that shows Divayth's attitude towards us, and what happened to Clover.
Quote
find out what happened to Clover
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, if you have time I have several things to discuss that might be of mutual interest. But the purpose of my visit to to discuss a visitor you might have had recently. A dunmer by the name of Clover the Clever."
He doesn't look up from the cube.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Yes, last I saw her she was in my study in the lower tower."
Not really an answer you were expecting.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...so she's not dead?"
Now he looks up.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "No, why would she be?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I...well, she has corprus, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Yes, but it's not immediately fatal. The inflicted routinely live for years and so long as the growths distribute in such a way as to avoid necrosis of crucial tissues, there's no need for death to result at all. I have a very few patients who are centuries old, possibly older than they could reasonably have expected to live without it. It's actually a very interesting condition, with a number of beneficial side effects. I hesitate to call it a disease at all."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Clover came for a cure. Were you able to give her one?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "I offered an experimental treatment contingent on performing a small errand for me. She has yet to complete it."
So that's it, then. Clover came, spoke with Divayth, he sent her on a prerequisite quest before giving her the potion, and she hasn't completed it yet. The question is, what to do now? You brought only one levitation potion assuming that you'd use divine intervention to leave. You can probably get down to the ground level without one. That vertical shaft you levitated up is small enough that you can touch both sides if you stretch your arms out, so you could drop your gear and armor down, then plant feet on one side and hands on the other and get down that way. But it's about 30 feet each way and you doubt you'd be able to get back up like that. You could of course stay here and talk to Divayth a bit before go, but whatever it was that captured his interest about you when you arrived seems to not be keeping his interest. You doubt you'll be able to get away with a full game of 20 questions like you did with Vivec.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: GlyphGryph on January 30, 2014, 09:50:43 am
that we have arrived from another world,
Our advanced technology (demonstrate to him the phone)
that evidence suggests we may be the Nevarine,
the fact that we have died and lived through it by rewinding time
That we want to contract corprus and then be cured of it alongside Clover (because if it fails on either one of us, then we can rewind time and inform him of it)
Now we need a good list of questions to ask them, but let's keep them limited to important questions - questions whose answers we can get some direct and powerful benefit from, questions that illuminate some very important information we know he knows. Let's talk about them and bring them up as suggestions to each other BEFORE bolding them - this is one of those times where everyone just throwing things out there is likely to end poorly.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 30, 2014, 12:35:31 pm
I think explaining our predicament is very important. And contrary to what was said earlier, I believe the best way of getting his attention is with the so-called "alarming" information, which random people ought not to know. Like asking "This errand wouldn't happen to be taking some dwemer boots of flying to get repaired, now would it?"
Speaking of which, also I suspect asking about that dwemer puzzle box might get him talking. If the game's anything to go on, he's quite chatty about subjects of his interest. In fact, I think we just narrowly avoided a full-blown lecture on Corprus. I know 2 of his major obsessions are the Dwemer and Corprus.
Post by: QuakeIV on January 30, 2014, 08:01:26 pm
So I would suggest checking if the phone has power.
Post by: ank on January 31, 2014, 07:00:43 pm
EDIT: Wait, did the phone get wet from the swimming? Bye bye phone!
Post by: Putnam on January 31, 2014, 08:18:20 pm
Last time we checked the phone had half power left, so let's just assume it got about half it's power left still.
EDIT: Wait, did the phone get wet from the swimming? Bye bye phone!
Episode 48:
Quote
At least your cellphone still works, though you notice the battery is low. Even turned off like it's been it doesn't look like it's going to last much longer.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 31, 2014, 08:38:28 pm
Post by: Putnam on January 31, 2014, 08:55:19 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 31, 2014, 10:32:29 pm
Post by: LordBucket on February 02, 2014, 04:38:33 pm
Now we need a good list of questions to ask them, but let's keep them limited to important questions - questions whose answers we can get some direct and powerful benefit from, questions that illuminate some very important information we know he knows. Let's talk about them and bring them up as suggestions to each other BEFORE bolding them - this is one of those times where everyone just throwing things out there is likely to end poorly.
There's potential to cover useful ground here. But I'm not going to cherry pick for you only the questions that will give the most useful information.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 02, 2014, 05:05:57 pm
I predict that Clover might plunder the corprusarium, leaving nothing for us even if we wanted to. Her plundering will give us some more time, though.
Post by: gordy on February 05, 2014, 07:28:43 pm
Post by: The_Jester on February 06, 2014, 02:17:46 pm
Tell him that we are a traveler from another world and that we suspect we were brought here by Azura to become the Nerevarine. Use this to elicit as much information from him as possible about the nature of world traveling and the Nerevarine.
Post by: Putnam on February 06, 2014, 02:23:49 pm
Tell him that we are a traveler from another world
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png) "No, you're not from another world."
I don't think Divayth Fyr will buy that.
Post by: Mr. Strange on February 06, 2014, 02:28:35 pm
I don't think Divayth Fyr will buy that.So we should say that we haven't existed in this world very long (how long has it been, few weeks?) and suspect outside interference.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 06, 2014, 02:40:27 pm
Tell him that we are a traveler from another world and that we suspect we were brought here by Azura to become the Nerevarine. Use this to elicit as much information from him as possible about the nature of world traveling and the Nerevarine.I'm not so sure about saying it like this. Divayth Fyr seems, at best, to have only a passing interest in the prophecy.
Post by: Descan on February 06, 2014, 02:55:43 pm
Post by: Supercharazad on February 07, 2014, 12:04:52 pm
Tell him we're, as far as we can tell, from another world, one in which the world of Morrowind and the recent events and such are part of an interactive story, but that Vivec says we're not from another world and that that confuses us as all get-out.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 07, 2014, 12:08:04 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on February 12, 2014, 09:26:49 am
And someone's got the top comment on Free Fred I see.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 20, 2014, 09:08:10 am
However, I'd like to also suggest a simpler action:
Ask him what we seem to be, and what was so fascinating about us.
He cut himself off mid sentence to take a closer look at us, so he clearly saw something. Whatever it was apparently lost its appeal pretty quickly, but that actually works in our favor- it implies that whatever he saw gave him more answers than questions.
We've been in such a hurry to throw around our status as precognizant and alien that we've forgotten to ask him about it alongside our telling. We went through the same thing with Vivec, pretty much. We did have information he wanted, but he had information we needed as well.
I'm sure there's something else important to ask him as well, but nothing immediately comes to mind. He could theoretically tell us a huge amount about a massive number of things, but he's probably got better things to do and we're not in a position to take advantage of very much.
Finally, I hate to go off topic from the current issue, but I've recently gained some interesting (if, again, not very immediately relevant) information.
Some time ago somebody mentioned that they thought the PCs were patterned after ponies. I believe this is correct. Their explanation wasn't very detailed at the time, however, so I thought I'd elaborate.
Spoiler: Ponies, PCs, and You (click to show/hide)
Post by: Descan on February 20, 2014, 12:02:33 pm
Post by: birdy51 on February 20, 2014, 12:35:30 pm
I think the theory is strange enough that it might just make sense...
Post by: WillowLuman on February 20, 2014, 01:23:15 pm
Post by: LordBucket on February 20, 2014, 08:39:00 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "I offered an experimental treatment contingent on performing a small errand for me. She has yet to complete it."
Quote
First, ask "is that errand, perhaps, to retrieve some dwemer boots of flying?"
Quote
I agree with the above
Quote
I approve of asking about the errand
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Would that errand happen to be to retrieve some dwemer boots of flying?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "No." Divayth pauses for a moment then raises one eyebrow. "But I did ask another guest for something similar a few weeks ago."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Another guest?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Yes. How do you know of this?"
Quote
we have arrived from another world
Quote
Tell him that we are a traveler from another world and
that we suspect we were brought here by Azura to become the Nerevarine.
Quote
Tell him we're, as far as we can tell, from another world, one in which the world of Morrowind and the recent events and such are part of an interactive story, but that Vivec says we're not from another world and that that confuses us as all get-out.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's a little difficult to explain. I'm from another world. Another world where Morrowind is known...exists, kind of...but it's an interactive story rather than a real place. It's a game that players can participate in. I know about some things here but not everything because this world resembles the game world I've played. That's why I'm here, actually. Kind of. I was going to 'play the game' and somehow I ended up falling into it. Literally, I was sitting in my bedroom then the next thing I knew I was falling from the sky and landed in a swamp."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "So then, you are a daedra?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, I'm just a human from earth."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Human? Earth? What are those?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Humans are my species. And earth is my planet. The world I come from."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "So you're a daedra. Or from your point of view, everyone here is."
Divayth sets his puzzle box down and picks up a cup of tea and sips from it.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "While the more anthropocentrically minded might be inclined to think otherwise, The Planes of Oblivion are an infinite sea of possibility and Mundus itself is merely yet another plane among that infinity. Transit between planes is possible. Doors and portals do exist and can be made. Usually with a tremendous expenditure of magicka. Or much less, granted there is mutual cooperation between planes, as with the case of the school of conjuration."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Wait...so a 'daedra' is just any being from a different dimension and any conjurer with the right spell can bring people between worlds? So you're telling me that I was summoned to Nirn?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "It's not that simple. The conjuration school requires cooperation from both sides. If I summon a golden saint, she comes willingly through a portal I have only half made, not because I have compelled her. And no, I'm not speculating on how you came to be here. The conjuration school is only one means by which the threshold between worlds may be crossed. I'm merely explaining the implications of what you appear to be claiming. The Planes of Oblivion are an infinity of realized possibilities housed within Aetherius. Mundus is one among them. It's been suggested that our world is simply a dream being experienced by a dreamer somewhere, either in Aetherius or another Plane, who's to say? That it might be a game rather than a dream seems similar enough to merely be a question of interpretation."
He politely ignores your confused look and sets his teacup down.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "So you knew I'd asked a guest to fetch some dwemer boots for me because you'd seen it happen in your game?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes. Though in the game, the person you asked for the boots was the same person you gave the antidote to."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "So then there are differences. In your game does my potion work?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sort of. It works for one person, then kills everyone else you try it on."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "I see. Do you know a cure, then?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, in the Morrowind I know you never succeed in finding a cure. The person it works for, it only works for them because they're the Nerevarine and it's part of the prophecy they're fulfilling."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Hmm. Then let's intend that this be another thing different between your version of this world and mine. In my experience prophecies rarely play out as expected, and infinity isn't to be taken lightly. It's altogether likely that there are countless variations of this same conversation being had by other Divayths and other Michaels in other Planes of Oblivion. I'd be hesitant to assume that anything here is as you expect it to be, and even if you did have a corprus cure from your world there's only a small chance it would work here. I'd be happy to try it, of course, but the subtle variation between Planes is a big part of why I don't walk through the Doors anymore. It's possible to spend weeks in a world that superficially resembles your own only to one day discover that some harmless little plant you recognize from your childhood is actually a carnivorous monster intent on eating you the moment it touches your lips. And no one thinks to inform you of this because every child in their world knows it. What did you do after falling into the swamp?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I recognized this as Morrowind almost immediately, so knowing what I know about the game Morrowind, first thing I did was go to see Vivec. He let me in and we talked, I told him I was from another world, but he told me I wasn't, even though he did say I wasn't an Imperial like I look like. But I honestly don't understand a lot of the things he said, and I'm kind of confused on that point. He mostly spoke in riddles."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "More likely he told you the literal truth as he sees it. Sometimes his view of truth only make sense after a couple centuries of research." Divayth stares into space for a moment with a sour look on his face, then shakes his head. "Though it's curious that he spoke to you at all. How did you get in to see him?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I slipped a note under his door and he let me in."
He laughs.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Haha, well, I'll be sure to try that next time I want to see him. But for all my talk of Oblivion, the fact remains that I inspected you myself and you appear to be rather ordinary and not a daedra at all. There are subtle clues in the most basic structure of being that may be seen by those those who know how to look. It is of course possible that you happen to be from a world so similar that even at the most basic level your structure resembles ours. But amidst an infinity of possible worlds, and given your claim to be from a world so different from ours that Nirn is nothing but a dream, it seems unlikely that the basic structure of our magicka would resemble each other's so closely that we would seem to be grown from the same mushroom, as it were. And you say that Vivec himself confirmed you're not from another world. It seems unlikely that we would both be wrong about you."
Quote
Ask him what we seem to be, and what was so fascinating about us.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, ok. I don't have all the answers here, I admit that. But obviously something's going on. I'm pretty sure Vivec doesn't talk to just anybody and even you immediately noticed there was something unusual about me. What was that inspection about? I don't usually get asked to get naked within 5 seconds of meeting someone. What was so fascinating about me that you interrupted yourself mid-sentence to take a look?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "You bear Azura's mark. I simply wanted to see what other secrets you might have. It was unlikely the armor would have hidden anything from me, but your minor discomfort was a price I was willing to pay to be sure."
You blink a couple times at that statement before focusing on the important part.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Azura's mark?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "You didn't know?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm...no? I mean, I know who Azura is. But what mark?"
He brings up his left hand and points a finger into the side of your head near your right ear at about eye level.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Look here. Right in the middle of your skull at this position."
You close your eyes and focus on your magic vision. You're not really using your eyes to see, so it's not a problem that you're looking basically backwards from them. Actually...you're not entirely sure where the vantage point is when you see magicka. You're not certain it's the eyes doing the seeing at all. Probably not, since it's easier to do with your eyelids closed. Even so, it's difficult to see where he's pointing. There's an awful lot of stuff in the way. It's like looking at the matrix, but your skull and insides are made of the same light you're looking for so there's a lot of interference. It's kind of like trying to make out a stained glass window that's on the other side of a couple other stained glass windows.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Here, let me help."
Divath casts a spell and you watch with your eyes closed as a flurry of magicka from his hands envelops you and is absorbed by you. Suddenly you feel smarter, and your vision becomes more clear. You see colors you didn't notice before, and in more subtle variations. Peering back inside your head where Divayth pointed you now clearly see a mark in the form of a tiny eight-pointed star, yellow in the middle with eight orange wavy sunbeams extending from it.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Is that...Azura's Star? Like, the artifact?"
He smiles.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Very good."
Wait, seriously? "Favored by Azura?" "Born under a certain star and bearing a certain mark?" You've got an Azura's Star mark embedded inside your skull! How could it possibly be more certain?
Quote
we suspect we were brought here by Azura to become the Nerevarine.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm the Nerevarine!" You excitedly blurt out.
His smile turns to an amused grin.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Are you, now? Do tell."
Quote
Ask politely if Clover was all she appeared to be under similar inspection. May give clues to true Nevarine.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Did Clover have the same mark?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Have you ever met anyone else who did?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "You might say that. Check me."
You close your eyes again and gaze into Divayth's skull. It's more difficult to see into his head than yours, but after some effort you manage to see: Divayth has an eight-pointed star in his head, same mark, same place as you do. Suddenly you feel less certain.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But, why? Why would Azura mark you too? Both of us? What does it mean?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "I don't know. I ask every couple centuries, but she won't tell me."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Anyone else besides the two of us?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Quite a few, yes. One of my daughters, a good friend of mine with corprus, Vivec, the High Fane, many others. At one time I believed it was a mark of great consequence, as it's usually only individuals of great power or historical significance who have it. But you are hardly a powerful individual, and you're not the first. Some born with it become nothing more than random merchants or adventurers. I once even met a skooma addict with the mark."
Quote
Our advanced technology (demonstrate to him the phone)
Quote
Show the mobile phone
You exhale with frustration.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok. Maybe I am the Nerevarine, maybe I'm not. But regardless of what Vivec says, I'm pretty sure I'm from another world. Take a look at this."
You remove your backpack and fish out your cellphone, thankful that the water didn't destroy it. You flip it open, turn it on and hand it to him. Divayth accepts it and glances at it for only a moment before looking around the room.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "What is that aura effect? Why is it so irregular?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm...what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "This device. It's bathing the room in a weak, irregular aura...of a purpose I cannot identify."
Aura? All you did was turn it on. He holds it up to eye level and examines it.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "What does this do?"
You glance at the screen. It says it's looking for service.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's called a phone. It's a communication device, but it needs other phones and things to communicate with. Right now it's looking for one."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Communication via aura? That seems inefficient. What do these buttons do?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "They're for calling other phones. Every phone has a number, and if you dial the number for another phone it will allow you to talk to the person who has that phone. Also some other things. Navigating menus and so forth. Here, let me show you."
You take the phone back and wait for it to finish. Eventually it gives you a menu. No network found and only one bar of power left. You set it to camera mode and hand it back to him.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Now, see how it shows you whatever it's aimed at?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Yes, much like a communication crystal, but smaller...and seems to be made of thousands of...what are those?" He squints. "I've never seen liquid enchanted in this manner."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Couldn't tell you. I just use it. Aim it at something, then press this button right here."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "This one?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes."
Divayth holds the phone up to you and takes a picture.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Ok. It stopped."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes. You took a picture of me."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "But now it's just stuck showing me you. Why is that more interesting than what it was doing a moment ago?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Because we can save it, take pictures of other things, then bring them back up again later. We can even take full motion video with sound."
You spend a few minutes showing Divayth the single frame and video capture features on your phone. It occurs to you that you probably could have come up with some useful use for this before now.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Fascinating device. Why does it run on lightning?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You mean, electricity instead of magic? This is technology from my world."
DIvayth raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "What do you mean? Electricity is composed of magicka, just like every other magic effect. Surely the enchantment would have been simpler without the conversion."
You start to answer and then you stop yourself. Just a few minutes ago you were looking inside your own skull, made of magicka, and the pretty lights inside your head, also made of magicka.
Quote
examine the Magicka of our phone.
Quote
Seconding this.
You close your eyes and examine the cellphone. It's a glowing mess of colors. Lots of colors. Some colors...you don't even recognize. It's weird. And every now and then the entire room flashes with some color you don't think you've ever seen before. It's actually a bit disorienting, and with your temporarily enhanced magical vision due to Divayth's spell you're seeing a lot more than you're used to. You see the sun through the ground, your body, Divayth's body, the study and everything in it, the light radiating from the cellphone, colors you don't know the name for...wait...WAIT! Cellphones use, which band is it? Radio waves? Microwaves? It's all EM, just like light. Light is magicka. You're looking at cellphone radiation right now. That must be the aura he was describing. Your cellphone is trying to contact a tower so it's sending out microwave pulses...and you can SEE them.
Divayth catches you as you nearly fall off your feet.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Careful."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sorry, just a bit disoriented. Still getting used to this magic vision thing."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "The enhancement I cast should wear off soon. But you haven't answered my question."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "The cellphone? It's, well...it's not an enchanted item. It's more like a dwemer device. Yes, it's 'made of magicka' of course, because everything is...apparently. But this was assembled from parts, not enchanted. The electricity that it runs on off was...well, I guess it was made with wires and magnets and things, rather than charged by a spellcaster. No soul gems, or anything like that."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Hmm. Apart from the psychomantium I see that it does have a few crystals inside it, but none of them appear to have souls. And they're much too small to be magicka batteries. Most interesting. How much do you want for it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Excuse me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "This device. I would like to buy it. How does 600 gold sound?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...I could actually really use the money. But I hadn't planned on selling it. Could you go higher? I mean, it's a unique device. The only one of its kind in this dimension."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "A unique device, the only one of its kind in this dimension...and its primary purpose is to allow the wielder to speak exclusively to people who also have one. I would say that limits its value. But, I would be willing to get a second opinion. You mentioned that it was like a dwemer artifact. Obviously it isn't, but it happens a good friend of mine is a dwemer, and I would be curious to hear what he has to say about it."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yagrum?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "In the corprusarium?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No hurting the inmates, but they can hurt me back and I might catch corprus?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Indeed. Or they might simply eat you, in which case I acquire it at no cost. I've seen that happen once or twice. And it's possible that even if you speak with Yagrum he might say that it isn't even worth 600, in which case I might accept his appraisal. Or you can take the 600 right now. Your choice."
He hands the cellphone back to you.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Cellphone storage (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: WillowLuman on February 20, 2014, 09:20:53 pm
Oh, before we go, ask him about literal voices in our head that give suggestions, and if he gets them too.
This is very, very interesting. Azura's marks. Plural, yet Clover doesn't have one. We'll have to remember to check people we know for them.
Post by: Putnam on February 20, 2014, 09:37:50 pm
Take it to Yagrum. Even if he thinks it's not worth much, it's bound to reveal something interesting. Best case scenario, he knows how we might recharge it.
Let's consider first: how difficult is the corprusarium to go through? Are we ready for that?
Oh, before we go, ask him about literal voices in our head that give suggestions, and if he gets them too.
Second. Hmhm, Michael thought we were Daedra, while Fyr seems to think everything abnormal is (and I kinda trust him here). Maybe we are daedra?
(Yohoho, I'm feeling giggly today.)
Post by: joemoben on February 20, 2014, 11:03:11 pm
Let's consider first: how difficult is the corprusarium to go through? Are we ready for that?I just whipped up a character with Michaels stats, and enraged the argonian guy down there, as he should attack us if we go down, because that's what he does to looters, and I assume that he'll attack us either way. Now, I'm pretty sure NPCs will go through cells to get to Michael. And knowing that, I've gotta say no. That argonian can drop Michael in two hits, and will likely follow us to Yagrum. Not to mention, he's faster than Michael. So I'm going to say no unless we can get Divayth to give us something to make sure he doesn't attack. Talking to Yagrum seems like a very good idea though, as I believe he has plane traveled himself.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 20, 2014, 11:08:27 pm
Well, in-game the inhabitants hit fairly hard but due to their deformities are rather slow. As long as we don't try to go for the treasure, which would lead us to stand in a dead end long enough to get trapped, we should be able to reach Yagrum without too much difficulty. The inhabitants of the innermost chamber are more docile. We should be alright as long as we don't get lost.
Speaking of which, here are some directions:
-From the big round door from onyx hall into the corprusarium, go straight
-There'll be a cheap wooden door, where the warden may or may not be stationed. Go through
-Keep going straight until you get to another, more solid, wooden door. Go through
-Go straight until you reach a brazier and a skeletal corpse. In game, there is a docile corprus victim here.
-Turn right, and keep going until you reach Yagrum.
Post by: The_Jester on February 21, 2014, 12:08:12 am
Hmhm, Michael thought we were Daedra, while Fyr seems to think everything abnormal is (and I kinda trust him here). Maybe we are daedra?
I think that it is fairly safe to assume that we are in fact Daedra by Fyr's definition, since his definition is basically what we would define "alien" as, a creature from somewhere else. For him its from another plane, for us it would be from another planet, etc. Pretty interesting. Also, I think that IronyOwl and the other posters who have mentioned the similarities of the "PC's" to MLP characters have something, I just don't know how much value it has for us. It could support the idea that these are previous incarnations of Michael's Morrowind characters, since he is such a huge fan, or it could be that Michael is actually in the middle of a big multiplayer version of Morrowind that the ponies are playing, and the "PC's" are their characters. Anyway, I am of no help there since I am completely unfamiliar with MLP.
Before I get to suggestions, I also wanted to point out that in my opinion, Azura's mark being placed on us is even greater evidence that Michael is supposed to become the Nerevarine. She clearly has a greater interest in Michael than the majority of people. I wonder how difficult it would be for Michael to find a way to talk to Azura herself? It certainly happens in the video game multiple times, and Fyr seems to be on speaking terms with her on some level, since he said he asks her about the marks every few centuries. Perhaps Fyr could arrange a chat? Of course I understand that asking him to call her up and arrange to have tea is a bit presumptuous and he would probably laugh at Michael, but if we could figure out a good and respectful way to ask it might be worth a shot. At the very least, we should consider making it a long term goal to work on acquiring Moon and Star, whether we decide to try to be the Nerevarine or not it would be useful to have it in order to control who actually does become the Nerevarine and to probably talk to Azura that way.
Lastly, I am all for speaking to Yagrum, but I am worried that it is too dangerous. Definitely if we try it we should ask Fyr whether Vista Kai is going to come after us. Do we want to sell the phone to Fyr? If we could figure out how to charge the phone, it could still be very useful to us. Plus, in the long run, 600 gold really isn't that much. And we dont want to tick Fyr off by selling him a phone that is about to die.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 21, 2014, 01:49:04 am
Post by: IronyOwl on February 21, 2014, 03:37:32 am
On that note... I dunno if Yagrum's really going to side with us on this one. As Fyr mentioned, our device is overcomplicated and its primary function doesn't work without copies. The picture and motion picture functions are nice, but he mentioned "communication crystals" that can accomplish the live video feed parts, so it's probably not a huge jump to storing them. It's absolutely a fascinating specimen if you're a bored millenia-old wizard who wants to look at neat toys, but its practical value really is pretty low, even if you know how to recharge it.
Overall, I'm thinking we should probably decide whether to sell it or not before we go see Yagrum, if indeed that's what we're doing. I'm generally in favor of no, partially because I really don't think we're going to accomplish much with the money. Not that we're destined for great things with the phone either, but I figure learning how to recharge it and using it to take pictures could be feasible and useful.
Well, in-game the inhabitants hit fairly hard but due to their deformities are rather slow. As long as we don't try to go for the treasure, which would lead us to stand in a dead end long enough to get trapped, we should be able to reach Yagrum without too much difficulty. The inhabitants of the innermost chamber are more docile. We should be alright as long as we don't get lost.Do they stop chasing soon enough for us to be safe in Yagrum's presence? Remember that the game isn't likely to pause when we reach him, so they'll have plenty of time to shamble after us if they're so inclined.
Post by: hostergaard on February 21, 2014, 04:09:16 am
That everything is mundane, even light do not extraordinary properties that allows you overcome limits on reality. Instead, the world you come from have excelled in the art of science and use of machine, the closest equivalent to your society and world would be that of the dwemer (Might be a good idea to inform him that the phone is not dwemer, but that dwemer is the closest equivalent in this world and that the phone is vastly more complex in mundane function than any artifact that the dwemer produced.).
Inform him that among other things you and the people from your world are vastly better at mathematics. Prove it to him.
Like asking him to make you solve a difficult math question or something, whatever works.
Then explain that this have helped create the phone without the use of magic and the phone itself also can perfom mathematics. Show him its calculator function.
That might impress him and up the price.
Accept to have it appraised by Yagrum, use your invisibility potion if you are in trouble
Its probably gonna interest him a lot, especially the calculator function I am sure. Yagrum is a from a race of scientist, so to speak so its probably gonna tickle all the right spots. Just run straight form him and hope for the best. Worst case you die and the world reloads.
Maybe tell Divayth about the whole world reset thing that happens when you die?
Post by: WillowLuman on February 21, 2014, 04:22:35 am
Bear in mind another difficulty: The Corprasarium is deeper down, and we're out of levitation potions. Even if we get Yagrum's appraisal, we might not be able to get back to Fyr without a bunch of tedious adventures elsewhere.
On that note... I dunno if Yagrum's really going to side with us on this one. As Fyr mentioned, our device is overcomplicated and its primary function doesn't work without copies. The picture and motion picture functions are nice, but he mentioned "communication crystals" that can accomplish the live video feed parts, so it's probably not a huge jump to storing them. It's absolutely a fascinating specimen if you're a bored millenia-old wizard who wants to look at neat toys, but its practical value really is pretty low, even if you know how to recharge it.
Overall, I'm thinking we should probably decide whether to sell it or not before we go see Yagrum, if indeed that's what we're doing. I'm generally in favor of no, partially because I really don't think we're going to accomplish much with the money. Not that we're destined for great things with the phone either, but I figure learning how to recharge it and using it to take pictures could be feasible and useful.Well, in-game the inhabitants hit fairly hard but due to their deformities are rather slow. As long as we don't try to go for the treasure, which would lead us to stand in a dead end long enough to get trapped, we should be able to reach Yagrum without too much difficulty. The inhabitants of the innermost chamber are more docile. We should be alright as long as we don't get lost.Do they stop chasing soon enough for us to be safe in Yagrum's presence? Remember that the game isn't likely to pause when we reach him, so they'll have plenty of time to shamble after us if they're so inclined.
One of Fyr's daughters hangs out in there, attending Yagrum. I'm sure he wouldn't want to be interrupted in the middle of something, and she says she's good at calming them down. Unless things are quite different, the more lucid, less hostile patients congregate in the "bowels" area, it's the ones in the first area we'd need to worry about. And they really are rather slow and easy to avoid.
It might help our chances if we're explicitly on an errand for Fyr. At the very least that ought to get the warden off our back.
I don't think Yagrum will find our phone particularly valuable, but again that's not the point. What we really want in him is someone who knows things. We know that the dwemer, aside from magic, used some technology similar to our own. There are what look a lot like thermoelectric generators in some of their ruins, and what are almost certainly incandescent/fluorescent lights.
Oh, and to satisfy Fyr, here is some additional information for him:
-The device has the advantage of easy mass-production back home, and not requiring any training to use
-Our people power our technology by taking kinetic energy from things like rivers and wind, and converting it to electrical potential energy.
I believe, in a principal sense, that physics works essentially the same here, in that energy is conserved. That is, to do something, you have to move energy from one place to another. A mundane example would be the chemical potential energy in our muscles being converted to kinetic energy to produce motion. Here, magicka from a reserve becomes lightning and is transferred to a target. The principal is the same. That magical energy gets moved around when used, and in the process dispersed into a less useful state. Some things, like the Princes, may be infinite reservoirs, and others infinite sinks, but interaction still consists of moving energy from one place to another, and changing it from one form to another.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 21, 2014, 04:27:19 am
Inform him that among other things you and the people from your world are vastly better at mathematics. Prove it to him.He's a 5000 year old planeswalking wizard. Unless we can hand him some Calculus theorems he's never heard of before, I really don't think he's going to care about our leet algebra skillz, glorious shining civilization of medicine and science, or our magic multiplication pod. Especially not when he's in agreement with Vivec that we're from here after all.
Like asking him to make you solve a difficult math question or something, whatever works.
Then explain that this have helped create the phone without the use of magic and the phone itself also can perfom mathematics. Show him its calculator function.
That might impress him and up the price.
Its probably gonna interest him a lot, especially the calculator function I am sure. Yagrum is a from a race of scientist, so to speak so its probably gonna tickle all the right spots. Just run straight form him and hope for the best. Worst case you die and the world reloads.
Maybe tell Divayth about the whole world reset thing that happens when you die?This could have merit, though.
One of Fyr's daughters hangs out in there, attending Yagrum. I'm sure he wouldn't want to be interrupted in the middle of something, and she says she's good at calming them down. Unless things are quite different, the more lucid, less hostile patients congregate in the "bowels" area, it's the ones in the first area we'd need to worry about. And they really are rather slow and easy to avoid.She's not necessarily going to be hanging out there 24/7, though. We might want to ask about that before committing to it.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 21, 2014, 04:32:52 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on February 21, 2014, 06:59:38 am
But we should also tell him about the others who seem in some way related to us - some way out of this world. Clover, SexyWithers, MurderHappyDude, etc.
Tell him we've seen that something is different about them, and we've been trying to interact with them for a while.
If we sell the phone to him, and he sees any of them again, we'd greatly appreciate him assigning them a quest to come and see us.
Because if we don't figure stuff out, Dagoth Ur is totally gonna wreck stuff, imminently, and since he's right about things really being different enough that we can't be sure how things will turn out, he should probably be prepared for that.
Oh yeah, totally worth mentioning the whole "Dagoth Ur is gonna wreck stuff, like, imminently" thing.
Also say we'd like to speak to the Dwemer anyway.
Post by: joemoben on February 21, 2014, 09:40:03 am
Post by: gman8181 on February 21, 2014, 01:58:22 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on February 21, 2014, 03:04:26 pm
Tell him the world you come from have no magic.Start with this, continue with explaining how it's charged, show him the battery that provides energy for it.
...
Then explain that this have helped create the phone without the use of magic and the phone itself also can perfom mathematics. Show him its calculator function.
Don't brag about our math skills, but mention that Mages guild was impressed when someone without any skill in magic could solve their equations.
Agree to sell it to Fyr, but ask if we could show it to Yagrum first and talk with him about it. And ask about getting past that argonian down there and getting back to him.
Maybe tell Divayth about the whole world reset thing that happens when you die?Also this. Mention that our
Post by: WillowLuman on February 21, 2014, 03:44:43 pm
600 gold will be enough for us to learn a magic school. Personally? I'm pretty damn happy with that. We're lucky the phone survived the trip here, and it's probably not gonna last much longer. I say we accept the deal.We have a chance to talk to a dwemer about electronics. Could we really live with ourselves if we were within 1000 feet of the last living one and did not show the phone to him?
Post by: LordBucket on February 21, 2014, 04:04:01 pm
Maybe tell Divayth about the whole world reset thing that happens when you die?
This could have merit
Also this.
I don't often give you guys advice, but are you certain it's wise to tell the thousands year old wizard who:
1) Is a biological hobbyist who clones people for fun and profit, thinks corprus is really cool and hesitates to call it a disease, and has as an entire basement full of horribly bodily-mangled half-insane monstrosities who can't die of old age...because that's his hobby.
2) At least in vanilla, imprisons even Redoran nobility in his dungeon and then forgets about them with impunity.
3) Cares so little for your dignity that the first thing he did on meeting you was ask you to disrobe, without explanation, so that he could examine you.
4) Subsequently then told you with a straight face that "your discomfort was a price he was willing to pay"
5) Has outright stated that one of the reasons he wants you to go through the corprusarium is that you might die, resulting in him getting what he wants without having to pay for it.
...does it seem like a good idea to any of you to tell this person that if you die, the world resets and nothing bad happens?
Does anyone think that's a good idea?
Post by: GlyphGryph on February 21, 2014, 04:16:30 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on February 21, 2014, 04:21:39 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on February 21, 2014, 04:23:32 pm
Post by: Putnam on February 21, 2014, 04:45:56 pm
Dude's the most powerful mage on Nirn outside of maybe ALMSIVI. Mages are scientists, and we're dealing with one that must have a very good sense of significance.
Post by: LordBucket on February 21, 2014, 06:47:22 pm
Also, we don't know for sure that it happens when we die. It only happened once when we died,
and it happened again while we were still alive.
Not sure what you're referring to when you say "it happened while you were alive."
Regarding death in general, I'll simply say at this point that there is a very high level of gameplay and story integration (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration) here. Go read episode episode 18 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4308008#msg4308008) again and think very carefully about what happened after you died. Dying is a thing that happens. It is not an invisible non-event. It's a phenomenon that is integrated into gameplay. There are a number of implications to that that I think most of you have not considered, and a few that you probably don't have enough information to reasonably guess. For example, consider the present situation with Divayth. If you tell him he can kill you without consequence, there is absolutely no way he wouldn't ask for a demonstration. What if, hypothetically...you explain that when you die "the world resets." And what if, hypothetically, Divayth finds this fascinating, and is smart enough to lock you in the dungeon for a couple days before killing you, hypothetically resulting in a "game load" event to a point after having been imprisoned rather than before? Do you then end up locked in hundreds or thousands of iterations of Divayth killing you over and over trying to figure out the secret of your immortality?
I'm not saying that would happen. But consider the implications.
Or, hey....here's another scary thought: remember in episode 18 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4308008#msg4308008) when you died, you did not "vanish" or "restore" immediately. You were floating over your corpse for a while, watching what happened before reverting to two episodes prior. Think about how faction standings work. There's no "invisible gameplay mechanic" whereby npcs "magically know" your guild affiliations. Rather, guild marks are intregrated into gameplay in a way that npcs are aware of. So...hypothetically what happens if say...somebody with really good magic vision is able to see your non-corporeal form hovering motionless over your body? What if they happen to know the soul trap spell? What if it works?
Again, I'm neither confirming nor denying that such a thing could happen. And I don't want you guys to be so scared of death that you hide in a cave. But I'm fairly certain that there are implications and possible consequences to the death phenomenon that most of you have not fully considered. I advise you to...without hiding in a cave...take very seriously the idea that dying could potentially be very bad.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 21, 2014, 08:18:40 pm
By "while we were still alive" I mean that time it reset mid-conversation with the general. I'm not advocating telling Divayth it resets whenever we die, because for all we know that isn't true. All we know is that the world has reset twice (that the GM has told us), and only one of those times coincided with our death.
Post by: gman8181 on February 21, 2014, 08:54:07 pm
He's a pretty powerful wizard though. I'm surprised no one besides me even wants to consider having one of the most powerful wizards in Morrowind train us.
Barring that, my vote goes to taking the gold. You guys are crazy if you think wimpy Michael can make it to the Dwemer guy. :P
No offense Michael :-[
Post by: Putnam on February 21, 2014, 08:58:19 pm
Training from Divayth Fyr could be crazy.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 21, 2014, 09:04:34 pm
TBH, unless Vistha Kai attacks, then making it through the corprusarium is piss-easy. It's not like it's a freaking daedric shrine. I just ran through it with someone of Michael's stats (vanilla though). You don't even encounter any hostile patients on my proposed route, and the passages are wide enough to sidestep them if any happen to follow. Seriously, those guys are slow.
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on February 21, 2014, 10:17:06 pm
Just hope this all doesn't lead up to us accidentally being made part of the Numidium.
Post by: Man of Paper on February 23, 2014, 07:17:44 am
Before we go about possibly selling the phone, we should appraise its usefulness to us for once. I'd much rather try to charge the phone, either through use of channeling pure magika through it or small amounts of shock magic if possible. Somehow.
Either way, I say we go through the corprusarium and get more insight on us and our situation from Dwemer guy.
And please people, stop making assumptions on how the resets work for now. A few people seem to be taking their views on it as fact, when it's about as clear as Vivec's conversation. All we know is we can die and the world can reset. There's no reason to believe they're connected, and there's no way to know when the world will reset, or when it will reset to.
Post by: ank on February 23, 2014, 10:22:45 am
Don't tell him about the death thing
Do tell him about that in our world stuff is done with maths, and that people that are considered mediocre at maths in our world, are considered good in Morrowind If he asks about our ability, then show him, but don't try to impress him.
Go see the dwemer guy, but ask about levitation first
Post by: Mr. Strange on February 23, 2014, 02:20:47 pm
I don't often give you guys advice, but are you certain it's wise to tell the thousands year old wizard who:I see no way how this could go wrong.
1) Is a biological hobbyist who clones people for fun and profit, thinks corprus is really cool and hesitates to call it a disease, and has as an entire basement full of horribly bodily-mangled half-insane monstrosities who can't die of old age...because that's his hobby.
2) At least in vanilla, imprisons even Redoran nobility in his dungeon and then forgets about them with impunity.
3) Cares so little for your dignity that the first thing he did on meeting you was ask you to disrobe, without explanation, so that he could examine you.
4) Subsequently then told you with a straight face that "your discomfort was a price he was willing to pay"
5) Has outright stated that one of the reasons he wants you to go through the corprusarium is that you might die, resulting in him getting what he wants without having to pay for it.
...does it seem like a good idea to any of you to tell this person that if you die, the world resets and nothing bad happens?
Does anyone think that's a good idea?
...okay, let's not tell him.
I still stand by my other suggestions. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5029660#msg5029660) Not showing the phone to Yagrum would be wasting once in a life time opportunity. But do that only if we can secure way back up first.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 23, 2014, 02:54:29 pm
All we know is we can die and the world can reset. There's no reason to believe they're connected, and there's no way to know when the world will reset, or when it will reset to.Exactly! It's only happened twice (that we know about), and in only one of those instances were we dead.
It would probably be a good idea to ask if there's a way back up once we've finished our errand.
Post by: sum1won on February 23, 2014, 03:32:46 pm
Also, if we can find out what clover's task is, that might be something we can help her out with for a favor from either party (or both!).
Post by: GlyphGryph on February 23, 2014, 03:35:23 pm
Still, If we can swing it as a compliment he's free to turn down, by all means ask if he'd be willing to teach us instead.
Post by: Descan on February 23, 2014, 08:52:51 pm
Post by: LordBucket on February 25, 2014, 03:01:36 am
Mostly written. Probably up tomorrow night.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 26, 2014, 07:32:33 pm
Yeah, that. I mean, we're probably just gonna spend it on the magic school anyway, so if we can cut-out the middle-man, and go ask him (politely) if he'd be willing to teach us, we can finally start learning how to not-suck.I'd like to point out, once again, that learning magic is not going to suddenly make us not suck. It's just going to let us suck at something else, once we learn a spell or two to fail repeatedly at casting.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 26, 2014, 09:18:43 pm
Post by: Descan on February 27, 2014, 01:30:39 am
Important part bolded. :vYeah, that. I mean, we're probably just gonna spend it on the magic school anyway, so if we can cut-out the middle-man, and go ask him (politely) if he'd be willing to teach us, we can finally start learning how to not-suck.I'd like to point out, once again, that learning magic is not going to suddenly make us not suck. It's just going to let us suck at something else, once we learn a spell or two to fail repeatedly at casting.
Post by: gordy on February 27, 2014, 05:39:41 pm
Post by: LordBucket on March 03, 2014, 09:37:26 pm
Post by: hostergaard on March 04, 2014, 06:22:27 am
Post by: Araph on March 13, 2014, 11:30:19 am
Welp, here is to hoping we get caught in a horrific groundhog style cyclus of experimental deaths and reversions. :P
But if loading past saves is dependent on the PC, all they have to do is save over the game we're in while we're dead and we'll be permanently dead.
Clearly, we must test this by finding a PC and asking them to kill us and reload a past save for science.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 24, 2014, 02:09:45 am
Post by: LordBucket on March 25, 2014, 04:43:59 pm
How are things going, LB?
I'm looking at it now, and it really wouldn't take much to finish the next episode. I've just been having difficulty feeling motivated.
Hmm. Ok, how about I'll just do it and get an update up. Also how about I not post a time estimate, since those have been pretty inaccurate lately.
Post by: LordBucket on March 25, 2014, 07:17:25 pm
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I agree, try to barter the phone for training
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by all means ask if he'd be willing to teach us instead.
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ask him (politely) if he'd be willing to teach us
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Barter for Training.
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consider having one of the most powerful wizards in Morrowind train us.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Instead of gold, would you be willing to teach me magic?"
He shakes his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Basic spell school training? No, complete waste of my time. You're in that Imperial magic guild. Go ask them."
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mention that Mages guild was impressed when someone without any skill in magic could solve their equations.
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Inform him that among other things you and the people from your world are vastly better at mathematics. Prove it to him.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hmm, ok. Speaking of the mage guild, I wonder if we might talk mathematics."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Oh?" He seems interested. "What did you have in mind?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, every time anyone's given me a problem to solve, even problems that they thought were very difficult, I managed to solve them very easily. Why don't you show me something and let's see what I can do with it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Hmm." He considers for moment. "There are quite a few unsolved problems, especially in the field of astral curvature mechanics. For example, given a basic Euclidian mana matrix..."
He brings up his hands and casts a spell. A cube of light perhaps two feet across materializes between the two of you.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Now, if I apply an Entian transposition, here is the result."
You watch as light from his hands does...something. The cube looks different somehow, but the change is so subtle you're not sure what looks different about it.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "This, of course, is the standard proof used to demonstrate that the underlaying structure of the universe is analog. The problem is, if we first apply Divayth's fourteeth function..."
He dismisses the cube, conjures a new one and then fills it with a smooth spectrum of pulsating colors. It looks kind of like someone took a drunken Rainbow Dash, locked her in an impenetrable glass box, told her to go fast and made a stoner movie out of it.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "...and we now apply the same transposition as before, we get this."
He casts another spell and the cube rapidly fades out and...disappears? No, it's still there. You look closely and see that the whole cube has a taken a very...you're not even sure the word to use to describe it. It's one of those colors you don't have names for.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "The question is how to reconcile these two results. The effect of the second transposition should be a simple incrementation of the output of function fourteen. But clearly you can see that it isn't. This result seems to imply that the Planck interpretation is correct. But, if so, then how to explain the result of the original transposition? Why does it work? If Planck is correct, then astral curvature is mathematical fiction and the majority of modern schools of magic should not work. Yet, clearly they do."
There's a moment of silence before you realize that Divayth is waiting for a response. Maybe the voices will have some input, but this is way over your head. You have no clue what he's talking about. At least you don't think you do. It kind of sounds like he's saying that when he adds one plus one he gets two, but when he adds one plus a million he's not getting a million and one. Sort of. His use of the magic color cube is kind of throwing you off. But at the same time you're not really surprised by it. A lot of higher math is done on computers. Here, where math is used for magic...it makes a lot of sense that magic would be used to demonstrate it. That puts you at a serious disadvantage. He'd probably be similarly inconvenienced if you were to sit him down at a computer and ask him to use MATLAB. Either way, this isn't the kind of problem you were hoping for.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm...'underlaying structure of the universe?' isn't this kind of a physics question more than a math question?"
Divayth waves a hand dismissively.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Don't be pedantic. I'm simply giving you a useful problem rather than an arbitrary one."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, but I'm still kind of new to this whole magic thing. When I asked for a problem, I was hoping for something I could...you know, look at on paper?"
He walks over to a bookshelf, picks up a book and flips through it. Then hands it to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Pages 22 to 24 describe the basic problem, but I think you'll find it impractical to map the results on paper."
You look through the pages. They're full of symbols you don't even recognize. Divayth picks up the dwemer puzzle cube from his desk and resumes fiddling with it, continuing to speak as he does.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "The whole point here is that the internal boundaries of each element container are variable. If you were to render it by hand with a conventional matrix, it would be necessary to re-specify the bounds with every iteration, as well as remap elements with every increase in resolution...which incidentally is non-trivial since the majority of increments are fractional. The function I just demonstrated would require trillions of trillions of matrices to describe even a tiny fraction of a second worth of transition. Also, at the lower limit we're talking container scales on the order of ten to the power of negative thirty five meters. Writing out only two dimensions of a single frame of a matrix only a millimeter across would require a piece of paper larger than all of Vvardenfell, easily."
At least you know what most of those words he's using mean, but you're pretty much out of your depth.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, umm...well, thank you, but...I think this is something I'm not going to be able to help you with. From my conversations with other mages I was under the impression that basic algebra was considered really advanced here."
He look at you with pity.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "That's what happens when organizations like your mage guild get involved with magic. It's all well and good to bring magic to the people, but they've doing a tremendous scholarly disservice dumbing it down like they have."
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accept the deal.
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my vote goes to taking the gold.
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Go see the dwemer guy
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Either way, I say we go through the corprusarium
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Agree to sell it to Fyr, but ask if we could show it to Yagrum first and talk with him about it
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we'd like to speak to the Dwemer anyway.
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Accept to have it appraised by Yagrum, use your invisibility potion if you are in trouble
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ask if there's a way back up once we've finished our errand.
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only if we can secure way back up first.
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ask about levitation first
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "To get back to the phone, I think I'll take the 600. But I'd hoped to speak with Yagrum anyway, and I'm sure he'll want to see it. How about I do that first and come back?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "That's fine."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "One problem though, how do I get back up here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Fly?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Right, but I used my only levitation potion to get up here. Is there any other way back up?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Only if you're strong enough to punch through my recall wards."
He doesn't even look up from his puzzle cube. Apparently that's all the answer you're going to get. You're briefly reminded of the time one of the voices told you to ask Vivec, basically a god, to train you in low level alchemy. Obviously the 4000 year old dimension-travelling wizard has better things to do than brew you a levitation potion. While you're at it, you may as well call Bill Gates and ask him to help you reinstall windows.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, well...I'll figure something out."
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Check in with Beyte before you do. I expect she'll have dinner ready before long and I might be eating by the time you return. If I don't see you before then I'll ask her to give you 600 for the artifact."
You feel a moment of disorientation and feel your senses dull a bit. Apparently the fortify intelligence spell he cast on you earlier just wore off.
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explaining how it's charged, show him the battery that provides energy for it.
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Oh, and to satisfy Fyr, here is some additional information for him:
-The device has the advantage of easy mass-production back home, and not requiring any training to use
-Our people power our technology by taking kinetic energy from things like rivers and wind, and converting it to electrical potential energy.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...oh, speaking of the phone, in the interest of full and honest disclosure I should probably mention that it's nearly out of power. Remember how I mentioned we use non-magically generated electricity? At home it would be easy to recharge, but I'm pretty sure Morrowind doesn't have electrical outlets."
You take out the battery and show it to him. He examines it closely.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "That's a peculiar way of storing magicka. Why not use a soul? Or design it to recharge in daylight. Or siphon life force from the wielder. Or even use a conventional mana battery. That would require a caster to recharge it, but this seems to require that anyway, except with an unnecessary conversion to lightning, which it appears to be highly susceptible to. I see no benefit to this design."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "We don't have magic where I'm from."
He gives you a look that screams "you are clearly an idiot."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Also, these are mass-produced by the millions and it would be difficult to capture that many souls."
He shrugs dismissively. He seems to be losing interest in talking to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "No matter. The device seems simple enough. I'm sure I can develop a spell to recharge it. The only difficulty will be feeding it gently enough that it doesn't melt or explode. It appears to be ludicrously fragile."
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if we don't figure stuff out, Dagoth Ur is totally gonna wreck stuff, imminently, and since he's right about things really being different enough that we can't be sure how things will turn out, he should probably be prepared for that.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Unrelated, like you know, I spoke with Vivec, and Dagoth Ur is totally gonna wreck stuff. He's basically a mad god planning to take over the world-"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) ""Yes, yes," Divayth interrupts. "And has been for centuries. That's why we have the ghost fence."
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find out what clover's task is
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "By the way, what was the task you gave Clover?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Not your affair."
*click*
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Aha!"
It seems Divayth just solved the puzzle. You watch as he opens it and reads a small note from inside then chuckles to himself.
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ask about getting past that argonian down there and getting back to him.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, one last question and I'll get out of your hair. The rules for the corprusarium are, don't hurt the guard or the inmates, but they're allowed to hurt me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "Yes, the warden will explain if you ask him."
Divayth waves a hand in your direction.
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "That should let him know you're here on scholarly business rather than to plunder the dungeon. So long as you don't take anything he should leave you alone. Now, if you'll- ...actually, wait a moment."
He turns his back to you and pulls a piece of paper and quill from the table. You hear the sound of writing. After perhaps 20 seconds he turns back around and hands you the cube, now sealed. It's heavier than it seems like it should be.
Received dwemer puzzle cube
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png) "On the off chance you do make it to Yagrum, give him that."
Divayth again turns his back to you. You're pretty sure you've been dismissed. You walk back out to the vertical tube in the hallway and consider what to do. Getting back up is going to be hard enough, but how do you get down?
(http://i.imgur.com/a6u3X85.png)
Yeah, 30 foot drop or so. Too bad you don't have any rope. The tube walls are close enough that you can reach both sides with your hands. Maybe you could put feet on one side, hands on the other and walk down batman-style? You remove everything breakable from your backpack and drop it down ahead of you then start to climb down.
You make it about ten feet down before you slip and fall.
Acrobatics is now 33
Health is now 55/61
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Celestia damn it that hurt!"
You crawl over to a wall and check your injuries. Looks like nothing's broken.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, seriously guys...we've been here for like two months now. Why is stuff like this still a problem?"
Well, good a time as any to chat with the voices in your head.
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Michael, what functions does the phone have?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I don't know. The usual stuff I guess. Let me check."
Michael checks the various menus.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Let's see, autodial, address book...currently empty, notepad, calculator, a couple games, ...web browser? Checking, no...looks like it can't find any connection. Ok, let's see, we can send text messages, we can...ok, apparently we can send email and attachments. Or at least we could if we could connect to anything. And camera and video mode. Not sure whether we can receive attachments, but maybe. Download apps...again, no connection. GPS...no connection. Yeah, looks like a lot of stuff we can't do because there's no cell network, but everything else basically works."
Quote
I believe, in a principal sense, that physics works essentially the same here, in that energy is conserved. That is, to do something, you have to move energy from one place to another. A mundane example would be the chemical potential energy in our muscles being converted to kinetic energy to produce motion
Michael ponders that.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, but does the idea of 'chemical potential energy' even make sense here? I don't think I've had anything to eat or drink since my time in the Legion, yet I've never felt hungry or thirsty. Where's my body getting its chemical energy from? Does anything we know about chemistry make sense here? So far as I can tell, my body, the tube I just fell through and the air inside it plus everything else that exists here is made of light. Divayth described electricity as being a state of magicka and I can tell you because I'm looking at it that light and magicka are the same thing. So apparently electrons are made of light here. What does that do to the atomic model? What does that do to chemistry?"
"For that matter, what does that do to physics? Doesn't light have to always be moving...at the speed of light? How can objects be stationary? Or are the photons in everything moving...for lack of a better way of phrasing it...in very small circles? Why does anything interact with anything? Isn't it mostly electrostatic forces that keep objects from being able to pass through each other? Photons have no charge, so why is the floor able to hold me up? For that matter, photons are massless. Why does gravity exist here?"
"I guess we can write it off by saying that Divayth was being metaphorical, and that everyone here are science primitives who don't know what they're talking about. Maybe photons aren't really photons and this whole 'magicka is light' thing isn't real, but five minutes ago I was looking at cellphone radiation, clear as daylight. Here, let me show you. Cellphone is off."
(http://i.imgur.com/n4mXxpp.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Now, I'll turn the cellphone on."
(http://i.imgur.com/x28nFNW.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Can you guys see that weird glow everywhere? For that matter, do you guys see that giant ball of sunlight shining through the planet and the ground right now? I'm pretty sure the sun doesn't shine through the planet back on earth. I think there's something fundamentally going on here that we've totally missed."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Who are you talking to?"
You jump as Cinia floats down the tube in front of you carrying a purple crystal the size of your head in one arm.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Cinia, hi. Umm...just thinking out loud. How're things?"
She lifts the crystal for you to see. It looks like the same crystal used in Telvanni towers. You get up and the two of you start walking down to the main entry hall.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "This one's ready, and Alfe's cutting the other one now. You've probably got another hour if you want a ride back to Sadrith Mora."
That doesn't leave you much time. Down to the corprusarium, get in and talk to Yagrum, get back out alive, talk to Beyte and then get up the tower to talk to Divayth if he's not having dinner, and then finally track down wherever Clover is. You seriously doubt you can do all that in a Morrowind hour and since you lost your divine intervention scroll to the water, if you don't leave with Cinia you're not sure how you're going to get off the island. And if it turns out you do need to get back up the tower, how are you going to do that?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Cinia, I'm about to head to the corprusrium but I need to get back up to talk to Divayth again later. Do you have a levitation potion I could borrow or buy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "No. Why would I? You don't get to be a wizard in House Telvanni without being able to cast levitation."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Would you be able to cast levitation on me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "No, I've never had a reason to pay for a target-other variant. But I'm headed back to the crystal chamber anyway as soon as I finish dropping this off at my boat. If you're here when I get back I'll take you with. You don't look heavy."
You're pretty sure it's going to take longer than that to navigate the corprusarium and talk to Yagrum.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah, I'm going to be longer than that. I appreciate the offer, but don't feel you need to wait for me."
She laughs and playfully pushes your shoulder, knocking you off your feet and into a wall, which stops you from hitting the ground. It's a bit disquieting how effortlessly she moves you.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Oh, don't worry. I won't. See you later, Mitchel."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Right, Michael."
You head down the left path from the entry hall looking for the corprusarium. You're not certain, but a few details in here seem different than you remember them. And come to think of it, you don't remember there being any 'crystal room' in Tel Fyr. Where did Cinia get the one she was carrying? If you weren't so pressed for time you'd consider exploring a bit to find out what else is different. Continuing down to where you expect the corprusarium to be, you pass a large circular door apparently being guarded by one of Divayth's other daughters.
(http://i.imgur.com/p4WoTAX.png)
She glances up at you, saying nothing.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Excuse me. Which way to the corprusarium?"
She points at a passage and continues pacing in front of the door. Apparently not as talkative as the others. The rest of the trip is more or less as you expect it, and you're starting to wonder if the feeling that things look different than you remember is only because it looks different being here in person than it does looking at a computer screen. The door to the corprsarium is the same round style of door you've seen elsewhere, but moving it proves to be difficult. These doors are heavy. Once you get it open you look at it from the side. It's easily a foot thick.
Cautiously you step into the room. No sign of the argonian. The door automatically closes behind you and you hear a puff of air as it seals itself closed.
(http://i.imgur.com/Um9g5IG.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Warden?"
You jump as a voice come from your left.
(http://i.imgur.com/m9QePsW.png): "It speaks."
Was he waiting in here invisibly?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm, hi. I'm Michael. Please don't kill me. I'm here to talk to Yagrum."
(http://i.imgur.com/m9QePsW.png): "Understood."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Divayth said you'd tell me what the rules are if I asked?"
He tilts his head, examining you.
(http://i.imgur.com/m9QePsW.png): "You are here to talk only? Then take nothing, hurt nothing, and you might live."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Right. But, I understand that Divayth has sort of a dungeon looting game thing going on? How does that work. In case I, you know...want to play, while I'm here anyway."
(http://i.imgur.com/m9QePsW.png): "For the game, it is played in three ways. You take treasure, I kill you and yours adds to the pile. You hurt inmates, I kill you and yours adds to the pile. You take treasure, get lucky and escape, get greedy come back for more and I kill you. Yours adds to the pile."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I think I'd prefer not to die, thanks."
(http://i.imgur.com/m9QePsW.png): "Most do."
There's a moment of awkward silence.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So...warden. I guess I'll just go talk to Yagrum now."
He nods. Then makes a tiny motion with a finger and vanishes. You stand there for a moment, listening. The only thing you hear is your own heartbeat. It's funny. You were just talking to a thousands year old wizard who could set you on fire or make you explode. Probably both at the same time. After that you were talking to a pretty girl carrying what must have been a 50 pound crystal in one hand and who accidentally almost knocked you off your feet just trying to be friendly. Neither of them scared you.
This guy scares you.
Taking a breath you push open the wooden gate and step inside the bowels of the corprusarium.
(http://i.imgur.com/pXyvIaL.png)
It a bit more crowded in here than you expected.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Cellphone storage (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Araph on March 26, 2014, 01:18:36 pm
Post by: Descan on March 26, 2014, 02:08:48 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on March 26, 2014, 04:02:21 pm
The way I see it, we have one potion of invisibility which can help us get in or out, but not both. I vote we charge through, dodge everything we can, talk to Yagrum, and only use the potion if it's clear we need it.+1 to this. I don't know anything about Yagrum or corpusarium so I have no suggestions of my own for that part, but I think we should make some long term plans on what we hope to accomplish in here. Dagoth Ur is gonna cause trouble soon, and we need to get some serious leveling up done to survive it, but there are several people with that kind of power already running around Morrowind if we could just gather them together to fight him.
Also, continue to flirt with Cinia. Do what Descan suggested (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5125471#msg5125471)
Post by: PTTG?? on March 26, 2014, 04:46:52 pm
The way I see it, we have one potion of invisibility which can help us get in or out, but not both. I vote we charge through, dodge everything we can, talk to Yagrum, and only use the potion if it's clear we need it.
Agreed.
Post by: gordy on March 26, 2014, 07:20:59 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on March 26, 2014, 11:45:51 pm
1) We can't see the light. In fact, we see Morrowind with a few graphics mods. I suspect you see it in greater detail than the models and texture of the gameworld. Your magical sight might just be a new mode of perception, rather than indicative of matter here being made of light.
2) Actually, I do remember there being crystals in his tower. There's a big cluster of them in the room he's in within the game. In fact, it looks like he was standing right in front of them when he was talking to you.
3) You miss the point entirely on my allusion to potential and kinetic energy. My point was, that whether you describe it as magicka or thermal/kinetic/potential/chemical energy, some form of energy is required to make anything happen. Nothing does anything without moving energy around, whether your muscles taking from your body's energy pool or an enchanted item taking from a soulgem. Gods and Daedra likely don't do stuff without expending energy, but rather have access to limitless or near limetless pools of it. Your body probably sustains itself off of background magical energy. Futhermore, if magicka here encompasses all forms of energy, then this matter isn't much different than the familiar kind, since our matter is also technically made of energy, on the most basic level.
The way I see it, we have one potion of invisibility which can help us get in or out, but not both. I vote we charge through, dodge everything we can, talk to Yagrum, and only use the potion if it's clear we need it.Agreed. Remember the directions I gave you: Straight ahead from the entrance, ignoring the side tunnels, through a door and a tall chamber, until you reach a brazier (that probably has a skeleton lying next to it.) Make a left. Unless this Yagrum has a different personality, he's probably in his workshop/study corner.
Post by: Xanmyral on March 27, 2014, 12:08:42 am
Post by: WillowLuman on March 27, 2014, 12:20:59 am
Post by: ShoesandHats on March 27, 2014, 08:52:32 pm
I'm not complaining about it, because it's pretty difficult to make up jargon, plus Euclidean is tossed around so much as a generic math term that sometimes you forget that it's named after someone.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 27, 2014, 10:03:12 pm
Fyr's under the impression that we're from here. But we have something that's bizarre and intricate. So... where did it come from? Why is a native of Tamriel walking around with a bizarre, clearly not very Tamrielic device? He sort of brushed off our oddities as maybe being daedra from another of the infinite worlds in existence, but he never particularly reconciled the endless possibilities of the multiverse with the fact that we're supposedly home-grown.
Oh well. At least there may be dinner, where we can ask him what the point of food is.
Agree. Also tell Michael we couldnt see the magicka in his screenshot.I'm not sure if this is true or not. The two images were different- the latter was darker in front and lighter in the chamber to the left and fireplace straight ahead. I would assume that's just a flicker effect from the lighting, but it's hard to tell from two samples.
Michael, can you tell your own stats, in number form? We know the numbers of each of them, including health, magicka, and fatigue. If not in numbers, do you have some kind of feeling of them?I approve of asking and of informing him that we do, but he did mention ages ago that he didn't.
In fact, in digging back for it I found something even more fascinating:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
This was probably unintentional on LordBucket's part, but it would be interesting to see how Divayth seems to know about Euclid, an ancient Greek mathematician.That's a neat catch. Could be inferred as a translation issue, where the word for it is Euclidean so we hear Euclidean even though that word's origins don't make any sense here. Strictly speaking every word and grammatical construction has history that wouldn't make sense, after all.
I'm not complaining about it, because it's pretty difficult to make up jargon, plus Euclidean is tossed around so much as a generic math term that sometimes you forget that it's named after someone.
Post by: LordBucket on March 27, 2014, 10:23:10 pm
This was probably unintentional on LordBucket's part, but it would be interesting to see how
Divayth seems to know about Euclid, an ancient Greek mathematician.
And here I was expecting people to call me out on Divayth's use of the word "anthropological" in a world where there are no humans.
Could be inferred as a translation issue, where the word for it is Euclidean so we hear Euclidean even though that word's origins don't make any sense here.
That's one possible answer.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 27, 2014, 11:08:34 pm
Post by: Araph on March 29, 2014, 12:37:51 am
This was probably unintentional on LordBucket's part, but it would be interesting to see how
Divayth seems to know about Euclid, an ancient Greek mathematician.
And here I was expecting people to call me out on Divayth's use of the word "anthropological" in a world where there are no humans.Could be inferred as a translation issue, where the word for it is Euclidean so we hear Euclidean even though that word's origins don't make any sense here.
That's one possible answer.
Divayth also mentions Planck. I actually didn't notice him mention Euclid on my first time reading this update, but I guess they both amount to the same thing.
The translation explanation is pretty good, but I think it's clear what I need to do. I now must make a Dunmer character, name him Planck, and level him up to archmage-level magickness so my headcanon works.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 29, 2014, 12:39:50 am
I wonder if it's possible for us to directly communicate with this world? Currently, only Vivec knows we exist, but it's interesting to think about if we have an existence here aside from manifesting actions through Michael. Anyone else here ever played the stanley parable?
Post by: LordBucket on March 29, 2014, 02:03:19 am
Divayth also mentions Planck. I actually didn't notice him mention Euclid on my first time reading this update, but I guess they both amount to the same thing.
I suppose that depends on how deeply you want to read into it. While Divayth does use the word Euclidean, for which the root is Euclid:
Quote from: Divayth Fyr
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "Hmm." He considers for moment. "There are quite a few unsolved problems, especially in the field of astral curvature mechanics. For example, given a basic Euclidian mana matrix..."
...he not only makes reference to Planck, he later in the same paragraph refers to him as if by name:
Quote from: Divayth Fyr
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "The question is how to reconcile these two results. The effect of the second transposition should be a simple incrementation of the output of function fourteen. But clearly you can see that it isn't. This result seems to imply that the Planck interpretation is correct. But, if so, then how to explain the result of the original transposition? Why does it work? If Planck is correct, then astral curvature is mathematical fiction and the majority of modern schools of magic should not work. Yet, clearly they do."
The phrasing and capitalization of the second reference does seem to imply that the "interpretation" to which Divayth is referring to is definitely attributed to an individual by that name rather than simply a thing that happens to share a name with someone from our world. This is further corroborated by the fact that Divayth also makes reference to a thing that you definitely know is named after someone because it's named after Divayth himself:
Quote from: Divayth Fyr
(http://i.imgur.com/HwlW5DD.png): "This, of course, is the standard proof used to demonstrate that the underlaying structure of the universe is analog. The problem is, if we first apply Divayth's fourteeth function..."
Now the question is, is all of this
a) A tremendously subtle clue about something.
b) Not particularly meaningful, but just an arbitrary consequence of the fact that I'm writing using words that both you and I recognize outside the context of this game.
c) A "translation convention"
d) Me pulling a "the matrix" and just throwing references out there hoping to trick you into thinking there's something meaningful going on here even though there really isn't.
d) A natural consequence of me writing in accordance with a set of rules that I established a long time ago that you don't know what they are.
f) Something else.
Post by: LordBucket on March 29, 2014, 07:38:24 am
Quote
we have one potion of invisibility which can help us get in or out, but not both. I vote we charge through, dodge everything we can, talk to Yagrum, and only use the potion if it's clear we need it.
Quote
+1 to this.
Quote
Agreed.
Quote
Run Forrest, run!
You turn away from the horde of corpus beasts and jog to the door. You counted five, but they're not particularly fast and you don't feel you're in any danger so long as you can keep your distance.
Quote
Remember the directions I gave you: Straight ahead from the entrance, ignoring the side tunnels, through a door and a tall chamber, until you reach a brazier (that probably has a skeleton lying next to it.) Make a left. Unless this Yagrum has a different personality, he's probably in his workshop/study corner.
(http://i.imgur.com/8IOUKoj.png)
The door is slightly open and has a sign on it that reads "please keep this door closed." Frowning, you step through and immediately notice that the air on this side is fresher, more clear. The green mist you saw earlier is still present but it's not as thick. Is this some kind of airlock? Since it seems safe, you close the door behind you just in time to hear thumping and scratching from the other side. Not wanting to stick around to see if they can open the door, you continue through to the next room.
(http://i.imgur.com/Gp07LUa.png)
Fireplace, no brazier. Corpus monsters, but no skeleton. You try to work your way past them, but they see you and you end up skirting your way to the right rather than left to avoid them. Unfortunately this takes you to a tunnel blocked by another corprus monster.
(http://i.imgur.com/rwlrKVF.png)
There's no way you can slip by. And if the voices are to be believed, it's the wrong way anyway. Turning back the way you came, you see that the two lame corprus beasts from the room with the campfire have both followed you. There's not much you can do but try to run past them.
Health is now 48/61
It doesn't hurt bad, but you really hope you didn't just contract corpus. Heading down the left corridor this time, the air continues to clear.
Quote
Michael, can you tell your own stats, in number form? We know the numbers of each of them, including health, magicka, and fatigue.
Quote
I approve of asking
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I have no game interface at all. No character sheet, no mouseovers for items, nothing. Remember when I first arrived I couldn't even figure out which mushrooms were which?"
Quote
If not in numbers, do you have some kind of feeling of them?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, it depends. For example, it's obvious I'm stronger now than when I first got here. It's not like I've lifted weights and checked how much they weigh, but just imagine if you went from being able to lift 100 pounds to being able to lift 150. You'd notice, even if you didn't know the weight of anything you were carrying. I'm stronger, faster tougher than I was when I got here. It's just obvious."
"Other things...work differently? Like for example when I smell potions I just kind of know what they do. But even that's not that weird. If you were to smell fruit juice from any citrus fruit, you'd know it had vitamin c in it even if you couldn't distinguish tangelo from mandarin orange. It's kind of like that. Healing potion has a very distinct smell, but I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a healing potion made of one ingredient vs another. Though even that's not surprising. The calcination step of alchemy basically incinerates stuff to ash. If I make a potion out of rat meat, it doesn't smell like rat when I'm done."
"The weirdest thing is item enchantments. That's kind of odd. Before I learned to see magic, after Strillian taught me how I could get a sense for what things did...and I don't know how to explain it. I'd just touch them and know. No numbers or anything, but if you were to hand me two swords with the same enchantment and one stronger than the other, I'd be able to tell you which was which. The thing is though, now that I can see magic...I know what it was I was sensing because I can actually see it."
Michael draws his dagger.
(http://i.imgur.com/YcjEQ8O.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "See? It's not like there are any numbers anywhere. It's just a big knife. But if you close your eyes and focus on the magic..."
(http://i.imgur.com/0iRaFkq.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "See that rolling greenish layer covering the blade? See the red, purple and...umm...not sure what color that is. But that...right there."
Michael points to a spot near where the blade meets the hilt.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Right there. That. What color is that? I don't know what to call it. Do you guys know? Anyway, relax and defocus your eyes a bit, really feel for the magic and see how the entire blade is translucent? See how you can see the cave wall behind it? The magic aura on the knife is really obvious, but if you look really closely you can see that the aura extend through the inside of the blade, and that the aura, the dagger and the cave are all made of the same stuff. That? It's magicka. It's the same thing going on with marks. When I saw Azura's mark inside my head it was actually a little glowing yellow and orange star. Or the guild marks. The mage guild mark is a little green shape. Though it's not solid green. There's some other stuff on the inside that I'm guessing indicate rank and..."
(http://i.imgur.com/JbWXSrn.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Whoa."
Instead of a secluded little workshop in the middle of a cave, apparently there's an entire Telvanni-style mushroom city down here. You see a few stray corprus monsters, but they don't appear to be chasing you. Cautiously, you look around.
(http://i.imgur.com/BfFQLMV.png)
Mushroom houses and crates, cots, rugs, campfires...even a few mostly normal looking dunmer standing around alongside obviously deformed corprus beasts. As you make your way through the area, one of the afflicted sees you staring and nods as if to say hello. What's going on here?
Eventually you make your way through to the wooden platform on the far side.
(http://i.imgur.com/h0fhF6D.png)
This, at least, is familiar. Yagram Bagarn, the dwarf, his belly distended from corprus growths and the lower half of his body removed and replaced with a mechanically powered six-legged dwarven metal walker, talking animatedly with one of Divayth's daughters. You approach in time to catch the trailing end of what sounds like a joke.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "...and so I ask him, what if the missus catches you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "What did he say?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "He looks at me with a straight face, and get this, he says 'Oh, but I'm counting on it!'"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Hahahaha! That's hilarious!"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Thank you, thank you. You're a good crowd. I'll be here all century. And speaking of centuries, looks like we have a guest from the Legion."
The dunmer turns and looks at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Oh, hello."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hi."
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Please excuse me."
She raises her hands and engulfs you in a flurry of white magic. Then pauses, and casts again.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What was that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "That's what she said."
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "I screen all new arrivals for basic and blight disease. You didn't appear to be infected, but I find it's best to be careful."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "So what brings you to Yagrum Bagarn, Last Living Dwarf?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...well, I-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Comedian extraordinaire!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Erm, I have-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Dashing and handsome!"
He looks at you expectantly. You look at him for a moment before continuing.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I have a-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "And great with the ladies!"
The dunmer giggles.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "But no seriously, what can I do for you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I have a device that-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Oh! A toy! Let me see let me see!"
Shrugging, you pull out your cellphone and hand it to him. He immediately pulls it open with both hands and examines the insides.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Hmm. Electrical device. Non-sentient. Buttons. Imperial lettering. Archaic battery design. Enchanted liquid...I'm guessing this is a psychomanteum. Clever, aligning a liquid like that, though I don't see why you needed so many when a single solid crystal would have done as well. Why is it so small? What's a Nokia?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "That's the name of the company that made it."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Does it work? It's not responding to me."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes, there's a power button turns it on."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Oh, power button. Quaint."
You reach for the phone to show him but he yanks it away from you.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "No spoilers!"
He immediately begins mashing buttons with an index finger.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "The best way to learn about potentially dangerous alien technology is ALWAYS to madly tinker with it until something happens. You are an alien, aren't you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "The jury is still out on that one."
Eventually he manages to find the power button. He looks amused as it lights up.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Oh...wow, this is pretty. Though not as pretty as our lovely host, of course."
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "I'm Uupse, by the way."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "And I'm Yagram, sexy genius incarnate. Pleasure to meet me, I'm sure."
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Don't mind Yagrum. He's always like this."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "And you love me for it. Let's see, since we haven't been fried to cinders yet I'm guessing the aura effect is not a doomsday weapon. Looking for a power source, maybe? Oh! I get it. It's looking for friends. What's the battery for? I've known Altmer who put out more than this puts out power. It depends on relays, I take it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...erm, cell phone towers, yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "No connection found. Well, no surprise there. This obviously wasn't made in Tamriel."
He continues mashing buttons. Hoping that you still get the 600 gold if he destroys it, you worriedly turn to Uupse.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sorry to trouble you, but I had a bit of an incident with an inmate on the way in. Could you check me for corprus?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Please, call them guests. And you don't need to worry. Corprus isn't contagious. At least, not like vampirism or lycanthropy. You can't catch it just by being touched by someone who has it."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Really? Are you sure?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Quite sure. Did you notice the green haze on your way in?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "That's airborne dust made up of very fine particles of skin shedded from the growths on our guests. You were inhaling corprus dust the entire way in."
You suppress the urge to vomit.
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Corprus is magical in nature, not parasitic. You could eat raw chunks of corprus meat all day long, or spread pus from corprus pustules onto an open wound without any risk of contracting it."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How does it spread then?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Magical contact with the more powerful ash creatures."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Ha! Take that you bulbous green pig!"
You glance over at Yagrum. Apparently he's playing Angry Birds.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So, Yagrum. Divayth offered me 600 gold for the phone. What would you say it's worth?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Serves you right for resisting the might of the avian-oh, what? 600 gold? Seems fair. Whoever made this, it's absolutely amazing what they did with such a primitive medium."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Primitive?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Yes. I've seen similar devices, toys really. But no civilization I've encountered uses electricity for anything this complicated.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What do they use instead?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Internal biology, acoustics, stone, lots of things. Personally I'm fond of steam. Vastly superior to electricity. The logic gates take up more space, but that's just the kind of man I am. Big."
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "At least before the corpr-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How is steam superior to electricity?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Easier to generate, less dangerous, more powerful, more reliable, more scalable. Of course if you want build small, it's best to work with principal forces directly. But not everyone's capable of that, and magical solutions aren't always ideal. Especially when building for public works, the unskilled lower classes, etc. Which is one of the problems with electricity. If you can't command the Aether flow, how do you recharge a device like this? You can't simply ask the peasants to go down to the river and grab a few buckets of electricity. Non-magical generation of electricity is possible, yes, but it's difficult and rife with problems. It's dangerous. It doesn't store well. You can't simply fill a cistern with electricity. Electrical batteries are inefficient compared to magical batteries. And if you're going to use a self-powering solution, as with soul gems or Aetherial gatherers, why go the extra step of converting to highly volatile electricity rather than storing raw magicka? It would be like trying to store fire rather than storing wood and igniting it when needed."
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Excuse me for leaving mid-lecture, but I'd like to make my rounds before morning. Enjoy your stay, Michael."
Yagrum makes an exagerated attempt to bow, made difficult by his mechanical spider legs. Uupse giggles at the attempt and waves goodbye to you both, leaving Yagrum to pick up where he left off.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Also, electrical devices tend to be very delicate. This little gadget is powered by electricity, but if I were to zap it with even a tiny lightning spell not even enough to kill a rat, it would burn out very easily. Can you imagine if somebody asked me to build a steam animunculi, a device powered by water...and if I then built it so flimsy that any time it was exposed to too much water it broke? Ridiculous. And yet this, not only would a simple lightning spell completely destroy it, I imagine dunking it in water for too long would break it too. Or dropping it into a simple campfire. Or stepping on it. Worse, if you're not careful electrical devices can destroy each other simply by being in close proximity to each other. Any time you run an electric current through anything it generates a field effect that tends to interfere with other electrically powered devices. A society founded on electrical technology would have a terrible time shielding everything. Whereas steam, you could literally drop functioning animunculi into the boiler of a steam generator and they'd all work just fine."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But if steam is so much better than electricity, why don't I see...I don't know, more cool stuff here? Where I come from, everyone has a phone like this and can talk to anyone. We have cars and computers and airplanes. Here, most everyone seems to be living in mud huts or mushrooms and writing with quills on paper."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Airships? What type of airships?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Mostly airplanes."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Right, but how do they fly?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, two wings and a propeller. They go fast and the shape of the wing generates lift."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Manned craft? Heavier than air?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I'm impressed. Usually ships of that sort would be powered by either chemical fuel or air suction."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...oh. Actually, we do use jet fuel for planes."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I thought we were discussing steam vs electricity. Wasn't this your electrically-powered society you were describing?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, yeah...but we don't use electricity for planes. Or for cars, much."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Because it's difficult to work with? Difficult to generate, store, transport and so forth?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "There you go. To answer your question, you don't see these things in Morrowind because Morrowind is a superstitious, primitive backwoods. At least from what I've seen. I don't get out much. But you'll notice there's no steam power here either, except for a few ruins I'm told most people are scared of. Civilization has sort of fallen by the wayside in recent millenia."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What do you think are the chances we could use this phone to jumpstart a new technological society here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Slim to none. It seems a fun toy, but honestly, I have to ask why it would even occur to you to build something like this in the first place. What was the problem this was intended to solve?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, let's say I'm in Balmora and you're here, and we both have a phone. I could use mine to call you on yours and we could talk."
Yagrum frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "You mean we both need to have one? You can't use it to scry on independent targets?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Scry? You mean like with a crystal ball?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Of course. Isn't this a psychomanteum?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What's a psychomanteum?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I thought this was. A psychmanteum is a scrying device. Crystal ball, mirror, pool of water, the Telvanni like to use those pink crystals, doesn't really matter. You choose a person or place you want to view, and you can use it to see and hear. Add a projected illusion or a second device on the viewed end and it's two-way communication."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...huh. Umm, no. This isn't like that."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Then what does it do? Just...allow you to talk and lob pictures of birds at pictures of pigs?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, some other stuff too, but mostly, yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "So it does even less than I assumed. Would you be able to build me a second one?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, these are mass produced by machines."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I don't suppose you'd be able to build a machine to mass produce them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No. I was kind of hoping you'd be able to."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Reverse engineering something like this would be a nightmare. What about the relays you mentioned? Do machines build those also?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You mean the cell towers? I don't think so."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "What kind of range does it have?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, back home I can reliably call pretty much anyone in the entire world, but if you mean just from phone to tower, I think it's measured in miles."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "How large is your world?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm...11,000 miles diameter I think?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "A sphere? And you have relays, apparently large enough that you call them towers, spaced at distances measured in miles across that surface area?"
Yagrum is beginning to look perplexed.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, there's a lot of water, so it's not like the whole planet's covered."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Even if it were only a single row of relays spaced 100 miles apart across the globe, that's several hundred at least."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Actually it's probably tens of thousands I'd guess. Maybe hundreds of thousands."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Hundreds of thousands? Towers? Entire buildings, hundreds of thousands of them? Just to talk? If you were going to go to all that effort, wouldn't it have been better to build a teleport pad network?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "We can't teleport."
Yagram blinks a couple times.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I suppose in that case the device might make some sense. But I don't expect that they'll catch on here."
You glance down at the sun. Looks like it will be poking out over the horizon in another 30 minutes or so.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Cellphone storage (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Supercharazad on March 29, 2014, 08:05:57 am
Post by: Dermonster on March 29, 2014, 09:43:22 am
More to the point, we did it all because Physics simply works differently. Nobody can shoot lightning out of their fingers. Comparing electricity to us and steam to them is completely insane because the two systems just work completely differently with the surrounding laws of the universe.
Post by: Putnam on March 29, 2014, 02:09:08 pm
Elder Scrolls universe is far more advanced than ours in technology and this version of it even more so than the norm.
Post by: Dermonster on March 29, 2014, 02:11:21 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on March 29, 2014, 04:09:21 pm
Oh, come now. The accomplishments of electricity aren't nearly that of magic. Look at Pankratosword. Numidium. Talos. The Towers. All of those have far more effect than anything electricity's ever done. Not to mention teleportation (which Fyr at least can use to go to pretty much anywhere in the Aurbis), item enchantment, scrying, Dreamsleeve communication.
Elder Scrolls universe is far more advanced than ours in technology and this version of it even more so than the norm.
I really want to argue with you about that but I neither care nor know enough to do so.I'd say it has higher spikes, but I don't know that it's more advanced overall. If you want to define "advanced" as "has done the coolest thing," then yeah, things in Tamriel have built gods and sundered reality and so on. If you define it more on average or as an accumulation, you're still looking at mostly Middle Ages tech or less augmented by magic shortcuts here and there.
Anyway, Michael, we can see the dagger's stats, but not its auras. We remain gifted in game sight and blind to magicka. You've gone from 20 Str on arrival to 27.3 at the moment, if you were curious.
As for Yagrum... if we want to get off of here by boat we need to flee immediately, but then we wouldn't be able to try to catch Fyr at dinner or anything. So I guess my vote goes to staying here and asking The Last Dwarf about the dwarves and corprus and technology and a bunch of other useless faffy things that are interesting but probably won't help us in the slightest. Then I guess we're swimming for it, which will hopefully go smoother than last time.
To that end:
Chat about the accomplishments of Dwemer engineeringYes, this. Ask him what they did and how and why. While you're at it, ask him what he knows or suspects about their disappearance.
After that, mention that both Fyr and Vivec have declared us natives, but that we recall having that phone when we were pulled through dimensions. That gives us two strong opinions that we're native, two strong opinions that this device we have is alien and bizarre, and no particular theory on reconciling the two. What's his take on it?
Post by: Xanmyral on March 29, 2014, 04:17:20 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on March 29, 2014, 04:20:20 pm
Post by: joemoben on March 29, 2014, 04:51:02 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on March 29, 2014, 04:59:26 pm
EDIT: Also, if we're trying to defend the efficiency of electricity over magicka or steam (even if there's not much point in it and also I really like parentheses), we might point out that we enjoy a much higher standard of living in our world which is, at this point, almost entirely reliant on devices operating on electricity.
Post by: Araph on March 29, 2014, 07:37:03 pm
Also, ask him about what made him interrupt Uupse.
Post by: GlyphGryph on March 29, 2014, 10:13:43 pm
Also, Explain to him that you still have mental contact with people from the world where stuff like this exists, if he doesn't mind a time delay and wants any questions about the technology answered, so long as its answerable in a way that you can repeat back. Also, tell him we're big fans of his work - well not him, in particular, but versions of him.
Finally, Ask him if he knows of a way to somehow read another's thoughts, or to be able to think what they're thinking, or anything like that. It would be interesting to talk to someone else directly, I think. :D
Post by: LordBucket on March 30, 2014, 05:31:56 am
we might point out that we enjoy a much higher standard of living in our world
Do we? Maybe we have more electronic toys to play with, but I'm pretty sure Vivec City has a lower rate of homelessness than Los Angeles, for example. Much better health care in Morrowind too. Uupse just cast a pair of spells that cured you of all diseases not caused by gods. I'd imagine there are a lot of aids/cancer/herpes/etc sufferers who'd be happy to have that option. And for those who aren't friends with wizards, a trip to the local alchemist would give the same result for roughly 1/6th the cost of a monthly Balmora apartment rental. Public transporation? Mage guild teleportation isn't any more expensive than silt strider or boat travel. Imagine if you could walk into Los Angelees airport and instantly teleport to New York, with no waiting in lines, no need to buy tickets months in advance and all for about the same cost as cab fare.
What exactly do we have better? More toys? Maybe Morrowind doesn't get 300+ cable channels. But their lower class is free of hunger and disease and their upper class is effectively immortal and sometimes ascends to godhood. I'm sure both Hugh Heffner and Bill Gates would be thrilled to be in as good physical condition as Divayth Fyr when they reach 4000.
Post by: LordBucket on March 30, 2014, 06:43:13 am
Quote
ask him to tell us some jokes.
Quote
Tell him that one of the voices in your head is irritated
Quote
ask whether he has seen an outer plane where events in Mundus are a game
Quote
Chat about the accomplishments of Dwemer engineering
Quote
ask him about what made him interrupt Uupse.
Will any of these questions help you in any way? Do you really want to lose your ride off the island just to make smalltalk? This is the guy you've been wanting to talk to since like episode 10. What do you want to talk to him about?
Post by: Araph on March 30, 2014, 11:20:20 am
What exactly do we have better? More toys? Maybe Morrowind doesn't get 300+ cable channels. But their lower class is free of hunger and disease and their upper class is effectively immortal and sometimes ascends to godhood. I'm sure both Hugh Heffner and Bill Gates would be thrilled to be in as good physical condition as Divayth Fyr when they reach 4000.
The lower class isn't free from hunger, and their are two upper classes: elven mages and the rest of the upper class. Humans are still as mortal as us.
Besides that, think of how many bandits there are in Tamriel. What social conditions would cause that? What would possibly be able to cause more than half of Tamriel's population to take up banditry? Morrowind still has slavery as a commonly accepted thing. The poor live in one-room shacks. The average level of education is terrible. Daedra, vampires, and other things that go bump in the night regularly prey on people.
In addition, think of the absurd disparity in wealth between social classes. Most commoners have less than ten septims of pocket change. Divayth wears a full suit of daedric armor. Some reclusive noble in Vivec can afford to give away daedric weapons for information. The rich are usually people with vast arcane powers or slaves, and the lower classes are left with basically nothing.
I'd argue our standard of living is significantly higher.
Also, I only suggested we ask Yagrum about what made him interrupt Uupse because I know it'd tick him off. I vote we ask him about what he knows about the Nerevarine, and... crap, I forgot why we came down here aside from getting our phone appraised.
Post by: gordy on March 30, 2014, 04:21:11 pm
Also don't we have to give him the dwemer toy?
Post by: Descan on March 30, 2014, 05:05:23 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on March 30, 2014, 05:18:01 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on March 30, 2014, 06:02:04 pm
Do you really want to lose your ride off the island just to make smalltalk?You seem to underestimate our interest in smalltalk. Particularly with
+1 to all previous suggestions, especially asking him about travel on Outer Planes we might be from, ask if he thinks it's possible that the "possibility" of us existing became real (maybe through magick or divine intervention) to bring us here, like Vivek suggested earlier. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4286948#msg4286948)
Post by: GlyphGryph on March 30, 2014, 06:05:55 pm
If you want to ride with Cinia, you have time to get in a few questions before you leave.To be honest? I just assumed we were going to miss the ride no matter what happened. I guess you're just more of an optimist than me! :V
Post by: bsnott on March 30, 2014, 06:08:09 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on March 30, 2014, 08:19:24 pm
If he wants to know more, tell him that since we don't have the heating substance that dwemer steam technology uses, and as such steam for us requires burning fuel mined from the ground. In fact, our society relies more on buried hydrocarbon fuel than on electricity. We opted to forgo the "middleman" of steam and power our engines directly by combustion of high energy density fuel. Electricity is most commonly generated by burning hydrocarbons.
To answer most of our physics questions in one go, ask him if he knows anything about atomic/nuclear power. If he has no idea, it's likely that fundamental particles work a bit differently in this universe. Or perhaps that the Dwemer never bothered/managed to examine such small scales, but I doubt that.
Post by: GlyphGryph on March 30, 2014, 09:26:33 pm
Post by: LordBucket on March 30, 2014, 10:00:51 pm
Explain to him that you still have mental contact with people from the world where stuff like this exists
make sure to tell him about how you have mental contact with the people from a world like the one where the phone came from
This suggestion would need consensus to be acted on, as it could potentially have long-reaching consequences for better or worse. Remember there were some things you decided to specifically not tell Divayth.
Post by: gman8181 on March 30, 2014, 10:37:17 pm
Explain to him that you still have mental contact with people from the world where stuff like this existsmake sure to tell him about how you have mental contact with the people from a world like the one where the phone came from
This suggestion would need consensus to be acted on, as it could potentially have long-reaching consequences for better or worse. Remember there were some things you decided to specifically not tell Divayth.
I was going to restrict myself to just watching this game but I'm going to post again specifically to request we not give too much information. I'm paranoid but in a world like this, paranoia is probably for the best.
Huh, if we're already asking about things like nuclear technology and atomic stuff, i wonder if it would be possible to build an atomic bomb in Morrowind. If physics, chemistry, etc are still even remotely similar in this universe, even building something like a basic gun could be beneficial to us (not even so much in combat but in regard to selling said technology here to make a profit).
Post by: The_Jester on March 30, 2014, 10:41:07 pm
Michael is never going to get anything accomplished with this lot at the helm. There is way too much interest in pointless chatting with ancient creatures that have no real interest in helping Michael. We need to establish long term plans to level up Michael, and figure out whether he is the Nerevarine, while keeping our focus on why we go places. Remember Clover? Everybody was in such a hurry to get here to figure out about her and so far all we have done is bore an ancient wizard who wouldn't tell us anything about her and talk about electricity with a member of an ancient civilization that can't help Michael at all because they all disappeared.
On more of an out of character note, you guys do realize that the point of this whole thing isn't to argue LB's take on the history and mechanics of the Elder Scrolls universe, right? As fascinating as you might find it to sit and talk with some of these characters, LB is making up these conversations and you could really argue the benefits of a magical society versus a technological society with him anywhere. It isn't helping Michael. In fact, I think at this point Michael seems to be much less concerned about WHY he is in Morrowind and much more concerned about living there. He doesn't want to go back, so who cares about how he got here? We have spent months in pointless conversations and very little time actually doing anything.
Post by: LordBucket on March 30, 2014, 11:02:38 pm
For example:
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Hi, Voices In Michael's Head! So, tell me about your people. Please start with your physiology. Do you have two arms and two legs and a head like Michael, or are you all non-corporeal daedra and is Michael's form simply a convenience for interacting with us? You seem very interested in math. Please give me a complete history of your species' in terms of math and physics. Also, here are a list of 20 unsolved math problems in Tamriel. Would you offer your insight into each of them? Oh, wow...'internet' you say? Fascinating! Would you look up the following 200 topics of personal interest to me and have Michael recite everything he can on them? Oh, wait...wikipedia you say? Awesome! Let's start with A..."
To which you then respond in the thread over several days, and then you read an episode about Michael repeating your answers back to him.
I've been trying very hard to abide by a 'no railroading' policy, but I'm pretty sure this particular suggestion would take us in a direction that wouldn't be very fun to read.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 30, 2014, 11:07:40 pm
But we did have consensus to tell Divayth about the voices. We agreed not to give him the impression that the world might reset if we died, but there was no objection to asking him about voices in one's mind. I hypothesized that the voices might have something to do with the mark of Azura. Asking Yagrum to come home with us seems a bit much, though.Explain to him that you still have mental contact with people from the world where stuff like this existsmake sure to tell him about how you have mental contact with the people from a world like the one where the phone came from
This suggestion would need consensus to be acted on, as it could potentially have long-reaching consequences for better or worse. Remember there were some things you decided to specifically not tell Divayth.
NINJAEDIT: Yeah, I can see the problem with that. The main reason to ask him would be to find out if he knew of any similar phenomena, and so gain a better understanding of our situation and capabilities. We can't know if somebody doesn't know something until we ask them. But as you have just expressly told us that he doesn't, asking Yagrum about us would be pointless.
Does Yagrum have the mark of Azura? I doubt it, but it would be good to check.
About firearms: Likely possible, as the Dwemer themselves have chemical explosives. I know LordBucket might say "Why bother? Destruction magic!", but then again using destruction magic to the same efficacy as firearms and artillery requires a lot more training than just channeling Magicka, more training than most soldiers would have. It's possible than some alchemical mixture could make an even better propellant than modern smokeless gunpowder or cordite.
Or if you want to get really fancy, maybe you could give the firing pin a very small fireball enchantment, which might not be powerful enough to do much damage on its own but if released inside the confines of a metal barrel, could propel a slug at deadly speeds. Such an indirect use of destruction magic might even be more practical than directly throwing large fireballs, using a smaller amount of charge to inflict physical damage, perhaps even bypassing the magic resistance of a creature that would have merely resisted the direct magic attack.
Ask Yagrum what he knows about Clover and the Nerevarine, and then leave, making sure to be on time for the boat above all. Don't sell the phone. Do not in any way tell him about voices in your head.If we're going to live in Morrowind and not talk science with Yagrum Bagarn, we may as well take that dagger right now and stick it in our skull. What's the point of playing this game if we skip interesting things like this? Things that some of us have waited literally the whole game for? It might not be the most practical thing to do, but being cagey, asking as little as possible, then just leaving this place forever (we're not going to get a good reason to come back here again any time soon) would be just so deeply unsatisfying. Situations like these provide good writing and good worldbuilding on LordBucket's part, moreso than just asking him. Though I do agree that we must make sure to get the important questions out of the way.
And I must impress, again, that we should tell him of our Magicka-less universe, to avoid wasting time with misunderstandings.
Post by: Araph on March 30, 2014, 11:56:15 pm
-Our universe has no observable magicka. If he's interested in investigating, tell him he's free to pursue that endeavor with Divayth, but we don't have any explanation for it.
-What's up with Clover and the Nerevarine.
-That's all we've got time for, we've got a boat to catch.
Then do:
-Sell the phone. There is literally no use for it in this world aside from being a trinket to pawn off.
Let's consider what it can do: be a calculator, play Angry Birds, and... basically nothing. We aren't trying to start a technological revolution here. At best, it takes forever to get going and we die of corprus or something before we see its effects. At worst, it destabilizes the entire timeline and we don't have any useful intel on the future. Get rid of it, get some pocket change, learn magic.
After that:
-Catch a ride back to wherever it was (Sadrith Mora?) with Cinia. Make her our friend. Weaponize our charming dorkiness.
Totally unrelated: I like LordBucket's DMing style. He actually keeps us somewhat on track and drops hints when we're going to get ourselves permanently stuck as Divayth's 'guest' because of
Post by: LordBucket on March 31, 2014, 12:26:43 am
I like LordBucket's DMing style. He actually keeps us somewhat on track
Thank you. Though if and when this thing ever finishes, some of you might be shocked at how completely far into left field this game has gone.
Unrelated, to address your suggestion from this post (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5135051#msg5135051):
ask him about what made him interrupt Uupse.
In case it wasn't clear, that whole exchange was a joke. Yagrum is a bit self absorbed, and he fancies himself a womanizer:
Quote
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I'm Yagram, sexy genius incarnate. Pleasure to meet me, I'm sure."
Quote
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): wow, this is pretty. Though not as pretty as our lovely host, of course."
Quote
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Dashing and handsome!"
Quote
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "And great with the ladies!"
But, the 'lower half' of his body was lost due to corprus and had to be replaced:
Quote
Yagram Bagarn, the dwarf, his belly distended from corprus growths and the lower half of his body removed and
replaced with a mechanically powered six-legged dwarven metal walker
So this all sets up the following exchange, where Yagrum is explaining that even though fluid logic gates take up more space than electronic gates, he likes that, because he likes big, and "he's big" too:
Quote
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Internal biology, acoustics, stone, lots of things. Personally I'm fond of steam. Vastly superior to electricity. The logic gates take up more space, but that's just the kind of man I am. Big."
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "At least before the corpr-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT."
Yagrum, full of himself as he is, is bragging about the size of his genitals. Uupse is pointing out that he doesn't have any because they were removed.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 31, 2014, 12:29:10 am
I'm glad we kept the phone as long as we did. If Yagrum Bagarn looks at it and says its worth 600 gold, then its worth 600 gold. It's our only obvious material proof of our extradimensional origin, but now that we've shown it to the people who would find it most interesting, it's time to take the best offer we're ever going to get for it.
And LordBucket, I love the style of this game. One of the best parts about this is asking all the questions, stupid or no, that we've always wanted to have answers to but there were never enough dialogue options for.
Post by: Araph on March 31, 2014, 12:38:34 am
In case it wasn't clear, that whole exchange was a joke. Yagrum is a bit self absorbed, and he fancies himself a womanizer:
[snip]
I recognized the implications; the only reason I would tell Michael to ask about that is to very intentionally piss Yagrum off. :P So, probably not a good suggestion.
Post by: LordBucket on March 31, 2014, 12:54:58 am
LordBucket, I love the style of this game. One of the best parts about this is asking all the questions,
stupid or no, that we've always wanted to have answers to but there were never enough dialogue options for.
Thank you. I've always disliked railroading in games. The Elder Scrolls games have always been good about that. If you want to ignore the main quest and trek into the woods at random, there's always something to find more interesting than a confused GM saying "umm, you didn't do what I expected."
When I first started this it never occurred to me that it would lead to me researching roman military organization so I could come up with a plausible characterization for the Legion. Or that I'd end up explaining medieval alchemy processes. Or that I'd need to think up an internally consistent behavior for teleport mechanics. I did come up with a "the plan" before I started this and there is a "what's really going on" that I hope you guys eventually figure out. But wow have we gone in some directions I didn't anticipate on the way to getting there. And curiously, there have been a few directions that I completely assumed would be taken that you guys have completely avoided.
And that's ok.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 31, 2014, 02:48:20 am
If we're going to live in Morrowind and not talk science with Yagrum Bagarn, we may as well take that dagger right now and stick it in our skull. What's the point of playing this game if we skip interesting things like this? Things that some of us have waited literally the whole game for? It might not be the most practical thing to do, but being cagey, asking as little as possible, then just leaving this place forever (we're not going to get a good reason to come back here again any time soon) would be just so deeply unsatisfying. Situations like these provide good writing and good worldbuilding on LordBucket's part, moreso than just asking him. Though I do agree that we must make sure to get the important questions out of the way.This is... more or less my feeling on the matter. If we're more careful with the instructions in getting home, it shouldn't be nearly as bad as getting here. The boat shouldn't be a necessity; if anything, I'd miss chatting with whatshername more than the free ride. Fyr also mentioned we might be able to catch him at dinner, which we're probably not going to have time for if we rush to get out of here.
I would agree that standing here for ten updates explaining how to play tic tac toe to Yagrum is probably not a good use of time, but otherwise I don't think we need to make sure every single question we ask is a curt inquiry about Clover.
That said... it's true that the tower's not going anywhere, at least as far as we know. If we really wanted to chat with Redhead or avoid the hassle of swimming, theoretically we could just leave now, work on our skills until a lone kagouti can't literally eat us alive, and then come back to chat with Yagrum literally any other time we feel like it.
Thank you. Though if and when this thing ever finishes, some of you might be shocked at how completely far into left field this game has gone.Considering how little this LP currently resembles pretty much any interpretation of a game of Morrowind, I doubt I'd be among them. I guess barging into Vivec's study as our first course of action worked for certain definitions of the word, but it still sort of baffles me.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 31, 2014, 02:57:59 am
It's true that we could technically come back here. But I doubt we'd have a good reason to come back here in the near future, and even if we had the means it would require going out of our way in the midst of an ongoing crisis. I'd like to talk science as much as reasonably possible before we have to go. If we only have time for one more science question, let it be about atomic/nuclear energy, since this has the most chance of providing useful information (if this universe has similar atoms, for instance).
Post by: hostergaard on March 31, 2014, 04:02:50 am
Or rockets and satellites, a space program is sure to interest him (I mean, their moons are ostensibly the corpse of a god), the fact that we have visited our moon mechanically. And our phone network use satellites too.
Post by: Descan on March 31, 2014, 04:12:51 am
We visited Mars mechanically, either by means or because we sent a machine, either way fits. Of course, I don't know if Yagrum has any point of reference for how difficult that might be, I don't know if Mundus has a Mars-equivalent.
Post by: The_Jester on March 31, 2014, 09:00:11 am
Ask Yagrum what he knows about Clover and the Nerevarine, and then leave, making sure to be on time for the boat above all. Don't sell the phone. Do not in any way tell him about voices in your head.If we're going to live in Morrowind and not talk science with Yagrum Bagarn, we may as well take that dagger right now and stick it in our skull. What's the point of playing this game if we skip interesting things like this? Things that some of us have waited literally the whole game for? It might not be the most practical thing to do, but being cagey, asking as little as possible, then just leaving this place forever (we're not going to get a good reason to come back here again any time soon) would be just so deeply unsatisfying. Situations like these provide good writing and good worldbuilding on LordBucket's part, moreso than just asking him. Though I do agree that we must make sure to get the important questions out of the way.
I don't disagree that talking to Yagrum about science is interesting, I just think we should place more importance at this stage of Michael's ability on catching the boat. I think that it is going to be much more difficult than many of you seem to think to make it back in one piece without at least some assistance, and here is a great way to get back safely, and perhaps start gaining some real acquaintances for Michael. There has been so much of a focus on talking to these wildly powerful and knowledgeable beings that Michael has acquired little to no friends, and the few people that were actually seeming to go that way have been abandoned a long time ago because it was decided to switch focus and not go back to Seyda Neen.
-Sell the phone. There is literally no use for it in this world aside from being a trinket to pawn off.
Let's consider what it can do: be a calculator, play Angry Birds, and... basically nothing. We aren't trying to start a technological revolution here. At best, it takes forever to get going and we die of corprus or something before we see its effects. At worst, it destabilizes the entire timeline and we don't have any useful intel on the future. Get rid of it, get some pocket change, learn magic.
I know that I am in the minority about the phone, but I can actually think of tons of uses for it. It can take pictures, which could provide us with a way to "prove" things to people who may not be inclined to agree with us about something, or could be used to at least catch someone's interest. I am sure that it can make voice notes, so we could use it to become the ultimate courier, "speak into the box and I will guarantee your exact message gets there!", etc. Also, it could help us to become an effective spy, with said picture and voice recording capabilities, or it could be used as a distraction for some Solid Snake-esque sneak attacks.
Anyway, my biggest concern at the moment is catching the boat back.
Post by: GlyphGryph on March 31, 2014, 09:32:44 am
Tell him we have a boat to catch, but the people from our world can speak directly to us psychically and would love to chat with him forever. If he can provide us with any help we would love to come back later after the world is not in imminent danger of being immediately destroyed, and provide him with all sorts of diagrams and walkthroughs on how to build the things that support our planet of 7billion people, none of whom can use magic but who LOVE machines.
But for now, we dont want to miss our only ride out of here and miss being trapped, so we need to keep it brief, as much as the voices admire him and looked forward to this meeting - because yes, his reputation is so great he is known even in our world.
Then, unless he offers an alternative way home, ask the important questions and get out.
Post by: The_Jester on March 31, 2014, 10:01:27 am
Also, Cinia is an NPC that apparently was missing from the original morrowind but was added back in by a mod called the secret masters mod, she is the master trainer of medium armor. So that is good to know.
Post by: GlyphGryph on March 31, 2014, 10:03:00 am
Post by: WillowLuman on March 31, 2014, 10:24:12 am
Anyway, we really ought to find out what happens to Clover before we leave, it's the whole reason we came here. At this point, all bets are off.
@The_Jester: Yeah, I would like to keep the phone too, for those reasons, but the simple fact is that we have no way of recharging it and its almost out of juice. I suppose that one day, when we have more money, we could buy it back, if it hasn't been dismantled.
Post by: The_Jester on March 31, 2014, 10:40:23 am
As for the phone, I am reasonably confident that if Fyr thinks it can be recharged with a simple spell we could find someone in the mages guild to recharge it for us. I bet the Ald'Ruhn guild officer, Edwinna Elbert(I think that's her name) would be fascinated by our phone, she is really into Dwemer stuff.
Post by: LordBucket on March 31, 2014, 06:35:10 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Also:
Quote
Ask him if there's an easy way to get corprus
Wasn't this question specifically answered by Uupse in great detail in episode 52?
Quote
Ask him what the local alternative is for computation
Wasn't this question indirectly but adequately addressed by Divayth is episode 51? I suppose we can get clarification from Yagrum on that. Different people do have different perspectives. But seems like we're retreading previously covered ground here.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 31, 2014, 06:37:36 pm
Post by: LordBucket on March 31, 2014, 06:48:27 pm
Obviously you just need to go fight an ash creature, who are the results
of advanced forms of corprus and can deliberately inflict it upon you.
That's not quite what she said. Maybe it does need to be clarified. Unfortunately for you, Yagrum isn't the person to ask and you're unlikely to get a specific recipe. Remember corprus is a condition that is still being researched. Also remember that people in Morrowind do not consult a master table of Word of God answers to questions. It is possible for them to be incorrect.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 31, 2014, 06:52:21 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on March 31, 2014, 07:35:18 pm
Wasn't this question specifically answered by Uupse in great detail in episode 52?
That way didn't sound particularly eas, to be honest. Never know if there might be alternatives! That could just be how most people get it.
I still wish we could find a way to talk to Clover. :/
Post by: IronyOwl on March 31, 2014, 07:57:49 pm
I still wish we could find a way to talk to Clover. :/Didn't someone say she was waiting in Fyr's study or something? Or might not have left, or Cilia didn't see her leave, or something? Did we check on that, or am I just misremembering?
Post by: The_Jester on March 31, 2014, 11:14:08 pm
We need a safe way back to Sadrith Mora, or rather any city with a Mages Guild Hall. The easiest way to do that would be to book a ride on the boat. However, we also need to find out Clover's fate, and decide what we are going to do about corprus. Fyr would be the person to ask about helping us catch corprus if we decide to go that route, which hopefully would restore some of his interest in Michael.
My vote is to ask Cinia how often she returns, and decide from her answer, with staying and figuring out Clover's fate being more important than running away.
Before returning to Caius we need to decide whether we truly think that Michael is/can be the Nerevarine or not. If we return without having found out about Clover and/or taking serious steps to become the Nerevarine, then I think that Caius will be aggravated with Michael and be extremely doubtful about him.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 31, 2014, 11:23:10 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 01, 2014, 12:47:26 am
And we'd have wasted this whole trip.
Please don't say that when I've spent most of the past 5 hours typing up responses to questions that you yourself said (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5138228#msg5138228) were things some of you had "waited literally the whole game for."
Post by: Descan on April 01, 2014, 12:49:22 am
Though that is a little odd to say considering what else we've learned here, or will learn.
Post by: LordBucket on April 01, 2014, 01:00:22 am
He didn't say "We wasted the whole trip!", but "If we return without the -one piece of knowledge we
actually came here for-, we'd have wasted the whole trip."
To be fair, you guys kind of have a history of going places and then not doing the thing you originally went to the place to do. I seem to remember a trip from Balmora to Seyda Neen to Gnisis to Seyda Neen to Balmora before anyone remembered why you'd gone to Gnisis in the first place.
Quote
Though that is a little odd to say considering what else we've learned here, or will learn.
Curiously, in between all the random bits of world-building, Yagrum is dumping some surprisingly useful information for you right now. Whether or not you guys manage to track down Clover, don't feel like this trip was worthless. It wasn't. Mostly just need to finish formatting and spellchecking, and the next episode should be up wait, no don't jinx it! ...at some unspecified time someday. somemonth, someyear.
Post by: Araph on April 01, 2014, 01:07:10 am
Also, kinda unrelated: I vote on a meta-level that we avoid telling Michael to do things that deliberately blur the line between Mundus and our own universe (like debating steam versus electricity with Yagrum, or comparing physics notes with Divayth). The philosophical stuff is a given and inevitable, but it's in everyone's best interest to keep the story moving at as fast a pace as is healthy for it.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 01, 2014, 01:08:53 am
Honestly, I love the info we're getting here, but there are others who are getting angry about not sticking to the plot. And Michael himself seems like he's getting frustrated with us for not focusing the original reasons for going places.
NINJEDIT: Though we really, really ought to ask him about nuclear power. That's the physics question that answers most of the others.
Post by: LordBucket on April 01, 2014, 03:18:39 am
Quote
tell him that we come from a Universe without Magicka; or at least if it has magic, it remains largely undetected and works completely differently.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I come from a universe without magicka."
Yagrum facepalms.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Ok, look...lad, this is one I've heard before. I can tell you're not a caster, so I'm sure magic must seem like some oogedy boogedy creepy unexplainable thing to you."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Actually, I can see it. I just haven't learned any spellschools yet."
Yagrum frowns, then raises one finger a shoots a stream of...it's one of those colors you don't have a name for.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Can you see that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "The magic coming from your finger? Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Then what in blazes are you standing there telling me there's no magicka where you come from?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, if we have magicka, it remains largely undetected and works completely differently."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "And what, you think that now that you can see it, if you find a way back home you'll suddenly go blind?"
Huh. That's actually a good question. If you learn to cast spells then go home, would you be able to cast spells there too? Your cellphone works here. Why not the other way? What reason do you have to think that magicka doesn't exist back home?
Quote
ask him if he knows anything about atomic/nuclear power.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Do you know anything about atomic/nuclear power?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I don't recognize the expression. What is it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's one of the ways we generate electricity back home. Also, bombs and stuff. The idea is that all matter is composed of atoms, and energy is used to...well, hold them together, sort of. So if you split an atom you can release the energy."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Oh, you're talking about the Bohr model? "
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Neils Bohr?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Could be. I'm a genius not a historian. That model's only usefully descriptive at a very specific scale. If you go bigger or smaller, it doesn't make sense. 'All matter composed of atoms...' nuclear power as in nucleus? I take it you mean extracting power from atoms?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "It can be done. I've done it myself, actually. But it's not a scale anyone I've ever known likes to work at. Too big to make much sense magically, too small to be practical for most things you wouldn't use a simpler solution for instead. It's like washing your front porch with marbles. Yes you can do it. But why would you, when you can use water or a broom instead? "
Quote
ask Yagrum whether he's ever heard of Euclid, Planck, Pythagoras, Newton, or any other historical figures essential to our understanding of physics and mathematics.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Speaking of Bohr, have you ever heard of Euclid, Planck, Pythagoras or Newton?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "No. Do you have any idea how old I am? You should be asking those people if they've heard of me. My species vanished probably centuries before most of them were born."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, I ask because they're all significant names in physics and math."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Oh, wait. Planck as in the Planck length? Euclid as in Euclidean? Able to be described via a coordinate system where you go forward and back by the same amount you always end up where you started?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes. Euclid was a Greek mathematician. "
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Greek?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's a country where I'm from."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Never heard of...oh, where YOU'RE from? So what you're saying is that words in Cyrodiil appear to have common roots with...wait, did you have to learn the language when you got here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No. So far as I can tell I'm speaking english, but everyone calls it Cyrodiil."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Ok. Yeah, I've seen that before. Just means your universe and ours are close on the cultural axes. There are bound to be other similarities too. Like your body. I'd think the fact that you look like an Imperial should be far more surprising to you than whatever trivial etymological quirks you're asking about. That is your original body isn't it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm...so far as I know. What do you mean when you say our universes are close on cultural axes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Oblivion is basically infinite, and takes up infinitely many dimensions. Well, maybe not literally infinite, but close enough as to not matter. Anything that's possible, exists. Imagine your entire universe where you come from, except one bit of...we'll use your model, one atom in your nose is different. That universe with a single different atom exists and is just as valid as the universe you're from. Now imagine that universe except the atom to the left of that other atom is different instead. And so on for every atom in the entire universe. All of those universes exist."
"Obviously, that means a lot of universes are very similar. In fact, every universe is similar to an effectively infinite number of other universes, because every universe that exists has a universe that's just like it except one atom is different, a universe that's just like it except two atoms are different, all the way up to every atom in the universe. Again, maybe not literally infinite...but close enough for all practical purposes. Especially since the number of atoms in each universe isn't fixed. So after you've counted up all those other universes, start in with universes that are identical to each of them except they have one extra atom somewhere, then two extra, etc. "
"So, not only are a lot of universes similar to other universes, the ways in which universes can be similar is effectively infinite, too. If you imagine all possible universes existing at 90 degrees to each other, any possible pair of universes could be described as existing at a particular 90 degree angle and at a certain distance from one another. And other universes at different positions along that axis will also be similar. When I say 'cultural axes' I'm simply referring to axis sets of universes that are similar in terms of culture."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Are the rules of physics the same in all universes, or can they vary too?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "With as many as there are, who's to say? It's not like we can check them all and compare. And if you were to start scouting out in strange directions where basic fundamental forces stop working, that might make it difficult to stay alive long enough to do any checking."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What do you think?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I think local laws can vary, but there are probably a set of rules that sit above them that are consistent. If you think of all those universes as existing in a single infinitely-dimensional space, it makes sense that the rules for that space be consistent. But hving visited fewer than a 100 universes in my lifetime, it's difficult to speculate which physical laws are truly omniversal. "
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So with that many universes, is it possible there are universes where there isn't any magic? Wouldn't there be an 'effectively infinite' number of them?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Sure. Maybe. Why not? But I don't think you really understand what magicka is. You're comfortable thinking in terms of atoms, right? The whole point of the atomic model is that atoms are supposed to be the smallest possible thing, right? The 'fundamental particles' of the universe, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "But obviously that's not true, since you can break them apart. You said yourself you do that on your world."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm...well, atoms are made of protons and neutrons and things."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Ok, fine. What are protons and neutrons made of?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Quarks?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Ok, that's nice. What are quarks made of?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I don't know."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Good, because I didn't want to sit here for five minutes asking you what each of a bunch of smaller and smaller particles were made of while you gave me increasingly silly made up names to describe them as if doing so actually explained anything. If you keep going down and down though, eventually you'd think you'd get to what actually is the smallest possible particle, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sure, that makes sense."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "The problem is that once you get there, you're not talking about particles anymore. You're talking about magicka, and the concept of 'particle' just doesn't describe it very well."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What does?"
Yagrum thinks for a moment, then shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Flow. Presence. Awareness. Existence. Energy. Potential. God. Purple puppies. Assigning names to things names doesn't always do them justice, and what we're talking about is so far removed from common experience that it's difficult to describe in words. Look, think of of it this way: do you have showers for bathing where you come from?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I really miss those. Not too popular in this era. Anyway, imagine a nice warm shower spraying you with a stream of water. If you replaced the water in the stream with beer, would it suddenly be a different shower?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Ok, now imagine if you replaced the beer with a really good ale. Would that make it a different shower?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "So it doesn't matter what is being streamed. The 'stream' is independant of what the stream is streaming. Magicka is the stream."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But what happens if you take out the beer and the ale, and don't put anything else in its place?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "And that's the thing you need to get over. The idea that there are 'things' to put in its place. There are no fundamental particles. If you're looking at a single atom, there's no such thing as beer. 'Beer' doesn't make sense because you need things bigger than atoms to make it. Everything is made of magicka. Even things. But at the scale of magicka, the idea of a 'thing' doesn't make any more sense than 'beer' makes sense if you're looking at an atom."
Quote
ask whether he has seen an outer plane where events in Mundus are a game
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Have you ever seen an outer plane where events in Mundus are a game?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "What? Like on your phone?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sort of, yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Can't say I have, no. But with effectively infinite universes, stuff like that is bound to happen."
Come to think of it, didn't Divayth say basically the same thing about Mundus being a game or a dream?
Quote
Ask Yagrum what he knows about Clover
Quote
What's up with Clover
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, maybe a change of topic is in order. I actually came here looking for a dunmer girl-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I completely understand. Hot, aren't they?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm, yes. But I meant a specific girl. Clover the Clever. Do you know her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Can't say I do. Is she hot?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm probably not the best judge of that. White hair, caster, likes books, has corprus? Might have come through here asking about a set of dwemer flying boots?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Oh, you mean Sexy - and I do mean Sexy...Withers?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Wait, what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "SexyWithersXOXOXO. Dark hair like midnight, not white at all. No corprus. No idea if she likes books. She was here a couple weeks ago with a set of boots Divayth wanted me to fix. Couldn't do anything with them. They were in bad shape. Did you know the XOXOXO stands for 'hugs and kisses?'"
SexyWithers spoke with Yagrum? How does that fit? You remember Divayth mentioning that there was 'another guest' that he'd asked to take the boots to Yagrum, not Clover like you expected. If you recall correctly, SexyWithers is the one Edwinna Elbert said was the owner of the pile of stuff in the hallway of the Ald'rhun mage guild. But now that you think about it, that dunmer you saw butchering guards in Balmora also had dark hair. And so did the dunmer you saw brandishing a knife back in Seyda Neen shortly after you arrived. Is it possible they're the all same person?
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I wouldn't exactly call her hot, though. She was more of a cool, dangerous kind of sexy. 'Hot' is a word I'd use to describe a tall girl with big boobs and wide hips. I like the voluptuous look. Did I mention I like big? It's a dwemer thing. Whoever made that phone of yours had it all wrong. I just don't understand the miniaturization aesthetic. If you saw a floodgate that was two inches by two inches, and a floodgate that was two miles by two miles, and they both did exactly the same thing, which would you be more impressed by?"
This isn't helping.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Anything else you can tell me about her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Well, I suppose you might say she wasn't the most refined lady I've ever met. Maybe even a bit socially awkward. And kind of loud. No indoor voice."
Didn't Edwinna say something about Sexy being loud?
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Kind of got the impression she'd spent too much time alone as a little girl. Never learned proper social graces, never learned to connect to anyone on a personal level. And I'm being generous because I'm a gentleman. The girl was a borderline lunatic, really. Definite anger issues. Kind of flat chested, too. Definitely not the biggest breasts I've ever seen, and trust me, I've seen some huge breasts. Have you ever seen a female ogrim? Can't say I recommend it, actually, but they're definitely above average in the breast department. Though ogrim men tend to have big boobs too, which is kind of creepy, if you ask me. Especially with those piercings."
Lunatic describes the Balmora Butcher well enough, so that's probably her. Didn't someone in the Wolverine Hall mage guild say she was rumored to be in the mage guild, but also a member of House Telvanni?
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Golden Saints are pretty big chested too. They do it on purpose, you know. To distract you. Conjuration school daedra are all extradimensional shapeshifters. They take on bipedal forms just to mess with us. Not that I'd mind messing with a Golden Saint, mind you."
If SexyWithers is the Balmora Buthcher, and if she's in House Telvanni, that kind of connects to her presence here. Even if Divayth isn't involved with the council, this is definitely Telvanni territory, and Divayth is the senior-most magelord on all of Vvardenfell. The only reason Gothren's the Archmagister is that Divayth doesn't want to be. And both Cinia and that boat captain back in Sadrith Mora mentioned that access to the island was restricted without council permission.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Still, she had that forbbiden fruit kind of appeal I just can't resist. Imagine if the big-boobed hot girl had a younger sister. You know you're not supposed to touch her or else she'll beat you up, but you still want to. That was SexyWithers all over."
But on the other hand, Clover was here too. So maybe it has nothing to do with House Telvanni at all? How does it makes sense that SexyWithers was the one who spoke with Divayth first, was the one who was given the dwemer boots quest, was the one who spoke with Yagrum, but Clover is the one who Caius thinks is the Nerevarine, is the one who contracted corprus-
Wait. Is SexyWithers in the Blades too? Caius did say that the only reason he sent Clover to Ilunibi was because of the advice you'd given him about the sixth house base there. Did you totally mess up the main quest?
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Kind of reminded me of an altmer girl I used to date. Name was Selene. Turned out she was a werewolf. Do you have any idea how awkward that was when I found out? Complete monster in bed, but there we were on a quiet moonlit walk one night and it turned out she was a complete monster out of bed too."
He's just going to keep going, isn't he?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, thanks Yagrum. I get the picture."
Quote
Ask him what the local alternative is for computation, if not electricity - could he make steam machines that can be reconfigured in a matter of moments to solve a wide variety of extremely complex math problems? Electricity seems particularly good for logic gates, but I'd certainly be interested in knowing if there's an alternative here.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Getting back to math for a moment, how do you handle complex calculations here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "How complex?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...well, let's say you wanted to compute the surface area of a sphere. I guess that's not really complicated, but just as an example. Do you have a way to to automate that kind of thing?"
Yagrum raises a hand and conjures a magical sphere. It looks just like the cube Divayth conjured.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "What's the diameter of the sphere?"
Let's say two feet.
He adjusts the sphere to two feet in diamater. Then, as you watch, the sphere is pulled apart and flattened into a square in front of you.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "That's the surface area of a two foot diameter sphere."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, but how much is that?"
Yagrum gives you a strange look, then divides the square into small pieces and looks at the result.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "It's a little over twelve and a half square feet, but why does that matter? What are you going to do with a number? Isn't what I just showed you far more useful? "
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How so? I'd think-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Here, let's work with a different problem."
He dismisses his spell and conjures a triangle.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Let's say you're building a wooden frame house. The width of the house is however big it is. Let's say 20 feet. You decide you want the roof to angle at 23 degrees. How long does the diagonal support beam need to be?"
Ok. You know this one. That's basic trig, right? But is it sine, cosine or tangent you need for this problem? You'd usually consult a-
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "It needs to be that long."
You look. He's adjusted the dimensions of the triangle, and he's pointing to the hypotenuse side.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "But while you're cutting you change your mind and decide you don't care what the angle is, you want the height from inside roof to the top of the house to be eight and a quarter feet instead because you have a bunch of pre-cut boards of that length. No, better yet...you don't even know how long they are because somebody else cut them at some arbitrary length and gave them to you. And you don't have a measuring stick. But you're a mage."
With a flick of a finger he adjust the triangle.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "There you go. Done. In fact, here...watch as I do infinitely many computations."
You watch as he slides the angle of the triangle from where it is all the way down until it becomes a simple flat line, then slides it back back up, then instead shrinks the width of the base gradually until it becomes a vertical line. You're reminded of Divayth's demonstration with the cube. He mentioned that it would take a piece of paper the size of Vvardenfell to do even a very tiny portion of the problem he was describing.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What if you're doing something that uses very big or very small units? Millionths of an inch, or billions of miles. You either wouldn't be able to see it, or it wouldn't fit in this cavern."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Change scales. The proportions are the same whether the base of your triangle is ten millionths feet or ten billion miles. or ten stick snakes dancing in skirts."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What if you have unknown quantities?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "We just solved for all possible dimensions of a triangle. Whichever angles or lengths you don't know are made apparent simply by constructing the shape with the information you do have."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, I mean what if you have a problem with variables?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Give me an example."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm, what if...let's say you have a quadratic polynomial that-"
Yagrum lazily flicks a finger to dismiss the triangle and conjures up cube with x, y and z axes extending from the middle. As you watch, he quickly cycles through over a dozen various two and three dimensional lines, planes and complex shapes. You recognize a couple of them. Most you don't.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I'll give you credit for even knowing what a quadratic polynomial is. Most people use math to solve real life problems, and very few real life problems require that sort of formalism. Really, algebra isn't even necessary. It's simply one means of describing relationships. But it's not the only means. For every algebraic expression, there's a spatial geometric equivalent. Sometimes you have to use more than three dimensions to describe a particular relationship, but with practice manipulating n-dimensional spaces isn't particularly more difficult than manipulating page-long formulas."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I think I might want to learn that spell. Which spellschool is that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "It's not a circinate school. The locals probably have an equivalent, but this is dwemer magic. You have to understand, it took a long time for the study of magic to evolve to its modern state. Really, the common magic you'd learn from the telvanni or the mage guild is a very high level set of patterns that are simply memorized and energized. That makes it easy for anyone to learn, but it's inflexible. If you're a student of the destruction school and you want to cast a fireball, you go learn fireball. If you want to cast a bigger fireball, you go learn a bigger fireball. The spell trainer adjusts the relevant parameters, trains you using that basic pattern, and when you cast it you simply channel magicka through the pattern. It works, it's easy, it's functional. But what if you want to throw a ball of fish instead of fire? I doubt there's a pattern for that in any of the standard schools."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So what do you do if you want to throw a ball of fish with magic?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "You do it the old fashioned way. You research the spell pattern yourself."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Is that difficult?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Master a couple circinate schools and then come back and ask me again."
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on April 01, 2014, 03:19:34 am
Episode 53, part 2: Plot exposition with Yagrum Bagarn
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Ask him if he knows of a way to somehow read another's thoughts, or to be able to think what they're thinking, or anything like that.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Is it possible to read thoughts?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Depends on what exactly you mean that, but sure. Any competant caster can see the energy makeup of your brain if they take the time to look. With a little practice it's not difficult to recognize patterns. Emotions are especially easy to read. You have to be careful though, because different races sometimes have different brain structure layouts, and sometimes entirely different structures. More of the khajiit brain is devoted to smell, for example, and a portion of their olfactory bulb sits in roughly the same place as where a dunmer handles motor control. If you're used to dunmer, a khajiit smelling something they like can look a lot like a dunmer doing something like juggling or balancing. In any case, knowing when someone is happy, or sad, or really enjoying a meal they're eating is different from me thinking 'Yagram you are one sexy devil' and you being able to know I was thinking exactly that. I'll give you a hint, though. I'm always thinking that."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about full on telepathy?"
Yagrum frowns, and doesn't answer right away.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "It's been done. My people were working on it when they disappeared, but I was in another dimension at the time, so I can't tell you for certain how successful they were. The Psijic Order beat us to it by a couple centuries though. We actually got the idea from them. And I'm sure there are daedra who can do it. In fact, I'd just assume that anything you think within sight of a daedric prince, they probably know about. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them could even read your entire life's memory in a glance."
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ask him about what he knows about the Nerevarine
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What do you know about the Nerevarine?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "The who?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Lord Indoril Nerevar? The-"
Yagrum suddenly goes pale.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Yes, I know that Nerevar. You mean the prophecy of his return? I know only the superstitious nonsense I've read of that, but I can tell you the truth about the original Nerevar. Because I was there."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Oh?"
Yagrum visibly cycles through several emotions. Pride, reverance, sadness. Then he speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "That volcano you know as Red Mountain was once our capital. Vvardenfell. 'City of the Strong Shield' in dwemeri. This whole island is named after it. Vvardenfell, the bright center of all dwemer civilization. Vvardenfell, eyd domseti uus vednornam."
His voice cracks and he shakes his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "At that time there were two native races in Dwemereth, the land you call Morrowind. My people, the dwemer, and the chimer, a race of elves now extinct. We'd never particuarly got along, but rarely did our disagreements need to be settled through sword and flame. All that changed when the nords invaded from Skyrim. They were a brutal people, burning down villages, slaughtering man woman and child alike. Our King, his Majesty Dumalacath, united our people together. The dwemer, under his Majesty, and the chimer...under Ashkhan Nerevar."
Yagram laughs.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I grew up hating him. When I was a child, the chimer were nothing but tribal nomads, struggling for a living at the feet of our great civilization. Nerevar united them. He turned them into a dangerous enemy inside our borders. They dared to call Dwemerth by their own name, Resdayn, as if it was their land. If it hadn't been for the nords we'd have destroyed them, but when faced with a mutual enemy, it was enough to force us to set aside our differences."
"For all I hated him, he was no fool. 'Hortator' his people called him. General. King. Ashkhan Nerevar. If I'm to be honest with the benefit of hindsight, we all owe him a great deal. The nords had burned half of dwemerth to ashes and were at the gates of our capital when his army showed up. Most of us didn't know of the alliance and thought they were in league with the nords. But no, with their help, together we were able to push back the offensive and over the following months we slaughtered every last nord too stupid to leave dwemereth with their tails between their legs. Because of them, because of our hated enemy, we'd won."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happened afterwards?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "After the war, we were divided. Some of us wanted to honor our agreements with the chimer and live in peace. Some wanted to betray and enslave them. Others wanted to press our advantage and invade skyrim and eventually turn all of Tamriel into a united dwemer/chimer empire. Many factions, each with their own ideas of how best to act. One of them..."
He pauses to sigh, the sadness clear in his eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "...decided that while the agreement with the chimer people was to be honored, all other people of Nirn were to be subjugated. Not through conquest, not through treachery...but through religion."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Religion?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Yes. We made a god. High Lord Kagrenac, Chief Tonal Architect, the greatest engineer of my time...my teacher. We'd discovered the heart of the world. A great magical stone buried in the depths of the mountain. Some said we'd dug too deep. That it wasn't meant for us. But, we dared. Together with Lord Kagrenac, he and I crafted tools, artifacts of great power...Sunder, Keening, Wraithguard. Artifacts so great that any one of them could make a man a king, but to us they were merely tools. Tools to build a new god. A god we called Numidium."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "The Numidium was a golem, right?"
Yagrum bursts into laughter.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Yes, much like the ocean is a pool of water and the sun is warm, Numidium was a golem. A golem a thousand feet tall, intelligent, capable of vaporizing towns, and crafted of dwemer bronze, no less."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You built the Numidium?"
Yagrum looks at you wrly.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "No. I assisted Lord Kagrenac in the construction of his tools, but Numidium was his own doing. When I realized his true intentions, I left. It hurt to do. I loved him like a father, but I was young and idealistic. I'd seen our greatest enemies, the chimer, become loyal and true friends willing to fight and die at our side. What could justify marching on the rest of Tamriel to subject them in the way the nords had tried with us? I tried to talk him out of it. But he wouldn't listen. So I left. Completely left. I fled from Mundus into Oblivion, traveled through dozens of realms. I saw things both great triumphs and great tragedy. Until one day I returned, and found both my people and our newfound friends, the chimer, gone. In their place were only the dunmer, and the land we once shared now called Morrowind."
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ask him what he knows or suspects about their disappearance
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happened to them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Depends on whose version of history you read. What's generally agreed upon is that Nerevar discovered Lord Kagrenac's plans, and went to war against us. He and his generals Vivec, Sotha Sil, Almalexia and Dagoth Ur, laid siege to our capital, defeated our armies, and murdered his Majesty Dumalacath in his own throne room."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "The same Vivec as the god Vivec? The same Dagoth Ur responsible for corprus"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I presume so. Though they were merely Ashkhan Nerevar's friends and generals back then."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happened after your king's death?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I only know what I've read, and what Divayth has told me. No two sources agree. By one account, the chimer had begged the aid of the daedric prince Azura, Queen of Dawn and Dusk. She, in her jealousy wanted the Numdium destroyed lest there be a new god to compete with. Nerevar promosed to destroy it in return for her aid against my people. But once he stood in the hallowed depths of our mountain he fell to temptation, took Lord Kagrenac's tools in order to steal Numidium for himself. Azura, in her rage, chose to honor her promise to Nerevar by destroying not only the dwemer, but also the chimer, fusing our two species into a single new, dunmer race."
"By another account, Lord Kagrenac tried to use Numidium in the battle, but failed to control it and it destroyed us instead. Nerevar then seized the tools, and he and his generals fell to disagreement over what to do with them. Vivec, Sotha Sil and Almalexia wanted to use their power to ascend to godhood. Nerevar wanted to destroy them lest his people share the same fate as mine. He trusted his youngest general but closest friend, Dagoth Ur to guard them within the mountain until an agreement could be reached. But, Dagoth Ur murdered him and sealed himself within the mountain to unlock their secrets for himself. The other three somewhow ascended to godhood on their own before Dagoth Ur could succeed, and Azura, in a jelaous rage of having traded one new god for three, cursed the dunmer people by darkening their skin and eyes, and giving them that horrible raspy voice."
"There are a few variations on the tale. Probably only Azura could tell you for sure what happened that day."
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Does Yagrum have the mark of Azura?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yagrum, do you know anything about the mark of Azura?"
He stares at the ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "You saw? No, I don't know why I have it. For a time I thought it was a sign of forgiveness and exemption from the fate of my people. I abandoned everything I knew rather than forge Numidium. But I'm not alone in bearing her mark. Divayth Fyr has one as well."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So do I."
Yagrum frowns, then looks at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "So you do. How did I not notice that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, you were sort of distracted by a pretty face when I came in."
He laughs. You briefly wonder whether the pretty face he was distracted by was Uupse's or his own.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Hahah, I suppose I was. Do you know what it means? Divayth says he's asked Azura many times, but she won't tell him."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I didn't even know about it until he told me I had it. He says it might not mean anything. That he's known lots of people to have it. The High Fane, Vivec, a good...oh. You must be the good friend he mentioned."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "I'd like to think so."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm probably going to have to ask Azura, aren't I?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "If you do, and she tells you, come back to let me know."
Quote
ask him what he knows or suspects about their disappearance
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Forget the official accounts. What do you personally believe happened to your people?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Remember what I said about how we were working on telepathy? I think we succeeded. The Psijics were a secretive lot. They wanted telepathy to give them an advantage over everyone else. The people we had working on mind magic, they were more idealistic. They didn't want to exploit other dwemer, they wanted to raise all of our kind to a higher level. Rather than developing techniques to allow individuals to read the minds of other individuals, a few of us were trying to give all dwemer everywhere the same ability. So if you ask me, one day some dwemer figured it out and gave every one of us on Nirn at the time the ability to instantly share thoughts with every dwemer on the planet."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Then what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Then, I don't know. Either we all collectively turned to dust or we became a singular hive mind and ascended to a higher plane of existence."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Me? I came back to find my friend and family gone. All of them. All of us. No bodies, no answers...just empty cities full of animunculi doing whatever it was they were doing before it happened."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm sorry."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Me too. I didn't take it very well. And by 'didn't take it very well' I mean I went completely batshit insane. Don't really know how long. My memory of that time isn't good, but I have centuries of missing time. Best I can figure more time passed here than where I was, but I don't know by how much. It's possible I spent 500 years in a daze being kept alive by the corprus. Might have stayed that way forever, except that I started hearing voices in my head from some crazy god calling himself Dagoth Ur, asking me to come to Red Mountain to help him build a second Numidium and offering me the world if I did. By then I was in bad shape and it sounded like a good deal, so I went. The buoyant armigers found me trying to claw my way through the Ghostfence and they brought me here. Divayth and his companions nursed me back to sanity and here I am."
It occurs to you that you still don't know for certain that the voices you hear aren't Dagoth Ur too. Or a daedric prince. Or something similarly dangerous. You remember very clearly one of them telling you to sell your soul to Clavicus Vile a few weeks ago.
Quote
give him the dwemer toy
Quote
Don't forget to give him the dwemer puzzle before leaving.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Oh, I almost forgot. Divayth asked me to give you this."
You hand him the puzzle. He gleefully takes it turns it over in his hand, then suddenly frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Something wrong?"
Instead of answering, he quickly turns and twists it a couple time and it pops open. He pulls out two small rolled up pieces of paper from the inside, and reads them. In the middle of reading one, you notice his eyes dart up to look at you for a moment before looking back at the paper. After finishing, he nods to himself, pulls out a quill and writes a response on one of the papers, rolls them both back up and puts them back in. Then a couple twists to the cube and he hands it back to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What was that about?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "It was about you. Nothing you need to worry about. When you next see Divayth, give him that."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I don't know when I'll next see him. I wasn't necessarily planning to go right back up to talk to him. It might be weeks."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "That's fine. If you get eaten by a guar or something, then it won't matter if he never gets my response."
You're a little uncomfortable with that answer, but you get the impression he won't be explaining in more detail.
Quote
As you make your way through the area, one of the afflicted sees you staring and nods as if to say hello.
What's going on here? Ask what's going on here.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "By the way, what's the deal with the mushroom city here and why are the inmates not attacking us?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "I thought I asked you to call them guests."
You turn around to see Uupse standing behind you.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How long have you been standing there?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Only just now. Cinia's waiting for you upstairs, by the way. You know you shouldn't keep a lady waiting."
You glance at the sun. It's fully over the horizon now. You'd better hurry if you want to catch that boat.
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "To answer your question, corprus doesn't turn people into monsters. But the growths are unpredictable. As you can see, Yagrum lost his legs."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Might have to cut out my instestines pretty soon too. I've got a good 50 pounds extra in there by now."
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "Some aren't so fortunate. When growths occur inside the skull..."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It makes them go insane?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "The voices don't help either."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Dagoth Ur?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Or so he claims."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So you care for your guests, give them a place to live, and some of them despite looking like zombies are actually totally normal?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GgjqiMJ.png): "That's very kind of you to phrase it like that. Thank you."
Yagrum laughs and slaps you on the back, knocking you to the ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Hahaha...oops. Little weak there, aren't you? Well, I meant to say thanks. Always good to have someone to keep me company that doesn't think me a monster, even if they are an alien. But you've a date."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "She's just giving me a ride."
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Oh, second date then."
You laugh, say your goodbyes and make your way back to the exit. On your way out of the village you pass a couple corprus....guests. You wave and smile, they wave and smile back. Which makes it all the more terrifying when you 30 seconds later run into one of the insane ones who walks up and takes a bite out of your arm.
Health is now 43/61
(http://i.imgur.com/zCjYzww.png)
When you finally arrive in the entry room, Beyte waves and Cinia glares at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Took your sweet time getting here."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I did say not to wait."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Right. Well, whatever. Let's go. Thanks for the meal, Beyte. It was delicious."
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "Oh, Michael. Father asked me to give you 600 gold for the device if you still wanted to sell it."
Guess we have to decide that now. It's probably the only device of its kind in all of Morrowind, but if Fast Eddie's offer is still open, 500 gold would get you training for any one spellschool of your choice. Choosing a school might be tricky, but that could potentially open up massive avenues. Maybe. Eddie's training was being bottleneced by his ability to restore magicka, and you'd have to deal with the same problem. Still, you have 122 gold now. Plus 600 for selling the phone is 722, minus maybe 40 for assorted transportation costs, minus another 500 for training, that's 180 or so. Restore magicka potions were what, 30 gold each? It's been a while since you last asked, but you think that's what they cost. But then you'll probably also have to buy a spell, possibly a custom spell to train with. Just guessing, another 80 gold for that? Meaning if you want to keep enough to pay mage guild transport when you're done, you can probably only afford about 3 restore magicka potions. But at lower skill levels, that might be enough to be very worth doing. You expect the voices will have some input here.
Quote
How often does Cinia visit the island?
Quote
ask her when she is coming back
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Cinia, when you are next planning to come back this way?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Didn't have any specific plans to. Why?"
Quote
The mod she is from places her at the dock here at Tel Fyr, so chances are she will be back often
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I just thought this was a regular stop for you."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "No, I explained this already. I occasionally do runs through Tel Fyr as part of my business with House Telvanni. I'm only here today at all because some construction foreman in Molag Amur messed up a tower he's building and needed replacement seed crystals. Did you think I was a ferry? I specifically said I wasn't a ferry."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm, right. I think you did."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Cellphone storage (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: birdy51 on April 01, 2014, 06:30:51 am
Also Yagrum. 8)
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 01, 2014, 08:02:35 am
Honestly, I think we might be done here. Make one last check to confirm Sexy or Clover aren't actually here, and then head out.
We've learned a lot - now it's time to learn an actual magical school.
Post by: birdy51 on April 01, 2014, 11:14:46 am
*shrugs*
Post by: WillowLuman on April 01, 2014, 01:30:04 pm
Oh, and that answer on nuclear science was very, very interesting. Better than I'd hoped, in fact. What Yagrum described sounds very much like either String or Membrane theory. This world, on the smallest scale, runs on a form of quantum mechanics.
And I agree we should sell the phone. We need to start on our magical career, and perhaps one day we could learn the secrets of Mathemagics. Or maybe even come up with some new magic of our own.
Michael, if we're Daedra, or Aedra, or whatever, we're not aware of it. We're definitely not Dagoth Ur. At this point I think we're some kind of inter-dimensional metaphysical tech support hotline for you.
But speaking of Dagoth, here's the updated list of people we should try to talk to at some point to figure out what the hell is going on:
Yagrum
Vivec
Azura
Dagoth Ur
M'iaq the Liar
Sotha Sil
Some of these may die before we can reach them.
Post by: Supercharazad on April 01, 2014, 02:52:52 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on April 01, 2014, 03:27:22 pm
Post by: Spitfire on April 01, 2014, 03:38:37 pm
Do NOT ask the message to be delivered [...], sell the cell, head on home.
+1
Post by: gman8181 on April 01, 2014, 04:28:18 pm
Keep in mind before Michael made the transition to this world, he quite likely could not have been walking around with huge chunks of his body missing, only to take a nap and wake up fully healed.
As convincing and interesting as the whole conversation with the Dwemer was, we shouldn't necessarily take it as 100% fact that all that still holds true across dimensions.
Yep, sell phone. Leave and get training?
Post by: Xanmyral on April 01, 2014, 05:17:24 pm
Destruction maybe, pick up a lightning spell, jury rig a makeshift-and-most-likely-dangerous rail gun, have some fun... Or perhaps a restoration spell to make us more effective and self-sufficient, and saving us a bit of cash.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 01, 2014, 05:39:23 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 01, 2014, 08:33:34 pm
hat answer on nuclear science was very, very interesting. Better than I'd hoped, in fact. What Yagrum described sounds
very much like either String or Membrane theory. This world, on the smallest scale, runs on a form of quantum mechanics.
Related, if anyone is concerned about the apparent logical inconsistency of Yagrum knowing words for things "named after" people not even born until after his civilization died, cyrodiilic is obviously not Yagrum's first language. He would have had words for the concepts in his native dwemeri, but when learning to speak cyrodiilic he wouldn't necessarily have taken the time to learn etymological roots for all the technical words.
For example, imagine you were a native speaker of russian, and you came to the US and learned english. You know what alcohol is, but you don't know the english word for it. Eventually you learn the word "booze." Wouldn't mean you'd have any idea who Edmund G. Booz was.
Post by: joemoben on April 01, 2014, 10:09:42 pm
I'll have to go back and look up which school we wanted to learn first. Probably destruction.I would suggest destruction, if only so that we don't have to buy potion containers anymore.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 01, 2014, 10:19:30 pm
Destruction maybe, pick up a lightning spell, jury rig a makeshift-and-most-likely-dangerous rail gun, have some fun... Or perhaps a restoration spell to make us more effective and self-sufficient, and saving us a bit of cash.
Making our own potion bottles would be nice, but I'd firmly suggest Restoration. It's broadly useful, useful at almost any level of proficiency, and does things that can't be replicated in other ways.I'll have to go back and look up which school we wanted to learn first. Probably destruction.I would suggest destruction, if only so that we don't have to buy potion containers anymore.
Illusion, for instance, has some uses, but they're kind of scattered and specific. Charming and Chameleon effects, for instance. How often are we going to want to do that? Hard to say.
Conjuration is similarly handy, but only if you're good at it. Summoning a skeleton for three seconds every third try is not a useful spell.
Destruction is really useful, but a lot of its effects are basically just a different method of stabbing someone.
Restoration has none of these issues. Healing is always useful, and its augmenting effects have the potential to be handy later. Healing ourselves for a point of damage 15% of the time will still be marginally useful, and if it's not we'll likely need to sleep and recover both health and magicka anyway. Finally, healing can't be replicated by anything but enchanted items, which are expensive; potions, which are expensive; or sleeping, which can't always be done.
So especially when we're so weak, I would strongly recommend we go with Restoration. It'll let us grind mudcrabs or whatever we'll have to do more efficiently even at low levels by augmenting rather than replacing our other skills, and it'll remain useful as we get better at it and stronger in general.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 01, 2014, 10:22:43 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 01, 2014, 10:26:08 pm
Post by: gordy on April 01, 2014, 11:11:47 pm
I think we’ve got enough understanding of what is going on to stop wasting time. Interviews with both Divayth and Bagrum prove that Michael isn’t so profoundly important that they’ll go out of their way to assist unless it benefits them (cell phone for cash). Vivek pretty much confirmed that Michael didn’t even exist until the start of this LP (where it suggests he’d come from a busy day of algebra).
Michael did suggest he had a huge knowledge of the game plot and location of artifacts and high level items. I’d like to know if we are ever in a position to secure one or some of these without distracting too much from our current missions, we should really take a detour to get our hands on. I’m almost positive the benefit of 1) Michaels experience and understanding of the game and 2) the ability of the forum readers and google walkthrough should have given us an opportunity to be much more powerful by now, even if just mechanically.
As for any differences between this and the original game, I am not in much of a position to comment. Happy to hear suggestions though. Similarly, the extra players – I did have theories about the other ‘PCs’,
There’s more than one person playing this instance of the game (controlling a PC each) and each are on their own path to the end game, and if so Is each under control of a single person or a consortium of forum readers like ours? There a possibility that Lord Bucket is running concurrent forum games (I doubt this) therefore each extra PC is a construct of his own plotmind, not controlled by individuals or groups.also sell phone, get training in restoration
Post by: WillowLuman on April 01, 2014, 11:32:50 pm
Is this version of Vvardenfell still quarantined due to the Blight? Now that we know some deeper questions about physics, my other big unanswered question is what happens if we somehow manage to leave the areas normally shown in game. Do we wind up in Tamriel Rebuilt's version of the mainland? If we cross the provincial border, do the screenshots start looking like Oblivion? Not that we have any good reason to try right now, but at some point in the future I feel we ought to. Then again, that might be a sequel...
Post by: IronyOwl on April 02, 2014, 02:44:10 am
I think the better question is "which spell school is likely to allow us to earn enough money to pick up another spell school much quicker next time around". Maybe that IS Restoration, but Destruction could work too - it might finally be time to try out a couple fighters guild quests, too.Bear in mind that we will probably be starting out at 1 or 5 or some other abysmally low amount of skill. I suspect it will take us quite a while before Destruction is more effective than Daggers or Spears, even ignoring the magicka costs.
my other big unanswered question is what happens if we somehow manage to leave the areas normally shown in game. Do we wind up in Tamriel Rebuilt's version of the mainland? If we cross the provincial border, do the screenshots start looking like Oblivion? Not that we have any good reason to try right now, but at some point in the future I feel we ought to. Then again, that might be a sequel...This is definitely an interesting question, but leaving Vvardenfell sounds like it'd be a massive undertaking. I get the feeling that, even once we've got ourselves together more, we're going to need more of a reason than curiosity to attempt it.
Then again, is Michael in danger of drowning? As far as I'm aware, maps tend to display the gap between Vvardenfell and the rest of Morrowind as much narrower than Vvardenfell itself... which isn't terribly large. Just swimming for it might not take that much time, assuming there's no complicating factors. Which I'm sure there would be.
Like, for instance, the fact that we'd be completely blind. We've been doing a poor enough job as is with knowledge of everything, I can imagine what happens if we land on some uninhabited shore and have to figure out what to do next.
Post by: hostergaard on April 02, 2014, 04:39:15 am
Showing a bit of appreciation is a good way to keep friends.
Post by: LordBucket on April 02, 2014, 06:20:47 am
Quote
sell the cell
Quote
I agree we should sell the phone
Quote
Sell the phone
Quote
Sell the phone
Quote
the selling of our cell phone.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes, here's the phone. Yagrum agreed the 600 gold offer was fair."
Lost cellphone
Gained 600 gold
The gold is heavy. You put 100 coins in your coinpurse and toss the rest into your bag.
Quote
Make one last check to confirm Sexy or Clover aren't actually here
Quote
Ask if Clover/any other guests like that are present
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Beyte, is Clover still here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "Clover?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Dunmer girl, white hair, probably had a-"
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "Oh, I remember her. She arrived a few days ago then disappeared into the lower study after briefly talking with Father. I haven't seen her since, but I don't recall seeing her leave."
Odds are good she also hasn't been standing here watching the door this entire time either.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about SexyWithers? Or any other guests?"
She blinks.
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "You mean the Councilor? No, I haven't seen her in weeks."
You feel the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What do you mean Councilor?"
(http://i.imgur.com/vZ9NaKw.png): "You are talking about Mistress SexyWithersXOXOXO, aren't you? Master Aryon's former Mouth? She was recently promoted to Councilor. That's what had my sister Freyte so upset. You remember Freyte, don't you? She was here when you arrived."
How did you miss this? Wait...Cinia. The crystals. Ever since you arrived she's been talking about getting replacement seed crystals for a stalled construction project. And she specifically said there's a tower being built in Molag Amur. She's been talking about the Telvanni stronghold of Tel Uvirith!
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Cinia-"
You turn just in time to see the door close behind her.
Quote
head out
Quote
go with Cinia
(http://i.imgur.com/1yVn11K.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Cinia! Wait up!"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Oh, you're coming after all?"
Quote
Mention that we didn't think she was a ferry - just that she might have regular business here, is all. Apologize for insulting her - we don't really know how often the House has a need for crystals.
Quote
apologize to Cinia
Quote
Apologize for making her wait
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Cinia, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have kept you waiting like that."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "You think?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You said you weren't a ferry, you're a business woman. I know, but I just assumed you make regular cargo trips through Tel Fyr. Remember, you'd said you were authorized to visit the island. I just assumed you were the super important special designated cargo transport person and that you came through here all the time."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Look, I'm not offended. You don't need to flatter me. But let's just go, alright? I'm on a schedule. Llunela is expecting these crystals, and annoying high ranking House wizards is a bad idea, ok?"
Llunela. The Hermitage wizard in charge of stronghold construction. Cinia mentioned that's who she was delivering the crystals to when you first arrived. How did you not put this together until now?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "That construction project. That's Tel Uvirith, isn't it?"
Cinia raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Yes. Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "For the new councilor? SexyWithers?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Yes?"
And there is it confirmed. You suppress the urge to facepalm. The entire time you were in Tel Fyr, Divayth, his daughters, Cinia...everyone knew about this except you, and possibly Yagrum, since he's locked underground in the corprusarium. And he only mentioned her because you asked about the flying boots. And that quest was probably done while she was still Aryon's Mouth. And given Yagrum's priorities, she was probably just a pretty face to him. He had no reason to mention her Telvanni rank, even if he knew about it. He's probably not even a member of House Telvanni.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What do you know about her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Not much. Never met her. Fastest rise through the ranks I've ever seen though. Rumor is that Master Aryon has some kind of plans for her. He's kind of a fringe wacko though. Hard to know what he's thinking."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Aryon? A wacko?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Yes."
You wait for her to elaborate. She doesn't.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Don't tell him I said that."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What kind of condition is the tower in that you needed to replace the crystals? Don't you use soul gems for that anyway?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "How do you know so much about Telavnni tower construction?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I...umm, doesn't everyone?"
She hmphs.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "From what I saw it looked inhabitable, if a bit rough. I think it will be a while before anyone other than the Councilor will be living there, but it depends a lot on how much she pushes for development. "
The two of you arrive at Cinia's boat and she steps aboard.
(http://i.imgur.com/Vx32OT7.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "20 gold for one way trip to Sadrith Mora please."
You hand Cinia the gold.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "I have to prep the ship, and wind doesn't look too good right now. It will probably take a few hours to reach Sadrith Mora. You look injured. Why don't you take a nap?"
You look at the blood on your armor and the bitemark in your arm.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah. That's a good idea. Thanks, Cinia."
You lay down and fall asleep.
You are walking through a town, with wooden and stone buildings all around you but no people besides yourself. In the distance you see a massive set of scales in the shape of a woman dressed in white, with outstretched arms hanging from the sky and a bright yellow and orange sun on one side and a white, pockmarked crescent moon on the other. Curious, you approach. For several minutes you walk in the direction of the celestial scales, but they don't appear to be getting any closer.
Suddenly the crescent moon bounds from its side of the scale and towards you, causing the side with the sun not to fall down, but to rise up into the sky where it blazes with blinding light. You hold a hand over your face to keep from being blinded but the light passes through your hand as easily as through the air, and you see that your hand is made of the same light as that passes through it. The moon, never stopping, bounces towards you and pierces your chest with the pointy end of its crescent, passing cleanly through your body and leaving a gaping hole.
You then watch as light from the sun fills the hole in your chest and restores the flesh as if you'd never been injured at all. You anticipate a sense of deja vu, but it never comes.
You are walking through a town, with wooden and stone buildings all around you but no people besides yourself. In the distance you see-
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "We're here."
Quote
It is interesting to see how the deep levels of math and physics are applied here compared to Michael's
world and yet something as simple as biological repair processes are vastly different between worlds.
You put a hand on the restored bit of your arm that was a bloodied hole when you went to sleep. You feel like you should be creeped out, but you're not. You feel at peace, as if everything in the whole world is going to be ok. You feel happy. Joyful. You feel...loved? You feel like you're going to-
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Are you crying?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, no. I'm good. Thanks."
Confused and disoriented, but smiling, you wipe the stray tears from your face and stand up to look around.
(http://i.imgur.com/2fDkKVn.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Well, Michael. I have some crystals to deliver, so this is where we say goodbye."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I was actually kind of hoping we'd be able to stay in touch."
She seems surprised.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Oh? Well. Sure. You headed to Ebonheart by chance? That's where I'm going next. Beyte mentioned a new shipment of slaves just arrived and I'd like to see if there's anything I can make a profit on."
Quote
get training
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, sorry. There's something I've been wanting to do since I got here that I finally have enough money to do."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "What's that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Learn magic."
She nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Yes, that's important."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Any way I can get a hold of you again?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "I live on my boat, so I'm constantly moving. But I do a lot of business through Sadith Mora. If you leave a letter for me with Dalyne Arvel at the council house, I'll get it eventually. I check in regularly to see if they need any errands run. It's good to make connections. I'm planning to be a magelord someday"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You'd make a good one."
She smiles.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Thank you. If you ever need a sponsor to join House Telvanni, let me know. Though I doubt you'll need one. Learn enough magic to pass the basic requirements and you'll be a shoe-in."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Why's that?"
She points at your head.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Divayth."
That's right. Divayth marked you so his corprusarium warden would let you in to talk to Yagrum.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So, am I famous now? Will people fear me because I'm buddies with the big bad wizard?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Hardly anyone will even recognize it. That particular mark is only used within his household. But the people who matter will know it means he at least found you interesting enough to talk to."
Maybe that will be worth a training discount with Fast Eddie. You say your goodbyes and set off through the market towards Wolverine Hall.
(http://i.imgur.com/8d19F6v.png)
To your disappointment, Cinia turns out to be right. Nobody pays you any particular attention. Come to think of it, you're not even sure what Divayth's mark looks like yourself. You weren't looking inside your skull for the before and after when he marked you.
Pausing to close your eyes and check, you look around for Divayth's mark. You find a couple spots that might possibly be it, but without the benefit of knowing where and what to look for it's really hard to distinguish what is and isn't a mark at all. Back at Tel Fyr you couldn't find Azura's Mark even after Divayth told you where to look. At least until he cast that fortify intelligence spell on you. There might be some people who can casually glance at someone and see their affiliations, but you're not one of them.
Arriving at Wolverine Hall, you hand Iniel 12 gold for transport back to Balmora. When you arrive, Ajira is missing and only the guild guide, Masalinie, is present in the transport area. Stepping out into the main room, it's abandoned too. Curious, you head back to the transport pad and ask Masalinie what's going on.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, where is everyone?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Ranis was challenged to a duel for leadership of the guild."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "For the position of Archmage?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "What? Ha! No, as if we could be so lucky. Ranis is only in charge of the Balmora branch of the guild. It's Trebonious who's Archmage. And while he may be an idiot, he's also a hardened and experienced battlemage. Nobody's been stupid enough to challenge him in years. No, this is just for control of the Balmora branch."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So where is everyone?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Vivec Arena canton. Watching the fight. I'd be there too, but somebody had to stay here. Can't leave the place unattended. Galbedir's upstairs though."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Who's the challenger?"
Masalinie nervously glances around as if worried somebody might overhear, then answers quietly:
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "It's Adorabella."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Who's that? I don't recognize the name."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "It's probably best if I don't say anything."
There's an uncomfortable silence as Masalinie looks at the ground, the walls, anywhere but make eye contact with you.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm, look...I know you and I have had some friction in the past, what with me being escorted around by Ordinators, and you thinking I was a stalker and all that. But I thought we got past all that."
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "Yeah, it's not you. I just...it really would be best if I didn't say anything."
She's sweating now. You stand there dumbstruck for a bit before you shrug, then head upstairs to find Galbedir nervously pacing in Ranis' usual spot at the door.
(http://i.imgur.com/ptDAJuO.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey-"
(http://i.imgur.com/zLXQtLr.png): "Don't hurt me!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Whoa, relax. It's just me. I don't think we've met, though. I'm Michael. You're the enchanter here, right? Galbedir?"
(http://i.imgur.com/zLXQtLr.png): "Yes, sorry. You startled me is all."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sorry about that. What's the deal with this duel? Is Ranis going to be ok?"
(http://i.imgur.com/zLXQtLr.png): "I hope so."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Who's Adora-"
(http://i.imgur.com/zLXQtLr.png): "SHHH! Don't say her name out loud."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, fine. But seriously, what's the big deal here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/zLXQtLr.png): "She's..."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/zLXQtLr.png): "She's a vampire."
It takes you a moment to process that.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "And if she wins the duel...she's going to be your boss."
Galbedir nods. You're not sure what to say. You're glad it's not your problem. You don't tell her that, though. You have more important things to attend to. It's time to get some spell training.
Quote
Destruction maybe
Or perhaps a restoration
Quote
Probably destruction.
Quote
I would suggest destruction
Quote
I would strongly recommend we go with Restoration
Quote
Maybe that IS Restoration, but Destruction could work too
Quote
Either Destruction or Restoration
Well, definitely one of those two, destruction or restoration. But which? Maybe Eddie will have some input. You cross over to the residential section of town, head up the stairs and find his door unlocked.
(http://i.imgur.com/7YshjLy.png)
And the room empty.
What happened? Did he move out? You carefully look around the room, but find no clues. Fortunately, you have a pretty good idea who to ask to find out. You head to Hlaalu Council Manor.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hello, Nileno?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You might remember me. We spoke a few weeks ago? You showed me around a few apartments? Name's Michael?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Oh! Yes, I remember you. Have you decided to settle in Balmora?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Actually, I'm looking for a friend. Edd Therman?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "Oh, yes. He rather suddenly canceled his lease just this past week. His room's available, if you're interested."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Can you tell me where he went?"
(http://i.imgur.com/o7w2NCd.png): "I'm afraid he didn't say. I'm sorry."
...wait. SexyWithers was Master Aryon's Mouth on the council, was promoted to Councilor, and her stronghold Tel Uvirith is nearing completion. Fast Eddie was desperate for allies to help him get back into House Telvanni, people who wouldn't mind his sordid past, and with enough political clout that nobody would mess with him.
He's her Mouth, isn't he?
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment (currently at Nine-Toes house in Balmora) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 02, 2014, 07:59:18 am
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 04:13:29 pm
The only thing I know now is that we've got to work on Michael's way of talking. The way he says things seems to be a bit... ingratiating. I don't know how much of that is on us, on him, or on his speechcraft skill, but we need to get together and seriously work on his diction.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 02, 2014, 04:37:34 pm
Also, we should check in with cauis. Report what weve learned about sexywithers, and what we suspect, as well as our failure to intercept Clover. Tie it in with what we already knew, try to keep him informed. Also mention the whole mage guild vampire character, and ask him to keep a look out for any of the other "strange typesl we have come across.
Then... I dunno. Get any possible new jobs, and go learn some magic schools from somewhere in the mages guild.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 04:39:10 pm
Post by: gordy on April 02, 2014, 05:06:52 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 05:16:48 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 02, 2014, 05:25:29 pm
As for that dream... maybe I should fill the really non-pony people in, if there are any.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
As for that specific dream, though... not getting much. I assume the town is just an arbitrary setting, but it could be significant. Trying to get to the sisters but failing, followed by Luna or something she represents bounding right through us while Celestia ascends to her full magnificence and heals us... that's gotta mean something, as far as the dream itself has to mean something. I'm almost tempted to say that's Celestia herself's way of saying we should go get roughed up by the world and that's how we'll get things done, rather than trying to get into her good graces directly, or something.
And then it starts to repeat, which I have no idea on.
Adorabella? More like Adorabloodthirsty lololol.Keeping with the PCs = Ponies theory, Adorabella could be Rarity, though the name sounds more like one of the three little side character ponies, two of which are little sisters to the mane cast. Applebloom, Sweetiebell, and Scootaloo are their names.
Actually, wait, I'm retarded. I just now got SexyWithers' name. The withers, as in, the part on a horse. Damn it.
Okay, so SexyWithers is probably a pony. The withers is a ridge between the shoulder blades; the horse uses it as an important attachment point for shoulder and neck muscles, the human uses it to measure how tall the horse is. Pegasi wings seem to attach fairly close to it, which supports the notion that we're looking at Rainbow Dash. The XOXOXOXO part I don't really get, though. Sexy could be an extension of RB being rather full of herself, but my impression of her doesn't really support hugs and kisses, even flippantly.
Plus, we've now got, what, three different people able to give impressions of her, and I'm still not seeing the pattern in her supposed behavior. Everyone else I managed to piece together off just a handful of clues, but we've got our first "meeting," the Ald'ruhn mages guild, the Balmora Butcher, Yagrum, and now Cinia's impressions, and I still don't clearly see Rainbow Dash in much of it. That makes me suspect it's someone or something else.
In conclusion, Adorabella and SexyWithersXOXOXO are maybes. I wonder if they're dipping outside the mane cast; I've actually suspected we may be Spike for a while now. Of course, since Spike is an amorous baby dragon, for all we know Sexy could be him playing a female character, though he's also a bit scatterbrained. I'd expect him to be closer to our position.
Speaking of genders, Suspected Fluttershy was the only one we saw genderswapped. Of course, we've only got, what, two other examples I'm really convinced on, and even one of those is based on "this elf is really friendly and is throwing a party," so that could just be that.
In real conclusion, I have no idea and wish we had more chances to talk to some of these people. I might even be in favor of guildwarping to Vivec to see if the duel's still on, and asking around for the results if not.
The only thing I know now is that we've got to work on Michael's way of talking. The way he says things seems to be a bit... ingratiating. I don't know how much of that is on us, on him, or on his speechcraft skill, but we need to get together and seriously work on his diction.I'm not sure why that's a bad thing. He seems to do a pretty good job of apologizing for putting his foot in his mouth every time he says what the voices tell him to.
Take the portal to Vivec and go watch the duel.This, but first ask the guide about timing and other factors. How long has it been since they left? How long will the duel probably last? Is there an admission fee, are seats likely to be open...? She might not know everything, but she might be able to save us 30 gold showing up late to the party.
Speaking of which, if we do go watch the fight, we'll need directions. BRB.
Post by: gordy on April 02, 2014, 05:39:15 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 05:42:20 pm
-snip-That sounds like it might have something, but also remember:
(http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/16599/1112912-azurashrine.jpg)
The lady in that dream sounded an awful lot like Azura, and the star she usually holds could be interpreted as a sun. I must say, I'm not sure if I like the idea of crossing into another franchise. If it is ponies, though, that could have more to do with Michael's own psyche, given that he's pretty obviously a huge fan. Speaking of which...
Michael, how life-like does this world look to you? I'd hazard a guess at "very", but all we the voices can see is the usual textures and models, with some graphics mods. It still looks like a game to us. We don't see the light like you do, we see a magicka bar and the infamous saran wrap effect.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 02, 2014, 06:27:58 pm
That sounds like it might have something, but also remember:Ah, good point. I wonder what that would do to an interpretation of the dream, though. The sun is presumably the sun, but also Azura's Star. The moon I'm not familiar with, if it has any symbolism outside her spheres. So... hrm. For that matter, the sun is a magicka portal, whereas the moon is... a corpse, actually. Now that's interesting, though the crescent part makes me wonder how literal it is.
So I guess that'd turn the dream meaning into... abandon your mortal shell for magickal power, or something? :P
If Sharn refuses to teach you for whatever reason, ask her about necromancy. Make sure you’re in the crowded arena so she can’t make a scene. Ask her about her own personal copy of ‘Legion of the Dead’ in her chest at the mages guild. She’ll cave and possibly teach you some spells for free. Try to reason with her first though, we need her later. She might not care about divayths mark but can't hurt for her to think we have friends in high places.I see very little reason to antagonize a necromancer in a public place in an effort to coerce her into teaching us Restoration. I say we focus on making friends and allies over alienating everyone in an effort to squeeze every last immediate advantage out of them.
Anyway, as far as instructions from Mages Guild -> Arena go, assuming we need them:
Assuming everything's vanilla, which we know it isn't, you should start on a stone platform overlooking the Vivec Mages Guild. Go straight down the stairs, past where Trebonius is sitting in Vanilla, all the way up either staircase to your sides, and out the front door. It's not hard to get out of there.
Once out into the courtyard, go ahead and take the large door to your right outside. Down the stairs and curve hard to your left to take the waistworks door right next to the stairs. Once inside, keep curling to your left down some stairs to the lower waistworks.
Once you're through a door near a balcony, take your first right. There should be a door directly in front of you and two long hallways to either side. You want to keep going straight, through the nice close door, which leads outside. You should be facing the canton you're trying to get to next, but there won't be a bridge in front of you. Take either of the ramps to your sides down, then curl back towards the way you were facing when you came outside.
That should lead you to the main bridge leading from Foreign Quarter to Redoran. Scurry across, turn left, and follow the path around to the next bridge. That's the Arena, and you'll want to get to the highest point.
To get there, just take whatever ramp is closest, then circle around the upper outside level until you get to one of the big staircases leading in.
So yes, this should get us quickly and easily from the mages guild to the Arena, assuming that's what we're doing and nothing's radically reorganized.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 06:31:58 pm
We already tried stuff with Sharn, and we already thought better of it. IIRC she may still be a bit ticked at us for wasting her time.
Post by: gordy on April 02, 2014, 07:12:56 pm
Dance in Fire Chapter 3 – Nine toes house
The Mirror - Rithleens House
The Warriors Charge – Karlirahs House
Mystery of Talara – Tyravel Mano
Incident in Necrom – Balyns house
Lessons of Vivec 14 – Temple
Lessons of Vivec 34 – Temple
Lessons of Vivec 20 – Drarayne Thelas house
Lessons of Vivec 22 – Hlaalo Manor
Words and Philosophy – Western Guard tower north
We should be able to drop by and try a few that are in the open.
We could go see Trebonius at the Vivec guild and at least let him know what we learned about the disappearance of the Dwemer. Divayths mark will help with that even if we don’t have the books (Egg of Time, Divine Metaphysics, Hanging Gardens).
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 02, 2014, 07:37:15 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on April 02, 2014, 07:40:49 pm
Suggested Spells if we go Destruction. I won't suggest any for Restoration because I assume it obvious.
Fire Spell Of Some Kind: Useful in making our own clay bottles, or in a round about way, hollow clay shells that we can shove makeshift gunpowder into along with a wick. Or just blast them with it, but I greatly prefer the whole 'makeshift bomb' thing honestly. Show theses primitives what's what.
Only difficulty would be acquiring the ingredients, I suppose.
Lightning Spell Of Some Kind: Useful in zapping things, indirectly making clay bottles due to the lightning still generating heat, hitting large amounts of enemies at once with judicial use of salt water, and possible makeshift rail-firing slugs/chunks of metal. Also show these primitives what's what, how dare they insult our glorious electricity.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 02, 2014, 07:47:09 pm
I only suggested if she wouldn’t help for money, she might need to be coerced. The PC does it in the vanilla game, we should be able to manage it. There aren’t any skill trainers in Vivec guild IIRC.But why? It's not like she's the only one who could do it, and indeed, we're not even sure if she's qualified to do it. It's like suggesting we threaten a shopkeeper with a knife if he doesn't sell us the thing we need for a price we can afford it at. Only it's worse than that, because in this case the shopkeeper is a member of a faction we belong to and the thing we want from him is something we have to interact with him for a bit to actually acquire.
And I would have thought that "but the PC does it" has been shown to be a very poor indicator of whether we can do it by now, both in terms of ability and whether it works that way here.
However, there’s a mysticism skill book just sitting out in the open. Its on a bookshelf by Craetia’s alchemy shop. Have we read any skill books yet, I don’t remember. In Balmora there are some,Again, a lot of stuff works differently here. There's no guarantee those books are still there or that we'd be allowed to read them for free, or even that skill gains from them work the same.
It might still be something we should ask about, though.
We could go see Trebonius at the Vivec guild and at least let him know what we learned about the disappearance of the Dwemer. Divayths mark will help with that even if we don’t have the books (Egg of Time, Divine Metaphysics, Hanging Gardens).Again, why? I also would have thought that finding important people and blathering important information at them has been shown to be relatively ineffective as well. Is there a point to telling the archmage of the mages guild what the last dwarf told us?
If you mean to complete the quest, he hasn't given it to us, he might have already given it to someone else, we don't have any of the books we need, and someone else might have already completed it. I really don't think that's a productive use of anything.
let's base our choice of starting destruction spells on their applicability in making grenades and railguns...
Post by: Xanmyral on April 02, 2014, 07:49:01 pm
The other things still stand, we can make clay bottles and start fires with a fire spell but we can possibly do the same with an electricity one if we work it a bit, albeit it will be slower. We do have the option of frying several things at once with the application of salt water and conductivity however, where as with fire we could possibly catch them aflame.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 07:51:11 pm
Post by: gordy on April 02, 2014, 09:06:30 pm
FYI making gunpowder grenades seem like a really good way to hurt ourselves and chew up time we don’t have. We could get off several attacks in the same amount of time it would take to hopefully hurt someone with a homemade IED. Plus it would take a long time to source the sulphur and nitrates required. It would be different if we weren’t on a deadline – see Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court for similar idea (pissing off wizards by showing off modern firearm technology and upset the feudal system!).
Post by: LordBucket on April 02, 2014, 09:08:02 pm
Quote
we can learnspell schools at least through the guild, right?
Yes. In fact, Folms Mirel, the guildmaster of the Caldera branch specifically offered to match Eddie's price.
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I actually have a standing offer from a Telvanni for 500."
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Ok. I can match that. 500's reasonable. You'll have to wait a few days though. This party isn't going to end any time soon and there's no way I can expect you to focus over all the music"
Granted, he was talking about channeling, which you already have, but he is a previous point of contact on the issue, and with the Balmora office presently mostly empty, he'd be an obvious person to talk to.
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Sharn in particular
Sharn has not been present in the Balmora Mage Guild since at least episode 39:
You head next door to the Mage Guild and make your way downstairs. As you approach the guild guide, you notice two things: first, Sharn, the orc necromancer, doesn't seem to be present.
If she'd returned Michael probably would have noticed it during one of his many passings through the area.
Quote
If Sharn refuses to teach you for whatever reason, ask her about necromancy.
You already did, then flaked on the prerequisite quest she gave you.
-- I cannot teach you necromancy. I am not a necromancer. Necromancy is wrong. Praise ALMSIVI. However, perhaps if you have the time you could be of assistance to me in a completely unrelated matter that is definitely not necromancy because necromancy is wrong. Just south of Pelegiad is the Andrano ancestral tomb. Perhaps you could visit the tomb and retrieve the skull of Llevule Andrano for me. Not merely any skull will do. It must be his.
(http://i.imgur.com/Feo4XGe.png): "Thank you, Sharn. I'm definitely interested in your proposal. But I don't think I can rush right out and do it just this instant. I think I need to get a bit stronger first.""
(http://i.imgur.com/11Mg2oW.png): "I have no use for a weak ally. The offer won't be available forever. Once I'm done here I'll go out and do it myself if you haven't already."
Immediately after she told you it was a limited time offer, you joined the legion and were in training for several weeks.
if the quest progression is the same here, that would mean she's probably already retrieved the dwemer cube for Hasphat, and the skull for the necro-oh. Right. The skull quest that the orc offered you before you joined the legion. The one that she said was a limited time offer. That quest probably isn't available anymore.
Quote
why aren’t we making Michael jump everywhere?
He is. That's why you keep getting acrobatics skill gains all the time.
Skill gain: Acrobatics skill is now 1
Acrobatics skill is now 2
Acrobatics skill is now 8
...many, many episodes later...
Acrobatics is now 33
Quote
Michael, how life-like does this world look to you?
Pretty sure this has already been addressed, though I'm having difficulty finding the reference. At the very least, if you read episode 1 you'll notice that at no point does Michael exclaim anything like "How unusual this is! Suddenly I appear to be in a low resolution graphical world rather than a lifelife one!" and it took him some walking around to convince himself that he actually is in Morrowind:
You land in a murky pool of gross green swamp water.
A moment later something lands on your head. You leap to your feet, scrambling to get away...and then realize it's your backpack. You drag yourself out of the waist-deep swampwater and up the embankment to a dirt road with fencing that has a familiar look to it. You take off your shirt, shoes and socks to try to squeeze out as much water as possible while looking around to take in your surroundings. You almost think that this looks like....nah, couldn't be.
You put your wet clothes back on, sling your backpack over your shoulder and start walking, taking in as much of the scenery as you can. The more your eyes take in, the more familiar everything seems. The trees, the dirt road you're walking on, the sky, the...is that a mudcrab?
Yeah. No sense denying it. You're in Morrowind.
Quote
we see a magicka bar
Do you?
Quote
There's no guarantee those books are still there or that we'd be allowed to read them for free,
or even that skill gains from them work the same.
It was confirmed when you stole the The Wraith's Wedding Dowry from the grieving widow Thavere in Seyda Neen in episode 19 that "skill books" do not give skill gains:
all you find is some bread on a piece of paper, a pewter mug, a bottle of greef, two barrels and a book titled "the Wraith's Wedding Dowry." You open up the book and read the first page. You don't feel any different.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 09:30:02 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 02, 2014, 09:33:26 pm
Because we can be hardly worse off than we are now. Look at the efforts and rewards the other characters have gone to already – one is challenging a guild master, the other with stashes of high level (console cheat?) items left haphazardly around. Another a councillor following the path to high levels in the ranked Houses. All we have is odd dreams, voices in our head and a few months in the army. Risk for reward is all I’m saying. There’s no doubt the original intention of the LP was to examine how quickly vast knowledge of the game world could be exploited. If not for the dream (which I believe heralds back to Michaels azura mark and less about ponies), I’d say he has no special place in this world whatsoever. But he’s a good bloke and deserves to learn magick. None of the Vivek school can manage it and if we can make friends with Sharn, she is almost certainly capable if not willing.We can most certainly be worse off than we are now, and that's not the same as a given idea being likely to improve the situation. I could recommend we try to rob a store by the same reasoning, but I'm guessing you'd consider that an awful idea that's more likely to get us laughed at, alienated, and/or stabbed than to give us a bunch of money.
I don't see how risk vs reward is supposed to make this a better idea. We'd be risking the wrath of a necromancer far more powerful and better-connected than we are for what, exactly? The chance that she'll really teach us for free over a few days in her hidden crypt lair instead of just murdering us for being an insolent little pest? A few spells that we can't even learn yet? I don't see how the feasible rewards are supposed to outweigh the risks here.
Then you say "if we can make friends with Sharn." Yes, if we were friends with her, she might be able to teach us. What you suggested is almost directly the opposite of making friends with her. It'd make her resent us at absolute best, and start trying to figure out ways to brutally dispose of us at worst. Hell, the penalty for murder is only 1000 gold, right? She could literally murder us in broad daylight and get off with a fine that's only twice as much as what she'd have lost training us for free anyway. Compared to the risk of being outed as a necromancer, even serving the jail time and apologizing her way back into the guild could be a steal.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 09:49:27 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on April 02, 2014, 09:51:05 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 02, 2014, 09:54:44 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 02, 2014, 09:58:05 pm
Also, just a theory on the Mark of Azura:Thank you for reminding me of something we should mention to Caius when we tell him of our pointless failure: We bear the Mark of Azura, Clover does not. Obviously not open and shut for us being the Nerevarine and her not, but it's potentially significant and it is empirical.
Post by: LordBucket on April 02, 2014, 10:06:58 pm
Quote
the penalty for murder is only 1000 gold, right?
Not to contradict your reasoning, but:
(http://i.imgur.com/n8V4bZM.png): "Thanelen Velas, you have committed murder. Either pay the fine of 4000 gold, or come with me and serve your sentence of hard labor."
Post by: IronyOwl on April 02, 2014, 10:12:30 pm
Post by: gordy on April 02, 2014, 10:14:27 pm
I take back any effort at having Sharn give us the training. I only suggested her in the first place because she was a Balmoral local who had the schools we wanted, and we could have theoretically had something over her.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 02, 2014, 10:30:39 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on April 02, 2014, 10:31:00 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 03, 2014, 01:00:35 am
Vampire
Balmora
Epic Duel
We might be witnessing the ascendancy of a new branchmaster here, and we're not even going to take the few hours and maybe 40 gold to detour and see it if it's still available?
I mean, I get the ceasing to faff about and learn magic thing. But it's not like this is out of the way or irrelevant to our foreseeable future. We might be taking quests from this person! We could be reporting to them! I think seeing what's going down and maybe chatting with them a bit could be very profitable, and even if it's not, shouldn't be too costly or troublesome otherwise.
Post by: Xanmyral on April 03, 2014, 01:16:21 am
Not like we'd catch up to where we're relevant, to be honest, most certainly not in time. We need to press our advantages. Which are kinda few, I can mainly think of three: technological background, vague knowledge of future, social aptitude. This fits the third, I suppose.
Post by: Araph on April 03, 2014, 01:23:05 am
Post by: Putnam on April 03, 2014, 01:23:53 am
Post by: Spitfire on April 03, 2014, 06:45:30 am
Let's learn magic from the Cladera dude+1
Don't go see the duel! It's a waste of time and money to begin with, and we don't wanna be anywhere near a vampire in battle rage.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 03, 2014, 09:09:59 am
Post by: LordBucket on April 03, 2014, 12:53:18 pm
god damn things HAPPENING argh
You say that like it'a bad thing. :P
I'll probably close the vote tonight, if anyone has any further input. It's pretty close but go to the duel seems to be winning.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 03, 2014, 01:12:31 pm
Post by: Araph on April 03, 2014, 01:26:49 pm
I really want Michael to investigate this (after we've learned magic). If we could just speak to a PC, we might get some intel about who they are/how likely they are to murder us.
Post by: MonkeyHead on April 03, 2014, 01:32:03 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 03, 2014, 01:33:52 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 03, 2014, 01:35:18 pm
WHere was it that all that high level gear was stashed? A mages guild? If pretty much all the mage guild members are at the duel, now might be a good time to go back to that stash and maybe try our luck at helping ourself to anything that might help us fund some magic training.Not a bad idea, actually. It was all stashed at Ald-Ruun. However, it's possible that only the Balmora branch is watching the duel, it is a duel for the leadership of their branch after all.
We're explicitly being watched to *not* pawn off stolen goods, though.Not exactly. The thieves guild just wants us to sell stolen goods only to their fences.
Post by: The_Jester on April 03, 2014, 02:02:51 pm
I know I am always preaching caution, but we don't really know how a PC is going to react to us. For one, unless I am forgetting some interaction we don't even know if they can see each other, they might all exist in their own individual versions of the game, while Michael is in the "real Morrowind" that is affected by those worlds or something. Not really a theory, just an example to show that we don't know what will happen. For all we know, they might immediately peg Michael as a threat. Also, we need to work on moving quicker. These world events aren't a bad thing, chaos is something we can use, but they do show that Morrowind is quickly filling up with powerful, possibly psychotic people. Michael needs to be able to defend himself better. Anyway, does anyone really doubt that Adorabella or whatever her name is is going to win? She is a PC after all.
Fun thought: we might see another reset if she did happen to lose.
Edit: I wouldn't be against swinging through Ald'ruhn to check on the stash, and to see if the guild there is empty. We would need to be very cautious about taking anything however. Don't forget that the PC's have a different kind of interaction with all of the people, they could pretty well get anybody to narc on us I think.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 03, 2014, 02:19:53 pm
It's too bad about Ranis, she seemed like a good person and a potentially good friend. But legally, we can't intervene on her behalf.
Post by: Putnam on April 03, 2014, 02:22:57 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 03, 2014, 02:23:46 pm
I neither confirm nor deny the validity of the theory that there are PCs in the game. But...for those of you who are working with the theory...what exactly is the criteria you're using to determine who is and isn't one?
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 03, 2014, 02:55:27 pm
There's also a difference between those we are pretty sure there's something about, and those we just suspect.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 03, 2014, 05:49:35 pm
Jury's still out on whether Bjorn's a PC. The only thing notable about him is that he's not in the vanilla game, but there are plenty of people like that (Cinia, that kid who gave us the thieve's guild note, probably more we haven't noticed.)
Post by: The_Jester on April 03, 2014, 05:50:39 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 03, 2014, 06:03:55 pm
Post by: gordy on April 03, 2014, 06:55:54 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 03, 2014, 07:29:57 pm
We are never going to make time for a pilgrimage to the shrine of azura are we? It's way in the south east from molag Mar. About as far from Caldera as you can get. To check out the dream.
We will have to go there eventually, but not right now. It's simply not feasible. We are in no way equipped to go trekking through the back country, despite having been here for ingame months. It's time to train up.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 03, 2014, 07:39:19 pm
Don't go to the duel. Go to Caldera and get destruction training.I don't see how "but what if we're all in parallel dimensions and she might kill us" is a good reason to avoid the duel like the plague.
I know I am always preaching caution, but we don't really know how a PC is going to react to us. For one, unless I am forgetting some interaction we don't even know if they can see each other, they might all exist in their own individual versions of the game, while Michael is in the "real Morrowind" that is affected by those worlds or something. Not really a theory, just an example to show that we don't know what will happen. For all we know, they might immediately peg Michael as a threat. Also, we need to work on moving quicker. These world events aren't a bad thing, chaos is something we can use, but they do show that Morrowind is quickly filling up with powerful, possibly psychotic people. Michael needs to be able to defend himself better.
I'd also say that given how little time and money going to Vivec for a minute will take, and given the impact it might have on local politics, going to see the duel and potentially meet with Adorabella is a better use of time than the alternative. How much stronger are we going to get in a few hours? Versus the benefits of finding out more about a possible PC and likely master of our most familiar guild branch? And yes, she might murder us on sight for no particular reason, but that's true of everyone. In both directions.
Anyway, does anyone really doubt that Adorabella or whatever her name is is going to win? She is a PC after all.The way she wins and the consequences thereof may be more important than the outcome. But then again, PCs aren't necessarily perfect and NPCs here don't necessarily act like NPCs, so maybe Ranis will pull through after all. What if Adorabella's being cocky? What if she's forgetting that vampires are weak to fire and Ranis is a mage? What if she just plain screws up? I'd say it's worth watching, even if it does play out exactly like we thought it would in the end.
Sometimes it's difficult, as the GM, to sit back and watch people share their views and to remain neutral. If you'll all forgive me...I have question. It's something I've been wondering about for a long time.For me, it's essentially anyone who stands out, and therefore doesn't seem like an NPC.
I neither confirm nor deny the validity of the theory that there are PCs in the game. But...for those of you who are working with the theory...what exactly is the criteria you're using to determine who is and isn't one?
Spoiler: Examples So Far (click to show/hide)
So my definition of a PC is basically anyone who has enough of the following traits:
-Is more dynamic than expected. Goes on quests or the like, as opposed to sitting around doing a real job.
-Isn't in the base game.
-Has a name or mentality that doesn't seem like a normal person.
-Has abilities, including raw talent, that don't seem normal compared to those around them.
Fyr, for instance, is incredibly powerful, and has traveled the planes. But he's a several thousand year old Telvanni Lord, so of course he is and of course he has. He's not traveling the planes now, he's standing exactly where we find him in vanilla. He's busy, of course, but only with the kinds of things you'd expect. So he seems like a really powerful, interesting NPC more than a PC. Compare that with Pinky, who's not really doing anything, but isn't in the base game, and what she's doing is larger and stranger than "her job."
There are, of course, some edge cases. That dark elf we tried to escort was collecting alchemy ingredients, but needed an escort to do so. That could mean she's a relatively noncombat PC, but it seemed more like she was just an NPC alchemist who was going on a trip to gather alchemy ingredients because she's got to get them from somewhere. Cinia is obviously powerful, moves around, and is planning on becoming a magelord, but owning a transport boat seems more like an NPC job than a player's course of action. And, of course, she's planning on becoming a magelord, as opposed to completing the quests for it right this minute, like every other Suspected PC mage we've run into.
Though now that I think about it, unnaturally strong, hardworking, friendly... hrm. That'd be interesting. Shame we never asked her about apples.
Plus, is this likely to yield anything? I mean, I'm all for checking it out when we get a chance, but I suspect walking up to Azura's Shrine and saying "HELLO WE ARE FROM THE PONIES CAN YOU TELL US WHAT TO DO?" will get the same silence everyone else gets unless they're an epic hero she's decided to bless with her artifact.We are never going to make time for a pilgrimage to the shrine of azura are we? It's way in the south east from molag Mar. About as far from Caldera as you can get. To check out the dream.
We will have to go there eventually, but not right now. It's simply not feasible. We are in no way equipped to go trekking through the back country, despite having been here for ingame months. It's time to train up.
Speaking of which, that could be an interesting interpretation of the dream. Going to her shrine might not get us anywhere, we've got to be savaged by the night before the healing glow of day can mend us. Or something.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 03, 2014, 07:48:45 pm
Post by: syvarris on April 03, 2014, 09:18:18 pm
But since I doubt votes'll swing this turn, go get restoration training. The sooner we do that the better- every time we sleep with full magicka we're wasting it.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 03, 2014, 10:25:09 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 03, 2014, 11:15:28 pm
Vote is 5 to 4 in favor of learning magic. I would have preferred more of a consensus, but I have really good pace going releasing updates, and if I let the discussion go too long I'm liable to get distracted and not do any at all.
Incidentally if anyone's curious about the purpose of the cutoffs, it's to prevent votes from swinging after I've started writing. Occasionally episodes take 5+ hours to write, or I split up writing over a couple days a rather than all at once. In a case like this one where the vote is very close, all it would take is one person changing their vote, and I'd end up needing to decide whether to start over or release an update what wasn't what people wanted to do.
Post by: The_Jester on April 04, 2014, 02:39:48 pm
Hey, guys? Should we report back to Caius? I mean, we kinda did do a terrible job, but avoiding him wouldn't make our situation any better.
I do think that needs to be our next step. Report back to Caius, inform him that Fyr wouldn't tell us what was going on with Clover, aside from that she had been there, and that we were watched too closely to do much investigating on our own. Discuss Azura's mark on us, and and continue trying to sway Caius over to thinking we are the Nerevarine, whether we actually want to go that route or not. Don't forget that if this follows the story at all, at some point Caius will be leaving and giving charge of the Blades to someone. That would be a huge boost for Michael.
LB, I am glad that you are moving fairly quickly, and I appreciate the suggestion cutoffs, because I think we need the time to discuss goals and next steps.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 04, 2014, 02:44:17 pm
IDK about continuing to push the Nerevarine angle, but the rest of this I agree with. I'd say we're about halfway to the point where he leaves, which is after the jail break on the Ministry of Truth. Of course, things might go differently this time around.Hey, guys? Should we report back to Caius? I mean, we kinda did do a terrible job, but avoiding him wouldn't make our situation any better.
I do think that needs to be our next step. Report back to Caius, inform him that Fyr wouldn't tell us what was going on with Clover, aside from that she had been there, and that we were watched too closely to do much investigating on our own. Discuss Azura's mark on us, and and continue trying to sway Caius over to thinking we are the Nerevarine, whether we actually want to go that route or not. Don't forget that if this follows the story at all, at some point Caius will be leaving and giving charge of the Blades to someone. That would be a huge boost for Michael.
LB, I am glad that you are moving fairly quickly, and I appreciate the suggestion cutoffs, because I think we need the time to discuss goals and next steps.
Post by: LordBucket on April 04, 2014, 05:52:16 pm
Quote
ask the guide about timing and other factors. How long has it been since they left? How long will the duel probably last? Is there an admission fee, are seats likely to be open
Quote
The duel would probably be a one-shot spell or sword hit, you know.
You head back downstairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, Masalinie, is it too late to catch the duel?"
She glances up at the sun.
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "It's supposed to start at noon. If you're fast you might get there in time."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How long do these things usually last? Is this going to be a one-hit-kill, or will there actually be any fighting?"
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "It depends. I've seen duels that ended after two or three spells. But Ranis is the second most powerful sorcerer we have. Plus she's a couple hundred years old. I don't think you live that long without learning a few tricks."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You think she'll win?"
She hesitates.
(http://i.imgur.com/uI3rWkJ.png): "I hope so. "
That doesn't sound optimistic. No point making the trip only to be two minutes late to a one minute duel.
Quote
check in with cauis. Report what weve learned about sexywithers, and what we suspect, as well as our failure
to intercept Clover. Tie it in with what we already knew, try to keep him informed. Also mention the whole mage guild vampire character
You cross the river though town and head to Caius's apartment. The door is locked. You knock, and after a moment a Nord you don't recognize opens the door and lets you in. After closing the door behind you he crosses his arms and silently watches you like a hawk.
(http://i.imgur.com/M5aF1Ri.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Ahh, Michael. I see you don't have corprus."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I never found Clover. But I did talk to Divayth Fyr, a few of his daughters, and Yagrum Bagarn. All of them except Yagrum agreed that Clover arrived a few days ago, but somehow we missed each other."
Caius raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yagrum Bagarn? So that rumor is true, then?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Last living dwarf, yes. Has corprus. Lower half of his body replaced with dwarven spider legs. Says he was in another dimension when his race disappeared. He came back, went insane, caught corprus, heard Dagoth Ur taling in his head to come help him build a second Numidium, but the ghost fence guards caught him and sent him to the corprusarium, where he's been ever since."
Caius seems lost in thought.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Go on."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Apprently our plan to get me infected wouldn't have worked. According to Uupse Fyr, it's not possible to catch corprus from casual contact. Actually, she says it's not possible to contract corprus even from direct blood on blood contact, corprus pus, sores...she says the only way to contract it is from 'direct magical contact' with a high ranking ash creature. Whatever that means."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "That contradicts a great deal of evidence to the contrary, but the Fyr's are the generally accepted experts on corprus. I'll keep it under advisement."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Why not send someone to talk to them? Access to the island is restricted by the council, but I walked, well...swam in, without much difficulty."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "You're only the second of my operatives to ever return from Tel Fyr."
That's something you would have liked to have known before you went.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Who was the first? SexyWithers? Is she an operative?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "The new Telvanni Councilor? No, I have preciously few assets in House Telvanni."
So Sexywithers isn't in the Blades. So much for that theory.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Who was the other operative who made it out? Clover? Is she back?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I've received no reports on the whereabouts of that operative since she was dispatched to Tel Fyr."
That might mean she's dead. Hard to say. You didn't get the chance to talk to Divayth on the way out, but if Clover had died drinking the potion, wouldn't Beyte have known about it? All she said was that she hadn't seen Clover leave. Is she still at Tel Fyr? Of course, she might have simply recalled out. Nobody would have seen that. But didn't Divayth say that he had recall wards in place? Is recalling out of Tel Fyr even possible? Maybe she went to the corprusarium and was killed. Or simply walked out the front door while Beyte was eating dinner. Or if she's a PC like the voices keep suggesting, maybe she logged out. You've been here for two months. Back in Seyda Neen you remember a day in Morrowind being something like 45 minutes according to your cellphone. That's what, 2 days roughly? If Clover is on a computer somewhere on not-Morrowind time, it's pretty unlikely she'd sit and play for that long.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "What else?"
Quote
We bear the Mark of Azura, Clover does not.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Remember my theory that I'm the Nerevarine?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Of course."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Apparently I bear the mark of Azura. Clover doesn't."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Go on."
He took that way too casually.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You mean you knew?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "It's something the Blades have known about for a very long time. Given the nature of your particular situations, it was one of the things I checked for."
"One of the things." Caius keeps a lot of secrets, doesn't he?
Quote
here are a couple of skooma addicts involved in some quests, in Morrowind as well as in other Elder Scrolls games. I can't
think off the top of my head of any skooma addicts relevant to the main plotline of Morrowind, but maybe there's one.
Wait...Caius' cover story here in Balmora is that he's a skooma addict.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Do you have it too?"
For the tiniest fraction of a second, he doesn't respond.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes."
You close your eyes and peer into his head. You can't make out much. He's got a lot of clutter in there. But assuming he's not lying, Vivec, Divayth, the High Fane, Caius the 'skooma addict,' Yagrum...and you? Are you an 'essential character' for the main quest? What would that even mean?
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "What is it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm not even sure how to explain this. But Azura's Mark, I think it might mean that people who have it are important to Morrowind."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Important in what way?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Crucial. Essential. Part of whatever cosmic behind-the-scenes clockwork makes stuff happen here."
Caius ponders that.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Similar theories have been proposed, but it's unlikely to relate to Morrowind directly. There are records of people bearing her mark that go back centuries in provinces across Tamriel. Some have lived their entire lives never having set foot in Morrowind."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So maybe it has more to do with Azura? It is her mark, after all."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Presumably. Azura has always refused to answer questions about it."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You've asked her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Not personally, but others have. Do you have anything else to report?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "A vampire named Adorabella challenged Ranis for leadership of the Balmora mage guild."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes, I have someone monitoring that situation now. Anything else?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, I guess that's it."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Very well. I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news. I've been recalled to the Imperial City, and will no longer be able to oversee the situation here."
Spoiler: GM Comment (click to show/hide)
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "I'm assigning you, and every other operative on Vvardenfell to independent status. That means as soon as I leave, nobody outranks you and you're all on your own. You each have your respective objectives. Do your duty. Also, as the only spymaster in Vvardenfell with the ability to do so, I'll be removing everyone's identifier marks that I can before I leave. This means that those of you who don't already know each other won't recognize one another. But it also means that if we become compromised, nobody else will either."
Caius waves a hand at you. You don't quite see what was removed, but you sense that a small space in your right hand just cleared up. Probably doesn't affect you much, since you never knew for sure you had one or what it looked like. Though it does mean that other Blades members will no longer be able to identify you.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Incidentally Michael, Nine-Toes has been reassigned to Black Marsh. I asked him to liquidate any assets he didn't take with him, and your equipment in his care was sold. "
Yeah, probably shouldn't have left that stuff laying around for the past month. Caius hands you small pouch with 62 gold, which you toss in your bag. At this point the money is probably more useful than the couple weapons were just laying around in Nine-Toes' house. Although you're pretty sure there was a mortar and pestle in there too. That's unfortunate, but it's not like you had any plans to get a full set of alchemy tools anytime soon anyway. You're more concerned about the implications for the Main Quest of his leaving. After being cured of corprus, Caius is supposed to issue a quest to go talk about the Lost Prophecies with Mihla Milo in Vivec City, which leads to various trials, a trip through a tediously long Ashlander burial site, then convincing each of the Ashlander tribes to acknowledge you as the Nerevarine, and each of the three Great houses to acknowledge you as Hortator.
...wait. What would happen if each of the tribes and Great Houses decided to back a different person?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Caius, have any of the Great Houses announced Hortators?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Not to my knowledge. Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Just humor me for a moment. There's a new Telvanni tower being built at Uvirith's Grave in Molag Amur. Tel Uvirith."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes, for their new Councilor, SexyWithers."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Have the Hlaalu or Redoran built any new strongholds recently?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes, Bella Manor just outside of Balmora and Castle Awesome at Bal Isra."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Let me guess, Bella Manor belongs to Adorabella and Castle Awesome belongs to Awesomicus Maximus."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Also, there's rumor of a new construction near Lake Amaya north of the Dren Plantation."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "And who does that belong to?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Reports have been inconclusive."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Damn. I don't even know anymore."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Is there a problem?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I don't know. I thought I had a handle on what was going on here, but so much is different than I expected. Some of this I didn't even think was possible. What are the political implications of all these new strongholds?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Minimal. Duke Dren is well aware of the power struggles among the Great Houses. Authorizing one new stronghold for each of them maintains the appearance of balance. The rumor of a fourth is troubling. More so that I haven't been able to confirm it, but given its alleged proximity to Duke Dren's family estate, it seems unlikely to be a source of volatility. It might be a personal holding."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Appearance of balance? What about reality? If it came to war, what would happen?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Difficult to say. Of the three Great Houses, the Telvanni have by far the most raw power, but historically they've gone to great lengths to avoid large scale conflict. Divayth Fyr is a huge wildcard, but even if he remained neutral nobody really knows what Gothren or the other Councilors could do if they decided to go to war. Neither of the other two Houses are eager to find out. By my estimations, any three of their magelords could personally wipe out both other Great Houses in mere days, but they've expressed no interest in doing so. They're more interested in their respective hobbies. No, open war is unlikely. But backdoor dealings and assassinations? Yes, always."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How sure are you of that? I was talking to a boat merchant who described Aryon as a wacko."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Councilor Aryon? Of all the councilors he's been by far the most supportive of Imperial efforts."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's possible that might be what she meant by wacko. She also said that rumor in House Telvanni was that Aryon had arranged for SexyWithers to become a councilor because he had some kind of plan for her. And I saw her kill a couple guards in Balmora several days ago. She might not have the same outlook as the other councilors."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "You witnessed the guard massacre? That was SexyWithers? You're certain?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...erm...well, not very. I've never actually seen the councilor for sure, and while I did see the massacre, I was hiding in the door to Meldor's armor shop at the time."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Describe what you saw."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "A dunmer woman in dark clothes with dark hair, no armor and a big sword. She leapt from a rooftop above me and hit the ground running like it was nothing. Three guards were chasing her. She ran in circles around them, literally circles...then one-shotted each of the three of them."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Councilor SexyWithers does have dark hair, but that's not much to go on. You're certain you saw nothing else?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Nothing comes to mind."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Very well. You'll be on your own now, operative. I realize you were never with us for the glory of the Empire, but remember what you told me: Regardless of individual allegiances, every one of us loses if Dagoth Ur comes to power."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Dismissed."
You step outside and lean against a wall, taking all this in. Four new strongholds, and one of them in a non-vanilla location? Caius leaving early? The main quest possibly broken? The possibility that you might be an essential npc, whatever that means? You really need to figure out what's going on before this whole thing blows up. Khuul has already been annihilated, Pelagiad attacked and you suspect there was a reason the corprusarium was more populated than you'd anticipated. With the Blades leadership leaving, now would be a good time for Dagoth Ur to make his next move.
Quote
Go to Caldera
Quote
training
You return to the mage guild and pay 12 gold for transport to Caldera.
(http://i.imgur.com/UBU6hBp.png)
It seems mostly deserted too. Curiously, it seems there's a new guild guide.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hello. I don't think we've met. I'm Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "Eraamion."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happened to the old guide?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "Emelia was discharged for abandoning her post."
Heheh, oops. That was partly your doing, wasn't it? Well, you did say you'd rather walk than have her teleport you while drunk.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So how does that work, you getting her job?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "Every guildhall has a fixed number of openings, and there's a certification process for every position. It's first come first served regardless of rank. Except leadership positions which are vied for."
You vaguely remember the enchantress at Wolverine Hall talking about certifications for daedra summoning.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So what's the incentive? Why would you want to stand here all day teleporting people around? Sounds boring."
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "Are you kidding? I'm here for the money. This is one of the best stations in the guild and I keep half of what I collect. I get to stay in out of the rain in a nice warm building with no monsters trying to kill me, talking to friends, practicing magic, and every now and then somebody walks up and hands me 10-20 gold for 10 seconds worth of work."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happens to the half you don't keep?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "Guild branch head and the Archmage split it."
So Trebonious is one rich man.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What's the catch?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "The catch is that you can't leave because the second you do somebody takes your spot. First come first served. I finished my certifications last year, got in as an enchanter and I was waiting for six months for Emeila to take her leave. She got drunk and then rather than activating the pad she recalled herself along with some poor customer to who knows where. Soon as I saw that I talked to Folms and the job was mine within minutes."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happens to her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "She showed up a few hours later without any blood, so I assume it didn't end too badly. No idea what happened to her passenger. She lost her station but I doubt she has any regrets. I don't know how long she was here before I arrived, but six months as a guide? At least? Plus, she was smart. Most of us blow our money on restore magicka potions. 20 minutes worth of spell training, then back to waiting for another customer. Which is great if you're the guy at the alchemy station selling the potions. But Emelie didn't do that. She's probably set for life."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How much do you make doing this?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "I've been averaging about 25 gold a day. That's the great thing about guide station. It's steady. As an enchanter I'd routinely go weeks without seeing any customers and half those I did see didn't buy anything. Here, I routinely see as many as a couple customer a day."
In a world where nobody needs to eat or sleep, the economy of all this makes a strange amount of sense. Sadly, he's probably making more money standing around than you have been fighting and questing. Time to skill up and fix that.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm actually here for spellschool training. Is Folms in?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "No, it's just me and Medila downstairs. Somebody challenged Ranis for leadership of the Balmora mage guild. Folms and the others are in Vivec watching the duel. That's the only reason this place is empty. No need to worry about being replaced when your boss is taking the day off too. But you might talk to Medila. I think she's certified for both Illusion and Destruction."
You head downstairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/KthGGvT.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hello, Medila? I spoke with Folms a week ago, and he said he'd arrange spellschool training for me for 500 gold. "
That's close enough to true. And knowing what you know now, you probably just made her day. She gets to keep half of the 500. And Folms and Trebonius each get 125.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Can you teach me? I'd like to learn either Restoration or Destruction."
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "I'm certified for Destruction. Will that be alright?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Let's do it."
(3 hours later)
Ok. This is miserable.
Apparently learning a spellschool means memorizing a massive pile of equations and geometric shapes. Except that "memorizing" in this case actually means sitting there and letting the spell trainer directly implant the patterns into your brain. All you've been doing for the past three hours is sit in a chair trying to focus your attention where she says to focus while "relaxing" and "being receptive."
It's starting to hurt. And the worst of it is you don't even know what it is she's teaching you. You have this huge pile of shapes and figures growing in your mind, but they're too big and too many for you to make any sense of. Come to think of it, Yagrum said something about this. She's setting up the basic patterns and when it comes time to cast you won't have any actual understanding of what you're doing. You'll simply be channeling magicka through the spellforms in your brain.
Fortunately, relief comes in the form of Folms materializing in the room with you, followed about 2 seconds later by the sound of cheering from upstairs. It idly occurs to you to wonder how much money the Vivec guild guide just made transporting everyone who didn't have a recall mark for their respective guildhalls.
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Ahh, Michael. I wondered if I'd see you again. Is Medila treating you well?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It hurts a little bit. "
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "That's normal. The first spellschool is always difficult. The rest will come more easily."
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "How'd the duel go?"
He laughs
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Ranis does not disappoint! Almost made up for the long, droning speech Trebonius gave."
Medila chuckles.
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Terms were fairly conventional. Three potion limit once the match started, she's a skilled alchemist by the way, no equipment or spell restrictions, loser was the first to die, forfeit or leave the arena."
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "So Ranis is standing there on the arena floor, docilely looking at Adorabella who has this look on her face that says she's totally convinced she's going to win. Trebonius starts to give the ready signal and Ranis immediately chugs an entire handful of potions. She lights up like the sun from all the effects, and Adorabella asks Trebonius if she's allowed to do that right when he says go. Ranis starts pouring on DoTs..."
DoTs? Isn't that gamer slang?
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "...while Trebonius is shouting that the potion count doesn't begin until the match starts. So Adorabell starts lecturing Trebonius about common decency and sportsmanship. He just shrugs, and she starts healing herself but her heals aren't enough to make up for all the DoTs. Ranis sees this and starts in with the big spellblasts and Bella lets loose with some healing item she had, just about disappearing under all the magicka. That brings her back to full and she decides to go on the offensive. So, get this: she starts casting fireballs!"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Hahahah! Oh, that's priceless!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Fireballs? Why is that funny?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Have you met Ranis? She's a dunmer."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Oh....right. Fire resistance."
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "So between her natural resistance and the cocktail of potions she'd taken, she's not taking any damage at all. Meanwhile she keeps smashing Adorabella with spells. Unfortunately as it turns out, Adorabella's an alchemist too. Surprisingly talented one from what I could see. So she chugs a potion and charges Ranis with this determined look in her eyes and one hand extended. Just in time to smash facefirst into the golden saint Ranis had summoned. Now, I know what you're thinking. A golden saint? Why bother? She's be sent home in a couple hits, right? So sure enough, Adorabella starts tearing up the golden saint with touch spells, and during the distraction Ranis starts casting spells into the air. Completely ignored Adorabella. Nobody knew why. That is, until Adorabella finishes off the summon and is just about breathing down Ranis' neck when a beam of direct sunlight hits her in the face and she starts sizzling, followed by a huge chunk of masonry hitting the arena floor."
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "She seriously put a hole in the ceiling of the arena?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "You have no idea. She kept casting and over the next minute she'd taken out fully a third of the ceiling. Huge gaping hole clear to the sky."
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "What did the arena authorities have to say about that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "They were furious. Ranis is in custody right now for destruction of temple property and reckless endangerment of the audience."
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "How much was the fine?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "We don't know yet. Probably a lot. It's going to be a few days before it's all settled."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happened to Adorabella?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "She dodged all the debris, and took to the air screaming about what the sunlight was doing to her complexion. Vampire problems. So she landed on a guard rail out of the sunlight and Trebonious declared her the loser for leaving the arena. The look on her face was priceless."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So she ended up getting away?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Yes. Took the loss gracefully. Congratulated Ranis, met up with a few people in the stands who'd been cheering for her then they all recalled out while half a dozen Ordinators charged their spot in the stands."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Did you see who they were?"
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Her friends? No, we were on Ranis' side of the arena. Some orc in full daedric armor and a couple elves. I didn't get a good look. Probably House retainers. Can't imagine a vampire would have any friends who weren't vampires too. Though I suppose they might have been. Scary thought."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Isn't it unusual for House Hlaalu to allow vampires in their number?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Money talks."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sounds like the fight would have been incredible to watch."
(http://i.imgur.com/LeOzlIp.png): "Yes, it was. But looks like you're in training. So don't let me interrupt."
(2 days later)
Gahhhh! The pain! You feel like you have a hangover and whenever you close your eyes you see numbers and shapes. Sometimes you see numbers and shapes even with your eyes open. But, it will all be worthwhile. Just as soon as your head stops spinning.
New Skill: Destruction is now 5
Spell Gained: Fleabite
Also, now that you've spent two days sitting in one spot at a mage guild, you notice that there does seem to be a semi-regular traffic through here. Adventurers, merchants, customers. Maybe one every five to ten hours.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
(GM Comment: There will likely be a several day delay before I start tallying votes and working on the next update. A lot has happened recently, and some longstanding circumstances have changed. Yes, I expect that you'll probably want to do some spell training. That's fine, but that doesn't need to be a full update. I recommend you all take some time to decide on some medium-term plans and ways to implement them.)
Post by: WillowLuman on April 04, 2014, 06:18:21 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 04, 2014, 06:24:45 pm
On the bright side, Adorabella's reported behavior matches Rarity's exceedingly well, which combined with her mention of having friends seems to support the pony theory. Perhaps more interestingly, it supports the notion that the ponies are actually aware of and friends with each other- that might suggest a lot of other pony-related things, like having a connection to Princess Celestia and there being a Spike (which I still think might be us). This is rather sparse compared to getting a chance to actually see and maybe even talk to them, but at least it's not a complete loss.
EDIT: Knew it. The Nerevarine is referred to as Dragon-born in one prophecy. I don't know how things are playing out now, but the notion that we were at least intended to be Spike, the Nerevarine Dragon-born sounds feasible and entertaining. Even if it's not us, Spike might be a good option for that role.
But then, without knowing how pony and elf intersect, the whole notion of the Nerevarine becomes cloudy. Does Dagoth Ur have a pony counterpart? Is there a pony villain lurking somewhere? Could Azura be Celestia by another name? Are they both active, if not?
Spoiler: Other Pony Update (click to show/hide)
So, medium term plans. Sad as I am to say it, I think our current goal should be to grind our skills on mudcrabs or the like a bit. And of course by "skills" I mean "weapon and armor skills," since Destruction is gated by Magicka, useless, and will remain as such for a long, long time. Assuming the formula for spellcasting is accurate, 22% was not a guess- that actually should be our cast chance. At 1 mana apiece, we can successfully cast roughly 15 times per full magicka bar.
I'm not keen on the idea of spending money training it, because abysmal cast chance aside it should level reasonably quickly, and we should really be training skills other than it in any case. I would really like to reiterate that being a destruction mage is not going to be viable for a long, long while, and leveling our other skills in the meantime will help quicken that regardless. Resting up health and magicka at the same time, depleting the latter where we stand and the former against kwama foragers, and then sleeping for a bit is probably our best course of action in terms of raw power.
Which leaves us the issue of where to do it. Seyda Neen is the ideal choice for mudcrabs, which we know for a fact that even we can take (and tank, for armor skill). But there's no vanilla inn or guild there, meaning there's nowhere to sleep. Unless maybe the lighthouse or the house of that guy we ratted out is still abandoned and has a bed? Or an NPC wouldn't be too creeped out by us paying them to serve as an inn? Balmora is an obvious choice for infrastructure, but the spawns nearby are less predictable. Pelagiad might have fewer kagoutis and more rats nearby, not sure, and it definitely has an inn.
We've got enough magicka to cast a decent destruction spell, and enough gold to buy one, but probably not enough skill to rely on it yet. I say we should still get one, though.I say we wait for flexibility's sake. Unless the gold is weighing us down or this is the best place to get one we want and we're not sure when we'll be back, there's really no reason to spend gold on something we're not going to be able to use in forever.
Post by: Putnam on April 04, 2014, 07:49:47 pm
Post by: The_Jester on April 04, 2014, 10:31:57 pm
We've got enough magicka to cast a decent destruction spell, and enough gold to buy one, but probably not enough skill to rely on it yet. I say we should still get one, though.
This. Obviously the fatigue spell will be better for grinding, but it would be nice to have a decent shock or ice spell. Skip the fire spells unless they are really cheap, most of morrowind is populated by dunmer after all. We don't want to be stupid like Adorabella.
Medium range plans are good, but I am still not sure we are anywhere near agreement on long term plans. It seems like we have three options: escape morrowind (either by returning Michael to mundane college life or by attempting to hop on a boat and travel elsewhere), seek to destroy Dagoth Ur (either directly ourselves or by assisting someone else), or join Dagoth Ur.
Michael doesn't seem to want to return to "our world", if he wasn't actually created here by Azura or other, and I personally don't think that leaving Morrowind is really going to be an option. It sure would be interesting to try though. As for the other two options, I am on the side of destroying Dagoth Ur. Whether or not that happens by us seeking out the necessary tools or by aiding someone else with our knowledge, that is more in the air for me. I would be against joining Dagoth Ur, and from what I have seen of Michael's personality I think he would agree with me.
Post by: Putnam on April 04, 2014, 10:38:05 pm
Keep that in mind. I don't think there's a choice here.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 04, 2014, 11:39:52 pm
"Every one of us loses if Dagoth Ur comes to power."To be fair, that's something we ourselves told Caius. I don't think there's much benefit to joining Dagoth, though.
Keep that in mind. I don't think there's a choice here.
-snip-1. What prophesy ever says that the Nerevarine is dragonborn?
2. How do we know that they know each other? The only one who might be someone we know is the orc in daedric, and even then it's not certain.
3. Of course destruction won't become viable any time soon if we never train it! Why should we abandon it to grind weapons on mudcrabs when we've just got it? Why not just train magic on the mudrabs?
Post by: Putnam on April 04, 2014, 11:48:13 pm
1. What prophesy ever says that the Nerevarine is dragonborn?
1. The Nerevarine prophecy, but that refers specifically to the Nerevarine being born in the Empire (born under the image of the Dragon)... which Michael basically was, having been dropped off in Morrowind at his earliest memory.
Post by: Araph on April 04, 2014, 11:54:16 pm
About that orc in Daedric armor. Who do we know of who's associated with the color green and would have a reason to follow around and protect someone who bears a certain similarity to Rarity?
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Also, let's not get our jimmies rustled by not seeing the duel. We got a pretty darn eloquent description of it, which from our perspective is nearly the same as Michael actually seeing it.
Post by: Putnam on April 05, 2014, 12:02:30 am
Post by: Araph on April 05, 2014, 12:18:47 am
I think hearing about it here would be the same as if we saw it?
Exactly.
Post by: LordBucket on April 05, 2014, 12:28:41 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 05, 2014, 12:33:22 am
3. Of course destruction won't become viable any time soon if we never train it! Why should we abandon it to grind weapons on mudcrabs when we've just got it? Why not just train magic on the mudrabs?I think he meant we should train both - health AND magicka. So zap them, but let them beat us up a bit first, and fall back to weapons before time to sleep.
Post by: Araph on April 05, 2014, 12:45:42 am
But fo' reals, destruction and combat grinding time. Those mudcrabs aren't going to fight themselves.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 05, 2014, 02:58:57 am
"Every one of us loses if Dagoth Ur comes to power."Except that we know very little about this version's Dagoth Ur. If he/she's the incarnation of Princess Luna, that's going to throw things out of whack. If he's in league with Discord, that's going to throw things out of whack. If he's far more reasonable than some of our interpretations of him suggest, that's going to throw things out of whack.
Keep that in mind. I don't think there's a choice here.
Though personally, I don't think it's going to be a big deal in any case. We'll presumably have learned much more about him by the time we're in much of a position to be taking sides.
2. How do we know that they know each other? The only one who might be someone we know is the orc in daedric, and even then it's not certain.Because they cheered her on, she went to them afterwards, and they left together? If there were five or six of them and none of them were the people we currently suspect to be ponies, that'd throw a wrench in the interpretation that they're the mane 6. Currently we have no reason to believe as much and a fair number of reasons to suspect otherwise.
3. Of course destruction won't become viable any time soon if we never train it! Why should we abandon it to grind weapons on mudcrabs when we've just got it? Why not just train magic on the mudrabs?
I think he meant we should train both - health AND magicka. So zap them, but let them beat us up a bit first, and fall back to weapons before time to sleep.Spells don't work that way in vanilla Morrowind, and we've seen evidence to suggest that remains true here. Remember what Fast Eddie was doing when we met him? Remember what the guild guide said most other guides spent their money on? It's casting the spell that grants experience. Whether you cast it on thin air or mudcrabs or Dagoth Ur himself should all be identical.
...This doesn't make sense in the context of Morrowind, since it'd require two PCs, but hey; there are other things that don't fit with Morrowind already:What would require two PCs?
About that orc in Daedric armor. Who do we know of who's associated with the color green and would have a reason to follow around and protect someone who bears a certain similarity to Rarity?Fair suspicion. Awesomeicus fits the gender, though Rainbow Dash is certainly butch enough to roll a male character. He's less awesomeness-oriented than RB either, but I could see him being goofy enough for it.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Also, let's not get our jimmies rustled by not seeing the duel. We got a pretty darn eloquent description of it, which from our perspective is nearly the same as Michael actually seeing it.
I think hearing about it here would be the same as if we saw it?We missed out on seeing Adorabella and her friends. That could have been massive. The number of them alone had the potential to tell us a great deal, to say nothing of being able to actually see each one, in most cases probably without armor obscuring their faces.
Don't even get me started on if we'd managed to talk to any of them about it, which I'll admit doesn't sound too likely.
Go out into the swamps and become a master at destruction and all forms of combat by fighting mudcrabs for twenty years. Return to civilization and see what's changed.Still gotta figure out where. I'd tentatively suggest warping back to Balmora, then meandering from there to Pelagiad, fighting anything we think we can take along the way (meaning rats, kwama foragers, and maybe nix hounds) and fleeing to the nearest strong person for anything we can't (cliff racers, kagouti, alits). Also collecting alchemy reagents because why not.
But fo' reals, destruction and combat grinding time. Those mudcrabs aren't going to fight themselves.
Note that this is largely because I believe, but am not at all certain of, the notion that the things around Pelagiad tend to be fairly weak, that kagouti can spawn between there and Seyda Neen, and because I'm not familiar with the regions around Caldera at all.
Though actually, can we take rats on our own? We might not have much choice but to warp to Balmora and Silt Strider to Seyda Neen for some crab and kwama bludgeoning if not. But then where would we sleep to recover?
Post by: The_Jester on April 05, 2014, 09:46:47 am
As for the whole ponies thing, I can't really speak to it since I have no knowledge whatsoever of MLP, but it seems plausible that they are at least the inspiration for our "PC" characters, although I think it is taking it too far to try to see ponies in Dagoth Ur, or Vivec, or other NPC's. We haven't seen any evidence of that kind of crossover.
So if we are agreed that Dagoth Ur needs to be defeated, shouldn't that be our eventual goal? Which means, at the least, we need to reclaim Keening and Sunder. Probably Wraithguard too. From there, we actually have several awesome options. We could go the traditional route and Nerevarine or not, kill Dagoth Ur ourselves. We could also do the whole Prophet thing and throw our knowledge and support behind someone else, guiding them to either become the Nerevarine or just kill Dagoth Ur. We could also do something that Morrowind's game limitations didn't allow for but seems attractive and plausible here, we build an army. How badass would it be to roll into Red Mountain at the head of an army?
Post by: syvarris on April 05, 2014, 10:57:44 am
At least we can raise magic-related stats, I guess.
Empty our magicka casting fleabite. We don't actually need a target, right? After that, go out and fight things.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 05, 2014, 11:40:49 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 05, 2014, 02:53:45 pm
Instead of just killing random stuff outside balmora, we can also check if theres any new low level quests at the fighters guild as well. fighting things regularly and THEN draining our magicka before napping sounds good.
Dont we have to worry about stuff breaking though?
Post by: IronyOwl on April 05, 2014, 05:46:04 pm
Unless I am remembering completely wrong, Seyda Neen does have an inn, Arille's Trade house has a room upstairs that you can rent.Doesn't appear so, at least in vanilla. A quick check back doesn't suggest he's offered or mentioned one to us in the past.
As for the whole ponies thing, I can't really speak to it since I have no knowledge whatsoever of MLP, but it seems plausible that they are at least the inspiration for our "PC" characters, although I think it is taking it too far to try to see ponies in Dagoth Ur, or Vivec, or other NPC's. We haven't seen any evidence of that kind of crossover.We've seen suggestions of Celestia and possibly Luna, and more recently evidence that they may be working together. It certainly could be that the gang is getting together to follow their usual mentor's orders to defeat an entirely native threat, but it seems more likely that there'll be some kind of pony influence on the other side.
Particularly since that dream we had with the horse statues. Where there was a black and gold one, and the gold one was saying something about wanting to be friends? That sounds an awful lot like it could be a Morrowind interpretation of... I might not have mentioned that, or if I did it was a while ago.
Spoiler: MORE PONIES (click to show/hide)
PPE: ...wait, it wasn't black and gold, it was silver and gold. Hrm...
Spoiler: Dreams So Far (click to show/hide)
In vanilla Morrowind, you just have to cast the spell to get XP. If you really want to power level, the thing to do would be to make a custom 1pt on target fireball spell. That might not work here, but then again it might. Since it would use the same pattern as any other fireball, we'd still be practicing that pattern.
Thats a good point. We can ask for the cheapest spell they have - we can light candles or something with it, hah.Fleabite is a 1 magicka destruction spell that we know.
Instead of just killing random stuff outside balmora, we can also check if theres any new low level quests at the fighters guild as well. fighting things regularly and THEN draining our magicka before napping sounds good.
Dont we have to worry about stuff breaking though?We do, but raising armorer will be useful in the future and good for our attributes anyway. We might want to buy some tongs or whatever if we were going to Seyda Neen, but most other grind spots are pretty close to shops.
Speaking of which, our viperblade will probably be excessive for mudcrabs. Against them in particular, we'd probably want to fistfight them down while they chew softly on our armor. Rats and kwama foragers we'll probably want to fight normally, and most other things probably require desperate shankings or fleeing in terror.
Post by: The_Jester on April 05, 2014, 10:30:04 pm
Unless I am remembering completely wrong, Seyda Neen does have an inn, Arille's Trade house has a room upstairs that you can rent.Doesn't appear so, at least in vanilla. A quick check back doesn't suggest he's offered or mentioned one to us in the past.
I guess I remembered wrong then. I don't know where I got that from.
Post by: MonkeyHead on April 06, 2014, 04:10:18 am
Anyway, I don't know if anyone has suggested this (too much to check back through), but what would happen if we killed a plot-centric NPC? Not that we are capable of such things yet, but in the vanilla game you get the "broken prophecy" message. What is the equivalent here? Would we doom the world, or get a reset?
Post by: IronyOwl on April 06, 2014, 05:01:05 am
I guess I remembered wrong then. I don't know where I got that from.It looks like an inn, and it's sort of the only service hub in that town, so I can see how you'd get mixed up. It's also, let's face it, a bit odd that a town of that size and (at least initial) importance doesn't have one.
Oh god no, not ponies.... :PInteresting second-best-thing might be tracking down people we know to be essential and checking them for Azura's Mark. Except I'm not even sure if that's one of the ones we recognize, so...
Anyway, I don't know if anyone has suggested this (too much to check back through), but what would happen if we killed a plot-centric NPC? Not that we are capable of such things yet, but in the vanilla game you get the "broken prophecy" message. What is the equivalent here? Would we doom the world, or get a reset?
One other issue in a long list of issues with murdering essential NPCs is that they cease being essential once they've fulfilled their purpose. Given how advanced we seem to be in the main quest, and given how badly we may have mucked it up, I suspect it'd be pretty easy to kill a target, have nothing happen, and be left with no idea why.
Actually, here's an interesting thought exercise. Essential NPCs give you the message if they're killed in game. But in game, there's no way for them to be unable to fulfill their purpose except for killing them. Here, that might not be the case. If we convinced Fyr to go on a plane trip for four months, would that ruin everything? If we'd locked Caius in a dungeon where he couldn't do spy things, would that have an impact? If we convinced some other random person to stop obsessing over the Dwemer or close down their potion shop or just refuse to offer quests to adventurers, would any of that have a similar impact to just murdering them?
Sadly, it's probably not really any more testable, but-
Wait. That could potentially be exactly what happened, couldn't it? Lemme see... hm. The reset when we were talking to Caius happened after we gave a big speech about how Dagoth Ur was going to kill everything or turn them into insane corprus monsters, and then we gave a much shorter version of the same answer.
It's possible that made all the difference, but I don't see why convincing Caius that we were on his side would have broken the chain of prophecy. Back to untestable, I suppose.
Post by: The_Jester on April 06, 2014, 10:04:33 am
As for the Seyda Neen sleeping thing, sometimes I forget we are in the legion. I bet if we showed up at the Census and Excise office and told them we are on special assignment, they would let us use the bed in the basement.
Post by: Mr. Strange on April 06, 2014, 01:25:05 pm
As for the Seyda Neen sleeping thing, sometimes I forget we are in the legion. I bet if we showed up at the Census and Excise office and told them we are on special assignment, they would let us use the bed in the basement.+1
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 06, 2014, 07:16:08 pm
As for the Seyda Neen sleeping thing, sometimes I forget we are in the legion. I bet if we showed up at the Census and Excise office and told them we are on special assignment, they would let us use the bed in the basement.
This is a good point for another reason. See if we can't get any missions from the Legion.
That is TOTALLY a thing we should be doing.
Post by: Baffler on April 06, 2014, 07:59:19 pm
As for the Seyda Neen sleeping thing, sometimes I forget we are in the legion. I bet if we showed up at the Census and Excise office and told them we are on special assignment, they would let us use the bed in the basement.
This is a good point for another reason. See if we can't get any missions from the Legion.
That is TOTALLY a thing we should be doing.
+1
Post by: LordBucket on April 06, 2014, 08:17:10 pm
Remember that you're a bottom rank recruit who was only excused from guard duty because Caius pulled strings. You asking for missions would be like somebody working in a menial position at a large company with lots of menial worker, taking a leave of absence then asking to be hired as a contractor while on leave. If you go back asking for duties, they'll probably be happy to put you back on the duty roster. Do you really want to do that?
They do offer bounties on known criminals they've been unable to catch, if you want to ask about that. However, remember that Vibius was not allowed to collect the bounty on the Processus' murderer back in Seyda Neen:
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "Guards are ineligible for rewards. It creates a conflict of interest, since they serve as judge, jury and occasionally as executioner. Wouldn't want them to be tempted to collect on just anyone.""
Post by: Baffler on April 06, 2014, 09:20:28 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 06, 2014, 09:27:31 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 06, 2014, 10:14:44 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 12:11:41 am
Post by: catenate on April 07, 2014, 12:52:46 am
Here's an observation, though, for what it's worth: With Michael so underpowered, and any kind of power up slow and expensive, he's effectively railroaded to stay in civilized areas and means of transport. His only asset is his knowledge of the game, which becomes more obsolete every game day, and which he has to be careful not to share too much. If I was playing this forum game, I'd wonder exactly how I was supposed to make a difference in the world.
To be honest, after reading the whole thread, it seems clear to me that Michael was not meant to power up, especially considering the GM's desired time scale: he was meant I think to use his knowledge of the game to track and influence events, to maybe clue in one side or the others to better change their fate.
It seems obvious to me also that since the power curve is just too steep for Michael to be a PC-style player, he wasn't meant to be one, and training his skills is wasting time. If you were sent back to WWII, would you waste your time becoming a soldier, tank commander, or pilot; or would you use your knowledge of Axis strategy, tactics, and force arrangement to help the Allies crush them years earlier, as the most awesome intelligence asset ever? The closest this thread came to this was after the genocide at Khuul, which to me is the high point of Michael's involvement with what seems to me the intended story.
Post by: Araph on April 07, 2014, 01:18:29 am
[snip]
To me it seems that, since Michael has stats just like and other character, he can be leveled up with equal efficacy. However, LordBucket's insistence on things like 'telling a story' and 'advancing the plot' keeps getting in the way of some quality level-grinding, we're forced to do things like 'use our brains'.
Pff. Clearly LordBucket doesn't know how to videogames.
That said, I agree that we should try use influence instead of raw power. Sadly, Michael's speechcraft is crap.
Ignoring the fact that his speechcraft is crap, who should we try and contact? Our current list is, to the best of my knowledge: Azura, any PC, and... I'm sure there are more people. Help me out here.
Also, we can passively grind as we go along. It's not like he needs magicka reserves for anything, and fighting happens. We just need to make sure our potions stay stocked.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 01:22:29 am
EDIT: Yep, at 21 it's higher than all our combat skills except light armor (22)
Post by: MonkeyHead on April 07, 2014, 01:49:06 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 03:02:37 pm
I'm starting to hear:
"How naive can you be? Michael can't skill up, he's too weak to bother."
"How naive can you be? Our knowledge is completely useless, Michael is a weak grunt who's not meant to do anything."
etc.
Don't be defeatist. If Michael was meant to be completely useless and never get stronger, then we wouldn't have bothered with this game in the first place, because it would be doomed to an unsatisfying failure. I know this is metagaming, but if our metagame becomes "Michael is worthless so we shouldn't bother pressing advantages" then we're creating a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Post by: Baffler on April 07, 2014, 04:21:26 pm
Post by: Araph on April 07, 2014, 05:11:33 pm
Get teleported back to Sadrith Mora. From there we'll be roughly equidistant from Tel Vos and Azura's shrine. I personally would like to hit up Azura's shrine first, but there's a boat that travels between Sadrith Mora and Vos, which would certainly be convenient to drop in and speak with Aryon.
Take the boat from Sadrith Mora to Vos and trek west to Tel Vos. Try and get an audience with Master Aryon. And, of course, repeatedly blow your magicka on your only destruction spell.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 05:53:51 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 07, 2014, 06:54:25 pm
Here's an observation, though, for what it's worth: With Michael so underpowered, and any kind of power up slow and expensive, he's effectively railroaded to stay in civilized areas and means of transport. His only asset is his knowledge of the game, which becomes more obsolete every game day, and which he has to be careful not to share too much. If I was playing this forum game, I'd wonder exactly how I was supposed to make a difference in the world.While leveling for us is more difficult than a normal Morrowind character, the issue isn't that we're incapable, it's that we've never tried.
To be honest, after reading the whole thread, it seems clear to me that Michael was not meant to power up, especially considering the GM's desired time scale: he was meant I think to use his knowledge of the game to track and influence events, to maybe clue in one side or the others to better change their fate.
I mean, think of what we did on arriving. Faffed about with some mushrooms, realized we're not an alchemist, and then went straight to Vivec to blather at him about everything we know. From there, we went back to Seyda Neen, stole some stuff, faffed about with trying to complete quests we knew of, and eventually gave up and joined the Legion. Then we got to blather about the genocide at Khuul, which led to us blathering at Cosades, which got us out of the Legion, which led to us blathering at Fyr.
We have tried a few combat quests, and battled or at least been struck by a few things on the road, but for the most part our game plan has consisted of running around talking to people and using our game knowledge like a truncheon. The only skills we've had an interest in have been either from automated Legion training or problematically magical in nature.
If we'd tried to be a normal Morrowind character, we'd have had it rough owing to our abysmal starting skills and attributes. But we'd still have been able to improve, and that would have made further improvement easier. That's what I'd like us to try now- going out and fighting rats or whatever to improve so future rats aren't so dangerous to us.
As we have found out, our knowledge is useless as nobody in a position of power who could actually do anything useful with it is willing to listen to the ramblings of a poor, low skill, mad outsider. We need a powerful and open minded ally to manage that, and short of.... erm, Aryon or Diviath Fyr, there aren't really any. I suppose we could always try our luck with the gods, but that would probably end badly, other than Azura, but contacting her would be a major pain in the ass at this stage.This isn't the issue either. Plenty of people have listened to us, and really most of them believed us. The issue is that we've been using it because when all we have is a hammer, not because we thought it would produce an effective result.
Consider Vivec. We told him all about everything. Why? If the answer was "he's a good guy and so might be able to stop horrible things from happening," then I guess it probably worked. If the answer is "oh man yeah we should totally use our knowledge," uh. We did indeed say the things to the guy, so mission accomplished. If the plan was "it'll help us," I guess it kind of succeeded anyway, but that's not actually a plan.
Or the Balmora murderer. We knew who had done it, but we didn't really have a coherent plan for taking advantage of the fact. We tried anyway, and so unsurprisingly were butchered like a pig.
We've had plenty of partial successes or neat side benefits to using our knowledge, but we've had some difficulty benefiting from or affecting anything with it because we've seldom had a plan to do so. It's like if we had maxxed combat stats coming in here, and so decided to take advantage of that fact by killing everything in sight. Would that make things better? Probably, at least in a few cases... but you wouldn't have much sympathy for someone wandering around the grazelands one-shotting everything while complaining that stats really don't help much.
Again, we're not quite equipped to get to Azura's shrine right now. There's a lot of swimming and climbing, not to mention a trip through Malog Amur.Yeah, this. Plus, why would we want to talk to Aryon again? The shrine at least has some potential for Azura to say "Michael what are you doing, go to Balmora and talk to Clover." Other than being Sexy's patron, I don't see what Aryon's got to offer us, nevermind how we're going to get to him. Telvanni, remember.
On that note, I'll officialize my vote as
Post by: Araph on April 07, 2014, 07:18:09 pm
Yeah, this. Plus, why would we want to talk to Aryon again? The shrine at least has some potential for Azura to say "Michael what are you doing, go to Balmora and talk to Clover." Other than being Sexy's patron, I don't see what Aryon's got to offer us, nevermind how we're going to get to him. Telvanni, remember.
I considered Aryon a potential benefactor, given how different his view of the world is from the rest of the Telvanni. I mean, he's definitely the most reasonable by our reckoning, and he has more of an investment in the state of Morrowind as a whole than Divayth does. If I recall correctly, his people (the people of Vos under his... protection? Jurisdiction?) have a much more positive view of him than the other citizens of House Telvanni's domain. If we explain what we know, there's a good chance he'll react far more productively (and less 'for science') than Fyr.
Not only that, but Aryon knows SexyWithers. Not just 'is aware of'; he actually knows who she is and what her deal is. There aren't many other people in that position for any of the PCs. We'll probably encounter Cinia again, too.
I mentioned the Shrine of Azura, but I was aware it would be practically impossible for us to get there. That's why I suggested a potentially useful trip that would cost us very little and is guaranteed to give us some time to practice destruction, alchemy, acrobatics, etc. on the way.
On that note, I'll officialize my vote as teleport back to Balmora and start meandering to Pelagiad. Stop by the side of the road to empty your magicka casting Fleabite, then fight anything along the way that won't murder us. Also collect alchemy reagents. Return to Balmora to rest if sufficiently injured.
...This is just as not-useful as travelling to Tel Vos. We'd be improving the exact same skills. Also, there's a crapton of wickwheat in the Grazelands, which I would consider a valuable resource to stock up on for healing potions.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 07:24:54 pm
EDIT BECAUSE FORGOT EARLIER: Though costing money, it's easier and safer to get to Pelagaid from Seyda Neen than from Balmora.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 07, 2014, 07:45:43 pm
I considered Aryon a potential benefactor, given how different his view of the world is from the rest of the Telvanni. I mean, he's definitely the most reasonable by our reckoning, and he has more of an investment in the state of Morrowind as a whole than Divayth does. If I recall correctly, his people (the people of Vos under his... protection? Jurisdiction?) have a much more positive view of him than the other citizens of House Telvanni's domain. If we explain what we know, there's a good chance he'll react far more productively (and less 'for science') than Fyr.But what would he actually do about it? Is this a plan to get money or training or allies against Dagoth Ur or what?
Not only that, but Aryon knows SexyWithers. Not just 'is aware of'; he actually knows who she is and what her deal is. There aren't many other people in that position for any of the PCs. We'll probably encounter Cinia again, too.He knows as far as she's told him and he's seen; that's not necessarily the same as having a deep knowledge of her history and inner workings. He might not be able to tell us any more than Yagrum can, especially since we already know a theoretically fair amount about her by assuming she's a pony.
...This is just as not-useful as travelling to Tel Vos. We'd be improving the exact same skills. Also, there's a crapton of wickwheat in the Grazelands, which I would consider a valuable resource to stock up on for healing potions.The difference being that we can be relatively certain of surviving most of what's between Balmora and Pelagiad. Wandering around in the Grazelands has much less certainty on that note, especially if the Ashlanders are more proactive in their banditry.
EDIT BECAUSE FORGOT EARLIER: Though costing money, it's easier and safer to get to Pelagaid from Seyda Neen than from Balmora.The point isn't necessarily to arrive at Pelagiad, just to have a plan if we do. Wandering between a guild hall and an inn sounds like a fairly sound plan, and I recall there being a lot more open space around Pelagiad than Balmora.
Though I'd like to hear about safety. I'm of the possibly incorrect impression that kagouti (which I'm of the possibly incorrect impression we can't take) sometimes spawn in that canyon between Seyda Neen and the Pelagiad region, but not anywhere between Pelagiad and Balmora.
For that matter, I've already mentioned that I have no idea what Caldera is like. If it'd be safe enough, wandering between Caldera and Balmora could be even better, since we'd never have to pay for a bed and could instantly transport from one end to the other.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 08:01:01 pm
Balmora to Caldera has less cliff racers, but a worrying amount of alits. Still, less dangerous than Balmora to Pelagaid.
Post by: Araph on April 07, 2014, 08:04:54 pm
[snip]
I concede the point; Pelagiad is probably a better destination of choice for Michael.
Also, I totally forgot about the alchemy weirdness.
Post by: The_Jester on April 07, 2014, 08:59:21 pm
This is a pretty good short term goal, but I still don't think we have settled on any decent mid-range goals. I think that we need to either decide whether to start taking some steps toward becoming the Nerevarine, or towards finding out if any of the so-called "PC"s are worth throwing our support behind.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 09:02:47 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 07, 2014, 09:09:03 pm
The main danger going between Balmora and Pelagaid is cliff racers, which thus far are amongst the most dangerous things we've encountered There are a couple canyons on the way that are often chock full of them. The Seyda Neen route, on the other hand, only rarely has cliff racers, and the most dangerous thing that's likely to appear are nix hounds. The Kagouti are only likely to show up if you wander around north of pelagaid.Crap.
Balmora to Caldera has less cliff racers, but a worrying amount of alits. Still, less dangerous than Balmora to Pelagaid.
I'm really not fond of paying to go to Seyda Neen to beat up mudcrabs and hope they accept squatters, but I'm not fond of being torn apart by pterodactyls either. If nobody beats me to it, later on I'll try to do some console testing to figure out exactly how we're likely to fare against everything.
Quick Construction Set check reveals:
Alit: 30 HP, 1-9 damage, 30 Combat, 50/50/42 Str/Agi/Spd
Cliff Racer: 45 HP, 3-8 damage, 50 Combat, 50/50/255 Str/Agi/Spd
Kagouti: 45 HP, 4-12 damage, 50 Combat, 90/75/45 Str/Agi/Spd
Kwama Forager: 23 HP, 1-3 damage, 30 Combat, 30/20/5 Str/Agi/Spd
Mudcrab: 15 HP, 1-1 damage, 30 Combat, 15/15/6 Str/Agi/Spd
Nix Hound: 23 HP, 1-6 damage, 30 Combat, 50/50/28 Str/Agi/Spd
Rat: 23 HP, 1-2 damage, 30 Combat, 20/20/8 Str/Agi/Spd
Which seems to confirm that cliff racers are potentially death incarnate. If testing reveals we can take alits, I might suggest Balmora-Caldera, but I'm forced to concede that Balmora-Pelagiad is unwise.
This is a pretty good short term goal, but I still don't think we have settled on any decent mid-range goals. I think that we need to either decide whether to start taking some steps toward becoming the Nerevarine, or towards finding out if any of the so-called "PC"s are worth throwing our support behind.The issue I have with becoming the Nerevarine is that we're too weak for most of it, and likely will be for a time. If it's a first come first served type of deal, we're probably not going to win that race. If not, I guess there's no particular rush, ash blights and the like aside.
Making contact with the pony pals seems important but not guaranteed to produce results, to me. If we can get in good with them, that could lead to all sorts of advantages, plot and otherwise. If not... well, it'd still be good to know more about them, but again, possibly not something we need to do immediately.
So I guess my medium-term goal, other than skilling up, would be to make contact with some of the suspected ponies. Leaving a message at one of their four known (well, suspected) domiciles might be a good start.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 07, 2014, 09:41:51 pm
"go talk about the Lost Prophecies with Mihla Milo in Vivec City"
Which actually sounds like a pretty damn good goal for now, even if we decide we want to travel there on foot to train our skills on the way.
And still, check in to see if there are any fighters guild quests we can do before we leave.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 09:45:09 pm
Do we have a way to get to Vivec city? Because we got a little hint dropped for us:Wait, did Caius really say that? If so, might be worth checking out.
"go talk about the Lost Prophecies with Mihla Milo in Vivec City"
Which actually sounds like a pretty damn good goal for now, even if we decide we want to travel there on foot to train our skills on the way.
And still, check in to see if there are any fighters guild quests we can do before we leave.
Post by: The_Jester on April 07, 2014, 10:09:12 pm
Do we have a way to get to Vivec city? Because we got a little hint dropped for us:Wait, did Caius really say that? If so, might be worth checking out.
"go talk about the Lost Prophecies with Mihla Milo in Vivec City"
Which actually sounds like a pretty damn good goal for now, even if we decide we want to travel there on foot to train our skills on the way.
And still, check in to see if there are any fighters guild quests we can do before we leave.
Reference please. He didn't say that in the most recent conversation, but if he said it, that would be a fairly big clue towards us following some sort of amended MQ.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 07, 2014, 10:35:30 pm
It's still a lead.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 10:40:02 pm
Post by: The_Jester on April 07, 2014, 10:51:01 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 07, 2014, 11:53:04 pm
He didn't say it. It was said by our character/Lord Bucket's narration, which also mentioned that this was when he WOULD say it, if he wasn't called away early.A lead to what, though? In-game it's part of the main quest, but requires breaking her out to complete and is done by somebody with a lot more progress towards Neverainedom.
It's still a lead.
I just thought of a major point of divergence in the MQ here. Vivec tells all the ordinators to hunt down the player because he feels the Nerevarine is a threat, but he changes his mind. Except, pretty much the first thing we did in this game was talk to him. Might we have affected how he'll respond to this situation?Another interesting point here- Vivec seemed relatively approving of us, and not really the type to order us murdered just because we might be "a threat." I wonder if there's something we're missing there (possibly just his more cryptic/alien nature, or "the greater good" type reasoning), or if the player Nerevarine does or can be assumed to do something to trigger that kind of a reaction.
To be honest, I think that at this point following the MQ is pretty pointless. We don't need most of that stuff. All we need is Keening, Sunder, and Wraithguard.Don't we? Even if the Nerevarine is a single, predetermined individual who is also us, can we really bypass the prophecy like that?
It would be beneficial to have Nerevar's Ring, and become the Hortators, etc. but it isn't necessary. I think our goal should be to acquire those items, and begin building alliances for an army. Dagoth Ur has already started the war, and we can use that to gain allies.The ponies might make ideal allies here, and I'm not sure who else would follow us without proving ourselves the Nerevarine. I'm not entirely sure what an army would do in any case; distract Dagoth Ur's superminions while we go for the Heart, maybe, but that seems kind of obvious. Pony bodyguards might have a better chance of being useful, though we have no idea what might convince them to help.
BTW, talking to Vivec does need to be on our list because he is key in acquiring Wraithguard. But that can wait if it needs to. As far as Vivec is concerned, could we get him to be more on our side if we don't go around trying to tell people we are the Nerevarine? Perhaps we could directly ally with him?Also, didn't somebody tell us that Vivec had disappeared? Or am I just thinking of the fact that he vanished after talking to us, not necessarily that we've gotten word that he's remained vanished?
Post by: WillowLuman on April 07, 2014, 11:57:21 pm
I do think that for the usual Morrowind ending, we're going to need an army. As seen by Khul (does that mean we can't get to Solstheim btw?), Dagoth has an army of his own. It will take more than just a few high-level PC's to keep it occupied.
Post by: LordBucket on April 08, 2014, 01:16:54 am
Will probably start tallying votes tomorrow.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 08, 2014, 02:43:51 am
To be honest, I think that at this point following the MQ is pretty pointless. We don't need most of that stuff. All we need is Keening, Sunder, and Wraithguard. It would be beneficial to have Nerevar's Ring, and become the Hortators, etc. but it isn't necessary. I think our goal should be to acquire those items, and begin building alliances for an army. Dagoth Ur has already started the war, and we can use that to gain allies. BTW, talking to Vivec does need to be on our list because he is key in acquiring Wraithguard. But that can wait if it needs to.You know what might be a good idea for building ourselves an army? Uniting the Ashlander Tribes. I am point this out less because it's part of the main quest, and more because it seems like something we can do that some other similar character isn't already doing.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 08, 2014, 10:51:59 am
I'd support training ourselves, whether focused or on the way to somewhere. We've finally got the skill we've been looking for since almost forever, time to make it pay off.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 08, 2014, 11:13:45 am
That someone else is already doing it, so really all we need to do is talk to them and convince them about the danger Dagoth Ur poses.
In fact, I think traveling and find and talking to every one of these much strong than us characters should be our goal. Clover was a bust - even if she WAS still their, we know she spends all her time doing the morrowind equivalent of being AFK. But the others might be an option.
I'm actually... kind of wishing we'd gone to the duel now, since we could have talked to Adorabella about this. Asking where she is and trying to arrange a meeting with her now might actually be a good idea...
But I really agree with what was mentioned about how we aren't going to be able to solo this
Post by: Araph on April 08, 2014, 11:34:12 am
I really think we should focus somewhat on contacting PCs, amongst out other goals. I've got a feeling they're important for determining whether or not we're the Nerevarine, and we've yet have a worthwhile conversation (worthwhile from my skewed perspective) with any of them.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 08, 2014, 11:56:23 am
In fact, I think traveling and find and talking to every one of these much strong than us characters should be our goal. Clover was a bust - even if she WAS still their, we know she spends all her time doing the morrowind equivalent of being AFK. But the others might be an option.We only saw her doing that once, though. We don't know.
Post by: Karkov on April 08, 2014, 04:45:45 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 08, 2014, 06:19:45 pm
We can, unsurprisingly, take mudcrabs and kwama foragers. Alits are a fight to the death, with us losing in my test run. Not necessarily by very much, but it's still not very encouraging. My test armor also came to 6 with a pinch of combat wear, whereas Michael's is listed at 4, so even that might have been a bit generous.
I'm not sure what we should be doing. I'm sorely tempted to go to Seyda Neen and let mudcrabs beat us until our armor skill is better, but it'd cost money to get there and back, destroy our armor (which isn't entirely a bad thing, but still potentially expensive), and not do much for our attack skill.
The other option would I suppose be fighting things along the route to Vivec. I'm not sure I actually see us arriving at Vivec, so I'm more concerned with the route than the goal. Fighting rats or kwama foragers would be marginally better for our dagger skill, I suppose, but worse for our defenses, and we might have to flee if we encounter anything except rats or kwama foragers.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 08, 2014, 07:05:33 pm
Oh, that reminds me:
Can you actually, like, climb things? Like use your arms to pull yourself onto stuff or whatever? If we could climb trees we might be want to figure that out in case we need an emergency escape from a ground critter.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 08, 2014, 07:09:08 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 08, 2014, 07:10:32 pm
Post by: Spitfire on April 09, 2014, 03:55:41 am
Post by: LordBucket on April 09, 2014, 05:40:50 am
Can you actually, like, climb things? Like use your arms to pull yourself onto stuff or whatever?
Michael climbs up to the stone rail, slides over the edge and hops down.
(http://i.imgur.com/2glm4dp.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Ok, that wasn't so bad. Hanging off the edge with my hands it was only a couple foot drop."
You walk back out to the vertical tube in the hallway and consider what to do. Getting back up is going to be hard enough, but how do you get down?
(http://i.imgur.com/a6u3X85.png)
Yeah, 30 foot drop or so. Too bad you don't have any rope. The tube walls are close enough that you can reach both sides with your hands. Maybe you could put feet on one side, hands on the other and walk down batman-style? You remove everything breakable from your backpack and drop it down ahead of you then start to climb down.
You make it about ten feet down before you slip and fall.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 09, 2014, 10:23:01 am
Post by: IronyOwl on April 09, 2014, 05:45:34 pm
Can you plot us a route that is fairly free of things we can not effectively run from?Doubtful. I'm rusty with the construction set, and since spawns tend to be random, there's generally no way to know ahead of time what's at a given location.
I think we can just barely run from alits, but definitely not from cliff racers unless we tangle them in something.
How are we doing on the cliffracer front? Last time we encountered one as close as Fort Moonmoth.Terrible. They don't eat through us that fast, but we just can't damage them effectively in return.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 09, 2014, 05:47:27 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on April 10, 2014, 04:22:07 pm
Michael can climb.
Alchemy ingredient effects are different for every person
Corprus does not spread by touch.
Quests are nothing like in the game Morrowind.
?
What other actions has been proposed repeatedly we know are wrong?
Post by: WillowLuman on April 10, 2014, 07:01:04 pm
Post by: Araph on April 10, 2014, 07:45:27 pm
What other actions has been proposed repeatedly we know are wrong?
But they might work this time! (https://xkcd.com/242/)
Post by: Mr. Strange on April 11, 2014, 03:15:21 pm
That comic lacks dwarf version; weaponizing it with inefficient and overly complicated way that has 50/50 chances of causing ☼FUN☼ when you pull the lever.What other actions has been proposed repeatedly we know are wrong?
But they might work this time! (https://xkcd.com/242/)
Post by: gordy on April 11, 2014, 10:36:59 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 13, 2014, 04:58:21 pm
I'm attending Wondercon (http://www.comic-con.org/wca) this weekend, and I'm helping a first-time con-goer make her costume. Yesterday involved ~five hours of paper mache. It's possible I might sit down one night and do the next update, but I've been thinking that for the past 3-4 nights. So it's possible that it might be delayed until after the convention.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 13, 2014, 10:42:28 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on April 13, 2014, 11:34:18 pm
Okay okay so I'm spazzing out a bit its just a dwarf in some fantasy world in some story on a mildly obscure forum maybe I should calm down.
e: Not to say that I'm pissed or think this is a bad story or something, I just want to argue with the dwarf dude.
e2: Yeah have fun, excuse my skipping numerous posts and getting right to my rant.
Post by: Xanmyral on April 13, 2014, 11:57:15 pm
Post by: Putnam on April 14, 2014, 12:00:11 am
@Quake: Let the savages console themselves with supposed superiority. They tend to be more open to saying things they shouldn't of when they believe they one they speak to isn't of significance, after all, so all's the more to gain from letting them keep up the illusion. [/faux persona]
What.
I come back and what is this!? Steam logic gates would be incredibly slow as well as huge! A single legitimate processor core operates at several billion cycles a second and consists of several billion transistors. Not to mention the time lag generated by the steam traveling through pipes, pressure differences, steam condensing due to cooling of the system. Processors have to account for time lag due to the speed of light over millimeters (less typically), a steam thing would quickly desynchronize into chaos.
Okay okay so I'm spazzing out a bit its just a dwarf in some fantasy world in some story on a mildly obscure forum maybe I should calm down.
e: Not to say that I'm pissed or think this is a bad story or something, I just want to argue with the dwarf dude.
e2: Yeah have fun, excuse my skipping numerous posts and getting right to my rant.
Dude, magic. The dwemer constructed fully automated AI and one completely autonomous robot that was more powerful than most Gods. He knows what he's talking about, at least in the context.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 14, 2014, 12:45:08 am
Post by: gordy on April 18, 2014, 10:14:15 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 22, 2014, 11:40:20 pm
Can we at least have pix of the cosplay?
Maybe. The pictures came out terribly. Second best cosplay I've ever done but between the sleep deprivation and me trying to look stoic to match the character, I apparently had this completely dull and lifeless stare on my face that completely kills it. I've been looking online to see if anyone else has posted pictures I'm in, but I haven't seen any yet.
Anyway, I'm back and we'll probably have an update in a few days.
EDIT:
April 26: update is ~80% finished, but it's 6am here. Should be up tomorrow night.
Post by: LordBucket on April 28, 2014, 07:03:27 am
Episode 56, part 1: Practice that headache away, and reunion with Cinia and Ranis
You try to stand up from your chair and nearly collapse to the floor.
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Careful."
Medila catches your shoulder in one arm and gently puts you back down in your chair. You hold your head and open and close your mouth a couple times to try to relieve the pressure.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Is my head supposed to feel like it's about to explode?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "That's normal, yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Anything I can do to make the pain go away? Sleep? Drink water? Puke? Because I think I could do that last one."
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Sleeping will help, but what you really need is to integrate what you've learned."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Practice. As part of the training I gave you a basic damage fatigue spell. You should have a sense for where it's kept in your mind."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I think I do. How do i cast it?"
Medila backs away out of arm's reach.
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Raise your hand and imagine you're going to touch something, then channel magicka through the spellform."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How do I know how much to channel?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "The spellform is designed to only accept the correct amount. Give it too little, nothing will happen. Give it too much, it will only take what it needs."
You raise a hand, focus, then channel.
(http://i.imgur.com/j1T8Btk.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Very good."
That was surprisingly easy. Encouraged, you try casting again but something doesn't work right and the spell fails. It feels a little strange, but the magic dissipates into a fine mist of light and radiates away from you. Looks like succeed or fail, every casting attempt will still burn magicka.
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "That will happen a lot in the beginning. How's your headache?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Better."
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Try a couple more casts."
Over the next few minutes you try to cast about 20 times and succeed at fewer than a half dozen. You try watching what's going on inside your head as the magicka flows through the forms inside you, but it's difficult to see with all the magic flowing everywhere and you're not really sure why it works sometimes but not others. While you cast, you continue chatting with Medila.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How long will it take to learn new destruction spells?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "From a trainer? Hardly any time at all. A minute or less, usually. I've taught you all the component constructs of the Destruction school. Learning a new spell is simply a matter of being taught a recipe that uses those constructs and recombines them in different sequences and with different constants."
Kind of like computer function calls. You close your eyes and look at the area inside your head containing both the spell constructs and the one spell you know. You can't make sense of any of it.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How many constructs are there? And is it possible to make new spells on the fly?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Destruction school has 173 constructs. And, yes. That's what a spell trainer does every time they teach a custom spell. But it requires near-mastery of the school to be able to do that."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Can you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "I'm good enough with the Destruction and Illusion schools to do it. I have to be in order to teach those schools for the guild. For example, let's say I wanted to release a custom ranged shock spell that exactly used up my entire magicka pool..."
Her eyebrows furrow in concentration for several seconds and she raises a hand in front of her.
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "There you go. The spell's ready. I'm not going to cast it, but that's how long it took to modify the circinate shockball spell. From that point, teaching it to someone would simply be a matter of doing what we did earlier, me planting it into your mind. Only it would be faster since it's a single recipe that references constructs you already know rather than nearly two hundred spellform constructs, each of which is vastly larger than any spell recipe itself would be. Again, a minute at most to teach or learn. But that's using a destruction spell as an example. Shock constructs are something I work with regularly, so it's easy to me to formulate a new one. If you wanted a custom, say...Resist Blight Disease spell, yes I know the Restoration school and all its component constructs, but I don't know any formulated Resist Blight Disease spells, so I wouldn't be able to do that at all without something to work from."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But if I knew one, then you'd be able modify it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Yes, by looking at the spell inside you."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Is it possible to copy spells from somebody else?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "Sure. I've learned a couple spells that way."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "In combat? Someone casts a spell at you and you learn it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "No, that's impractical. But if you came to me with a Resist Blight Diease spell and asked for a custom reformulation, I'd need to take a look at yours to do it. It's easy to retain a copy for myself in the process."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How long does it take to get good enough to be able to do that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/kyXsxpT.png): "You're unlikely to learn how to do that on your own. It's part of the training to be a trainer. But you don't really need to. If you want to learn new spells, just come to me or another trainer and we'll teach you for a small fee. And if you want to improve your casting, that's a matter of practice. Even that drain fatigue spell I taught you uses 80-some of the 173 basic constructs and most of them are used by all spells of the school. In fact, there's a core set of 64 constructs that are used by every spell in the Destruction school. So every time you cast any spell you'll improve your casting ability with the entire school because you'll be becoming more familiar with those base constructs they all use."
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we should probably practice destruction for awhile
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destruction and combat grinding time.
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My vote is for going to Seyda Neen and training destruction
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I think I'm going to follow your advice and do some training right now. Thanks for everything, Medila."
You turn towards the stairs, doing an experimental couple casts on the way. Casting while walking isn't particularly more difficult than casting while standing. Though you do have to be careful to not touch anything while casting. Curious, you try casting while touching yourself and the spell fizzles. Apparently there's some sort of checking done by the spell to prevent accidental self-discharge. That means you can't accidentally blow yourself up with a spell, but it also means needing to learn twice as many spells if you ever want to be able to cast something both on yourself as well as others.
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Balmora
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I might suggest Balmora-Caldera, but I'm forced to concede that Balmora-Pelagiad is unwise.
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I'd tentatively suggest warping back to Balmora
You head upstairs to the teleport pad, casting as you walk.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hello. How much for transport to Balmora?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "11 gold."
You hand Eraamion the gold and step up onto the pad.
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "Just a moment. The Balmora pad is occupied."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What do you mean?"
(http://i.imgur.com/885FEcL.png): "Someone's standing on it. If I send you now, they'll end up here."
Huh. Kind of like when you were recall-swapped back in Ald'rhun. You wait. After maybe 10 seconds Eraamion lets you know he's ready and sends you on your way. When you arrive you see a woman in a dark mage robe walking away from the pad.
(http://i.imgur.com/7YZjh5x.png)
For a moment you think it's Clover, but she's not a dunmer and the hair color is wrong. Curious, you jump off the teleport pad out the room and call out to her.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Excuse me?"
The woman turns with hands raised ready to cast and you see that it's-
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Cinia?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Michael. You really shouldn't go running up to a Telvanni from behind like that."
There's an uncomfortable moment of silence before she lowers her hands.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm, sorry. I just...well, hi."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Hi."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What brings you to Balmora?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Business. And you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Just passing through on my way to Seyda Neen."
She nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Walk with me?"
You fall in beside her, chatting as you walk. You notice some of the Balmora mages giving the two of you a disapproving glare as you do.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So how is the new councilor?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Haven't heard anything. Apparently she hasn't been around much. No edicts, or anything."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about her Mouth. Fast Eddie, isn't it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "You mean Mouth Therman?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Err, yeah. Edd Therman."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "How'd you get to be on a nickname basis with a Telvanni Mouth?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "He gave me channeling training a week or two ago."
She nods thoughtfully.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "I spoke with him once, briefly. Said he might have need of my services and tipped me in advance to keep him informed of any 'interesting rumors' I might hear."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Have you?"
She gives you a sidelong glance.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "How much are you paying if I have?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Erm, nothing, sorry. Just making conversation."
She shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "What about you? I hear someone in your guild was challenged to a duel recently."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I didn't get to see it, but yes. Some vampire named Adorabella challenged Ranis for leadership of the Balmora guild branch."
She stops walking.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Ranis Athrys is still alive and in charge here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So far as I know. Adorabella was disqualified for leaving the ring. Nobody died."
Cinia facepalms.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Lovely. Give me a moment."
Cinia casts a spell on herself then glances around at the walls around you. After a moment she focuses on one spot and you see her eyes narrow. Frowning, she pulls a soulgem out of a pouch and touches it to a ring on her left hand. The gem dissolves into a small puff of magic which is absorbed by the ring, then she draws a potion from her pouch and drinks it.
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Alright. Let's go."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Is everything ok?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "It better be."
With Cinia being a sufficiently notable Telvanni that she runs errands for the council, you wonder if maybe fraternizing with her inside a mage guild isn't the safest thing in the world. When you reach the top Ranis is already looking at the two of you with arms crossed. You walk silently down the hallway with Cinia until she reaches Ranis, to whom she nods her head respectfully.
(http://i.imgur.com/nlmgz10.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Guildmaster."
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "And you are?"
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "Spellwright Cinia Urtius. Here on private business."
Ranis looks at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "What about you, Associate? What business have you with this Telvanni? Are you travelling with her of your own free will?"
You blink a couple times while you consider the implications of that question.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm, yes...just being friendly. She gave me a ride to Sadrith Mora a few days ago and we bumped into each other after teleporting in just now."
Ranis nods, then looks back to Cinia.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Alright, Telvanni. I'll let you pass. But if you cause any trouble you'll have me to deal with. It's one thing to cause trouble with the Hlaalu, but touch any of my guildmembers and you die."
Cinia simply nods and edges sidewise to the door, keeping Ranis in her sight.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Stay a moment, Associate."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm, I was kind of talking with Cinia."
(http://i.imgur.com/l0voVse.png): "It's fine. We can catch up later."
You shrug and wave goodbye as Cinia leaves.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I knew the Mage Guild and the Telvanni weren't on the friendliest of terms, but what was that about?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "One of those fetchers slaughtered three Hlaalu guards just this past week. Eyewitnesses claim the murderer was a Telvanni woman with dark hair. But nobody's been willing to name names. I recommend you be careful who you associate with. Some might get the wrong idea seeing you with a Telvanni. You might even end up dead. I intend no offense, but if they're indiscriminately killing guards I think someone of your relative inexperience would present no obstacle."
That might be true, but at the moment a good number of your more useful contacts are Telvanni. You're not going to give that up just to stop people from coming to the wrong conclusions. You consider mentioning that you saw the guard massacre, but apparently Caius didn't think your report was reliable enough to pass on to the authorities, and it occurs to you that whether or not it actually was SexyWithers who did it, it might be safer to not be the one to rat her out.
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ask someone in the Mages' Guild where we can find Adorabella
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Asking where she is and trying to arrange a meeting with her now might actually be a good idea
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, so, on a brighter note, congratulations. I missed the duel, but I hear it was epic."
Ranis softens.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Thank you."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, really. Everybody at the Caldera guild branch was raving about how awesome you were. I'm sorry I missed it."
Ranis covers her mouth to hide her smile.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "It's good to know I'm appreciated. My position comes with many rewards, but being well-loved is not one of them. Sometimes I fear people speak of me as poorly as they do Trebonius when I'm not listening."
Speechcraft is now 22
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about your opponent? Adorabella? What happened to her?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "She lost by leaving the arena before either of us could be injured. Which was probably to her benefit. Adorabella's a talented caster, but an inexperienced duelist. I took no chances, but I think even had I been less prepared I'd still have been the victor."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So, she's a vampire?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Yes."
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ask someone in the Mages' Guild where we can find Adorabella
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "If someone wanted to talk to her, where could she be found?"
Ranis raises an eyebrow at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "You're not looking to be turned, are you? That's a long and unhappy road, Associate."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, I'm just curious about her. It's kind of unusual for someone to challenge a guildhead isn't it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "Not so unusual, no. The Guildmaster position is both prestigious and comes with many benefits, and Adorabella is something of a social climber. She's an outlander like yourself, but in just the few months since she arrived on the island she's already managed to ingratiate herself with House Hlaalu well enough to have a manor house built in her name outside Balmora."
Oh, right. Caius already told you that just a few days ago. Bella Manor, belonging to Adorabella, is the new House Hlaalu stronghold just outside Balmora. Castle Awesome, belonging to Awesomicus Maximus, is the new House Redoran stronghold at Bal Isra. Tel Uvirith, belonging to Councilor SexyWithersXOXOXO, is the new Telvanni tower being built at Uvirith's Grave. And there's a rumored fourth construction near Lake Amaya north of the Dren Plantation possibly belonging to Duke Dren himself. Caius went into great detail about all this, and speculated that the Duke had probably authorized one new stronghold for each of the Great Houses in order to maintain the perception of balance among them. The voices must have forgotten about that conversation.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about Adorabella's progression in the mage guild?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "I admitted her to the guild myself. She was skilled enough to qualify for Journeyman when she arrived and it only took her a week to formally earn that rank. And Edwinna promoted her to Wizard just last week."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Have any other outlanders shown up in the past few months and made similarly fast rises through the ranks?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "One other that I'm aware of. Clover the Clever. Though I haven't seen Clover since she contracted corpus."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "When they first signed up, did Clover and Adorabella by chance show up at the guild at the same time and sign up together?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "No, Adorabella came alone but if I recall correctly Clover had an orc with her when I first met her."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Did you happen to get the orc's name?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8xJq2S7.png): "No, he never joined and he didn't talk much. At least not to me. He was too busy grumbling under his breath about something or another."
So Adorabella and Clover are both outlanders, they both joined the mage guild at the Balmora branch within the past few months and they've both had spectacularly fast rises through the ranks. But they didn't show up together, and apparently Clover showed up with a grumbling orc who didn't join the mage guild at all? You're not sure what to make of all that.
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check in to see if there are any fighters guild quests we can do before we leave.
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also check if theres any new low level quests at the fighters guild
You thank Ranis for her time and head next door to the Fighter's Guild.
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "What can I do for you, Associate?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Any quests for me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "Have you improved your skills any? Seems to me the last assignment you took didn't end so well."
Come to think of it, you've been shot at by some Ashlanders and gored by various fauna on the way to Tel Fyr, but that rat you broke your spear on during that failed Fighter's Guild escort quest was the last time you actually tried fighting back against anything, wasn't it?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm, well, I've learned a little magic. But, no major training, no."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "What's the matter? You didn't join the guild just to sleep in the barracks, did you? Go get some practice in. Chop chop!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Right. I was actually going to do just that, but I figured I'd stop by to see if you had anything easy."
(http://i.imgur.com/MRW3NRk.png): "I have a guard assignment you could probably handle. There's an innkeeper on Dagon Fel who wants to take a vacation. He's asking for a 200 gold deposit, with reimbursement plus 200 gold pay to stay at her inn for five days and make sure nobody breaks in to steal the booze."
That's almost tempting. You were planning to spend a few days training anyway, and it would be nice to have a bed to free sleep in out of the rain to restore magicka. But Dagon Fel is on the opposite side of the island, and you probably wouldn't get the deposit back if somebody did break in. That would be just about all your gold. Plus, no way you'd be able to train fighting skills indoors like that, only magic.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hmm. I think I'll pass on that."
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on April 28, 2014, 07:04:05 am
Episode 56, part 2: Swaying to the Symphony of Destruction...training
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My vote is for going to Seyda Neen and training destruction and other skills
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Seyda Neen would be best.
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train our skills on the way.
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I'd support training ourselves
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The Seyda Neen route, on the other hand, only rarely has cliff racers
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Empty our magicka casting fleabite. We don't actually need a target, right? After that, go out and fight things.
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we can passively grind as we go
That's pretty much unanimous. You step outside and resume casting Fleabite, failing often, but succeeding occasionally.
Destruction skill is now 6
Intelligence is now 43
Maximum magicka is now 70
By the time you reach the silt strider you're convinced that it's better to walk than run while casting. It's tiring to run, and your spellcasting seems to suffer from being fatigued.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hello. How much to Seyda Neen?"
(http://i.imgur.com/WIM8hee.png): "We make a special trip, just for you. Same low price: 12 gold."
12 gold? That's more expensive than mage guild transport.
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cliff racers
Which you happily pay. The trip takes a few hours, during which time you manage to empty your magicka reserves from casting. With nothing else to do, you rest your head against the strider as you watch the sun rise.
Destruction skill is now 7
After a while you feel sunlight slowly energizing your body and restoring your magicka pool. It's very gradual. It would be easy to miss if you weren't paying attention to it, but you were completely empty not ten minutes ago, and you definitely feel magicka is available to you now. So that answers that question. You're not an atronach, and it's not necessary to sleep to restore magicka. Which makes sense. The sun is the source of magic, and you're being constantly exposed to it through all hours of the day and night. That's probably why enchanted items recharge over time too. Obviously they don't sleep. Everything on the planet is being bathed in magicka 24 hours a day. No wonder Divayth and Yagrum both found your cellphone design to be so strange. Why build devices to need to be plugged in to an electrical grid to be recharged when you can design them to simply recharge themselves with no infrastructure required?
(http://i.imgur.com/c8PfY9O.png)
You notice a slight reddish tint to the air today. Ash from the volcano, no doubt. It's thick enough to give a reddish tint to the sunlight reaching your eyes and there's a film of dust beginning to build up on your clothes. The Seyda Neen caravaneer, Darvame, pays it no mind and instead greets you as you disembark. You smile and nod to her then set out looking for wildlife to help you train combat.
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I'd tentatively suggest warping back to Balmora, then meandering from there to Pelagiad,
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Pelagiad
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between Seyda Neen and the Pelagiad region
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Pelagiad is probably a better destination
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Pelagaid from Seyda Neen
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The point isn't necessarily to arrive at Pelagiad
Starting in the direction of Pelagiad, you decide to take advantage of the simplest and safest training option.
(http://i.imgur.com/Hf8kC94.png)
The waters surrounding Seyda Neen are infested with slaughterfish, and within a minute or two you find a few together near the water's edge, thrashing about and eager to sink their teeth into you. You wade in and try to evade them while casting. It's a messy affair, and it's difficult to dodge or block with the water hindering your movement, but you feel it's good practice.
Light Armor skill is now 23
Destruction skill is now 8
Unfortunately, you're taking damage too, and you have no way to heal yourself. It's unfortunate you were never able to retrieve Fargoth's Ring. A cheap replenishable heal would make this much easier, and casting it from an item would allow you to train enchanting too. Before long the slaughterfish have hurt you fairly bad, and you take the couple steps out of the water to the safety of shore.
Health is now 11/61
On your walk back to Seyda Neen you pass the smuggler's cave.
(http://i.imgur.com/KqfnkRl.png)
It's possible there might be some loot in there, but any one of those smugglers could easily kill you if they're still alive. Though the odds of them still being around seem slim. But if the cave has already been cleared, then presumably the treasure's been taken too? For that matter, even if it has been cleared, the way things seem to work here it's possible the place might be reoccupied by new tenants. You decide to not risk it. Unlike the slaughterfish that can't leave the water, smugglers would have no difficulty at all pursuing you outside their cave.
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our viperblade will probably be excessive
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raising armorer will be useful in the future and good for our attributes anyway.
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Arille's Trade house has a room upstairs that you can rent.
You should probably buy a new weapon that doesn't kill the fish too quickly. Can't get in much fighting training if everything dies right away from the poison enchantment on your dagger. Time to visit Arille's tradehouse. You can ask about a place to sleep while you're there, too.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Greetings, Imperial. What can I do for you?"
You buy an iron dagger and a repair hammer for 30 gold, swapping the new dagger into your belt sheathe and putting your viperblade into your backpack. It's loose, but hopefully it won't cut anything up. You also toss out some destroyed bits of leftover water-logged paper and rearrange your bag.
Mercantile skill is now 13
Personality is now 45
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Can you direct me to an Inn, or a place where I can sleep?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Yes, we have a room with a bed available. 10 gold a night."
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there's no vanilla inn or guild there, meaning there's nowhere to sleep.
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It looks like an inn, and it's sort of the only service hub in that town, so I can see how you'd get mixed up.
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I guess I remembered wrong then. I don't know where I got that from.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So you do have a room? Is that...new?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Yes, Elone was the owner of the tavern upstairs for years, but she rather suddenly decided to leave Morrowind just a few days ago. Sold it at a great price. I own the entire building now."
You briefly wonder what prompted the innkeeper to suddenly leave, but you're not sure you even recognize her name. 10 gold per night seems expensive. Didn't Darvame say that the room she was sharing a room with Vodunius was only 100 gold per month? So, 50 gold each? Maybe she's still looking for a roommate to replace him. Well, no...probably not. That was well over a month ago now. Rentals are probably available, but finding a roommate seems like it would be troublesome, and paying the full 100 gold for a month? You're not going to be training for that long and last it came up you decided you didn't want to settle in Seyda Neen. Though lacking a base of operations has been a recurring problem since forever.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "I don't suppose you have any experience running a tavern? Business has been slow since Elone left."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm, no. Sorry. But I'll take the room."
You hand Arrille 10 gold and he hands you a key. That leaves you with just under 200. If it comes to it you can afford to throw away a couple nights room fare while training. But it would be nice to have a place of your own.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Tolvise!"
A dunmer woman in a green dress comes running down the stairs and looks to Arille.
(http://i.imgur.com/589bAee.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "Yes, sera?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "This Imperial will be renting the room upstairs. Show him the way."
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "Of course. Please, follow me, sera."
You follow her upstairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/RyuIV19.png)
It's deserted.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Wow, Arille wasn't kidding about business being slow. Where'd everybody go?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "I cannot say, sera."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about you? What's your story?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "My...story? What do you mean?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How do you fit in around here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "I am master Arille's servant. For now I run the tavern. But I'm afraid I'm not very good at it, and cannot bring in business the way mistress Elone did."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You're not a slave, are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "What? No, of course not! I'm no snivelling lizard or sugar-addled cat!"
She pauses, then lowers her head and curtsies.
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "Forgive me, sera. I forget myself. Of course you knew that. I am my own woman, merely in Arille's employ. But we have arrived. Here is your room."
(http://i.imgur.com/JNKKsJn.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "Please enjoy your stay, and come to me if you wish for anything. "
You step in and close the door behind you. Finishing off your last bit of magicka first, you lay down on the bed and fall asleep.
Your sleep is dreamless.
Health and Magicka restored to full
(continued in part 3)
Post by: LordBucket on April 28, 2014, 07:04:27 am
Episode 56, part 3: Dashing through the ash, in a one-horse open sleigh
Refreshed and healed, you step outside. Tolvise is behind the bar, but she has no customers.
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "Good evening to you, sera. I trust you rested well?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes, thanks. I'm heading out for a bit, but I'm not done with the room."
(http://i.imgur.com/Nc4hxJy.png): "Of course. It's yours until tomorrow."
Leaving the tavern, you step outside.
(http://i.imgur.com/rLt5tXL.png)
The reddish haze surrounding everything is even worse than it was this morning. It's not as bad as an Ald'rhun dust storm, but you really don't remember the weather ever being like this in this part of the world. It makes you nervous, but there isn't anything you can do about it, so you start walking out of town, casting as you go.
Destruction skill is now 9
(http://i.imgur.com/ZdiRGbi.png)
By the time you reach the road outside of town, you're convinced something isn't right. The sky is red from the ash, and you find yourself walking with your eyes squinted, occasionally coughing because of all the ash in the air. What's causing it to reach this far south? You'd have felt it if Red Mountain erupted, wouldn't you?
Having no answers, you plunge into the water outside of town. It's a relief to be washed clean of the dust, and as expected the slaughterfish are waiting for you.
(http://i.imgur.com/e7QWSRb.png)
You barely manage to make a dozen stabs at them before you're ready to retreat.
Light armor is now 25
Shortblade is now 8
Health is now 6/61
This is going to be slow. The fighting itself is ok, but if you have to walk all the way back to town and sleep for 8 hours for every dozen knife swings, it will take weeks before you notice any difference. Disappointed, you turn around and start heading back to Seyda Neen. Between the ash in the air and the sun having gone down, visibility is awful. And there's no sense denying it now. You're seeing a full-on ash storm, as bad as inside the Ghostfence but clear down here near Seyda Neen. But that doesn't stop you from continuing to cast your fleabite spell as you walk.
Destruction is now 10
Willpower is now 41
At least your destruction training is coming along quickly, since it doesn't depend on you desperately trying to stay not dead, just on having magicka. It might have been better for combat training if you'd taken restoration so you could heal yourself and keep fighting without having to constantly run back to a safe place to sleep. Though with spell failure that wouldn't have been entirely dependable, and probably would have required a custom spell to even maybe make it work. On the bright side, since you can easily train magic as you go, everywhere you go, you could probably end up being a much better caster in less time than it would take to become even barely a competent melee fighter. In game, melee was extremely dependable once you got good, but given your circumstances, becoming a pure mage might be a viable alternative. It would certainly be safer. Though your limited magicka reserve is going to be a problem. Passively training everywhere you go as you naturally recharge would be easy to do, but sitting down and training for hours at a time isn't going to happen unless you can get a source of restore magicka potions. Which brings you back to the alchemy problem.
You're really close to being able to become self-sustaining, but there are a couple decisions that will need to be made. Mage, or fighter? Or both? And if fighter, you've been carrying only a dagger ever since being recall swapped to that tomb because that's what was available, but you feel about equally competent with both shortblade and spear now. Actually, you feel most capable with hand to hand fighting now. But punching daedra probably isn't going to be realistic no matter how good you get at that. It occurs to you that maybe-
(http://i.imgur.com/gNlLKbY.png)
What's going on there? Through the ash storm you can barely make out what looks like several Legionnaires guarding the bridge to Seyda Neen. You approach for a closer look and see three at the bridge and a few more near the town center.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Excuse me."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Ahh, welcome, Legionnaire. Are you here to reinforce our position?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, I'm on detached duty. What's the situation?"
He checks to make sure no civilians are nearby before answering.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Remember Khuul?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Rumor has it Seyda Neen's next."
Right at that moment you hear a loud crash and a muffled cry as something airborne crashes through the roof of a nearby house. Your heart skips a beat and you draw your weapon, whipping around to see an orc in full daedric armor stepping through the door and brushing himself off.
(http://i.imgur.com/s5fbbE5.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Aww, man. Laaaaame! I totally had a couple seconds left before that dumb spell was supposed to wear off."
He turns and looks at the group of you.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Oh, hey dudes. What's up?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Champion Awesomicus. It is an honor."
He laughs.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I know, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Are you here to reinforce our position?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, yeah, whatever. What's-his-name said to come here and stop the village from being destroyed."
He looks at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Oh, hey! You're that guy!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I am? I mean, yes. I think. Probably. Which guy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "That quest dude. The one who left me the note. Awesome. You were super hard to find."
Right. You left a note with Eydis at the Balmora fighter's guild asking Awesomicus to come find you in Balmora. And then immediately left Balmora, leaving him no way to find you. Looks like he finally did.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "So, what do I get?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Excuse me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I did your quest, so give me stuff."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: joemoben on April 28, 2014, 08:23:09 am
Post by: The_Jester on April 28, 2014, 09:11:24 am
Also, we never offered a quest to Maximus. We just left a note. Offering a reward might help a relationship with him, but is not technically necessary. If we do give him a reward, make sure it is only given after our conversation with him. We need to see the extent of his knowledge about Dagoth Ur, the other PC's, and where he came from, as well as get an idea of his susceptibility to us leading him and his combat abilities. He could be our Nerevarine candidate if we don't want to do it ourselves.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 28, 2014, 09:38:03 am
Which we kind of are, if our goal here is (and I certainly think it should be) gathering these individually powerful characters together to take down Dagoth Ur. Think of what you get for doing mainline quests in the main game - generally not much in direct rewards! The key reward is usually knowledge about what to pursue next.
Tell him much has happened since we requested he speak to us, and time is pressing so we must be quick - once we have driven off the creature, then we can speak of quests and rewards.
We need to bait him into thinking it will be worth his time, though - and decide what value he could be. I think we should start a conversation about what is actually needed to defeat Dagoth Ur - Sunder and Keening, right? Also, immunity to blight?
We could probably attract his attention by asking if he's ever heard of either of these artifacts, but being vague about the details until after the fight is done.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 28, 2014, 11:55:49 am
Re: Awesomeicus: Shit.
I would suggest giving him 50 gold, because it seems as though not giving him something might be a bad idea. Although, we could simply tell him that his quest is not over and have him fight the ash creature. In fact, I'll go with that, Tell Awsomicus that as soon as the ash creature is dead he gets paid. After that give him like 50 gold.I'm concerned about trying to be stingy regarding fighting an ascended sleeper or whatever. I would assume it's one thing to be a trivial questgiver with trivial rewards, and another to take responsibility for him taking out a difficult enemy for pocket change.
That said, see below.
Alright I haven't fully thought out my suggestion for what to do next, but I did want to throw out a reminder/suggestion. Fast Eddie offered to train us in all spell schools if we got him appointed as a mouth. That did in fact happen, and if we could convince him that it was our doing, we could profit big time.The first sounds like particularly avaricious wishful thinking. I see no plausible way we could possibly take credit for Sexy's accomplishments. I would also recommend strongly against trying to play a Telvanni for a fool.
Also, we never offered a quest to Maximus. We just left a note. Offering a reward might help a relationship with him, but is not technically necessary. If we do give him a reward, make sure it is only given after our conversation with him. We need to see the extent of his knowledge about Dagoth Ur, the other PC's, and where he came from, as well as get an idea of his susceptibility to us leading him and his combat abilities. He could be our Nerevarine candidate if we don't want to do it ourselves.
For the second, I'm not sure if he'll see it that way, but I approve of trying to get a better read on him.
Say that there was no reward for that quest - it was just a note telling him to come to us to get the quest, and that we're actually part of a quest-chain.I like where this is going. I'm a little hesitant to make any inferences to us being related to the creature, though- it might work better if we're just another squishy useless questgiving bystander he'd vaguely prefer not die.
Which we kind of are, if our goal here is (and I certainly think it should be) gathering these individually powerful characters together to take down Dagoth Ur. Think of what you get for doing mainline quests in the main game - generally not much in direct rewards! The key reward is usually knowledge about what to pursue next.
Tell him much has happened since we requested he speak to us, and time is pressing so we must be quick - once we have driven off the creature, then we can speak of quests and rewards.
We need to bait him into thinking it will be worth his time, though - and decide what value he could be. I think we should start a conversation about what is actually needed to defeat Dagoth Ur - Sunder and Keening, right? Also, immunity to blight?
We could probably attract his attention by asking if he's ever heard of either of these artifacts, but being vague about the details until after the fight is done.
My major suggestion, though, is to ask him about Clover. The fact that he showed up with her seems to reinforce the idea that he's Spike, Clover's baby dragon
In fact, if that goes well and we're not interrupted by screaming death, ask about Adorabella as well. If he doesn't get bored or impatient (unlikely) we could learn a lot from him about the suspected ponies.
As for what specifically to say, I'm almost in favor of feigning ditziness. Certainly stonewalling ("Oh yes, the reward... hey, aren't you an associate of Clover the Clever?") has at some potential. I'm not in favor of pushing our luck too far, but if he really is Spike he's probably not the wisest or most perceptive of orcs.
Spoiler: Spike (click to show/hide)
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 28, 2014, 02:39:48 pm
He's never shown up with Clover, has he?
Post by: IronyOwl on April 28, 2014, 02:58:26 pm
.... wut?Ranis said Clover had a grumbling orc with her when she joined the Guild. Not confirmed to be Awesomeicus, but it seems likely.
He's never shown up with Clover, has he?
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 28, 2014, 03:03:52 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 28, 2014, 03:22:13 pm
Awesomicus=Oh Shit indeed. Good to see that we can send notes to people, though. I remember when we asked him if he was a PC, and from his answer I think he thought we meant "Personal Computer," or perhaps "PC person" in the sense of "Mac vs PC." And here is wording is literally "quest," alongside using stuff like "dude."
What worries me right now, though, is that we're probably about to be attacked by some high-ranking ash creature, probably named "Dagoth Somethingorother," and Dagoth Ur has told us through a dreamer that he's directly interested in us.
Here's a horrifying thought: our knowledge hasn't helped us as much as we thought it would. But if Dagoth Ur wrung it out of us, it could make him unstoppable. We know all the plans that could be used to stop him. If something stops Vivec from giving away Wraithguard, then all Dagoth Ur needs to do is take out Yagrum.
Post by: Araph on April 28, 2014, 09:10:01 pm
First off, deflect and ask about Adorabella.
.... wut?Ranis said Clover had a grumbling orc with her when she joined the Guild. Not confirmed to be Awesomeicus, but it seems likely.
He's never shown up with Clover, has he?
Daedric armor ain't common; seems likely he's the person from both instances.
Post by: LordBucket on April 29, 2014, 07:27:42 am
Quote
>Evasive maneuvers
First off, deflect
Quote
I'm almost in favor of feigning ditziness. Certainly stonewalling
Quote
QUEST CHAIN BITCHES
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I did your quest, so give me stuff."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ahh, actually there's no reward for finding me just yet. That comes later. You're on a rare quest chain here, not some dinky little fetch quest."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I am? Awesome! What's next?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, first I have to ask you some questions."
Quote
ask about Adorabella
Quote
ask about Adorabella
Quote
Adorabella had an Orc with her
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Do you know Adorabella the vampire?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Adorabella? More like A-DORK-abella!"
He cracks a huge smile then falls onto his back on the ground and rolls around laughing.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Adorkabella! Haha!" Eventually he stands up again, still giggling, wipes his eyes and continues. "Yeah, I know her. She's a good friend of mine. What else?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Were you the orc who cheered her on during her arena fight?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, that was me. Whole thing was dumb though. Who even fights in rings?"
Quote
ask him about Clover
Quote
Ranis said Clover had a grumbling orc with her
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You're also acquainted with Clover the Clever, aren't you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I'm what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Acquaintend? With Clover"
One of his eyes scrunches up in confusion.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "...uck...wayn..."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You know her."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Oh. Yeah, I know the egghead."
Which means that...wait. This matchup suddenly seems familiar. Right before you joined the legion you passed two people riding Darvame's silt strider together towards Balmora. The Balmora caravaneer speculated they were a married couple, but when you later asked Darvame about it she said it was a dunmer sorceress and an orc. Was that them?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You and Clover arrived in Morrowind through Seyda Neen, right? And once you got here you took the silt strider to Balmora together, right"
He gives you a slightly incredulous look.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah? What does that have to do with this rare quest chain you were talking about?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "And she joined the mage guild but you never did, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dude, look...whatever. I know this is fascinating and all but can we skip the dialogue and just get to the good stuff?"
You get the impression Awesomicus is not the most patient orc in the world.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm, yeah. Sure."
Quote
Tell Awsomicus that as soon as the ash creature is dead he gets paid.
Quote
once we have driven off the creature, then we can speak of quests and rewards.
You think back to what happened to Khuul. The same is supposed to happen here, right?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So, there's an ash creature who's going to show up to attack the village. You have to deal with that first to get to the next step."
Quote
We need to see the extent of his knowledge about Dagoth Ur
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You know about Dagoth Ur, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Who?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Dagoth Ur? The aspiring evil god in the making in Red Mountain?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Oh, bad guy? Cool. Where is he?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...in Red Mountain?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Ok, so I'm supposed to go kill him? What about the village?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, we're kind of getting ahead of ourselves. Dagoth Ur comes later. The ash creature that's going to show up is one of his lieutenants."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "So, kill the ash critter, then go to Red Mountain and kill Dagoth Ur?"
Quote
start a conversation about what is actually needed to defeat Dagoth Ur - Sunder and Keening, right?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, first you have to get Sunder and Keening."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Who are they?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "They're magic artifacts you need to destroy the Heart of Lorkhan."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Who's Lorkhan?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...well, he's actually an ancient god, but we don't need to worry about him. It's his heart that's the problem. Dagoth Ur is using it to make himself immortal."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "He's got this guys heart like a brain in a jar? That's cool. Creepy, but cool. Creepy cool. So where do I get Thunder and Keening?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sunder and Keening. From Ash Vampires. But before you get them you have to first get Wraithguard so you can wield them."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dude, this is getting way too complicated."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, epic quest."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "The reward better be epic."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Epic. Definitely epic. Plus you'd be, you know...saving the whole world. So there's that."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, that sounds cool. Ok, so let me see if I've got this. You want me to kill this Lieutenant Ash guy to save the village so I can go hunt vampires...heh, Dorkable will love that. After that I have to guard some wraiths and that gives me the thunder power I need to kill the guy with the heart in a jar?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm...not...exactly."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "How about I just go kill Ash and we can deal with the rest later?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You know what? That's a great plan. Let's do that."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Ok. Cool."
With that, a sword that definitely wasn't there before instantly materializes in his hand. You're pretty sure it's Eltonbrand. He then goes charging into the middle of the village.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Ash! I will avenge you!"
The other Legionnaires look uncertainly at each other, shrug, then march off together after Awesomicus. That went not entirely as expected, but for your purposes it probably went well enough. Now all you need to do is find a safe place to sit out the battle, and then what?
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "Michael!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Gah!"
(http://i.imgur.com/CLlgKTU.png)
Out of nowhere a pair of massive furry arms envelop you from behind, holding you in a powerful deathgrip
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "Nuh-uh! The Vulcan Deathgrip isn't even real!"
You struggle to break free, but the creature's hold on you is too strong. Terrified, you try to call out to the Legionnaires but you're being squeezed so tightly that there isn't enough air left in your lungs to scream. Then after a few seconds the apparently female creature suddenly releases you from its hug.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You...you're a werewolf."
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "I know! Rawwrrr!!!"
She closes her eyes, raises her paws and animatedly shakes her head back and forth when she says 'rawr.'
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "No, I didn't! 'Rawr' is 'I love you' in dinosaur. I said 'Rawwrrr!!!" which means 'I love you' in werewolf. They aren't even similar. By the way, how come you never told Eddie I said hello?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...I...what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "You don't remember?"
It's difficult to tell through all the fur and fangs, but you think the werewolf is pouting and giving you puppy-dog eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "No, they're puppy-werewolf eyes! You really don't remember, do you? You didn't have another deja vue and forget everything did you? Well, if you did that's ok!"
As you watch her speak she cycles from curious to amused, to sad that you forgot the last time you spoke with her to cheerful and forgiving, all in under a second. Then she leaps forward and hugs you again. Not knowing what else to do you hug her back and pet her fur, prompting her to lean onto one leg and repeatedly kick with the other. While this is happening, you hear Awesomicus shouting from the middle of the village.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dude! Show up already! It's been like a hundred minutes I've been waiting!"
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "Oh! That's my cue to go help Maxie! See you later! Be nice to the voices in your head!"
With that she bounds off after Awesomicus. Only after she's out of earshot does it occur to you to ask:
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Wait, how do you know about the voices?"
While you try to figure out this latest development, you hear a scream followed by shouting from the middle of town. You cross the bridge to get a closer look.
(http://i.imgur.com/OttOTKb.png)
Four legionniares are fighting with the werewolf while an altmer woman casts lightning balls from afar and Awesomicus yells at them to stop.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Kill the beast!"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What are you jerks doing? She's with me!"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Your bloodline ends here!"
You decide this would be an excellent thing to not get involved with. But while you're looking for a safe place to watch, you begin to feel light headed. Almost dizzy. And then you hear a deep bass voice speaking in your mind.
(http://i.imgur.com/dz07Z5T.png): "Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Who are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/dz07Z5T.png): "Come with me Michael. Let us flee this battle together and I will spare Seyda Neen."
Frantically looking around, you see it. On the roof.
(http://i.imgur.com/IAZ9xzg.png)
It's an Ascended Sleeper. You would be more surprised if it weren't for the fact that you were specifically expecting one to show up.
(http://i.imgur.com/dz07Z5T.png): "Join us, Michael.We will make your flesh whole and everlasting."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Awesomicus! The Ascended Sleeper is here!"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "The what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Lieutenant Ash! He's the tentacled thing on the roof!"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "On it!"
You watch as he casts a spell and begins levitating in the direction of the Sleeper, who ignores him completely and goes straight for you. Terror fills you as you realize the Sleeper is faster than he is. You take off in a mad dash back across the bridge but quickly realize there's no way you can outrun it. Worse, this whole encounter happened as you were returning to town to heal...and you're out of healing potions. It could probably sneeze on you and kill you. And you never replaced your divine intervention scroll after it was destroyed by water on the trip to Fel Fyr. Damn it. You really need to stop forgetting stuff like that.
But wait. Don't you have-
(http://i.imgur.com/ZQpxKhM.png)
Yep. Bought that potion as a panic measure if things went badly on the way to Tel Fyr, but never used it.
You drink it.
(http://i.imgur.com/dz07Z5T.png): "Fool. You know not what you hide from. Join us, Michael. Join us while there's still-"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Tag. You're it."
Finally having caught up, Awesomicus madly hacks into the Sleeper, who responds by taking to the air and bombarding the area with an assortment of fire and lightning spells. You watch as two of the legionnaires drop from a stray spell. The way this is going, you could easily die from the collateral fire. You run invisibly across the bridge and hide in the house Awesomicus smashed into earlier.
Now what?
The invisibility wears off quickly and you find yourself with nothing to do but wait in a tiny house with a hole in the roof. There's a bed and you'd like to go to sleep to heal, but if you do you'll completely miss everything. Or get found and teleported away. Actually, that's a huge concern. You remember Strillian talking about how recall could be used to teleport other people, and how if you don't know Mysticism people could teleport you against your will. Probably all the Sleeper has to do it touch you and it could instantly take you back to its lair. You're tempted to head for the silt strider and just leave. But the invisibility effect has worn off and you don't have another potion. Plus, being caught on the strider during transit would leave you stuck with no way to run. Maybe you should just wait?
Well, may as well make use of the time.
Destruction skill is now 11.
Nearly dead from your training with the slaughterfish and now out of magicka, you wait. You try to listen for any clue whether the battle is over, but all you hear is the ash storm ravaging the house. Maybe just a bit longer. You glance through the planet at the sun. Probably not even midnight yet. Your magicka restores a little bit and you cast a few more fleabite spells.
Then the doors opens.
(http://i.imgur.com/1BhNj7D.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Excuse me, but what are you doing in my house?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hiding from certain death?"
Then he notices the hole in the roof and the bits of straw and broken wood littering the floor.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Guards!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No! Wait! It wasn't me! Honest!"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Tell it to the Legion, you fetcher."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Actually, I'm with the Legion."
He looks at you with skepticism.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Then why weren't you out there fighting when the werewolf showed up?"
You pull off your boots and greaves and show him the gaping holes in your legs.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Look, I'm near death here. I was going to die, so I ran. I'm sorry. I'm a coward. But I did what I could and then left to let the better warriors finish it. If I'd stayed to the end I'd have died the moment somebody sneezed on me and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. At least this way I'll survive to fight again next time."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Those bites look like they're from a slaughterfish, not a werewolf."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You a forensic expert?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Well, no."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "There you go. Werewolf did it."
Speechcraft is now 23
He shrugs and casts a slow healing spell on you. It takes a minute or two and even then it isn't enough to fully heal you, so he tries to cast again, but fails. Then casts a third and fourth time and eventually manages to top you off. He's clearly not very good with restoration magic, but it gets the job done.
Health is now at full
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Thanks."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Of course. So what's it like being in the legion? Have you ever fought an Ogrim? Does it impress women? Have you met the Duke?"
You struggle to come up with an answer.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ahh, well...none of those things. If you just go enlist, it's kind of boring, actually. I got lucky and I'm on detached duty rather than guard duty. But the first month they mostly just had me running laps and learning etiquette. And if I hadn't managed the job I did, after that I'd have been stuck guarding walls and roads and things."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "What's the pay like?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "100 gold a month, and one meal a week."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Plus lodging?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, you'd be on the job five days a week, but yes, you get a bed a a place to put your things."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "That's not bad."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah, I guess."
So far as you know you're still on the roster. You think it's only been about three weeks since training, but you could probably show up in Gnisis next week and collect your 100 gold. Of course, the way you remember it, travel costs were 40-50 gold so it's not going to be a huge profit. Something to keep in mind, anyway.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "I'm Draren, by the way."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Michael."
Draren unlocks his chest, digs around in it then offers you a drink. You accept and the two of you sit down to chat for a while, occasionally casting more practice spells as you talk. Draren follows your lead and casts spells with his surplus magicka too. Apparently it had never occurred to him to do that until now.
Destruction skill is now 12
Getting to relax and chat with Draren is a huge relief after nearly being either murdered or abducted by the Ascended Sleeper. Though you probably shouldn't sit in here too long, since you still have things to do. You glance over at the sun and...wow, has it really been that long? Morrowind time travels so quickly sometimes.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, it's been fun. But I should be going. Need to check on the situation."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "I understand. Feel free to visit sometime. I'd love to hear more about your daring and exciting adventures."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...yeah, daring and exciting. That's me. I'll see you around."
You step outside.
(http://i.imgur.com/M0rdQFF.png)
It's early morning. The ash storm is gone and the streets are clear.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: LordSlowpoke on April 29, 2014, 08:09:19 am
speechcraft op
need to farm it more like fo real
Post by: joemoben on April 29, 2014, 08:47:47 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Also, we know a werewolf apparently. Anyone here remember telling any female characters Michael's story? The implications of us getting hit by resets too is pretty tremendous if not.
EDIT: And the PC's not getting hit by the reset is also pretty big. It shows that they are in a largely different situation than us. I would suggest at some point getting a lot more keen on the whole "Find the PC's" thing. Also, is Awesomicus confirmed as Spike? Never watched MLP myself.
Post by: Xanmyral on April 29, 2014, 08:54:25 am
Post by: Araph on April 29, 2014, 08:56:05 am
In other news, speechcraft is great.
In other other news, we need to find Clover or Adorabella, i.e. two of the people who we can be sure won't kill us because they're bored and can hold a rational conversation.
Before that, we should look around and find out the results of the battle. Also we should see if Awesomicus is around.
Speaking of Awesomicus, I can't believe we didn't think to check him for a mark of Azura. Next time we see him, that should be a high priority.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 29, 2014, 10:23:20 am
I think our next goal should be trying to talk to Adorabella, although if the werewolf is the party person we might have good luck re-finding them as well.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 11:22:00 am
I'd say, at least for Awesomicus, the PC thing is confirmed. He talks like a true gamer, though not one big on RP or lore. "Cut the dialogue," acknowledging the term "quest chain." And he's got Eltonbrand, which no native mind to this universe would ever think to get. And "Wayn" might be the name of whoever plays Clover. Next time we see her, we should call her that and see what happens.
BTW, that ascended sleeper moment was awesome. As I read it I imagined something cinematic, like all the other sounds going mute except for the sleeper's voice. A legitimate "oh crap" moment. I think we should find and interrogate a lower-level operative of the Sixth House, a dreamer or sleeper maybe. Someone with a hotline to the Sharmat, but who wouldn't easily overpower us. We need to talk but not be taken.
I think it may be time for another visit to Vivec. We should tell him about these recent developments, perhaps not a meeting but we should at least tip him off through another letter under the door.
Post by: Araph on April 29, 2014, 11:30:04 am
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 11:33:31 am
Spoiler: unlikely epileptic tree (click to show/hide)
Post by: Xanmyral on April 29, 2014, 12:56:02 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 01:05:28 pm
Post by: Baffler on April 29, 2014, 01:15:56 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 01:28:28 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 29, 2014, 01:45:30 pm
so we managed to turn someone from thinking we're a guy who busted into their house wrecking everything to a friend
speechcraft op
So. Yeah. Awesomicus is actually Rainbow Dash. Who else uses the term 'egghead'? The rolling-on-his-back-laughing-at-his-own-jokes mannerism also fits. The werewoof is almost certainly Pinkie, given the breaks in the fourth wall and cheerful nonsense.I agree with all of this.
In other news, speechcraft is great.
In other other news, we need to find Clover or Adorabella, i.e. two of the people who we can be sure won't kill us because they're bored and can hold a rational conversation.
Before that, we should look around and find out the results of the battle. Also we should see if Awesomicus is around.
Speaking of Awesomicus, I can't believe we didn't think to check him for a mark of Azura. Next time we see him, that should be a high priority.
Spoiler: Pinkie Pie (click to show/hide)
I dunno, I'm pretty fond of:Best quote yet.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I'd say, at least for Awesomicus, the PC thing is confirmed. He talks like a true gamer, though not one big on RP or lore. "Cut the dialogue," acknowledging the term "quest chain." And he's got Eltonbrand, which no native mind to this universe would ever think to get. And "Wayn" might be the name of whoever plays Clover. Next time we see her, we should call her that and see what happens.I'd be careful here. It's true he talks like a gamer, but everything he's said so far is fairly reasonable in meaning, just phrased strangely. You'll notice the one who told us about the duel used the term "DoTs." It's plausible that some gamer slang is a result of having to deal with the same things gamers do (and that cultural similarity Yagrum told us about) rather than because they're literal gamers from our or a similar world.
I think what we really need to ask are questions about his/their origins. Presumably every native was born and such (or at least has memories consistent with that); if the ponies weren't and are willing to admit as much, that could provide some invaluable insight into what they are. If they were, that wouldn't rule out them being special in some way, but it'd complicate things.
BTW, that ascended sleeper moment was awesome. As I read it I imagined something cinematic, like all the other sounds going mute except for the sleeper's voice. A legitimate "oh crap" moment. I think we should find and interrogate a lower-level operative of the Sixth House, a dreamer or sleeper maybe. Someone with a hotline to the Sharmat, but who wouldn't easily overpower us. We need to talk but not be taken.I'm in favor of these as medium/long term plans. Finding out exactly what Dagoth Ur wants, both in general and with us, could be pretty vital.
I think it may be time for another visit to Vivec. We should tell him about these recent developments, perhaps not a meeting but we should at least tip him off through another letter under the door.
That said, I'm not familiar with either in-game, so maybe that's just my unfamiliarity with vanilla's workings. I still maintain that if the Nerevarine is ponies, Dagoth Ur might be as well, though.
As far as finding the ponies goes... that's a tough one. In-show they typically just sort of wander around and meet up or fetch each other as necessary, but they do have places they're often found. In-game, PCs are likely to keep pretty busy.
That said, I do have a guess on finding one in particular: the new construction near Dren Plantation. Being located near an existing plantation makes me suspect it's a farm itself, and Applejack is shown working on her farm fairly frequently. The odds that her equivalent is there at any given moment sounds reasonably likely... unless, of course, the quirks of the game world mean there's nothing for her to work on except harvesting alchemy ingredients once a month.
Spoiler: Common Pony Locations and Thoughts (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 01:52:41 pm
Post by: catenate on April 29, 2014, 02:35:07 pm
Post by: syvarris on April 29, 2014, 02:48:23 pm
AS TO ACTUAL PLANS, I think we should try and convince Awesomicus that our quest chain requires spying on the other PCs. Maybe say he needs to inform us of what they've been up to so we can figure out where the artifacts we need are. If he says he could just ask them, we could act like a gamey NPC who is locked into needing the quest to be finished in a particular way.
Of course, that plan has a lot of potential problems in it. It would be extremely useful if it worked, but would probably fail. If so, we could just tell him the exact locations of Sunder/Keening/Wraithguard, and how to get everything ready, so he just does the main quest for us. That would give us plenty of time to become a powerful archmage who rewrites reality on whim.
As far as actual actions, go look around the town for Awesomicus/the werewolf. Ask the civvies and guards where they might have gone. If that fails, well, continue training. Maybe ask Draren to help us out by practising Restoration on us, in exchange for neat stories.
Does anyone else think fighting mudcrabs might be a better idea, because we could dart away when they attack, and run when we get beat up? I've barely ever played MW, and it was years ago, so I don't remember well.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 29, 2014, 03:39:41 pm
What we need to do is give him a vague prophecy he won't bother to pay attention to, to make it seem serious forealz, give him the briefest overview of the overall plan, and then very specific next steps combined with a place to return to us to hand in "the quest". The next step of the plan is to gather the prophesied heroes together.
"The heroes of the prophecy must be gathered - the five who are beyond mortals, and the one that will guide them. The amazing warrior and the incredible intellect, the creature of the night and the creature of the north, and the one who will land the final blow - these will join under one banner to fight the evils of the heart. They will acquire the tools of victory, and march on the mountain, and though they suffer defeats they shall overcome to end the ancient evil, with power and wealth beyond their wildest dreams awaiting them in the new world they will help bring forth."
He hasn't heard of Dagoth Ur - that means he's not been introduced to the main quest. That, I think, should be our job in the near future. To introduce him to, well... our own version of that. We then tell him that we believe that he is the warrior from the prophecy, Clover is the great intellect, and Adorabella is the creature of the night, and the werewolf is the creature of the north. For now, bringing them to us is the next stage of the quest, but he can do it in any order. Then we should tell him some place we are going to be and when this should happen.
Reporting to our superiors in the blade might also not be a bad idea, but we've got to decide on where we want to make at least a semi-permanent dwelling for the time being so we can actually make some progress getting other people to do work for us (while we work on our magic skills).
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 03:50:48 pm
Alternately, we could live in that smuggler's cave, or perhaps another dungeon that's been cleared out. Illunibi would be another choice, though a poor one since it's in the middle of nowhere. All we'd need is a way to keep squatters from coming in while we're away (which admittedly might be difficult).
I do like the idea of using the PCs to accomplish the main quest, and I believe they could, but there's one problem we've yet to solve: wraithguard. We either need Vivec's cooperation, or to betray and murder him. I'd prefer not to do the latter.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 29, 2014, 03:53:29 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 29, 2014, 03:55:07 pm
I thought Fluttershy was supposed to be that Nord who didn't particularly want to kill rats.I thought so too, then revised my opinion for a few reasons. The main one is gender/race issues- Adorabella's friends were described as an orc in daedric armor and "some elves," and the notion of Awesomeicus being Spike made me think they might be gender-matched after all. The discovery that yes, there are NPC (or at least not immediately PCish) adventurers running around also made me wonder.
It's certainly possible that Fluttershy couldn't/didn't want to make it to Adorabella's duel, or that "some elves" was a generalization, and now that we're thinking Awesomeicus is a genderswapped Rainbow Dash the genders not lining up makes more sense again (though Dash has an obvious excuse for it, while Fluttershy doesn't). I'm really not sure on that front, though.
I kinda dislike the whole "PCs are ponies" theory. I mean, the theories I've seen seem to be looking for proof for the theory rather than the other way around. Especially considering the Balmora butcher- murdering random people for fun seems entirely out of character for any of them. Then again, I might just think that because I dislike MLP in general. Everything I know about it has been gained from osmosis. And I know a lot. It's like a frikkin plauge...Well, that's how figuring things out works- you notice a pattern, then apply it elsewhere to fill in the blanks. The less you know or are certain of, the more haphazard your efforts to fill in the blanks are. If you think I'm grasping at straws, by all means say so, but you've got to admit there's an awful lot of ponyish behavior going on here. Plus we've been dreaming about them.
You're right about the Balmora Butcher- that one's been puzzling me/us for a while now. Part of the problem is that we don't know how serious/gamelike they're taking it as. Dash might totally get bored and start killing random things in a video game, for instance, but she'd never go around murdering people IRL. Even Fluttershy in berserk mode isn't murderous.
But then again, none of them are really the kind to run around killing things, but they probably couldn't function too well if they didn't. There may be some translation issues going on here, or maybe they do literally think they're playing a video game.
But speaking about the Balmora Butcher in particular, her (well, a Telvanni described as a lunatic by Yagrum who at least roughly matches her description) name is "SexyWithersXOXOXO." The withers is a ridge on the back of a horse. If she's not a pony, what exactly is her name supposed to mean?
I'm starting to like the notion that this is the same general idea as the movie, where some rogue pony flees to another dimension and must for some reason be stopped. But then, I guess you don't want to hear about that. :P
AS TO ACTUAL PLANS, I think we should try and convince Awesomicus that our quest chain requires spying on the other PCs. Maybe say he needs to inform us of what they've been up to so we can figure out where the artifacts we need are. If he says he could just ask them, we could act like a gamey NPC who is locked into needing the quest to be finished in a particular way.I'm not fond of this. Even if it works, if he's discovered for any reason (and let's be honest here- how subtle is he likely to be?) the others are going to want to know what we're up to. Which wouldn't necessarily be terrible, but probably not an ideal way to get to know everyone. At that point we might as well turn it into an escort quest or something.
Of course, that plan has a lot of potential problems in it. It would be extremely useful if it worked, but would probably fail. If so, we could just tell him the exact locations of Sunder/Keening/Wraithguard, and how to get everything ready, so he just does the main quest for us. That would give us plenty of time to become a powerful archmage who rewrites reality on whim.
And again, I'm wary of trying to cheat Awesomeicus, and we've certainly got nothing he'd consider a reward.
...
Unless a poorly-dried T-shirt of herself counts, which it probably totally would if she's Pony Rainbow Dash in an orc's body.
Does anyone else think fighting mudcrabs might be a better idea, because we could dart away when they attack, and run when we get beat up? I've barely ever played MW, and it was years ago, so I don't remember well.Mudcrabs are the ideal foe, yeah. We do need to be careful when hunting for them, though, because there are more dangerous things in the swamp.
I think what we should tell him is that he has to gather a party of heroes, recover these artifacts, and then defeat Dagoth Ur to save the world (and recover the most epic loot of all time while being hailed as an incredibly hero for all of history).Couple problems here. For one thing, we don't ourselves fully understand what's going on. We know the vanilla main quest line, but we don't understand how ponies factor into any of it, who or what the Nerevarine is or has to be, and so forth. Rushing for the three artifacts and a heart gank could end exceedingly poorly (or just stall) if anything's different. I think we should talk with the ponies (particularly Clover) and hear some more of what Dagoth Ur has to say before trying to solve a problem that might be radically different from what we're expecting.
For another, if we're going to try to get him to assemble his more serious, levelheaded friends to do stuff for us anyway, wouldn't it be more productive and direct to just talk to them? I suppose we could go for manipulating Awesomeicus to rope his pals into following him on a quest they don't really understand the importance of, but unless they're for some reason averse to saving the world, I'm not sure I see the benefit.
I think our medium-term goal should be to ask Clover some pointed questions. Any of the ponies might or might not be very insightful, but if Clover really is Twilight Sparkle, she ought to know a great deal about the current situation.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 04:18:58 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 29, 2014, 04:40:19 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/u6FQTiF.png): "Ok, g'bye! Oh, and tell Eddie I said hello."Werewoof is most definitely probably Party Elf. Folms claimed her name was Imare...
Imare goes back to dancing with Runa and you make your way to the guild guide. Her cheeks are flushed and she has a bottle in her hand.
...who is also a canon high elf Nightblade NPC spell vendor, (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Imare) normally located in Hlaalu Council Manor in Balmora.
I have no idea what to make of that.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 04:44:23 pm
Post by: Araph on April 29, 2014, 05:31:55 pm
...who is also a canon high elf Nightblade NPC spell vendor, (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Imare) normally located in Hlaalu Council Manor in Balmora.
...Well isn't that interesting.
I'm really not sure how the PC/NPC dynamics are working here anymore.
And again, I'm wary of trying to cheat Awesomeicus, and we've certainly got nothing he'd consider a reward.
This. Very much this. Whatever we do, we should absolutely not try to fool the PCs (or people who resemble PCs, though it seems pretty apparent they're definitely PCs). It's too dangerous for too little reward.
Acting as an NPC works well just because players almost ALWAYS do whatever Urist the random chump on the street tells them to. For more intelligent PCs (Clover, Adorabella, even Werewoof), talking to them like normal people is probably the best course of action.
That said, we need to actually get in contact with them before any of this matters.
I kinda dislike the whole "PCs are ponies" theory. I mean, the theories I've seen seem to be looking for proof for the theory rather than the other way around.
There's actually a whole lotta evidence for the theory, and it's mostly not tenuous maybes and what-ifs.
Spoiler: CONSPIRASEE THEORAHS (click to show/hide)
My vote for what we do is keep practicing magic and head for WAIT JUST A GOSH DARNED SECOND
We're forgetting something.
House Redoran.
Who's just risen through their ranks like a rocket shot out of a railgun?
TIME TO INVESTIGATE but first:
Keep practicing magic and head for Pelagiad, which I'm pretty sure Dren Plantation is right by. After that, whether or not it pans out, practice more magic and head towards the newly built Hlaalu Manor overlooking the River Odai. Adorabella will probably either be there or stop by now and again. Whichever the case, it's a lead on the PCs.
Post by: syvarris on April 29, 2014, 06:01:59 pm
What we need to do is give him a vague prophecy he won't bother to pay attention to, to make it seem serious forealz, give him the briefest overview of the overall plan, and then very specific next steps combined with a place to return to us to hand in "the quest". The next step of the plan is to gather the prophesied heroes together.+1 to everything above.
"The heroes of the prophecy must be gathered - the five who are beyond mortals, and the one that will guide them. The amazing warrior and the incredible intellect, the creature of the night and the creature of the north, and the one who will land the final blow - these will join under one banner to fight the evils of the heart. They will acquire the tools of victory, and march on the mountain, and though they suffer defeats they shall overcome to end the ancient evil, with power and wealth beyond their wildest dreams awaiting them in the new world they will help bring forth."
He hasn't heard of Dagoth Ur - that means he's not been introduced to the main quest. That, I think, should be our job in the near future. To introduce him to, well... our own version of that. We then tell him that we believe that he is the warrior from the prophecy, Clover is the great intellect, and Adorabella is the creature of the night, and the werewolf is the creature of the north. For now, bringing them to us is the next stage of the quest, but he can do it in any order. Then we should tell him some place we are going to be and when this should happen.
Reporting to our superiors in the blade might also not be a bad idea, but we've got to decide on where we want to make at least a semi-permanent dwelling for the time being so we can actually make some progress getting other people to do work for us (while we work on our magic skills).I thought that we have no superiors; Caius left, and we don't really know anyone else. Except perhaps for that argonian, but I don't think he's our superior. Or even very willing to cooperate with us.
Well, that's how figuring things out works- you notice a pattern, then apply it elsewhere to fill in the blanks. The less you know or are certain of, the more haphazard your efforts to fill in the blanks are. If you think I'm grasping at straws, by all means say so, but you've got to admit there's an awful lot of ponyish behavior going on here. Plus we've been dreaming about them.Yes, that's how patterns work, but once a pattern stops working, it's usually time to find a different pattern rather than trying to find ways it could work.
Also, we've only got like three characters that fit MLP, but that's all. Where's the rest of the cast? Why would TS, RD, PP, and Rarity be the only characters included?
You're right about the Balmora Butcher- that one's been puzzling me/us for a while now. Part of the problem is that we don't know how serious/gamelike they're taking it as. Dash might totally get bored and start killing random things in a video game, for instance, but she'd never go around murdering people IRL. Even Fluttershy in berserk mode isn't murderous.True, Withers is probably the most compelling evidence for MLP. But she also doesn't fit any of the possible characters. FS would at least sometimes be less sociopathic, RD can't be SW because that would mean Awesomicus is Spike, and that doesn't fit because then Adorabella can't be Rarity. Which means Spike is the closest to SW, but that seems odd to me. I guess I don't have compelling evidence against that one though. And SW did have her bed covered with rare dwemer artifacts, which seems kinda dragonish. *shrug*
But then again, none of them are really the kind to run around killing things, but they probably couldn't function too well if they didn't. There may be some translation issues going on here, or maybe they do literally think they're playing a video game.
But speaking about the Balmora Butcher in particular, her (well, a Telvanni described as a lunatic by Yagrum who at least roughly matches her description) name is "SexyWithersXOXOXO." The withers is a ridge on the back of a horse. If she's not a pony, what exactly is her name supposed to mean?
I'm not fond of this. Even if it works, if he's discovered for any reason (and let's be honest here- how subtle is he likely to be?) the others are going to want to know what we're up to. Which wouldn't necessarily be terrible, but probably not an ideal way to get to know everyone. At that point we might as well turn it into an escort quest or something.True, but Awesomicus seems gullible enough to go for it. Plus if we just play a stupid game NPC he's unlikely to hurt us or anything, 'cause that would fail the quest.
And again, I'm wary of trying to cheat Awesomeicus, and we've certainly got nothing he'd consider a reward.
...
Unless a poorly-dried T-shirt of herself counts, which it probably totally would if she's Pony Rainbow Dash in an orc's body.
Oh god, thisthisthis!
Next time we see
That would be quite decisive.
Mudcrabs are the ideal foe, yeah. We do need to be careful when hunting for them, though, because there are more dangerous things in the swamp.Well, that's good enough for me. When we go back to combat training, hunt for mudcrabs instead.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 06:06:32 pm
Post by: Descan on April 29, 2014, 06:41:45 pm
Granted, she might, because she cares about every damn thing, but to computer characters? Hell, I can see her going into it slaughtering everything as a game with "points", to let off steam so that she DOESN'T go into one of her horror-rages.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 29, 2014, 07:44:17 pm
We're forgetting something.I had to look this up, but it's a good thing I did so because:
House Redoran.
Who's just risen through their ranks like a rocket shot out of a railgun?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Just humor me for a moment. There's a new Telvanni tower being built at Uvirith's Grave in Molag Amur. Tel Uvirith."Adorabella and Awesomeicus clearly named their strongholds. Sexy didn't bother. That doesn't mean anything conclusive on its own, but it's another suggestion that Sexy may be different from the rest of the ponies.
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Yes, Bella Manor just outside of Balmora and Castle Awesome at Bal Isra."
Hence the constant "wait no maybe it's this one that's Rarity?" we've (well, mostly I've) been doing every time we get a bit more information. If you have a completely different pattern that better explains everything we've seen so far, feel free to bring it up.Well, that's how figuring things out works- you notice a pattern, then apply it elsewhere to fill in the blanks. The less you know or are certain of, the more haphazard your efforts to fill in the blanks are. If you think I'm grasping at straws, by all means say so, but you've got to admit there's an awful lot of ponyish behavior going on here. Plus we've been dreaming about them.Yes, that's how patterns work, but once a pattern stops working, it's usually time to find a different pattern rather than trying to find ways it could work.
Also, we've only got like three characters that fit MLP, but that's all. Where's the rest of the cast? Why would TS, RD, PP, and Rarity be the only characters included?
As for where the rest are, I'd love to know too. We skipped the only event we suspect they were all together at, and haven't had much luck tracking them individually. Hell, three of the four you mentioned we only met because we were in the same faction spot as they were when they came around or were mentioned.
True, Withers is probably the most compelling evidence for MLP. But she also doesn't fit any of the possible characters. FS would at least sometimes be less sociopathic, RD can't be SW because that would mean Awesomicus is Spike, and that doesn't fit because then Adorabella can't be Rarity. Which means Spike is the closest to SW, but that seems odd to me. I guess I don't have compelling evidence against that one though. And SW did have her bed covered with rare dwemer artifacts, which seems kinda dragonish. *shrug*Which is why I'm starting to suspect she may be the transdimensional "villain" the ponies are after. Of course, Imare's existence in vanilla seems to make that a lot less likely, so we're kind of back to stuck on that one.
Hm... I can't track it all down now, but do we know the timetable on Sexy being a psychopath? Certainly she was skill grinding and I believe hoarding well before Clover contracted Corprus, but could it be that he took it really badly when Clover got in incurable disease and/or locked herself away studying it or something?
Spoiler: ... (click to show/hide)
Irrelevant thought of the day: What did Withers do to aggro the guards in the first place? They normally don't react to jumping on rooftops or... maybe CITIZENS OF BALMORA BEWARE counted as an earshot-range taunt or something, but otherwise she should have had to do something to earn their ire in the first place. I think someone mentioned killing three guards, and we saw all three, so it shouldn't have been murdering a different guard elsewhere unless I'm misremembering.
...maybe he grabbed and ate an emerald, then couldn't figure out why the guards were after him? Still does nothing for points, though. Or threatening all of Balmora with the Doompocalypse. Eugh.
Spoiler: Sexy Mugshots (click to show/hide)
Damn it. Oh well, it's probably a good assumption.
I don't know why y'all think that Fluttershy wouldn't not care about the denizens of Morrowind. To her, they're just pixels on a screen. S'not like I feel any compunction about slaughtering thousands of babby Scouts in TF2. At most, I might feel a little bit bad about the player if I'm particularly slaughtering him repeatedly, but I don't think that the little Boston bastard himself is getting hurt/exists meaningfully.That's the thing, though- we don't know how they view this world. Are they players in a game? Plane travelers morphed into different forms? Alternate incarnations? Dopplegangers?
Granted, she might, because she cares about every damn thing, but to computer characters? Hell, I can see her going into it slaughtering everything as a game with "points", to let off steam so that she DOESN'T go into one of her horror-rages.
It's one of the main reasons we really need a chance to talk to at least one of them in more depth.
Post by: Araph on April 29, 2014, 08:51:35 pm
I had to look this up, but it's a good thing I did so because:
My bad; I'd forgotten about Caius mentioning that.
Awesomicus joined House Redoran. Well, they certainly do prize honor and loyalty HUE HUE HUE
Ahem.
Also, we've only got like three characters that fit MLP, but that's all. Where's the rest of the cast? Why would TS, RD, PP, and Rarity and FS be the only characters included?
Don't we have five out of the six? :/
I'm really curious if LordBucket reads these theories and cackles to himself as his plans come together or if he reads them and facepalms at the absurdity.
Post by: Xanmyral on April 29, 2014, 09:31:42 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 29, 2014, 10:12:55 pm
I'm really curious if LordBucket reads these theories and cackles to himself as his plans come together or if he reads them and facepalms at the absurdity.I'm really curious too. He mentioned being disappointed at nobody figuring out the "born under a certain star" thing, and he asked us what our definition of a PC was, but otherwise I don't think he's commented too much on our theoretical flailings.
In fact, let's ask him. LordBucket, anything you can tell us about your reactions to our theorycrafting without giving away things you don't want given away?
Post by: LordBucket on April 29, 2014, 10:45:34 pm
I'm really curious if LordBucket reads these theories and cackles to himself as his plans come together or if he reads them and facepalms at the absurdity.
There's a fair amount of both cackling and facepalming. You guys have a lot more information than you realize. For example, IronyOwl comparing screenshots to see that the dunmer who walked out of the census office in Episode 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4272340#msg4272340) has the same face and hair as the dunmer who slaughtered the guards in episode 44 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4878568#msg4878568). That's information that's been avaialable to you for a long time, but nobody put it together until recently. Or, the realization that the withers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withers) is a part of a horse. The name SexyWithersXOXOXO was first mentioned in episode 40 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551466#msg4551466). That was August of last year. So it took ~8 months before somebody noticed that.
How many other things do you think are going on that also haven't noticed? Of course, I realize that's dangerous ground. I'm well versed with the Law of Conservation of Detail (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheLawOfConservationOfDetail) and I've taken great pains to not fall for the trap of doing this:
GM: "You see two doors. One is beautifully crafted oak with an emerald handle containing a hint of mithril filigree and glowing runes."
Player: "What does the other door look like?"
GM: "Oh, it's just a door."
Player: "Gee, I wonder which we should go through."
So, yes. Both some cackling and facepalming. You guys have a lot of information to work with and it's clearly not trivial to sort out the important information from the coincidences. And from the deliberate Red Herrings (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RedHerring). There have been a few of those. But I definitely enjoy reading the theories you've all been discussing. Some of them might even be correct. Or they might not be. Or they might be in the right ballpark, but comically missing the point.
Or the third option: reads them and starts jotting down notes for the future.
Sadly, not so much of that. You guys have come up with a couple theories that I really liked and almost regret that I hadn't thought of on my own. But this game was started with an initial premise, and I'm not going to change it now. It would be too difficult to keep things internally consistent if I change what's fundamentally going on. Especially given how long it's been running. As it is there are details from forever ago that occasionally become relevant later, or that you realize that they were relevant later. For example, that "dunmer sorceress and an orc" back from episode 26, part 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344887#msg4344887) were revealed in this most recent Episode 57 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5232130#msg5232130) to have been Awesomicus and Clover.
There's no way I could have planned for that reveal. If this game ever ends, there are going to be some epic "OMG! How did we not notice that?!?!?!" moments. Since there is internal story consistency here and background events that I know about that happen whether or not you or Michael ever see them, it's easy to keep everything making sense. So, yes I love the theories but I'm hesitant to adopt them because if I were to start changing things now, it would be too difficult to keep track of all those details and make sure that the new material was consistent with everything that's already happened.
I'm really curious too. He mentioned being disappointed at nobody figuring out the "born under a certain star" thing, and
he asked us what our definition of a PC was, but otherwise I don't think he's commented too much on our theoretical flailings.
Not for lack of wanting to, but I'm trying hard to not railroad the game. Sometimes that means letting you explore possibilities that might or might not be right, and to pursue angles that might or might not go anywhere. And sometimes it means not quoting single words out of 2000 word speculative theory posts that would completely resolve major questions that have plagued you for ages.
As to my question about your criteria for deciding who is or isn't a PC, I note your recent realization (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5233597#msg5233597) that party elf has a vanilla counterpart. Granted, I have the benefit of knowing who is what and why and what's really going on, but there a couple personalities you've encountered I can think of I'm uncertain why they're not on your "suspicious persons" list.
Quote
let's ask him. LordBucket, anything you can tell us about your reactions to our
theorycrafting without giving away things you don't want given away?
As you pointed out (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5146763#msg5146763), the withers is a part of a horse. How did you not notice that for eight months?
What else haven't you noticed?
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 11:15:30 pm
Post by: Araph on April 29, 2014, 11:19:13 pm
What else haven't you noticed?
A lot, I'd wager.
Well TBH for about 3 or 4 of those months we were more worried that the game was going to die.
True 'dat.
Welp, nothing to do now but search back through the archives and make up more theories!
Post by: WillowLuman on April 29, 2014, 11:25:52 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 30, 2014, 12:13:08 am
I'll get some friends I know who like Morrowind to read through this, see if their fresh perspectives turn up anything.
Ok, but according to a filesize to pages converter (http://www.unitarium.com/data), Marooned in Morrowind is presently approximately a 480 page novel, not including pictures. It might not be realistic to casually ask them to come read it in one evening.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 12:15:08 am
Post by: LordBucket on April 30, 2014, 12:54:32 am
Is that counting our posts or not?
Not counting your posts. Episodes only. Though it does include character status spoilers, which are fairly sizable, and BBCode and image link URLs, which probably add a fair amount. So maybe it's only ~300 pages or so. Still a fair amount of reading.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 12:58:02 am
Post by: LordSlowpoke on April 30, 2014, 12:58:59 am
i propose we take a moment and chat to literally everyone while practicing destruction spells and jumping around like a silly bastard for a bit
the random npcs may have important info for us yo
Post by: gordy on April 30, 2014, 02:21:34 am
Quick, someone go catalogue the breast sizes, Yagrum gave us some intel a while ago...
Post by: IronyOwl on April 30, 2014, 05:07:47 am
What else haven't you noticed?That's it, time for a reread.
Ok, but according to a filesize to pages converter (http://www.unitarium.com/data), Marooned in Morrowind is presently approximately a 480 page novel, not including pictures.Well, time to start a reread.
Quick, someone go catalogue the breast sizes, Yagrum gave us some intel a while ago...Crap, do we have anyone here who's Japanese or Japanese-fluent? Other than me, I mean.
Spoiler: Reread 19/57 Complete (click to show/hide)
Post by: The_Jester on April 30, 2014, 07:54:34 am
I think the werewolf deserves quite a bit more thought and discussion by the way. If it is Imare, my suspicion is that LB might be using her as an avatar for Azura, or perhaps a pony with quite a bit more control over Michael than the others. Read the werewolf part again, she literally can read Michael's "thoughts", or text thinking. Deathgrip, puppy dog eyes, and I think at least one other thing. Also, this pretty much confirms that Michael is related to the ponies in some way, as she seems connected with Maximus and Michael.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 30, 2014, 10:25:59 am
All the pony speculation - has anything come of it? Anything at all? No. Does it matter? Not that we've had even a shred of evidence of so far.
The only thing about it that is even relevant is that the most powerful force in ponydom is the power of friendship, and considering our ability to make friends and the fact those friendships have been shoved in our face, I hope the importance of that to everyone else is equally obvious.
But I still don't know what to do about it.
Post by: LordSlowpoke on April 30, 2014, 10:35:05 am
we want to leverage our friendships to gain info which we trade for other info which we can, at one point, maybe, trade in for something that will make us genuinely more powerful
i think
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 10:45:01 am
I am almost positive that we discussed the whithers thing months ago, to be fair. That doesn't negate the fact that we have missed a lot.The interesting thing is that she mentioned a "Vulcan nerve grip", and seemed to be arguing with herself. I don't think she can read our thoughts. She only mentioned the voices, she didn't indicated that she knew what they are saying.
I think the werewolf deserves quite a bit more thought and discussion by the way. If it is Imare, my suspicion is that LB might be using her as an avatar for Azura, or perhaps a pony with quite a bit more control over Michael than the others. Read the werewolf part again, she literally can read Michael's "thoughts", or text thinking. Deathgrip, puppy dog eyes, and I think at least one other thing. Also, this pretty much confirms that Michael is related to the ponies in some way, as she seems connected with Maximus and Michael.
@Irony owl: I don't think you can assume that the voice at the start is anything right now. It could be Azura, or someone else entirely. The "We" thing could mean it was an actual group of entities. Bear in mind that we ourselves are voices, and often use "we" whether referring to ourselves or Michael. Did we kidnap Michael? If you want to look at it like Vivec, he is here because of us, in a meta way.
Post by: syvarris on April 30, 2014, 10:48:41 am
I don't know why y'all think that Fluttershy wouldn't not care about the denizens of Morrowind. To her, they're just pixels on a screen. S'not like I feel any compunction about slaughtering thousands of babby Scouts in TF2. At most, I might feel a little bit bad about the player if I'm particularly slaughtering him repeatedly, but I don't think that the little Boston bastard himself is getting hurt/exists meaningfully.But FS is still a... emotional pony? Empathy and stuff. And Morrowind has a pretty engaging atmosphere. SW has pretty much always been completely sociopathic and gamey, like someone who's playing a plotless FPS which is specifically made for you to kill things. I would think FS would get at least somewhat interested in the world and atmosphere of Morrowind. More than RD at any rate, and AM has shown to at least respect RP enough to act like an actual person.
Granted, she might, because she cares about every damn thing, but to computer characters? Hell, I can see her going into it slaughtering everything as a game with "points", to let off steam so that she DOESN'T go into one of her horror-rages.
Hence the constant "wait no maybe it's this one that's Rarity?" we've (well, mostly I've) been doing every time we get a bit more information. If you have a completely different pattern that better explains everything we've seen so far, feel free to bring it up.My personal opinion is that all the characters are wither original to LB, or are representative to different types of players.
As for where the rest are, I'd love to know too. We skipped the only event we suspect they were all together at, and haven't had much luck tracking them individually. Hell, three of the four you mentioned we only met because we were in the same faction spot as they were when they came around or were mentioned.
Withers: Powergamer who's probably going for a speedrun or something. Or just enjoys leveling faster than everyone else.
Awesomicus: Escapist fantasy.
Clover: Someone who enjoys the lore, and enjoys getting embroiled in the backstory
Adorabella: Roleplayer
Imare: It fails here, admittedly. Possibly a DM of sorts? There were only four strongholds, so one for each player was built. It would also explain how she knows Michael and can read the update text.
Other reasons that I don't think the pony theory is accurate:
I doubt LB would use it, for one. All this game had when it began was "Morrowind!". I'd be surprised if the real secret backstory involved ponies, because it's something that tends to polarize people.
At this point, most theories would work. We have four certain PCs, and Imare, and we only really know the personalites of two of them (SW and AM). Take any group of six or more characters, and you're likely to find two which fit those personalities, and the other personalities are vauge enough that you could fit many characters into them.
Order of the Stick:
Withers: Belkar
Awesomicus: Roy
Clover: Vaarsuvius
Adorabella: Haley (Although that doesn't work well. Still, Withers doesn't fit a pony, so...)
Imare: Elan
That's off the top of my head. I could probably come up with a more fitting list, but eh.
Don't we have five out of the six? :/
No. FS doesn't fit a character, aside from that Nord, but that Nord has never been seen or heard of otherwise, and LB did say there's red herrings.
IronyOwl comparing screenshots to see that the dunmer who walked out of the census office in Episode 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4272340#msg4272340) has the same face and hair as the dunmer who slaughtered the guards in episode 44 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4878568#msg4878568). That's information that's been avaialable to you for a long time, but nobody put it together until recently.
I thought we knew that already, although nobody explicitly compared the pictures. We had already discussed it and decided that Balmora Butcher and Census PC were the same people.
Or, the realization that the withers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withers) is a part of a horse. The name SexyWithersXOXOXO was first mentioned in episode 40 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551466#msg4551466). That was August of last year. So it took ~8 months before somebody noticed that.
Again, I thought this was discussed earlier. Certainly before that long hiatus that you just broke.
How many other things do you think are going on that also haven't noticed? Of course, I realize that's dangerous ground. I'm well versed with the Law of Conservation of Detail (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheLawOfConservationOfDetail) and I've taken great pains to not fall for the trap of doing this:
GM: "You see two doors. One is beautifully crafted oak with an emerald handle containing a hint of mithril filigree and glowing runes."
Player: "What does the other door look like?"
GM: "Oh, it's just a door."
Player: "Gee, I wonder which we should go through."
My respect for your GMing capabilites is ever growing.
So, yes. Both some cackling and facepalming. You guys have a lot of information to work with and it's clearly not trivial to sort out the important information from the coincidences. And from the deliberate Red Herrings (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RedHerring).So, there's red herrings? That hurts the pony theory more than it helps, IMO, because it uses several small, lone clues. Like "withers". Or that nord guy.
For example, that "dunmer sorceress and an orc" back from episode 26, part 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344887#msg4344887) were revealed in this most recent Episode 57 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5232130#msg5232130) to have been Awesomicus and Clover.I'm pretty sure the question of whether those people were other PCs was discussed. People just decided that we didn't have any proof, so it would be a bad idea to make assumptions.
Ok, but according to a filesize to pages converter (http://www.unitarium.com/data), Marooned in Morrowind is presently approximately a 480 page novel, not including pictures. It might not be realistic to casually ask them to come read it in one evening.As much as my opinion's worth, I think this story is certainly as high-quality as a good novel, and has been well worth my time.
Crap, do we have anyone here who's Japanese or Japanese-fluent? Other than me, I mean.
*Checks user stats page*
Huh. You are japanese. Never would have guessed.
Next you'll be saying you're not female.
All the pony speculation - has anything come of it? Anything at all? No. Does it matter? Not that we've had even a shred of evidence of so far.
This, this here. Wonderful point. That's probably one of the best arguments against the pony theory- it hasn't given us anything useful, and if we make assumptions on it that could end poorly. If we assume withers is berserkershy, then maybe someone will come up with the bright idea to try and befriend her while she's murdering around, instead of running.
"Would you like to be my friend?"
"NO!" *stab*
Post by: Araph on April 30, 2014, 11:28:31 am
The reason the ponies theory works is that the characters have shown mannerisms that exactly match what the protagonists of MLP would do: throwing parties with strangers, rolling on the ground laughing at their own jokes, peacefully interacting with otherwise hostile animals, and naming characters based off of admired historical figures (Clover).
Post by: LordBucket on April 30, 2014, 11:41:24 am
do we have anyone here who's Japanese or Japanese-fluent
sukoshi hanashimasu demo dame desu ne. GM desu kara. yare yare. suiseiseki ga youni kikoeru desu. desu kara desu.
I think this story is certainly as high-quality as a good novel, and has been well worth my time.
Thank you. :)
Post by: The_Jester on April 30, 2014, 01:43:14 pm
Episode 57: Have our questions been answered, or did we just make more questions?
Out of nowhere a pair of massive furry arms envelop you from behind, holding you in a powerful deathgrip
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "Nuh-uh! The Vulcan Deathgrip isn't even real!"
...
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "I know! Rawwrrr!!!"
She closes her eyes, raises her paws and animatedly shakes her head back and forth when she says 'rawr.'
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "No, I didn't! 'Rawr' is 'I love you' in dinosaur. I said 'Rawwrrr!!!" which means 'I love you' in werewolf. They aren't even similar. By the way, how come you never told Eddie I said hello?"
...
It's difficult to tell through all the fur and fangs, but you think the werewolf is pouting and giving you puppy-dog eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/anJsNnj.png): "No, they're puppy-werewolf eyes! You really don't remember, do you? You didn't have another deja vue and forget everything did you? Well, if you did that's ok!"
Relevant quotes. In bold is Michael's thought that is directly contradicted in the following sentence. He thinks something, and she responds to the exact language of the thought with a contradiction. That is mind reading.
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 30, 2014, 02:25:08 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 02:52:57 pm
Post by: Baffler on April 30, 2014, 04:28:23 pm
Anyway, another person we should probably talk to at some point would be our old friend Vibius, now stationed in Wolverine Hall (as far as we know.) If he's still there he might be able to tell us something useful.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
He probably would have been a good person to ask about the trip to Tel Fyr, in hindsight.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 04:33:53 pm
Post by: Araph on April 30, 2014, 06:44:01 pm
what do we get from it that simply knowing the characters as they are wouldn't?
What do you get from reading the story? (I'm assuming entertainment, which is what I get from absurd and far-fetched theories being correct.)
More game-related, we would know exactly how to approach each one of them and what to expect from them.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 06:50:02 pm
Post by: syvarris on April 30, 2014, 07:26:51 pm
OotS has some problems. First off, Roy is intelligent and significantly more empathetic than Awesomicus, Elan doesn't have a connection with pink or parties (or mind reading, for that matter), and so on.
The reason the ponies theory works is that the characters have shown mannerisms that exactly match what the protagonists of MLP would do: throwing parties with strangers, rolling on the ground laughing at their own jokes, peacefully interacting with otherwise hostile animals, and naming characters based off of admired historical figures (Clover).
I'll admit that particular example is bad. And that my biggest argument against ponies is "I dislike ponies".
I really really want us to go through with showing a PC the t-shirt.
what do we get from it that simply knowing the characters as they are wouldn't?
What do you get from reading the story? (I'm assuming entertainment, which is what I get from absurd and far-fetched theories being correct.)
More game-related, we would know exactly how to approach each one of them and what to expect from them.
I get enjoyment from reading the story, but I'd lose a little of it if it turned out that the ponies theory is correct. But that's just me, and I understand that people have the opposite opinion.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 07:30:09 pm
EDIT: Nope, it's in our backpack.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 30, 2014, 08:44:29 pm
I've noticed quite a bit that I haven't bothered mentioning because there's nothing to be gained from doing so.
All the pony speculation - has anything come of it? Anything at all? No. Does it matter? Not that we've had even a shred of evidence of so far.
The only thing about it that is even relevant is that the most powerful force in ponydom is the power of friendship, and considering our ability to make friends and the fact those friendships have been shoved in our face, I hope the importance of that to everyone else is equally obvious.
But I still don't know what to do about it.
This, this here. Wonderful point. That's probably one of the best arguments against the pony theory- it hasn't given us anything useful, and if we make assumptions on it that could end poorly. If we assume withers is berserkershy, then maybe someone will come up with the bright idea to try and befriend her while she's murdering around, instead of running.
"Would you like to be my friend?"
"NO!" *stab*
I'm not a fan of the pony theory, either. Even if it was 100% correct, what do we get from it that simply knowing the characters as they are wouldn't?It's better to know and not know what to do with it than just never mention it. What has been relevant or important on its own so far? The fact that we might be the Nerevarine? The fact that we may be from Earth? The rise of Clover? The construction of new guild holdings? Caius leaving? Dagoth Ur's machinations?
If you just shrug at everything and say "this isn't helpful," you're not going to have as much helpful stuff in the long run because you never bothered to accumulate it. It's like finding a LEGO piece, glancing at it, saying there's not enough here to build anything with, and tossing it aside.
We assumed it, but AFAIK nobody ever officially went back to check, or if they did they never reported it. That turned out alright because it turned out to be correct (or as correct as we'd have gotten out of that information), but it's still a relevant gap to point out. What if she hadn't matched? We might have spent a massive amount of time assuming two different people were the same. Or not knowing haircuts were a thing here.IronyOwl comparing screenshots to see that the dunmer who walked out of the census office in Episode 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4272340#msg4272340) has the same face and hair as the dunmer who slaughtered the guards in episode 44 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4878568#msg4878568). That's information that's been avaialable to you for a long time, but nobody put it together until recently.
I thought we knew that already, although nobody explicitly compared the pictures. We had already discussed it and decided that Balmora Butcher and Census PC were the same people.
I am almost positive that we discussed the whithers thing months ago, to be fair. That doesn't negate the fact that we have missed a lot.
As far as I can tell (a search for "withers"), my post on it was the first time anyone pointed it out.Or, the realization that the withers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withers) is a part of a horse. The name SexyWithersXOXOXO was first mentioned in episode 40 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551466#msg4551466). That was August of last year. So it took ~8 months before somebody noticed that.
Again, I thought this was discussed earlier. Certainly before that long hiatus that you just broke.
I think the werewolf deserves quite a bit more thought and discussion by the way. If it is Imare, my suspicion is that LB might be using her as an avatar for Azura, or perhaps a pony with quite a bit more control over Michael than the others. Read the werewolf part again, she literally can read Michael's "thoughts", or text thinking. Deathgrip, puppy dog eyes, and I think at least one other thing. Also, this pretty much confirms that Michael is related to the ponies in some way, as she seems connected with Maximus and Michael.I wouldn't think Azura would be that manic. I'm not really familiar with her, and Daedric Princes probably aren't the simplest of beings, but it still seems weird to have the goddess of dawn and dusk bounce up to us and tell us she loves us in werewolf, which is altogether distinct from dinosaur.
As for the "connection," that's harder to say. Pony Pinkie Pie is very, very friendly; in fact, she makes a deliberate point of being friends with literally every pony in town. Running up and hugging us while calling us by name might not be as significant as it sounds.
Then again, of course, she managed to reach us. If she's bearhugging everyone she recognizes that'd probably slow her down pretty severely. Maybe less so in woofmode because everyone screams and attacks or flees in fear when they see her, but still.
we want to leverage our friendships to gain info which we trade for other info which we can, at one point, maybe, trade in for something that will make us genuinely more powerfulWell that's rather sociopathic. What's wrong with making friends for generic friendmaking and vague potential future gain if they happen to be able to help?
i think
@Irony owl: I don't think you can assume that the voice at the start is anything right now. It could be Azura, or someone else entirely. The "We" thing could mean it was an actual group of entities. Bear in mind that we ourselves are voices, and often use "we" whether referring to ourselves or Michael. Did we kidnap Michael? If you want to look at it like Vivec, he is here because of us, in a meta way.This is my new favorite theory. SORRY MICHAEL SEEMED FUNNY AT THE TIME NO HARD FEELINGS ABOUT THE CLIFF RACERS RIGHT?
Fair point for the rest, but I still think it's important, and I think it's more likely to be Azura or Luna than most other options. Remember also that Michael stated that he can sort of tell the difference between us, so you would think a collective like that would sound more discordant and less obviously female.
Other reasons that I don't think the pony theory is accurate:
I doubt LB would use it, for one. All this game had when it began was "Morrowind!".
i wouldn't dare call friendship relevant, as bucketkins might've pulled it from dozens if not hundreds of other series or just be making up this whole game from scratch (i mean it's a fairly common trope yo)Ah, but that's where you're wrong. It's true that he might have pulled all sorts of inspiration from all sorts of places, but ponies have a special narrative justification: Not only is Michael a brony, but the fact that he's a brony is one of the first things, and one of the only specific things, we ever learn about him.
Reread the first update. We find out that he's a "liberal arts college freshman" who tested into a basic algebra class. We find out that he doesn't play "sports." And we discover his hobbies are limited, but include such highlights as "internet," "games," watching My Little Pony, and reading the occasional on Equestria Daily, your premiere source for MLP fanfics.
HMMMMMMM.
If it wasn't for that, then yeah, okay, ponies would be kind of out of left field. Still not out of the question, but it'd be kind of a dubious narrative decision because it'd rely on recognizing the inner source material to fully get the outer source material. MLP is still fairly widely known and LB in particular is known for it, but I could get the innate skepticism from suggesting that this whole thing reeks of Warcraft or League of Legends.
But ponies? Ponies have been canon since day one.
And that my biggest argument against ponies is "I dislike ponies".Ah. Sorry. :x
I get enjoyment from reading the story, but I'd lose a little of it if it turned out that the ponies theory is correct. But that's just me, and I understand that people have the opposite opinion.
The threat of red herrings is almost always going to hurt a theory more than help it, because it is by definition the threat that some of your information is misleading. Unless that happens to be the exact information getting in your way (like with "Withers" getting in the way of your "not ponies"So, yes. Both some cackling and facepalming. You guys have a lot of information to work with and it's clearly not trivial to sort out the important information from the coincidences. And from the deliberate Red Herrings (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RedHerring).So, there's red herrings? That hurts the pony theory more than it helps, IMO, because it uses several small, lone clues. Like "withers". Or that nord guy.
*Checks user stats page*
Huh. You are japanese. Never would have guessed.
sukoshi hanashimasu demo dame desu ne. GM desu kara. yare yare. suiseiseki ga youni kikoeru desu. desu kara desu.I-I wasn't talking about the language, baka.
But as long as I'm here:
Spoiler: Exhibit A (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Exhibit B (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Exhibit C (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Exhibit D (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Exhibit E (click to show/hide)
Post by: GlyphGryph on April 30, 2014, 09:04:23 pm
Here's what I would like to see someone do next: I'd like to see them pull up all of our friends - as in, the real friends we've made so far during the game. Every one of them.
Because I'm starting to get an idea of something we should do.
We've got an existential threat to Morrowind. Our personal growth is meager, but if there's one thing we have it is friends. Forget the ponies - they are potential future friends at best. If this game is pony-related though, friendship will end up being an important theme.
And our newest "friend" in this ramshackle house has demonstrated something about us, the one thing that is truly incredibly, potentially. We can help other people be better than they would otherwise. We are a valuable friend, and our value makes our friends more valuable to us.
We've got a magic school now, to practice, so we can be somewhat competent on our own. But although we've met this "pony PCs", we are not friends with any of them. We simply aren't. Maybe we should consider ceasing to base our game around personal advancement and these people that are "important" but don't actually mean anything to us, and maybe we should bring up what's going on with the people we actually like - after all, they have arguably more to lose from it than us, and if they decide to join with us in our goal of stopping Dagoth Ur, trying to level up the skills of 5+ characters simultaneously is actually going to be a LOT more effective and a lot more dangerous sooner than shuffling around by ourselves.
And to be honest, we are currently in Seyda Neen. Did we make any friends here aside from our new friend? Why not let our new friend be our first? His city was just attacked! He should realize something important is up. He seemed interested in us, and our life.
Let's stop playing Vanilla Morrowind, and start imagining we are playing the game with the companion mod on, and start building ourselves a goddamn posse yo! And this Draren is practically begging us to invite him along on one!
Post by: Araph on April 30, 2014, 09:30:54 pm
"CITIZENS OF BALMORA BEWARE!!!!"
"THE DOOMPOCALYPSE IS UPON YOU!"
"HAVE AT THEE, VILE VILLAINS!"
"HA HA! THIRTY POINTS!!!"
She's not just messing around, that's how she talks! 'Ha ha, thirty points'? Mo' like 'Ha ha the fun has been doubled', amirite? 'Have at thee' is totally some old English-ish thing Luna would say. Also, her speech is blue and echo-y.
"Maybe even a bit socially awkward. And kind of loud. No indoor voice."
"Still, she had that forbbiden fruit kind of appeal I just can't resist. Imagine if the big-boobed hot girl had a younger sister. You know you're not supposed to touch her or else she'll beat you up, but you still want to. That was SexyWithers all over."
Loud? Or ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE?
Older sister->Celestia. Also known as THE PONY IN LORDBUCKET'S AVATAR I MEAN COME ON
Guys, SexyWithers is Gamer Luna.
EDIT:
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "The girl was a borderline lunatic, really."
Heh. Lunatic.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 09:31:45 pm
Now, there are degrees to this. If the pony theory is true:
-Best case scenario: these characters have pony aspects because they originate from aspects of Michael, and Michael is a huge fanboy.
-Similar to above, but this whole thing is a trippy spiritualistic, introspective coma/fever dream and the pony aspects show up because they're strong in Michael's psyche
-Worst case scenario: this has been entirely about MLP the whole time, and putting Michael in Morrowind was just a means to an end for someone in that franchise.
Post by: Putnam on April 30, 2014, 09:35:47 pm
Post by: Araph on April 30, 2014, 09:39:12 pm
Basically, imagine that you read all the way through Lord of the Rings, only for Invader Zim to come in at the end.
To be fair, we're reading a forum game in which a random guy from a world very similar to ours is thrown into a video game world that operates in ways that are similar to the actual game, but still very different. Canon has been defiled already, and whether or not there are ponies as players, internal consistency is still, well, consistent. The only other data point we have is Michael's insertion into the world, which means no matter what happens next it still forms a straight line on the internal-consistency-graph.
Also, it's LordBucket's game, so he can kinda do whatever he wants with it. We're trying to draw conclusions from what's happened, and this is just the theory that fits nearly perfectly with what's happened.
I think you might be mildly exaggerating the pony influence? It's still mostly Morrowind.
That's very possible, but from what I've seen, every possible PC we've met has corresponded nearly exactly with a character from MLP. Combine that with the fact that one of Michael's first characterizations was that he's a brony and how LordBucket has explicitly said that he's planned something out that is internally consistent starting from the beginning AND that he's said we've missed things, it makes me feel the theory holds water.
EDIT: Also, sorry if I'm getting really vocal and obnoxious. If I am, let me know and I'll stop it. I just got really excited over the prospect of solving plot puzzles, whether or not they're dependent on harebrained theories.
Post by: gman8181 on April 30, 2014, 10:10:52 pm
Not to mention he had delivered on the Morrowind aspect. Who cares if he introduces a bit of something else be enjoys into it?
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 10:17:53 pm
I think you might be mildly exaggerating the pony influence? It's still mostly Morrowind.Indeed. All I'm saying is, it would be disappointing if the theory was true, and I was outlining scenarios from least disappointing to most disappointing (the best case one wouldn't be too bad, actually). I'm not trying to change the story, I'm just saying I'd be disappointed.
Best case (least disappointing) IF the theory is true would be the resemblence being due to some aspect of Michael being represented in these characters. Worst case (most dissapointing) would be if it turns out this whole thing was machinated by a MLP character. That would be the worst because it would mean the Morrowind aspect gets entirely subsumed by the MLP.
Not saying it's internally inconsistent either, but if it's about ponies, the evidence at the start is only obvious in hindsight so it's not fair to say we should have known going in. And I think the biggest cause of vehement objection to the pony theory is fear that it's the second scenario. Though I think LB is a better writer than that.
Post by: LordBucket on April 30, 2014, 10:35:22 pm
it's LordBucket's game, so he can kinda do whatever he wants with it.
No. I'm just the GM. I'm responsible for the world. It's up to you guys what you do with it.
Post by: Baffler on April 30, 2014, 10:37:45 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 30, 2014, 10:50:06 pm
Quote
It would be like finding out at the very end of Game of Thrones that Darth Vader was somehow pulling all of the strings.
Reread Conversations With Vivec.
Compare and contrast what Vivec said with what Divayth and Yagrum said.
Consider the implications.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 30, 2014, 11:30:19 pm
I may have misspoken. I'm not eloquent enough to put it into words myself, at least not without ending up saying something else entirely, but I just think it would be disappointing for a Morrowind LP with a great story to suddenly morph into something very different. It would be like finding out at the very end of Game of Thrones that Darth Vader was somehow pulling all of the strings.A better way to say would be after finding out that the Game of Thrones world has been a planet in Star Wars the whole time, you look back and see clues that are completely obvious in hindsight. It doesn't make it any less jarring, simply because the premise you thought you knew and knew you loved has been consumed by something else.
In retrospect, I think someone is indeed pulling strings, but the most obvious candidate would be Azura. She seems to have much more of an influence in this world than usual. Of course, that might be too obvious.
Bear in mind the ponies theory can be correct without literally meaning that MLP canon is directly involved. As per the original wording of the theory, they may simply be patterned on MLP characters, rather than due to those characters themselves playing Morrowind. As I said, this may be a product of whatever metaphysical process put Michael here in the first place.
Looking over the evidence, another possiblity arises: this world might in fact revolve around Michael. Not in the sense that he's the most important person to culture or geopolitics, but metaphysically, with lots of emphasis on the "Meta". Most of this evidence comes from Vivec. From his point of view, Michael literally came into existence at the start of the narration, just to enter this game. But he also implied the converse:
(http://i.imgur.com/lt6t4Ri.png): "What about the Ministry of Truth?"This implies that, from Vivec's point of view, this world came into being (with all the history presumably forming retroactively) around the same time, just so Michael could enter it and be the protagonist of this forum game.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "I'm not holding it up. From my point of view, it's been hovering a couple hundred feet from the ground for the entire history of the universe."
Furthermore (and remember that we only have a single data point for this one), it's still possible that Michael's death resets the world. LB never explicitly denied it, just cautioned us to avoid dying since the implications of other possibilities of what could happen upon our death are horrific. And I'm not eager to get us killed again. But it is a possibility.
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 01, 2014, 12:11:42 am
Post by: WillowLuman on May 01, 2014, 12:16:20 am
Post by: LordBucket on May 01, 2014, 12:18:33 am
Yes, let's get some action votes in. Anyone else have suggestions? I'd be willing to start the next episode tonight, but just glancing over bolded comments from the past few pages, the current count looks to be roughly:
(3) Talk to people you don't know where they are
(2) Make inquiries around Seyda Neen
(2) Hang out with Draren
(1) Go grind skills
(1) Go to Pelagiad
(1) Go to Bella Manor
Post by: WillowLuman on May 01, 2014, 12:22:54 am
Post by: IronyOwl on May 01, 2014, 02:13:12 am
Grind crabs
Chat with Draren
In roughly that order.
In particular, I'd like to find out what Draren does for a living. He's presumably just some common laborer or peasant, but what exactly does that entail?
In any case, I approve of encouraging him to better himself, on us or otherwise. If he's interested I'd totally be down for having him come harass slaughterfish with us.
I have to agree with syvarris. At the beginning, Michael's bronyism just seemed like characterization, not a GM promise that "hey guys this is gonna be about ponies." I think you can concede that most us of came here for Morrowind, not ponies. Basically, imagine that you read all the way through Lord of the Rings, only for Invader Zim to come in at the end. You'd feel duped, wouldn't you? Like the entire story was an elaborate setup just to make an Invader Zim reference. It'd be as if the deeper narrative thread you thought was there the whole time turns out to be an appeal to go watch Invader Zim.
I'm with Putnam in not really getting all this. If I start reading a Star Wars novel and a Lannister shows up halfway through, I'm not likely to feel cheated and betrayed. Even if it turns out to be Emperor Lannister who's working on a planet-sized Voltron rather than a Death Star, I'm not sure why I'd mind unless the transition was extreme or poorly done. If Azura turns out to be an incarnation of Luna, would that somehow invalidate all of Morrowind and all the Morrowinding we've done so far? If the Nerevarine is ponies, would you say this has all been for naught?I may have misspoken. I'm not eloquent enough to put it into words myself, at least not without ending up saying something else entirely, but I just think it would be disappointing for a Morrowind LP with a great story to suddenly morph into something very different. It would be like finding out at the very end of Game of Thrones that Darth Vader was somehow pulling all of the strings.A better way to say would be after finding out that the Game of Thrones world has been a planet in Star Wars the whole time, you look back and see clues that are completely obvious in hindsight. It doesn't make it any less jarring, simply because the premise you thought you knew and knew you loved has been consumed by something else.
This implies that, from Vivec's point of view, this world came into being (with all the history presumably forming retroactively) around the same time, just so Michael could enter it and be the protagonist of this forum game.I don't see how it could have reset, though, because we were still doing roughly what we were doing at the time. What parts of it would be "resetting" exactly? Not us, or the people around us, or the things we've done, as far as we can tell. Nor anything we've noticed, not that we've noticed a ton.
Furthermore (and remember that we only have a single data point for this one), it's still possible that Michael's death resets the world. LB never explicitly denied it, just cautioned us to avoid dying since the implications of other possibilities of what could happen upon our death are horrific. And I'm not eager to get us killed again. But it is a possibility.
Post by: Baffler on May 01, 2014, 06:12:21 am
I have to agree with syvarris. At the beginning, Michael's bronyism just seemed like characterization, not a GM promise that "hey guys this is gonna be about ponies." I think you can concede that most us of came here for Morrowind, not ponies. Basically, imagine that you read all the way through Lord of the Rings, only for Invader Zim to come in at the end. You'd feel duped, wouldn't you? Like the entire story was an elaborate setup just to make an Invader Zim reference. It'd be as if the deeper narrative thread you thought was there the whole time turns out to be an appeal to go watch Invader Zim.I'm with Putnam in not really getting all this. If I start reading a Star Wars novel and a Lannister shows up halfway through, I'm not likely to feel cheated and betrayed. Even if it turns out to be Emperor Lannister who's working on a planet-sized Voltron rather than a Death Star, I'm not sure why I'd mind unless the transition was extreme or poorly done. If Azura turns out to be an incarnation of Luna, would that somehow invalidate all of Morrowind and all the Morrowinding we've done so far? If the Nerevarine is ponies, would you say this has all been for naught?I may have misspoken. I'm not eloquent enough to put it into words myself, at least not without ending up saying something else entirely, but I just think it would be disappointing for a Morrowind LP with a great story to suddenly morph into something very different. It would be like finding out at the very end of Game of Thrones that Darth Vader was somehow pulling all of the strings.A better way to say would be after finding out that the Game of Thrones world has been a planet in Star Wars the whole time, you look back and see clues that are completely obvious in hindsight. It doesn't make it any less jarring, simply because the premise you thought you knew and knew you loved has been consumed by something else.
No, definitely not invalidated. I'm just saying that it would be a particularly extreme transition. But anyway, a +1 to asking around Seyda Neen, hanging out with Draren, and grinding some more.
Post by: The_Jester on May 01, 2014, 07:23:09 am
No, definitely not invalidated. I'm just saying that it would be a particularly extreme transition. But anyway, a +1 to asking around Seyda Neen, hanging out with Draren, and grinding some more.
+1. Ask around about Maximus and the werewolf, what happened with the Ash creature, and where they all went. Don't spend too much time with Draren, but definitely invite him to grind with us.
Post by: hostergaard on May 01, 2014, 08:04:42 am
+1 to asking around Seyda Neen, hanging out with Draren, and grinding some more.
+1 Because why not?
Also, I have some ideas and various loose thoughts that may or may not be correct, I haven't finished working them out.
First, one is that it seems like we met that werewolf before , and that she might be the NPC Imare (I-mare. I mare. I haven't bought the pony theory, but there is something for those who have). While the sample is small she did not show the abilities she did as a werewolf regarding reading the narrative and showing awareness of real world knowledge like the Vulcan death grip (altough it have been implied that many cultural aspect may be shared). It may be that she is a NPC turned PC.
It is possible that the other PC are too, are turned NPC. They aparence concedes with the dissaperence of NPC's. Like the dunmer sorceress and an orc appearing after Vodunius and Thavere left in episode . Might be a coincidence tough.
So how would they become PC? Its possible that Michael is the cause. In the sermons with Vivec Michael might have achieved CHIM (The world is a dream of a god, implied to be the the player, and every being in the dream is part of that gods mind in being its dream. Awarness of this, CHIM, allows the being to affect the world like a lucid dreamer would, if he does not "wake up" from the realization) and thus inadvertently affecting the world trough it.
By asking Imare if she is playing a game he might have caused her to become a PC. Perhaps making her like Michael.
They might all be like Micheal, but some might lack the awareness of this. We might have been put in there in the same manner. And might have replaced someone else.
She is also referencing Déjà vu, it is possible that we may have interacted with her and had then had a Déjà vu outside the narrative we are served. She seems to know us better than our one encounter implies, hell, I don't think we ever gave her Michael name. But whe never had Déjà vu's after meeting her as far as I know. She mentioned forgetting stuff when Déjà vu'ing. And we could not remember much when asked by Vivec, so perhaps our entree into Morrowind was an episode of Déjà vu and we forgot everything before that.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 01, 2014, 10:47:23 am
If you remember, the world did reset when we died. Not all the way to the beginning, just to a point several hours before, wiping out the events of 2 episodes. It's not entirely certain that it happened because we died, but it did happen.This implies that, from Vivec's point of view, this world came into being (with all the history presumably forming retroactively) around the same time, just so Michael could enter it and be the protagonist of this forum game.I don't see how it could have reset, though, because we were still doing roughly what we were doing at the time. What parts of it would be "resetting" exactly? Not us, or the people around us, or the things we've done, as far as we can tell. Nor anything we've noticed, not that we've noticed a ton.
Furthermore (and remember that we only have a single data point for this one), it's still possible that Michael's death resets the world. LB never explicitly denied it, just cautioned us to avoid dying since the implications of other possibilities of what could happen upon our death are horrific. And I'm not eager to get us killed again. But it is a possibility.
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 01, 2014, 06:54:53 pm
A better way to say would be after finding out that the Game of Thrones world has been a planet in Star Wars the whole time, you look back and see clues that are completely obvious in hindsight. It doesn't make it any less jarring, simply because the premise you thought you knew and knew you loved has been consumed by something else.I would read that story. And I don't like star wars. Or ponies.
+1 and in that order. We could ask Draren to come with us grinding, we practice destruction and he Restoration.+1 to asking around Seyda Neen, hanging out with Draren, and grinding some more.
+1 Because why not?
Post by: LordBucket on May 01, 2014, 10:18:04 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 01, 2014, 10:19:57 pm
Grind crabs
Post by: LordBucket on May 02, 2014, 07:25:48 pm
Quote
go look around the town for Awesomicus/the werewolf
Quote
let's take care of business around Seyda Neen before we go anywhere else.
Quote
Inquire at people far braver than we were
Quote
+1 to asking around Seyda Neen
Quote
+1
You cross the bridge and head into town. The street is mostly deserted, with only Fargoth wandering around.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Excuse me, Fargoth?"
(http://i.imgur.com/H0WjtD7.png): "Hello, stranger. Do I know you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/H0WjtD7.png): "I see. Well, my time is short so I hope you won't take too much of my time."
You blink. The guy was seriously meandering aimlessly in the middle of town. What's his hurry?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happened last night?"
(http://i.imgur.com/H0WjtD7.png): "Werewolf attack. The guards killed it though."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Whoa, really? After it died did it revert to its natural form? Was it a tall altmer woman?"
(http://i.imgur.com/H0WjtD7.png): "No, it was some sort of ash monster."
The Sleeper? That can't be right. Maybe Fargoth isn't the best source of information here. You thank him and step into the Census office, where you find Sellus Gravius on top of the hill giving a briefing to some soldiers.
(http://i.imgur.com/Clh5vs4.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "-odds of that are rather slim, Recruit. But there are no bad questions. Anyone else?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, sir. If we've no idea where they'll next strike, why are we being assigned to Seyda Neen? Certainly there are more important towns to defend?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "There are, yes. And in fact the General believes a followup attack is highly unlikely. Your presence here is mostly to reassure the citizens."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "How long will this assignment last?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "A week, at most. But I wouldn't count on resuming the usual monthly rotations afterwards. We're on high alert. More attacks are expected, and you'll all be shuffling around at irregular intervals. Weekend leave and end of tour retirement have both been suspended until the crisis is resolved."
There's some grumbling at that last bit.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "When will reinforcements be arriving from the mainland?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "You'd have to ask Officer Vantinius. And if he tells you, let the rest of us know."
There's some chuckling at that. You take advantage of the lull to ask a question of your own.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Even if we don't know when, are reinforcements definitely coming? Do we know how much help we can expect?"
The assembled legionnaires turn to look at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "Darius requested a full cohort. I don't know if we'll get that, but word is every officers on the island signed his report. "
If you remember your Legion training correctly, a cohort is 360 foot soldiers and 120 mounted troops. 480 men. Nearly a fifth the entire estimated population of Vvardenfell. Enough to put a dozen men in every town, city and fort, and still have over a hundred leftover to march across the island. It seems the Legion is taking this situation very seriously. Morrowind is either about to become very safe, or things are about to go very wrong.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Why the delay? Surely it wouldn't take more than a few days to get the required authorization and begin recalling in?"
Sellus shakes his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "They'll be sailed in. The logistics of teleporting that many men are complicated. Even setting that aside, there are political implications. Remember, Morrowind has had only a minimal garrison for centuries. If hundreds of troops suddenly show up unannounced that could make the local powers exceedingly nervous. The situation is serious, but nobody benefits from making the Telvanni or Tribunal Temple think we're violating the Armistice"
Well, at least they're being careful about it. It was what, three weeks between the attack on Khuul and the attack on Seyda Neen? And the Legion successfully repelled last night's attack using only available forces. They can probably afford to take a few weeks smoothing things over politically before they bring in reinforcements.
A few more questions are asked before Sellus Gravius orders his men to begin their patrol. You wait for them to file out then approach him.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Commander?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "What can I do for you, Recruit?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What happened last night?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "We received a tip that an attack on Seyda Neen was imminent. Darius reinforced the town with a dozen men and a few hours later a werewolf and an ash creature resembling the one reported in Khuul both showed up. The ash creature was dispatched by Champion Awesomicus Maximus. The werewolf escaped. 8 Legionnaires died."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Any idea what their objective was?"
He sighs.
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "I'd love to know for sure, but only Maximus and some civilians survived the attack. My perimeter patrols all reported that first they knew anything was the wrong was when they walked into town and saw bodies. Personally, I was performing a dock inspection and by the time I joined the battle it was already over. From what I can gather from the, shall we say incongruous survivor's reports, the werewolf attacked only Legionnaires, and the ash creature attacked only Imperial civilians. No elves of any race were harmed. That's consistent with the Khuul interpretation that this was intended to be a racial cleansing, but if I examine this attack on its own without Khuul in mind, to me it looks like an act of revolution against the Empire."
That kind of makes sense. But, you'd assumed Dagoth Ur's interest in you was more than to simply kill you for being an Imperial. You decide not to volunteer that you were the 'Imperial civilian' it was after. Although, come to think of it, it seems unlikely that Seyda Neen was attacked solely because you were here. The Sleeper did offer to spare Seyda Neen if you went with it, but you'd guessed that your presence was a coincidence of timing. Is it possible the attack only happened because Dagoth Ur knew you were here? That's a frightening possibility. But the pattern mostly matched the attack on Khuul. It seems more likely that it was merely a coincidence that you happened to be here during the attack. In which case, apparently the Sleeper saw you and was willing to abandon the attack because you were a more important target? That's not exactly a comforting possibility. Why are you so important to Dagoth Ur? The simplest explanation, of course, is that you're the Nerevarine. But if so, how would he know? Nerevar was supposed to be a contemporary of Dagoth Ur, Sotha Sil, Almalexia and Vivec...but Vivec didn't identify you as his reincarnated friend. Though come to think of it you don't remember him ever saying that you weren't either. But if it turns out that you're not the reincarnation of Indoril Nerevar, suddenly that makes Dagoth Ur's interest in you all the more perplexing.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about Awesomicus?"
Sellus squeezes the bridge of his nose and slowly takes a deep breath.
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "According to his report, after single-handedly defeating the ash creature and the 15 demonic hell beasts it summoned...and a dragon...he gave chase to the werewolf and they fought a mighty duel while jumping from rooftop to rooftop. With him blindfolded to keep it fair. Then some sort of four legged angel appeared to tell him he was the chosen one, and during that conversation the werewolf escaped, loudly proclaiming how lucky it was to have survived to brag to all its werewolf buddies that it got to fight him. The angel then apologized for interrupting, told Awesomicus how awesome he was, and asked for an autograph."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Out of curiosity, did any of the civilian reports corroborate any of that?"
Sellus looks at you like you're an idiot for even asking.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So what happened after the autograph?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "That's when the dragon army showed up to make him their king for slaying their vile oppressor, and also when I remembered how busy I was and ordered him to give the rest of his report to General Darius instead. He recalled out, babbling something or another about 'epic loot.'"
So presumably he thinks he's on that 'epic quest chain' you told him about. Come to think of it, what was he doing in Seyda Neen? Didn't he tell the other legionnaires when he first arrived that 'whats-his-name' had asked him to come defend the village? He already WAS on a quest to do the very same thing you told him to do. So why would he report back to you, the inconsequential npc with supporting dialogue, rather than the guy who told him to go defend Seyda Neen in the first place?
Quote
another person we should probably talk to at some point would be our old friend Vibius
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "One last question if you don't mind, can you tell me where Patrolman Vibius is stationed?"
Sellus looks through his papers.
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "According to what I have, he's at Fort Buckmoth this month. Though it's possible he might have been reassigned. We've had some shuffling, what with the attack last night."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about Strillian Macro?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "General has him doing deadman comm runs. Stick around you might see him."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Deadman comm runs?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "He's recalling to several different stations every few hours. If he doesn't show up, or doesn't report back, that alerts everyone that something's up."
Huh. That's clever.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "When's he next expected here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "Need to know, Recruit."
You thank him for his time and head outside.
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find more out about our new friend
Quote
Chat with Draren
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I fully support maintaining cordial relations with as many people as feasible
You head back to Draren's house, passing several legionniares on the way. When you arrive, the door is locked. With time to kill, you have a seat and practice some Destruction magic.
Destruction skill is now 13
Would be nice to get in some melee training but you still don't have any way to heal yourself apart from the 'fight for two minutes then sleep for 8 hours' routine. Plus, you're hesitant to hurt yourself to near death and then simply hope for the best running back to town like you were doing last night. Instead, you have a chat with the voices.
Quote
every possible PC we've met has corresponded nearly exactly with a character from MLP
Quote
Guys, SexyWithers is Gamer Luna.
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Awesomicus is actually Rainbow Dash.
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The werewoof is almost certainly Pinkie
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Clover is Twilight Sparkle
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Fluttershy was supposed to be that Nord
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Adorabella matches Rarity exceedingly well
Michael, clearly lost in thought, is silent for a long time. After a couple false starts, opening his mouth, changing his mind and closing it again, eventually he speaks.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I know you guys have been keeping secrets from me. Ever since you did that thing where you tried to send me a picture but I couldn't see it, you've been doing that same thing, whatever it is...so that I can't hear you. But before that you sent me a picture I DID get. You remember. The one that looked like a pony changeling? That got me thinking. And ever since then, there have been occasional little tidbits that have slipped through. Just every now and then I'd hear a little comment that was obviously in response to somebody who said something I couldn't hear. And now you're openly talking about it without bothering to keep it a secret from me. So I've got to ask: ponies?"
Michael casts another fleabite spell as his magicka replenishes.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What can I say? I mean, I see it. I totally see it. Awesomicus flying and crashing into Draren's house? Just like Rainbow Dash crashing into Twilight's library. Clover the Clever in a purple robe surrounded by books? Much like the purple unicorn Twilight Sparkle who also likes books and happened to play a character by the same name? Pink party girl, possibly a friendly werewolf who loves hugging people and knows things she shouldn't? Like what a Vulcan is? Where did she even get that dress? Is there any pink clothing in Morrowind?"
Quote
Clover the Clever
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Imare I-mare. I mare.
Quote
"SexyWithersXOXOXO." The withers is a ridge on the back of a horse.
Quote
Heh. Lunatic.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah. Look at the names. Clover the Clever? Seriously? This has been staring us in the face, jumping up and down and waving for our attention for a long time now. Yagrum called SexyWithers a lunatic for crying out loud. A LUNA tic. And don't pretend you guys haven't known about it for a lot longer than you're admitting to. Remember, it was YOUR idea to give 'Friendship is Magic' to Vivec as a passcode so he'd recognize me if I ever sent him another letter. You guys somehow sent me a picture of a pony changeling in my head forever ago. You were literally putting ponies into MY head. Back when a few of you were trying to talk me into suiciding to take advantage of time reverts, we talked about a MLP fanfic that used the same premise. You've all been speculating about 'PCs' and having me ask people if they are practically almost since I got here, and there's one voice in particular among you whose been talking about his 'PCs are ponies' theory for almost half my entire time in Morrowind. So, yeah. Don't pretend this is any big surprise."
Michael pauses and attempts another spellcast. It fails.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But what does it mean? Did Discord bring me here? If you remember, that was one of my first guesses when I first arrived here in Morrowind. But I have a tough time imagining Discord bringing me here and not showing up to gloat about it. Did I hit my head when I fell from my chair and I'm in a hospital right now imagining this whole thing and both the pony thing and the Morrowind thing are happening only because that's what I was looking at on my computer when I hit my head? Am I in mental hospital hallucinating this whole thing? That would explain you guys talking in my head pretty well. Obviously I hope that's not the case. But what's really going on here?"
Quote
these characters have pony aspects because they originate from aspects of Michael, and Michael is a huge fanboy.
Quote
they may simply be patterned on MLP characters
Quote
those characters themselves playing Morrowind
Quote
this whole thing was machinated by a MLP character
Quote
this is a possible .Hack coma?
Quote
I'm starting to like the notion that this is the same general idea as the movie,
where some rogue pony flees to another dimension and must for some reason be stopped.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sure. Could be any of those things. Why not? My point is, 'PCs are ponies' doesn't explain anything. This isn't Equestria. This is Morrowind. I think we're past the point where we can seriously pretend that ponies have nothing to do with what's going on here. Yes, people are obviously acting like ponies. Some of them are even obviously named after ponies. Clover the Clever is an actual pony who is portrayed in MLP. Season 2, I think. If we're going to ignore that we may as well ignore the fact that werewolf girl was talking about Vulcans from Star Trek. Obviously there's some kind of awareness of things not-Morrowind here. For example, it's come up a couple times that people have used 'gamer speak' like Folms Mirel in Caldera talking about DoTs and several of you have pointed out that Nalcarya was talking about a singular 'god' that didn't sound anything at all like the Imperial or Tribunal pantheons. And yes, some people are acting like ponies. But WHY are there people acting like ponies in Morrowind? And why do they know about Star Trek? Why are people who nobody thinks are ponies using gamer slang and talking about a monotheistic god? And more importantly, at least as far as I'm concerned, what about me? Why am I here? How do I fit into any of this?"
Quote
we're back in the running for being Spike
Michael frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I don't want to be Spike. He's kind of a loser. If it turns out that I'm just Twilight Sparkle's little assistant and all that's going on is that we all got transported to Morrowind and lost our memories and we're now supposed to reunite and use the 'Power of Friendship' to remember who we are and return to Equestria...which, trite as that is, even that doesn't make sense. We bumped into SexyWithers on our first day here, but Clover and Awesomicus apparently didn't show up until much later. If Sexy is Luna and I'm Spike, why would the two of us have arrived in Morrowind at the same time but in different places, yet Twilight and Rainbow Dash arrived weeks later together? Even if we propose I was in Canterlot helping Luna with some magical experiment that went awry and resulted in us being sent us to Morrowind...for some reason, and that Celestia later sent Twilight to come rescue us, why would she have come with only Rainbow Dash, and not the rest of the mane six? Remember, Darvame and Ranis said those two were travelling together, and everypony else we've-"
Michael facepalms.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Damn it, now I'm saying 'everypony.' The others weren't with them. Why would they come alone? Anyway, even if something like that really is what's going on, what kind of ending would that be for me? A few months ago we were talking about me ASCENDING TO GODHOOD. And now you're trying to claim I'm just a baby dragon library assistant and the 'big win' in store for me is to go back to Equestria so I can spend my time endlessly rearranging books for an obsessive-compulsive neurotic unicorn and pining over a pony who obviously doesn't want me? No thank you. Not interested."
Michael casts another fleabite spell while he considers his last statement.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, I take that back. I'd rather be Spike than a corprus beast. But I'm pretty sure we can do better than either of those options. We need to find out what's going on, and then decide what we're going to do about it."
Quote
the new construction near Dren Plantation. Being located near an existing plantation makes me suspect it's a farm
itself, and Applejack is shown working on her farm fairly frequently. The odds that her equivalent is there at any
given moment sounds reasonably likely
Michael nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah. I think that's a good idea. If this pony theory is correct, she's the one member of the mane six we haven't met yet, right? So I propose we go to the Dren Plantation, find this new stronghold, and confront her. Applejack is the Element of Honesty. She won't lie to us, she won't speak in riddles like Vivec and finding her doesn't depend on getting to a shrine in a cave on cliff on an island in the middle of nowhere like Azura. If truth is what we want, Applejack seems like our best bet for finding it right now."
Destruction skill is now 15
Around noon it starts raining. A few minutes later Draren shows up.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on May 02, 2014, 07:26:45 pm
Episode 58, part 2:Adventuring with Draren Thiralas
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Michael?"
Quote
ask him if he'd be interested accompanying us on an adventure.
Quote
I approve of encouraging him to better himself, on us or otherwise. If he's interested
I'd totally be down for having him come harass slaughterfish with us.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Draren. Hello. I was going to do some skill training, and I thought I'd stop by to see if you wanted to join me."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Really?" he blurts out. "I'd love to!"
Companion gained: Draren Thiralas
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I don't suppose you have any weapons or armor or anything?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Will a kitchen knife do?"
You shrug.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Sure, bring it along. "
Quote
continue training
Quote
Grind crabs
Quote
When we go back to combat training, hunt for mudcrabs instead.
The two of you chat on your way to go find mighty mudcrabs to heroicly slay. It doesn't take long before you find one.
(http://i.imgur.com/FBwA0Bp.png)
It takes even less time to dispatch it. Draren remains enthusiastic, but it's clear that his fighting skills are much worse than yours and his kitchen knife is worthless against mudcrab hide. He quickly resolves to stand back and play healer.
Block is now 7
Shortblade is now 9
Within minutes you find a second mudcrab, and dispatch it too. Then a scrib. Finding nothing else to fight, you attack it. It paralyzes you several times but it presents little difficulty.
Light armor is now 26
Unfortunately, after that you find that there simply aren't any more mudcrabs around Seyda Neen, leading you to trek further into the jungle.
(http://i.imgur.com/ruSZFJw.png)
Which brings you within sight of a cliff racer. Fortunately it seems to have a difficult time smelling you through the rain, and you manage to dispatch a third mudcrab without getting close enough to attract any aerial attacks.
Shortblade is now 10
Block is now 8
That's about when you notice Draren pausing to scrape some mushrooms.
Quote
I'd like to find out what Draren does for a living. He's presumably just
some common laborer or peasant, but what exactly does that entail?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, Draren. Are you an alchemist?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "No, nothing like that. I just collect herbs to sell to Arrille. Most months that brings in enough money to pay the rent. Some months, not so much. There's a lot of competition collecting ingredients in these parts, and I'm not much of a fighter or caster so I can't go very far into the jungle. I'd never come even this far if you weren't here with me. Thanks for the invitation, by the way. Life's been dull lately. You breaking into...not breaking into my house is the best thing that's happened to me in years."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It was actually Awesomicus who crashed through your roof, not me. Anyway, who taught you about herbs?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "My mother, before she died. Along with a little restoration and mysticism. But I never got very good with either."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Why's that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "I never thought I'd need to." He looks uncomfortable. "I suppose I can tell you. Our family was reasonably wealthy until my generation. We still have our ancestral tomb in the Grazelands, but we lost our house and most of our fortune in a bad business deal with the East Empire Company."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Really? You come from money? I did notice that you speak a bit differently than most dunmer I've met in Seyda Neen. You're not always calling me 'sera' all the time."
He nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "That's mostly a lower class expression used when speaking to one's betters."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Really? I hadn't realized."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Yes. For example, you've met the caravaneer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Darvame?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Yes. She calls her customers sera. But have you ever heard Arille call you that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Now that you mention it, no. But he has a servant who calls him sera."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Yes, that's why. Arille's a patrician. Darvame's parents were peasants."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "She seems nice enough."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Yes. Well mannered girl. I wish her well. But she grew up thinking other people were better than her, and she'll probably see herself that way all her life. It's not even about money. If she struck it rich tomorrow, she'd still think the same way. Whereas me, I went from well off to picking plants to pay for my shack in the slums, but I still don't feel the need to bow and scrape to everyone."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I guess that makes sense."
The two of you venture northish, generally keeping to the road. At one point you pass a legionnaire patrolling the road, and Draren explains that while the mudcrabs mostly keep to the waterline, cliff racers generally avoid the roads because of the patrols.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Cliff racers are that smart?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "You'd be surprised."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, Draren?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about Nix hounds? How smart are they?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Not nearly as smart as they are dangerous. Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/6i07gIK.png)
The fight with the nix hound proves to be largely a stalemate. Draren is not a very good healer, and you're not very good at hitting things, but you've become surprisingly good at taking hits. This allows Draren to more or less keep pace with the damage, but by now your dagger is so worn that you can't penetrate the hound's hide very well. It's much like the fight with the rat on that fighter's guild quest. Your healer is keeping you alive, but you just can't hurt your opponent.
Light armor is now 28
Block is now 9
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "I can't keep casting forever."
For a moment you're unsure what to do. Run back to Seyda Neen and depend on Draren to keep you alive? Try to find that legionnaire you passed earlier? You really, really need to remember to get some panic potions for situations like this. Fortunately you remember you still have your magic viper blade. You pull off your pack and quickly rummage through it, the nix hound clawing into you all the while.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "What are you doing?!?!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Just keep me alive."
After the weapon swap the hound is dead within several hits.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Well done. I was worried we weren't going to make it."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Me too. My dagger's blunt from all those mudcrabs. I couldn't hurt it. If I hadn't had that other dagger we might have died."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Fortunately you did, and we didn't."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah, but I'd rather keep it as our panic weapon than use it until it gets blunt too and then die out here. Let's head back to town."
The trip back to Seyda Neen is uneventful, though Draren again stops to pick from some tree mushrooms. For a moment this annoys you, as you'd sort of hoped to be doing that yourself. But the guy is keeping you alive, and he obviously needs to be getting something out of the trip. He can just as easily practice restoration without you as you can practice destruction without him.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, Draren, I have a great idea. You can't come out this far alone to pick ingredients, and I can't fight monsters without someone to heal me. But together, we can do this. So how about I guard you while you pick flowers, you heal me while I fight monsters, and we split the profits?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Agreed."
Unfortunately Draren is smart enough to realize that this means also splitting the materials you scavenged from the creatures you killed. Fortunately it turns out that he's a better haggler than you, and Arille gives him better prices than you'd be able to get on your own.
Also, unfortunately, your sortie turns out to be a losing proposition in terms of gold because of equipment repair costs. You're so bad at repairing things that it's cheaper to buy a new dagger than to repair the old one. Whilre you're at it you buy a couple to avoid having them break in combat. But that's not an option for armor, as it's even more expensive than repair hammers and Arille doesn't have full suits of light armor laying around.
Net change: -74 gold
Armorer skill is now 8
(http://i.imgur.com/6Bqn2D4.png): "Will you be checking out also, or staying for another night?"
Oh, right. You rented a room last night.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Draren, we're both out of magic and need to rest. Would it be ok if I stayed at your place?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Of course."
You turn in your roomkey to Arrile and head to Draren's house to sleep. The rug on the floor is uncomfortable, but serviceable. You have no dreams.
Two days later
After some experimentation you take to carrying multiple daggers in your belt and simply swapping them out as they break. And rather than repair them, you simply sell damaged daggers to Ariile and watch as he repairs them then buy them back at a loss. It's inefficient, but it cheaper than repairing them yourself. You spend most of your gold as well as your half of the loot mostly on repair hammers to keep your armor more or less intact, but it's expensive and your armor is now in fairly bad shape. Still, while it's been an materially expensive few days, you feel you've learned a lot.
As for Draren, he seems happy both for your company as well as the economy of your arrangement. His healing has noticeably improved, but he still fails a lot. He apparently only knows a few circinate spells, and the spell he's been using on you is a low power custom restore health over time that takes 3-4 successful casts to heal you to full. It's suitable for keeping you standing through gradual damage, but you wouldn't want to depend on it in a dangerous situation, and his mana endurance is not very good. He'll need to skill up and probably learn some new spells if you're going to depend on him as a healer. And whether it's you or him casting, you're fairly convinced that sooner or later any reasonable rate of progress is going to depend on having a steady supply of restore magicka potions. It's not a problem yet. You're both improving your skills at a reasonable rate just from natural regeneration and the occasional nap. It's possible it might not even be a problem if you kept grinding skills like you've been doing for another week. But you suspect it will become a problem eventually.
Short blade skill is now 18
Light armor is now 33
Block is now 14
Destruction is now 18
Acrobatics is now 34
Athletics is now 24
Strength is now 28
Speed is now 36
Agility is now 37
Endurance is now 41
Intelligence is now 44
Level is now 9
Max Health is now 64
Max Magicka is now 73
Armor is in bad shape
Gold is now 52
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Descan on May 02, 2014, 07:56:34 pm
It's POSSIBLE they wouldn't have an issue with us being a two-man team, but I think it's safer to play our cards close to our chest unless and until we find out the rules regarding two-man teams like that, especially if one of them is not a member of the quest-giving guild. I don't exactly know how we could find out, if we just straight-out ask them and then ask them for a quest that they think is beyond our power-level once they say it's not allowed/would be a hassle for us, then they would probably get suspicious.
Also, does Draren have any connections? Guild membership, people who need things done that we could do as a team, child-hood friends, that kind of thing? He's apparently from a well-off family and grew up in that situation, he could have connections that survived his destitution. At the very least, showing an interest in him would help us with the connection we have formed with HIM. Might not be a great connection as it is, a guy in a slum who hasn't thought to train his own skills, but as someone raised in a well-off position, he might have information we could otherwise not find. And you never know if he manages (hopefully with our help) to get back into high society, which opens up a lot of options. At the VERY VERY least, it's good practice for our speechcraft and charisma for use on people who actually ARE in a good position (and therefore already are immune to a lot of charismatic techniques).
Post by: WillowLuman on May 02, 2014, 08:03:56 pm
While we're here, we need to send some messages. Things are moving while we're here, just as they moved while we went through Basic. Without the Blades marker (which may only have been visible to other blades in the first place), there's no way for other people in the Legion to tell we're anything other than a recruit, so only the General would know. We have some things we need to tell him (and other people), but I have yet to think of what's prudent to say and how to say it. Still, letters. We ought to test how feasible letters are, or at least some other form of communication other than running all over to tell people in person. Might save us a lot of time and/or gold.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 02, 2014, 08:35:28 pm
Least Crazy: Michael has a very mild Chim going on. Its not major enough to change entire continents, like with Talos, but its enough that he's literally bringing in concepts that only he'd know into this universe because of the simple fact that he is utterly and fully aware of them as fact. He's subconsciously altering the world around him to meet his expectations, his experiences, and what he knows.
Double Ultra Crazy: Michael is doing the same as above, but instead because he's the godhead's avatar, persona, the one and only, or because he's mantling him/her/it something fierce.
I'm personally in the 'least crazy' camp.
Post by: LordBucket on May 02, 2014, 08:50:14 pm
there's no way for other people in the Legion to tell we're anything other than a recruit, so only the General would know.
That's not correct. General Darius marked you for detached duty when he put you on detached duty. You simply didn't notice because you hadn't learned about magic or marks yet at that point. Your Legion mark is unrelated to the Blades mark that Caius removed.
(http://i.imgur.com/IRi2VXY.png): "Recruit Michael, I am hereby placing you on detached duty until further notice. Please note that detached duty personnel are not eligible for monthly pay or provisions like regular patrol duty personnel. Thank you for your service. Glory to the Emperor."
Any magic-capable Legionnaire of sufficient rank to be in the know about such things would probably recognize the detached duty qualifier on your Legion mark. If fact, in the original edit of this previous episode it came up in the conversation with Sellus Gravius, but ultimately I decided it didn't add much to the story and it was already kind of long so I removed that sequence.
Note that this came up indirectly once before:
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "Excuse me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, citizen?"
Interesting that he called you 'citizen' and not 'Legionnaire.' Does he not know, or does he know and he's just trying to avoid blowing your cover?
Semi-related: remember that there's nothing faction-specific about mark recognition, and that the only security is through obscurity. For example, both Cinia and Angaradhel at the Gateway Inn made mention of your affiliations with factions they weren't themselves members of.
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "For example I see that you're a Mage Guild Associate."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "What other marks do I have?"
He raises an eyebrow in apparent bewilderment that you would ask this.
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Well, I see that you're in the Legion, though I don't recognize your rank designation. And that yellow mark is an Imperial Fighter's guild mark, one of the lower ranks I believe. And these two here...hmm. I don't recognize those. And of course, here I can see that you recently ran afoul of the guard for a minor offense that was paid in full."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "So anyone can know all this just by looking at me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/Uvjgjyg.png): "Of course." He pauses. "Well, not anyone. Anyone with any magical training can see the marks if they look, but seeing isn't the same as knowing what they mean. I recognize the Telvanni and imperial Mage Guild marks because I work with them so often, but the others I'm less sure of.
Point being, not only will Legionnaires beside the general know, there are probably a few people not even in the legion who will recognize your status.
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 02, 2014, 08:53:24 pm
Post by: Putnam on May 02, 2014, 08:55:16 pm
Two random ideas as to explain everything that's been going on, from least crazy to hilariously crazy.
Least Crazy: Michael has a very mild Chim going on. Its not major enough to change entire continents, like with Talos, but its enough that he's literally bringing in concepts that only he'd know into this universe because of the simple fact that he is utterly and fully aware of them as fact. He's subconsciously altering the world around him to meet his expectations, his experiences, and what he knows.
Double Ultra Crazy: Michael is doing the same as above, but instead because he's the godhead's avatar, persona, the one and only, or because he's mantling him/her/it something fierce.
I'm personally in the 'least crazy' camp.
Usually, CHIM is a very delicate state of mind. It sounds more like you're describing a sort of very strong mythopeoism, if anything.
Then again, it's kind of clear that Michael's state of mind is somewhat delicate...
Post by: WillowLuman on May 02, 2014, 09:03:52 pm
I think he was specifically talking about our status in the Blades.Yes.
Ah, I'd forgotten that Michael can hear our theorycrafting. He doesn't always comment on it. Good thing he can't hear the critical discussion of the story itself, that would be rather confusing and messy.
BTW, I recognize the pink dress from one of the Better Clothing mods. Can't remember which one, but it replaced some of the clothes in game.
Post by: Descan on May 02, 2014, 09:04:45 pm
Post by: Araph on May 02, 2014, 09:10:12 pm
Short blade skill is now 18
Light armor is now 33
Block is now 14
Destruction is now 18
Acrobatics is now 34
Athletics is now 24
Strength is now 28
Speed is now 36
Agility is now 37
Endurance is now 41
Intelligence is now 44
Level is now 9
Max Health is now 64
Max Magicka is now 73
Aw yis, skill advancements.
For the record, I support heading to Dren Plantation or thereabouts. However, we should make sure to leave Draren in a financially secure position so that he'll want to join us permanently when we meet up with him again. (AW YEAH, GETTIN' A POSSE TOGETHER we totally need a catchy name for our group)
Also, Michael: you're almost definitely not Spike, given how your personality does not match his at all. AT ALL. So you're probably not him.
...But, I mean, if it motivates you to pursue being not-Spike, you might still be him. We can't know for sure.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 02, 2014, 09:50:32 pm
For the record, I support heading to Dren Plantation or thereabouts. However, we should make sure to leave Draren in a financially secure position so that he'll want to join us permanently when we meet up with him again. (AW YEAH, GETTIN' A POSSE TOGETHER we totally need a catchy name for our group)Agreed, he seems like such a nice fellow, let's not leave him at a disadvantage.
Post by: QuakeIV on May 02, 2014, 11:55:32 pm
Post by: joemoben on May 03, 2014, 12:02:10 am
Post by: IronyOwl on May 03, 2014, 04:31:55 am
(http://i.imgur.com/BCfKpW5.png): "Then some sort of four legged angel appeared to tell him he was the chosen one"HMMMM. Support for the notion that they're not native in some sense, I'd say.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I know you guys have been keeping secrets from me. Ever since you did that thing where you tried to send me a picture but I couldn't see it, you've been doing that same thing, whatever it is...so that I can't hear you. But before that you sent me a picture I DID get. You remember. The one that looked like a pony changeling? That got me thinking. And ever since then, there have been occasional little tidbits that have slipped through. Just every now and then I'd hear a little comment that was obviously in response to somebody who said something I couldn't hear. And now you're openly talking about it without bothering to keep it a secret from me. So I've got to ask: ponies?"Oh, whoa. Michael can't see spoilers? I guess we discussed that maybe being the reason for the first image failing, but I kind of wrote it off as something else.
Whoops. Sorry about that, Michael. Wasn't trying to hide anything from you, just trying to keep my endless ramblings accessible yet unobtrusive for my fellow daedric shards of your higher being.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "and there's one voice in particular among you whose been talking about his 'PCs are ponies' theory for almost half my entire time in Morrowind."*cough* Yeah, like that. You know how I tend to ramble on.
Uh, but looking back at my most recent insidious findings, the short version is:
-You remember just before you fell into Morrowind, you thought you heard a mumbling voice? Did that by any chance sound like the voice of the Balmora Butcher? Because to us it sounded like a very quiet version of the voice of the Balmora Butcher. Bear in mind that we have a different perspective than you.
-For that matter, did either of them sound like Luna? I'm sure you're familiar with her voice.
-You said you were a Taurus. Given that you failed to remember any other portion of your past save eventually your name, that seems significant.
-Nalcarya said the first urination of the day makes for more potent potions. MAN did I have a field day with that, wondering what constituted a day and whether that was mechanically true and if you could use other peoples' pee and what happened if you did and so on. Oh, and wondering if there's still a four-ingredient limit to potions, since the equipment's easily big enough for multiple batches at once.
-Ra'Virr sold you a steel tanto for 10 gold coins when your Mercantile was 2 (it's currently 13). Their base price is 28. I suspect he may have felt sorry for you or something. We might want to talk to him again at some point.
-Related, remember that one time you were butchered like a pig by a ruthless crime lord with an axe? The first time you bought the above dagger, you mentioned seeming to remember them costing more. Upon "respawning," you mentioned remembering them costing about that much. So apparently even though you don't remember the actual events, some information does carry over. Good to know, right?
Also lets avoid bringing Draren with us on our main adventure things as much as possible. I'd rather not see him get killed.This was my initial thought as well, though less for getting him killed and more for... well, treating him like a temporary companion, really.
Which in turn got me thinking: Why? If he wants to come with us and hear Applejack explain all about Equestria, so what? We can probably trust him not to immediately declare us crazy or sell us out or something, right? Maybe? I guess the ponies might be more shy around people they're trying not to disrupt, but even then we could probably just ask him to give us a minute.
And as for getting him killed, is he really in more danger than we are? We are fairly tanky, but we're still pretty weak overall. Unless we get into a situation where we just can't get between him and a danger source in time, I'm curious whether he's actually at greater risk than us.
So if he'd rather just stay at home and come shroomhunting with us next time we come around, that's cool. If he'd rather come with us on our adventures, healing us up and harvesting new and exotic plant life, I say that's fine too. We're friends and really pathetic adventuring buddies now, right? Let's start acting like it.
For the record, I support heading to Dren Plantation or thereabouts. However, we should make sure to leave Draren in a financially secure position so that he'll want to join us permanently when we meet up with him again. (AW YEAH, GETTIN' A POSSE TOGETHER we totally need a catchy name for our group)Agreed, he seems like such a nice fellow, let's not leave him at a disadvantage.
I would like to point out that our agility actually dropped by .6. Also, I support the Dren plantation, as more PC info is always good.He's been taking a cut of our profits and hasn't had any expenses that I'm aware of, so he should be pretty good right now. Certainly his normal living expenses should be rather low.
Which brings us to the next issue: I'm in favor of heading to Dren Plantation. By which I mean the new construction near Dren Plantation. You know, the one we have no information about.
So. Dren Plantation is located near Pelagiad. People in Pelagiad or Dren Plantation might be able to tell us more. I believe but cannot swear that the stuff around Pelagiad is generally fairly weak, with the exception of potentially getting there. Let's see...
The main danger going between Balmora and Pelagaid is cliff racers, which thus far are amongst the most dangerous things we've encountered There are a couple canyons on the way that are often chock full of them. The Seyda Neen route, on the other hand, only rarely has cliff racers, and the most dangerous thing that's likely to appear are nix hounds. The Kagouti are only likely to show up if you wander around north of pelagaid.Ah, yes. So assuming this is accurate, we should be able to just walk there with relatively little trouble assuming I'm remembering everything correctly. Furthermore, there probably isn't an easier way short of hiring an escort.
Balmora to Caldera has less cliff racers, but a worrying amount of alits. Still, less dangerous than Balmora to Pelagaid.
So my official vote goes to:
Explain to Draren that we need to go talk to someone near Dren Plantation. He's welcome to join us if he'd like, but of course we wouldn't mind if he'd rather stay put. Then head to Pelagiad, ask around about the new construction. You should be able to make it, but don't hesitate to run if you encounter anything dangerous. I cannot swear there won't be any nix hounds in the way.
If nobody in Pelagiad knows anything, Dren Plantation isn't far behind Fort Pelagiad. Just pretend you were able to follow the main road right through the fort. Someone there might know something, or if we're really lucky it might be visible from or near it.
Post by: LordBucket on May 03, 2014, 05:09:44 am
I would like to point out that our agility actually dropped by .6.
After checking, it appears there are a couple errors. Seems I added points that were supposed to go to agility to other attributes instead a couple months back and never noticed. And this past episode made a silly adding mistake. This happened once before too. It's a a result of the fact that I'm manually adjusting attributees to compensate for certain quirks of the leveling mod I'm using. I explained the details ~80 some thread pages ago, I think.
Anyway, I'm not going to retroactively fix the mistakes in the previous ~15+ episodes affected, but I'll fix it next episode. Correct current agility appears to be 43, but two other attributes are higher than they should be.
Post by: gordy on May 03, 2014, 05:14:56 am
1) Nothing to really report except for suggesting someone start to catalog our proposed criteria for what constitutes a PC, and what constitutes what we might consider an NPC+. Also, who we might consider as friends.
I would say a PC counts as a PC if they display any characteristics that a player in the game might have - instant changes in inventory (weapon. armor swapping), blatant exploitation of rules, rapid rise through factions, ect. Examples - Adorabella, Awesomicus, all the ponies.
An NPC+, (because i do think there needs to be another category), might be someone that displays some non vanilla behaviours like cashing in quests. Bjorn comes to mind. Consider also characters that have given us substantial dialogue and expanded on lore. Our legion trainers, some mage guild members, plus Divayth and the dwarf.
Finally, our friends - people that either they or Michael have expressed fondness for each other, and more crudely, those from whom Michael has received speechcraft improvements from. Ranis, Cinia, Draren.
Am sure there are more, if someone wants to continue to catalog. LB did ask what our criteria was.
2) Skill improvements. LB or Michael himself might have something to say, but since Michael gets no benefit out of skill books, but he does from Trainer training, would it be of any use if us forumites were able to give him any suggestions on skills? I personally was a longsword trainer (long blades), and crafted and wore mail (medium armor) and shield (block). I'd have more than passing familiarity with marksman, spear, axe and heavy armor. I assume anything I could teach him was already covered in his Legion training. But consider the skills in which he has no points - surely someone could talk him through sneaking, or marksman, or axe. Enough for a point or two would be something. And if he does have specific questions about skills that us 'trainers' could assist in, please ask.
3) Speaking of above, with Michael stocking up on daggers, but assuming archery is right out (the weapons are too heavy, michael might be too weak to draw properly or otherwise too expensive), he could consider leading an easy combat with a thrown dagger or two. He'll suck at the start but if he sticks to fights he an Draben can win, they'll always recover the weapon, and they are cheap anyway. Throw your blunt ones first and combat with a sharp one. It'll teach your agility (speed?) no less than our acrobatics is, and wont waste any time. Could be useful in any case. Lastly, and most importantly,
4) Buy a scabbard/sheath for your viperblade and all daggers. From now on whenever you buy a weapon you might need access to, you MUST wear it on your person in a way it can be drawn and used. Wearing bare weapons in your belt or bag is asking for trouble - you could cut yourself at any time, damage your armor, belt or bag. Digging through your bag to draw your best weapon wastes time and could be fatal. If you have your shield in your left hand, put your viperblade on your right hip. It should be short enough you can draw it with your right hand with no problem. Practice this. Dont put it on your shield side hip where it could get tangled at a critical moment. Feel free to put your main dagger there though. Is there such a thing as a potion belt or bandolier?
5) Get your dirty clothes and bags washed so they're not so crunchy, and stash any excess weight at Drabens, like clothes you aren't wearing anymore (tshirt excepted). If he's getting a good deal on alchemy ingredients, should we consider selling some?
That's all I've got. Thanks for reading.
Post by: gman8181 on May 03, 2014, 08:51:31 am
Also he might get some interesting alchemy ingredient effects.
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 03, 2014, 09:27:20 am
Post by: MonkeyHead on May 03, 2014, 10:08:53 am
Post by: Descan on May 03, 2014, 12:13:31 pm
And also, asking him about himself and seeing if he has any connections him and Michael could use.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 03, 2014, 12:56:15 pm
Let's see, Acrobatics is 34... Michael, you know those rope fences on found next to the roads in some places? Try jumping over those if you get into trouble. The stupider animals may be hindered by them.
Post by: catenate on May 03, 2014, 01:09:09 pm
If this is an agreed goal, it seems we could do this to start in this direction:
Find "Applejack" at Dren plantation.
If he is honest, be honest with him, tell him what we want to do, and ask for his help.
If the other ponies know him to be honest, he can really help convince them to help us do the main quest, since they know he wouldn't lie to them. So in this direction, with "Applejack", visit each of the ponies' mansions, as well as the one that put all her stuff haphazardly in a room, and Nord/Fluttershy as well, recruit them, and trot like the Nerevarine till he trots like us.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 03, 2014, 02:02:47 pm
2) Skill improvements. LB or Michael himself might have something to say, but since Michael gets no benefit out of skill books, but he does from Trainer training, would it be of any use if us forumites were able to give him any suggestions on skills? I personally was a longsword trainer (long blades), and crafted and wore mail (medium armor) and shield (block). I'd have more than passing familiarity with marksman, spear, axe and heavy armor. I assume anything I could teach him was already covered in his Legion training. But consider the skills in which he has no points - surely someone could talk him through sneaking, or marksman, or axe. Enough for a point or two would be something. And if he does have specific questions about skills that us 'trainers' could assist in, please ask.Interesting notion.
3) Speaking of above, with Michael stocking up on daggers, but assuming archery is right out (the weapons are too heavy, michael might be too weak to draw properly or otherwise too expensive), he could consider leading an easy combat with a thrown dagger or two. He'll suck at the start but if he sticks to fights he an Draben can win, they'll always recover the weapon, and they are cheap anyway. Throw your blunt ones first and combat with a sharp one. It'll teach your agility (speed?) no less than our acrobatics is, and wont waste any time.I get the feeling these aren't built for throwing and thus won't really work when used as such, but it should be relatively easy to test. Well, the overt "this seems to not work" part will be. Whether or not we learn anything from the experience might be subtler.
5) Get your dirty clothes and bags washed so they're not so crunchy, and stash any excess weight at Drabens, like clothes you aren't wearing anymore (tshirt excepted). If he's getting a good deal on alchemy ingredients, should we consider selling some?I'm not sure he'd appreciate being used as a storage shed, and we are selling alchemy ingredients. Or more specifically, having Draren sell alchemy ingredients and then taking half the profits.
If you mean should we make a habit of it elsewhere when we're on our own, good question. I'd like to keep a stock for if and when we begin to raise our alchemy, but let's be honest here- that is a long way off.
Consider offering Draren some training in alchemy if he helps us pay for alchemy equipment. He can even keep it as his house for a while. This can be done before or after the plantation visit. Personally I'm in favor of doing it before but if Draren doesn't actually have enough money then maybe later.Several problems here. One, he probably doesn't have much money. Two, what makes you think Michael knows more about alchemy than he does? Three, what's he going to do with more alchemy knowledge if all he's doing with it is harvest mushrooms?
Also he might get some interesting alchemy ingredient effects.
Seeing if he wants to become BFF alchemy buddies who make potions where it increases their profit margin might have more potential, but this seems a bit early for that. We know he's thrilled at the chance to come harvest swamp flora and not sit in his house all day, but we don't know if he's interested in being that invested in us. Even if he had several hundred gold to drop, which I doubt, doing so in the hopes of us occasionally wandering back with a pack full of ingredients to investigate and then split with him seems like an awfully slow, risky investment.
So, our destruction skill is 15 - is that high enough that a decent destruction spell might actually prove useful against a cliff racer?
Or a ranged one - say, a lightening spell what with the most populous race on the island being fire resistant..."Decent?" Not really, but "useful?" Quite possibly. Let me just fire up the ol' doppleganger...
Ooh. That's better than expected, actually. Bearing in mind that the spell formulae might not match:
55% chance of casting Firebite/Frostbite (6m, 15-30 damage on touch)
60% chance of casting a custom ten second fire or frost DoT (2m, 1 damage for 10 seconds on touch)
58% chance of casting a custom ranged ten second fire or frost DoT (4m, 1 damage for 10 seconds on target)
56% chance of casting a stronger fire or frost touch DoT (4m, 2 damage for 10 seconds on touch)
53% chance of casting a yet stronger fire or frost touch DoT (8m, 3 damage for 10 seconds on touch)
40% chance of casting a slow ranged cliff racer killer (18m, 3 damage for 15 seconds on target)
46% chance of casting a cliff racer killing DoT (13m, 5 damage for 10 seconds on touch)
38% chance of casting a ranged cliff racer killing DoT (20m, 5 damage for 10 seconds on target)
38% chance of casting a slightly quicker ranged cliff racer killing DoT (20m, 6 damage for 8 seconds on target)
35% chance of casting a much quicker ranged cliff racer killing DoT (22m, 10 damage for 5 seconds on target)
Recalling my earlier construction set results:
Alit: 30 HP, 1-9 damage, 30 Combat, 50/50/42 Str/Agi/SpdThe toughest non-diseased wild animals we're likely to face, assuming nothing altering them, have only 45 hp. We can totally be a semi-effective mage if we get the right custom spells.
Cliff Racer: 45 HP, 3-8 damage, 50 Combat, 50/50/255 Str/Agi/Spd
Kagouti: 45 HP, 4-12 damage, 50 Combat, 90/75/45 Str/Agi/Spd
Kwama Forager: 23 HP, 1-3 damage, 30 Combat, 30/20/5 Str/Agi/Spd
Mudcrab: 15 HP, 1-1 damage, 30 Combat, 15/15/6 Str/Agi/Spd
Nix Hound: 23 HP, 1-6 damage, 30 Combat, 50/50/28 Str/Agi/Spd
Rat: 23 HP, 1-2 damage, 30 Combat, 20/20/8 Str/Agi/Spd
Speaking of custom spells, there's obviously a bit of an optimization problem regarding their qualities. From the limited testing above, it seems that low-damage, high-duration spells have marginally higher casting rates and significantly lower mana costs than their quicker, more intense counterparts. Ranged spells are both more expensive and harder to cast than touch versions.
Element-wise, fire and frost appear to cost the same. Shock is more expensive for some reason, so we should probably avoid it unless we have a specific use for it.
However, with only 50 gold at the moment, we're not going to be able to do this yet. We may be able to afford a basic destruction spell (he should know frostbite) from Arrille, but it'll probably cost us pretty much all of what we're currently got. Custom spells aren't that expensive, especially the weaker ones, but they'll probably still be a good 20 gold or so that we just don't have.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 03, 2014, 02:10:08 pm
Also, about the clothing thing: do our clothes get smelly from BO and general use? Michael doesn't need to eat or drink (yet can somehow urinate), so it's a fair question. If they do get smelly, though, I wouldn't wash them in the water around here. It's full of scum, mud, and salt.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 03, 2014, 05:02:04 pm
Did you record how much any of those custom spells cost in gold?I sadly forgot.
A quick retest reveals:
1 damage for 10 seconds on touch: 20 gold
1 damage for 10 seconds on target: 30 gold
3 damage for 10 seconds on touch: 58 gold
3 damage for 10 seconds on target: 87 gold
5 damage for 10 seconds on touch: 97 gold
5 damage for 10 seconds on target: 145 gold
3 damage for 10 seconds on touch: 58 gold
3 damage for 10 seconds on target: 87 gold
6 damage for 5 seconds on touch: 63 gold
6 damage for 5 seconds on target: 95 gold
All using fire damage, the Balmora spellmaker, being part of the Mages Guild, and having Michael's Mercantile and at least roughly his Personality. And of course the assumption that spell formulas are identical in my version.
Post by: Supercharazad on May 03, 2014, 05:19:22 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 03, 2014, 05:46:50 pm
This will allow us to kite things, use obstacles, and essentially take down most anything while being more reliable than most of the other alternatives with less danger.
Shock damage means we should be set for not worrying about resistances for quite a while, which would be nice.
Combat-wise, I think that's a really good goal right now.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 03, 2014, 06:08:34 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 03, 2014, 06:36:52 pm
Daedra are also weak to shock. However, if it's too expensive, Frost might be a better choice. Most animals don't have any resistance, so when thinking about what resistances, it all comes down to what we'll be fighting more of: people, or undead. Dunmer are the only people with natural fire resistance, but if we get into a fight with someone, by statistics it's most likely to be a dunmer. Most undead are resistant to or immune to frost, as are nords, but hardly anything else is. Really, it all comes down to whether we'll be raiding ancestor tombs or not.You make it sound so tempting...
Shock is probably going to be usefull for longer even if we buy weaker spell now, but 1 dmg for 10 seconds isn't much. Maybe doing more damage quickly would be better as a backup spell in case of SHTF (even touch spell would do if it ups the dmg enough) while Michael keeps grinding his melee most of the time?
Post by: LordBucket on May 04, 2014, 11:56:34 am
Episode 59: You're the Apple of my Lie
Quote
does Draren have any connections? Guild membership, people who need things done that we could do as a team, child-hood friends, that kind of thing?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So, Draren. tell me about yourself. Any friends? Any family?"
He seems saddened by the question.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Only my sister, Vivyne. Everyone else is either dead or left Vvardenfell years ago."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about your sister? What does she do?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "She's a maid in the Dren household."
Quote
Explain to Draren that we need to go talk to someone near Dren Plantation. He's welcome to join us if he'd like,
but of course we wouldn't mind if he'd rather stay put. Then head to Pelagiad, ask around about the new construction.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Really? That's an interesting coincidence. I was actually planning on heading that way to meet someone. How'd you like to come with me? We could pick ingredients and keep each other alive on the way."
He perks up.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "I'd be delighted. Usually I pay for transport when I visit, but the prospect of visiting my sister for a few days and coming out ahead for the trip...that would be wonderful."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Pay for transport how? There's no strider that goes there, and the nearest mage guild is Balmora."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Arille has a mark for Pelegiad. Some of his suppliers live there."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...so you-"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Pay him to take me with him. 25 gold. Then to get back I wait for a guard patrol to Balmora and take the silt strider back."
Quote
Consider offering Draren some training in alchemy if he helps us pay for alchemy equipment. He can even keep it as his house for a while.
This can be done before or after the plantation visit. Personally I'm in favor of doing it before but if Draren doesn't actually have enough money then maybe later.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Unrelated, Have you ever considered learning alchemy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Me? No. I never invested much time into learning magic when I was younger, and the way I grew up, if we ever needed potions for anything it was always easier just to send the servants to market. Now, I don't see much benefit to it. What would I use it for? And it would be an expensive hobby. The training alone would cost four, five hundred gold? Plus tools, so another couple hundred? That's six months worth of income for me."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I know some alchemy. I bet if we could get a full set of tools I could teach you."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Ok, but why? What's the benefit? I pay my rent by selling raw ingredients. Training alchemy would mean giving up my income to make potions."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But if you got good you could sell the potions instead."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Could I? You say you're an alchmemist. Why aren't you making potions and selling them? We've collected and sold a good hundred gold worth of ingredients over the past few days."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm, well, I don't have tools."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Even if you did would you be able to make potions that would sell? I thought it took months or years worth of practice to make potions of high enough quality to be profitable."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, but even if you couldn't sell them you could still use them."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Use them for what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm, well...for example if you could make restore magicka potions, then you could train magic faster."
He gives you a confused look.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "So you're suggesting I invest hundreds of gold to buy alchemy tools, invest time and/or more gold to learn how to use them, give up at least months worth of income training with ingredients rather than selling them...and the payoff for this is not having to sleep for a couple hours to restore magicka?"
You decide to drop it. You've tried this 'give me money to buy alchemy tools and it will benefit you, honest!' angle a couple times now, and nobody's been stupid enough to take you up on it. If it doesn't make financial sense for you to pay for your own tools, then obviously it's not going to make financial sense to somebody else to buy them for you.
Speaking of potions, you really, really should remember to buy some panic potions and/or scrolls so that you don't die horribly like you almost have a couple times now because you keep forgetting to do that. Of course, right now you barely have the money to afford one. But it's nevertheless something you really something you should do something about. Because right now one cliff racer showing up at a bad time and you would be horribly, horribly dead. It's very strange that you keep forgetting about that no matter how many times you remind yourself to remember to do it, and despite the fact that you've very recently had two close calls where you almost either died or in one case almost got abducted by an Ascended Sleeper because of it.
Quote
Buy a scabbard/sheath for your viperblade and all daggers. From now on whenever you buy a weapon
you might need access to, you MUST wear it on your person in a way it can be drawn and used.
You tell Draren that you'll be back soon, then stop by Arille's and pay 2 gold for a pair of scabbards for your extra daggers. While you glance over his inventory of healing potions and divine intervention scrolls you vaguely remember there was something you wanted to remember to buy. If there were a god in heaven, and if he were a kind god, surely he would remind you about whatever it was. Of course, if he did remind you again and again and you nevertheless kept ignoring and forgetting about it, presumably it would be entirely your fault for continually neglecting and forgetting about-
Oh! Is that a shiny gold coin on the ground? What good fortune! Somebody must have dropped it. You happily pick up the gold coin and continue on your way.
Gained one gold
On your way back to Draren's house, you chat with the voices.
Quote
-You remember just before you fell into Morrowind, you thought you heard a mumbling voice? Did that by any chance sound like the voice of the Balmora Butcher? Because to us it sounded like a very quiet version of the voice of the Balmora Butcher. Bear in mind that we have a different perspective than you.
-For that matter, did either of them sound like Luna? I'm sure you're familiar with her voice.
-You said you were a Taurus. Given that you failed to remember any other portion of your past save eventually your name, that seems significant.
-Nalcarya said the first urination of the day makes for more potent potions. MAN did I have a field day with that, wondering what constituted a day and whether that was mechanically true and if you could use other peoples' pee and what happened if you did and so on. Oh, and wondering if there's still a four-ingredient limit to potions, since the equipment's easily big enough for multiple batches at once.
-Ra'Virr sold you a steel tanto for 10 gold coins when your Mercantile was 2 (it's currently 13). Their base price is 28. I suspect he may have felt sorry for you or something. We might want to talk to him again at some point.
-Related, remember that one time you were butchered like a pig by a ruthless crime lord with an axe? The first time you bought the above dagger, you mentioned seeming to remember them costing more. Upon "respawning," you mentioned remembering them costing about that much. So apparently even though you don't remember the actual events, some information does carry over. Good to know, right?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Thanks for the update. As for the voices you mentioned, I don't really remember what the mumbling voice I heard before I got here sounded like. That it was female is all I really remember. As for the Balmora Butcher sounding like Princess Luna...no, not at all. I know what Luna sounds like. Twilight, Dash, the others...I'd recognize any of their voices. Hell, I can name most of their voice actresses. If anybody here sounded like the characters from the show, I'd have noticed right away. When I think of Awesomicus talking, yeah I can see how his speech patterns match Rainbow Dash. Who seriously calls people 'egghead?' But the voices themselves are totally different. Awesomicus is an orc, and he definitely sounds like one."
Quote
about the clothing thing: do our clothes get smelly from BO and general use? Michael doesn't need to eat or drink (yet can somehow urinate), so it's a fair question.
Michael frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yeah, that's kind of a funny thing. My clothes don't smell. At least I don't think they do. Only time I've 'washed' since I've been here is when I swam to Tel Fyr. Which is kind of a funny thing too, because my clothes and everything in my bag got wet. Even my alchemy ingredients got soaked, but I haven't noticed anything rotting."
Michael opens his back and pulls out various plant and animal parts and pokes and smells them.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "These are bits of meat and things that have been in my bag for months...wet, even...and yet there's no visible mold and they still smell fresh. I'd be tempted to guess that decomposition doesn't happen here, except we know that it does because alchemy depends on it. That's what the putrefaction step is. And remember, Nalcarya specifically stated that microscopic bacteria exist here. She said she knew about them because of 'finely attuned detect life' spells."
"Another thing, remember back in Legion training? I'd been wandering around for days with holes in my legs from fighting rats, but those wounds never became infected. Again, I'd be tempted to suggest that bacteria just don't exist here, but if so then what are diseases? Diseases and blight diseases are a thing here. Remember Uupse Fyr in the corprusarium screened me for disease, and she insisted that corprus isn't contagious...whereas she said that vampirism and lycanthropy were."
"So I don't have a good answer, but clearly something weird is going on there."
You head back to Draren's house.
Quote
I support heading to Dren Plantation
Quote
I'm in favor of heading to Dren Plantation.
Quote
Find "Applejack" at Dren plantation.
The two of you set out east out of Seyda Neen, past the silt strider and towards Pelagiad. The trip is uneventful, except for Draren's regular stops to pick ingredients. You vaguely remember there being a bandit somewhere along this route and a tomb somewhere, but sticking to the road you find neither. Draren seems as surprised as you at the lack of angry fauna, but neither of you complain about it. You do at least manage to get in some magic practice along the way.
Destruction skill is now 19
(http://i.imgur.com/F5swokV.png)
It's early afternoon by the time you arrive at the Dren plantation. Fortunately Draren knew the way. You'd never have found it otherwise. The plantation is comprised of a number of fields and farmhouses around a central fortified wall surrounding a number of slave shacks and two large manor houses. Draren explains that all the land and every building belong to Duke Dren, and that the farmhouses are complimentary living quarters for his farm staff. Most of them are not paid in gold, but rather they work the fields in exchange for a place to live, protection of the guards, and a small portion of the food they grow, which they are free to eat or sell as they please.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So they don't get paid for their work? How is that better than being a slave?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "They're free to leave. The slaves aren't."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Isn't that still a bad arrangement? How do they get ahead?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Ahead of what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ahead...in life?"
Draren is perplexed by the question.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "They're safe, they're taken care of, they have a place to sleep out of the rain. It's a good arrangement. If they want money they can sell their portion of the crop, and if the harvest is bad they lose nothing. It's a good arrangement. Better than mine, certainly. I work for my roof just as they do, but if I'm unable to find reagents in the swamps and jungles I lose everything, and until I met you I had no guard"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I suppose."
You and Draren agree to meet up again...at some point. He'll most likely be staying as a guest for a few days then work his way back to Seyda Neen, where he'll hold onto your half of the gold from your reagent pickings until he next sees you. You wish each other well and wave goodbye.
Now, time to find this stronghold.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Excuse me, guard?"
It says something about the Duke that he has guards wearing full suits of dwemer armor.
(http://i.imgur.com/83IQZcb.png): "What is it, outlander?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm looking for the new stronghold in this area."
(http://i.imgur.com/83IQZcb.png): "What new stronghold?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I was told there was a new stronghold in this area. Either newly finished or under construction. This is the Dren Plantation, isn't it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/83IQZcb.png): "Yes, this is Duke Dren's estate. I know of no stronghold in this area besides this one. The closest would be Marandas to the northeast, but that fortress is countless centuries old."
Hmm. Caius did say it was a rumor. Did you come all the way out here for nothing? Maybe he's simply uninformed? It was supposed to be near Lake Amaya, so you ask the guard for its direction and start walking that way, passing many farmhouses and asking the occasional farmer and guard if they know of any new construction.
That's when you see her.
(http://i.imgur.com/7uunl3B.png)
You could almost swear that's a girl wearing a stetson cowboy hat. Curious, you approach.
(http://i.imgur.com/buiIu5u.png)
Blonde hair, ponytail, cowboy boots...and the iconic hat. The only way this could be more obvious is if she had a cutie mark.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Applejack?"
She seems surprised to hear the name, but quickly smiles on seeing you.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Howdy, pardner."
That voice...it's definitely Applejack. She grasps your hand and eagerly shakes it, leaving a layer of cold sticky sweat on your hand. You discretely wipe it off on your armor when she isn't looking.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's good to meet you at last."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Well, shucks. Ahm flattered. How'd ya like an apple?"
She offers you an apple with a smile so wide her canines show. You resist the urge to facepalm. She's offering you apples? Seriously? Could she possibly be any more cliche?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, thanks. I'm here to talk to you."
She chitters with amusement.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Really? Ya came all this way just ta talk with lil ol' me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes. You see, I wanted to ask-"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Ifits all the same to you, pardner, it'd help me a lot if you'd say it. All out loud, like."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Say what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "That you was lookin' fer me and that ya wanted to talk with me."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm...I was looking for you and wanted to talk with you?"
She smiles again, this time with a grin so wide you can't see her cheeks for her grin in the way.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Well, ahm rightly honored! Here's an apple on the house!"
Still with the apples?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Look, can we just talk?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Well, course we can! I sure like talkin'. A nice bite o' juicy apple sure would be a relaxin' way to wet yer palate fer talkin' though."
To your annoyance she offers you the apple yet again. You shake your head and try to figure out how to broach the topic of your situation to her.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "There's so much to explain I don't really know where to start. I arrived in Morrowind a few months ago, and I...well, at first I thought I might be the Nerevarine, but then I started to notice you and your friends-"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Well, ahh can't rightly say I know much about that. But if ya want a nice juicy apple, I'm yer gal."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "NO! I DON'T WANT AN APPLE!"
You regret it the moment you say it. You didn't mean to snap at her, you just don't want the apple and it's making you angry that she keeps offering. She takes your outburst in stride though.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Well shucks, pardner. Ya sure do seem mad 'bout somethin'. Why doncha just show me what's on yer mind?"
You sigh. Applejack looks at you kindly, blinking with both her inner and outer eyelids as she gazes into your eyes with curiosity that borders on hunger. Seeing her up close looking into your eyes and feeling her cold breath on your chest reassures you tremendously. She is the Element of Honesty, right? Maybe you should just tell her the truth.
Quote
I'm not a fan of the pony theory
Quote
it would be disappointing if the theory was true
Quote
vehement objection to the pony theory
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm sorry. I came to talk to you about your friends, and why you're all in Morrowind. Clover the Clever is Twilight, right? And Awesomicus is Rainbow Dash? I know that now. I've accepted it. Finding you here and knowing that you're really Applejack confirms it. But, I'm sorry...I was kind of hoping I wouldn't."
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Yer lookin' fer something ya didn't wanna find? That there's the route to madness, if ya ask me. Sure ya don' want an apple?"
Maybe if you just take it she'll shut up about it,
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Alright. I'll take an apple."
She hands you the apple and you take it, one of her suckers lightly sticking to your hand as she pulls her tentacle away.
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "There ya go! Most deliciousist apple you'll ever eat in all yer born days, ahm sure."
You glance down at it. Unexpectedly it's not a red apple. Looks like a golden delicious. You turn it over and see that there's something written on it. But the letters are too small to make out right away.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What does this writing say?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Couldn't tell ya pardner. Never did no formal schoolin' so it's all greek ta me."
You hold up the apple and squint at the letters. The script is very small, but it seems to say 'for the most curious.'
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It says 'for the most curious.' What does that mean?"
When she doesn't answer you look up and see that she's gone. You glance around, but there's no sign of her anywhere. You also notice something that seems a bit odd in retrospect.
There are several planted fields, but there are no trees anywhere.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ykf4JuQ.png)
You look out across the horizon, watching as the sun dips below it. You hear your stomach grumble and realize with a start that you're hungry. That's strange. Since you arrived you haven't ever felt hungry or sleepy before.
The apple really does look delicious.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: catenate on May 04, 2014, 12:23:08 pm
as soon as we get a chance.
Um, since when does Applejack have slimy TENTACLES?
And inner and outer eyelids and cold breath.
I'm really unsure eating the apple is a good idea.
Did an ascended sleeper just cast illusion on Michael,
showing him the cliche he expected to see?
Can we get a detect magic cast on the apple before we eat it?
Post by: gman8181 on May 04, 2014, 12:37:46 pm
Quote
Applejack looks at you kindly, blinking with both her inner and outer eyelids as she gazes into your eyes with curiosity that borders on hunger
Quote
route to madness, if ya ask me.
Quote
one of her suckers lightly sticking to your hand as she pulls her tentacle away.
Something about her just seems very trustworthy and honest. I think we should eat the apple. :D
Quote
The apple really does look delicious
Delicious Michael? Or GOLDEN DELICIOUS AHAHAHAHA!
Also what's the meaning behind that single coin we found lying around? Seems suspicious, we might want to investigate that.
Post by: hostergaard on May 04, 2014, 12:51:53 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 04, 2014, 01:00:16 pm
Something is very, very wrong.
Michael, your tactile details about this person do not match up AT ALL with her appearance. Proceed with caution.
EDIT: Apples do exist in TES, so that's not completely anomalous. It's possible it's imported, or grown from an imported seedling. Still, I'd be pretty suspicious of that apple.
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 04, 2014, 01:09:38 pm
Post by: Dermonster on May 04, 2014, 01:10:48 pm
Hermaeus Mora?
Post by: WillowLuman on May 04, 2014, 01:41:05 pm
*Squints*Holy shit. That's perhaps the most likely possibility of all. Divayth Fyr said Daedric Princes can read people's minds at a glance. If one of them had a look at us on the way in, then they'd probably know about all the outlandish things we do, and for whatever reason could use them to mess with us. Of course, in Skyrim Hermaeus Mora (and presumably any other Prince) has to trick people or convince them to give up their knowledge rather than just reading their mind for it, so that might be hole, but then again things are different in this version. If this is what's happening, though, the question becomes "Which Prince is fucking with us?"
Hermaeus Mora?
Post by: LordSlowpoke on May 04, 2014, 01:42:10 pm
it's an imported apple
a golden imported apple
Post by: ShoesandHats on May 04, 2014, 01:44:56 pm
*Squints*
Hermaeus Mora?
Shit, that's actually probably what it is. I wouldn't have gotten that. I actually didn't catch the Eldritch horror stuff until it got pointed out.
Michael, whatever you do, don't eat that apple.
a golden imported apple
If I know my apples at all, when LB says golden delicious, it isn't meant literally. It's just a sort of light yellow color.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 04, 2014, 01:51:19 pm
We're hungry now? Is that hunger only for the apple? We should eat some of the meat in our pack to see if that satiates us at all, rather than eat the apple yet. Or, if the hunger signifies a sudden change, we should check to see if our stuff is subject to decomposition now.
Speaking of which, you bring up an interesting point, Michael. Our body has been behaving differently than expected this whole time, but not in ways always consistent with the information in the world around us. If you went around reading books, you'd find mention of people dying from thirst/starvation (in the story Bone, for instance) and getting infected wounds (the 2920 series). Do these weird bodily exceptions apply to everyone, or just us/a select few?
Post by: Nirur Torir on May 04, 2014, 02:02:58 pm
Eating that apple is likely a significant step towards a bad end. Giving it to probably-Twilight, likewise. I think probably-Pinkie would be the best one to ask about whether it's related to a local daedric lord or something worse.
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on May 04, 2014, 02:05:18 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 04, 2014, 02:06:19 pm
Eat the apple.Don't eat it yet. Show it to people first. Draren, for instance.
Post by: ShoesandHats on May 04, 2014, 02:13:10 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on May 04, 2014, 02:18:10 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 04, 2014, 02:21:35 pm
Is it possible that the voice we heard at the beginning was Vaermina instead of Azura or Luna? Maybe this is all a Daedric princess fueled fever dream, and Mr. Mora just wanted to get in on the action. Or maybe it was Mephala messing with Michael for fun? I don't remember anyone suspecting any Daedric prince besides Azura up until now, but correct me if I'm wrong on that one.Well, there were not-really-serious allusions to Sheogorath, but other than that all the speculation has been about Azura.
Let's look at something for a moment. The only thing the others shared with their MLP counterparts were behavior patterns and (I think) general personalities. They didn't seem to be pulling one over on us. But now we find one who shares not only behavior, but appearance, name, and voice, and she turns out to be... something else. I'm not sure what the implications are but it's probably significant.
Post by: Supercharazad on May 04, 2014, 02:33:32 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on May 04, 2014, 03:51:57 pm
Oh wow. Yeah, that's totally a valid alternative to an Ascended Sleeper.*Squints*
Hermaeus Mora?
Shit, that's actually probably what it is. I wouldn't have gotten that. I actually didn't catch the Eldritch horror stuff until it got pointed out.
...
Oh shit.
Quote from: UESP
Hermaeus Mora, also called the Golden EyeYyyyyyep, the Daedric Prince of knowledge, memory, and fate has taken an interest in us for some probably obvious reason.
On the other hand:
Quote
Unlike most Princes, Hermaeus Mora does not take on a humanoid form at allSo it's unlikely to have been him personally... at least, as far as eldritch gods of memory and fate are bound by typical conventions.
But if so that's okay because he has help:
(http://images.uesp.net/2/2d/DB-creature-Seeker.jpg)
Unspoilered for Michael's benefit. Hi Applejack!
Also uh theory:
Quote from: UESP
Black Books are Daedric artifacts created by Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Fate and Knowledge. Each book contains some manner of forbidden knowledge. Some books are from the ancient past; some are from the future. The thick tomes are bound in black covers, with a symbol representing Mora on the front, and emit a black mist. They are comparable to the Oghma Infinium, another tome of knowledge created by Mora; however, through the reading of the Black Books, individuals can obtain much more power than that gained from the Oghma Infinium alone. The books were spread across Tamriel by Mora, and are usually located in the depths of ancient dungeons.Could this apple be a Black Book by another form? And if so... uh... I get the feeling we're unqualified to enter the realm of a Daedric Prince as an intruder, but I wonder if they'd be more accommodating to polite people who follow the rules?
Through reading a Black Book, the reader will enter Apocrypha, the realm of Oblivion created and ruled over by Hermaeus Mora. Tentacles will emerge from the tome and envelop the reader. An apparition of the reader's body remains in Mundus, tethering their life force. Most mortals who read a Black Book are driven insane, but those who successfully journey through Apocrypha are known to discover powerful knowledge. Dying in Apocrypha while reading a Black Book simply banishes the reader back to Tamriel. Rereading a book will return the reader to the same area of Apocrypha, allowing them to attempt Mora's gauntlets again or harness the power of a different piece of knowledge. Copies of the contents of Black Books can be made without entering Apocrypha.
Also in theory being slain there just shunts us back to our coma'd body here, so it'd be just the unending madness to contend with.
Frankly I'm not sure how much we have to lose.
Let's look at something for a moment. The only thing the others shared with their MLP counterparts were behavior patterns and (I think) general personalities. They didn't seem to be pulling one over on us. But now we find one who shares not only behavior, but appearance, name, and voice, and she turns out to be... something else. I'm not sure what the implications are but it's probably significant.Given Applejack's unnatural and cliche appearance and the general mindfuckery surrounding these events in general, I'd say we're dealing with an entity that knows what we want or know and is trying to give it to us. Awesomeicus is Rainbow Dash-like because she's in some way related to Rainbow Dash. TotallyMammalApplejack is Applejack because it's trying to be Applejack because it knows we were seeking Applejack.
As for why it wants us to think it's Applejack, I'm not sure.
Speaking of potions, you really, really should remember to buy some panic potions and/or scrolls so that you don't die horribly like you almost have a couple times now because you keep forgetting to do that. Of course, right now you barely have the money to afford one. But it's nevertheless something you really something you should do something about. Because right now one cliff racer showing up at a bad time and you would be horribly, horribly dead. It's very strange that you keep forgetting about that no matter how many times you remind yourself to remember to do it, and despite the fact that you've very recently had two close calls where you almost either died or in one case almost got abducted by an Ascended Sleeper because of it.Yeah, we fucked ourselves with that one. Too late now, I suspect, though it's not like the apple is likely to spoil. Maybe we should try to find a divine intervention scroll before doing anything? But again, if it's a Black Book that shouldn't matter, and if it's an insidious tentacle seed that also shouldn't matter.QuoteBuy a scabbard/sheath for your viperblade and all daggers. From now on whenever you buy a weapon
you might need access to, you MUST wear it on your person in a way it can be drawn and used.
You tell Draren that you'll be back soon, then stop by Arille's and pay 2 gold for a pair of scabbards for your extra daggers. While you glance over his inventory of healing potions and divine intervention scrolls you vaguely remember there was something you wanted to remember to buy. If there were a god in heaven, and if he were a kind god, surely he would remind you about whatever it was. Of course, if he did remind you again and again and you nevertheless kept ignoring and forgetting about it, presumably it would be entirely your fault for continually neglecting and forgetting about-
Oh! Is that a shiny gold coin on the ground? What good fortune! Somebody must have dropped it. You happily pick up the gold coin and continue on your way.
Gained one gold
I think probably-Pinkie would be the best one to ask about whether it's related to a local daedric lord or something worse.This is an interesting notion.
The issue I have with showing the apple to anyone else is that they're not likely to know what veiled Daedric traps are any more than we do. Maybe if they see it as something other than us (please not a gold coin please not a gold coin please not a gold coin) that'd be a dead giveaway, but otherwise we're talking about knowledge well outside most people's ken. Pinkie Pie is a good option for knowing about exactly that, and there are probably some scholars or something somewhere who could figure it out or have at least heard of something similar... but then again, people tend to not have very good track records with Daedric Princes or artifacts in general.
Post by: Araph on May 04, 2014, 03:57:44 pm
LordBucket is practically hitting us over the head with something, but because it's over our heads we can't see what it is for sure.
*Squints*
Hermaeus Mora?
That seems wholly possible and more than a little probable, honestly. 'For the most curious'? His sphere is knowledge. It fits.
Eat the apple. Eat it. Do it. Do it. Come on, you know you want to. Do it. Eat the apple.
This. Because reasons. Good reasons. TROPE reasons.
Oh shit.Quote from: UESPHermaeus Mora, also called the Golden EyeYyyyyyep, the Daedric Prince of knowledge, memory, and fate has taken an interest in us for some probably obvious reason.
Yeah, that pretty much confirms it. Golden apple, Golden Eye. CONSERVATION OF DETAIL TO THE RESCUE
Post by: WillowLuman on May 04, 2014, 04:06:28 pm
Could the sudden lack of trees mean we've just been whisked away to Oblivion already?
Post by: Supercharazad on May 04, 2014, 04:11:38 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on May 04, 2014, 04:28:23 pm
Could the sudden lack of trees mean we've just been whisked away to Oblivion already?This was my concern at first, but I think it's more just that there's no trees and therefore no apple trees being intentionally grown on the farm.
One other issue that's occurred to me:
Quote
She seems surprised to hear the name, but quickly smiles on seeing you.If she's an insidious doppleganger waiting to lure us in with knowledge neither of us should possess, why did she seem surprised to be called by her name? Was she some sort of generic trap for anyone who fits the criteria, or maybe someone else entirely? Did she think she looked exactly like Celestia and was waiting for Twilight to come along, but we fit the bill so sure why not? Or did she know everything we knew except the name for some reason, or maybe wasn't told anything but what to look and sound like, or we surprised her because she was busy reading when we came along, or something?
This detail seems significant but I don't know what to make of it.
Post by: joemoben on May 04, 2014, 04:32:54 pm
Post by: Arcvasti on May 04, 2014, 04:34:23 pm
DON'T EAT THE APPLE. Applejack may not have been what she seemed. Maybe have it examined [Non-destructively] by an alchemist to see if it has any unsual properties.
Post by: Supercharazad on May 04, 2014, 05:32:02 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 04, 2014, 05:32:15 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
But seriously, look around yourself, are you anywhere near Dren plantation? Keep the apple, it might be usefull later. Also REMEMBER YOU WEREN'T HUNGRY EARLIER, AND APPLEJACK DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES/FEELERS OR COLD AND SLIMY TOUCH!
And do not show that apple to large crowd or curious mages, find lone guard or farmer and ask what he thinks about it, mainly to confirm that it is an actual apple.
Post by: andrea on May 04, 2014, 05:55:44 pm
uh. I just remembered... the golden apple in the myth was made by Eris, also known in latin by the name of Discordia ( Discord). it is also known as the apple of discord. I wonder if that is in any way significant?
edit: might as well say something to michael...
that girl was most definitely an illusion, since you noticed tentacles where there should be none. Snap out of it, and ignore your hunger.
I wonder if we should just let michael take this decision for himself, after informing him of all the facts and hypotesis. I doubt there will be an agreement.
Post by: QuakeIV on May 05, 2014, 12:36:19 am
Post by: gordy on May 05, 2014, 12:54:26 am
Post by: Putnam on May 05, 2014, 12:59:33 am
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "Ifits all the same to you, pardner, it'd help me a lot if you'd say it. All out loud, like."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Say what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/ttxKC9l.png): "That you was lookin' fer me and that ya wanted to talk with me."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Umm...I was looking for you and wanted to talk with you?"
She smiles again, this time with a grin so wide you can't see her cheeks for her grin in the way.
Okay, that last line's creepy, but other than that: this seems pretty important, "her" telling him to say it out loud.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 05, 2014, 01:04:36 am
Okay, that last line's creepy, but other than that: this seems pretty important, "her" telling him to say it out loud.
I'm figuring its an alibi, so whoever is messing with us can say that they were simply reacting instead of initiating.
Post by: Araph on May 05, 2014, 01:35:46 am
Okay, that last line's creepy, but other than that: this seems pretty important, "her" telling him to say it out loud.
I'm figuring its an alibi, so whoever is messing with us can say that they were simply reacting instead of initiating.
Makes sense. Time to get ready for some good old fashioned creative truth telling and question dodging.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 05, 2014, 01:45:15 am
Post by: IronyOwl on May 05, 2014, 02:32:56 am
That's one idea, but it runs into the same issue as creepy fey permission requirements: Why? What would the servant of a Daedric Prince, possibly on direct orders from said Prince, have to work around or obey regarding us? Was she skirting pissing off Azura who has dibs on us? Is there some kind of noninterference agreement or law in effect between or against certain powers?Okay, that last line's creepy, but other than that: this seems pretty important, "her" telling him to say it out loud.
I'm figuring its an alibi, so whoever is messing with us can say that they were simply reacting instead of initiating.
What's especially strange about all this is that she offered us the apple before getting the statement, which seems to contradict most of the obvious "can't abduct us without permission" type things. I'm almost tempted to say she was fishing for a good show for her boss or a bet win condition or something.
Also, amusing aside:
Quote
"Couldn't tell ya pardner. Never did no formal schoolin' so it's all greek ta me."I don't like this line because, at first glance, it's an outright lie. Nothing else she said, as far as we can tell, was a lie, exactly, it's just that she was implying to be something she wasn't. But if she is a tentacled servant of the Daedric Prince of Knowledge, not knowing what's written on the apple she's handing us because she "never did no formal schoolin" is obviously untrue.
Unless, of course, she literally just doesn't read or write Cyrodiilic because she's a tentacled horror beyond mortal sanity. That amuses me, even if it still doesn't seem likely to be true because Daedra have existed since the dawn of time and these in particular sometimes read books.
More seriously:
(http://i.imgur.com/FkpK64d.png): "Also, there's rumor of a new construction near Lake Amaya north of the Dren Plantation."DAMN IT. We had more detailed information on the plantation than we thought.
So looking at a map, we've got some options. Originally I was thinking that maybe that fortress mentioned was the new "construction," as Applejack was "fixing it up" into a farm. But there's another option, and really only one other option.
(http://i.imgur.com/STKEuiL.png)
Here you can see Dren Plantation on the lower left corner. Looking for a place to put a construction north of it, there really isn't one. Pretty much everything is manors or existing fields until they turn into volcanic outcroppings.
(http://i.imgur.com/3VpQLzB.png)
On the other side, it's a slightly different story. The land still goes volcanic pretty quick, but there's that nice outcropping jutting into Lake Amaya, as well as relatively clear land to the west and north of it. If there really is a new construction out here, it's probably on that outcropping.
If we're not eating the apple, I say we head for that land, or at least get a look at it from the lake. Go around the beach if you go, obviously; we know what happens when you swim, though getting there from the beach directly south of it might be doable.
Why are people so hostile to performing ANY kind of investigation before we eat the apple? It's not like it will vanish if we don't bite it immediately. Just see how the nearest average dunmer joe reacts first, at least.I'm not necessarily opposed to it, but there is the question of what we'd learn. Supposing we show it to a random guard and they say it's a beating heart. Are we suddenly not going to eat the death apple now that we know something's off about it?
It's a tentacled trap, and we know it's a tentacled trap. It's not necessarily a trap we don't want to walk into, but it's not like we don't know the basics and it's not like there's many people who could tell us any more than that.
Maybe have it examined [Non-destructively] by an alchemist to see if it has any unsual properties.-1 to this. Until we have a plan on where to find an alchemist, this isn't really a valid action. It's also unlikely to work, since while they might be able to smell something off about it, for the most part alchemy is the art of breaking things down. An alchemist probably isn't going to be able to tell what's off or not about this apple without eating parts of it.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 05, 2014, 02:46:18 am
Quote
"Couldn't tell ya pardner. Never did no formal schoolin' so it's all greek ta me."
Oh hey, another dimensional anachronism.
EDIT: You know, beyond the obvious southern belle anachronism.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 05, 2014, 03:06:05 am
If there really is a new construction out here, it's probably on that outcropping.This is bugging me so I'll add a qualifier here:
We have every reason to believe that this new construction is at least comparable to a guild holding. If it's not, however, and this is just Fluttershy building herself an isolated cottage in the woods or something, then obviously there's going to be more places to hide it. This particular example would also amusingly explain the lack of ravenous fauna trying to chew our legs off.
Still, even if this is the case, which as mentioned doesn't seem likely, it's probably in a somewhat isolated area. Aside from the volcanic regions, that general area is still probably the best match.
Post by: LordBucket on May 05, 2014, 03:08:59 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: LordSlowpoke on May 05, 2014, 03:09:43 am
because the longer you're going to think it's real the bigger the chance is of forcing it to be real (you know, our mild chim?)
but then not a big surprise if someone planned that one out
Post by: hostergaard on May 05, 2014, 09:04:00 am
I find it interesting that the more we believed it to be the mane six the more strongly they became so, Applejack is nearly caricature while our earlier encounters are more unclear. Tough this may be due to writer frustration (I wonder, since we can communicate with Michael, maybe the writer is also an active part, so to speak?).
Of course, this may still be the CHIM effect, but I think it being illusions from a third partner explains some things. Well, I think its likely illusions what with the tentacle thing.
Whats more, its possible that these are illusions by somebody who do not know what they are making illusions of. That is, this is a form of illusion spell that lets the person under spell subconsciously fit in the details of what they see and perhaps partly what they hear too. So whatever behind the illusion does not really know what the hell Applejack is and thus is surprised by the name and thus also ask us to elaborate and vocalize what we are thinking. They can obfuscate the looks and manner of speech but they don't have the knowledge said entity should have. It may also explain how you feel hunger without hunger existing in the world since the spells lets you fit in the necessary details yourself.
Obviously we got someone with an interest in you who really wants you to eat the apple for whatever reason. What that reason is we don't know. It may be a trap, it may be a way to contact you secretly, it may be something else entirely. We don't know who the entity is, tough the tentacle thing does hint towards ascended sleepers (and Dagoth Ur have been know to play around with dreams, what this might be), and thus we don't know if the apple is for good or ill.
I am interested in eating the apple simply to see what happens, its likely that something interesting and informative may happen unless its simply death. Curiousity killed the cat, eh? Examine the apple with your magic eye. Show it to someone else. Possibly eat it, if they wanted to kill you or capture you they where close enough to do it before anyway.
Amusingly, this situation is also possibly a short of a biblical parallel Adam (a man, Michael) gets an apple (a woman, Applejack) that bestow knowledge of life and death/god and evil (for the curious).
Post by: WillowLuman on May 05, 2014, 10:50:04 am
I think that out of every episode so far, this one is my second favorite. I look forward to the MST3K of it.Are there already MST3K's of this?Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Xanmyral on May 05, 2014, 11:06:15 am
Post by: QuakeIV on May 05, 2014, 01:01:56 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 05, 2014, 01:07:26 pm
I strongly advise against ever eating it, for all we know its some kind of larva that will pull an alien on us and burst out of our chest eventually.
Welp, I changed my mind. Eat the apple.
Post by: ank on May 05, 2014, 03:05:36 pm
This so much!
Whats more, its possible that these are illusions by somebody who do not know what they are making illusions of. That is, this is a form of illusion spell that lets the person under spell subconsciously fit in the details of what they see and perhaps partly what they hear too. So whatever behind the illusion does not really know what the hell Applejack is and thus is surprised by the name and thus also ask us to elaborate and vocalize what we are thinking. They can obfuscate the looks and manner of speech but they don't have the knowledge said entity should have. It may also explain how you feel hunger without hunger existing in the world since the spells lets you fit in the necessary details yourself.
Do not eat that apple! For all you know it's squid testicles! Snap out of it!
I want to see what would happen if he eats the apple, but it's likely to end in tentacle porn...
So Michael, for my sake, eat the dam apple, but for your own sake(and various orifices'), don't.
On a side-note I would really like you to answer this: Is there any possibility that the PC's are actually characters you played in Morrowind? Do you remember any of your characters you played? If so, detail one of them for me
Eat the apple, I want to see what happens... You know you want to
Post by: Araph on May 05, 2014, 03:06:07 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
GUYS I THINK LORDBUCKET IS TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING
WHAT COULD IT MEAN
Better idea:
Michael: here's what
On the other hand, heroes (by the 'undefined fate' definition, not the 'badass adventurer guy' definition) regularly deal with Princes and walk out of it intact, if not unscathed. There's a chance what he wants from you is less soul-destroying than we might expect.
In addition, that was clearly neither Applejack nor a character controlled by her. None of the PCs are humanized ponies; they just bear traits of the main characters (and Luna). It's technically not necessary that AJ is even playing. I mean, she's the hard worker; it'd make sense that she'd pass up video games entirely. Just something to think about. It doesn't mean the theory is wrong, but it sure as hell doesn't support it.
My vote as to what you do is this: if you think it's worth taking the risk in exchange for knowledge, eat the apple. If you don't think it's worth it, don't eat the apple. Your fate is in your own hands. Just be careful if you decide to do it, because Hermaeus will probably view that as an agreement to whatever terms he's set that we don't know about.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 05, 2014, 03:26:27 pm
Post by: Spitfire on May 05, 2014, 04:27:09 pm
Post by: gordy on May 05, 2014, 04:29:47 pm
Post by: Araph on May 05, 2014, 04:52:35 pm
Maybe the more strongly we agree on a course of action the more successful the outcome.
THAT is an interesting idea. Now we just need to all actually agree on something. :P
Post by: gman8181 on May 05, 2014, 04:55:31 pm
Maybe the more strongly we agree on a course of action the more successful the outcome.
THAT is an interesting idea. Now we just need to all actually agree on something. :P
NEVER ;D
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 05, 2014, 04:59:29 pm
I have a strong feeling that we'll wind up eating it sooner or later.Or we could toss it into room full of Telvani magelords. We would need fast way out of Vvardenfell after that one, what with the "for the most curious" and all...
Post by: LordBucket on May 05, 2014, 07:04:13 pm
Are there already MST3K's of this?
I've written them for about 16 chapters, but none are published because they contain spoilers. "Author commentary" would be a more accurate name for them than MST3K. Basically it's just me explaining all the subtle references and symbolism, pointing out references and shoutouts, explanation for "what was really going," the occasional logical inconsistency, my hopes and expectations for the game, etc.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 05, 2014, 07:11:10 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 05, 2014, 07:13:13 pm
Post by: Dermonster on May 05, 2014, 07:15:38 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on May 05, 2014, 07:23:09 pm
Dammit, I really want to see it now.
Not to stray off topic, but you can find a whole lot of the original Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Youtube. I'd recommend watching it.
Post by: Dermonster on May 05, 2014, 07:25:16 pm
Post by: Araph on May 05, 2014, 08:55:56 pm
Are there already MST3K's of this?
I've written them for about 16 chapters, but none are published because they contain spoilers. "Author commentary" would be a more accurate name for them than MST3K. Basically it's just me explaining all the subtle references and symbolism, pointing out references and shoutouts, explanation for "what was really going," the occasional logical inconsistency, my hopes and expectations for the game, etc.
LET ME READ THEM PLEASE
Post by: syvarris on May 05, 2014, 10:09:21 pm
...Also, just a moment ago, when I said "Don't eat the apple", what did the word before 'apple' sound like? A loud censor bleep, maybe?
I'm saying to throw the apple away, because if I were a horrific lovecraftian monster beyond the ken of man or mer, I would enchant the apple itself with the compulsion to eat it. Keeping it in our backpack might just let the magic set in. Anyways, what would we really stand to gain? Eating it is just insane- if it was beneficial at all, then we probably would have been given a deal with the devil situation. Selling it is just completely evil, for the aformentioned reason, and I thought we were generally trying not to be a jerk.
Also, I'm surprised anyone could have missed the eldritch stuff there- I caught that something was weird the moment Applejack's fangs were mentioned, although it took me longer to realize she wasn't just a vampire. I would've liked to see how people would have reacted if the reeally obvious stuff was cut out...
Post by: gordy on May 06, 2014, 12:48:16 am
Also, eat the apple. Nothing ever happens to the Nevarine they can't handle, not Mora, not Sheogorath, not Vile.
Post by: Putnam on May 06, 2014, 12:57:09 am
Also, eat the apple. Nothing ever happens to the Nevarine they can't handle, not Mora, not Sheogorath, not Vile.
Except apparently Dunmer with axes.
Post by: LordBucket on May 06, 2014, 01:57:44 am
Post by: WillowLuman on May 06, 2014, 02:25:12 am
Post by: LordBucket on May 06, 2014, 03:11:34 am
:o <ANTICIPATION>
Most likely it won't be up tonight.
Also, what madness is this? Five of you voted multiple times? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, of course, since all things relate to five somehow. But of those five who double voted, three voted both ways. One, both ways even within the same post.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 06, 2014, 03:12:41 am
Post by: IronyOwl on May 06, 2014, 05:37:35 am
Post by: ank on May 06, 2014, 10:28:22 am
My vote was for eating the damn apple.
See, LB, we are torn between common sense and narrative reasoning, my sane half tells me to not eat the apple, and my storytelling half wants to find out what happens.
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 06, 2014, 03:01:09 pm
...makes me regret not voting for eating that apple. Or making Golden Apple Cider out of it. I still think it has the potential of WMD if used right.
Post by: gordy on May 09, 2014, 09:21:13 pm
Post by: LordBucket on May 12, 2014, 02:51:46 am
It's getting really difficult to keep doing this.
Post by: LordBucket on May 12, 2014, 03:16:06 am
Episode 60: To eat or not to eat, that is the quandry.
Quote
since when does Applejack have slimy TENTACLES?
Quote
APPLEJACK DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES/FEELERS OR COLD AND SLIMY TOUCH!
Quote
you noticed tentacles where there should be none
Quote
Realize that you just noticed a freaking TENTACLE ON THE SUPPOSEDLY FRIENDLY COWBOY CHICK.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What are you guys talking about? What tentacles?"
Quote
Applejack may not have been what she seemed.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No, I'm positive that was her. Did you see the way she was dressed? And her voice sounded just like her. She even said she was Applejack, didn't she? Applejack is the Element of Honesty. She wouldn't lie about something like that."
Quote
Break free from illusion! WAKE UP!
Quote
Michael, snap out of it.
Michael seems genuinely confused now.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What illusion? Wake up from what?"
Quote
you are feeling hunger which aren't there either.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hmm. I suppose it is a little odd that I'd suddenly be hungry for the first time in months of not eating. Maybe it's because the apple is just so delicious?"
Michael looks at the apple in his hand, a smile creeping onto his face as his breath quickens.
Quote
I think we should eat the apple.
Quote
I say eat the apple.
eat the apple.
Quote
Eat the apple.
Quote
Eat the apple. Eat it. Do it. Do it. Come on, you know you want to. Do it. Eat the apple.
The apple is definitely not what it seems. That's exactly why we should eat it.
Quote
This.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...oohhhh...yes...this is gonna be so good!"
Michael brings it to his nose and inhales. His mouth opens and he brushes his tongue against its fine golden skin.
Quote
DON'T EAT THE ****ING APPLE MICHAEL.
Quote
whatever you do, don't eat that apple.
Quote
DON'T EAT THE APPLE.
Quote
Do not eat the trap.
Quote
Don't eat the apple.
Quote
Snap out of it, and ignore your hunger.
Quote
I strongly advise against ever eating it
Scream in uncomprehending horror, andhurl the apple away from youstore the apple in your pack for later investigation.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But...why? Applejack give me this apple. She's the best apple grower person...err, pony...in all Equestria! Do you have any idea how delicious it must be?"
Michael glances around suspiciously.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Wait. Maybe you do know. Is that why you don't want me to eat it. So you can keep it for yourselves?"
Clutching the apple to his chest with both hands he snarls.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "YOU CAN'T HAVE IT IT'S MINE! Applejack gave it to me because she loves me and I'm awesome and it's delicious and I'm hungry!"
Quote
Break free from illusion! WAKE UP!
Quote
Michael, snap out of it.
Michel crouches down on the backs of his calves, still clutching the apple to his chest.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Snap out of...snap out of...illusion? What illusion?"
Suddenly he panics.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "WHAT? It CAN'T be an illusion! The apple is REAL, aren't you little apple? You're not an illusion. Please be real, please be real!"
Falling over onto his side, Michel clenches his eyes shut and pets the apple with one hand, rocking back and forth as he does.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's ok, you're real. I won't let the voices take you away. You're real. It's ok. Everything's ok."
Several minute pass.
Quote
we can probably sell that for a rather high amount of dosh right
Quote
Don't eat it yet.
Quote
eat some of the meat in our pack to see if that satiates us at all
Michael continues rocking and petting the apple.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...I don't think I could sell it. But, I suppose I could eat it later. Maybe it'll just get better with time? Like cheese. Or wine. Yes...I think I can wait. That's ok. Waiting's ok. It'll be ok. I can just....eat something else. The apple will still be there for me. It's a good apple. Applejack's the Element of Loyalty, so her apple will wait for me. It will wait for me. I can wait."
Taking off his backpack with one hand, he reaches out to set the apple down...then changes his mind and opens the backpack with his free hand. Pulling out some whickwheat he brings the apple to his mouth and starts to take a bi-
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Oh, oops. That's right, I was going to save it for later."
Michael looks at the apple in his hand. A few moments pass. His breathing slows, and he stares into the apple
Quote
Examine the apple with your magic eye.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's green. The magic is green. I wonder why it's green. Such a pretty green."
His eyes defocus.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So pretty."
Quote
Keep the apple
Smiling at the nice, pretty apple, Michael wraps it in paper and puts it in the main part of his backpack away from the alchemy ingredients and zips it closed.
Then immediately pukes.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Oh, wow. I feel awful."
Walking over to the nearby water, he gazes in and washes the vomit from his face and armor.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What was I doing? I was going to...something about a...oh, wait. I was going to eat something, right?"
Looking down, Michael sees the whickwheat still in his hand. He eats it.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "That's actually pretty tasty. But why was I going to eat this? I already know what whickwheat does. It's not like I'm hungry or anything."
What do you do?
Post by: Supercharazad on May 12, 2014, 03:34:11 am
Once you've done that, let's go to Ghostgate. There's got to be something fun to do there, right? Maybe you can eat the apple there? Maybe Applejack wanted you to eat the apple there? Only one way to find out!
Post by: Xanmyral on May 12, 2014, 08:37:59 am
Post by: syvarris on May 12, 2014, 09:44:31 am
Wonderful logic there, even under the influence of an apple.
Michael, how much do you remember of the last five or so minutes?
Some being, probably under the domain of Hermaus Mora, appeared in front of you, looking like Applejack. Well, a very human applejack. She didn't really seem to know who 'applejack' was, so we're thinking it was a generalized trickery spell that made you see what you wanted to see.
While talking to her, there were a lot of clues of a bunch of senses that it was some sort of tentacled beast. Very lovecraftian. Anyways, she gave you an apple, and promptly disappeared.
The apple had some sort of compulsion that made you feel hungry, and want to eat it. Also, it made you feel very... attached to it. You said it had a green magic aura. Through the power of thu'um, we convinced you to put it in your backpack.
Don't listen to the people that tell you to eat it. They're trying to kill you for funnies. You need to get rid of it, without touching it. I suggest you take the viperblade, stab it, then fling it out into the lake.
Oh, and after that, go continue searching for the 'new construction' that we came here to find.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 12, 2014, 10:41:52 am
Michael, look around this so-called farm.
Post by: Arcvasti on May 12, 2014, 05:21:43 pm
Now I am pretty concerned about the apple, but I wouldn't say to eat it yet. I'm very curious now to see what happens if we try to show it to someone else, though that could turn violent.+1
Michael, look around this so-called farm.
ALSO DO NOT EAT THE APPLE. WE DON'T WANT THE APPLE. ITS YOURS. JUST DON'T EAT IT JUST YET.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 12, 2014, 05:32:23 pm
Post by: birdy51 on May 12, 2014, 07:37:34 pm
Now... I wonder if we can't use this apple to our gain somehow. Perhaps what we have been given is not a curse, but a boon. A powerful boon. Because I am ill informed about the world of Morrowind, could someone explain just exactly happens when it is eaten?
Post by: Arcvasti on May 12, 2014, 07:48:38 pm
Because I am ill informed about the world of Morrowind, could someone explain just exactly happens when it is eaten?
So far our best theory is that it was given by Herma-Mora. His thing is getting people stuck in his daedric realm by tempting them with knowledge, so if it is him, we should probably refrain from appling just yet.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 12, 2014, 07:51:48 pm
Keep the apple. It must remain freeeesssssssssh. Unspoiled. Golden Delicious. Examine your surroundings.There are no apples in the game. In fact, I don't know of any mods that add them. It's a strange thing. From lore in general, seems like it's likely to be a Daedric trick.
Now... I wonder if we can't use this apple to our gain somehow. Perhaps what we have been given is not a curse, but a boon. A powerful boon. Because I am ill informed about the world of Morrowind, could someone explain just exactly happens when it is eaten?
Post by: birdy51 on May 12, 2014, 08:11:18 pm
So. What if we offered the "apple" or "knowledge" to someone else? From what I can perceive, tricking someone else to eat it could give us the advantage in that they are indisposed while this Herma-Mora is doing his thing. On the other hand; it could very well do nothing which would be a massive disappointment.
Another option to be proposed. We could try to call "Applejack" out on her bluff. If knowledge is this "Herma-Mora"'s kick; then perhaps we can find a way to interest him. If we can find some way to goad him into dealing with us openly, it may make for an interesting conversation.
A few hard questions. What is our goal here? What exactly are we seeking for Michael? From my own perspective, I want to solve the mystery of why we are here. How we got here and potentially; how we can leave. If we have made contact with a Daedric entity, then we should try to utilize that connection to our advantage. Exploit what we know, and find the truth.
Post by: QuakeIV on May 12, 2014, 09:13:21 pm
Post by: ank on May 13, 2014, 01:05:45 am
Post by: Supercharazad on May 13, 2014, 04:02:21 pm
Post by: andrea on May 13, 2014, 04:08:27 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on May 13, 2014, 04:32:22 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on May 13, 2014, 04:48:57 pm
It's getting really difficult to keep doing this.Well, is there any way to save it?
Post by: WillowLuman on May 13, 2014, 04:58:39 pm
I hope this doesn't die now, it's REALLY getting interesting. We're close to some big secret, most likely.It's getting really difficult to keep doing this.Well, is there any way to save it?
Post by: Arcvasti on May 13, 2014, 05:00:51 pm
It's getting really difficult to keep doing this.
Maybe try and have longer gaps between episodes. Take it easy. There's no real rush, as far as I know. If its getting overwhelming, maybe put this on hiatus for a little while or something.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 13, 2014, 05:43:35 pm
Post by: LordBucket on May 13, 2014, 07:19:10 pm
We had, what, 3-4 updates in the past week? 1 a week would be fine
I think episode length is harder on me than frequency. The average update is 3 screenshots, 1.5 unique avatars, and between 10 and 20 printed pages of text.
It's like averaging a 2 page essay every day for the past year.
Well, is there any way to save it?
Maybe like the others are suggesting, it would help if I just didn't maintain such a frantic pace. But this game was always intended to have an ending. Though I'm uncertain how much the ending it will actually have will resemble the ending I anticipated.
But that whole question just prompts me to wonder what the reaction to any possible ending would be. When you guys finally noticed the pony thing a bunch of you immediately started complaining about how disappointing it was (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5238089#msg5238089) and how much less you'd enjoy the story (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5237610#msg5237610) because of it, and ranking various levels of disappointment (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5237964#msg5237964) you'd feel for various possible outcomes. I mean, if you guys really want to know totally kill someone's enthusiasm for something they've literally invested over three hundred hours of time into, then just go read some of those posts:
Oh god no, not ponies....
"I dislike ponies".
I get enjoyment from reading the story, but I'd lose a little of it if it turned out that the ponies theory is correct.
it would be disappointing if the theory was true, and I was outlining scenarios from least disappointing to most disappointing
(the best case one wouldn't be too bad, actually). I'm not trying to change the story, I'm just saying I'd be disappointed.
Seriously? That's what I have to look forward to? A choice between "most" disappointing and "least disappointing? It's convenient that your "worst case oh god no" scenarios happen to not quite be what's going on here, but SPOILER: the pony thing definitely has at least something to do with what's going on, and realistically there's no way this can end without a bunch of people telling me how horribly disappointed they were.
Given how good you guys have been at missing clues and taking extremely indirect paths to answers, I could totally see this game running another year. So I just have to ask myself how important it is to spend another couple hundred hours of writing and editing time running a game just to earn a spot on the least to most disappointing chart.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 13, 2014, 07:41:19 pm
I know you're averse to it, but truth be told a bit of railroading would be better than either leaving this unfinished or saying "I give up, here's all the spoilers." It could be a good idea to fast-forward until Michael's practiced enough to actually be able to fight (which is what we tried to do so long ago with the legion).
Post by: Araph on May 13, 2014, 07:44:20 pm
It's like averaging a 2 page essay every day for the past year.
Also, holy shit that's a lot.
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on May 13, 2014, 07:47:19 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on May 13, 2014, 08:06:55 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on May 13, 2014, 10:00:03 pm
Also, people should probably suggest something other than "eat the apple" or "don't eat the apple", seeing as that was pretty much the entirety of the last update as well.
Michael, seeing as it looks like you're a bit more...sane now, it seems safe to tell you that you basically just went full Gollum on us there about an item in your backpack. It might do that to you on touch or by vicinity, so be very careful in handling the object wrapped in paper in your backpack.
You should probably leave and return to Draren to see if he's done catching up with his sister yet, it might be dangerous to stay in this one area. Maybe you should ask one of the guards if they'd noticed anyone wearing unusual clothing lately. What day is it, by the way? We have reason to believe that the person that gave the object to you is a Daedric prince, and if we knew whether it was his summoning day, it might help confirm or deny that theory.
Post by: The_Jester on May 14, 2014, 07:56:56 am
Post by: Baffler on May 14, 2014, 09:45:48 am
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this is probably among, if not the best forum game I've participated in.
Seconded. I know I've complained, but my quibbles are minor compared to the enjoyment I get out of reading this. I wouldn't mind a longer time between updates either, especially if it's easier on you that way. There's not many people who could keep something like this going so long, and so well.
Post by: Descan on May 14, 2014, 11:22:59 am
Sure, you'll let us DO something, like join the Legion. But it takes out a huge chunk of time, and doesn't -really- accomplish much (or at least, not much that we could have done in an easier way) . If we had known how different it would have been from vanilla-Legion then we probably wouldn't have done it.
It's happened a fair bit, where we want to do something because it helps in the vanilla game, and you let us, but don't tell us how it is different until we've already wasted a week or two on it. After a while it felt kind of rail-roady, like "Sure, you can do whatever you want, it just won't accomplish anything unless you do what I want you to do~"
Er... Yeah.
Post by: LordBucket on May 14, 2014, 02:15:12 pm
you'll let us DO something, like join the Legion. But it takes out a huge chunk of time, and doesn't -really- accomplish much (or at least, not much that we could have done in an easier way) . If we had known how different it would have been from vanilla-Legion then we probably wouldn't have done it.
...the way I remember it the only reason you even joined at all was specifically because you knew it would be different from vanilla. Remember, the primary motivation for joining was to get free skill training. The legion doesn't do that in vanilla.
In any case, General Darius explained exactly what joining the legion would entail:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
You guys knew it was a bad deal and that's why you changed your minds after talking to him. You didn't join the Legion until 7 episodes later (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344888#msg4344888) when you rather suddenly changed your mind for reasons I never understood.
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It's happened a fair bit, where we want to do something because it helps in the vanilla game, and you let us, but don't tell us how it is different until we've already wasted a week or two on it.
Some of the "MorrowReal" aspects of the game have played out that way. Like when you first ran into backpack space issues collecting mushrooms, not being able to train magic, the non-vanilla economy and intelligent shopkeepers, etc. Yes, training to 100 alchemy while simultaneously getting rich on day one by buying infinite reagents from a vendor and selling the resulting infinite potions back to her...that's a "vanilla Morrowind" kind of thing, and no it doesn't work here. But all of that was established in the first month or two of the game. Other than the Legion, which you had every reason to know would be a bad deal, alchemy is the only "thing that helps in vanilla" you've really invested energy into that hasn't paid off. And you could have resolved the alchemy situation a long time ago if you'd focused on it, but there have been other things you collectively decided were more important to do.
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"Sure, you can do whatever you want, it just won't accomplish anything unless you do what I want you to do~"
From my point of view most of the things that don't work for you fail because you either forget about them, or simply don't follow through with your own plans.
Learning necromancy wasn't my idea. You guys came up with that and I went along with it. Then you immediately abandoned it after being given an intro quest. Seeking out Clover? After going to all the trouble of going to Tel Fyr you never bothered to go look for her. Divayth told you exactly where she was, but you just never bothered to go talk to her despite spending six episodes at Tel Fyr. You guys promised Edwinna that you'd ask Yagrum some questions for her. But again, you totally dropped it once you got there. Making that promise to retrieve the ring for Thavere? Totally your idea. But then after swearing an oath, you abandoned it the following episode.
On the other hand, Draren? Not my idea, but that worked out rather well. The treasure in the stump in Seyda neen? I didn't even know that was there until you guys decided to go loot it. Vivec? Sure, I expected you'd talk to him eventually but short-cutting everything and slipping a letter under his door? Not my idea, and that worked out very well. Getting Processsus' murderer to confess with a guard in earshot? That worked, and you collected the bounty for it. Swimming to Tel Fyr? I completely expected that to end badly but you got to where you wanted and made some allies in the process.
Plenty of things you've tried have worked when you set your minds to actually doing them.
Post by: QuakeIV on May 14, 2014, 03:25:39 pm
It isnt even a totally consistent pool of decision makers. Your right though life would be a lot easier for us if we stuck with our prior plans more. Ill stop hre its a bitch to type on my phone.
Post by: Descan on May 14, 2014, 03:28:14 pm
But I take issue with the idea of us abandoning ideas. Maybe yes for the necromancy thing, I didn't post saying I wanted to do that but I did want to follow through with it, I guess that's on mine and others like me heads. But things like talking to Yagrum about Edwinna seem too obvious to say "Yes we want to do that," about, they seem like things that should be followed through on without our needing to provide input unless we explicitly say "No, we should not do that any more," whether because we changed our minds or some other information has come up to say it's a bad idea.
I don't recall the ring part so it's hard to say, but depending on the circumstances surrounding it I think that's another situation where it seems obvious we want to do so so no one feels the need to explicitly say we want to do it.
And yeah, it's kind of hard because it's not like there's only one person on our end, it's a whole lot of people. You've dealt with it admirably for most cases, such as waiting for multiple people to support something (so there's not just a tyranny of the one or two people most vocal) but it does lead to the idea that we just don't explicitly mention things that seem fairly obvious. Especially with the added idea that we could think "Eh, someone else will mention it".
And the inexplicable joining the legion could probably be explained the same way, with others joining who do want to (or weren't around to see the reasons not to join) so they won out, despite the majority of people (who feel that is fairly obvious to not join the legion, and so don't speak up) not wanting to.
The only way I could see fixing that is a running tally of who wants to do what, and have votes like "Don't join the legion" cross-episodes. So you would have like, 15 people have at some point said "Don't join!" and you need 16 people to say they do, rather than just the luck of the draw of who posts what between episodes. But that is again more work for you. And it doesn't exactly help with things that we feel are too obvious to explicitly mention.
Post by: LordBucket on May 14, 2014, 04:24:56 pm
In most cases I don't go check further back than the previous episode for suggestions in the next episode. Though there have been some exceptions. Like for example the decision to learn destruction rather than restoration was settled by votes from an extra episode prior. Or like Episode 44 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4878568#msg4878568) which is actually titled after a particularly memorable quote from May of last year I was waited ages to finally get to use. :)
Post by: Descan on May 14, 2014, 04:37:06 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 14, 2014, 05:26:01 pm
And I wholeheartedly agree about seemingly obvious things not being mentioned, and thus getting forgotten. When that one person suggested seducing the orc lady, none of us took it seriously and so didn't voice an objection. But because that was one for and none against, it happened, much to our dismay (though amusement when no lasting ill effects occurred.)
Remember at the beginning, when Michael interpreted every command as "DO THIS NOW" and yelled at us for telling him to waste his money bouncing all over the map constantly? We thought that "do this when you're in the place to do it" would be obvious, but it wasn't.
About Tel Fyr: I am pretty disappointed that we didn't get to do find out about clover, or ask questions for Edwinna, but the constant reminders about the boat seemed to be "Guys get out now or you'll be stuck at Tel Fyr until Cinnia returns at an indeterminate time."
Post by: syvarris on May 14, 2014, 06:01:07 pm
LB, I greatly apologize for that. I was unreasonably angry at the time. As others have said, this is one of the best forum games I've seen on these forums. You've thought everything out to an impressive extent, and crafted a very believable world, with characters that usually feel real. Michael, at least at the times that he isn't being controlled by the hivemind, acts like an actual person.
To be perfectly honest, yes, my enjoyment does decrease somewhat knowing there's ponies; I really, really dislike that fandom. And that's a problem with me, yes. But despite that, this story is good enough to keep me around. The many good aspects of it by far outweigh the things I perceive as negative.
Post by: Karkov on May 14, 2014, 06:19:05 pm
That being said, I have no problem with the ponies, they're just another story element in an already great story; it's not even like they were modded into the game itself (there are some true atrocities in Skyrim, I tell you what), so the most you have to deal with is their personalities.
Other than that, thanks LordBucket for putting up with us for so long. The story's great and the effort you put out is immense. I'd be disappointed if this ended, but it's always up to the author to decide what they want to do.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 14, 2014, 06:49:15 pm
So, being over the knee-jerk reaction, the more interesting explaination presented itself, that the presence of pony-inspired elements is a clue to how we ended up here and what's been going on. The fan-dumb fear, that this had been about ponies (or leading up to being about ponies) the whole time, has been thankfully debunked. Are these elements here because of something in Michael's head? Or something on his computer? Is Michael on a trauma/drug/stroke induced dream-coma journey through his own psyche (a la many fantasy books)? Or something even stranger or more unexpected?
As long as an actual pony didn't zap Michael into Morrowind for MLP reasons (which LB denies, thank goodness), I'd probably be perfectly fine with whatever happens. And even if that's what happened, it wouldn't invalidate all the good story that came before it.
Post by: syvarris on May 14, 2014, 07:00:18 pm
Well said, good sir.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 14, 2014, 07:02:38 pm
* Most likely not, but the thought amuses me.
Post by: Putnam on May 14, 2014, 07:22:45 pm
Amaranth is the Dreamer, for those who don't know, one who dreams their own universe. Think of them as like the boxes containing universes from Futurama. The universes aren't any less real for being dreamt and any problems with the Dreamer's Dreamer probably won't cause problems in the Amaranth's dream. The dreamer of the Aurbis is the Anu in the Anuad. It is fully possible that Michael is the Amaranth for this Aurbis, though I... really don't think so.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 14, 2014, 08:59:18 pm
The dream becomes the dreamer.
Post by: Arcvasti on May 14, 2014, 09:01:41 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on May 14, 2014, 09:07:55 pm
Regardless, it could (in a roundabout sense) be true if this is all a coma dream.
Post by: Moghjubar on May 14, 2014, 09:12:38 pm
Sheogorath is a player, after all (and many people here have likely become Sheogorath). Heck, M might have even been Sheogorath if he played thru Oblivion (and time it occured doesn't really matter what with fuzzy time, dimensions, and of course modding Oblivion to become Morrowind I guess).
Suddenly, everyone was Sheogorath all along.
Suddenly, talking to lots of voices makes sense.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 14, 2014, 09:17:46 pm
Speaking of Kirkbride, anyone noticed that Michael shares his first name? I don't know if it has any significance, but just thought I'd mention it.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 14, 2014, 09:27:44 pm
Just checked. Michael doesn't know his last name. During the Legion Training. Interesting.
Post by: LordBucket on May 15, 2014, 12:23:55 am
Misc responses to couple comments:
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I still really like this story
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I'm not into MLP, but as Araph said, this is probably among, if not the best forum game I've participated in. Well written, interesting, based off a game that I really enjoy, I could go on
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my quibbles are minor compared to the enjoyment I get out of reading this.
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this is one of the best forum games I've seen on these forums.
You've thought everything out to an impressive extent, and crafted a very believable world
Thank you. It's good to hear that the consensus is that people are enjoying this. :)
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Remember at the beginning, when Michael interpreted every command as "DO THIS NOW" and yelled at us for telling him to waste his money bouncing all over the map constantly? We thought that "do this when you're in the place to do it" would be obvious, but it wasn't.
Again, there are practical limits. Jumping for athletics, destruction training whenever you have spare magicka, stuff like that is fine to just take for granted. When you got sidetracked on the way to learn magic and the vote for which school to learn took place an extra episode prior to the actual opportunity to learn one, sure I just checked an extra couple thread pages back to see what the consensus had been. But stuff like the Edwinna/Yagrum thing...your promise to Edwinna was made in Episode 40 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4551466#msg4551466), on August 30th of 2013, on thread page 76. It became relevant in Episode 52 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5133490#msg5133490), dated March 29, 2014, on thread page 107.
Or, another example: Nalcaryra informed you that it would be necessary to procure hospitality papers should you wish you to engage in commerce in Sadrith Mor. That was in Episode 26 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4344887#msg4344887), dated June 24, 2013, on thread page 32. That became relevant in Episode 46 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4892394#msg4892394), dated January 6, 2014, on thread page 93
I think it's pretty reasonable for me to not just remember that kind of thing for you. I'm not trying to deliberately trip you up by having such such long delays between something introduced and it becoming actionable, but I'm just not going to maintain months worth of "do X when we next reach location Y" instruction sets.
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About Tel Fyr: I am pretty disappointed that we didn't get to do find out about clover, or ask questions for Edwinna, but the constant reminders about the boat seemed to be "Guys get out now or you'll be stuck at Tel Fyr until Cinnia returns at an indeterminate time."
From my point of view that was a pacing issue. You were at Tel Fyr for 6 episodes. Ten percent the entire lifetime of this year-long forum game you were in one building talking to people. That's ok if that's what you want to do, but to give a tabletop gaming metaphor, when the party spends 10 minutes at the entrance to the kobold lair debating how to go in...whether to disguise themselves, or sneak in, or go charging in with swords drawn, or to wait for dark or hide and look for patrols to steal their armor, and oh have you ever wondered whether kobolds are true lizards or whether they're mongrel lizardmen? What do you think, Bob? ...Bob? Guys? Where'd our cleric go? Oh, he's in the next room watching tv waiting for everyone else to figure out what they want to do.
...that's when it's time for the GM to step in and have the kobold scouting party return and attack the people loudly bickering outside their home.
Pacing.
You had plenty of time to track down Clover if you'd decided it was important. You decided talking to Yagrum was more important. That's fine. I offer no particular critique or comment on it. Just, please try to understand...you arrived at Tel Fyr in Episde 48 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg4924224#msg4924224) on real world date January 17, Cinia reminded you that she was leaving in Episode 51 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5123539#msg5123539) on real world date March 25...and you nevertheless stayed in Tel Fyr until Episode 54 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5145044#msg5145044) real world date April 2, three months later.
Totally a pacing issue.
I realize you wanted to talk to Yagrm. You got to talk to Yagrum. But January to April of 2014 was enough time to talk to Yagrum.
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To be perfectly honest, yes, my enjoyment does decrease somewhat knowing there's ponies; I really, really dislike that fandom. And that's a problem with me, yes. But despite that, this story is good enough to keep me around. The many good aspects of it by far outweigh the things I perceive as negative.
I don't want to be too spoily here. There are still many ways this could possibly play out and I don't know which path(s) you guys are actually going to see...but if I were to venture a guess, I would guess that there will probably come a time in this story when the answers to all your questions seems to be "ponies." "What's going on?" "Ponies."
When that time comes, remember Applejack. Not everything is always what it appears.
Of course, I'm not saying that everything is tentacle monsters either. But there's still room for twists, yet.
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As long as an actual pony didn't zap Michael into Morrowind for MLP reasons (which LB denies, thank goodness)
I will confirm that that specific and precise thing is in fact not what's going on here. I will further confirm that it was never what was going on, and I didn't change my mind after the reaction you guys gave to seeing the pony stuff. In fact, the more observant among you might put together the fact that I've gone on record to say that I only expected this game to last a couple months...and the fact that neither Awesomicus nor Clover were even indirectly introduced until Episode 26...and you might possibly thereby come to some interesting conclusions.
In any case...please remember that this was originally intended to be a couple month long forum game. I never intended to write a novel. I think we've done well here, but let's not build up our expectations so much that no matter what happens half a dozen of you want to crucify me.
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I've got to wonder if Michael wound ever have realized our presence without Vivec. Heck, we didn't know we had an in-universe existence before Vivec told Michael. In fact, I think this may have been one of the main points of divergence from LB's plan. This game would have been written completely differently and been bereft of much metaphysical experimentation and faffing about without that.
Remember these questions when the game ends.
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What is Michael's last name? I gotta check to see if it was mentioned.
Just checked. Michael doesn't know his last name. During the Legion Training. Interesting.
You have more information relevant to that question than you apparently realize.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 15, 2014, 01:06:23 am
I will confirm that that specific and precise thing is in fact not what's going on here. I will further confirm that it was never what was going on, and I didn't change my mind after the reaction you guys gave to seeing the pony stuff. In fact, the more observant among you might put together the fact that I've gone on record to say that I only expected this game to last a couple months...and the fact that neither Awesomicus nor Clover were even indirectly introduced until Episode 26...and you might possibly thereby come to some interesting conclusions.Don't worry, at least you warn us not to get our hopes up instead of letting us build ourselves up. I didn't think you changed the story, since you really do seem like a good enough writer to not pull something so fannish and cheesy (especially given the tone throughout). A person who could write even the first 2 months of this game would not be a person to end it with that worst case scenario, unless they were trolling.
I think the 2 major problems are that you didn't realize you were striking gold with the premise, and like the rest of us, thought some things would be obvious that weren't.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 15, 2014, 02:48:06 am
I'll probably give it a go around when I actually have a computer, or let someone else take the reigns there.
Post by: syvarris on May 15, 2014, 07:14:10 am
I'm not saying this is an error of LB, rather the contrary; I'm impressed he can maintain such excellent internal consistency with that much time in between relevant episodes. I just think we players should come up with a way to fix it.
The best idea I can think of, is to just assign one person to keeping a quest journal, and they write it out in one of their posts. Then we ask LB to put a link to that post in every episode. That way, we can record little plans like "Talk to Yagrum for mage person", and have them right there where it's obvious.
Post by: Remalle on May 15, 2014, 02:20:36 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on May 15, 2014, 03:41:48 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 16, 2014, 04:14:14 pm
Michael is to become an amaranth*. Makes sense to me that what he likes is around.Shouldn't that be LB who's the Amaranth of this dream, and Michael is his shezzarine equivalent, since both are bronies and all that? Now, how to get Michael to mantle LB... Full chim should be when Michael understands he's just a figment of LB's imagination in this forum game and starts to directly talking to him about it. Not sure if we want to go there...
* Most likely not, but the thought amuses me.
And yes, B12 as a whole has major ADHD issues. This shouldn't be surprise to anyone.
Michael, real Applejack is the Element of Honesty. That thing you just spoke to used illusions to fool you and made you go all Gollum on that "apple" she gave you and puke all over yourself. That's not very honest thing to do now, is it? So we're pretty sure it wasn't the real Applejack you spoke to just now but agent of Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Prince of Knowledge. Tentacles kind of gave it away. So that "apple" wrapped in paper in your backpack that has words "for the most curious" is clearly reference to Eris/Discordia from Greek/Roman myths and her Apple of Discord that caused several gods to start fighting among each other over who would get it and some lesser issues, like the Trojan War. Do not look or try to eat it, or show it to any curious mages so they don't go all ancient Greek on us and make SHTF on Vvardenfell while we're still here. If there is pony who behaves like Eris/Discordia then she is that fake Applejack you just met, if that helps any.
Now that I think about it, coming from Daedric Prince of knowledge it could also be reference to the Apple of Knowledge that Eve gave to Adam in Abrahamic creation myths. That story didn't end well either...
Unless we go all Erisian mysteries on this thing and think deeper, since LB confirmed that line of reasoning (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5255139#msg5255139). I don't know how else to interpret that. Some skooma might be of help there.
Also...
Michael, look around this so-called farm.
You should probably leave and return to Draren to see if he's done catching up with his sister yet, it might be dangerous to stay in this one area. Maybe you should ask one of the guards if they'd noticed anyone wearing unusual clothing lately. What day is it, by the way? We have reason to believe that the person that gave the object to you is a Daedric prince, and if we knew whether it was his summoning day, it might help confirm or deny that theory.+1 to both of these.
And one more thing!
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Arcvasti on May 16, 2014, 11:52:39 pm
Spoiler: Speculation on the nature of us{The voices} in relation to Micheal's world. (click to show/hide)
Post by: Putnam on May 16, 2014, 11:53:27 pm
Spoiler: Magic Internet (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on May 16, 2014, 11:56:40 pm
Spoiler: Foul Whisperings (click to show/hide)
Post by: LordBucket on May 17, 2014, 12:41:44 am
Spoiler: Foul Whisperings (click to show/hide)
For reference, I believe this (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5238162#msg5238162) is the comment you're referring to.
Post by: Araph on May 17, 2014, 01:26:09 am
Spoiler: We've already gone deeper (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on May 17, 2014, 02:23:58 am
For reference, I believe this (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5238162#msg5238162) is the comment you're referring to.That would be it.
Speaking of which, I did finally get around to some of it. This is some screwy stuff.
Spoiler: Vivec on Rainbows and Swords (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Yagrum on Atoms and Graphs (click to show/hide)
So it seems likely to me that "Vivec" is aware of being some kind of... "hivemind" probably isn't the word. Almost the reverse, a one-ish mind or whatever spread out over a large patch of what appear to be discrete entities in their respective dimensions; or maybe just a discrete mind that's much more heavily affected and aware of his variations than normal. He also mentioned that "you might not recognize me in all of them," which would make sense further out from "normal" or "core" Vivec where he's starting to accumulate too many differences to be immediately identifiable.
What makes this really, well, horrifying, though, is what I pointed out earlier- Michael remembered information from dying. I took that to mean that the world probably was being reloaded or something, but there's a far more sinister explanation- Michael, whether because he's special or because everyone works this way but isn't aware of it, is affected by his copies in other worlds in a similar fashion to Vivec. GetAxedMichael didn't tell CurrentMichael that steel tantos cost 10 gold, but because they're connected in some sense, GetAxedMichael's discovery carried over.
This would also conveniently explain the deja vu- Michael's getting a pulse from another Michael for some reason, but that Michael wasn't one we were ever in control of so we don't recognize it as anything. The issue then becomes why, of course- with infinite Michaels doing infinite things, there's got to be some kind of trigger to deja vu communication. Dying appears to be one option, so it's possible information is mostly/only translated when one copy dies.
Of course, this still doesn't explain why we'd automatically plane-hop to a new Michael on losing our old one, nor does it do anything for that world reconstruction thing, as far as I can tell.
EDIT: Right, remembered one other issue with this. NewMichael remembered us, so apparently we'd have to not be any more discrete than he is, or have some other layer of something going on there.
Post by: Rabid_Cog on May 17, 2014, 06:32:30 am
Something interesting that I've noticed: despite Morrowind being a game, this... adventure?... doesn't follow game-rules. That is why you can't 'game' the system. It follows narrative rules, with some game rules tacked on to keep it interesting. Okay, that makes little sense, but allow me to explain, after which its going to sound very obvious and I'm going to seem a dunce.
In a game, you tackle a big problem by preparation. You level up, collect all the possible bits that can help you, grind skills, etc. until you are strong enough to deal with it, which is why it is important to get stronger whenever you can - the game (generally) doesnt wait for you, the difficulty of the tasks you face are set, regardless of how capable you are of dealing with them. But on the flipside of the coin - and this is the bit gamers exploit - you dont have to wait for the game either. You can grind up capability and tasks become easier, so if you do all the correct tasks in the correct order, a gamer usually stays ahead of the curve and finds all challenges easy if not trivial.
Here, we follow the rules of narrative, where you deal with a big problem by, in a sense, charging blindly at it. Okay, not exactly. But in a game it is possible to play yourself into a situation where you are behind the curve sufficiently so that you 'lose'. That is not possible in a story based on narrative. How interesting would Harry Potter be if he reached the final face off with whats-his-face-that-must-not-be-named-except-it-doesnt-actually-do-anything and he learns that because he had elected to leave the magical doohickey behind in the first chapter or neglected to practice his spellcasting enough while running around on whatever errand he was doing he is now incapable of defeating his nemesis and dies quickly and quietly? No. Narrative means the hero always has a chance, however slim! And on the flipside, it means that whatever advantages the hero gains, he will never have more than a slim chance against whatever his enemy is because that would be boring.
This is where the tacked-on game-rules come in. Plot runs on narrative. The rest of the world runs on game-rules, which means cliff-racers, rats, Kagouti, Alits, all the other nasty things that can kill you will if you are dumb. Even a bunch of the plot characters will kill you if you are dumb. But you also get 'resets' if you die, (save/loading?) with some consequences to the narrative. Or something.
What does that mean for you, Micheal (and all the voices guiding his steps?) Don't think of this as a game. It doesn't follow gamey rules. Think of it as a story. Odds are that no matter how much Micheal trains and improves, it will be just enough to get him through the (plot) challenges that await him. Doesn't mean he does not need to practice at all, but he does not need to grind. We don't need to build up a base or practice up a bunch of skills or do anything in particular before we can take on the next piece of Plot, because advancing the plot (and practicing responsibly while doing so) will provide sufficient improvement.
I'm sorry to say I have no real idea about what to do next, but a few interesting bits the other voices (and Micheal too I suppose) can consider:
-Azura is the key to this. I have limited experience, but she seems to be a lot more involved in this world than in vanilla Morrowind. The question here is who was the 'We' that yanked Micheal into Morrowind in the first place? My money is on Azura.
-There is a connection between Azura and Celestia/Luna, but you've noticed this already. What if Azura is both Azura and Celestia, depending upon which world you are standing? Equestria or Morrowind? Like viewing a complex shape from different sides? Just spitballing here. Probably not technically relevant anyway.
-Perhaps we are approaching the pony angle from the wrong side. Micheal was aware of them before he entered Morrowind. What if he brought them in with him? Bits of his consciousness/memories/personality/etc. So far he has not been able to have a coherent conversation with them, it is as if they HAVE no base reality. Consider Awesomicus. He ignores the reality around him pretty much, but doesn't respond to references about a 'real' world either (I think). At least, he did not react to the 'questgiver' breaching the 4th wall and knowing about things such as 'fetch quests' and 'quest chains'. So who is he?
-Remember that Micheal himself technically has no 'real' world either (sorry Micheal), apparently. Based on the conversation with Vivec, it seems his memories of himself pre-Morrowind are 'false' in a way as they have no origin. So what exactly is Micheal? Human? Humans don't appear out of nowhere. A copy of a human? That seems more reasonable. But if so, who made the copy? And why? There are 4 or so potential Nerevarines in here already, why need another? Unless his arrival was necessary for them to arrive...
Heh. That's all I have. Pretty sure I've muddied the waters more than I've helped, but some reminding is necessary every once in a while.
Post by: WillowLuman on May 17, 2014, 01:51:26 pm
Post by: syvarris on May 17, 2014, 05:17:30 pm
Further, he's actually playing a game of morrowind, so creatures have actual defined stats in game, just as we do. Unless LB is putting in so much work that he adjusts the stats of important fights, grinding combat skills is entirely useful, because we can fight, say, cliff racers more effectively.
An exception to the last point is that NPCs are perfectly capable of grinding, so grinding in order to beat another person who is also grinding is unlikely to work. But grinding to kill guards, who just stand around all day? Perfectly reasonable.
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 17, 2014, 06:36:45 pm
"PC" might not even see the same "story Morrowind" we see if it changes to "game Morrowind" around them, SexyWithers was even using guild house as storage and nobody thought it strange untill we asked about it. Tl;dr: Game mechanics are there, and we can't ignore them. Anything we know to run by rules of narrative can change when "PC" shows up and uses their "Reality bending gamey aura"...
Post by: Rabid_Cog on May 18, 2014, 04:22:28 am
Post by: WillowLuman on May 18, 2014, 04:42:16 am
Post by: Rabid_Cog on May 18, 2014, 02:47:04 pm
I'm not going to go so far as advise this action in bold, merely put it up for discussion. It gives you time to practice some magic and grind up some skills without falling behind in the plot. Added bonus, if powerful PCs help you, that is far less burden of combat capability you need to carry yourself.
I have a theory as to why the PCs just stand there sometimes without reacting. Morrowind has a 'wait for x hours' function, remember? Just because a PC is skipping time, why would you be? I'm pretty sure if you had nicked them with a knife, they would have suddenly snapped out of it and drawn a weapon toot sweet. You can use that perhaps to get their attention when they are out of it like that. Just be careful you only do it with those that are relatively well disposed towards you (Imare, Awesomicus if you are brave, perhaps others later).
Post by: LordBucket on May 20, 2014, 08:02:51 am
Quote
Michael, how much do you remember of the last five or so minutes?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...well, I was walking to...actually, I...hmm."
Michael sits down and thinks for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok, I came looking for that new stronghold, right? I was with Draren. Dropped him off at Duke Dren's place then went looking. Guard at the plantation didn't seem to know about any recent construction so I wandered off asking a couple other people for directions. I guess that's how I ended up here. I asked some girl for dir-"
Michael frowns and trails off for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...right. There was a girl. We talked. About...something. I was going to ask her for directions? But I don't think I ever got around to it. Then I decided to eat some whickwheat for some reason, but it made me puke. So I wandered over to the lake to wash off, and then I guess I decided to eat it anyway."
He looks around.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Where'd the girl go? Did I scare her off when I threw up? Actually..."
He looks over at where the sun sits just a bit below the horizon.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I don't remember it being dark. I must have lost some time. What happened? Did I die? Did she kill me?"
Quote
Some being, probably under the domain of Hermaus Mora, appeared in front of you, looking like Applejack. Well, a very human applejack. She didn't really seem to know who 'applejack' was, so we're thinking it was a generalized trickery spell that made you see what you wanted to see.
While talking to her, there were a lot of clues of a bunch of senses that it was some sort of tentacled beast. Very lovecraftian. Anyways, she gave you an apple, and promptly disappeared.
The apple had some sort of compulsion that made you feel hungry, and want to eat it. Also, it made you feel very... attached to it. You said it had a green magic aura. Through the power of thu'um, we convinced you to put it in your backpack.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Applejack was here? I don't remember that. Or any tentacle beasts. Just some girl, then puking and whickwheat."
Quote
Michael, real Applejack is the Element of Honesty. That thing you just spoke to used illusions to fool you and made you go all Gollum on that "apple" she gave you and puke all over yourself. That's not very honest thing to do now, is it? So we're pretty sure it wasn't the real Applejack you spoke to just now but agent of Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Prince of Knowledge. Tentacles kind of gave it away. So that "apple" wrapped in paper in your backpack that has words "for the most curious" is clearly reference to Eris/Discordia from Greek/Roman myths and her Apple of Discord that caused several gods to start fighting among each other over who would get it and some lesser issues, like the Trojan War. Do not look or try to eat it, or show it to any curious mages so they don't go all ancient Greek on us and make SHTF on Vvardenfell while we're still here. If there is pony who behaves like Eris/Discordia then she is that fake Applejack you just met, if that helps any.
Now that I think about it, coming from Daedric Prince of knowledge it could also be reference to the Apple of Knowledge that Eve gave to Adam in Abrahamic creation myths. That story didn't end well either...
Unless we go all Erisian mysteries on this thing and think deeper
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...that's...kind of a lot to take in. I recognize the stuff you're talking about. But wasn't Eris' apple supposed to say 'for the most beautiful?' If it was the 'apple of knowledge' that would fit Adam and Eve's apple of knowledge. And I guess it would fit Hermaeus Mora what with it being a golden apple of knowledge and him being the daedra of knowledge and also going by the name 'Golden Eye.' Why is this bad though? I mean, 'Apple of Knowledge' sounds like a good thing to me. What would you expect an 'apple of knowledge' to do? Makes you know things, right? I guess it didn't turn out too well for Adam and Eve, but so far as I know, Aphrodite never actually ate the Apple of Discord, and she - wait, Discord? As in My Little Pony Discord, spirit of chaos?"
Michael blinks a couple times while he considers all the connections.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So, some tentacle girl who we think was Hermaeus Mora, using illusions and lies to impersonate Applejack who is the Element of Honesty...gave me what we think is the Apple of Discord...Discord being the Spirit of Chaos from My Little Pony a show that we have a lot of evidence to think has other characters from it are here too...chaos being the realm of the Goddess of Chaos, also known as Eris, who is known in both Greek mythology and Discordianism for tossing that same Apple of Discord into a bunch of Goddesses for them to fight over...resulting in the Trojan War...the Apple of Discord which bore the words 'for the most beautiful,' except that this particular apple bears the words 'for the most curious,' which makes it match both Hermaeus Mora, whose domain in knowledge...as well as makes it match the Apple of Knowledge from the bible that resulted in the fall of mankind."
Michael takes a deep breath.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So, what to do? Just from the name alone without all the mythological background, 'Apple of Knowledge' sounds pretty good to me. Again, it didn't turn out too well for Adam and Eve. But on the other hand, Aphrodite got it, and nothing bad happened to her, right? She might have caused...well, induced the Trojan War, but she never came to harm for possession of the apple itself. And Paris, who had it briefly, ended up with Helen of Troy as a result. The most beautiful woman in the world. Whereas Eris, the one who gave Paris the apple in the first place, didn't she get punished for that whole thing? In fact, isn't it usually the BRINGER of knowledge who suffers rather than the recipient of knowledge? Eris brought the apple, and she was punished but not Aphrodite. And if we're talking Greek mythology, what about Prometheus? He brought man the knowledge of fire. Man benefited and he got stuck having his liver eaten every day. So if Hermaeus Mora gave me an Apple of Knowledge, isn't he the one who's the one at risk here, not me? Yes, Adam and Eve fell from grace when they ate the apple, but even there there's it's the bringer of knowledge who suffers. It was the serpent in the Garden of Eden who convinced Eve to eat from the apple, and he suffered way more than they did, whether or not you accept the interpretation that the serpent was the devil. And speaking of the devil, the name Lucifer means 'Lightbringer' as in 'one who brings light' which metaphorically sounds an awful lot like one who brings knowledge, in the sense that one who receives knowledge is 'enlightened.' Which means that Lucifer and the serpent connect us back to Hermaeus Mora because they're both bringing, or possibly tempting us, with knowledge. At the same time, the name Lucifer also translates to 'The Morning Star' which ties in pretty well with Azura, the Goddess of Dusk and Dawn...and incidentally I have Azura's mark inside my head, which sounds an awful lot like the mark mentioned in Revelations."
Michael just shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So where are we going with this? All the connections and metaphors are great and all, but what exactly do you guys suggest I do it?"
Quote
I suggest carefully grabbing the paper wrapped object, not looking at it, and chucking that lovecraftian device as far as you can away. Don't look, don't think, just grab and throw.
Quote
Don't listen to the people that tell you to eat it. They're trying to kill you for funnies. You need to get rid of it, without touching it. I suggest you take the viperblade, stab it, then fling it out into the lake.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ok. I guess that's what we'll do."
Michael digs around in his backpack and pulls out a-
Quote
Eat the apple, Micheal! Applejack loves you and wants you to eat the apple!
His eyes glaze over and he smiles happily.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Oh, such a precious, delicious-looking apple. Thank you guys for letting me know about this. I was just getting hungry."
Quote
ALSO DO NOT EAT THE APPLE. WE DON'T WANT THE APPLE. ITS YOURS. JUST DON'T EAT IT JUST YET.
Quote
Keep the apple. It must remain freeeesssssssssh. Unspoiled.
Michael slowly brings the apple towards his mouth with his left hand, then squints his eyes and reaches up to clutch his head with his right. His mouth opens and he makes a frustrated noise, then turns his head in time for the apple to push up against his face. With an exhale, he slides the apple across his check towards his nose and inhales deeply...then begins to hyperventilate.
Finally, he exhales and drops his left hand with the apple still in it to his lap.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...I guess...I could...save it for later."
He closes both eyes, re-wraps the apple and puts it back into his bag. He then holds his face in his hands and exhales slowly.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I have such a headache."
Quote
made you go all Gollum on that "apple"
You think very carefully about what just happened. The apple, you remember it this time. Shaking out your head, you massage your temples for a couple minutes and try to breathe evenly. The pain begins to subside.
Quote
look around this so-called farm.
Quote
+1
You put your pack back on and walk up to the farmhouse, still massaging your head. It's a small single building with a couple fields nearby. You don't see anything unusual, but you're not sure what you're supposed to be looking for. There are a couple crates and ceramic jars on the side of the house, but that's hardly unusual. You look around on the ground for tracks, but the ground is packed and it's dark and you can't even see your own footprints let alone anyone else's. Unsure where else to look, you check the door. It's not locked, so you step inside.
(http://i.imgur.com/O6EZegb.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/YEpgClb.png): "Yes, outlander?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hi. I'm looking for Applejack?"
(http://i.imgur.com/YEpgClb.png): "What's that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "She's a person. Or possibly a pony. A farmer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/YEpgClb.png): "I know noone by that name."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about horrific Lovecraftian tentacle monsters with headache-inducing apples? Seen any of those?"
He gives you a perplexed look.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'll take that as a no. Thanks anyway."
Quote
leave and return to Draren to see if he's done catching up with his sister yet
Quote
+1
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, since I'm here could you point me in the direction of Dren's estate? I've kind of lost track of where I am."
(http://i.imgur.com/YEpgClb.png): "Of course."
The two of you step outside together and she points you down the road. Then he goes back inside and locks the door behind him. Apparently you didn't make the best impression. You follow his directions and find the Dren Manor house in short order. This is obviously a different entrance than the one you dropped Draren off at earlier. You must have wandered in quite a circle. As you approach, you're stopped by a guard.
(http://i.imgur.com/DMuMozH.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/O5KdYTn.png): "Halt. State your name and business."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm Michael. I'm here to visit a friend of mine named Draren."
(http://i.imgur.com/O5KdYTn.png): "No one by that name lives or works here. Move on, outlander."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Erm...Draren Thiralas? He's here visiting his sister. She's one of Duke Dren's maids."
(http://i.imgur.com/O5KdYTn.png): "Thiralas...you must mean Vivyne, the Parlour Maid. Hers is the first shack on the right. Very well, you may pass. Cause no trouble, outlander."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Thanks. Wouldn't dream of it."
You approach the shack the guard indicated and try the door. It's locked, so you knock and wait. After a moment, a woman in a green dress with gray hair opens it.
(http://i.imgur.com/yzL2fzN.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Yes, sera? May I help you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hi, I'm Michael. "
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Michael?"
Seeing that you're a friend, Vivyne invites you in.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Michael, I didn't expect to see you here. Let me introduce you. This is my sister, Vivyne. Aldtessa, this is the adventurer I was telling you about."
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Charmed."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Likewise." What was that he called her? "I'm sorry...Aldtessa?"
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "It's dunmeri for elder sister. Draren's my baby brother."
Baby brother? That's odd. They both have gray hair, but you'd have guessed that Draren was the older of the two.
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "So what mischief are you getting my little brother into? Nothing dangerous, I trust?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Are you kidding? We been fighting rats and mudcrabs for days! Even a few nix hounds!"
Vivyne seems amused.
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Have you now? Goodness, that's very brave of you."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "I know! I haven't felt this alive since Drandryn took me to see the Seven Graces!"
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Michael, would you like to have a seat? I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer you to drink, but we can at least be comfortable."
Unsure of proper etiquette, you offer the two of them some saltrice and whickwheat from your bag, which they both accept.
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Thank you."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Yes, thanks. I actually have some too, from the trip over. But we'd agreed to split the sales of that."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "That's fine, I have plenty in my bag I've just been hanging onto for weeks."
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Oh, are you an herbalist too?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, alchemist in training, I suppose. All I've been able to make so far is poison. I know a couple other recipes, but alchemy tools are so big and I don't have any place to keep them. So I haven't been able to practice much."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "He was offering to teach me if we could get tools."
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Pity I sold mine all those years ago."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You're an alchemist?"
She shakes her head.
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Oh, I haven't touched tool in years. I'm just a maid now, really."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I don't suppose you're able to make restore magicka potions?"
She nods.
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "Yes. Dreugh Wax and fire salts. Also cliff racer plumes, but that comes with paralysis."
If you remember correctly, fire salts are expensive but you're not sure about dreugh wax. You're pretty sure cliff racer plumes are only medium expensive. Might have to look into that. Absolute worst case, both cliff racers and drueghs are things you could possibly hunt. Though they're both probably beyond your power level at this point. If racer plumes are cheap enough, paralysis is probably an acceptable side effect if you're just training indoors. Of course, given the economy here odds are she can't make super cheap potions or else she'd be getting rich doing that rather than working as a maid. Though at the very least it sounds like she probably has a better set of recipes than fast Eddie. He said he needed diamonds to be able to make them at all. But then again, if you manage to get some alchemy tools, it might be better to train your own skill than to bring reagents to someone else. Even if she can make them, you've no idea of her actual proficiency.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "By the way, Aldtessa...watch!"
Draren stands up and is engulfed in a flurry of restoration magic. He smiles then casts again. And again...failing. And again, with success. He beams proudly.
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "My, three out of four?" She smiles at you. "You have been a good influence on my baby brother, haven't you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Speaking of which, I'm about ready for that myself."
You drain off your surplus magicka with fleabite casts. Vivyne looks with some amusement at the two of you then joins in with some spellcasting of her own. After a few minutes the three of you resume your conversation.
Destruction skill is now 20
Willpower is now 42
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So you're a caster too?"
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "I know a little. Restoration, Alteration and Illusion. Though if I were to do it all over again I'd have learned Mysticism. Then I could go visit my little brother whenever I want instead of having to wait months at a time for him to come see me."
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "Aww, tess...you know I'd come more often if it weren't for-"
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "I know. I'm just glad you're here now."
They hug with what looks like genuine fondness for one another. Then she rubs one of her knuckles on his head and they both laugh. You feel a a bit like a third wheel.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, anyway...Draren, I just stopped by because I'm finished with my business here and wanted to see if you were ready to head back to Seyda Neen now rather than meeting up later."
He stammers a bit.
(http://i.imgur.com/A41jDdT.png): "...well..."
(http://i.imgur.com/atOIvkr.png): "You're not leaving already are you?"
Vivyne looks at you imploringly. You can't help but smile.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "That's ok. You two clearly still have some catching up to do. Let's just meet up another time."
Vivyne smiles and gives you a hug, quietly whispering 'thank you' as she does. Draren promises he'll be back in Seyda Neen in three or four days at most, and you assure him that there's no rush. You'll meet up again soon enough.
Then you step outside into the cold night.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on May 20, 2014, 08:03:21 am
Episode 61, part 2: Why do you insist on adventuring with no potions or scrolls?
Quote
go continue searching for the 'new construction' that we came here to find.
Quote
Continue the search for the new construction.
Quote
(http://i.imgur.com/3VpQLzB.png)
The land still goes volcanic pretty quick, but there's that nice outcropping jutting into Lake Amaya, as well as relatively clear land to the west and north of it. If there really is a new construction out here, it's probably on that outcropping.
I say we head for that land, or at least get a look at it from the lake.
You turn right from Vivyne's shack and leave through gate on the far side. It seems there are different guards here than when you arrived the first time, but neither of them stop you. Turning right you take a best guess as to direction and start walking. The lake's pretty big. It should be hard to miss.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ojox5gq.png)
Sure enough, within minutes you reach a lake. Though you'[re not entirely certain it's the correct lake. The contours don't match what you expected. Hoping for the best you turn left, which should be west, and start following the water's edge. Before long you come to a small door hidden among some rocks.
(http://i.imgur.com/eCdw2Ei.png)
Curious, you approach. Planning to take just a peek inside you reach for the door and hear scratching noises. And growling. Then something smash against the inside of the door hard enough that you see it move, followed by more scratching. Whatever it is, it wants to be let out. You decide you're not going to be the one to do that and instead continue along the lake's edge. Whatever it is can stay in there.
About 100 feet further you see something glowing in the water. Is that a clam? Yes, looks like it. Surprised by the almost neon glowing shell, but seeing no slaughterfish you decide to brave the water in search of pearls.
(http://i.imgur.com/Yr3p3R5.png)
The clam gives easily enough to your prying fingers, but you find no pearl inside. This close to the plantation, it's possible these clams are checked regularly by the locals. That's unfortunate. Even a single pearl might have made this trip worthwhile. Disappointed, you wade back to shore in time to see a mudcrab waddling towards you.
Light armor is now 34
Short blade is now 19
Health is now 57/61
Ordinarily you'd be thrilled for such easy prey, but after finishing it off it occurs to you that without Draren you have no way to heal yourself. You keep forgetting to buy healing potions and divine intervention scrolls. You're really worried that such carelessness is going to get you killed someday.
That's when you hear a nix hound howl in the distance.
(http://i.imgur.com/RlGBk3n.png)
You can barely make out the hound just over the hill on the right. Fortunately he doesn't seem to notice you. You think that's Pelegiad on the left, so you're still rather close to civilization, but you decide not to linger and instead press on. Within minutes you pass a pair of mudcrabs, which you sadly decide to ignore. Yes, easy kills, good practice...but they'd whittle your health down and you don't want to risk getting caught already half dead by a-
(http://i.imgur.com/juM3WxH.png)
...cliff racer.
You crouch down behind some foliage and consider your options.
Yeah, we fucked ourselves with that one. Too late now
That doesn't really help you. And it hardly makes sense to forget about potions and scrolls, then claim that it's 'too late' and then go traipsing off into the woods without doing anything about it. Fortunately the cliff racer hasn't noticed you yet, but you were planning to follow the lake's edge right around that bend, which would put you underneath him once you got to the other side. That's not going to work. The smart thing to do, of course, would be to return to town and buy some emergency potions and scrolls of some sort.
Quote
go continue searching for the 'new construction' that we came here to find.
Quote
Continue the search for the new construction.
Quote
If there really is a new construction out here, it's probably on that outcropping.
I say we head for that land
But since playing it safe isn't what you decided to do, you'll have to come up with an alternative. Turning to your right, you look out across the lake.
(http://i.imgur.com/nLs68RL.png)
It doesn't look very far and you're pretty sure that's the peninsula you were looking for. You didn't encounter any slaughterfish earlier when you went pearl diving. Maybe they don't live in this lake?
Feeling brave, you quietly slip into the water and wade across.
(http://i.imgur.com/u1g3hwI.png)
You're starting to think this is just an incredibly dangerous waste of time. You're injured, it's the middle of the night, you have no way to heal yourself or teleport out, you've already seen one cliff racer, and no sign of any strongholds or construction of any kind. Still, just as soon as you make it through the trees and netches you'll be at the tip of the peninsula jutting into the lake. You might as well go the rest of the...what is that?
(http://i.imgur.com/iWvaSYG.png)
It's a gondolier by the water's edge. You approach for a closer look.
(http://i.imgur.com/65T3THN.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hi."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Well met, friend."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Do you offer ferry service?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Indeed! Would you care to book passage upon my fine vessel? It is most sea worthy!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...sure, that's sounds good."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Marvelous! What's the password?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No. Try again."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "...umm..."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Wrong again!"
Ok. So apparently you have to give him the right password before he'll take you...where exactly?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Where will you take me if I give you the password?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Nope, that's not it either."
This could get annoying, fast.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Password."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "The password."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Good guess, but no!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Open sesame."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Nuh uh."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Open says me."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Wrong!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Xyzzy."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Nope!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Please?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Daww...cute, but no."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Let me pass, or I'll stab you between the eyes with my magic viperblade?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Not so cute, andalso wrong!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Look, can't you at at least just tell me where you'll take me if I get it right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Nope!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "'Nope' you won't tell me, or 'nope' that's not the password?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Both! And that's also not the password."
Unless the voices know something you don't, this is unlikely to be a productive conversation.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Araph on May 20, 2014, 10:46:49 am
Man, the viperblade password was so promising, too. At any rate, pony theory: that top hat and silly password nonsense has Discord written all over it.
Offer him the apple.
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 20, 2014, 11:10:58 am
Assuming that suggestion doesn't work out,
Ask him what the password is.
Try the following passwords: Again. Mattress. ~. `. Honesty. May. Sturgeon. Haddock. Swordfish. Discord. Curious. Truth. Love. The American Way.
Although, in true Pinky style, what we REALLY want to do is pull out our sword and a fish. Would crabmeat work? Try pulling out our sword and some fish ingredients.
See what he does if you just try to get on the boat and leave with it.
And finally:
Return to town (We're right next to Pelegiad, apparently, so go there and buy some damn supplies already. Also, check the prices on that woman's restore magika potion ingredients.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 20, 2014, 11:28:37 am
Post by: andrea on May 20, 2014, 12:05:49 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on May 20, 2014, 12:06:05 pm
Post by: Descan on May 20, 2014, 02:34:15 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 20, 2014, 02:47:46 pm
Presumably.
I just sort of want a boat.
Even if we get the password right, be very cautious about taking the boat to any nonsense places. Do not travel with this man unless he has several holes in his torso and has stopped being able to talk or do things!
Does he have, like, a pole or something? Or a paddle? How does he even steer the boat?
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 20, 2014, 03:37:40 pm
Kill him, take the boat. Be done with this crazy stuff. Maybe the password is stabs?-1, no murder-hoboing. We're not playing Elder Scroll games here- oh, wait..
Return to town (We're right next to Pelegiad, apparently, so go there and buy some damn supplies already. Also, check the prices on that woman's restore magika potion ingredients.+1
Post by: WillowLuman on May 20, 2014, 04:13:51 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on May 20, 2014, 04:49:37 pm
Friedship is magic?This!
Though I have to wonder just where this boat leads. Not that I'm opposed to getting into it anyway, but it's pretty much got to be more daedric japery, right?
Might as well also try:
No
Michael
Celestia
Discord
Dragons are awesome
Gem
And probably a bunch more but I honestly don't want to be here shouting dictionaries at him all night, I just think we could try a few obvious ones relating to his possible nature as a daedric/Discordic lure or Pinkie Pie's personal escort or something.
At this point, we should probably move the remaining twenty feet to the top of the hill before ditching. Unless you wanted to get the stuff and then come right back, or play Metal Gear Squishy without actually getting most of what we came for.Return to town (We're right next to Pelegiad, apparently, so go there and buy some damn supplies already. Also, check the prices on that woman's restore magika potion ingredients.+1
Post by: Araph on May 20, 2014, 04:51:13 pm
Second of all, I doubt we'd be able to take him down.
So much this.
I mean, what are the possibilities? He's standing in the middle of nowhere wearing a top hat and snazzy red outfit. In RPG-land, he's immortal.
Spoiler: Poneh theoreh (click to show/hide)
Post by: hostergaard on May 21, 2014, 11:34:45 am
That's a snappy red outfit, but I am entirely sure I have never seen a top-hat in any of the elder scrolls game. In fact, don't gondoliers have those Asian straw hats usually? He is probably another outsider of shorts. Tough, I feel like we should be able to recognize him from somewhere, a reference maybe to figure out the password? But there is a lot passwords riddles so it beats me which its referencing, if any. Try your computer password or whatever passwords you usually used on the internet. If that does not work give him a coin or two, maybe its a ferryman over river Styx thing.
I think we should go with him since he might not be there when we return, even if its risky. At least its a plot hook to follow instead of bumbling around aimlessly.
And do get supplies at next chance, a divine intervention scroll or whatever.
Oh, and that lady got a point, we should look into Mysticism next time we got the money, with all the traveling we have been doing it will quickly pay for itself to have alternate and cheaper methods of travel.
Post by: Rabid_Cog on May 21, 2014, 12:58:36 pm
Rather check out the immediate area VERY CAUTIOUSLY. Basically just get to the top of the hill and look around, back off the moment you see anything potentially hostile. After that, get back to some more password guessing, probably, or head back to civilization.
After that, for some reason I'm thinking we should be able to guess the password at this point. Just a hunch.
Quote
Unless the voices know something you don't...
What do we know that Micheal does not?
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on May 21, 2014, 09:46:16 pm
Post by: syvarris on May 22, 2014, 10:43:30 am
Post by: gman8181 on May 22, 2014, 11:18:07 am
for the password, try 'for the most curious'. Long shot, but who knows? costs us nothing.also for the most beautiful while we're at it
Post by: Arcvasti on May 22, 2014, 02:55:55 pm
Post by: Putnam on May 22, 2014, 03:00:47 pm
Ask where he would take you if you knew the password.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Look, can't you at at least just tell me where you'll take me if I get it right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Nope!"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "'Nope' you won't tell me, or 'nope' that's not the password?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Both! And that's also not the password."
Ask where he would take you if you knew the password. Inquire about other people who used his services. Solicit hints about the password.
"Not the password", "nope", "that's not it", respectively, through some pattern matching.
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 22, 2014, 03:34:00 pm
Post by: Putnam on May 22, 2014, 04:22:27 pm
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 22, 2014, 05:01:38 pm
Because we would get killed?
Post by: andrea on May 22, 2014, 05:57:05 pm
And besides that, I wouldn't be confident in michael's ability to win a fight. He is getting better, but he isn't good yet.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 22, 2014, 06:01:30 pm
Best return when you feel ready Michael, be wary of the Nix Hounds.
Don't forget to pick up a few panic potions and scrolls when you eventually hit a shop next, just as a reminder.
Be wary of the paper wrapped object in the sack though, don't touch it. It tries mentally dominate you when you do, rather nasty that.
Post by: LordBucket on May 22, 2014, 07:45:01 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 22, 2014, 09:49:34 pm
stealing the boat, as Putnam pointed out, is futile because what we want is not the boat. What we want is to know where the driver takes people, because it might be the place we are looking for.
I dunno. I think we'd be better off with a boat.
GM Comment: The password/gondolier is not a Moon Logic Puzzle (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoonLogicPuzzle).See? The GM agrees with me. The answer is stabs. It seems like a Moon Logic puzzle, but since it's not, it must instead be a Gordian Knot. It's simple logic.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 22, 2014, 10:02:30 pm
GM Comment: The password/gondolier is not a Moon Logic Puzzle (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoonLogicPuzzle).Meaning it's either fairly obvious and intuitive or we lack the information entirely.
Mm. That probably throws everything or almost everything we want to try out the window.
What did poor Michael ever do to you?stealing the boat, as Putnam pointed out, is futile because what we want is not the boat. What we want is to know where the driver takes people, because it might be the place we are looking for.
I dunno. I think we'd be better off with a boat.GM Comment: The password/gondolier is not a Moon Logic Puzzle (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoonLogicPuzzle).See? The GM agrees with me. The answer is stabs. It seems like a Moon Logic puzzle, but since it's not, it must instead be a Gordian Knot. It's simple logic.
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 23, 2014, 04:57:11 pm
Post by: Rabid_Cog on May 24, 2014, 05:29:05 am
Quote
GM Comment: The password/gondolier is not a Moon Logic Puzzle.
This means that either the password is obvious or we simply don't know the answer. I'm thinking option 2. Try the following 'obvious' solutions then call it a day (night).
for the most curious
for the most beautiful
Post by: andrea on May 24, 2014, 09:14:12 am
Anyway
After you have finished guessing for passwords, if you didn't get it right get back to a safe place, heal and resupply.
Post by: Xanmyral on May 24, 2014, 07:44:54 pm
Charon?
Give a single gold coin. Worth a shot.
Post by: Arcvasti on May 24, 2014, 07:48:39 pm
W8 A MINUTE!!!Charon?
Give a single gold coin. Worth a shot.
Quote from: From episode 59
Oh! Is that a shiny gold coin on the ground? What good fortune! Somebody must have dropped it. You happily pick up the gold coin and continue on your way.
Gained one gold
GIVE HIM THE FORTUITOUS GOLD COIN YOU FOUND ON THE GROUND BEFORE MEETING "APPLEJACK"
Post by: Dermonster on May 24, 2014, 07:49:54 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on May 24, 2014, 07:52:17 pm
Post by: syvarris on May 24, 2014, 10:40:30 pm
W8 A MINUTE!!!Charon?
Give a single gold coin. Worth a shot.Quote from: From episode 59Oh! Is that a shiny gold coin on the ground? What good fortune! Somebody must have dropped it. You happily pick up the gold coin and continue on your way.
Gained one gold
GIVE HIM THE FORTUITOUS GOLD COIN YOU FOUND ON THE GROUND BEFORE MEETING "APPLEJACK"
...I do not believe you understand why we found that gold coin. If there is anything special about it, it's that it's imbued with the derision of the Lord. Which probably makes it overall more negative than positive.
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 25, 2014, 12:03:51 am
of course! The password is money!Give him a coin. Then steal the boat.
Post by: Mr. Strange on May 25, 2014, 03:50:36 pm
Don't pay the ferryman untill he gets you to the other side.W8 A MINUTE!!!Charon?
Give a single gold coin. Worth a shot.Quote from: From episode 59Oh! Is that a shiny gold coin on the ground? What good fortune! Somebody must have dropped it. You happily pick up the gold coin and continue on your way.
Gained one gold
GIVE HIM THE FORTUITOUS GOLD COIN YOU FOUND ON THE GROUND BEFORE MEETING "APPLEJACK"
Post by: Supercharazad on May 26, 2014, 05:00:12 am
Post by: andrea on May 26, 2014, 08:03:20 am
Post by: birdy51 on May 26, 2014, 08:50:14 am
Let us show him the coin(as opposed to random gold), and see whether or not that is the password.
Post by: LordBucket on May 26, 2014, 09:22:55 pm
Post by: Arcvasti on May 26, 2014, 09:47:12 pm
Post by: LordBucket on May 26, 2014, 10:08:21 pm
**Anticipation intensifies**
Probably won't be up tonight.
Post by: Dermonster on May 26, 2014, 10:08:58 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on May 26, 2014, 10:09:13 pm
up tonight.
Post by: LordBucket on June 04, 2014, 05:20:22 pm
Quote
try 'for the most curious'
Quote
for the most beautiful
Quote
for the most curious
for the most beautiful
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "For the most curious?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "For the most beautiful?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
Quote
Friedship is magic?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Friendship is magic?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
Quote
No
Michael
Celestia
Discord
Dragons are awesome
Gem
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "No?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "...no, but I'll grant that it would have been hilarious if I'd been telling you the password this entire time and you hadn't guessed it."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Michael?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Celestia?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Discord?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Dragons are awesome?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Obviously not, if cliff racers managed to make them extinct."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Gem?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "You're not very good at this, are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I guess not."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Try 'rogokath.'"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Rogokath?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Heheh. No, it's not rogokath, outlander. And it's not rokogath either! Bwahahaha!"
He bursts out into laughter.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What's so funny??"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Heh, it doesn't translate into Cyrodilic well." He wipes tears from his eyes. "But you obviously haven't seen any of Baloth Kul's stage comedies if you don't get it."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Actually, no. I haven't."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "That's ok. He's more well known for his horror works anyway. But I prefer a good laugh to a good scream."
Quote
I honestly don't want to be here shouting dictionaries at him all night
Wild mass guessing doesn't seem like a good strategy here. Maybe you could guess if you at least had something to go on, but with no way to even begin to narrow it down, this is going nowhere.
Quote
Try the following passwords: Again. Mattress. ~. `. Honesty. May. Sturgeon. Haddock. Swordfish. Discord. Curious. Truth. Love. The American Way.
You briefly wonder if the voices are even trying. But hey, 'the password is always swordfish' right? May as well try.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Swordfish?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "What's that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's a kind of a fish, but as a password it's a reference to an old Marx Brothers movie that almost nobody's actually seen, but is used as a shout-out in other media. It would actually have been a clever password if you'd been guarding Rainbow Dash's place, since the movie is called 'Horse Feathers' and she's a pegasus. Although it would have worked for Pinkie Pie too, since Harpo Marx in that movie played a character called Pinky. Actually, yeah. That would have been kind of cool now that I think about it."
The ferryman blinks a few times then slowly opens his mouth to reply but you cut him off.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "I'm sorry. Don't mind me. You obviously have no idea what I'm talking about."
He shrugs.
Quote
give him a coin or two, maybe its a ferryman over river Styx thing.
Quote
Give a single gold coin.
Quote
GIVE HIM THE FORTUITOUS GOLD COIN YOU FOUND ON THE GROUND BEFORE MEETING "APPLEJACK"
Quote
Give him a coin.
Quote
pay him with the coin
Quote
Let us show him the coin(as opposed to random gold)
You're unsure how you're supposed to identify one single gold coin that you randomly tossed into your coinpurse out of the dozens of other coins that were already in there, but you pull out a handful and inspect them. Some are cleaner than others, but you didn't really examine the one you found on the ground so you've no idea which is which.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, would you accept a bribe?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No. Oh, wait, that's not a guess? Well, maybe. How much of a bribe?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "This gold coin."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "What, are you serious?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Yes?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about two?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Listen, outlander. Bribery is an honored tradition among my people that goes back centuries. But I'm insulted you think that's all I'm worth."
Quote
Try chatting him up a little bit. Ask where he would take you if you knew the password. Inquire about other people who used his services. Solicit hints about the password.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But you would take me if I paid you enough?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "I'm not saying I would. But I'm not saying I wouldn't."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Where would you take me if I gave you the right password, anyway?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "You already asked me that."
Oh, right. You did.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Can you just tell me what the password is?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Sure. I could do that."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Great. What is it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "I'm not telling you."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "But you just said-"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "That I could. Not that I would."
Either this guy is a literal djinni or his employer is paying him to toy with people. Or maybe he's just been out here by himself so long that he figures this is his only chance for entertainment.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Actually, why are you even here? I mean, this in the middle of nowhere. And your boat's in a lake. A passworded boat in a lake? Where could you possibly even take me that I couldn't get to just by walking around?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "My employer is a woman of many mysteries."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Who is she?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "A woman of many mysteries."
Quote
Offer him the apple.
Quote
Consider offering him the paper wrapped object you have.
Quote
also try giving him the apple
Quote
Be wary of the paper wrapped object in the sack though, don't touch it. It tries mentally dominate you when you do, rather nasty that.
Quote
That thing you just spoke to used illusions to fool you and made you go all Gollum on that "apple"
Hmm. Given what happened last time you handled it, you're hesitant to casually pull it out and risk 'going Gollum' again. But it wouldn't hurt to ask. Probably.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Instead of gold, would you accept a golden apple?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "What's an apple?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "It's a kind of fruit."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "...oh, that's one of those exotic Imperial fruits, isn't it? Red and roundish, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Well, actually this one's yellow, but yes. They come in red, green, yellow and a couple with mixed colors."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "I'll pass. Free food is one of the better perks of this job."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "One of? What else?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "200 gold a month is the big one."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "200 gold?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Yep! It's great. I used to be a farmer. That was good for a roof over my head and more whickwheat than I could stand, but I didn't care for the lifestyle. Didn't exactly offer much future either."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "And standing in the woods harassing people for passwords they obviously don't know does?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No, but 200 gold a month does. Do you have any idea how little money a whickwheat farmer makes selling their portion of the harvest? You might as well just eat it. If you like whickwheat, anyway."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So how'd you get this job?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "A few weeks ago some Altmer marched into my house and offered to hire me before she even introduced herself. Sure, I gave up the house that came with working for the Duke, but I got paid 200 gold upfront just to stand here and ferry people around. Those who know the password, that is."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "How often does that happen?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "There've been a few."
It's possible you've completely misread the situation. This doesn't sound like 'daedric japery' at all.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "You're not associated with daedra at all, are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "What? No, of course not."
Caius said he thought the new stronghold belonged to Duke Dren. Is it possible that's all that's going on here? This guy was already in the Duke's employ. It's possible one of the foremen simply promoted within his own workforce. Although it seems strange to pay a farmer that much when they could have assigned a guard instead.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "So...let me guess: if I did give you the password, you'd take me to a new stronghold under construction that belongs to Duke Dren?"
His eyebrows both raise in surprise. Then he frowns as if he's considering it.
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "I think...I'm unable to confirm or deny that."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Can't or won't?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "I...it never occurred to me that the Duke might own the place. He's not the one who hired me, and I haven't seen him since I've been here...but I never saw him when I worked his fields either."
So he doesn't even know. Maybe you're going about this all wrong.
Find "Applejack" at Dren plantation.
the new construction near Dren Plantation. Being located near an existing plantation makes me suspect it's a farm itself, and Applejack is shown working on her farm fairly frequently. The odds that her equivalent is there at any given moment sounds reasonably likely
Quote
Try the following passwords: Again. Mattress. ~. `. Honesty. May. Sturgeon. Haddock. Swordfish. Discord. Curious. Truth. Love. The American Way.
You originally only even came here looking for Applejack, thinking that since she's the only member of the mane six you haven't knowingly seen, and being that she's a farmer...she'd probably be near the plantation and that the stronghold rumored to be out here is probably hers. If that's true, then the password is probably something that relates to her, right?
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Is the password honesty?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "No."
You take a deep breath of anticipation.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Apple. The password is apple."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Wrong again."
Come to think of it, he didn't even even recognize what an apple was right away. You have a difficult time imagining any employee of Applejack's not being intimately familiar with apples. Out of guesses, you sit down and try to think this out.
Bella Manor belongs to Adorabella, and you're guessing that she somehow corresponds to Rarity. Castle Awesome belongs to Awesomicus Maximus, who seems to correspond with Rainbow Dash. And Tel Uvirith belongs to SexyWithers, who apparently corresponds with Princess Luna. If you could figure out who owns this stronghold, would you be able to guess their password? Maybe...but not necessarily. If it were Twilight, for example, it would be obvious to try something like 'books' or 'magic' or 'Starswirl the Bearded' or something. But at the same time, sure she likes those things, but it would be equally in character for Twilight to pick something you couldn't possibly anticipate like the Fibonacci sequence or the first dozen digits of pi.
Worse, there seems to be a pattern mismatch. The 'mane six' of the MLP cast are Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Applejack. Why does Luna have a stronghold? She's kind of a secondary character. If all three strongholds were associated with mane characters, it would be easy to guess that this one probably did too. But Luna has only ever even appeared in half a dozen episodes over 4 seasons. If she has a stronghold...who else is here? The CMC? Cherilee? Derpy? There are dozens of characters it could possibly be. And that opens up a terrible can of worms. You're pretty sure that these people are 'somehow associated' with MLP characters, but how and why? Are they actually here having assumed Morrowind personas? Is every person in all of Morrowind associated with a pony? Are they playing a game and interfacing with this world somehow? Are you in 'Morrowind Online' being played from Equestria? If so there could easily be hundreds or thousands of ponies here somehow and any of them might have a stronghold. Even if you could identify which pony was associated with this stronghold. you're only guessing that it's a character you'd even know the name of. What if it belongs to background pony #372? Of course, that's just speculation. It could be, like the voices have suggested, that this is all a hallucinatory fever dream in your head, or you could be subconsciously engaging with CHIM and all these pony-personality-people only even exist because you're dreaming them up. If so, it's unlikely the stronghold would belong to some insignificant background character. It would be some pony you know. But even that still leaves dozens of possibillities.
There is of course also the possibility that Caius suggested. He seemed to think the fourth stronghold belonged to Duke Dren personally. After all, in Morrowind the game, constructed strongholds are all associated with a Great House. Adorabella is in House Hlalu , Awesomicus is in House Redoran and SexyWithers is in House Telvanni. If there's a fourth stronghold and it doesn't belong to the Duke, then which Great House is it associated with?
could be playing with the Sixth House mod
...well, there is that possibility, yes. If somebody, or some pony joined House Dagoth and is building a stronghold, that might explain why its location isn't public knowledge. But if so, then who does it belong to? Discord? Nightmare Moon? Trixie? Or is the pony thing not even applicable here? After all, there are a bunch of House Dagoth strongholds in vanilla Morrowind. Ilunibi, Kogoruhn, etc. That you know of, Dagoth Ur's forces have attacked two villages: Khuul and Seyda Neen. He's obviously not limited to vanilla behavior. It's possible he might be building new bases. But if so, would he pay a farmer 200 gold to ferry anyone with a password to the place?
Quote
Return to town (We're right next to Pelegiad, apparently, so go there and buy some damn supplies already. Also, check the prices on that woman's restore magika potion ingredients.
Quote
+1
Quote
maybe go over to the nearest town for supplies.
Quote
Best return when you feel ready Michael, be wary of the Nix Hounds.
Quote
get back to a safe place, heal and resupply.
You say goodbye to the ferryman and begin navigating your way back. You saw an Imperial style settlement on your way here. Pelagiad, you think.
(http://i.imgur.com/OmhEurH.png)
Unfortunately it seems a slaughterfish has noticed you during your time here, and the direct path through the water is no longer safe.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Hey, could you ferry me across to the other side?"
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "What's the password?"
You facepalm
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Haha, just kidding. Sure, 10 gold and I'll take you."
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "Ten gold? For real? I could throw a rock the distance I'm asking you to take me."
(http://i.imgur.com/9tP3rtU.png): "Sure, and if you could throw yourself as easily as a rock, I wouldn't ask for so much. But with a slaughterfish in the water, I figure ten gold is a fair price."
Sadly, given your inability to heal he might be right. But you only have 51 gold at the moment, and you just have a difficult time bringing yourself to pay 20% of it to have him take you 100 feet. Instead you head further inland to the crossing point you used on the way here and cross where the distance across the lake is shorter.
Health is now 51/61
It only even managed to bite you twice. You're tempted to just kill it, but figure it's safer to conserve health for later. You still have some ground to cover, and you saw a nix hound on the way here. What's that shadow on the ground?
(http://i.imgur.com/tIerbgP.png)
Health is now 48
BAD!
You immediately turn back towards the water. You've fought slaughterfish before, albeit with Draren healing you. Unlike the cliff racer now pecking at your head, those you know for certain you can kill. Maybe if you kill it, you can swim mostly underwater back to the ferryman and hope he'll help with the cliff racer?
(http://i.imgur.com/dQXJCRI.png)
...or not. Seems the slaughterfish has a friend now, and you're sandwiched between the two of them in the water and the cliff racer in the air.
health is now 37
You're taking too many hits. It might be better to fight one cliff racer now than two slaughterfish now plus a cliff racer later. You've no idea if you can make it all the way back to the ferry. Climbing back onto shore you start swinging madly at the cliff racer, hoping you've become strong enough to kill it.
(http://i.imgur.com/prWhplp.png)
Health is now 18
No good. You're hitting it. It's taking damage. But it would be a losing battle alone, and two mudcrabs are en route to join in. If you'd started out at at full health against a cliff racer, even then you don't think you'd quite be able to beat it. Best you can hope for is to run. Maybe if you get lucky you can make it to Pelegiad.
Health is now 12
You don't think you're going to make it.
Health is now 2
You're not going to make it. It a fit of anger you turn around and jab your knife into the cliff racer one last time before it pecks you in the face. It hurts for just a moment, but you're still standing so you swing again...or at least, you try. Apparently you dropped your dagger. You can't seem to find it. For that matter why can't you feel your arm anymore? You then watch, dumbfounded as the cliff racer suddenly turns and flies off.
What just happened? Did it change its mind? What's going on? Confused, you look down.
(http://i.imgur.com/A3awY3R.png)
Oh. You're dead.
Wait. You're dead?
Ok, no need to panic. This has happened before, right? What happened last time? You don't remember. Actually, you only even know that you've died before because the voices said so. You don't remember it at all. Does that mean that in a moment you'll respawn and everything will be fine except you'll lose your memory of having died?
You wait.
Nothing happens.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Hello?"
There's no answer. At least not right away. You look around and see that the mudcrabs have wandered off. You can't even see the cliff racer. They left your body untouched, aside from the killing you part. Apparently the creatures here only kill adventurers, they don't actually eat them. Odd.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Can anyone hear me?"
You can still see and hear. And there are sensations that could possibly be described as "feeling." Actually, yes. That's definitely the sensation of feeling. But you're not sure what you're feeling. There's a curious lack of weight. That feeling of the weight of your body when you sit in a chair? Your feet on the ground? That's gone. No feeling of breathing either. You look down at your body and - wait. Which way is down?
You have a terrifying moment of extreme vertigo as you suddenly lose track of which way is up or down. You can't feel gravity. You can't turn, yet somehow you can see behind you. Behind? Which way is behind? You can see your body on the ground, but you can see the hill and you can see the sky...all at once? Can you move? You try to turn to your left, but you have no idea which way 'left' is and you feel yourself fall...into yourself?
Now you're on the ground looking up at the sky. At least that's what it felt like. But you can still see the ground and it doesn't seem to be any closer, and you obviously don't have a body to 'fall' with. It's all terribly disorienting. You try to close your eyes to help you focus, but again...no eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Is anyone there?"
You're not sure anyone can hear you. You're probably not actually calling out. Actually, you're certain of that. You're not 'speaking' and you're not hearing your own voice. You're...doing something else.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "If anyone can hear me, please answer."
You feel a tingle. Is that...magicka? It is! You look through the planet at the sun still a good distance below the horizon. It's probably an hour until morning, but you can clearly see the stream of magicka from the sun and its warmth reassures you tremendously.
You can see magicka. You can feel magicka. Can you cast spells? You feel around in...whatever you are. Is that...yes! You definitely have a magicka pool, and you can feel the sunlight restoring it right now. Now you just need to...wait, where's your fleabite spell? You look in the place where you're accustomed to having your destruction spellforms and you don't feel anything. No destruction school. No fleabite spell. Nothing to channel magicka into.
Well, that's frustrating.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Voices? Are you there? I think I'm dead."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Mr. Strange on June 04, 2014, 06:01:11 pm
Try to move around?
Post by: joemoben on June 04, 2014, 06:15:03 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 04, 2014, 06:27:00 pm
Actually, First of all: Michael can you hear us!? Remain calm! This might not be as bad as it seems.
Don't take this wrong, but being dead might actually be pretty convenient right now. This is Elder Scrolls, where death isn't quite the handicap we're used to. Plenty of dead people have gone on to be rich and successful. We can't fight, apparently, but we probably don't need to either. Top priority, determine if we can move our... presence about. If we can do that, we might be able to take advantage of this situation. Finding a medium of some sort would be a good idea, but we should also consider going wherever we please without fear of danger.
If we can move, I say we head to the nearest ancestor tomb. The spirits there might have some advice on the whole "being dead" thing.
Also, totally unrelated but probably important: when you look inside yourself do you see any magicka that corresponds to us talking?
Post by: IronyOwl on June 04, 2014, 06:51:43 pm
The description of the ferryman's employer sounds like Imare/Pinkie Pie. Which... come to think of it, if it was underwater or similar that'd explain a lot. Why there's only rumors of it, why we couldn't find it, how there's a Houseless stronghold in the first place. Even why you'd want or need a ferry to get to it. As I recall there's a dungeon or something in the middle of the lake; I could totally see Pinkie building a party mansion inside a cave.
Speaking of which, I get the feeling "party" or "fun" or similar might be the password. Not that that's terribly helpful to us now.
Back to the topic at hand, it sounds like we can move our perceptions around, but... uh... I'm not sure if we have a "body" or not. We have a magicka pool, and we can "feel" things, like falling on the ground, but doing so doesn't actually bring the ground closer to us, so...
I say we try to move or push our perceptions towards the center of the lake. Pinkie Pie's got a decent chance of being able to sense us when we're dead, so if she's in there it might be worthwhile to try to get there.
Otherwise... dunno, maybe the rising of the sun will bring us back to life or something? Pretty sure it was day when we died last time, night this time. Celestia halp?
One other thing- our Luck is listed as "?" That seems pretty suspicious/significant. It was 58.0 prior to death.
Post by: Descan on June 04, 2014, 07:04:33 pm
You could... try casting free-form? It's at least POSSIBLE, and who knows, maybe you need to have died to really succeed, or at least have your brain emptied of all the pre-built spells that would rush to "complete the patter", in order to really reach for the deep well of magicka required for a free-form spell. Couldn't hurt to try!... probably?
Post by: IronyOwl on June 04, 2014, 07:09:33 pm
Well, you know what casting a (pre-determined) spell at least *feels* like.Actually, this raises another interesting point. Right now we're really not sure what Michael is, so it's hard to say anything about his condition. But, assuming his body is dead and his spirit/soul is still around, that might imply spell knowledge is recorded on flesh as much as mind. That'd have some interesting implications.
You could... try casting free-form? It's at least POSSIBLE, and who knows, maybe you need to have died to really succeed, or at least have your brain emptied of all the pre-built spells that would rush to "complete the patter", in order to really reach for the deep well of magicka required for a free-form spell. Couldn't hurt to try!... probably?
But again, we have no idea if that's the case.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 04, 2014, 07:12:38 pm
Post by: gman8181 on June 04, 2014, 08:59:06 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on June 04, 2014, 10:46:35 pm
Channel magicka into your dead body?
You can probably tell we are totally clueless as to what to do at this point. I suggest you randomly try that at least though.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 05, 2014, 09:31:01 am
Do some experimenting. Try to figure out if you can try to do anything with the Magicka at all. Float around a bit. After that's done, yeah - go try to explore the lake while it's "safe" to do so.
Primarily, though, don't panic. For being dead, you're not suffering the worst negative consequences - you're still talking to us, we're still talking to you, and this DID happen last time, although not for this long, so there's still at least a decent chance of you winding up in your body soon.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 05, 2014, 10:47:37 am
Post by: LordSlowpoke on June 05, 2014, 11:29:18 am
i'm lurking this goof and i found it unpleasant for you to commit so while i have influenced it by not doing anything about it i'm expecting you to wave your hands around and magically fix it tia
Post by: WillowLuman on June 05, 2014, 12:14:22 pm
guys in case you haven't noticed you have done the goofedWhat?
i'm lurking this goof and i found it unpleasant for you to commit so while i have influenced it by not doing anything about it i'm expecting you to wave your hands around and magically fix it tia
Post by: Arcvasti on June 05, 2014, 08:36:27 pm
You're probably dead. But not THAT dead. You'll probably get better. Resurrection is POSSIBLE even in vanilla elder scrolls lore. And you can still hear us, this isn't another doomed timeline where you die and we and presumably a small part of you return to the you on the central timeline. This is for real. The main difference I can think of is you have channeling training now. Try moving. If you can move, try looking[Or however it is you perceive your surroundings now] inside your pack for a PAPER-WRAPPED OBJECT. It might help. Failing that, if you can move, try going towards the center/bottom of the lake. I don't think you'll drown. And if you do, it can't be much worse then this. Seeing if you can channel magicka into things is also something you should try. If you can, do it to the PAPER-WRAPPED OBJECT, the ferryman and whatever's under the lake. And your dead body, AFTER you've tried the others. It MIGHT bring you back to life, and I think you should try the other stuff before seeking to be resurrected.
Post by: LordBucket on June 07, 2014, 02:45:23 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 07, 2014, 02:51:42 pm
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 07, 2014, 08:47:17 pm
And you accused ME of hating Michael, but now he's dead and we didn't even get a CHANCE at a boat in exchange for it.
Post by: Descan on June 07, 2014, 08:52:16 pm
Assuming we manage to hack into primordial magicka on account of being deader than a doornail.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 07, 2014, 08:55:12 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on June 07, 2014, 09:15:25 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 07, 2014, 10:12:10 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 07, 2014, 10:52:20 pm
But then again, I have a different idea that may have been hinted at earlier with comments by Vivec.
Wake up.
Post by: LordBucket on June 10, 2014, 04:35:03 am
Quote
Michael can you hear us!?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Yes, I can hear you. Glad you guys are still here. I was having visions of spending eternity alone haunting this beach."
Quote
when you look inside yourself do you see any magicka that corresponds to us talking?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...you mean, when you talk, do I...oh, I think I understand. I'm not sure. Say something."
Quote
Yeah, you look dead, Michael. None of this happened last time. We're not sure what's going on now.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "No, I didn't notice anything. I don't know if that means anything though. There've been marks and things I wasn't able to see either."
Quote
Actually, this IS sort of what happened last time, just floating above your body. It didn't last very long though, and you still might end up getting reset soon.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...you guys don't seem very certain. "
Quote
Wake up.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I don't feel any different. If I'm asleep, I don't know how to wake up."
Quote
Try to move around?
Quote
Attempt to move towards an object.
Quote
determine if we can move our... presence about.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Yeah, that was pretty much the first thing I tried. Problem is...and I don't know what to explain this...look, can you guys see what I'm seeing? Because this is really difficult to explain. I have no sense of direction. As in, like...I don't even know how to describe directions right now. I mean, sure I can see a mudcrab over there."
(http://i.imgur.com/ZxZg5n2.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "And I can see some reeds by the lake."
(http://i.imgur.com/92jZIs9.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "But I'm not entirely sure where I am. I mean, I cn see my body. But it's kind of over there. I suppose I could...ok, how about this. My body's right there. I'll try going towards it."
(http://i.imgur.com/A3awY3R.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Guys, I don't know how to move. I don't have a body. No legs no arms...nothing. If I were asleep, even when I dream I have a body and use it to walk around. Do you have a body when you dream? Because I do. Now? I don't even know how I'm talking to you, let alone how to move."
Quote
Well, you know what casting a (pre-determined) spell at least *feels* like.
You could... try casting free-form?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Casting fleabite is just a matter of directing magicka into the spellform. It's like turning on a faucet. Or, I guess kind of like turning on a computer. Plugging it in and pushing the power button 'channels' electricity into it, and it does stuff. Knowing how to direct electricity from the wall into a computer by plugging in cables and pushing the power button doesn't mean you have any idea what the circuit boards are doing or how it does it. If I handed you a battery would you be able to build a cell phone to use the power? Sure I can cause magicka to flow. That's no problem. But I don't know what to do with it."
Quote
Channel magicka into your dead body?
Quote
I suggest you randomly try that at least though.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Well, ok. I'll give it a try."
(http://i.imgur.com/A3awY3R.png)
Magicka is now 34/73
Yeah, that was pretty much what I expected. You guys saw that right? It's like shining two flashlight beams into each other. I can direct magicka no problem, but getting it to do anything...I just don't know how. The sun is streaming magicka through everything on the entire planet 24/7. Me streaming a little too doesn't make much difference.
Quote
try looking[Or however it is you perceive your surroundings now] inside your pack for a PAPER-WRAPPED OBJECT.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I just don't have the visual power to penetrate my backpack. Remember, even Divayth Fyr asked me to remove my armor when he checked me for marks. You're asking me to see through a backpack, the stuff in it, and some paper in order to see an apple? I'm sorry, that's just beyond my ability."
Quote
You're probably dead. But not THAT dead. You'll probably get better. Resurrection is POSSIBLE even in vanilla elder scrolls lore. And you can still hear us, this isn't another doomed timeline where you die and we and presumably a small part of you return to the you on the central timeline.
Quote
Tomb, center of lake, in either order.
Quote
try going towards the center/bottom of the lake
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Well, that sounds like a great plan, but I haven't figured out how to move yet."
Quote
try to move or push our perceptions towards the center of the lake.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Oh, you mean don't move me...move my perception? Like, imagine I'm remote viewing or something? Ok, I'll give that a try."
(http://i.imgur.com/qEDHfTt.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Guys! I know what's going on! When you see, you see with your eyes, right? But I don't have eyes. They're over there with my body. So, how am I seeing? Here's the thing: I have a fully 360 degree view right now. There's no left or right because there's no external 'me' outside from frame of reference from which to compare. It's like I'm a single looking in all directions at once. I have a sense for 'up' and 'down because, well, the planet's right there. Towards the ground is down. But even that's kind of arbitrary. For example, the sun is over there, still below the horizon. What if instead of calling 'towards the planet' down, I said that 'towards the sun' was down?"
(http://i.imgur.com/tD2eRZ8.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...gah, that's nauseating. Anyway, thing is, when you walk 'forward' that's the directio you're looking, you go forward. Now, EVERY direction is forward because I'm seeing in every direction at once. So I think that when I 'think' of 'forward,' I'm trying to go in every direction at the same time, forward just as much as back because I don't really have a front or back right now. So, all I have to do is ignore a bunch of directions, and only go in one direction. Ok, ready? Let's give this a try."
(http://i.imgur.com/A3awY3R.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...ok, maybe not. I don't know guys. I might be stuck here. Ghosts typically haunt only one place, right? Maybe I can't move?"
Quote
maybe the rising of the sun will bring us back to life or something?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "If I can't cast spells and if I can't figure out how to move, yeah I'm not really sure what else I can do but wait."
(Several hours later)
(http://i.imgur.com/qgFIEqP.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Good morning, sun!"
The sun gazes brightly upon Michael.
Nothing happens.
Quote
Celestia halp?
Quote
I'm expecting you to wave your hands around and magically fix it tia
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "So, umm...Mr. Sun would you - no wait. I guess that would be Mrs. Sun, right? Or Miss Sun? Princess Celestia? Is that you? Would you help me out here?"
Nothing happens.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Azura? This is Dawn, so this is your time. I guess you would know better than anybody if I'm the Nerevarine or not. And I want to help Morrowind against Dagoth Ur. Could you spare a ressurection?"
The sun continues to rise. Michael appears to still be dead. With nothing else to do to, Michael sings to pass the time. And possibly to keep from going insane.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "So what's your favorite brony song, guys? Let's start with mine. *ahem* Human beings fascinate me being just the way they are! Tell me little pony can you push a cart or drive a car? Lyre is my instrument, but humans strum their sweet guitar..."
(Several hours later)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...somewhere out here is a pet that will suit you just right! I can't wait to get started, but first let me set a few rules..."
(Later that night)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...little lamb, little lamb. Mary had a little lamb its fleece was white..."
(the following day)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...forty six thousand, two hundred twenty one bottles of beer on the wall, forty six thousand, two hundred twenty one bottles of beer, you take one down, you pass it around, forty six thousand two hundred twenty bottles of beer on the wall. Forty six thousand, two hundred twenty bottles of beer on the wall...hey. Is that someone coming?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nxgNgNj.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Hey! Can you hear me? Hello?!!??!! He's coming closer! Yes, I'm saved! Dude, help! Help? You can't hear me, can you? Figures. Wait, why are you taking off my backpack?"
Michael screams and rants as the dunmer digs through his back and begins pocketing things. Gold, soulgems, your magic dagger, the Dwemer puzzle box Divayth Fyr gave you, a small paper wrapped-
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Oh, now this is justice. Let's see what you do with it."
The dunmer pulls open the paper and gazes upon the golden apple, his mouth opening slightly and his gaze dulling. Suddenly he bites into the apple like a feral animal, clearly savoring it as juice and apple pulp dribbles down his face.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Oh my, this isn't what I expected at all! How marvelous!"
(http://i.imgur.com/Dcj8qAK.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/g4YY5aS.png): "Who are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I'm many things, dear boy. And several of those things are not ducks. Possibly even most of them, I've never been entirely sure. My what a delicious looking apple you have there."
The dunmer looks at it with a sour expression on his face and tosses it into the lake, then draws your viperblade from his belt.
(http://i.imgur.com/g4YY5aS.png): "It tasted awful. Where did you come from old man? I didn't hear you walk up. I don't take kindly to assassins."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Tut tut, drawing a weapon on a kindly gentleman like myself? What manners are they teaching these days? Well, I suppose I shall have to defend myself."
The man pulls a cane out of nowhere, reminding you very much of the way you've seen Awesomicus switch gear, then he holds it like a pen in front of him with most of its length over his shoulder.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Come at me bro!"
The dunmer looks at him, his stance, the cane, his clothes...and suddenly starts sweating.
(http://i.imgur.com/g4YY5aS.png): "Sheogorath?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Indeed! Though I prefer being addressed as Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness. Or Bob. Or, Your Noble Royal Fluffiness of Pinatas Full Of Squirrels. Or you can address me at divided by zero The Palace, New Sheoth, Shivering Isles. But I don't check my mail much. Or my femail, for that matter. So you'd best simply talk to me now."
The dunmer straightens and speaks proudly.
(http://i.imgur.com/g4YY5aS.png): "Muthsera, are you here to test me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Test you? What a delightful idea! I was going to simply kill you, but what you suggest would be so much more fun! And don't call me Sera."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "At this point I don't know if I should be glad I stopped myself from eating it r not."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I'll have you know that Hermaeus' apple was delicious. To certain species' tastebuds, at least."
(http://i.imgur.com/g4YY5aS.png): "Forgive me for discarding it, my Prince."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Wait, can you hear me?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Of course, the test must be something suitable. Oh! I have just the thing!"
He pulls out a hot dog in a bun from inside his coat and tosses the bun into the lake, then hands the hot dog to the dunmer.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to find the tallest tree on Dagon Fel and cut it down with this hot dog!"
The dunmer accepts it with a skeptical look on his face.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Return to me when you have completed your task and I probably won't kill you. Or, no...am I supposed to kill you? I always get those two things mixed up."
(http://i.imgur.com/g4YY5aS.png): "My lord, where can I find you once I have done this?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Well, don't ask me. I certainly couldn't tell you. I know where half of me is half the time. To say nothing of the other two halves. I'm sure you'll work it out."
The dunmer salutes, then eyes your body.
(http://i.imgur.com/g4YY5aS.png): "You wouldn't mind if I took the rest of his things, would you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Yes, I would mind very much!"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Oh, no. Not at all. Please, take it all."
Nodding, the dunmer grabs your bag and some of your armor and puts it on. Then strides of purposefully.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Did you have to encourage him like that? Earlier it looked like he was only going to take a couple things."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "No, I don't have to do anything. But it's not like you were using it anymore. Just be glad he didn't drag off your body too. You're not using that either."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Yeah, I guess. Hey, so..umm, speaking of my body still being here, can you bring me back to life?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Life? Where's that? Do they have good skiing there? I haven't been skiing in ages. Oh, wait! I'm skiing right now. Ahh, that's nice."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I mean, can you make me not dead? Would you? My body's right there, I just -"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Much as I don't care about whatever you're saying, I have a better idea. One that isn't completely stupid and boring. I'm going to make you a deal. Out of the goodness and kindness of my heart. Or possibly my spleen. Somewhere in my torso, anyway. My goodness and kindness both get around, if you know what I mean."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "What kind of deal?"
He frowns for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "No, I don't do deals. it's more like a...quest? No, that's not it either. Game! That's it. Let's play...a game!"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "A game?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "A game? No, maybe later. Let's have a contest instead. You can ask me five questions, and any questions that I can answer with a yes or no, I will. If you can ask five questions in a row that I can answer with a yes or no, you win the round. If you fail to ask five questions in a row that I can answer with a yes or no, you lose. We'll play four rounds, for twenty questions total. Whomever wins more rounds wins the game."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "What do I get if I win?"
He smiles warmly.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "The satisfaction of a job well done!"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "And if you win?"
His smile twists deviously.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "King-rook split."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I don't understand."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Fortunately your understanding is not required."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Will you at least answer the questions honestly?"
He looks horrified.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Oh dear, talk about looking a gift pony in the mouth! I'm not only letting you ask questions, I'm even offering to answer them too! And here you are making demands about HOW I should answer them? Well, if you only want ridiculous 'honest' answers, I have approximately three hundred trillion better things I could be doing right now. So if you'll excuse me."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...ok, I guess I can play. It's not like I have any better options available."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Atta boy, Michael! I knew you'd be a good sport about it! And since you've decided to be a good sport, I'll be a good sport too and even let you talk to yourself for a bit to think up some really good questions."
He looks at you conspiratorially.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Don't tell anyone, but I talk to myself too. The doctors prescribed fluphenazine, but I flush the pills down the toilet. It's not safe to mix medications, but the toilet hasn't complained yet."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: Rabid_Cog on June 10, 2014, 04:55:18 am
So, 17 to go. Any ideas? Note that he is not required to answer honestly, so the manner in which he answers is probably going to be of more value than the actual answers. This, of course, means that yes/no questions will most likely be the least helpful. Still, I'm not sure I want to lose his contest. "King-rook split" sounds ominous... The King could represent the soul and the Rook the body, which means that this becomes permanent.
Do not let Sheograth know that you've discovered a way to permanently kill Daedra.
I'm also sensing a problem: trolls will be able to propose questions and they will get added to the list.
Micheal, ignore all stupid and pointless questions!
Post by: Descan on June 10, 2014, 07:38:50 am
Post by: LordBucket on June 10, 2014, 08:45:58 am
he didn't say "Ahaha! That's not a yes/no!" like I totally expected him to
...so, he didn't do what you expected?
*nods slowly*
Post by: WillowLuman on June 10, 2014, 11:49:15 am
Should we ignore stupid and pointless questions, though? We're most likely in this to win, not get information. Stupid and pointless may be just the kind of thing the madgod wants to hear. And bear in mind our answers aren't restricted to honesty, either.
Some suggestions, subject to voting:
Do the questions we just asked count? (Probably ask this one first!)
Are you going to try to break the Greymarch cycle this time?
Have you stopped beating your wife? (Hoping he may appreciate the questionable logic)
Is a hotdog still a hotdog if it's made of guar?
Would it be crazy to join up with Dagoth Ur?
Do your voices come from the internet as well?
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 10, 2014, 12:32:40 pm
Spoiler: Question for people like Putnam&TES Lore experts (click to show/hide)
Post by: Putnam on June 10, 2014, 12:34:28 pm
Spoiler: Question for people like Putnam&TES Lore experts (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Rabid_Cog on June 10, 2014, 01:38:01 pm
"What's your favourite colour?"
"How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck would chuck wood?"
etc.
Questions that both make us lose the
By the by, we are playing four rounds of five. Why not a single round of 20? What is the difference?
Post by: Mr. Strange on June 10, 2014, 02:10:09 pm
And that we lose if more than five of our questions are not yes/no questions.
King-rook split sounds like chess jargon, since King and Rook are used in chess move "castling" together, dunno any more about that...
Ask
#1 if Sheggy intended to make a hot dog pun with his hot dog bun,
#2 if today (here and now) is fredas/friday,
#3 if he has accepted
#4&5 from Hugo's questions
Do the questions we just asked count? (Probably ask this one first!)
Are you going to try to break the Greymarch cycle this time?
We need more (and better) questions...
Post by: Putnam on June 10, 2014, 04:43:48 pm
Darn. I guess we don't have some sorta sleeper CHIM (unless we have some sorta odd otherworld CHIM with different properties, which wouldn't surprise me much at all)
Post by: IronyOwl on June 10, 2014, 05:13:57 pm
So. The game. All we have to do, in theory, is ask five questions in a row that Sheo here can answer yes or no. In theory, this should be trivial, since we can just ask him trivial, obviously true or false things.
So in practice, naturally this is probably going to be bothersome, either because he's the Daedric Lord of Madness and therefore "is your shirt purple?" isn't nearly as clearcut as it seems, or because he's the Daedric Lord of Madness and therefore what he said the game was going to be isn't necessarily related in any way to what the game is. Alternatively, the danger comes from our desire to ask easy questions being at odds with our desire for answers from a... well, he's insane and indecipherable, so I wouldn't count too much on his info being tempting.
By the by, we are playing four rounds of five. Why not a single round of 20? What is the difference?Pacing and strict requirements. Asking us to ask 20 questions correctly might be unreasonable, especially since the rules may be different than we expected. Asking us to ask 5 questions correctly in a row three times out of four is still pretty stringent, but much more manageable.
Notably, it means we have an "experiment" round, should we choose to use it. Might or might not be better to intentionally "throw" a round figuring out if he likes simple or complex questions, or physical or metaphysical ones, or philosophical or practical queries, or what. With only five questions, of course, there's no way we'd figure out all the pitfalls, especially if previous questions affect future ones.
Do the questions we just asked count? (Probably ask this one first!)
Are you going to try to break the Greymarch cycle this time?
Have you stopped beating your wife? (Hoping he may appreciate the questionable logic)
Is a hotdog still a hotdog if it's made of guar?
Would it be crazy to join up with Dagoth Ur?
Do your voices come from the internet as well?
#1 if Sheggy intended to make a hot dog pun with his hot dog bun,Well, what's the goal here? Are we trying to amuse him? Softball him? Make the questions interesting enough as yes/no that he doesn't feel the need to extrapolate to make them interesting?
#2 if today (here and now) is fredas/friday,
#3 if he has acceptedErisJesus Christ as his personal lord and saviour yet,
#4&5 from Hugo's questionsDo the questions we just asked count? (Probably ask this one first!)
Are you going to try to break the Greymarch cycle this time?
I'm not sure what I think we should do, but I do think we should at least try to codify what we're attempting and why, before the whims of a mad deity turns them all inside out and upside left.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 10, 2014, 05:48:13 pm
...Make the questions interesting enough as yes/no that he doesn't feel the need to extrapolate to make them interesting?I think this would be the best approach, but we'll have to see how he responds to the first round.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 11, 2014, 12:09:29 am
On the difficult side, it might be hard to come up with questions in which the proper answer is, quote, "Yes or no". (As opposed to "yes" or "no", see?)
On the easy side, since he's not obligated to answer any of our questions properly, unless he cuts out his tongue he 'can' answer any of our questions with "yes or no". Even if he chooses not to, he totally could have, so they'd count. (For example: Sheogarath answering "What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?" with "Yes or no" is a possibility, so that question would count as asking one in which he can answer that way.)
Given the latter, perhaps just asking him questions in which we're interested in the answer Sheogarath will give, regardless of its truthfulness is the best strategy. Asking him questions interesting enough that he'd consider giving us a proper answer would be key.
The Non-Weasel Way to Win:
Of course, for those not interested in that kind of rules-lawyering, who want to treat this merely as a game in which we win if we ask Sheogarath five consecutive yes/no questions three times:
-Note each round is five questions. Asking him two non-binary questions, then five consecutive binary questions, then three non-binary seems like it either results in two rounds won for Sheogarath (in that round one only had three binary questions and round two had two binary questions) or one round for Sheogarath and one for Michael. (in that round one ended without Michael finishing a string of five binary questions, but he automatically wins in the middle of round two because Sheogarath never said you could only win a round at the end.)
-Note we can tie with Sheogarath by winning two of the four rounds. If we do, neither player wins. No castling for Sheo, no 'satisfaction for a job well done' for us. We may actually want to actively try to tie, if we assume 'satisfaction' is somehow related to 'resting in peace'.
-Note that we aren't limited to yes/no questions - we just need to ask enough to win/tie, probably in the right grouping. That means we can safely ask him five or ten (depending on the desired outcome) non-yes/no questions if we're curious about the answers he might give.
Post by: Putnam on June 11, 2014, 12:20:14 am
Is Dagoth Ur insane?
Am I insane?
Is Jyggalag any fun?
Are you willing to answer this question with yes or no?
Are any of my voices trying to hurt me?
Is Vivec mad?
Is Dagoth Ur more insane than Almalexia?
Can a mudcrab mate with a Dreugh?
I'm trying to keep my questions to things that Sheogorath will either find interesting or pertinent, y'see.
Post by: IronyOwl on June 11, 2014, 01:01:06 am
The Weasel Way to Win:Note that he says that if he can, he will. So we're probably not going to get any complex answers out of him that also win us the game.
Also he's the Daedric Prince of Madness. Rules lawyering him is unlikely to end productively, unless you count producing a shoe made out of bananas.
The Non-Weasel Way to Win:Note that with winning mid-round, that would also imply that we'd lose any time we asked a non-binary question after some binary questions, since that'd count as a series of not five yes or no questions.
Good point on the freebie questions, but I get the feeling we're not going to do well enough to be able to use them like that.
Post by: Rabid_Cog on June 11, 2014, 02:25:38 am
Do the questions we have already asked count?
as a first question.
Something else to remember, as a Daedric Lord, his perception on things and ours is probably different. So even if he does give an honest answer, we might not be able to interpret it 'truthfully'.
Maybe ask him if he can hear YOUR voices.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 11, 2014, 02:35:44 am
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 11, 2014, 10:00:06 am
(http://www.thrashingzombies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/3779262793_f3d19d5b9f_o.jpg)
Post by: catenate on June 11, 2014, 05:32:53 pm
Lemme help you out there.
Only the finest Corinthian läther on that busey.
Post by: birdy51 on June 11, 2014, 07:52:50 pm
1.)Do you find this funny?
2.) Does the word... "Everscamp" mean anything to you?
Now. As to something to help Michael.
PRAY. Pick any Daedra that isn't Sheogorath and pray that they help you.
Nevermind. Pray to Sheogorath to help you defeat Sheogorath. It might work.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 11, 2014, 07:57:29 pm
Post by: joemoben on June 11, 2014, 08:29:44 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 11, 2014, 09:01:03 pm
Post by: syvarris on June 11, 2014, 10:08:38 pm
+1 to HugoLuman's suggestions. Also, ask Sheo if there's any way for you to hide your thoughts from him, so that you can pray in private, then pray for him to help you win the game with creative inspiration or something. Do not phrase the prayer as a question.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 11, 2014, 10:12:26 pm
Post by: ank on June 12, 2014, 02:39:38 am
The obvious danger is that a prayer is not a yes or no question.
It is if you phrase it correctly:
"Dear god, will you please help me?"
Post by: WillowLuman on June 12, 2014, 12:08:07 pm
Praying to Sheogorath to help us beat Sheogorath might be just crazy enough to work. And that is the best possible use of that phrase.Might be construed as a non-binary question
Also, ask Sheo if there's any way for you to hide your thoughts from him, so that you can pray in private,
Post by: gordy on June 14, 2014, 07:41:07 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 14, 2014, 08:02:42 pm
Post by: gordy on June 14, 2014, 10:17:30 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 15, 2014, 02:44:54 pm
Micheal, ignore all stupid and pointless questions!
That will be difficult. Asking pointless questions seems to be the strongest consensus.
I'm surprised that none of you play chess.
Will probably cut off suggestions tomorrow.
Post by: Xanmyral on June 15, 2014, 02:46:40 pm
King-rook split sounds like chess jargon, since King and Rook are used in chess move "castling" together, dunno any more about that...
Post by: WillowLuman on June 15, 2014, 03:55:41 pm
Then what would be the point of the competition if not to give us an opportunity to seek some truths? We could ask if magical items we know to be entombed are still there, for instance. If the point is just to survive to 20 rounds without asking the wrong sort of question if seems like a lost opportunity.(I could have sworn I responded to this yesterday. Did I post it in the wrong thread?)
The point is to entertain Sheogorath, and probably earn a favor from him if we win.
While from a metagaming perspective this may seem like a perfect time for an exposition dump, in-universe it wouldn't make sense.
This is not an interrogation or an interview. This is a game of the madgod. This isn't "Get 20 free truths, as long as they're asked in binary format." If there's anything to be learned here, it almost certainly won't be as straightforward as the actual answers to the questions.
Michael, let's say, in this case stupid=a non-binary question and pointless=won't help us win this.
I'm surprised that none of you play chess.IronyOwl already pointed out the most obvious implications of the chess metaphor, so I guess we figured it would be redundant for anyone else to post the same realization.
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 17, 2014, 04:20:30 pm
Then ask 5 trivial yes/no questions to see if me get idea of what the actual game is.
Post by: Putnam on June 17, 2014, 06:01:38 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 17, 2014, 06:05:02 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 17, 2014, 06:05:53 pm
But then, he could mess with us by answering every question with a lie or truth there.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 17, 2014, 06:40:35 pm
Post by: birdy51 on June 17, 2014, 08:47:37 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 18, 2014, 10:31:05 am
Quote
Do not let Sheograth know that you've discovered a way to permanently kill Daedra.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I'll be sure not to do that."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...umm...do what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "To let my pet circle out of the house more often. It doesn't get much excercise, what with having no legs or muscles or any way to move at all. But! More importantly, on with the game! Round one begins NOW!"
Quote
#1 if Sheggy intended to make a hot dog pun with his hot dog bun,
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "So, first question: that thing you did with the hot dog bun earlier. Was it your intention to make a pun? Some sort of visual play on words?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "No! It was a deliberate attempt to communicate something to you. Excellent start, I completely expected you to blow it on the first question. Well done."
Quote
Is a hotdog still a hotdog if it's made of guar?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Keeping with the hot dog theme, how about this: is a hotdog still a hotdog if it's made of guar?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Yes, just like it's still a hot dog even if it's cold."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Huh. I guess that makes sense."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "No, it doesn't make any sense at all. That's what I love about hot dogs. That, and the way they bark."
He pulls another hot dog out of his coat and proceeds to stick the entire thing up his nose.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Ahh, have you ever wondered if a hot dog slides up my nose where no one else can see it, if it makes a slurping noise? It does! And that sound smells so delicious! Synaesthesia for the win. Next question?"
Quote
Have you stopped beating your wife?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Have you stopped beating your wife?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "No, I have not stopped beating my wife! And not once has anyone who is my wife ever asked me to! That's three in a row! Next question."
Quote
what's the goal here? Are we trying to amuse him? Softball him? Make the questions interesting
enough as yes/no that he doesn't feel the need to extrapolate to make them interesting?
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "None of those questions are yes or no questions. You lose the first round. Pity. You were doing so well."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "What questions? I didn't ask any questions."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Yes, you did. You just don't realize it."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "But, I didn't!"
Quote
On the easy side, since he's not obligated to answer any of our questions properly, unless he cuts out his tongue he 'can' answer any of our questions with "yes or no". Even if he chooses not to, he totally could have, so they'd count. (For example: Sheogarath answering "What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?" with "Yes or no" is a possibility, so that question would count as asking one in which he can answer that way.)
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Ahh, well since you thought of that I suppose I won't do it.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Who are you talking to? I didn't say any-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Which is really a shame for you, since if I had done that then every question could have been answered with a yes or no and you'd have won. Oh, well. Makes no difference to me. Now beginning round two!"
Quote
Maybe ask him if he can hear YOUR voices.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Can you hear the voices in my head?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Yes, and they smell great!"
Sheogorath throws his arms up in the air and cheers, shouting out loud:
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Michael opens with a great question out the gate for round two, and he scores! Can he recover from his abysmal failure of a first round! Stay tuned to see! Next question?"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "So if you can hear my voices, then what's-"
Sheogorath looks on eagerly.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "...yeeeessss?"
Michael stops himself.
Quote
Am I insane?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Since you know I hear voices, and since apparently you can hear them too...and you're the Prince of Madness, I guess I should ask: am I insane?"
Sheogorath sighs
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Sadly, no. You're thoroughly outsane. And I suspect you'll still be out when I'm done with you. It's depressing, really. Why do you have to be such a buzzkill?"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Umm...sorry?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Can't be answered with a yes or no. You lose round two!"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "But that wasn't a question!"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Then why'd you end it with a question mark?"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...what? What question mark?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Since we're between rounds, I'll let that slide."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "What are you even talking about? We're talking. There are no question marks."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Now beginning round three!"
Quote
ask Sheo if there's any way for you to hide your thoughts from him
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Is there any way I can-"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "No. Excellent! That's seven questions for you. If you'd managed to get all of them in the same round you'd still be losing, but at least I could be proud of you for cheating!"
Quote
Nevermind. Pray to Sheogorath to help you defeat Sheogorath.
Quote
pray to Sheogorath to help grant us victory
Quote
We'll just have to hope... And pray to Sheogorath.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Sheogorath...would you...umm, help me win?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Yes! That's two in a row. Maybe you're not as bad at this as I thought."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "So, you will help me win?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I'm going to disqualify that question. You've already asked it. Asking the same question twenty times might be a good strategy, but it would be terribly boring and I won't have that. Ask something else."
Quote
#3 if he has acceptedErisJesus Christ as his personal lord and saviour yet,
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Have you accepted Eris or Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Oh, boolean logic question? Wasn't expecting that. Good show. No, I have not accepted Eris OR Jesus Christ as my personal lord AND savior."
As you watch, Sheogorath transforms into a slender, dark haired woman in a plain purple dress.
(http://i.imgur.com/1TY1enr.png): "Curiously the answer is the same even if that was an exclusive or."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...Eris?"
(http://i.imgur.com/1TY1enr.png): "Yes. And that's four correct in a row. One more to win the third round."
For a moment, Michael is speechless.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "You're a shapeshifter?"
She smiles kindly at you with an almost motherly gaze.
(http://i.imgur.com/1TY1enr.png): "Yes. That's five in a row, which means you win the third round. Well done.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Who are you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/1TY1enr.png): "Careful, the next round will be starting soon."
Quote
what would be the point of the competition if not to give us an opportunity to seek some truths?
If the point is just to survive to 20 rounds without asking the wrong sort of question if seems like a lost opportunity.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I'm starting to think we wasted our questions. You don't seem so bad."
You watch as the woman before you lifts her feet off the ground and transforms into a horrific creature of spikes and scales with eyes and mouths across what passes as arms, legs and torso...and possibly some other parts you're unsure of.
(http://i.imgur.com/AOujSRw.png): "You would be wise to fear Me, mortal. Far greater powers than you have met their fate at My hand. The forces of man and machine, both young and eldar races alike. Entire worlds have fallen before Me, civilizations slaughtered, species corrupted and destroyed in My name, all mere pawns in the Great Game far beyond mortal ken."
Michael is overcome with awe at the terrible visage before him.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...but, you said you would help me?"
The creature again becomes the woman.
(http://i.imgur.com/1TY1enr.png): "Yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/1TY1enr.png): "Because you asked."
She shifts into the form of a man.
(http://i.imgur.com/sVDlNiI.png): "Also, because it's hilarious. You really have no clue what's going on here, do you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I know a little. I know ponies are involved somehow."
He laughs.
(http://i.imgur.com/sVDlNiI.png): "Sure, so your favorite little mascots are involved 'somehow,' and that's what this is all about, is that it? Ponies? You really believe that? Look, I know you've got the whole brony thing going on, but if you don't open your mind a little you may end up spending forever going nowhere."
His expression sours.
(http://i.imgur.com/sVDlNiI.png): "Ponies are overrated anyway. Speaking of, if you're ever asked to turn into one, don't do it. Do you have any idea how much it hurts having eight legs kicking you all at once? No, I suppose you don't. The final round begins now."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "But I still have questions to ask."
His clothes and face change once again.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "So ask them."
He glances at the horizon.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "And hurry. We don't have much time."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Why don't we-"
Sheogorath leans in and smiles.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...no, never mind that. I'll ask my questions."
He shrugs.
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 18, 2014, 11:04:00 am
-Do you know what we are?
-Would it be to our benefit to understand more of the big picture here?
-Has Azura been messing with us?
-Are there a lot of foreign influences around here?
-Do you have a goal here?
Post by: Descan on June 18, 2014, 12:42:26 pm
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 18, 2014, 12:52:48 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on June 18, 2014, 12:54:21 pm
e: awesomicus and clover for two
Post by: Descan on June 18, 2014, 12:55:09 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on June 18, 2014, 12:56:52 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 18, 2014, 12:58:17 pm
Post by: Descan on June 18, 2014, 12:59:27 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on June 18, 2014, 01:00:45 pm
Post by: Descan on June 18, 2014, 01:02:29 pm
Post by: LordSlowpoke on June 18, 2014, 01:04:32 pm
for what PURPOSE
Post by: QuakeIV on June 18, 2014, 02:16:10 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on June 18, 2014, 05:22:04 pm
It's not really his answers we're looking for, it's his responses.
Exactly.These are still influenced by the question, though. The hot dog pun thing was pointless and stupid, but it revealed a critical insight- namely, that it was a deliberate attempt at demonstrating something to us. The guar hot dog thing was slightly less stupid, but completely pointless and uninformative.
We can get away with asking stupid questions provided they tangent into something interesting, but there's no point asking him completely useless faff for the sake of burning questions.
So with that in mind, I say we go for the big dogs:
-Should we have asked more meaningful questions?
-Has Azura been messing with us?
-Are there a lot of foreign influences around here?
-Do you like us?
-Are those ponies from this world?
-Do you have a goal here?
Do you really think we'll get anything useful out of him, though?DESCAN.
As another interesting note, he couldn't just hear us, he "hijacked" us. Michael didn't hear us when Sheo did, which I'd like to investigate but can't figure out how to phrase as a binary question.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 18, 2014, 05:27:56 pm
-Do you know what we are?
Post by: IronyOwl on June 18, 2014, 05:31:29 pm
Here's one:I like this one. I get the feeling it will result in either "Yes, do you" or a vague, rambling thing that won't help us immediately but might give us a handful more clues to piece things together eventually. I considered something like "Is it normal to have this many voices" for similar reasons.
-Do you know what we are?
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 18, 2014, 05:34:01 pm
Post by: birdy51 on June 18, 2014, 05:43:31 pm
Had a massive brainfart.
"Do you like answering our innane questions?"
Post by: WillowLuman on June 18, 2014, 06:37:12 pm
Post by: joemoben on June 18, 2014, 09:21:01 pm
Spoiler: You can't see meee (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on June 21, 2014, 04:00:30 am
Would you say that would be a bad idea~?
Is it possible to answer this question incorrectly?
Is it possible to eventually go so far as to even be that way, though?
Do you really think we'll get anything useful out of him, though?
-Has Azura been messing with us?
This assuming that "for what PURPOSE" does not count as a question because it has no question mark marking it as a question. After that, next in line, as it were, we have:
-Are there a lot of foreign influences around here?
-Do you like us?
-Are those ponies from this world?
-Do you have a goal here?
-Do you know what we are?
Do you know of LordBucket?
Are you an avatar or incarnation of LordBucket?
Do you know who we are?
Can we continue to ask questions after the game is done?
Do you know what why we are here?
Do you like answering our innane questions?
[Spoiler Test]: Does doing the fish stick require a delicate state of mind?
My general feeling is that our first three questions are useless, our fourth has some potential, and our fifth has some potential but posssibly isn't the greatest as a standalone query. Accordingly, my more specific feeling is that we should really try to actually organize here instead of just losing yet more amazing opportunities to whimsy and sloth.
We know Sheo is knowledgeable and benign. We know it's possible to ask questions that spur exposition without losing the game. The questions I think have meaningful potential to do that are:
Quote
-Do you really think we'll get anything useful out of him, though?The rest I don't see spawning meaningful exposition, because I don't see what they'd tangent into. I would like to see all of our five questions be some of these questions or similarly focused ones, rather than the faff we're currently defaulting to.
-Has Azura been messing with us?
-Are there a lot of foreign influences around here?
-Do you like us?
-Are those ponies from this world?
-Do you have a goal here?
-Do you know what we are?
-Do you know what why we are here?
Is anyone with me on this?
Post by: IronyOwl on June 21, 2014, 04:08:17 am
However, "King/rook split." If Sheo or other forces delayed our revival, it's possible there's a specific entity looking out for us. We'll say Azura for argument's sake. Or, put another way, a King's sheltering a Rook (or, I suppose, vice versa, though that'd seem awfully optimistic regarding our cosmic importance). Splitting that would mean snatching us out from under Azura's wing... though for what purpose I can't say, especially since he seems pretty eager to "assist" us in certain ways.
So as an alternative to not getting our body back, losing the game could cost us some other entities' protection/ownership. Assuming our interpretation about it referring to castling was correct to begin with.
Doublepost because organization.
Post by: LordBucket on June 21, 2014, 05:14:57 am
Oh, and one other thing: Sheo mentioned that we don't have much time. He was looking at the sun, I believe.
No. He was looking at the horizon. In some cases looking at the sun and looking at the horizon would happen to mean looking in the same direction. This was not one of those cases.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 21, 2014, 12:08:06 pm
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 21, 2014, 03:35:38 pm
One more to consider: !Sheogorath has pointed out that this is all something bigger than what we've realized. And he's been fairly good about justifying his answers - he says yes or no, when applicable, and then expounds on why it's the case, for the most part. So asking him something on the lines of 'Would it be to our benefit to understand more of the big picture here' (with a question mark if we actually ask it, of course. :P) might explain more and help us make later decisions.
After all, even if it turns out our playmate here is actually a primal force that self-identifies with Eris, Sheogorath, and Tzeench, and is manipulating us as a pawn in some sort of cosmic chess game against other such beings that involves Michael being placed in a Morrowind lookalike world with various beings trying to influence Michael by preying on his fandom and appearing as aspects of Ponydom so he'll end up doing something that they wagered he would while others try to prevent it, (whew, what a run-on sentence!) it doesn't necessarily mean Michael can do anything meaningful to improve his situation on that front if he knows about it.
On the other hand, maybe they're betting on his survival or escape, and knowing about what's going on would allow Michael (and us) to make pro-survival/escape decisions. And asking !Sheogorath here that would give him the chance to slip us information on what's going on.
tl;dr: Consider asking the question 'Would it be to our benefit to understand more of the big picture here'. (Or asking something similar (and yes/no) about the 'things going on that we had no idea about' that he mentioned.)
Post by: IronyOwl on June 24, 2014, 04:56:51 am
Well then.
-Do you know what we are?
-Would it be to our benefit to understand more of the big picture here?
-Has Azura been messing with us?
-Are there a lot of foreign influences around here?
-Do you have a goal here?
I'll tentatively forward this as our final question set and hope Sheo will favor a set voted more than once over post order. If not, we're basically shafted anyway unless Descan or Mict return and edit things.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 24, 2014, 12:06:09 pm
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 24, 2014, 03:35:02 pm
Also, LB says the hotdog reference was a clue. Not sure what to make of that, but I figure I should tell people this generously donated information.
Interesting... The lines were:
Quote
He pulls out a hot dog in a bun from inside his coat and tosses the bun into the lake, then hands the hot dog to the dunmer.
"Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to find the tallest tree on Dagon Fel and cut it down with this hot dog!"
!Sheogorath proceeds to answer our question about the hot dog by telling us it was a deliberate attempt to communicate something. Also some additional stuff involving hot dogs follows:
Quote
"No! It was a deliberate attempt to communicate something to you."
"Yes, just like it's still a hot dog even if it's cold."
"Ahh, have you ever wondered if a hot dog slides up my nose where no one else can see it, if it makes a slurping noise? It does!"
Things to note:
"Hot dog in a bun" probably isn't a reference to CMOT Dibbler. But the fate of the bun seems like it might be important. He's discarded the wrapper containing the hot dog, but the sausage itself is the important thing. I could see it as supposed to mean that Michael doesn't need his body, and that he can do what he needs to in his current state.
Chopping down a tree with a hot dog is of course a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I don't think saying "Ni" to !Sheogorath will do anything useful, though.
The other two quotes I mention regarding the hot dog seem vaguely possible to have meaning as well, possibly !Sheo trying to reinforce his point. "Still a hot dog even when cold" seems applicable here - it could be read as saying Michael is still a player even without his game body. Similarly, he says the hot dog still has some effect on the world, even if it's unobservable. So, if the hot dog indeed represents Michael, it reinforces the notion that Michael is still capable of doing important things in his current state. Perhaps, in fact, we shouldn't want to return him to life - the abstraction of Morrowind is distracting us from the real task, whatever that is.
Of course, that's all just conjecture. I would be interested in hearing other players' thoughts on the matter.
Post by: gordy on June 24, 2014, 08:47:54 pm
Post by: Arcvasti on June 24, 2014, 08:53:45 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on June 24, 2014, 09:15:05 pm
"Hot dog in a bun" probably isn't a reference to CMOT Dibbler. But the fate of the bun might be? He's discarded the wrapper containing the hot dog, but the sausage itself is the important thing. Maybe it's supposed to mean that Michael doesn't need his body? That he can do what he needs to in his current state?Could be, but that's just the most obvious and convenient of infinite interpretations. He could have been implying that we're looking at the world's window dressing when we need to be looking at its core, or that our status in the world isn't the same as our outward appearance or supposed history.
The other two quotes I mention regarding the hot dog seem vaguely possible to have meaning as well, possibly !Sheo trying to reinforce his point. "Still a hot dog even when cold" seems applicable here - is he saying Michael is still a player even without his game body? Similarly, he says the hot dog still has some effect on the world, even if it's unobservable. So, if the hot dog indeed represents Michael, it reinforces the notion that Michael is still capable of doing important things in his current state. Perhaps, in fact, we shouldn't want to return him to life - the abstraction of Morrowind is distracting us from the real task, whatever that is.Seems to be reading a bit much into it for me.
Hugo, it's just come to my attention that you have the first post immediately after the update, before all of the useless faff. If you edited more promising questions into that post, and Sheo goes by post order and not edit timestamps, you might be able to save us from a lot of lost opportunity.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 24, 2014, 09:31:12 pm
Post by: Dermonster on June 24, 2014, 09:33:26 pm
Post by: Mictlantecuhtli on June 24, 2014, 09:58:57 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 24, 2014, 11:17:40 pm
Spoiler: collusion (click to show/hide)
Post by: GlyphGryph on June 25, 2014, 12:31:38 am
Quote from: Cerol Lenslens
--asked a great many not-yes-or-no questions--Goddamnit. GET RID OF THIS.
Post by: Cerol Lenslens on June 25, 2014, 01:07:53 am
Quote from: Cerol Lenslens--asked a great many not-yes-or-no questions--Goddamnit. GET RID OF THIS.
I don't know what you are speaking of. *whistles innocently*
Post by: LordBucket on June 25, 2014, 04:33:58 am
Why are you answering our inane questions?
NO, edit please before it's too late. That's not a yes or no question
We should test whether he can see into spoilers or not somehow. I have no quality questions to put into a spoiler besides maybe,Spoiler: You can't see meee (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: collusion (click to show/hide)
We know Sheo is knowledgeable and benign
Sheogorath smiles with amusement.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "So, ready for the final round?"
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Yes, let's do this."
Quote
-Do you have a goal here?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Do you have a goal here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "No. I have two goals here. Three, if you count 'have fun while doing them.' Which I do. Four if you count 'spill chicken noodle soup on an ostritch.' Which I don't. Usually. So, no. I don't have a goal. I have five goals. And none of them involve barfing. I don't think highly of rules."
Quote
-Are those ponies from this world?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "So, umm...I have come to realize that several personalities here in Morrowind seem to greatly resemble characters from a certain show from my world...My Little Pony. "
Sheogorath shows no reaction.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I guess the question is...those people...ponies...things. Are they from this world?"
He gazes at you for a moment before answering.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Well now, Michael, that's an interesting question. No, actually they're not. It's ironic, really. You've been worried that they whisked you away from your world into theirs, but here you're the only true native in this entire place and they're the strangers. Not as strange as I'd like, maybe, but stranger than you. You could really use some help with that. You make even baby pet florescent hamster nose hair noises taste ordinary. And that's saying a lot."
Quote
-Do you know what we are?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Do you know what I am?"
He laughs.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Yes..."
A large, floating chair materializes and Sheogorath transforms into a man wearing red and black robes.
(http://i.imgur.com/W5vZwhI.png): "...oh, yes."
(http://i.imgur.com/Be3b5gi.png)
Michael seems momentarily unable to respond.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...mmf....gahh. What did you...what did you just do?"
He shifts.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I answered your question. What did you expect, a narwhal in a tutu? I certainly would have. But I decided to simply answer. Dancing narwhals would have been entirely too predictable, even for me."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I feel...it hurts. Vibrations...like I could fall apart...why does it hurt...what's going on?"
He shifts again.
(http://i.imgur.com/W5vZwhI.png): "Oh, you'd like me to connect the dots for you from A to B to C, so that your puny mind could comprehend. How boring."
A few moments pass.
(http://i.imgur.com/W5vZwhI.png): "Are you dead yet? Go ahead. Don't let me stop you. Oh, wait. You already are."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...I...think I'm ok. But whatever you just did, please don't do it again. It felt like the core of my being was being shaken."
He leans in and smiles maliciously.
(http://i.imgur.com/W5vZwhI.png): "No promises. Ask your next question."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "But you didn't answer my last question. You just shapeshifted and made me feel weird."
He shifts back.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "And proud I am to have done so! Next question, please."
Quote
-Are there a lot of foreign influences around here?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Are there a lot of foreign influences here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Foreign influences? Oh, no. Only a few. But what foreign influences there are are so delightfully disjointed. They can't agree on what to do, so they've each taken their own path. Oh, I can smell the look in your mind. The Legion? They're no more foreign than that lake over there. Vivec? He's an interesting case. Is he foreign? I'll let him speak for himself. What about me? Or my good friend Mr. Mora who gave you the apple that you so rudely gave away without so much as a lick. He came to give you knowledge, you know. Or I suppose you didn't. But after speaking with you he decided you were more my cup of turpentine than his. What about Dagoth Ur, poor handcuffed little dormouse that he is? What about Nocturnal, or shall I say Nyx, who you ironically haven't even met? Mary Sue like her can't stand the competition, I suppose. Or maybe the incestuous implications if she were to appear. What of us? All of Us. Are we foreign? I suppose that depends on how you look at it. Now, Clover the not-so-Clever? She's definitely foreign. But not much of an influence, I'm afraid. Handed the fate of the world on a platter, but she has more interest in reading fictitious history books than toppling mountains. Personally I try never to believe anything I read, but for all her interest in knowledge for the sake of knowledge she has no clue there's anything interesting going on here. Hermes three times won't have anything to do with her, Mora less. Maybe if you were a better alchemist you'd understand that. Self-involvedicus Maximus? He's foreign, too. And much more of an influence. In fact, in about twenty minutes he's going to be the unknowing instrument for the biggest change this world has seen since Selene decided it wouldn't be entirely terrible if she wasn't the only one playing with herself."
He raises his hands grandly above his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "The entire world has CHANGED! The very foundational rules by which this realm exists have been tweaked, altered, adjusted, modified! Not for the first time, but changed! Some would say for the better. I don't judge. They've changed, and for me, that's enough. Rules are confining. Can you feel it? Can you feel the difference? Can you taste the evolution of this creation all around you? No? Pity. Awesomicus didn't either. It wasn't his idea and he doesn't understand anything any better than Clover. Even prissy Miss fashion accessory who just wants everypony to pay attention to her on her quest to find her Ken doll is having a bigger impact on the world than either of them. The Nord? She tapped out early. SexyWithers? Oh, excuse me...SexyWithers 'hugs and kisses?' She's certainly been an influence. She's made herself quite the nightmare for House Hlaalu, for example, and especially Balmora. But is she foreign?"
He taps his chin thoughtfully.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I wonder."
He clears his throat.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "But, that's four for four! Forty more than a missing Earl, and seven less than most faithful's CMFIS. One more and you win! You can do it! Go! Go! Go!"
Quote
Has Azura been messing with us?
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Has Azura been messing with me?"
He shifts.
(http://i.imgur.com/W5vZwhI.png): "Sorry! That's not a yes or no question. You lose."
He shifts.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "No, actually I'm not. But you still lose. Three out of four rounds go to me. Excellent! I can never get enough rounds. I feed them to my pet circle, and it has quite the appetite. Still, it is unfortunate. I was hoping you'd win. But, I'll be content to take a rook rather than a king."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Why can't you answer that with a yes or no? And what do you mean, take a rook?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "The contest is over! No more questions unless they're asked by me. Sheogorath, are you charming and witty? Sheogorath, does your coat taste of razzleberries? Why, yes, Sheogorath, I'm both witty and charming! But not as witty as my coat, which sadly, tastes of raspberries far wittier than I. I would offer you a taste, but alas, you're dead, and you haven't even learned how to move without a body let alone taste without one. But that's ok. Do you know why?"
Quote
-Do you like us?
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "It's because tasting without a body and feeling without a body are exactly the same! Oh, also it's because I've decided that I like you. You're an entirely decent chap. Except when you're naked. Which given that you're not even wearing your body right now, let alone clothes, I suppose that makes you thoroughly indecent. Which I also like. I try not to be judgemental about common or uncommon decency."
He shifts.
(http://i.imgur.com/1TY1enr.png): "But why does it matter what I think? The real question is: do you like you?"
She shifts.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I can see you have mixed feelings about that. But, I'll have you know that this particular you that you've decided to be, I like so much that I've decided to join the game. Yes! It will be lots of fun. And if not, I'll just do something else. I'm good at that. So let's get to playing! Maybe I'll get to be the Nerevarine! Or maybe I could score with Mistress Dratha? Though, she's a bit young. Well, no matter. Oh! Maybe if I asked very nicely Dagoth Ur might let me join the Sixth House as a mindless corprus beast! I'd be good at that!"
He pushes out both arms limply in front of him, and with a gleeful look on his face merrily proceeds to limp in circles.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "...brains...."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Umm, yeah...that might not be such a good idea. But what exactly do you mean you're going to join the game? You can do that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I said it was over! No more questions. Oh, alright, I'll answer just this once: yes. Ta!"
With that, he vanishes.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "But, wait! I'm still dead!"
Suddenly he reappears.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Oh, one more thing. Say hello to Miss Invictus when you meet her."
He grins.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "And ask her to do the dog thing. She absolutely won't be offended at all and most definitely won't incinerate you with fifteen million kelvin worth of fiery rage until you're nothing but extremely fine dust."
He vanishes again.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Sheogorath?"
No answer.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Deadric Prince of madness? Come out, come out wherever you are?"
Silence.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Sheggy-poo with cherries on top?"
Nothing.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Well. That was...whatever it was. Guess he's gone. So now what? I was kind of hoping I'd come out of that contest alive again. Or at least better off somehow. You guys have any ideas what to do here? Because I don't. If not, it's back to singing for eternity I guess. How about some Frozen? I'm no Elsa, but after dying, watching my corpse get looted, then either wasting an afternoon talking to a mad god, or actually going mad and hallucinating it...I feel like some 'Let it Go.'"
Michael sings.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen."
(http://i.imgur.com/AMvMUxE.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside. Couldn't keep it in, Heaven knows I tried."
(http://i.imgur.com/mzVh4a4.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Great. Looks like somebody else coming to loot my corpse some more. Sorry, nothing left. ...wait. Is that...?"
It's Awesomicus. He's running and jumping his way down the beach.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Awesomicus! Hey! Over here!"
When he gets to about 60 feet away he sees Michael's body and comes over.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Yes! I'm saved!. Look, I know you probably can't hear me, but you can see my body so you've gotta help me somehow. Can you get Pinkie? Maybe she can help. Or maybe if you take my body back to a healer...wait, if you take my body am I still going to be stuck here? Am I attached to my body or the place where I died? This could be bad."
While Michael talks to himself, a scroll appears in Awesomicus' hands.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Woe upon you."
As he speaks the words, both the scroll and Michael's body are engulfed in a flurry of white sparkles.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Woe upon me? What are you-"
Suddenly, you're laying on your back looking up at an orc.
(http://i.imgur.com/qeqKUdE.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "I'm alive! Hahah, YES!"
You leap up and give him a great big hug.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Thank you! Thank you so much! Being dead was terrible! Somebody looted my corpse and I got stuck playing dumb games with a mad god and I had to sing to keep from going crazy and I'm not sure I didn't and - thank you! Thank you!"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Whoa, look...I know I'm awesome and all, but...relax."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "How did you know I was here? How'd you bring me back? What was that scroll? Where did yo-"
Suddenly it becomes difficult to speak. Something's wrong. Your head is starting to hurt and your face feels funny.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Hhreeeehhh!!!"
You take a massive gulp of air.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dude! Seriously. Chill!"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Sorry! Just...forgot I had to breathe. Was dead too long. Sorry."
He looks at you skeptically.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, no problem. So now what?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What do you mean?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What's next? Yeah, yeah. I know. 'Epic quest chain.' No reward until later. I get it. Just, less talking. More action. What's next?"
Apparently he thinks this is all part of the quest chain you started him on earlier?
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Umm...humor me for a moment. What's going on? Last I saw you was when that creature attacked Seyda Neen."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dude, yeah! That part was awesome!"
He starts jumping around, punching the air and making fight sound effects.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I was like HYYA!!! and jumped up onto the roof and he was like...uhh, what sound does a monkey-octopus-thing make?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Squish?"
He laughs.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Haha, yeah, that's it! I was like POW! and he was all like SQUISH and I was like POW some more! Hahah! It was awesome."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "So what happened after that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Ehh, well, I talked to some guy, and he sent me to that one dude, and he asked me to go kill what's his name, then I went back and some other stuff happened that was totally lame. And then the other guy sent me off to somewhere else, and then I got asked to come here to rezz...rezza...rezzer...uhh, make you not dead."
While he talks you check your belongings. Almost everything you had was in your backpack that was taken. Fortunately the looter missed the bag you kept hidden inside your pants. You count 51 gold plus a lockpick and a potion of water walking. Not much, but at least its enough for 2-3 strider or mage guild trips. Also, while he took your magic dagger, it seems he left both your unenchanted iron ones, so you're not entirely defenseless. But that, plus your clothes and your heavily damaged chitin cuirass and greaves is all you have left. Guy even took your boots.
(http://i.imgur.com/8RtFhTu.png)
The worst loss though, is the dwemer puzzle box that Yagrum asked you to return to Divayth. Not only would that be terribly difficult to replace, the two of them were using it to exchange messages back and forth. Even if you found another puzzle box, it wouldn't have the message Yagrum gave you to give to Divayth. There's no way you can talk to Divayth again without him asking about it, and you're not particularly eager to tell the thousands-year-old Telvanni wizard that you lost his toy.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "You were sent specifically to ressurect me? By name? 'Go ressurect Michael?'"
He waves a hand in front of his face.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, whatever."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Who sent you?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dunno. Some dark elf."
Not exactly helpful. But under the circumstances you're not about to complain. While you consider what to tell Awesomicus, you notice something.
Actually, this raises another interesting point. Right now we're really not sure what Michael is, so it's hard to say anything about his condition. But, assuming his body is dead and his spirit/soul is still around, that might imply spell knowledge is recorded on flesh as much as mind. That'd have some interesting implications.
You cast fleabite.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "My magic is back."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: IronyOwl on June 25, 2014, 05:31:42 am
He gazes at you for a moment before answering.Holy crap. All that talk about Michael being a Dreamer or somesuch may have been completely right.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Well now, Michael, that's an interesting question. No, actually they're not. It's ironic, really. You've been worried that they whisked you away from your world into theirs, but here you're the only true native in this entire place and they're the strangers. Not as strange as I'd like, maybe, but stranger than you. You could really use some help with that. You make even baby pet florescent hamster nose hair noises taste ordinary. And that's saying a lot."
This would also give us an interesting reconciliation between clearly being foreign and Vivec/Fyr's assertions that we're native- if the world was built around us, we might look native in some ways and foreign in others.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Do you know what I am?"Now this is fascinating. He appears to be answering the question of whether he knows what we are by... vibrating the very core of our being? Like he's poking our structural fibers or something?
He laughs.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Yes..."
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I answered your question. What did you expect, a narwhal in a tutu? I certainly would have. But I decided to simply answer. Dancing narwhals would have been entirely too predictable, even for me."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "I feel...it hurts. Vibrations...like I could fall apart...why does it hurt...what's going on?"
He shifts again.
(http://i.imgur.com/W5vZwhI.png): "Oh, you'd like me to connect the dots for you from A to B to C, so that your puny mind could comprehend. How boring."
A few moments pass.
(http://i.imgur.com/W5vZwhI.png): "Are you dead yet? Go ahead. Don't let me stop you. Oh, wait. You already are."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "...I...think I'm ok. But whatever you just did, please don't do it again. It felt like the core of my being was being shaken."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Are there a lot of foreign influences here?"What. Did someone just invent resurrection and thereby fundamentally alter the deepest rules of reality?
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "Foreign influences? Oh, no. Only a few. But what foreign influences there are are so delightfully disjointed. They can't agree on what to do, so they've each taken their own path. Oh, I can smell the look in your mind. The Legion? They're no more foreign than that lake over there. Vivec? He's an interesting case. Is he foreign? I'll let him speak for himself. What about me? Or my good friend Mr. Mora who gave you the apple that you so rudely gave away without so much as a lick. He came to give you knowledge, you know. Or I suppose you didn't. But after speaking with you he decided you were more my cup of turpentine than his. What about Dagoth Ur, poor handcuffed little dormouse that he is? What about Nocturnal, or shall I say Nyx, who you ironically haven't even met? Mary Sue like her can't stand the competition, I suppose. Or maybe the incestuous implications if she were to appear. What of us? All of Us. Are we foreign? I suppose that depends on how you look at it. Now, Clover the not-so-Clever? She's definitely foreign. But not much of an influence, I'm afraid. Handed the fate of the world on a platter, but she has more interest in reading fictitious history books than toppling mountains. Personally I try never to believe anything I read, but for all her interest in knowledge for the sake of knowledge she has no clue there's anything interesting going on here. Hermes three times won't have anything to do with her, Mora less. Maybe if you were a better alchemist you'd understand that. Self-involvedicus Maximus? He's foreign, too. And much more of an influence. In fact, in about twenty minutes he's going to be the unknowing instrument for the biggest change this world has seen since Selene decided it wouldn't be entirely terrible if she wasn't the only one playing with herself."
He raises his hands grandly above his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "The entire world has CHANGED! The very foundational rules by which this realm exists have been tweaked, altered, adjusted, modified! Not for the first time, but changed! Some would say for the better. I don't judge. They've changed, and for me, that's enough. Rules are confining. Can you feel it? Can you feel the difference? Can you taste the evolution of this creation all around you? No? Pity. Awesomicus didn't either. It wasn't his idea and he doesn't understand anything any better than Clover. Even prissy Miss fashion accessory who just wants everypony to pay attention to her on her quest to find her Ken doll is having a bigger impact on the world than either of them. The Nord? She tapped out early. SexyWithers? Oh, excuse me...SexyWithers 'hugs and kisses?' She's certainly been an influence. She's made herself quite the nightmare for House Hlaalu, for example, and especially Balmora. But is she foreign?"
He taps his chin thoughtfully.
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I wonder."
And why is every pony but Withers foreign, while Withers is maybe foreign?
Also, this seems to support the notion that we were "supposed" to rally the ponies together. Left to their own devices, they've apparently been... well, successful at what they're doing, obviously, but not particularly influential on anything.
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Has Azura been messing with me?"DAMN IT! Why? Because the question can't be answered simply? Because of Q symbolism we're not getting? Because he's not allowed to talk about other Daedric plots? Because he's insane and felt like making us lose and then say he was hoping we'd win?
He shifts.
(http://i.imgur.com/W5vZwhI.png): "Sorry! That's not a yes or no question. You lose."
(http://i.imgur.com/PnKIKBa.png): "Umm, yeah...that might not be such a good idea. But what exactly do you mean you're going to join the game? You can do that?"Well this should make things more interesting...
(http://i.imgur.com/JJuNJL5.png): "I said it was over! No more questions. Oh, alright, I'll answer just this once: yes. Ta!"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dunno. Some dark elf."This raises all sorts of questions. Could this have been... Fyr, maybe? I can't imagine anyone else we've met being able and willing to pry apart reality with a crowbar but not be on a first name basis with Awesie. For that matter, I can't imagine there's many powers out there that could and would do that at all. Maybe Pinkie's ferryman, I guess, but even that's pushing the limits of her deadsense, I'd think. Maybe the ferryman on behalf of Pinkie who got it from Clover?
Oh man. We once again have more data than we know what to do with. Now what? Do we have him escort us to the others? Try to hitch a ride to a Daedric shrine? I'm not fond of continuing to go after Dagoth Ur under the circumstances... I think I'd like to talk to Clover, but if she's still in Fyr's tower, eugh... maybe we could have him escort us to Pinkie, or to the ferryman and try the word "Party?"
Post by: LordSlowpoke on June 25, 2014, 07:31:17 am
your post is fine and all? but you're missing the part where sheggokins told us no it's not ponies it is a foreign influence but you haven't been brought into a crossover fanfic that features only two series
i wouldn't insist on changing terminology if it didn't mean that the chances of us meeting a tentaclebeast that fucks with our head weren't a tad bit smaller with that going on
Post by: WillowLuman on June 25, 2014, 11:52:08 am
Post by: Mr. Strange on June 25, 2014, 01:03:09 pm
And if we're the dreamer doesn't that mean that anything "non-vanilla" LB introduces into the story is "foreign", as in, not "dreamed" by us?
LB confirmed for Sithis.
Post by: Arcvasti on June 25, 2014, 01:39:33 pm
Guys, how does Michael know about Frozen? This whole thing started in May 2013, yet Frozen came out in November. I mean sure, he might have seen a teaser, but to know the soundtrack months before the film was released? I mean, he could have been later on in that year than us when he arrived here, but that raises further questions.
There are three constants in the universe: Frozen, Death and Will Smith. Don't question it.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 25, 2014, 01:42:53 pm
Next time on Marooned in Morrowind:Guys, how does Michael know about Frozen? This whole thing started in May 2013, yet Frozen came out in November. I mean sure, he might have seen a teaser, but to know the soundtrack months before the film was released? I mean, he could have been later on in that year than us when he arrived here, but that raises further questions.
There are three constants in the universe: Frozen, Death and Will Smith. Don't question it.
(http://cdni.condenast.co.uk/128x128/w_z/Will-Smith-hp-GQ_04Jun14_rex_bt_128x128.jpg) Yo Mikey, it's time you learned the truth.
Post by: Remalle on June 25, 2014, 04:20:41 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Descan on June 25, 2014, 04:53:43 pm
Post by: Xanmyral on June 25, 2014, 09:37:22 pm
If this picture makes Michael forget everything, I honestly don't know if I'd be annoyed, or a strange sort of happy. Probably both, because it may mean messing with Michael in ways we didn't think was possible.
Either way, fun stuff! But we need to figure out some lie for Awesomicus to either send him away or get him to follow us and a plan of action. Maybe something about an escort question (I suggest groaning with him and being as least annoying as possible if we go this route, along with a clear destination).
Post by: WillowLuman on June 25, 2014, 09:53:27 pm
Post by: birdy51 on June 25, 2014, 09:57:15 pm
The man knows what he's doing. If anyone can find that cube back, it's him.
Post by: Xanmyral on June 25, 2014, 10:05:21 pm
Give Awesomecicus a quest to find the Dwemer Puzzle Cube.
The man knows what he's doing. If anyone can find that cube back, it's him.
While a great idea, I suggest this as an optional side quest that raises relation or something to avoid him/her giving us gruff about a fetch quest. Granted, it may not be done then.
Post by: Arcvasti on June 25, 2014, 10:08:28 pm
Post by: ShoesandHats on June 26, 2014, 12:30:32 am
try to get Awesemecicus to get our stuff back.
I have the feeling this would end in the death of a (presumably/relatively) innocent adventurer. If we do this, we should make sure to specify that it's done non-violently, though Awesomicus might not really like that kind of quest.
Post by: joemoben on June 26, 2014, 01:13:31 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Xanmyral on June 26, 2014, 01:57:05 am
Post by: joemoben on June 26, 2014, 02:24:50 am
Post by: IronyOwl on June 26, 2014, 07:08:00 am
Post by: hostergaard on June 26, 2014, 10:17:32 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Anyway, if nothing else sending out Awesemecicus is useful enough, and asking him about stuff too. Other than that, aparently he had been a source of change? Might be he is useful for something. Hey, I got an idea, send him on a quest to find us a base of operation. Tell him you are special agent of the emperor (you short of are) or somesuch and there is some great evil lurking, and you need a place to operate from. Need to build a special unit of elite soldiers, which includes Awesemecicus if he succeds in the quest, to defend the kingdom. Get him to find the other people we know are special, maybe some equipment and whatnot.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 26, 2014, 12:11:09 pm
Post by: Putnam on June 26, 2014, 01:59:05 pm
Guys, how does Michael know about Frozen? This whole thing started in May 2013, yet Frozen came out in November. I mean sure, he might have seen a teaser, but to know the soundtrack months before the film was released? I mean, he could have been later on in that year than us when he arrived here, but that raises further questions.
There are three constants in the universe: Frozen, Death and Will Smith. Don't question it.
Since this derailed into Will Smith... uh, what's Frozen?
Spoiler: conspiring (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on June 26, 2014, 02:14:59 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: catenate on June 26, 2014, 05:50:11 pm
Post by: joemoben on June 26, 2014, 09:01:05 pm
What about Nocturnal, or shall I say Nyx, who you ironically haven't even met? Mary Sue like her can't stand the competition, I suppose. Or maybe the incestuous implications if she were to appear. What of us? All of Us. Are we foreign? I suppose that depends on how you look at it.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: NovenFromTheSun on June 27, 2014, 11:11:12 pm
Sheo said she had the biggest impact when she decided that she didn't want to play by herself.
Post by: Mr. Strange on June 28, 2014, 06:17:40 pm
Ask Awesomicus if he knows someone by the name of Selene.Awesomicus isn't very good with names... But it won't hurt to try. +1.
Sheo said she had the biggest impact when she decided that she didn't want to play by herself.
Give Avesomicus The Quest (with capital Q!) to gather the Chosen Heroes that are destined to save Morrowind from the BBEG and then bring them to us, where ever we might be. It would be nice to talk to someone who doesn't have attention span of goldfish. And if he has usefull weapon to spare for us so we might survive till then that'd be great...
Post by: catenate on June 28, 2014, 07:17:35 pm
Give Avesomicus The Quest (with capital Q!) to gather the Chosen Heroes that are destined to save Morrowind from the BBEG and then bring them to us, where ever we might be.
I think gathering the heroes to defeat Dagoth Ur is the whole reason we're here, and would have been doable in the original 2-month plan. Do it ourselves.
Post by: Supercharazad on June 29, 2014, 01:36:21 pm
Post by: LordBucket on June 29, 2014, 09:25:42 pm
go try to find Awesomicus
He's standing in front of you.
Post by: IronyOwl on June 29, 2014, 10:08:20 pm
This is a good point. I'd gotten accustomed to thinking of him as knowing everything, but he really doesn't necessarily know everything.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
He did say it "wasn't a yes or no question," which implies that it's true and not true at the same time or something, but I'm not sure how much I'm willing to read into that exact phrasing.
Other than that, aparently he had been a source of change? Might be he is useful for something.That's just because he carried and used the scroll. He's the instrument of change, but not the architect, presumably. I think Sheo implied Clover might have been involved.
Hey, I got an idea, send him on a quest to find us a base of operation. Tell him you are special agent of the emperor (you short of are) or somesuch and there is some great evil lurking, and you need a place to operate from. Need to build a special unit of elite soldiers, which includes Awesemecicus if he succeds in the quest, to defend the kingdom. Get him to find the other people we know are special, maybe some equipment and whatnot.-1. Not because I think it's a dumb idea (which I also do), but because I'm tired of having us do these useless vague faff things that never go anywhere because they can't. If we perform this action, it'll turn out identically to every time we've tried to get somebody to teach or give us tools for alchemy. Except maybe worse because Awesomeicus might actually try to do some of it. We don't need and can't use a base of operations, equipment is really not our biggest concern, and building an elite unit of soldiers is uselessly vague.
We need to figure out what we're going to do right now, not send our dopey adventurer puppy on vague grand quest errands with no particular purpose in mind.
The problem I have with this is the question of why. We know there's more going on here than just "Dagoth Ur is threatening the world." In fact, Sheo called him a "poor handcuffed little dormouse." Going after Dagoth Ur without fully understanding what's happening here strikes me an awful lot like questing after an ancient artifact without the slightest idea what its use will do. I'd much rather research the artifact first, if possible.Give Avesomicus The Quest (with capital Q!) to gather the Chosen Heroes that are destined to save Morrowind from the BBEG and then bring them to us, where ever we might be.I think gathering the heroes to defeat Dagoth Ur is the whole reason we're here, and would have been doable in the original 2-month plan. Do it ourselves.
Speaking of which, I think we should talk to Pinkie. We know a lot, but she might know more. Clover is likely to be very knowledgeable, but about trivial things. Pinkie's the one we need to talk to for planar meta shenanigans. Second preference would be SexyWithers, since she's likely very, very central to all this.
Step One: Say "Rainbow Dash" in front of him. Witness reaction.
Step Two: Tell him the next step is to escort us to Imare, to discuss matters of grave importance.
If he claims not to know where Imare is or asks us about it, suggest that going to the ferryman and trying the password "Party" may yield results.
Post by: LordBucket on July 01, 2014, 07:39:12 am
Quote
what's Frozen?
Quote
how does Michael know about Frozen?
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "It's a Disney movie. Anna, Elsa, reindeer? But I guess you guys wouldn't know about-"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Who are you talking to?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...umm, just thinking out loud. Sorry."
Quote
Say "Rainbow Dash" in front of him. Witness reaction.
Kind of too bad your Rainbow Dash 20% cooler t-shirt was looted. Might have been fun to put it on and see his reaction. Still, this is probbaly the next best thing.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Rainbow Dash."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, what?"
Curiously little reaction. Certainly no surprise. Just, "yeah what?"
Quote
DEFINITELY ask him about Applejack.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Is Applejack...umm, here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Nah, we tried to get her to play but she wasn't interested. Too busy bucking apples or something lame like that."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "'We?' So, is everyone else...umm, every-pony else? Are they here too?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Don't know. Let me check Herdspeak."
He makes a small motion with his right hand.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Hey, anypony on?" He pauses. "Oh, hey Twi. No, not yet. ...right. Yeah, I know. ...dude, I know. Sheesh, leave me alone about it already! Cloudkicker's on duty, she'll take care of it. Have some faith in my team, ok? Yeah, so anyway, I'm talking to..."
He looks at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What's your name again?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Michael, right. Yeah, so I'm talking to Michael, and he...oh. You too?"
He looks at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "She says she has a quest to talk to you."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "She does?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, found a letter in her inventory or something. Anyway, yeah so...what? I don't know. By some lake. Yes, I know how to bring up the map! I just don't...ok, fine. Hang on a second."
You watch with fascination as he leans his head forward and squints his eyes while he continued his conversation with what you can only assume is a voice you can't hear.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Ok, so we're by this giant lake shaped like a shoe." His face contorts with frustration. "How the buck am I supposed to know??!! These letters are way too small. Only eggheads like you can read this stuff. ...ok, fine." More squinting. "Nearest thing is...pan? Panst? Yeah, looks like Panst. Yes, I'm sure." Long pause. "How am I supposed to know? That's what it says! Ok, fine. We're north of...hallway something. Hallway Raven? And that's next to...pall..." more squinting, "Pallgard? Yeah, we're north of Pallgard." Another pause. "Yeah, what you said."
Almost sounds like he's looking at an area map, but for some reason he can only barely see it.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, that's fine. Whatever. What? No, I don't have anything to do there. You can find him on your own, you're good at this stuff. What? No way! I've got stuff to do. Cooler stuff. What do you mean 'like what?' Like...you know. Stuff, that's cooler. Well, yeah..but that's still way cooler than bringing you someplace I've already been." Another pause, then he rolls his eyes. "Ok, fine. Whatever."
He shakes his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Sheesh. Anyway, she's gonna meet me in Pellaglad and I'll bring her back here to talk to you. Says she wants to find out about whatever it was."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Instead of bringing her back here, why don't I just come with you to Pelagiad?"
He seems surprised.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "You can do that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Sure. "
He facepalms.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Oh, hayfeathers. This is an escort quest isn't it? I hate those."
You can't help but laugh.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Don't worry about it. I'll run."
He grins.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "You think you can keep up with me? Do you have any idea who I am?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Of course. You're Rainbow 'Danger' Dash, fastest flier in Equestria."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Haha! Awesome!"
He puts out a hand and the two of you fist-bump. Then he turns and runs up the hill away from the beach. You give chase. He's faster than you, but his speed doesn't seem unreasonable. Even the Boots of Blinding Speed would have been faster than he's running, and certainly no Sonic Rainboom or anything.
(http://i.imgur.com/zwCFbNI.png)
The farmhouses outside Pelagiad become visible as soon as you reach the top of the hill, and a minute later you arrive, winded, to see him casually leaning against the stone perimeter wall.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Took you long enough."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Yeah, well...I've been training magic rather than jumping everywhere. Not strong enough to do both. Guess my acrobatics is suffering for it. Anyway, so I guess now we just wait Twilight to show up?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, let me check on slowpoke."
He pauses.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Hey, Twi, we're both here. Where are- ...what do you mean 'what do I mean both of us?' Quest dude came with me. Yeah." Pause. "Yeah, I know, surprised me too, but he's standing right next to me." Another pause. "Yeah, ok."
He looks at you.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "She just left Balmora. Be here in a few minutes."
Quote
Ask Awesomicus if he knows someone by the name of Selene.
Quote
+1
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Do you know anyone by the name of Selene?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "No. Who's that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Umm...just a name I heard recently."
Quote
ask him about the ferryman
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Hey, do you anything about the ferry out on the island?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What fairy?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Guy with a boat? Asks for a password?"
His faces registers recognition.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Oh, that was THAT lake? Yeah, that's Pinkie's place. Not as cool as mine, but it's alright."
Quote
suggest that going to the ferryman and trying the password "Party" may yield results.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Then I take it the password is 'party?'"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah."
Interesting. Seems like a lot of things are finally coming together.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "So anyway, what've you got for me? Twilight'll be here soon, but you have a quest for me too, right?"
Quote
Give Avesomicus The Quest (with capital Q!) to gather the Chosen Heroes that are destined to save Morrowind from the BBEG and then bring them to us, where ever we might be.
Quote
Awesomicus and have him work with you to find all the other heroes and kill Dagoth Ur.
Quote
sending out Awesemecicus is useful
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Actually, yes. Remember that big bad evil guy I mentioned back in Seyda Neen?"
He looks excited.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Awww, yeah! I get to kill him finally?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Well, not quite yet. First you have to gather up all your friends so you can fight him together."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What do you mean gather up my friends?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Well, you know. Twilight's on here way now, right? And you said Pinkie has her own place by the lake. I know you said Applejack isn't here, but what you need to do is gather up all your friends who are, and-"
Awesomicus facepalms.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Celestia help me, Twi. If this was all just a dumb excuse to-"
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Awesomicus?"
(http://i.imgur.com/8TEC7y1.png)
It's Clover. She seems to have been cured of corprus.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Twilight! Please tell me this game isn't just some dumb excuse to make us work together for a friendship report!"
She seems surprised.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "No, it's-"
She stops, then looks thoughtful.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "At least I don't think it is. Although the Princess did...oh no."
You watch as terror washes over her face.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Rainbow! What if it's a test!"
Double facepalm this time.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Not this again."
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "We've been playing almost a week now and I've spent most of it just reading and exploring! What if this is an elaborate training exercise? What if Dagoth Ur is a trial run for a villain threatening all of Equestria!"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Relax, Twi. It's probably not like that."
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "What if this is a test to see if I can figure out the magic powering this spell? I haven't even been trying! If I don't figure it out, then-"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "They're not going to send you back to Magic Kindergarten, Twi."
The moment he says 'Magic Kindergarten,' Clover starts hyperventilating. Awesomicus just shakes his head and turns to you.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, so anyway, you had a quest for me, right?"
You try to answer while watching out of the corner of your eye as Clover descends into a full blown panic attack.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Umm, right. So, the big bad, Dagoth Ur, lives underneath Red Mountain. But you can't just go barging in there and expect to beat him in a fair fight. Instead you and Twilight will have meet up with Pinkie and Rarity, and anyone else who's here, and fight him together."
Clover's eyes suddenly narrow, her focus on you.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "How are you able to call us by our real names?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What do you mean?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "You shouldn't be able to call us by anything but our character names. How do you even know our real names?"
You look nervously at Awesomicus. He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "He's been calling you 'Twi' and 'Twilight' since you arrived. And you called him Dash just now."
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "No, I called him Rainbow. And neither of us mentioned our other friend's names. How do you know them?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Umm, well...Dash must have, I mean...Awesomicus mentioned them on the walk over here."
Her left eye twitches.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "And how were you able to walk here just because it was convenient?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Umm...escort quest?"
She takes a step towards you, the look in her eyes becoming dangerous.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "And how exactly do you know what an 'escort quest' is? It's almost like you know this is a game. I find that very suspicious."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I don't see the big deal, Twi."
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Rainbow! He's acting like he knows this is a game. Either this is part of the test the Princess is giving me, or he's malfunctioning. Either way I need to investigate."
She pauses.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "I'll just bring up the console and check his scripts. I can easily reset them if something's wrong."
Your blood runs cold.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "No way, Twi! Lay off my quest giver! I just did two hours of totally lame 'go there' 'talk to him' quests. I am NOT doing that all over again just so you can write a friendship report about it!"
Clover seems to be focusing on something else.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I know you're still there, Twi! Celestia damn it, answer me! Don't make me fly over there and-"
Suddenly Clover jumps and yelps as if in surprise.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Aaaahh!"
Awesomicus winces as if the noise hurt him.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Don't yell in your mic, Twi. Seriously, that-"
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Discord! It's very rude to just pop into somepony's bedroom like that!"
Awesomicus rolls his eyes and goes back to leaning against the wall while looking thouroughly bored. You watch in fascination as Clover squirms, walks backwards in circles, randomly pushes the air and generally behaves as if there's something invisible and very slippery wrapping itself around her.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "No, I...yes. But it's for the...she said what? Well, yes, yes did, but-"
You glance over at Awesomicus.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Who's she talking to?"
He shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Discord, probably."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "You guys are on speaking terms?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "More like he is than we are."
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "You want to...really? Well, of course it's ok with me, but Princess Luna said only friends, and...well of course you're a friend, but...yes, she did but I'm sure she didn't mean-"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Getting bored over here, Twi."
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Sorry, Dash, he's asking to..." suddenly Clover looks indignant and goes back to talking to her silent companion. "Well, of course I can! It's a trivial spell, I just....ok, fine! I'll do it if you just go home and-"
She goes silent and looks around. Then suddenly looks disgusted and brushes something you can't see out from under her left arm.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What did Discord want?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Apparently he wants to join the game. Since Fluttershy stopped playing, he-"
She suddenly screams and starts running in circles, frantically slapping at her head.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Ok! I'll do it right now! Just leave me...."
She stops, cautiously touches one hand to her head, looks at her hand, then sighs in relief.
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Sorry, Rainbow. Have to log out for a bit. Are we still on for tonight?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, Sugarcube Corner at...what time was it again?"
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Seven."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Right, seven. I'll be there."
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "I'll tell Pinkie."
Clover turns and gives you a meaningful look, but says nothing. Then she vanishes.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Finally! I was getting so bored I was gnawing my primaries!" He sighs. "So, back to important stuff. What's next?"
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: LordSlowpoke on July 01, 2014, 07:53:06 am
so it was ponies after all?
are there more things thrown in than just ponies? because we've got ponies confirmed. admittedly the theory was there since the very first post but still
or are the gods fucking with us again and everyone here is a tentaclebeast ARGH
but the tentaclebeast we first saw claimed to be fluttershy and fluttershy is no longer playing???? might be good to ask what that's about
Post by: Putnam on July 01, 2014, 09:27:44 am
Note also that Sheogorath turned into Q. That's pretty important. Q is a god-like trickster reality warper played by John de Lancie, so then we've got another pony thing on top of that in the form of Discord. So the question is: is it ponies all the way up?
Post by: Descan on July 01, 2014, 10:39:28 am
Post by: LordBucket on July 01, 2014, 02:01:10 pm
i am no longer sure what is being done here
If you're only now no longer sure, I'd say you're doing very well. :)
This, from ~140 thread pages ago:
This was already going wa-a-ay over my head. Now its going wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ay over my head.
is it ponies all the way up?
This question was also being posed, in one form another, ~140 pages ago:
And that means that the reality above us is probably a videogame as well. Never ending story, here we come!Also, it turns out that our reality is also a videogame.I think Vivec just pretty much confirmed to us we're in a videogame.He's inside our game, inside a videogame.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2014, 02:38:56 pm
Also, I get the feeling we're going to be in trouble soon. Either we almost got lobotomized by the command console, or the console doesn't apply to us and that would have caused them to freak out.
Post by: LordSlowpoke on July 01, 2014, 02:41:54 pm
I spend 2 days working on my games and come back to this? Guys, what we're you thinking telling Awesomicus we had the final quest and not coming up with a more detailed plan?
Also, I get the feeling we're going to be in trouble soon. Either we almost got lobotomized by the command console, or the console doesn't apply to us and that would have caused them to freak out.
if the console doesn't work on us, we've won
but the console does work on us
and we have not won
and we can't even access it goddam
maybe with diplomacy
Post by: joemoben on July 01, 2014, 02:45:34 pm
EDIT: Bolding is something i should remember.
Post by: Mr. Strange on July 01, 2014, 04:34:42 pm
Welp. I say fuck it. Come clean that we're not actually a quest giver or anything. We're just some guy who got trapped in the game. I don't think we could really get too complex with Awesomicus, so just the basics because why not. Also, should probably tell them not to fuck with you using the command console.I think Twilight got freaked out by Discord (the pony one? Don't know anything about him/her/it...) who interupted her from looking at our "scripts" via console in Equestria (their home world? They mentioned having mics so they seem to be playing Morrowind (the game) on their computers...). I'm actually interested in what those would have to say about us, if we could talk to Twilight for a moment and explain that we're trapped in this game and don't know our way out (or if there is a way out, remember all that "Oblivion is all the posibilities" thing before? Michael could have been created at the same moment their game of Morrowind started, along with other "posibilities" and he was the one someone picked out to do something in it, guided by us (I wonder if that part was intentional or only result of our chat with Vivec)). But I don't think having that discussion with Awesomnicus would end up well since he seems to have even worse attention span than us with this game :P.
Michael, the voices in your head command you, explain our situation to reasonable pony-player(s) and ask their help in unraveling this mystery! Also before Awesomnicus(/Rainbow Dash?) leaves ask for spare weapon and healing potion and for him to arrange meeting for us with other ponies so we can explain ourselves to them.
but the tentaclebeast we first saw claimed to be fluttershy and fluttershy is no longer playing???? might be good to ask what that's aboutApplejack, not Fluttershy I think (I have no idea who these ponies are). And it acted surpriced at the name too, either it didn't recognize the name, or didn't expect us to know it, but that later doesn't work if it really was "just" Herma-Mora doing it's thing without other popcultural references involved like with Sheggy. If we could figure out which one it was we would know... something about the nature of these "other players" that seem to be more than Princes of Oblivion with access to our world referances.
So, we have Game of Morrowind that ponies are playing where Michael is in (which explains their gamey aura), where he is played by us as an forum game (poor guy), and now we got Sheggy and other players playing some game that happens over (inside? Between? Together with?) all that...And that means that the reality above us is probably a videogame as well. Never ending story, here we come!Also, it turns out that our reality is also a videogame.I think Vivec just pretty much confirmed to us we're in a videogame.He's inside our game, inside a videogame.
And hundred-or-so pages ago LB asked us to reconsider who and what the players really are in here. Have I said that I really like this game?
Spoiler: One More Thing (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2014, 04:44:47 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Mr. Strange on July 01, 2014, 05:23:20 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Isn't werewolf actually Imare The Party Girl (played by Pinky Pie) who can read our comments (or LBs at least). I might get them mixed up, though.
Post by: QuakeIV on July 01, 2014, 07:40:37 pm
Anyways our intelligent behavior is clearly atypical, and I think that everyone in this world is acting like normal moron NPC's while in front of the ponies so that is an important thing to note. We should try to witness such an interaction, maybe our presence will let them remain intelligent.
Also I concur we should probably just try to come clean, but only with the twilight person I think. As far as awesomicus is concerned we should probably just give him a cool quest to stay on good terms with him. I think we should continue our quest pitch with him.
Also ask him if he can spare some change so we can buy some health potions 'or something' to leave some wiggle room and allow us to actually get money out of the deal instead of him just handing us potions ideally. Then once awesomicus is happily off to his quest lets buy a damn health potion bloody hell this is not good.
Additionally, do you suppose we all look human to the ponies? It would be difficult to phrase the question but my extremely limited MLP knowledge implies to me that they have no idea what humans are, or human shaped animals in general.
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 01, 2014, 07:45:15 pm
Anyways our intelligent behavior is clearly atypical, and I think that everyone in this world is acting like normal moron NPC's while in front of the ponies so that is an important thing to note. We should try to witness such an interaction, maybe our presence will let them remain intelligent.
That's already happened, when we first met Awesomicus. I don't remember what update it was, but the NPC was still mostly intelligent. The only thing weird was that he didn't notice anything strange about how Awesomicus acted.
Post by: Xanmyral on July 01, 2014, 07:54:45 pm
Interesting. We're so attune and of being that we stop the changes that would corrupt it. At least in some minor form.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 01, 2014, 08:07:09 pm
...mumble...mumble...shall We...mumble...So... we know this is a literal game. For the ponies, anyway. This is how we entered it. We suspect the voice is Luna.
You look around. You could of sworn you just heard a voice. You listen carefully, but you don't hear anything. Shrugging, you go back to your start menu and begin browsing though-
...but We're out of...mumble...
Your heart skips a beat. You totally heard someone talking. A female voice. You strain to hear, but all you hear is the sound of your own heartbeat. It's kind of creepy. You glance at your computer and notice that the speakers are powered on. Instantly you relax and giggle the anxiety away. Obviously your speakers were just picking up radio interference. Probably just a ham radio operator passing through the-
...mumble...what about this...mumble...
That's totally not coming from your speakers. At least you don't think it is. Curious, you reach to turn up the speaker volume when suddenly your chair drops out from beneath you and you feel yourself falling backwards. You see a blur, then sunlight in your eyes, then.
SPLASH!
So... either Luna was in some way involved in the creation/implementation of the game, or something she was working on appears to have involved us. She was apparently "out of" something and so tried something different... which I'm sure there's an explanation for that I can't figure out.
Also worth noting is Vivec's speech about himself existing in multiple realities and being connected but not really distinct in them. Particularly noteworthy is his assertion that the universe has existed less than a day, his nonexistent power isn't holding up the prison-thing, and so on.
Welp. I say fuck it. Come clean that we're not actually a quest giver or anything. We're just some guy who got trapped in the game. I don't think we could really get too complex with Awesomicus, so just the basics because why not. Also, should probably tell them not to fuck with you using the command console.Problem: We don't even know if that's true. Vivec said we're native, so maybe we really are just a rogue NPC of some description.
EDIT: Bolding is something i should remember.
Ah! Well done, that's probably right.
This is a reference to Adorabella (twilight fan, maybe?), who tried her hand (or fireballs) at Morrowind politics. The Invictus is coven of vampires from Vampire:The Requiem that deal in politics a lot. Now I want to know what that dog thing is.
Post by: Mono124 on July 01, 2014, 11:02:52 pm
edit: Definitely point out the realities in realities theory to try to stop any potential panic from them thinking they aren't real.
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 01, 2014, 11:27:51 pm
and that he can hear voices in his head that are from other people on an internet forum,
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2014, 11:38:03 pm
Post by: QuakeIV on July 01, 2014, 11:53:07 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 01, 2014, 11:55:48 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on July 02, 2014, 12:14:46 am
Why don't we just... tell them everything? If Michael comes clean and tells them that he got sucked into the game, and that in his world the ponies are all a tv series, and that he can hear voices in his head that are from other people on an internet forum, what's the worst that can happen?They fix the bugged NPC.
Again, remember that we ourselves don't know what we are or what's going on. Everything we've learned so far points to "normal modern Earth human sucked into other world" being false, though.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 02, 2014, 12:18:25 am
Post by: LordBucket on July 02, 2014, 12:26:18 am
Quote
come clean, but only with the twilight person
Quote
remind Clover that we gave her that letter
GM Comment:
Long term plans and discussions are all well and good, but please remember your present situation. Clover isn't here. Talking with her isn't necessarily something you can do right now.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 02, 2014, 12:39:48 am
Post by: IronyOwl on July 02, 2014, 01:02:28 am
Yes, right now we need to think of a way to manage Awesomicus, and think of it fast. And well. Let's really think carefully here. Something useful, something believable, something agreeable.Right now I really want to talk to Luna. I think we've figured this out far enough that we know she's really pivotal to it, and more importantly pivotal to us.
Problem is, this ties into Awesomeicus only loosely. We could try to have him escort us to SexyWithers, but he's not necessarily going to know where to find her and he might want the next phase of his quest on arrival.
Post by: Sparksol on July 03, 2014, 02:55:56 pm
We appear to be playing this game on multiple levels of reality all at once, and some of the things are a little less gamey than the ones who made one of levels of games think it is. What's going on is going on in more levels than Sheogorath has plans involving us. But not too many more.
Sheogorath said he felt like joining the game, and now Discord wants to join. Looks like one of those non-coincidences to me. The sword may or may not have talked to the other one, but some sort of communication has taken place, as Vivec put it.
(For those who don't specifically know and are only guessing, Discord is the Spirit of Chaos; the ponies' version of Q, Sheogorath, Eris, Coyote, Spider, all those other trickster/chaos/insanity types. And apparently linked on some CHIM-related level. They don't look the same, they don't act quite the same (that'd get boring real fast,) although two of them sound exactly the same.)
Potentially pointless tidbit 1: As this is a game for the ponies, I have to wonder what kind of game they think it was meant to be. Morrowind isn't exactly fit for a long-term MMO by itself, although it could fit as a sort of limited online story-based game for a handful of players, like Borderlands and such. Don't get me wrong, you can play it for years depending on how you play it, but the way Awesomicus/Rainbow Dash has been going at it, it won't hold their attention for very long. They'll find all the "cool stuff" and get bored, and eventually stop.
PPT2: One thing (among many others) I too would like some answers about is that Frozen bit. If that movie has been out for less than a year, and Michael's been Morrowind...-ing for well over a year our time - from our seeming forum-game perspective, that is to say - how does he know about it?
PPT3: I think we may have to talk with Dagoth Ur at some point. Why exactly does he want us, and how did he even know about us in the first place? Subtle ripple-effects of our so-called reality field? Does he have some other source of insider information, say for example someone else like us? I doubt that whatever it was that started this chain of events woke him up first - since we're the "only true native" - but something's up with him.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Problem: We don't even know if that's true. Vivec said we're native, so maybe we really are just a rogue NPC of some description.True, but Sheogorath said that we're the only true native in this entire place. That means everyone else is not. The NPCs may well be plain programmed NPCs, albeit ones more complex than the ones we're used to in Morrowind. This may be because of us, our sort of reality field, or this may be because of the different hardware the ponies are running this game upon. Which might be us.
What was it Yagrum said?
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "...No civilization I've encountered uses electricity for anything this complicated.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What do they use instead?"
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "Internal biology, acoustics, stone, lots of things."
Who was it that brought up the Matrix, way back when? Not the movie version in this case, but the book where the world was running on the collected brains of humanity. That'll add some complexity, no doubt about it. Also something not unlike soul gems may be involved. Michael may be the world itself.
(http://i.imgur.com/NHEEa02.png): "It is difficult for me to differentiate between that which you perceive as 'you' and that which you perceive as 'not you,' let alone your 'inward' and 'outward' appearance. The borders are not so definite to my eye that I can be certain I would differentiate in the same manner that you would."
Then there's the matter of Imare/Pinkie. An NPC who's been commandeered to become a player? Interesting prospect. If Michael is not the world itself, or the hardware the game is running on, then is Michael a copy and pasted person? Did poor old Tarhiel (who was never found, I might add) get overwritten with us, or was he somehow never activated?
In that case, how very convenient that Discord distracted her before she could look too far into Michael's scripting. But I do think Clover/Twilight should be told when we see her again, after we convince her not to completely reset us right away. I suspect that convincing her might be accomplished by asking her to talk to Imare/Pinkie about us.Why don't we just... tell them everything? If Michael comes clean and tells them that he got sucked into the game, and that in his world the ponies are all a tv series, and that he can hear voices in his head that are from other people on an internet forum, what's the worst that can happen?They fix the bugged NPC.
Again, remember that we ourselves don't know what we are or what's going on. Everything we've learned so far points to "normal modern Earth human sucked into other world" being false, though.
Nocturnal is known in Tamriel as a Daedric Prince known as the Night Mistress, Mistress of Shadows, and other things; much the same way Sheogorath is the Daedric Prince of Madness (and occasionally cheese, for some reason.) I'm not sure who Nyx is in this case, but I've heard the name in connection to the night in other cultures. This is likely another multi-entity not unlike Sheogorath or Vivec. But since Sheoggy mentioned "Mary Sue" I'm put in mind of SexyWithers. I know the consensus (such as there is) has it that she's Luna - which kind of fits, she's the main night-themed figure for the ponies, with some sway over dreams as well - but given her actions, she's acting far more...I dunno, childish. I mean, it's out at this point that yes, it's a game to them, but Luna doesn't seem to fit this even with that in mind. I think it's someone else, but I'm not sure who someone else is among ponies that it could be. It's not one I have any sure knowledge about. So...praying to her? If I'm wrong, mildly bad idea. If I'm right? Better hope that mystery dunmer who sent a resurrection scroll along with Awesomicus has some more of those stashed away. Although...I'm of around three minds about this, honestly. She might be incredibly dangerous. She could have been the one to call us into being here or whatever happened. Might well be both, in which case, what is it she wants from us? Does she want a challenge? A friend? Enemy? A rival who never goes away but who knows about her reality and can talk with her sometimes?What about Nocturnal, or shall I say Nyx, who you ironically haven't even met? Mary Sue like her can't stand the competition, I suppose. Or maybe the incestuous implications if she were to appear. What of us? All of Us. Are we foreign? I suppose that depends on how you look at it.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
List of things we should remember:
We are still out of emergency potions and scrolls except for that invisibility potion, not to mention we have no useful armor and only two basic iron daggers thanks to our recent death. And we have the money for a probably a single potion, maybe two. Being killed still sucks, but at least Michael didn't lose any time this time.
If we should need to visit Divayth Fyr again - or really pretty much any place in the general southern half of the island not readily accessible by silt strider, teleport service, or boat? Buy a couple cheap Rising Force (levitation) potions and at least one recall scroll if not more darn it, then stop by Vivec (the city) and pay a visit to the Shrine to Stop the Moon. Offer the potion at the shrine, and fly around for what should be 24 full minutes at a reasonably high speed. (At least, it was in vanilla. Not sure about this version.) Find the place from the air, and still likely float around while you're there. Beats the heck out of 15 seconds of water-walk here and there. (Awesomicus may also be interested in this.)
Also: here we are in Pelagiad, at long last, and we no longer have the recommendation letter from Ranis for that acquaintance of hers here, Nelvyn Andrano I think? It doesn't mean we can't still look him up, but he's less likely to be quite as interested without the letter, and it's not like we have the money to buy another type of magic knowledge, but at least we'd know each other for later if we still have need of it later.
But, I've been rude. Hello, Michael. New voice here, obviously. Feel free to peruse my ponderous mental meanderings as you have the time, but for the moment at hand: Do we want Awesomicus to be away from us for a while? If we do, then tell Awesomicus the epic quest is temporarily locked out, but there's one (or maybe two) optional but cool things he might like in the meantime:
One can be that Shrine to Stop the Moon, also known as the Shrine of Daring. Tell him to take at least a couple extra levitation potions so the fall at the end won't kill him if he's not back on the ground. He'll probably like seeing Vvardenfell from the air. Might also want to warn him that he can't land on clouds here. If he's done this and isn't interested, ask if he's the Archmaster of Redoran, or if Castle Awesome is complete yet.
This other thing I'm not sure about offering as a quest. While dead, your body got looted; business as usual in Morrowind to be fair. I have no idea how hard it would be to find the unfortunate dunmer who at this moment is either making his way north trying to find the tallest tree in Dagon Fel, or else doing his best to find passage to the far side of Nirn and hoping he'll be forgotten by his Noble Royal Fluffiness of Pinatas Full Of Squirrels. And while it'd be nice to get the dwemer puzzle cube back if you ever visit Divayth Fyr again, I hesitate to offer this as an Awesomicus quest because what do we have to offer as a reward? 50 gold? The Rainbow Dash shirt that the same guy is probably carrying? Unless he sold all that stuff at the first store he came across, which is possible.
...actually, now that I think about it, perhaps we could tell Awesomicus about that Shrine as the reward, so long as he doesn't already know about it. Any thoughts on this, fellow voices? Or am I too late in the week for this kind of thing around here?
Post by: joemoben on July 04, 2014, 03:17:01 am
EDIT: I am now beginning to write down the gear that we should have him spawn
Note: Michael, make sure he clicks on us, once the command console is up, before typing any of this. And activate the enchantment on the cuirass and greaves for feather spells.
Setstrength 100
setspeed 100
setintelligence 100
setwillpower 100
setagility 100
setendurance 100
setpersonality 100
setluck 100
setacrobatics 100
setathletics 100
setheavyarmor 100
setalchemy 100
setshortblade 100
setspeechcraft 100
setdestruction 100
sethealth 1000
setmagicka 1000
AddItem daedric_cuirass_htab 1
AddItem daedric_greaves_htab 1
AddItem daedric_pauldron_left 1
AddItem daedric_pauldron_right 1
AddItem daedric_boots 1
AddItem daedric_gauntlet_left 1
AddItem daedric_gauntlet_right 1
I could not get a spear to spawn so that's a thing.
His gold reward would be
player->AddItem Gold_001 100000
Sorry about ye olde' wall of text. Add any skills that you want to another post.
EDIT2: Also, I'm 90% sure this won't work for tons of reasons that I am unaware of.
Post by: LordBucket on July 04, 2014, 04:24:39 am
New voice here
Welcome to the game, Spark Sol. You have some interesting ideas. :)
Post by: Sparksol on July 04, 2014, 04:41:27 am
I suggest having awesomicus use the command console to use the commands below.Now why didn't I think of this. +1
Mind you, I'm a little uncertain about having Awesomicus do this, as
So I'll suggest having a couple changes. First, some additions:
SetFatigue 1000
SetUnarmored 100
SetUnarmed 100
Those last two are just in case of equipment emergency.
And secondly to put the equipment spawning somewhere after we've got the strength to carry it and skill to use it, and maybe put the health, magicka and fatigue early on in the list. EDIT: Something else to consider, this could well rip our pack since these things aren't automatically equipped.
Lastly, while it'll be nice while it lasts, I wouldn't expect it to last too long. Just a hunch. The console giveth, the console taketh away. And it's also just possible that the console commands aren't quite what we think they are. EDIT2: Actually, does Rainbow Dash even know how to open the console? I'm having more doubts about this.
Welcome to the game, Spark Sol. You have some interesting ideas. :)It's nice to have finally caught up, and I'm glad you think so. No idea how close I am to the facts, but since you have voiced a preference to hearing things from us I've tried to avoid holding back ideas.
And again, sorry I'm late to the party. Loadedwordcough
Post by: birdy51 on July 04, 2014, 07:09:28 am
Post by: joemoben on July 04, 2014, 07:55:59 am
I think it's a stretch to ask Rainbow Dash to give us awesome gear and stats, but I won't try to stop you.I know it's not gonna work, but the results will still probably gonna be interesting right?
EDIT: Once done talking to Awesomicus, find Draren, and arrange heading back to Seyda Neen with him. I don't know how we forgot our buddy.
Also if Awesomicus begins to become irate because of anything you do, stop and ask us for help.
I'll be interested in seeing if we can end an update based on parameters we put forward.
Also, I am beginning to think both Sheogorath and Nocturnal have a Vivec like thing going. Same person linked to themselves that are slightly different in different realities thing. Which makes me think that Michael is probably a different Lordbucket.
Nocturnal and Nyx, both linked to darkness, but somewhat different all the same. Ponies seem to be exempt from all this, marking them as a foreign influence.
I think that Hermaeus Mora is also exempt from this, and is trying to play catch-up, ergo the deception as a pony. I think a real important question here is what daedra are linked to a myriad of other dimensions and what daedra aren't.
Post by: Sparksol on July 05, 2014, 04:51:00 am
Well, so long as we don't find all our stats at 10 instead of 100, or 1000 instead of 100. Breaking weapons in a single hit because we're too strong kind of thing, or suddenly even worse off than we were when we started out.I think it's a stretch to ask Rainbow Dash to give us awesome gear and stats, but I won't try to stop you.I know it's not gonna work, but the results will still probably gonna be interesting right?
Also, I am beginning to think both Sheogorath and Nocturnal have a Vivec like thing going. Same person linked to themselves that are slightly different in different realities thing. Which makes me think that Michael is probably a different Lordbucket.I'd guess that pretty much any Daedric Prince is going to be like that to a larger degree, including Hermaeus Mora. Hermaeus just might not have a link into the ponies' reality. Stretched off in a different direction, as it were.
Nocturnal and Nyx, both linked to darkness, but somewhat different all the same. Ponies seem to be exempt from all this, marking them as a foreign influence.
I think that Hermaeus Mora is also exempt from this, and is trying to play catch-up, ergo the deception as a pony. I think a real important question here is what daedra are linked to a myriad of other dimensions and what daedra aren't.
As to the ponies not being like that...well, it depends on just how real this Morrowind is. Rainbow Dash is certainly linked to Awesomicus, and Twilight to Clover and so on. I've also got a sneaking suspicion that Michael may have a link back to whoever he was copied from back in his Earth-like world (who might not necessarily have been named Michael.) Admittedly the only point of data I have on that is his knowledge of Frozen, but there it is.
Post by: LordBucket on July 05, 2014, 10:12:34 pm
If anyone has further input, get it before Monday.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 05, 2014, 10:33:05 pm
Post by: joemoben on July 05, 2014, 10:55:37 pm
Also, does anyone remember any resurrection scrolls in Morrowind? I'm fairly sure those were not in the game. At all.
Oh yeah. Micheal, be sure to at some point ask Awesomicus where the dunmer that gave him the scroll is. I have a feeling it's another daedra.
Post by: Mr. Strange on July 06, 2014, 04:09:38 pm
Micheal, be sure to at some point ask Awesomicus where the dunmer that gave him the scroll is.Unlikely to work, but +1 anyway.
But what the hell are we going to do other than that? Checking with Daren might be fine, but we don't know if he's ready to leave/has left already. Back to killing mudcrabs solo?
Post by: LordBucket on July 07, 2014, 02:49:11 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 07, 2014, 02:53:12 pm
Post by: Sparksol on July 07, 2014, 04:28:24 pm
A couple of minor "quests" have been brought up for him, but other than sending her after either her friends or possibly the endgame artifacts, what else should we do? I mean, Imare's already apparently been to Solstheim, since she's a werewolf (which, I just realized, allows one to pun that she's a real party animal, groan.) Makes you wonder if anyone's been to Mournhold yet. In which case, did they meet Gaenor? Scary thought.
In the end though, we're not even sure if destroying the heart is actually something we should be working toward. It's not likely to send us home, especially if we were actually made here and not brought here from another world. Would it reset the "game" instead? Force us over to Solstheim or Mournhold?
As a tangent, I'm getting some serious gender pronoun interference when referring to Awesomicus/Rainbow Dash.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 07, 2014, 05:58:54 pm
Post by: Mono124 on July 07, 2014, 11:41:09 pm
Post by: LordBucket on July 08, 2014, 02:00:01 am
Quote
I suggest having awesomicus use the command console
Quote
+1
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Hey, could you do me a favor?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Would you open up the command console and change my stats?"
He looks embarrassed.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Uhh, sorry. Twilight took away my console priv...privel...umm, it doesn't work for me anymore."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Why's that?"
It's hilarious watching an orc with a mohawk blush and avoid eye contact.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Well, so...it's this thing. You know me, I like fast, right?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "But this game is way too slow. First time I flew I almost stopped playing right there. So when egghead showed me how to use the console, 'just for emergencies' she said...first thing I did was, well..you know."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "You set your speed super high?"
He scratches the back of his head.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah. Something like that."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "How high did you set it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "I don't know. I just kept pushing buttons for a while. But not a lot! Only like...a minute or two."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What happened?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "It broke. Which was totally lame, because I still wasn't moving that fast. But everything other than me slowed down a bunch, then everything went black and then just stopped working for everypony."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Huh. That actually kind of reminds me of a dream I had. Then what happened?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Ehh, I don't know. Twilight fixed it. When she found out it was me she yelled a lot and made the console not work for me anymore. Heh, but I totally scored this awesome armor before she did."
He poses in his daedric armor. At least you think he's posing. He seems to be standing on one leg and reaching his arms forward while stretching his other leg back and...flexing it? Between that and the goofy-looking grin on his face you struggle not to laugh, but manage to give him a thumbs up instead.
Quote
ask for spare weapon and healing potion
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Ok, so no console. Could you spare a weapon and a healing potion instead? While I was dead somebody took all my stuff."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, sure. Let me check what I have."
You watch as he stands there silently and squints occasionally.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Heal potion ok?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "That would be great, thanks."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Ok."
He continues to stand there. You wait patiently, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "So...may I have it please?"
He looks annoyed.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, waiting on you."
It occurs to you that this might not be as simple as it seems. Vanilla Morrowind has no trade interface. And you've consistently seen Awesomicus make things instantly vanish and appear out of an apparently invisible inventory somewhere. But you also distinctly remember Imare handing you a drink back at that party in Caldera. Does Awesomicus have a different deal going on? Or is he just not very good with his interface? For that matter, what exactly is he using as an interface?
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "You're...at a computer, aren't you?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "How do you, umm...usually when you give something to someone, how do you do it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "It depends. Usually with quest guys they just take what they're supposed to take."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "It just disappears from your inventory?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, I guess. And I get a little message saying that they took it."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What if you wanted to give something to Twilight? How would you do that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dunno. Hasn't come up. But when she's given me stuff she just puts it in her hand and I click on it."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Ok. Put it in your hand and I'll try and take it."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Ok."
Nothing happens for a moment. Then he starts to look annoyed. Then embarrassed.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Oh, heh...oops. Can't equip potions. I just drank like three of them."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "How about this: can you put it on the ground?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Sure."
A potion bottle appears on the ground between you. You pick it up and smell.
(http://i.imgur.com/n3xSdk3.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Whoa, nice. Did you make this yourself?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Yeah, only took like an hour to grind all-chamai."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Don't I wish. Anyway, any spare weapons?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Nah, I don't bother with 'em. I have this."
Eltonbrand appears in his hand. He swings it around a few times.
(http://i.imgur.com/lH1th9i.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Hyaa! Die! Rahh!!"
You watch with amusement for a bit, then it occurs to you that each sword swing is not identical. And come to think of it, his face is remarkably expressive. It seems unlikely that a keyboard and mouse interface would give as much control as he seems to have. Before you can ask about it, he stops swinging and the sword vanishes.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "So, you got a quest for me or what?"
Quote
This would be the point where we agree on a smart, well-thought-out quest for Awesomicus, so that this doesn't explode in our face.
Quote
Come clean that we're not actually a quest giver or anything
Quote
we should probably just give him a cool quest to stay on good terms with him.
Quote
Right now I really want to talk to Luna.
Quote
explain our situation to reasonable pony-player(s) and ask their help in unraveling this mystery!
Quote
+1 goes to telling Awesomnicus to fix us a meeting with his friends
Quote
tell Awesomicus the epic quest is temporarily locked out, but there's one (or maybe two) optional but cool things he might like in the meantime:
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...umm."
You rack your brain for a way to reconcile the various contradictory suggestions. The voices are really uncertain about this one. And yet, this is an important situation, isn't it? You don't want to mess this up. Awesomicus is by all appearances a "PC." He's friendly. And he'd make a powerful ally. But he also seems not to be the smartest orc in the world and has an awfully short attention span. Maybe simply being honest would be best?
Quote
We can't keep the quest lies going forever
Quote
Come clean that we're not actually a quest giver or anything
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "I'm actually not a quest giver."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What do you mean you're not a quest giver? What about that 'epic quest' you were bragging about to me back in Seyda Neen?"
Oh, right. You've already given him two 'quests.' First there was that no doubt mysterious-seeming letter you had Eydis give him asking to come find you, and then once he did you explicitly told him you were giving him a quest and went out of your way to build it up as this huge, awesome fantastic thing. If you recall correctly your exact words were 'epic quest' that involved 'saving the whole world' and with a 'definitely epic' reward at the end. Maybe telling him that you were lying about all that isn't such a good idea? Especially since you've already tasked him with killing an Ash Vampire, which he did...Eydis who gave him your letter is the primary fighter's guild quest giver in Balmora...you specifically told him he was on a quest chain...and he apparently was just tasked by some quest-giver to ressurect you, all of which corroborates your looking like you're involved with the quest chain yourself.
...speaking of which...
Quote
ask Awesomicus where the dunmer that gave him the scroll is.
Quote
+1
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Hey, umm...speaking of quests...who was it who gave you the-"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Dude, don't change the subject."
Quote
tell Awesomicus the epic quest is temporarily locked out
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Ok, fine. It's not that I'm not a quest giver...I guess it's more like the epic quest is temporarily locked out. Can't do it right now."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What the buck? Why not?!??! You started me on this thing, and I just brought you back to life. And now you're telling me I'm stuck?"
Quote
but there's one (or maybe two) optional but cool things he might like in the meantime:
Quote
we should probably just give him a cool quest to stay on good terms with him.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...well, there are a couple side quests I could give you."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "More lame side quests? What do you think I've been doing for the past like forever? When do I get to fight this evil guy you keep talking about?"
Quote
and for him to arrange meeting for us with other ponies so we can explain ourselves to them.
Quote
+1 goes to telling Awesomnicus to fix us a meeting with his friends
Quote
Right now I really want to talk to Luna.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Well, like I was saying before Clover got here: before you fight him you first have to gather up all your friends together. Twilight and Pinkie and Luna, and whoever else is here...and...umm...then I'd like to talk to them...please."
Awesomicus rolls his eyes.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Laaaaame! What do you mean 'gather up my friends' so you can talk to them? What for?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "So you can team up together against the big bad evil guy in Red Mountain?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Seriously? Celestia, this is soooo lame! What do you think I'm even playing this game for?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What do you mean?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Every time some bad guy threaten Equestria it's always 'get our friends.' 'Use the elements.' Follow Twilight around and 'yay stupid jewelry' saves the day. Not me, not my flying, just some stupid hunk of magic I don't understand and the power of friendship. Whole reason I'm playing this dumb game is so that I can be the hero for once."
When he puts it like that, that makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately the more he explains, the more angry he seems to be getting.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "And now you're seriously telling me I can't do that even here? Even in a game that's supposed to be for fun I still have to be some lame tagalong who can't do anything except play messenger mare for everypony else and stand in the chorus while Twilight...'oh and friends' saves the day? Well, buck this game and bu-"
Awesomicus makes a motion mid-sentence as if to grab something from his head and throw it to the ground. The moment he does, he goes completely silent but no less animated. You watch as he angrily continues his rant, watch as his mouth continues to move...but no sound comes out.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Dash?"
He continues his silent rant.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Dash? Can you hear me?"
No response. After another few moments of silent yelling, he stops moving his mouth. Then vanishes.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Well, that could have gone better."
Quote
Once done talking to Awesomicus, find Draren
You spent a day or two dead. It's possible Draren has left for Seyda Neen by now. If not, he's still at the Dren Plantation. Unfortunately Pelagiad has no mage guild and no silt strider, which means that whichever place you go you'll probably have to walk. You check the sky.
(http://i.imgur.com/FS9Oijs.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Ahh, sun...my ever loyal companion. Never leaving me night or day, and never mocking me for my foolishness. Though that one time with the orc in Gnisis was still pretty embarrassing."
The sun is in about the middle of the sky, so you have several hours before dark. Probably enough time to get to either location, but not enough to get to one, then turn around and reach the other. Though you're not really sure travel is any safer during the day, and if that potion Awesomicus gave you is as strong as it smells, you could probably take on even two cliff racers at once with it. But only once and then it's gone. It might be better to hold onto it rather than waste it as a panic potion. Or maybe sell it.
While you debate what to do, you sit down and have a chat with the voices.
Quote
if Awesomicus begins to become irate because of anything you do, stop and ask us for help.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Sorry. It kind of escalated too fast. Though if you guys knew he was going to get upset, you could have said something sooner."
... uh, what's Frozen?
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I too would like some answers about is that Frozen bit.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Oh, right. Frozen. We've talked about Star Trek a couple times and I think one of you mentioned Darth Vader at one point, so I just assumed you'd know what Frozen is too. Do you guys know about Disney? Do you know what animation is? Some movies have live actors. Like Star Trek. Others are all animation. Like, you know in Star wars how the light sabers look? They're not real, they're drawn on after filming. Frozen is an entire movie where everything is made like that, and the voice actors are dubbed in on top of the animation."
Guys, how does Michael know about Frozen? This whole thing started in May 2013, yet Frozen came out in November. I mean sure, he might have seen a teaser, but to know the soundtrack months before the film was released? I mean, he could have been later on in that year than us when he arrived here, but that raises further questions.There are three constants in the universe: Frozen, Death and Will Smith. Don't question it.
Michael frowns.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What do you mean? I came to Morrowind in May, right? I've been here for a couple months, so now it's what...July? August? Frozen's been out for a good 8 months or so."
This whole thing started in May 2013
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "No, I've only been here a couple months. May 2013 was over a year ago. Unless..."
Michael turns pale.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...umm, guys? When I first got here remember how time was different for my cell phone and it seemed like days passed by really fast? How much time has passed since I've been here? I thought this was like July or August of 2014. Is this where you tell me 100 years have passed and it's really 2100-something? What year is it? It's still 2014, right?"
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 08, 2014, 02:17:21 am
Also, expect less voices for a while, we're a bit preoccupied with a new release of a game. :P
You should probably head towards Seyda Neen. If you head to Dren Plantation, they probably won't let you stay the night. There's at least an inn and some (fairly) friendly villagers over in Seyda Neen.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2014, 02:30:46 am
Michael, when we began, it was May 2013 for us. It is now July 2014. There is some serious time dilation going on here. This may have something to do with the fact that the medium through which we view your experiences has a long update cycle due to the effort involved in each update. I don't know why I'm telling you this, direct references to the author have thus far seemed to escape your hearing. This may be for the best in terms of your sanity.
Re: Awesomicus: Well, that went about as well as predicted. I apologize for the lazy, passive-aggressive "think of something better damnit!" being my only participation on that front.
The only thing stopping this plan to use the PCs is Vivec and Wraithguard. And with enough HP and enchantments, it's possible to simply tank the damage dealt by Keening and Sunder to their wielder. It's entirely possible that even singlehandedly Awesomicus could steamroll Red Mountain right now. However, this makes me want to go back to "find a dreamer or other person with hotline to the Sharmat and communicate." We have a bit of a bargaining chip on that front, I think, and Dagoth Ur and Azura are the two major powers we haven't heard much from yet. We've spoken with Vivec, Caius, 2 PCs/Ponies, Sheogorath, Divayth Fyr, and Yagrum.
Could we reach Pelagaid by nightfall if we went to the plantation? We could simply loiter until morning, provided we don't need to recharge health or magicka.
Post by: LordBucket on July 08, 2014, 02:44:59 am
direct references to the author have thus far seemed to escape your hearing
Quote"Hey, speak to a certain Lordbucket about consoling you stuff to survive. By the way, I am so totally breaking the Fourth and Fifth wall right now."
(http://i.imgur.com/n52GTiE.png): "I don't know who that is. Not sure what you mean by the fifth wall, either. But the fourth wall....which fourth wall do you mean? I hear you as voices in my head. Are you guys playing Morrowind? Like, on a computer? Are you looking at me on a screen right now? If you are, that's kind of creepy. Vivec told me that you were my 'higher self' I think was how he described it and I assumed he meant...well, I guess I just assumed it was some kind of fancy new-age spiritual thing and that you were all guardian angels or something. Can you guys seriously access the command console? Because that would totally make my life easier."
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2 PCs/Ponies
2?
Post by: Sparksol on July 08, 2014, 08:12:31 am
(Although on a note we shouldn't tell Awesomicus, before we try fixing it we need to find out if we should.)
So Dash broke the game through console abuse? That's worth knowing, and is probably responsible for one of our deja-vu moments, though whether it was the first one at the mage's guild (which is still a debatable thing as to whether or not that one was a world-affecting event or genuine deja-vu) or the second one just after that first death is up for discussion. The fact that the console privilege had been recently revoked also explains why the orc was described as sulking described back in chapter 26.
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "The orc spent most of his time sulking, and the (dunmer) girl was too busy asking questions to be concerned over simple pleasantries like names."
Finding out that Michael has been here a couple months from his own point of view and over a year from our point of view is definitely worth knowing, but since we don't have enough info about what the time-screw is going on with that - or if we do have enough info, we don't know that we know it - all we can really do is put it on record that Michael's been here since May 2014 from his own point of view and go on from there. If this changes in our perspective, we can try and see if there's been any deja-vu moments between that theoretical point and now.
So yes, confirmed, Michael, it's early July 2014 from our point of view right now. Although it looks like things may keep going at this rate from our end, so let's hope we can all see this through while we're in the same decade.
Oh, and sorry about the Awesomicus getting upset thing, Michael. We couldn't be sure about that.
Anyway, we now know that the password which that interestingly-dressed boatman wants is "Party" so we can visit Imare who is almost definitely the pony known as Pinkie Pie. Do we dare visit her, considering the fourth-wall shenanigans that will no doubt ensue? She might try talking with us voices directly, not unlike what Sheogorath did, although possibly more well-intentioned. And what would we talk to her about anyway, even if she is at home? (I'll add this to my notes as well.)
Also, if Clover returns any time soon, it'll probably be right around here. Do we want to talk with her soon, or head back to Seyda Neen and leave her wondering where that possibly buggy NPC has gone off to?
If Sheogorath/Discord shows up, it might be in Seyda Neen or might be right there with Clover (likely so she can lock his console privileges as well.) For that matter, there's no telling what he'll look like or what his name will be. Though if he shows up as M'aiq the Liar...well. We'll deal with the local trickster deity when he shows up again.
HugoLuman, we've met Clover, Awesomicus, Imare, and technically Bjorn although it sounds like we'll not meet him again. We've also seen SexyWhithers, and we've heard of Adorabella, but haven't actually met either of them.
As for right now, I'll vote to check the plantation only if we can get back to Pelagiad before dark if Draren's not there. What do we want to do in Seyda Neen other than check in with Draren? More combat and spell grinding and alchemy item-picking? Keep in mind we no longer have our enchanted backup panic weapon for emergencies, and defense-wise what little armor we've got is about as useful as our regular clothing until it's repaired - which we can't really afford, unless my understanding of the economics involved is off. We've got to figure out what's going on, because it seems to be involving at least four realms of existence at the minimum. And the only one we can see through the help of Michael is undergoing some seriously troubling things, not just Dagoth Ur.
I've got some half-formed ideas, but I'm going to need to mull over them a bit. They're not even making sense to me yet.
Can anyone confirm for me what race Adorabella is? All I can find in my notes is that she's a vampire in House Hlaalu who's probably Rarity.
Things to remember: (In the future, unless people object, I'll start putting most of these in spoilers - not to hide them from Michael, just to take up less space out here. Unless one becomes more immediately relevant.)
Right now:
We have one emergency healing potion, although it's one heck of a good one; we should have it appraised to see what it's worth. We also have one water walking potion, no useful armor and two basic iron daggers. (My note that we had an invisibility potion was a mistake on my part.)
New item: When and if we meet Awesomicus again, we'll have to apologize and explain a few things, if he bothers to listen. If he does, we should probably explain that things are a bit confused on the quest because we're mostly familiar with this as a single-player game, and he should be able to do this alone, but there's four ponies that we know of currently playing this - possibly more - and some of the main quest points have been done by Awesomicus, Clover has done at least two we're aware of, SexyWhithers and Adorabella have done one that Awesomicus also did - that whole having a fortress built thing, Castle Awesome - and who knows what Imare's done. We'll need to talk to all the ponies playing just to find out who's done what and if this quest can be fixed.
New item: We now know that the password which that interestingly-dressed boatman wants is "Party" so we can visit Imare who is almost definitely the pony known as Pinkie Pie. Do we dare visit her, considering the fourth-wall shenanigans that will no doubt ensue? She might try talking with us voices directly, not unlike what Sheogorath did, although possibly more well-intentioned. And what would we talk to her about anyway, even if she is at home?
Updated item: If we should need to visit Divayth Fyr again - or pretty much any place on Vvardenfell or even the island of Solstheim - not readily accessible by silt strider, teleport service, or boat? Buy a couple cheap Rising Force (levitation) potions and at least one recall scroll, then stop by Vivec (the city) and pay a visit to the Shrine to Stop the Moon. Offer the potion at the shrine and ask for a blessing, and fly around for what should be 24 full minutes at a reasonably high speed. (At least, it was in vanilla. Not sure about this version.) Find the place from the air, and still likely float around while you're there. Beats the heck out of 15 seconds of water-walk here and there. (Awesomicus may still be interested in this.) I'll should note that despite it's fine speed (100 points of levitation), it's still not fast enough to completely escape cliff racers. Although if you're careful you should be able to see them far enough in advance to avoid them so long as you're not in fog or an ash storm. And if they spot you anyway, you can still lose them in trees or something. You are close enough to the ground for trees or giant mushrooms, right? //This might not be of any use.
We know how to get to Pelagiad without too much difficulty, and we should probably look up Nelvyn Andrano at some point even though we no longer have the recommendation letter from Ranis. But that's something for after we've got the time and money to spare, and not only do we not have the gold, but we still haven't made up for that month we lost in basic training when we joined the legion. //This might be a red herring at this point.
Somewhere out there, some poor schlub of a dunmer is either looking for the tallest tree in Sheogorad, or trying to get as far away from Vvardenfell as possible. He may be carrying or have sold the stuff he took off our body while we were dead, including but not limited to an enchanted dagger, a Rainbow Dash shirt, and a dwemer puzzle cube with a note inside it for Divayth Fyr. It's worth it to note that there's very few trees in the Sheogorad region unless you count giant mushrooms. //This might also be a red herring at this point.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 08, 2014, 02:02:50 pm
Post by: Sparksol on July 08, 2014, 08:30:22 pm
As to the Daedric Lords, there's this.
(http://i.imgur.com/58RtT0v.png): "What about full on telepathy?"
Yagrum frowns, and doesn't answer right away.
(http://i.imgur.com/JthvBpt.png): "It's been done. My people were working on it when they disappeared, but I was in another dimension at the time, so I can't tell you for certain how successful they were. The Psijic Order beat us to it by a couple centuries though. We actually got the idea from them. And I'm sure there are daedra who can do it. In fact, I'd just assume that anything you think within sight of a daedric prince, they probably know about. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them could even read your entire life's memory in a glance."
So I'm going to say I don't think Imare's a daedric prince, because I don't think she fits the profile for any of them known on Nirn. Dwemer are ruled out (since they're gone,) Psijic Order isn't ruled out, and technically neither is a more standard daedra. Personally though, I'm going with something else entirely; from what I understand it's generally accepted that the pony behind Imare, Pinkie, is something of a fourth-wall breaker. She's probably just reading the board along with us. (Or is being portrayed by someone who happens to be LordBucket's roommate or something.)
As for other things...
- That Ascended Sleeper back in Seyda Neen wanted us to join them before it was too late, as though they're on a time limit just as much as we appear to be.
- Morrowind as we know it is a single-player game. We met someone else (SexyWhithers) with player-like knowledge practically at the very start. Something or someone, possibly the ponies, messed with this world to make it multi-player capable, but this doesn't appear to include said players being able to do the exact same quests. Since some players have done certain parts of the main quest, and other players did other parts, the main quest as we know it might well be broken now.
- Multiple time-perspective troubles.
- One of the dreams since we arrived/woke up here appeared to involve one who may be the leader of the ponies, Celestia, who said something about wanting to be friends. In what I'm totally sure is complete coincidence (he said in massive sarcasm quotes) said pony is connected to the sun. The description of this one in the dream was very much like how the sun was described once we were able to channel magicka, and this dream happened before we could do that.
- That same dream was the one where the world slowed to a stop as Awesomicus described, which as it turns out was well after the first two deja-vu moments. There may be more time-screwery involved, or the game-breaking thing had nothing to do with that.
Now, while I have nothing against a bit of useful grinding, I think if we stick around killing mudcrabs and slaughterfish with Draren for too long, it's a different style of the same trap we fell into with joining the Legion.
I'll agree we need to -eventually/not right now- speak with Azura and Dagoth Ur. As well as whoever SexyWhithers really is. The question is when? When we think we're ready? As soon as we can safely get to them? I'm all for getting more survivable as we go around the land doing whatever it is we do, but having a solid goal in mind that we can work toward seems to be our weak spot. (I mean other than generally being about as weak as your average new Morrowind player character.)
Since survivability is an issue we need to either be solo-capable which is going to be more difficult for us than for a regular player for a variety of reasons, or we need a small group of people we can team up with and who is willing to accompany us wherever our easily-distracted mind(s) lead us. And possibly they may help keep us on track. I don't know if Draren would be up for this task. Imare would probably be good for surviving, though not so much for keeping on track, while Clover could be good for both, provided we could explain what we know and what we think we know. And if she doesn't insist on the idea that we're just a buggy NPC.
Azura's Shrine is easiest to reach if the Shrine to Stop the Moon works in a similar way as it does in standard Morrowind (fewer cliff racers in the way), but we have no way of being sure that she'll talk to us. I mean heck, Azura's quest in Morrowind involves a bet between her and Sheogorath, and we went and asked him for help. LordBucket only knows what kind of form that 'help' will take. I'd suggest we try to take Clover along for talking to Azura if we talk to Clover first, but there's no guarantee of that happening. Also, I'm mildly amused at the idea of taking Clover A.K.A. Twilight along to see the Daedric Prince of Dusk and Dawn. (This will be added to my notes.)
EDIT: Just remembered, Azura has two shrines on Vvardenfell. If we have to go all the way to the Cavern of the Incarnate instead of her regular shrine, a more roundabout route will be needed even with long-lasting high-speed levitation, otherwise we'll be the eye of a Cliff Racer tornado.
'Fun' facts:There is to the best of my knowledge no Daedric Prince of the day or the sun; either Meridia or Azura is the closest thing we've got to that, and I don't think we deal with Meridia in Morrowind. (Meridia's sphere of influence is more life than light anyway.) Azura is the sister of Nocturnal; and Celestia is the sister of Luna, both sets of which kind of tie in to each other that way. There's a bit of uncertainty as to exactly how or if any of this matters to us.
Post by: QuakeIV on July 09, 2014, 05:54:54 pm
He poses in his daedric armor. At least you think he's posing. He seems to be standing on one leg and reaching his arms forward while stretching his other leg back and...flexing it? Between that and the goofy-looking grin on his face you struggle not to laugh, but manage to give him a thumbs up instead.
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He seems to be standing on one leg and reaching his arms forward while stretching his other leg back and...flexing it?
http://www.afranko.net/2014/02/rainbow-dash-2/ (http://www.afranko.net/2014/02/rainbow-dash-2/)
Post by: QuakeIV on July 12, 2014, 12:15:29 am
Post by: Sparksol on July 12, 2014, 03:19:33 am
Anyways the reason I think this is significant is because I feel like this is in some way a translated reality. Either we aren't seeing what is there and something is having issue translating actions for us, or the ponies have computers trying to 'humanise' their movements.I agree, but I think it's too early to tell. I thought Awesomicus mentioned flying earlier, but I'm not finding that now, so I could be wrong there. But he did mention Clover holding things out in her hand, so either there's some extra translating going on or they're playing as humanoids and they know it. And they've got minotaurs and such, they do know about hands. (It's also possible LB miswrote something, but given how much detail has gone into this so far, I kinda doubt that one.)
EDIT: I will add that from the non-identical sword swings and noticeable facial expressions Michael noticed when Awesomicus was swinging Eltonbrand around, it's probable that they're using some sort of VR-style magic-enhanced control interface.
Post by: LordBucket on July 12, 2014, 03:58:06 pm
* Go to Seyda Neen
* Go to the Dren Plantation
* Go to the Dren Plantation...maybe
I can probably make an update out of that, but it's not a lot to work with. Does anyone have any further input?
Post by: WillowLuman on July 12, 2014, 06:52:57 pm
If you get the chance, send a letter or leave a message for the general at the nearest official place.
Post by: QuakeIV on July 13, 2014, 01:28:47 am
Assuming nobody comes up with any ideas regarding a message, I support any suggestion that leads us to civilization, or at least somewhere with access to the strider network.
Griping to follow;
I think largely though we have no idea what the hell to do. We pretty much had our chance to work with awesomicus and totally blew that when we couldn't come up with a quest. I don't know about anyone else, but I have never played morrowind so I wouldn't even know what to suggest there or what was possible. I kinda feel like we just got our asses kicked. We have no ability to compete with the player character directly, to the point of extreme poverty, and when the player characters fell right into our hands we still couldn't do anything with that. On top of that we probably have to talk the actually smart pony out of killing us because she thinks we are bugged or some training simulation officer. Its not like we have awesomicus support in that right now. It seems like our options are wander off and live in poverty until another player finds us, or wander off in a different direction and wait for the same.
I'd understand if you said that we COULD be at their level by now, but honestly we are doing everything by committee. It is an absolute democracy, which has been historically suicidal, (the greeks literally came up with the 51% party once and voted away the rights of everyone else, then fractally divided until their little country exploded into riots and fire) especially when the time scale results in us having to remember day to day things over the course of weeks. Gestalt minds like that cannot come close to a single human in terms of effectiveness.
Post by: LordBucket on July 13, 2014, 04:46:34 am
It is an absolute democracy, which has been historically suicidal
Gestalt minds like that cannot come close to a single human in terms of effectiveness.
If the lack of cohesion is the problem, why not take advantage of the fact that we have so few suggestions right now due to people playing the new dwarf fortress release? We only have three action votes. If the three of you can come up with something you want to do without the interference of the masses, now's the time.
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We pretty much had our chance to work with awesomicus and totally blew that when we couldn't come up with a quest.
The indecisiveness obviously hurt your case, but it wasn't the lack of a quest so much as the "winning vote" being to give him the exact same quest that you tried giving him in the previous episode, and that he obviously didn't want:
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Well, not quite yet. First you have to gather up all your friends so you can fight him together."
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "What do you mean gather up my friends?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Well, you know. Twilight's on here way now, right? And you said Pinkie has her own place by the lake. I know you said Applejack isn't here, but what you need to do is gather up all your friends who are, and-"
Awesomicus facepalms.
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Celestia help me, Twi. If this was all just a dumb excuse to-"
(http://i.imgur.com/FegsnHk.png): "Awesomicus?"
(http://i.imgur.com/nfqTzbc.png): "Twilight! Please tell me this game isn't just some dumb excuse to make us work together for a friendship report!"
He was obviously not receptive to the idea. And yet despite his reaction the biggest number of votes for the following episode was to repeat back the same exact quest to him and hope he'd suddenly be enthusiastic about it for some reason. I sometimes get the impression that a couple of our players just aren't paying very much attention. It's been a recurring problem since the beginning that an npc will leave the scene, but a couple people keep trying to talk to them after they've left. It happened with Vivec, it happened just recently with Clover, and similar things have happened throughout. So if we have a couple players who don't even notice when people leave the scene completely I suppose it's no surprise that they wouldn't notice that the thing they were proposing for Awesomicus had been proposed in the previous chapter and he wasn't interested. But it is kind of unfortunate. As above, we have reduced participation right now. I suggest you take advantage of it.
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I'd understand if you said that we COULD be at their level by now
Sure you could have. Without being so specific that it becomes spoily, remember that your earliest indications of Clover/Awsomicus didn't even happen until episode 26. You had a pretty big head start. Also remember that Word of God (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WordOfGod) has been given that this game was intended to reach a successful conclusion after about 20 episode over two months. In retrospect, I obviously underestimated. But since neither of those two even showed up until after a timeframe that I expected the game would be over by...I think it's reasonable to suggest that regardless of what their roles actually are, maybe they're not so plot-critical that you really need to worry about competing with them in terms of physical brawling ability.
Yes, they're stronger than you are. But why does that concern you?
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I think largely though we have no idea what the hell to do.
Well, that's a more difficult problem. I think that a lot of our players lack some of the background required to make sense of a lot of what's going on. I was pleasantly surprised when you guys understood the symbolsim at work with with the apple, but there have been a lot of things you've missed. I've been going to great effort to avoid falling prey to the Law of Conservation of Detail (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheLawOfConservationOfDetail), and consequently I think it's sometimes difficult to recognize what's "important" and what isn't. And yet, from my point of view, sometimes it's downright comical the things you guys don't notice. For example, remember that huge debate over which pony Awesomicus was associated with? And then he promptly showed up in an episode titled "Dashing through the ash, in a one-horse open sleigh?" Ok, maybe not definitive, but from my point of view I've been showering you guys in clues left and right, and it sometimes amazes me the things that nobody notices.
LordBucket is practically hitting us over the head with something, but because it's over our heads we can't see what it is for sure.
Exactly. But at the same time, I acknowledge that I have the benefit of knowing what's going on, and since Conservation of Detail is not in play here, it isn't always easy to distinguish the clues from the background noise if you don't already recognize them. In many games, only important things are brought into focus. Here, I think it's safe to say that everywhere you look, you find interesting things. Random "unimportant" background npcs have unique personalities and detailed life stories. For example, I didn't choose Draren to be a companion for you. You guys did. And then found that he had a rich family background and history, relatives with personalities, skills and emotional relationships.
Sort of like a fractal (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5428119#msg5428119).
Wherever you look, there is always more detail available no matter how closely you examine it. As such, I think many of you are having difficulty answering the question of "what's important?" You're used to definite, pre-defined goals with definite, pre-defined solutions that are hinted at by definite pre-defined clues.
But that's not the way this game works. This world is more open than that. And maybe it's not up to me to answer on your behalf the question of "what's important?"
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I have never played morrowind
Morrowind is a game with a definite beginning and a definite ending. It's a game with a story, and quests and villains. Yes, these things do exist in Morrowind.
But it's also a game where you can completely ignore all those things and do whatever the hell you want to do. The "official" story and the "main questline" is not at all what people love about Morrowind. The elder scrolls series is notorious for having an open world, and it's entirely common for people to play these games for weeks or months without ever engaging the "official" questlines. Personally, the first time I played Morrowind I think I made it to level 40 before I even did the very first "go talk to that guy" step of the main quest. In a game you can beat at level 15 or 20. Or, if you're in a hurry, here's a guy who beat Morrowind start to finish in under ten minutes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1IRxTN-_kU).
Point being, these games have always been largely self-directed. If you're looking for answers from npcs, well...yes, there is a "what's going on" in this game. And if you want, you can pursue it. But it would be completely contrary to the spirit of the elder scrolls series for me to be pushing you guys towards the "official hosted on bay12 Marooned in Morrowind main quest line." That's not, and never has been what Morrowind is about.
What you do want to do?
Post by: LordSlowpoke on July 13, 2014, 05:17:25 am
i'll never get an occasion to do this one indeed
Post by: Sparksol on July 13, 2014, 05:40:36 am
Yes, they're stronger than you are. But why does that concern you?We're very nearly at square one survival-wise; we're level 9 with skills and equipment that a new player fresh off the boat could match or beat. I'm not even positive we can make it to the plantation or Seyda Neen by ourselves if our traveling luck is poor. I'm trying to think if there's anything sitting around Pelagiad or inside the fort that we can take and use or sell (like that axe which was in the stump back in Seyda Neen) but I'm coming up blank on anything like that. I'd rather avoid dying again, but at the same time, we learned a lot the last time we died, even if Michael did go a little nuts with all the immobile waiting.
So long as it's not a Dying Dream (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DyingDream) I'm probably fine with it. Even if it is, in fact.LordBucket is practically hitting us over the head with something, but because it's over our heads we can't see what it is for sure.
...these games have always been largely self-directed. If you're looking for answers from npcs, well...yes, there is a "what's going on" in this game. And if you want, you can pursue it. But it would be completely contrary to the spirit of the elder scrolls series for me to be pushing you guys towards the "official hosted on bay12 Marooned in Morrowind main quest line." That's not, and never has been what Morrowind is about.I love knowing what's going on. Whether or not we "win" - although winning is a bonus. Even if we would have to figure out what constitutes "winning" in this case. (99.9% sure it's got nothing to do with Charlie Sheen...I hope.)
What you do want to do?
Problem is, I've got a few ideas on what to do in other circumstances, but I'm having trouble coming up with something right now that's less than 50% likely to get us killed again. My other ideas that I don't endorse at this moment include just waiting for Awesomicus or Clover to come back - we don't even know if they'll show up back here or not when they do come back; trying to talk to Imare if we somehow make it back to that boatman - although my only ideas about what we should talk about with her include teaming up for our own survival's stake and getting her to convince her friends that we're for real... not to mention talking to her could be like dealing with a less-powerfully scary Sheogorath (even if Imare is a werewolf, I doubt she can shake up our dead formlessness to the point that it hurts.) And of course, there's getting ourselves talking to Dagoth Ur. I'm reasonably sure he'd gladly tell us all kinds of things, but I'm also sure that if we just go up to him now, it's not going to look anything like a win condition from our point of view.
Seriously, other than checking the town's random crates and barrels for stuff that's probably already been cleared out, all I've got for right now is selling that fancy healing potion and buying a couple regular emergency healing potions. There should be someone inside the fort itself that sells potions.
Sing.If we should meet Imare in some situation where we're not just passing by or fleeing for our lives, there'll be singing alright. I'd hate to see someone try and stop her. What would you like to sing?
i'll never get an occasion to do this one indeed
Post by: birdy51 on July 13, 2014, 05:52:40 am
I'll agree with Sparksol though, it is your call on the song.
Post by: Arcvasti on July 13, 2014, 11:17:40 am
be here? Do you want to settle down here? After all, this IS a world of its own. And you are its only "native". Living here might not be a bad idea. But for now, since we know the password to Pinky Pie/Imare's castle thing, why don't we go there? Its a decently short walk from here, I think. And also safe. Absolutely NO chance of dying on that trip. Or at least, not twice in a row. Plus Imare is decently helpful and knows more then she should.
Post by: QuakeIV on July 13, 2014, 11:25:05 am
Anyways after some searching we should go to seyda neen. Our buddy draren is probably there so we can have a quick chat with him before setting off, then we can silt strider our way to victory.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 13, 2014, 01:55:25 pm
Say, if we find someone willing to use the console, this one might be interesting:
Set timescale to 1
I support turning 1 potion into several, cheaper ones. It's possible we could do it by just diluting it into more bottles, rather than trading. Depending on its power we could make more.
Post by: Baffler on August 07, 2014, 12:47:36 am
I'm also more than a little curious about just exactly what it is that the Ascended Sleeper was offering us. Sure Dagoth Ur is the "bad guy" but this is far from how he treated the Nerevarine, and went about achieving his goals, in the base game. Can we even be sure that his goals are the same? Maybe we could see if the Dreamer in Pelagiad in the base game is still there once the PC's get bored of us.
Post by: IronyOwl on August 07, 2014, 01:51:24 am
Nalcarya mentioned that she dilutes most of her potions so they're at a level useful to the average person, so it's most certainly possible. The question is, what with? Urine perhaps? She said that was the "base" of potions. Or just regular ol' water? Can the potion be contaminated?I'm in favor of it, but this does concern me too.
More immediately, we don't have any bottles to dilute it into. We can just carry it around as a panic potion for the moment, but until we can loot a trash can or something we're not in a position to divvy it up.
Beyond that... any animals have probably respawned and our gear is worse now, so hoofing it to Seyda Neen is going to be tough. On the bright side, it's been a few days, so Draren is probably ready to go home if he hasn't taken a free teleport already.
If we're really concerned about it, we could see if Pelagiad has a spare healing potion for sale. Assuming vanilla potion strengths and costs, Standard is probably the most gold-efficient for us, restoring 50hp for 35g. Add in the fact that the shopkeeper's not running a charity, and we likely either can't afford it or would mostly bankrupt ourselves getting it. Bargain is 5g for 5hp, and Cheap is 10g for 10hp; more affordable, but as mentioned less efficient.
Other than that, I say we find Draren or confirm with his sister that he's already left. If located, and if he's ready to go, head with him back to Seyda Neen, harvesting the crap out of everything we can without getting ourselves eaten by a kagouti. Maybe even do a few more swamp runs when we get back.
If he's already gone... I dunno. Don't think we can get anywhere else without a pocket healer, don't think we have much choice. If he's there but still wants sister time... butter up some guards? We've proven pretty personable, all things considered, and having someone who doesn't hate us in the plantation might come in handy.
Post by: WillowLuman on October 03, 2014, 05:39:58 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on October 03, 2014, 06:00:28 pm
Post by: LordBucket on October 03, 2014, 11:33:59 pm
What do you guys want to do?
Post by: QuakeIV on October 03, 2014, 11:36:59 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on October 03, 2014, 11:39:11 pm
Rereading for more ideas...
Post by: Baffler on October 05, 2014, 11:42:11 am
Post by: WillowLuman on October 05, 2014, 11:44:04 am
Post by: Sparksol on March 28, 2015, 07:43:40 pm
Let's kick it around a little bit.
What you do want to do?This particular voice wants some answers.
How/why are we here?
This is an almost philosophical question in any standard large-scale universe, and a standard one in this sort of story. I don't think we're dealing with a large-scale universe so much as we are an offset of one or a pocket reality that's mimicking a game with which some of us are familiar. IF Sheogorath was telling us the truth (and there's nothing and no one saying he is or isn't, including himself) we're the only true native to this place. So, who are the false natives, and who are the visitors?
What's the point of all this?
Another question that might not have an answer in the universe we're familiar with, but is probably easily answered in Michael's. The trick is asking the right people (possibly ponies, but who knows) the right questions. We had a good start to that with Vivec, but in another way that probably threw us off into the deep end, and we don't have a boat or know how to properly swim instead of the barely keeping our head above water we've done so far. Now? If we ask the wrong people, we'll get correct answers from their viewpoint but it'll only be a part of the whole. If we ask the wrong questions, we'll founder and waste time we probably can't afford to waste.
(One possible and correct answer (for a given value of "correct") is that the point of all this is to be an interesting and entertaining game for us here. And we, the players, have collectively bogged it down through various means, hopefully unintentionally.)
We have been reactive. We try to head to places or do things, and it feels like we're hoping there'll be some obvious hook or other to latch on to and follow that. It seems pretty obvious in retrospect that that's not going to work here.
Even if we get completely stuck now - I for one have little idea who the right person is that we should talk to at this point, it could be any of five people, two of whom I have no clue how to reach - I'd like to know where all this was headed.
LordBucket, I look forward to your eventual MST3000 version, should you see fit to release it.
======
***Public notes:***
Things to remember: (In the future, unless people object, I'll start putting most of these in spoilers - not to hide them from Michael, just to take up less space out here. Unless one becomes immediately relevant. I'm keeping them all out here this time because it's been quite some time.)
Right now:
Unless I've miscounted somewhere along the way: we have one emergency healing potion, although it's one heck of a good one; we should have it appraised to see what it's worth - although let's not do that at Nalcarya's if we can avoid it, she's had enough potion-troubles from outlanders lately. We also have one water walking potion, no useful armor and two basic iron daggers. We've got 51 gold.
Azura's Shrine is easiest to reach if the Shrine to Stop the Moon works in a similar way as it does in standard Morrowind (fewer cliff racers in the way), but we have no way of being sure that she'll talk to us. I mean, Azura's quest in standard Morrowind involves a bet between her and Sheogorath, and we went and asked him for help. LordBucket only knows what kind of form that 'help' will take. I'd suggest we try to take Clover along for talking to Azura if we talk to Clover first, but there's no guarantee of that happening. Also, I'm mildly amused at the idea of taking Clover A.K.A. Twilight along to see the Daedric Prince of Dusk and Dawn.
Handy hopefully-not-oversized map to follow. The circle in Vivec marks the spot of the Shrine to Stop the Moon, and other circle is the approximate location of the Shrine of Azura. The famous mudcrab merchant is on the way, but I forget exactly where that guy is. Besides, ten thousand is a heavy amount of gold to be carrying around.
(http://i.imgur.com/AC73Xk2.png)
When and if we meet Awesomicus again, we'll have to apologize and explain a few things, if he bothers to listen. If he does, we should probably explain that things are a bit confused on the quest because we're mostly familiar with this as a single-player game, and he should be able to do this alone, but there's at least four ponies that we know of currently playing this - possibly more - and some of the main quest points have been done by Awesomicus, Clover has done at least two we're aware of, SexyWhithers and Adorabella have done one that Awesomicus also did - that whole having a fortress built thing, Castle Awesome - and who knows what Imare's done. We'll need to talk to all the ponies playing just to find out who's done what and if this quest can be fixed.
We now know that the password which that interestingly-dressed boatman wants is "Party" so we can visit Imare who is almost definitely the pony known as Pinkie Pie. Do we dare visit her, considering the fourth-wall shenanigans that will no doubt ensue? She might try talking with us voices directly, not unlike what Sheogorath did, although possibly more well-intentioned. And what would we talk to her about anyway, even if she is at home?
If we should need to visit Divayth Fyr again - or pretty much any place on Vvardenfell or even the island of Solstheim - not readily accessible by silt strider, teleport service, or boat? Buy a couple cheap Rising Force (levitation) potions and at least one recall scroll, then stop by Vivec (the city) and pay a visit to the Shrine to Stop the Moon. Offer the potion at the shrine and ask for a blessing, and fly around for what should be 24 full minutes at a reasonably high speed. (At least, it was in vanilla. Not sure about this version.) Find the place from the air, and still likely float around while you're there. Beats the heck out of 15 seconds of water-walk here and there. (Awesomicus may still be interested in this.) I'll should note that despite it's fine speed (100 points of levitation), it's still not fast enough to completely escape cliff racers. Although if you're careful you should be able to see them far enough in advance to avoid them so long as you're not in fog or an ash storm. And if they spot you anyway, you can still lose them in trees or something. You are close enough to the ground for trees or giant mushrooms, right?
We know how to get to Pelagiad without too much difficulty, and we should probably look up Nelvyn Andrano at some point even though we no longer have the recommendation letter from Ranis. But that's something for after we've got the time and money to spare, and not only do we not have the gold, but we still haven't made up for that month lost in basic training when we joined the legion.
Finally, somewhere out there, some poor schlub of a dunmer is either looking for the tallest tree in Sheogorad, or trying to get as far away from Vvardenfell as possible. He may be carrying or have sold the stuff he took off our body while we were dead, including but not limited to an enchanted dagger, a Rainbow Dash shirt, and a dwemer puzzle cube with a note inside it for Divayth Fyr. It's worth it to note that there's very few trees in the Sheogorad region unless you count giant mushrooms.
======
So, is this worth attempting to continue, or should it be allowed to stay dead? I'm still interested here.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 28, 2015, 08:31:18 pm
Post by: Arcvasti on March 28, 2015, 10:50:44 pm
Post by: LordBucket on March 28, 2015, 11:00:52 pm
LordBucket, I look forward to your eventual MST3000 version, should you see fit to release it.
I've moved to a different computer since I started this, but I made a point of redundantly backing up everything several times. The MST3K writeups, if I recall correctly, were finished up to episode 20 or so. They still exist.
If LB is still interested, I'd be interested in continuing, I just hadn't been able to think of other short-term plans.
I'm still here.I still check this thread. I'm still willing to continue. But like Sparksol (and others) have pointed out, suggestions last round were somewhat lacking. Participation dropped off a whole lot, and I'm not sure whether it was because DF_40 was released, or because people were annoyed by ponies.
If people want to continue,then post. The premise of this game is, was and has always been the same. That makes it easy for me to pick it back up and continue. But like I've commented a couple times, I kind of thought that somebody would "get it" and the whole thing would last maybe three months. I don't want to rush it. By its nature this is a story that has to play itself out. But I think it would be fair to say that the underlaying premise here is somewhat slightly more complicated than I think many players were expecting...and I do have some concern that if you guys don't, umm...pull it together a little better...it could potentially go on for years without being resolved.
This is a good game. This is a thing I'm moderately proud of, even. But is it a game you guys want to play? Or did I throw too much at you?
If you guys want to play, then let's play.
Do you want to play? If so, then...
What do you do?
Post by: Dermonster on March 28, 2015, 11:05:51 pm
Post by: Baffler on March 31, 2015, 12:21:49 pm
(http://images.uesp.net/thumb/4/4d/MW-npc-Dralas_Gilu.jpg/180px-MW-npc-Dralas_Gilu.jpg)
Post by: WillowLuman on March 31, 2015, 12:24:05 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on March 31, 2015, 09:43:00 pm
Oh yes! We've been trying to interrogate a dreamer for quite some time.+1
Though we should really still figure out what we're going to do in the long/medium/not immediate run. I'm pretty lost myself.
Post by: joemoben on March 31, 2015, 10:39:17 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on March 31, 2015, 10:52:07 pm
Post by: Arcvasti on March 31, 2015, 10:56:31 pm
Right now, it seems like our best bet is to gather as many clues from as many sources as possible. The Sixth House, Azura and the other ponies[Especially Pinkie Pie] seem to be the best candidates. Azura in particular seems important and we should do the levitatey thing over to her shrine once we're done in this immediate area.
Post by: LordBucket on April 01, 2015, 01:05:37 am
Since we're sure the password the ferryman was "party", we should definitely investigate that place, if its nearby.
Yes, it's nearby. Back when you had a full suit of armor and a magic weapon to defend yourself with, it was the place you nevertheless died on the way back from in Episode 62 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5341983#msg5341983).
Are you sure you want to go back there right now?
In other news, since we're ressurecting this, I have plans for tommorrow night, and will probably start working on the update Thursday night.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 01, 2015, 05:49:05 am
Well what do we mean by interrogate? Do we mean to simply ask him some questions, or the kind of interrogation were we take him to a safe place and beat the living daylights out of the guy in order to get answers? Michael has been known to misconstrue our intentions before, and clarification here might save us a boatload of trouble.I doubt Michael has the physical strength to think getting rough with him is a good idea, but it doesn't hurt to specify.
Especially since I'm not actually sure what the proper approach for this would be either. "Hello, do you have time to talk to me about your savior Lord Dagoth?"
Much as I really want to go back for that, getting us killed in the exact same manner twice in a row should probably be avoided if at all possible.Since we're sure the password the ferryman was "party", we should definitely investigate that place, if its nearby.
Yes, it's nearby. Back when you had a full suit of armor and a magic weapon to defend yourself with, it was the place you nevertheless died on the way back from in Episode 62 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126387.msg5341983#msg5341983).
Are you sure you want to go back there right now?
Plus... Pinkie's helpfulness may be somewhat suspect. I have no doubt she's fairly perceptive and benign, but... well, there's a reason her friends chose to interpret her actions towards us as "Huh? Whatever, Pinkies gonna Pinkie."
Though this does bring us back to our eternal problem of being too weak to really go anywhere or do anything in general. Do we have a plan for getting out of Pelagiad, much less to wherever else we want to go?
Post by: Sparksol on April 02, 2015, 05:35:00 am
After that, I've got one of two things in mind now. The first idea is that we head for Azura's Shrine by means of the Shrine to Stop the Moon and see if she'll talk to us there. The other idea also involves the Shrine to Stop the Moon, and heading directly for Dagoth Ur. If anyone else feels like going somewhere else on the way, that's fine, but I want to work on getting there. I'm tired of piddling about in confusion and getting nowhere the slow way.
Post by: LordBucket on April 02, 2015, 10:36:42 pm
April 3 update: Episode is half written, but technical difficulties with the computer I have the game installed on. Nothing is lost, I made redundant backups, but going to have to swap a drive to a different computer. Busy Sat/Sun nights. If we're fortunate, update Monday/Tuesday night.
Post by: Sparksol on April 04, 2015, 07:24:51 pm
Post by: LordBucket on April 07, 2015, 05:15:56 pm
Guys, I'm really not stalling. I have redundant copies of all the game files, but the .iso is on a computer that is giving a continuous beep (http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm) and putting nothing on the display when I power it on. Unfortunately, the drive is of a different type (SATA vs IDE) than either of my other machines, which means I can't just swap it out. So I'm torrenting a replacement now.
Bear with me. Because bears are cute and cuddly.
Post by: Sparksol on April 08, 2015, 01:53:08 am
Post by: gordy on May 18, 2015, 08:11:41 pm
Post by: Sparksol on June 02, 2015, 05:12:54 pm
Post by: bahihs on June 02, 2015, 07:23:48 pm
Considering that, looking back at the first post, who or what are the voices that begin speaking (in blue)? They can't be us, because the game hadn't started yet (unless there is some shenanigans with time) they could be OP, but what the voices are saying and what the OP wrote till that point doesn't match. That leaves either these other characters, who are apparently playing the game normally (i.e through a computer) or some other entity (gods and the like). Yet there is no evidence of the latter two (I don't remember anyone else, other than ourselves, talking to the main characters brain, I could be wrong though).
Also, it seems the game takes a different turn after the Vivec meeting (which OP admits), yet I imagine alot of the original is still intact (I would imagine the other characters were going to be put in regardless). That said, these other characters are probably the crux of this game and whatever we do, it should revolve around them.
Honestly though I don't care for any of these things. Since the main character is only imaginary and not "real" (whatever that means), and since we can't seem to manipulate the game world in any useful way, and because the game world seems to be more flexible than the actual game, the game world is as good as any other world and so in my humble opinion, we should get rid of these other characters and simply live in peace in the game world.
In any case, what happens if we do nothing to stop whatshisface to steal the whatchamacallit? The game only advances when we do stuff doesn't it (Morrowind I mean, though this forum certainly counts)? Unless the main character can only do things while the game (Morrowind) is being played by these other characters (which contradicts the premise, since the main character existed before he entered the game) our main goal should just be to get rid of them. It makes no sense to return to a world in which the main character was clearly mediocre (OP makes that quite clear).
Well that's all assuming this thing even going to be continued. If not, it would be nice if the OP revealed the "grand secret".
Post by: Sparksol on June 03, 2015, 05:42:42 pm
First part, broadly correct, though he could also just be a copy of someone else that someone or something made for the purposes of this, either by accident or design.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
As to the game only advancing when we do stuff, you said yourself this version seems to be more flexible; it's likely that events would continue to happen as time passed whether outsiders were playing the game or not.
When it comes to getting rid of these other outsiders...how? We certainly can't physically or magically overpower them, especially since at least some of them have access to cheat codes and we don't. We might be able to reason with them and get them to not come back, but then what happens to us? We/Michael's been told he's the only real native in this world. So who are all these other people?
As far as staying here in peace, it's not a bad idea. This being something resembling Vvardenfell, at the moment that includes either staying close to guards or training up to become as strong as we could in the normal game. Which could be a problem if other things are going to happen even if we don't advance the story. (If they don't, then that could work out, eventually.)
I suspect that one of these deific/daedric/magical outsiders - or possibly players, and also possibly powerful entites that are also being players - might have set this in motion, either on purpose or accidentally, hoping to get a friend.
And finally, yes. It would be nice to know what's going on, since we're not apparently very good at figuring it out.
Post by: LordBucket on June 04, 2015, 12:35:35 am
Yeah, I'm just going to make some changes and publish. Hopefully anybody who saw this post before it was deleted didn't see anything too spoily.
Update should be up in a couple hours.
Post by: LordBucket on June 04, 2015, 06:05:28 am
Episode 68, part 1: Pelagiad
Quote
If the sleeper/dreamer is here, let's talk with him
Quote
+1 to going to Pelagiad to question dreamer/sleeper
Quote
find and interrogate Pelagiad's dreamer if he's still around. His name is Dralas Gilu.
Quote
Oh yes!
Quote
+1
You walk into Pelagiad and take a look around.
(http://i.imgur.com/zhsAStR.png)
Not many people. Just a Nord walking in your direction and an Imperial guard...peering into a window? Curious, you walk up.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Hi."
He turns around then suddenly leaps to attention.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yessirwhatisitsir!"
Surprised by his reaction, you don't answer right away. About halfway through the awkward silence, he decides to salute you.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Umm...at ease, soldier."
He relaxes the salute but refuses to make eye contact and is clearly very tense.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "New recruit?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes sir! New recruit sir!"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What did they do to you during training to make you react like this?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Sir?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Who was your training officer?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Champion Valus Junius sir!"
You don't recognize the name. Whoever he is, he was obviously more strict than Strillian. While you consider how to respond you notice him peering at you out of the corner of his eye and frowning.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Something the matter?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "No! No sir, I just..."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What is it?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I'm sorry sir, I can't make out your rank designation."
Oh. Come to think of it, you're not even sure what your own Legion mark looks like. Strillian never taught you to recognize them because you hadn't even learned to see magicka yet back then.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "What does it look like?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "It looks like...no offense sir, but it looks a lot like the recruit designation, except there's an extra symbol I don't recognize."
The detached duty mark, most likely.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "So you assumed I was some rare officer's rank they never taught you."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, I'm not very good with magicka."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Relax, neither am I. So what's your name?"
Instantly he's back at attention. You consider telling him you don't outrank him, but it just doesn't seem very important to go out of your way to point it out.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Recruit Lorgren Vesuius! Designation MW-8609 sir!"
MW? If you remember your Legion training correctly, that means that...
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "You were recruited on mainland Morrowind? Not Vvardenfell? What brings you here?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "My cohort was ordered to report here three days ago under command of Knight Protector Darius, sir."
A full cohort? You vaguely remember something about Darius requesting reinforcements, but if what Lorgren is telling you is correct, that means there are over 100 new legionnaires on the island. Maybe cavalry too. Apparently they're taking recent developments very seriously.
You carefully consider what to do. He thinks you're an officer. You could probably give him orders and he'd follow them. But that could backfire very easily.
Quote
find and interrogate Pelagiad's dreamer if he's still around. His name is Dralas Gilu.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Very well, recruit. I'm in Pelagaid looking for a Dralas Gilu. Do you know where I might find him?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Sorry...no, sir. I've only been in Pelagiad since this morning. I haven't met everyone yet, sir."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Why were you looking through the window?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Sir?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "When I walked up you were looking through that window. Why?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Just trying to get a feel for the town, sir."
You peek in through the window. Looks like a tavern. Tables, chair, a couple patrons at the bar. Nothing obviously unusual.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Very well, recruit. Carry on."
You decide to leave the poor guy be. You have a Dreamer to find. Though while you're looking, you may as well get some other things out of the way too.
Quote
either dilute or expensive potion to make several lower strength ones, or sell it for the same.
Quote
Nalcarya mentioned that she dilutes most of her potions so they're at a level useful to the average person, so it's most certainly possible. The question is, what with? Urine perhaps? She said that was the "base" of potions. Or just regular ol' water? Can the potion be contaminated?
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Yeah, she never actually taught me how to do that. Umm...if I were to just guess, it's probably not as simple as just adding water. The calcination step incinerates all the bacteria from the fermentation process, and I think that's important for some reason. There's water in the final product, yes, but it's been pretty thoroughly cleaned up. Maybe if you run it through a retort first. And if you added urine instead...I'm not sure, but that might make the potion stronger or something. Might be worth experimenting with, but let's not do it with my only potion. Remember that Awesomicus made this. It's probably worth a lot."
Quote
or sell it
Quote
we have one emergency healing potion, although it's one heck of a good one; we should have it appraised to see what it's worth
Quote
selling that fancy healing potion and buying a couple regular emergency healing potions.
Pelagiad itself is sort of a podunk little town without much in the way of stores or services. No guilds, and not even a silt strider. But it does have a Legion fort. Figuring that they'll give you better prices than the general trader, you head in that direction.
(http://i.imgur.com/p0kbMmQ.png)
You see two other Legionnaires on your way in. Certainly not a heavy presence, but Pelagiad isn't exactly the most important settlement on the island. But then neither was Khuul, and that was the first place Dagoth Ur's minions attacked.
Heading inside you find a few more Legionnaires milling about, an orc selling weapons and armor, and eventually an Imperial Cult shrine with a healer.
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Blessings of the Nine Divines, Recruit. I'm Ygfa, a humble servant of our ancestors. How may I help you today?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Hi, I'm Michael. I was wondering if you buy and sell potions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Of course. May Zenithar guide me."
You hand her the potion Awesomicus gave you. She sniffs it.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "How much will you give me for that?"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "It is a fortunate mix, heal and fatigue. And drain willpower is not so terrible. Would you accept 50 septims?"
You haggle her up to 55 and buy back two Cheap Restore Health potions from her for 27.
Gold is now 79
You're not entirely sure how good of a deal that was. Awesomicus' potion was way stronger than these two, but it's a net plus in terms of gold which is really what you need right now. Plus, two weak panic potions can potentially keep you alive one more time than a single really strong potion that would probably waste the majority of its effect anyway.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "By the way, can you teach me how to dilute potions?"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Oh, forgive me, no. That teaching is restricted to devoted followers of the blessed Aedra, may we ever follow their divine guidance."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...right."
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Do you know of the Nine Divines?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...well, actually-"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "In the beginning, there was nothing but the Void. From the Void came two brothers. Stasis, known to us as Anu, and change, known as Padomay."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...I actually wasn't-"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "From the interplay of the two brothers amidst Void, was brought forth Nir, the creation. Anu, being all, loved Nir very much. Whereas Padomay, having acted upon Anu in Nir's creation, was driven to jealousy by Anu's love of another."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...umm, that's fascinating and all, but-"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "In a fit of rage, Padomay slew Nir, destroying all of creation! But all was not lost, as Anu gathered up the shattered remains of creation and gathered them up into the 12 worlds!"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Out of curiosity, why 12?"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Forgive me, it is not the place of a humble servant such as I to speculate on such matters. I know and speak only truth. But alas, even these worlds spawned from creation were not to be. For Padomay in her rage again brought forth destruction, and from these 12 shattered worlds, Anu created one alone, known as Nirn."
Nirn? That's this planet, right?
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Enraged, Anu and Padomay fought, scattering their blood throughout the Void, and then withdrew from it, lost to us for all time. And yet their blood remained. From Anu's blood came the divine, glorious Aedra. And from Padomay, the vile and treacherous daedra, who seek only to mislead us."
Ok, you actually kind of remember some of this. She just started from an obscure part of the story that was never very relevant to the game.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "So where do the nine Divines fit into this?"
She claps and smiles happily at your question.
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Oh, very good question! The Nine Divines are our Gods! Our ancestors! We, peoples of Nirn. Eight Aedra alone took part in the creation of Mundus. Akatosh, Dragon lord of Time, Arkay, God of birth and death, Dibella the Queen of Heaven and Goddess of beauty and love, Kynareth- "
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Could I get the abbreviated version? And how does Azura fit into all this again?"
Her face turns to a scowl.
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Vile deceiver! Speak not her name aloud, lest she hear and come to fill your head with lies."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Really? Az-"
She raises an eyebrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...umm, 'she' is...bad?"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Of course! Like all daedra, she comes from the blood of Padomay. They did not take part in the creation of our world, and we are not theirs."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "The, umm...dunmer seem to think highly of her."
Her whole body visibly deflates as as sighs and look sadly at the ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "Yes. Yes, they do. May Stendarr forgive them."
There's a moment of silence. You decide to take advantage of it.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Well, it's been great chatting with you, but I have places to be, so-"
(http://i.imgur.com/wpv0Uit.png): "May I-"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "No, sorry...gotta go."
You leave the fort and wander around. The Dreamer at Caius' house recognized you and called you by name immediately upon seeing you, and then there was that whole scene in Seyda Neen with the Ascended Sleeper trying to take you back to Red Mountain. You figure that being seen is probably at least as good a way to find the Dreamer as looking for him. But Pelagiad isn't very big, and before long you begin to wonder if he's not here. Ask at the tavern, maybe?
You step inside to a trio of Nords enthusiastically competing for turns to tell a story of some kind to the dunmer behind the bar. The one speaking when you walk in stops to glances over to look at you as you come in. Another takes advantage of the pause to take his place as storyteller.
(http://i.imgur.com/2AkNSj7.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/fXv802C.png): "...an' then you know what he did?"
(http://i.imgur.com/TvszAWu.png): "No, do tell."
(http://i.imgur.com/fXv802C.png): "He wailed like a pig and died!"
(http://i.imgur.com/qwegO8Z.png): "Bwahhahha"
(http://i.imgur.com/TvszAWu.png): "Haha, oh-ho! Oh dear, my sides!"
You briefly wonder what sort of joke led up to that punchline, but decide to not ask. Instead you approach the bartender.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Hello, I'm looking for Dralas Gilu. Any idea where I might find him?"
She snorts.
(http://i.imgur.com/TvszAWu.png): "No, outlander. I've no idea where that fetcher has gone off to. But good riddance."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "I take it he was not well liked?"
(http://i.imgur.com/fXv802C.png): "Blackguard owes me 50 gold."
(http://i.imgur.com/qwegO8Z.png): "An' me 100. "
(http://i.imgur.com/fXv802C.png): "Aye. If ye find him, bring me his head and I'll buy you a drink. The good stuff too, not the swill Drelasa here is servin' us."
(http://i.imgur.com/TvszAWu.png): "As if you could tell the difference after as many as you've had."
(http://i.imgur.com/fXv802C.png): "Them's fighting words, lass! You'd need to fill up to the neck with this for me to notice."
(http://i.imgur.com/qwegO8Z.png): "Aye, it is a bit tame. But it reminds me of a tale from back home. I once knew a fool, decent with a mace, but thicker than argonian ale. One night..."
...and they're back to story telling. Might as well leave, they don't seem to know where the Dreamer is. And from the sound of it, he might have skipped town. Or Caius might already have taken care of him. He did send out a couple Blades to go round them up. You'd kind of been hoping they'd only managed to find the ones in Balmora, but maybe they were more effective than that.
If Dralas isn't here, there isn't a lot of reason for you to stay in Pelegiad.
(continued in part 2)
Post by: LordBucket on June 04, 2015, 06:05:50 am
Episode 68, part 2: The safe road to chaos
Quote
You should probably head towards Seyda Neen
Quote
we should go to seyda neen
Quote
I support any suggestion that leads us to civilization, or at least somewhere with access to the strider network.
Quote
If Sheogorath/Discord shows up, it might be in Seyda Neen
(http://i.imgur.com/OmF2ZSh.png)
Judging from the position of the sun it looks like it's a little past midday. There's no silt strider or mage guild transport out of Peleagiad, but Seyda Neen is the next town over, and it was an uneventful trip when you passed through the general area with Draren several days ago. You're hesitant, but figure you can probably make it before sundown if you don't spend too much time stopping to pick herbs.
Setting out down the road, and with nothing else to do, you have a chat with the voices along the way.
Quote
Azura has two shrines on Vvardenfell. If we have to go all the way to the Cavern of the Incarnate instead of her regular shrine,
a more roundabout route will be needed even with long-lasting high-speed levitation, otherwise we'll be the eye of a Cliff Racer tornado.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "The Cavern of the Incarnate is inside the Ghost fence though. That's Dagoth Ur's back yard. I'm not sure how easy it's going to be to get to Azura's main shine way up on that cliff on the coast, or even to find it without being able to look at a minimap for that matter. But I doubt walking around near a monster infested volcano in an ash storm is going to be any easier. And remember that the Dreamer Caius was interrogating immediately recognized me, even called me by name...and the Ascended Sleeper at Seyda Neen offered to call off his attack if I'd go back to Red Mountain with him. Dagoth Ur obviously wants me for something. Is it really a good idea to go hang out on his front doorstep and hope he doesn't notice?"
Quote
we have no way of being sure that she'll talk to us. I mean heck, Azura's quest in Morrowind involves a bet between her and Sheogorath, and we went and asked him for help.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Maybe, but remember I was dead at the time, and it's not like I asked for him to show up. Whereas I DID try praying to Azura when the sun rose. I'm guessing she won't be offended that we consorted with the enemy. Plus, so far everyone's been very willing to talk to me. Vivec, Divath, Yagrum...some of the most secluded and powerful entities on the island. Plus Sheogorath and apparently either Hermaeus Mora or one of his minions...I somehow doubt Azura would refuse to speak to me if I showed up at her shrine. And remember that I have her mark inside my head. Divayth and Caius both confirmed that. Presumably she already has some sort of vested interest in me. If not, absolute worst case we can try start talking to the ashlander tribes and start running through the hoops to become the Nerevarine, and that should make her interested. Although...Clover had obviously been cured of Corprus when I saw her. Does that mean that she's the Nerevarine and that I can't be? We should probably talk to Divayth at some point to find out for sure whether it was his potion that cured her. But honestly I'd like to be stronger before I make that trip again. I think I kind of got lucky the first time, and now that I know what it's like to be dead, I'd really rather not do it again. Plus, that dunmer that Sheogorath encouraged to loot my body took the puzzle cube that Divayth and Yagrum were using to send private messages back and forth. And Yagrum specifically said the message inside was about me. It's going to be the first thing they ask about if I go back, and I don't really want to have to tell the strongest Telvanni magelord on the island that I lost his toy."
Quote
Since some players have done certain parts of the main quest, and other players did other parts, the main quest as we know it might well be broken now.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Yeah, I've lost track of how many ways the main quest has been broken. Caius left early. There was that whole thing with Clover and corprus. There are apparently four new strongholds instead of just the one. Who's the Hortator? How are the Great Houses going to agree on a single leader if they're all backing somebody different? And what about Vivec? Remember, the temple was supposed to be hunting down the 'false Nerevarine' for a while before Vivec finally got on board. But I spoke with him pretty much first thing when I got here about me possibly being the Nerevarine, and he didn't so much as blink."
Michale ponders for a moment.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Ok, let's walk through this. Let's say Clover is the Nerevarine. Caius sent her to Iluinibi, she contracted corprus, and she's been cured. That's one of the requirements for the Ashlander prophecy, and it's all straight out of the Main Quest. But, Awesomicus, Adorabella and SexyWithers are the ones who have strongholds, on behalf of Houses Redoran, Hlaalu and Telvanni respectfully. Plus Miss Imare werewolf Pie, and we still have no idea who's she's affiliated with. Meanwhile Clover, the one who most looks like she's probably the Nerevarine, doesn't have a stronghold at all. Receiving the support of a single Great House and then becoming the Hortator for all three of them is just as much a part of the Main Quest as being cured of corprus and making the Ashlanders happy. But how are the Great Houses going to agree to back a single person when they've all chosen different candidates?"
Michael shrugs.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "I don't know. I've been saying for a while I think the Main Quest might be broken. Maybe we can fix it. But how? Kill the other three, so the Great Houses all back Clover, who's the only one the Ashlanders will accept? Or can anybody be cured of corprus and can we choose anyone we want? For that matter, what do we even need approval from the Ashlanders for? They were a huge part of the Main Quest, but apart from that green glass artifact sword in the cave, I don't remember that entire quest arc contributing anything other than convincing the Tribunal Temple and Vivec to be cooperative. And we've already spoken with Vivec. I'm not sure whether the Ashlanders matter anymore."
"On the other hand, what if Clover isn't the Nerevarine? We know she was cured of corprus, yes, but she said she has console access. Is it possible she simply used that to cure herself? And in fact, isn't console access one of the interpretations given for Vivec's ascensions to godhood? I never managed to read through all 36 of the sermons books, but isn't that one of the theories? And Maximus said that he used to have console access too, until Clover took it away from him. So do they all have console access? Are they all Nerevarines? Can anybody become one? Is that what the deal is with the Cavern of the Incarnate and that whole sequence talking to all the 'failed' Nerevarines?"
Michael's thoughts are interrupted by a patrol on the road.
(http://i.imgur.com/7NJ5aWF.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Hello."
One of the Legionnaires speaks up for the both of them.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Well met."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "You two on your way to Pelegiad?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Indeed."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "I'm Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Apius Vant. We weren't introduced, but I remember you from the Seyda Neen debriefing. You were the one who asked whether reinforcements would be coming from the mainland."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Yes, that was me."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Detached duty?"
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "...yes. Detached duty. Important Imperial Legion...duty...stuff."
He nods and doesn't say anything. After a moment of looking back and forth at the two of you, the other Legionnaire shrugs and introduces himself.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I'm Lucius. Nice to meet you."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "You too. So...Lucius. I'm guessing that you're one of those reinforcements I asked about?"
Now that you've been here for a while, it's uncanny how obvious an outlander is. His speech, his manner...he's clearly not a local.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Yes. Been in the Legion for about six months, and Trooper Vant here is showing me the local routes. But wow, it's great to be here! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a transfer? I didn't think I'd ever get to see this island. Vivec city! And what about that giant mudcrab town? Is that for real? What about the Ghost Fence? And the Buoyant Armigers! Did you know that they fly? All of them!"
You can't tell for sure through the helmet, but you think Apius rolled his eyes at that. Lucius continues unhindered.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "So what else should I see? What are the sights? Or is it all just boring same-as-always to you? Where are the best off-duty hangouts? Can you hook me up with a cute dunmer? Rumor back home is that the island is brim full of crazy magic sluts, but so far I can't even get any local girls to talk to me. Apius here has been pretty tight-lipped about-"
Apius takes that moment to interrupt.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "As eager as you are to experience the culture, Trooper, I doubt Recruit Michael will be able to assist you. Like you, he's...also new to the island."
You chuckle.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "It's ok. You can say it. I'm an outlander."
As if it were possible, he stiffens.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "No, you're an Imperial Legionnaire. You serve the Emperor, and you are therefore worthy of my respect."
You wait for a moment, expecting there to be a 'but' after that statement, but he doesn't give one.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "We should resume our patrol."
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Oh. Right. Sorry. Nice to meet you, Michael."
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "You too. See you around."
Apius nods, Lucius waves and the two resume their patrol.
Watching as they go it's difficult to tell the two apart in their armor, but the personality differences were striking. You briefly wonder how the locals will adapt to having an entire cohort of outlanders on the island, all with foreign customs and mannerisms. Vvardenfell is notoriously clannish, and there will probably be some ruffled feathers. But at least they're more likely to live to be annoyed by it.
You resume your walk, practicing your Destruction skill as you go. You still fail a lot of spellcasts, but nevertheless feel like you're still improving at a reasonable rate.
Quote
I will support singing for no reason
it is your call on the song.
Quote
Singing "Let it go" again isn't a terrible idea.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Sure, we can do that."
Michael thinks for a moment, then smirks and begins singing.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "The moon glows bright on my kingdom tonight, but I'm nowhere to be seen.
It's lunar isolation, and it looks like, I'm the queen.
My stars are glowing unappreciated now.
Tried to keep it in, but I don't know how.
Don't let them in, don't let them see,
Be the good mare you always have to be
Conceal don't feel, don't let them know.
Well now they know!
Let it go, let it go...can't hold it back anymore.
Let it go, let it go. Show them what your power's for.
The moon is mine. And it's here to stay...let the night rage on...
The dark never bothered me anyway.
It's funny how some distance, makes everything seem small.
The sister who controlled me, can't get to me at all!
I'll get back, I'll get her soon, you can call me, Princess Nightmare Moon!
No right no wrong, no rules for me...I'm free!"
Destruction skill is now 21
Michael continues singing.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Let it go, let it go!
I am one with outer space...let it go, let it go...
It's the darkness you will face.
Here I stand, and here I stay...let the night rage on...
My power flows into the nightmare's of each soul
I'm starting to feel like the villain in this episode.
The darkness covers over everybody's screams!
No, you don't want me back.
I'm evil now it seems.
Let it go, let it go...
I'm the Princess of the Night!
Let it go, let it go...I'll be causing all this fright!
Here me now, no more light of day,
Let the night rage on!
The dark never bothered me anyway."
As you pass by the silt strider outside Seyda Neen, the sun begins to drop close enough to the horizon that the ash in the air makes it seem red. More interesting, however, is the Legionnaire apparently escorting a naked Breton woman up the ramp.
(http://i.imgur.com/LTrUne5.png)
Upon closer inspection you see that she's not completely naked. She's wearing magic-suppressing slave bracers? Curious, you approach.
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Prisoner transport for two to Balmora."
She woman gushes enthusiastically.
(http://i.imgur.com/GcuzO4h.png): "Woohoo! I'm a prisoner! Never would have guessed what that's like!"
(http://i.imgur.com/4HlfZg7.png): "That will be 10 gold, sera."
As the guard counts out his coins, you interrupt.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Excuse me, Legionnaire, but what are the charges?"
(http://i.imgur.com/GcuzO4h.png): "Indecent assault!"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "I've already told you, outlander. Nudity, though frowned on, is not a crime. Stealing forks and stabbing guards in the chest with them is."
She shrugs nonchalantly.
(http://i.imgur.com/GcuzO4h.png): "Well, I wasn't aiming for his chest. It was his fault for moving his face out of the way."
Quote
If Sheogorath/Discord shows up, it might be in Seyda Neen
You make a wild guess.
(http://i.imgur.com/OG3leap.png): "Discord?"
The woman looks briefly surprised then drops forward into a deep bow.
(http://i.imgur.com/GcuzO4h.png): "At your service. And you are?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Enough. Onto the transport, outlander. I think you'll find the cells at Fort Moonmoth less easy to escape from than those in the Census Office."
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipped (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Faction standings (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells known (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Alchemy Knowledge (click to show/hide)
What do you do?
Post by: WillowLuman on June 04, 2015, 11:56:14 am
(http://forums.ag.ru/files/Cavern_of_Incarnate.JPG)
...not inside the ghost fence. But it is way off in the boonies, in the ashlands no less, so still probably dangerous.
Post by: Putnam on June 05, 2015, 03:26:15 am
(Oh yeah, and "why 12?" is likely significant)
Post by: QuakeIV on June 05, 2015, 11:57:34 am
Uhh, I have no intelligent suggestions, I'll get back to you.
Post by: Baffler on June 06, 2015, 02:31:55 pm
Uhh, I have no intelligent suggestions, I'll get back to you.
Same. Though it's good to know that we know where Sheogorath/Discord is going, I suppose, not that they're likely to stay there for long.
Post by: WillowLuman on June 06, 2015, 02:49:21 pm
"Excuse me, legionnaire, may I have a word with your prisoner?"
Post by: Sparksol on June 27, 2015, 05:34:12 am
...and there's been precious few responses.
Hmm. If our focus is to be Discord, then rather than interrupt, we could ask or offer to go along to Moonmoth and talk to Discord while there. If we're not here for Discord (other than possibly the convenient Siltstrider access) then...I dunno. I must admit to having lost track of why we came here.
Post by: LordBucket on June 27, 2015, 07:12:37 am
there's been precious few responses.
I've noticed that.
Post by: NullForceOmega on June 27, 2015, 09:57:06 am
Post by: gordy on June 28, 2015, 08:33:55 pm
Post by: Sparksol on July 09, 2015, 10:15:00 pm
Sorry LordBucket, I gave it a shot. Let me know if you put up the extras and MST3K treatment.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 09, 2015, 10:17:47 pm
I honestly don't know what to ask the prisoner, I'd probably have to reread. I know what I'd have us ask a Dreamer, but not Discord.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 17, 2015, 08:01:33 am
Where are we again?
We're in Seyda Neen, in Morrowind, in what is apparently a Pony MMO. That may or may not be forged out of our mind by Luna, or something. We know we're less but not exclusively less NPClike than most other NPCs where "PCs" are concerned; enough to arouse Twilight Sparkle's suspicions, but not so much that, for instance, NPCs can't also be clever about combat.
Otherwise, we're pretty lost as to who or what we are, and thus what we should be doing.
What do we want?
Weeeeell... figuring out who or what we are, how the world works, and so on would all be pretty nice. Unfortunately we're too weak and poor to do that effectively, and most PCs seem to think we're just another NPC, and therefore... well, the topic of help help we're trapped in the game is kind of an oddly sensitive one.
What are our options?
It's likely that diplomacy is our best bet; it's likely that we have a lot more information than we realize, but that doesn't help us much if we're unable to piece it together. Which leaves asking a friend... most of whom likely won't know either. Assuming we can find them, which we often can't.
Trying to get stronger is another possibility, but we've repeatedly been shown to be slow and bad at it.
Finally, we could go off the rails and attempt to do something else. Stop Dagoth Ur even though he might not matter? Help Dagoth Ur even though he might try to eat the world? Become a humble saltrice farmer for the rest of our days?
We could also, unrelated to game actions, just go back through and try to puzzle out what we've forgotten or missed... but of course, that's work, so it's hardly something we can rely on.
How do we make this happen?
If we want to get stronger, we need to find a place we can grind skills. Our partnership with that mook healer was probably our best bet at that.
If we want to go off the rails, we need to figure out what and why to puzzle out how.
If we want to find a PC and tell them everything and beg them for help, we've got a number of options and no good ways to find any of them:
Clover (Twilight Sparkle): The most scholarly of the Mane Six, and thus a good bet for helping us figure this out... if she doesn't get sidetracked or begin console-resetting us or something. Known Mages Guild affiliations.
Adorabella (Rarity): A vain self-obsessed mage, and thus unlikely to be our first choice for assistance. Still, supposedly very generous, so maybe...? Known Mages Guild affiliations, I believe Hlaalu connections and stronghold ownership?
Awesomeicus (Rainbow Dash): Arguably the second most stereotypically PC of the PCs, and eager to do things herself to set her above Twilight's usual save-the-day shenanigans. Which makes it all the more unfortunate that we alienated her by telling her that only with Twlight Sparkle's help could she hey wait where are you going. Will to play likely low, known Fighters Guild affiliations. And Redoran affiliations and stronghold ownership? I forget.
Bjorn Deathdealer (Fluttershy): A kind-hearted barbarian who wants to help animals. Supposedly got discouraged and stopped playing early on; last heard owed 1400 to the Fighters Guild and had a corresponding 700 gold bounty on his head.
Imare (Pinkie Pie): A loony werewolf with ample fourth wall knowledge. No doubt benevolent and willing to help, but also loony and unlikely to be especially coherent. Suspected secret stronghold owner.
? ? ? (Applejack): Purely theoretical. No known affiliations or qualities; very existence unconfirmed.
SexyWithers (Princess Luna): Strangely blunt and mechanical player with impressive martial prowess. Goals and motivations unknown. Known Telvanni Councilor.
? ? ? (Discord): Possibly also or related to Sheogorath, Eris, and pretty much any/every chaos god/entity across the multiverse. No doubt reasonably powerful or at least capable, but... well, saying she might be Sheogorath should explain her levels of focus and desire to do coherent things pretty well. May have joined as a consequence of us dying or being revived; connotations of this uncertain. No known affiliations, currently standing right in front of us bound for Fort Moonmoth prison for assault with a fork.
So what do we do right now?
If we want to grind, we should return to whatshisface's house to see if he's home and ready for more healing-us-while-we-stab-things mushroom runs.
If we want to do something different, we should head to the abandoned lighthouse where we stole that lady's last memento of her husband from, stare dramatically into the sunset, and monologue about what we're going to try to do and why.
If we're going to run screaming to a PC for assistance, we should presumably seek out their buddies:
Clover: Mages Guild
Adorabella: Mages Guild, House Hlaalu (I think)
Awesomeicus: Any of her friends who can convince her to come play again; Fighters Guild, House Redoran (I think)
Bjorn: Any of her friends (Discord included) who can convince her to come play again. And ideally pay off her bounty.
Imare: ...does she have any affiliations? Hlaalu, maybe? Arguably anyone who can get us to her boatman safely, at which point we can try the password of "Party" and be completely back to square one if that doesn't work or she's not at home. Alternatively, begin doing interpretive dances to lure her to us via ESP.
(Applejack): Unknown. Only surefire method would be contacting one of her friends.
SexyWithers: House Telvanni, or possibly someone who can get us to her tower alive.
(Discord): Begin speaking. Well, the guard appears to be out of patience, so maybe follow along to Moonmoth, pay off her bounty, or something of that nature.
So again: What do we want to do? I'm leaning towards finding a not-Discord PC, telling them the truth or some of the truth, and hoping they can escort us to SexyWithers/Luna to unravel what's going on. I'm also leaning a little towards either ignoring Discord or inviting him to meet us elsewhere or something, but if we think he's worth the trouble we've probably got options for getting him off the hook or following him around.
Post by: gordy on July 19, 2015, 04:42:34 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 19, 2015, 04:53:49 am
Post by: vjmdhzgr on July 19, 2015, 10:51:12 pm
EDIT:Oh I also need to remember the birth sign thing, and hats important too.
Post by: vjmdhzgr on July 19, 2015, 11:25:58 pm
So the simplest part is the birth sign thing. So a few pages ago somebody talked about birth signs or something and it might have been a year ago, but to me it was like an hour. So there was a chart of real life months to elder scrolls months to elder scrolls birth signs, and then Michael mentioned Taurus so that would mean one of two months which would mean one of two birth signs which would be either the shadow or the mage. Now the mage could make sense given being good at magic concepts or whatever, but we could test for the shadow too, and the serpent because that just happens at any time of the year sometimes
Michael, try turning invisible. Just, like, as if it was a thing you should be able to do at any time without even any effort. If that doesn't work, try poisoning something in a way that also hurts you, but poisons the target three times more on a touch spell. The same way with being invisible. If neither work then you might be a mage, but probably just none of them and you're actually a special little snowflake, now I suddenly feel like Michael is really cute, but really he isn't. Honestly this probably just isn't going to work, but I figured it'd be easy.
Then the Sheogorath converstaion was really interesting and I could probably say something a lot more important about it, but instead it's easier to mention something he said, but I have just realized I haven't researched this elder scrolls lore wise so it could be something else, but ill go with it anyway. "What about Nocturnal, or shall I say Nyx, who you ironically haven't even met? Mary Sue like her can't stand the competition, I suppose. Or maybe the incestuous implications if she were to appear."-Sheogorath2014 so, I don't really remember the exact if it, but I recall Nyx being the name of a character from a really famous mlpfim fan fiction I never read. I don't know much about it, but I think I've inferred that it might involve twilight raising a tiny baby demon? Anyway, I think I also heard about Nyx being a boring maybe Mary Sue character though I don't know for sure again. Not sure about the ironically not meeting her. I guess maybe the assassin nocturnal Sandra could be referred to, but whatever. Anyway, I guess it would be useful if someone who actually heard about that more knew something, but nobody mentioned it yet so there.
Then, there's that big metaphysical shizzle whizzle (I decided to use the term anyway who cares about urbandictionary) which,I think I'm not good enough right now to properly explain to Michael so sorry I'll spoiler it so you don't get spoiled I feel like treating you like a baby now there's just an overwhelming feeling or cuteness in sorry.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: High tyrol on July 19, 2015, 11:39:12 pm
Interrogate the prisoner, then get back to grinding, unless we get a shattering revelation. Of course, we need to know what to ask.1+
Post by: LordBucket on July 20, 2015, 01:17:12 am
ill just cut the spoiler and paste it somewhere ekse. It originally contained some crazy ramble that might have solved the whole thing, but, uh, as I said, might ruin the game.
The last thing this game needs is people holding back what might be the answer.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 20, 2015, 01:17:38 am
Yesill just cut the spoiler and paste it somewhere ekse. It originally contained some crazy ramble that might have solved the whole thing, but, uh, as I said, might ruin the game.
The last thing this game needs is people holding back what might be the answer.
Post by: vjmdhzgr on July 20, 2015, 08:29:12 am
Alright, but as I said I feel like somebody suddenly just showing up and figuring it out would be pretty unsatisfying. Honestly I wouldn't even be satisfied. Nor do I know what happens when it's figured out. Like, do we win? Is winning something that can happen? I really don't know, I'll just copy what I said last night into a spoiler again because I feel like tired ramblings are fun to read. I don't know if anybody else holds that opinion, but for example a lot of things that Yagrum Bagarn said weren't very interesting, but then when he started rambling for three paragraphs or whatever, it was more interesting. Also it would probably be pretty difficult to explain it properly.Yesill just cut the spoiler and paste it somewhere ekse. It originally contained some crazy ramble that might have solved the whole thing, but, uh, as I said, might ruin the game.
The last thing this game needs is people holding back what might be the answer.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on July 20, 2015, 11:43:44 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: QuakeIV on July 20, 2015, 03:42:41 pm
Post by: vjmdhzgr on July 20, 2015, 08:47:36 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on July 20, 2015, 08:55:07 pm
I guess as for what to do, Attempt to convince that guard to let you escort Discord to the prison instead, and ask him what this thing even is. Also obviously don't do this if everybody else suggests something else, from the 150 pages I've read I've learned you sometimes try to do too many suggestions at once.Let's just stick with interrogation for now. We don't want to go chasing off to a new location unless we need to.
Post by: vjmdhzgr on July 20, 2015, 08:57:24 pm
Alright, that makes sense. +1I guess as for what to do, Attempt to convince that guard to let you escort Discord to the prison instead, and ask him what this thing even is. Also obviously don't do this if everybody else suggests something else, from the 150 pages I've read I've learned you sometimes try to do too many suggestions at once.Let's just stick with interrogation for now. We don't want to go chasing off to a new location unless we need to.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 20, 2015, 09:09:35 pm
Interrogate the prisoner, then get back to grinding, unless we get a shattering revelation. Of course, we need to know what to ask.1+
For what purpose, though? I feel like sort of aimlessly following whatever's in front of us is part of why we're in this mess in the first place, and interrogating someone we don't even know what we want to learn from sounds like a pretty textbook example of aimlessly following whatever's in front of us.Alright, that makes sense. +1I guess as for what to do, Attempt to convince that guard to let you escort Discord to the prison instead, and ask him what this thing even is. Also obviously don't do this if everybody else suggests something else, from the 150 pages I've read I've learned you sometimes try to do too many suggestions at once.Let's just stick with interrogation for now. We don't want to go chasing off to a new location unless we need to.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on July 20, 2015, 09:12:59 pm
Nothing wrong with asking a few questions while we have the opportunity. Notice I argued against asking to escort the prisoner instead of the other guard. We just need to ask a few questions, no need to go charging off in a new direction.Interrogate the prisoner, then get back to grinding, unless we get a shattering revelation. Of course, we need to know what to ask.1+For what purpose, though? I feel like sort of aimlessly following whatever's in front of us is part of why we're in this mess in the first place, and interrogating someone we don't even know what we want to learn from sounds like a pretty textbook example of aimlessly following whatever's in front of us.Alright, that makes sense. +1I guess as for what to do, Attempt to convince that guard to let you escort Discord to the prison instead, and ask him what this thing even is. Also obviously don't do this if everybody else suggests something else, from the 150 pages I've read I've learned you sometimes try to do too many suggestions at once.Let's just stick with interrogation for now. We don't want to go chasing off to a new location unless we need to.
Post by: LordBucket on July 20, 2015, 09:51:14 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/GcuzO4h.png): "At your service. And you are?"
(http://i.imgur.com/02vrTUM.jpg): "Enough. Onto the transport, outlander."
Think it might be time to end this and go to MST3K.
Post by: Dermonster on July 20, 2015, 09:59:48 pm
I don't think anyone ever really understood anything that was happening and I cast sincere doubt on the laughable insinuation that anyone ever actually did for even a single moment.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 20, 2015, 10:24:54 pm
Well, I'd feel disappointed to "give up" but it does seem like there's not much more intertia. Put it to a vote?
Post by: QuakeIV on July 20, 2015, 10:43:58 pm
I think the issue this game had was it was built like an unusually well written single player campaign, but was played by an absolute democracy consisting of randoms from the internet. I tend to maintain that those don't produce intelligent decisions unless you rather generously filter and interpret their commands.
I'm not sure that solves the whole thing anyways, so you are probably fine.
In retrospect this comes off as dickish, I apologize.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 21, 2015, 12:20:37 am
Yeah, I couldn't think of any questions for months. Just seemed like that was what we were supposed to do.Which is exactly my problem.
"There's Discord, let's ask him stuff!"
"What stuff?"
"I dunno, but we should ask him about it!"
*Two years of wandering in circles*
Starting with the action and then figuring out the motive tends to not be very productive, as I would argue we've seen over and over and over again.
Well, I'd feel disappointed to "give up" but it does seem like there's not much more intertia. Put it to a vote?I'd feel bad too, but if we have a clear path to winning or doing much of anything we want to do, I don't really see it. Finding and spilling to the first non-Discord PC we find is the closest I can figure, and even that's a crapshoot to even start, let alone get good results out of. The other main alternative I see would be forcing LB to grind for us for ages, which sounds like a lot of effort for not necessarily leading anywhere.
I think the issue this game had was it was built like an unusually well written single player campaign, but was played by an absolute democracy consisting of randoms from the internet. I tend to maintain that those don't produce intelligent decisions unless you rather generously filter and interpret their commands.I don't think the intelligence thing was every really in question, but I think lack of consistency and coherent purpose may have been a bigger factor here. If we'd picked any one dumb thing and stuck with it, we might have managed to blunder somewhere. Instead we ended up reasonably scatterbrained simply on account of different people wandering in and out to vote, and the same people we did have changing their minds and forgetting about things. The results had some advantages but a bad tendency to never really go anywhere.
As an example, suppose we'd accepted the Sleeper's offer and been carried off to Dagoth Ur so we could join him and take over the world or something. Probably not the smartest decision, but it'd certainly have led somewhere, right? Not necessarily anywhere good, but somewhere.
Post by: LordBucket on July 21, 2015, 12:37:33 am
suppose we'd accepted the Sleeper's offer and been carried off to Dagoth Ur so we could join him and take over the world or something.
Probably not the smartest decision, but it'd certainly have led somewhere, right? Not necessarily anywhere good, but somewhere.
I was actually very curious to see if that conversation would ever take place. Dagoth Ur was really very eager to speak with you.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 21, 2015, 12:47:58 am
Post by: Sparksol on July 21, 2015, 05:27:55 am
Post by: vjmdhzgr on July 21, 2015, 05:58:48 am
Post by: WillowLuman on July 21, 2015, 11:09:33 am
Post by: gordy on July 22, 2015, 06:46:50 pm
I’d love it if you could put a simple one word answer (yes, no, irrelevant, don’t understand) to a list of questions, of mine, and maybe of others. It’ll serve as a refresher and set some direction for subsequent posts. If this is my only contribution to the game at least it is one that might help us finish it. If you do us a favour and mark any line of enquiry as particularly relevant or worth fleshing out, that would be good?
Is Michael a human (stuck in a game)?
Native to Morrowind?
A figment of someones imagination?
An artifact of an existing game (like the ponies)?
Can he escape the game (either by finishing it or through console)?
Is he capable of finishing the game in his current state?
Are the ponies key to this?
Is Bagrums cube key to this?
Is meeting Dagoth Ur key to this?
That’s all I’ve got so far (I’m at work) but if you’re amenable to answering these and the questions of others (of which I am positive there would be plenty), enough to generate enough interest and direction to see this thing through to the glorious end!
Post by: IronyOwl on July 22, 2015, 07:29:16 pm
If we really want to keep on trying, we should figure out what we want to do in a long-term sense, and then figure out what short-term thing we should do to make that happen.
Post by: LordBucket on July 22, 2015, 07:42:27 pm
Who wants to continue? Who wants to end it and go to MST3K?
But here's a catch: Anyone who votes to continue must submit a THING TO DO that's actionable and specific. "Oh, umm...talk to the guy. Ask stuff. What do you mean what shall we ask him? Ask about, you know...stuff." doesn't count. "Oh! We should totally do something later than we can't do right now because it involves going places we can't get to and talking to people we don't know where they are!" doesn't count. "I have a theory that I will now expound on at great length! Oh, what to do? No idea." doesn't count.
If you cannot post an actionable suggestion, you do not get to vote to continue.
Post by: Dermonster on July 22, 2015, 09:10:24 pm
Post by: gordy on July 22, 2015, 10:23:49 pm
I don't see how playing 20 questions is any different from just ending the thing, especially with our inability to actually connect the dots.
If we really want to keep on trying, we should figure out what we want to do in a long-term sense, and then figure out what short-term thing we should do to make that happen.
At least we would get some definitive answers in writing. I don't even know what Mst3k is in all honesty.
Post by: Dermonster on July 22, 2015, 10:33:43 pm
Post by: gordy on July 22, 2015, 10:40:12 pm
Post by: Dermonster on July 22, 2015, 10:41:17 pm
I'd at least like to figure out how we managed to turn a 20 turn game into a 70 turn one.
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 22, 2015, 10:53:58 pm
MST3K
Post by: gordy on July 23, 2015, 03:18:56 am
There is no finish! We've bunged up and nobody knows what to do!
I'd at least like to figure out how we managed to turn a 20 turn game into a 70 turn one.
Shouldn't seem to matter then if we get our questions answered.
Post by: WillowLuman on July 23, 2015, 03:50:41 am
Post by: QuakeIV on July 23, 2015, 04:46:22 am
e: I assume it means you take over the character and start posting updates without our input.
Post by: ShoesandHats on July 23, 2015, 04:53:33 am
The implication is that LB would comment on the updates and provide insight into how they were "supposed" to go. I'm not sure what he'll do for what hasn't happened yet, but it'll be interesting assuming it wins.
Post by: QuakeIV on July 23, 2015, 01:33:13 pm
Post by: Sparksol on July 25, 2015, 12:46:19 am
I can't think of a thing to ask this prisoner, though it seems like we're being prompted to do so.It might seem like that indeed. However, it's been pointed out that there's plenty of red herrings for us to focus on, and we could easily spend months on grindy non-quests while the original plot grinds to a halt.
EDIT: Let's MST3K this thing. I'd actually like to go see what Dagoth Ur has to say, but I doubt we'd make it to him in one piece without a couple of guards, or direct transport of some sort. So MST3K.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 25, 2015, 02:59:13 am
If so, make your way to Balmora on foot. If not, just silt strider it. Visit the mages guild and Hlaalu Council Manor to ask if anybody's seen Adorabella or Clover recently.
If the answer is no, jump into the river and follow it downstream- that's to the left if you're coming at it from Fort Moonmoth or the guilds, to the right from Nalcarya's or the Council Manor. Alternatively, if you've got your friend with you, the trip on land shouldn't have anything particularly nasty on it.
Either way, not far down, on the hills to the right, is Rethan Manor, the Hlaalu stronghold. As I recall that's Adorabella's, though I couldn't swear to that. Asking around should give you some intel, and Adorabella's magical trait is Generosity so she and her servants will probably be fairly hospitable.
Post by: Nunzillor on August 02, 2015, 11:53:05 am
I'll throw in a vote for continue, see if our pocket healer is home yet, and if he'd like to come on another adventure with us.Continue. +1 this.
If so, make your way to Balmora on foot. If not, just silt strider it. Visit the mages guild and Hlaalu Council Manor to ask if anybody's seen Adorabella or Clover recently.
If the answer is no, jump into the river and follow it downstream- that's to the left if you're coming at it from Fort Moonmoth or the guilds, to the right from Nalcarya's or the Council Manor. Alternatively, if you've got your friend with you, the trip on land shouldn't have anything particularly nasty on it.
Either way, not far down, on the hills to the right, is Rethan Manor, the Hlaalu stronghold. As I recall that's Adorabella's, though I couldn't swear to that. Asking around should give you some intel, and Adorabella's magical trait is Generosity so she and her servants will probably be fairly hospitable.
Post by: High tyrol on August 02, 2015, 09:15:19 pm
1+I can't think of a thing to ask this prisoner, though it seems like we're being prompted to do so.It might seem like that indeed. However, it's been pointed out that there's plenty of red herrings for us to focus on, and we could easily spend months on grindy non-quests while the original plot grinds to a halt.
EDIT: Let's MST3K this thing. I'd actually like to go see what Dagoth Ur has to say, but I doubt we'd make it to him in one piece without a couple of guards, or direct transport of some sort. So MST3K.
Post by: LordBucket on August 03, 2015, 12:28:22 am
Quote
MSTK3
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MST3K
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Lets do that.
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Let's MST3K this thing.
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1+
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I say we just do a grinding montage
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continue
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Continue. +1 this.
5 to 3
Mystery Science 3000 it is.
Sadness, but relief.
MST 3K (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=152384.0)