Well. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.+1
Well. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.+1
Well. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.+1
+1!QuoteWell. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.+1
Well. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.+1
+1Well. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.+1
Well. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.Also check ourselves in the mirror.
Well. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.
Well. Towel off, get dressed, and read the note.Also check ourselves in the mirror.
MORIBUND PRIVATE LIBRARY
15156 Ergot lane
Rare books and Arcanum
Open 6pm - 6am
oh, and dont forget to nickname the skeleton Piecewise before we leave it.+1
oh, and dont forget to nickname the skeleton Piecewise before we leave it.+1 it better be a good nickname
Take a look around to make sure nobody is watching. If this is something that should frighten us but doesn't, then maybe we aren't completely normal.
Wear the ring and try it out by drawing some blood and touching it on the heart. Make extra certain we don't mix any of the bathtub blood with ours. First because it's unsanitary and second because it's against the letter's instructions.
It says touch your blood and I don't think that's our blood under our fingernails.
+1oh, and dont forget to nickname the skeleton Piecewise before we leave it.+1 it better be a good nickname
Take a look around to make sure nobody is watching. If this is something that should frighten us but doesn't, then maybe we aren't completely normal.
Wear the ring and try it out by drawing some blood and touching it on the heart. Make extra certain we don't mix any of the bathtub blood with ours. First because it's unsanitary and second because it's against the letter's instructions.
It says touch your blood and I don't think that's our blood under our fingernails.
oh, and dont forget to nickname the skeleton Piecewise before we leave it.You put the ring on your right ring finger. For some reason that seems like where it should go. You put the rest of the items in the pocket of your jacket. After everything has been squared away you take a look around the room. For some reason you are worried about being watched; however besides the broken open window and the possible observers from outside you can find no sign of anyone else watching. The bathroom has only one doorway out of it, leading into a bedroom of sorts with a tv and writing desk. A hotel room. The door out of the room is shut, the deadbolt and chain in place. The windows in here have their shades drawn and the room is almost completely black, just slightly illuminated by the light coming from the bathroom. You step back into the bathroom but only stop once you're sure you're out of the line of anyone watching through the window.
Note to self that we are named Alex, in case anyone asks.+1. Then check the limits of our ability to command, by ordering it to find money, and seeing if it has some idea of how to do that, or just rummages around the room blindly like we would.
Now, I have a plan, and that plan is to go get drunk. Unfortunately we have a bit of a problem, that being that we don't have any money. So first search the room for some stash of currency. What kind of dickwad leaves a note to their future helpless naive self without any money in it? Outrageous.
Oh yeah, meanwhile mentally command the skeleton to juggle it's own skull.
Come now, Alex is so boring. Why not something more grand and mystical, like Fyodor Mendelayef or Esteban Villalobos or Arturo Rosetti or Henry Byrd?+1
Order the skeleton to move around. Try to do so both verbally and by focusing on that feeling of indecision and making a decision. Watch how the thing we see above us responds to our commands and its movements.
Order it to speak. If it can speak, order it to tell us what's going on. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try.
+1 Why not name our selves Zoidberg?Come now, Alex is so boring. Why not something more grand and mystical, like Fyodor Mendelayef or Esteban Villalobos or Arturo Rosetti or Henry Byrd?+1
Order the skeleton to move around. Try to do so both verbally and by focusing on that feeling of indecision and making a decision. Watch how the thing we see above us responds to our commands and its movements.
Order it to speak. If it can speak, order it to tell us what's going on. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try.
We should hold off on naming ourselves until somebody wants to know and there's no time to think of a good one and we just end up naming ourselves Table Portrait or Grey Car.
+1 Why not name our selves Zoidberg?Come now, Alex is so boring. Why not something more grand and mystical, like Fyodor Mendelayef or Esteban Villalobos or Arturo Rosetti or Henry Byrd?+1
Order the skeleton to move around. Try to do so both verbally and by focusing on that feeling of indecision and making a decision. Watch how the thing we see above us responds to our commands and its movements.
Order it to speak. If it can speak, order it to tell us what's going on. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try.
We should hold off on naming ourselves until somebody wants to know and there's no time to think of a good one and we just end up naming ourselves Table Portrait or Grey Car.
Come now, Alex is so boring. Why not something more grand and mystical, like Fyodor Mendelayef or Esteban Villalobos or Arturo Rosetti or Henry Byrd?You look at the skeleton and consider for a moment what you should command it to do. You decide to try something small and think about it putting its arms down -its been holding them up even after you've taken everything from it. The skel... Piecewise lowers...his you suppose. Piecewise lowers his arms in a reasonable fashion; they don't suddenly go limp or shoot down to his sides or anything. Hmm. You try again, this time with words, telling him to raise his arms. He responds similarly though he raises his arms above his head this time. After a few more tries it seems like mental commands are the most effective and least likely to be misinterpreted. As you do this you watch the...whatever it is above your head and how it reacts. When you command Piecewise there is a slight flicker along the thread that connects from your thumb to his heart but the sheet or plane or surface or whatever it is above the skeleton does't seem to react. However, as you do this something comes gliding in through the wall. Its traveling along the plane, dipping in and out, above and below it, seemingly swimming. It looks something like a fish or an eel or a ray or skate or a mixture of all of them. The sort of primordial thing that you could imagine gliding through the oceans somewhere near the birth of life. It pays you no mind, but circles the "Well" or divot in the plane made by the skeleton. It is as you are looking at this that you decide to look straight up and see that you too are creating a well in that cobweby plane.
Order the skeleton to move around. Try to do so both verbally and by focusing on that feeling of indecision and making a decision. Watch how the thing we see above us responds to our commands and its movements.
Order it to speak. If it can speak, order it to tell us what's going on. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try.
Ask piecewise to do something impossible. Like, say, float upwards to the ceiling.
Hrm. Gonna be hard to carry him around with us. But then, I guess we might be crashing here? Hard to say, our note just said to ask for someone in the library. Though this is a hotel room and we don't feel like being caught, so maybe skidaddling is better...
Hrm. Gonna be hard to carry him around with us. But then, I guess we might be crashing here? Hard to say, our note just said to ask for someone in the library. Though this is a hotel room and we don't feel like being caught, so maybe skidaddling is better...Maybe he can hide in a closet or something?
Look around for concealing clothes to let Piecewise come with us without attracting undue racism and bigotry. Also look around for a map or something so we can figure out where this address we were given is.
We could cover it in a sheet and say its a ghost.Hrm. Gonna be hard to carry him around with us. But then, I guess we might be crashing here? Hard to say, our note just said to ask for someone in the library. Though this is a hotel room and we don't feel like being caught, so maybe skidaddling is better...Maybe he can hide in a closet or something?
Look around for concealing clothes to let Piecewise come with us without attracting undue racism and bigotry. Also look around for a map or something so we can figure out where this address we were given is.
Piecewise could be a literal skeleton in our closet.
We could cover it in a sheet and say its a ghost.Hrm. Gonna be hard to carry him around with us. But then, I guess we might be crashing here? Hard to say, our note just said to ask for someone in the library. Though this is a hotel room and we don't feel like being caught, so maybe skidaddling is better...Maybe he can hide in a closet or something?
Look around for concealing clothes to let Piecewise come with us without attracting undue racism and bigotry. Also look around for a map or something so we can figure out where this address we were given is.
Piecewise could be a literal skeleton in our closet.
Ask piecewise to do something impossible. Like, say, float upwards to the ceiling.
Like, look out the window. Where even are we. What's it like.
Hrm. Gonna be hard to carry him around with us. But then, I guess we might be crashing here? Hard to say, our note just said to ask for someone in the library. Though this is a hotel room and we don't feel like being caught, so maybe skidaddling is better...
Look around for concealing clothes to let Piecewise come with us without attracting undue racism and bigotry. Also look around for a map or something so we can figure out where this address we were given is.
Just put the sheet over him for now, we can get clothing later.And make him walk into the closet.
You concentrate on sending a command to Piecewise, asking him to do something impossible. You decide to command him to hover. For a few seconds he just sort of stands there but then he raises himself up onto his toes and starts hopping up and down.
You tell piecewise that his hopping attempts to hover are now what you'll call "Hover mode". You wait a minute or two and then think "Hover mode" at him. He responds by starting to hop in the same way as before.You concentrate on sending a command to Piecewise, asking him to do something impossible. You decide to command him to hover. For a few seconds he just sort of stands there but then he raises himself up onto his toes and starts hopping up and down.
Advise skeleton that this is now known as hover mode. Purpose: So we can later say something like "PIECEWISE. ENTER HOVER MODE!" and then watch him start proudly bouncing on his lil' skelly toes. Additionally, this will test if we can pre-program commands into him.
Just put the sheet over him for now, we can get clothing later.And make him walk into the closet.
Just put the sheet over him for now, we can get clothing later.Despite fragmentary knowledge of the world, you're not really sure how the general population will feel about an animated skeleton. It seems normal to you but it might not be. You have a vague sense that people might dislike the meddling with of corpses. So you take the moldering bed sheet and drape it over the skeleton before commanding him to walk into the small closet and curl up in the corner. Once in place he's pretty inconspicuous; seemingly just a lump of wadded up bedclothes. You close the door to the closet and note that the thin thread that runs from your pricked thumb passes straight though the door and other solid matter, invariably pointing back to the closet.
Regardless of whether we're taking Ghost Piecewise with us, let's try to find this Moribund Private Library mentioned on the business card.You unlock the door to the hotel room and take note of the room number as you leave. 432. Might be good to come back here some time and grab piecewise but...well you suppose the little "thread" from your finger would let you find him again. The rest of the hotel is equally abandoned and dilapidated, though not to a great degree. You don't worry about floors collapsing under your feet or that the ceiling might cave in, but the paint is peeling, the doors hang open and the rugs are molding. You take the stairs down to the bottom floor and out into the lobby. Its a big place, plenty of room for guests to mill around between the now scattered and decaying sofas and refreshment tables. A chandelier lies in a heap, rusted skeleton still draped in crystal glass. The big glass front doors are surprisingly still intact and swing easily open as you push through into the night beyond. Front drive and valet area are completely coated in snow and you have to struggle through it till you hit the road.
It would also be good to test how much Piecewise relies on our own perception and knowledge and how much he can understand about the world on his own. Can he find his way to us when there's a wall between us? Can he automatically open a door or does he need to be instructed to do so? Can he find a shorter path than the one we took/know about? Can he see the strange creatures on the plane?
It would also be good to test how much Piecewise relies on our own perception and knowledge and how much he can understand about the world on his own. Can he find his way to us when there's a wall between us? Can he automatically open a door or does he need to be instructed to do so? Can he find a shorter path than the one we took/know about? Can he see the strange creatures on the plane?
It would also be good to test how much Piecewise relies on our own perception and knowledge and how much he can understand about the world on his own. Can he find his way to us when there's a wall between us? Can he automatically open a door or does he need to be instructed to do so? Can he find a shorter path than the one we took/know about? Can he see the strange creatures on the plane?
Also also hey, can he communicate with us telepathically, and can we still communicate with him at distance? We should send a mental command of some sort and request information (is it dark in the closet, etc) and a confirmation that he has received said request.
Knock on the front door. Also, at some point we need to find out if everyone around here can see flying ghost fish, or if it's just us.These are all very good questions. +1 to the actionable bits.
+1It would also be good to test how much Piecewise relies on our own perception and knowledge and how much he can understand about the world on his own. Can he find his way to us when there's a wall between us? Can he automatically open a door or does he need to be instructed to do so? Can he find a shorter path than the one we took/know about? Can he see the strange creatures on the plane?It would also be good to test how much Piecewise relies on our own perception and knowledge and how much he can understand about the world on his own. Can he find his way to us when there's a wall between us? Can he automatically open a door or does he need to be instructed to do so? Can he find a shorter path than the one we took/know about? Can he see the strange creatures on the plane?
Also also hey, can he communicate with us telepathically, and can we still communicate with him at distance? We should send a mental command of some sort and request information (is it dark in the closet, etc) and a confirmation that he has received said request.Knock on the front door. Also, at some point we need to find out if everyone around here can see flying ghost fish, or if it's just us.These are all very good questions. +1 to the actionable bits.
You concentrate on Piecewise and mentally ask him a question about the state of the closet. You don't get a vision of the closet, nor do you get a verbal response, but you do have a very odd feeling. Its almost like deja vu, a memory that feels profoundly out of place seems to pop into your head. Not a sense memory either, just the knowledge that the closet is dark.It would also be good to test how much Piecewise relies on our own perception and knowledge and how much he can understand about the world on his own. Can he find his way to us when there's a wall between us? Can he automatically open a door or does he need to be instructed to do so? Can he find a shorter path than the one we took/know about? Can he see the strange creatures on the plane?
Also also hey, can he communicate with us telepathically, and can we still communicate with him at distance? We should send a mental command of some sort and request information (is it dark in the closet, etc) and a confirmation that he has received said request.
Knock on the front door. Also, at some point we need to find out if everyone around here can see flying ghost fish, or if it's just us.Knowledge of the sensory perception of a skeleton now gained, you cross the street over to the building and, after a quick straightening of your clothing and a double check that there's no blood hidden in the lines of your face, knock three times. You wait a good 30 seconds and are about to start knocking again when one of the big double doors slowly creaks open. The one behind it is a man, who has his shoulder up to the door and is peering out through the opening with what might be described as angry curiosity. He immediately reminds you of a horned owl: tufts of white hair, angry brow, hooked nose. The left side of his face is is potmarked with scars and the eye on that side is clearly glass. He's missing most of his left arm as well.
"Sorry, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to be more clueless than I am. I believe that I'm supposed to ask for Esme?"
[He immediately reminds you of a horned owl: tufts of white hair, angry brow, hooked nose. (https://i.imgur.com/foKMsnz.gif)]
+1"Sorry, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to be more clueless than I am. I believe that I'm supposed to ask for Esme?"
+1 to this response, and flash the business card with a dramatic flourish (https://i.postimg.cc/SxzgVz29/yugioh-disyercard.gif).
AlsoQuote[He immediately reminds you of a horned owl: tufts of white hair, angry brow, hooked nose. (https://i.imgur.com/foKMsnz.gif)]
Note to self: should probably only ask this question to people who have strands linking them to something else, like we do. Or at least people less paranoid and/or less likely to stab us for doing so.
+1Note to self: should probably only ask this question to people who have strands linking them to something else, like we do. Or at least people less paranoid and/or less likely to stab us for doing so.
Science complete, normies can't see spectral ocean life. Apologize for the mistake, and assure him you also want exactly zero trouble and are only here on invitation and by curiosity.
"No. No, sorry I just thought I saw something strange." You say, scratching your head in what you hope is an effective pantomime of being confused, "Don't worry about it. I'm not here to cause trouble, just to see Esme."Note to self: should probably only ask this question to people who have strands linking them to something else, like we do. Or at least people less paranoid and/or less likely to stab us for doing so.
Science complete, normies can't see spectral ocean life. Apologize for the mistake, and assure him you also want exactly zero trouble and are only here on invitation and by curiosity.
In we go, follow the signs down to Esme.+1
"If you mean the skeleton that obeys my commands then yes. It was there when I woke up."+1
Try to show how clueless we are and try to gain more information. She seems like a trustworthy and knowledgeable individual.
Oh, also, this seems like the sort of person we should ask about the thing we see and whether or not she can see it too.
"If you mean the skeleton that obeys my commands then yes. It was there when I woke up."+1
Try to show how clueless we are and try to gain more information. She seems like a trustworthy and knowledgeable individual.
"If you mean the skeleton that obeys my commands then yes. It was there when I woke up."
Try to show how clueless we are and try to gain more information. She seems like a trustworthy and knowledgeable individual.
Oh, also, this seems like the sort of person we should ask about the thing we see and whether or not she can see it too.
Oh, also, this seems like the sort of person we should ask about the thing we see and whether or not she can see it too."If you mean the skeleton that obeys my commands then yes. It was there when I woke up."+1
Try to show how clueless we are and try to gain more information. She seems like a trustworthy and knowledgeable individual.
All of this is a good idea, but first thank her for the invitation. I also remain suspicious of people who have a business card specifically for "found yourself unconscious in a bathtub filled with gore next to a magic skeleton who is likewise filled with choice animal organs? Call X", but we don't have much else to go on right now.
Thank Esme. Try to remember her, in case her voice or face triggers any memories or emotions.
When we gained control of Piecewise we started sensing a heartbeat. Maybe if we focused on stopping it it would sever the link?
If that doesn't work just ask for help.
Thank Esme. Try to remember her, in case her voice or face triggers any memories or emotions.
When we gained control of Piecewise we started sensing a heartbeat. Maybe if we focused on stopping it it would sever the link?
If that doesn't work just ask for help.
I mean, he's a skeleton. Go back with a large suitcase or something to collect him.
I guess we should inform her that we have Piecewise stuck in a closet right now.
So, how should we move Piecewise from the closet to where Esme is? She said an unlicensed animate wandering around would get removed from the street, so I suppose we can assume that having Piecewise just follow us isn't an option.
I wonder if we can't just put Piecewise in a car or something?
Should probably actually go collect our skeleton amidst all this.+1 He's probably getting lonely without us.
Well, glad we're getting Piecewise.You consider for a moment if you are being charmed. You're not sure that's even a possibility but it might be. You think on it, consider the events of the past few minutes, consider your feelings, and consider the memories you have. You don't think you're being charmed; if you are its a very subtle thing. You have a mild like of this Esme woman, some apparently fond if vague memories, but nothing like an overwhelming desire to do as she says or attraction to her. You suppose that could simply be the mark of a masterfully subtle charm but you halt the line of thought there for the moment. Such paranoid and evidenceless considerations are destined to spiral uselessly. You'll need more evidence before you can say anything.
Try to figure out if we're being charmed. Becoming someone's trusting sacrifice would be bad after all.
Do press Esme for more information regarding her talents.
Can we infer anything about her interests from the kind of books she has in her room?You glance quickly around the room, noting the books in their little piles. The ones by the bed are novels judging by the titles; however what their genre or contents are you cannot guess. Names like "Gravity's Rose" and "A Bladed Pendulum" give nothing away. The other piles seem to mostly be reference books of various kinds. Medical, mathematics, physics, chemistry, architecture, botany, biology, atlases, even some store catalogs and a book on knitting patterns. No through line of subjects to grasp on to. Her interests seem academic for sure but, at least from these books, you can't place anything specific.
Draw her attention to the "Kelley" nameplate and ask her if that's her last name.
Should probably also ask about if she can talk to the guy at the entrance about us. We wouldn't like him to behead us because we looked at him the wrong way when we return.
Should probably actually go collect our skeleton amidst all this.You arrange the bag at your side so the nameplate isn't easily visible and then indicate that it would be a good idea to go get the skeleton before daybreak. Esme nods and gathers up a large gray coat and black boots from her cabinet before leading the way back downstairs. As you follow her, you ask her about her own talents.
She did say we looked like someone she knew a while ago... Wait, did we just Lich?Or we're an idiot that doesn't know how to hold back :P
Did we kill ourself and bring ourself back under our control? We need to test something real fast. It's stupid, but...
Punch a wall as hard as physically possible.
This will reveal our connection to this body. If we hold back, we're still kinda human. If we destroy our hand and the wall, then we have Liched - Our body is our puppet.
"Is that a bad sign or are you just squeamish?"+1
Try to figure out what she knows about... that.
"Are you OK? You're not the sort of person who faints at the sight of blood, are you?"
See if she's OK. Apologize for the state of the place but point out that we're not responsible for its state. Probably. I mean, as far as we remember.
"Is that a bad sign or are you just squeamish?"You join Esme in the bathroom and ask her about her thoughts on the tub, wondering if she's squeamish about such things.
Try to figure out what she knows about... that.
"Maybe the watchmaker just really hates organizing her spare parts?"
Ha! Nice one.You've shown her the card for the library which has the note to ask for her on the back, but not the other note, the one that says how to bind the skeleton and has the name "Alexander Kelley" on the back.
"Hah! Who knows? Maybe just a spare part."
"But yeah, you're right. If your friend sent me to you then they must have had something in mind other than garbage disposal. I mean, I hope they did."
Have we actually told her about the note from Alex?
Show her the note from Alexander Kelley.You pull out the note and show it to her. She takes it, reads the front, then the back, then the front again. After a few moments she hands it back to you.
She seems legit. We should pal around with her. Maybe do some library research?Buddy cop movie is go!
+1 We're a loose cannon but we have a heart of gold.She seems legit. We should pal around with her. Maybe do some library research?Buddy cop movie is go!
These thoughts of hearts bring around an idea.
Check our own pulse. If we are a lich (or any other undead), we should not have one.
Edit: or maybe not. Is Piecewise's heart beating physicaly, or merely in our mind?
Ask her how safe it is for us to go to the library. We wouldn't want to get her into trouble."Safer than here, and I can't very well leave you on your own like this. Something is going on and judging by that note I'm already caught up in it somehow. At this point its part self preservation."
Nor would we want to trap ourselves in a corner, though there's no need to tell her that.
She seems legit. We should pal around with her. Maybe do some library research?She seems thoughtful for a second before checking out the broken window.
"I saw some weird creatures swimming in the Anima, through the dips above me and the skeleton. If Piecewise knows what's going on it won't tell me, it just repeats the question with its spooky voice. Oh, and I found out that skeletons can't hover, but they can try very, very hard."+1
Say that last one with a smile. You know, to inject some humor into the situation. She seems pretty stressed, something funny like that might help her relax.
"Now you know everything I know."
+1"I saw some weird creatures swimming in the Anima, through the dips above me and the skeleton. If Piecewise knows what's going on it won't tell me, it just repeats the question with its spooky voice. Oh, and I found out that skeletons can't hover, but they can try very, very hard."+1
Say that last one with a smile. You know, to inject some humor into the situation. She seems pretty stressed, something funny like that might help her relax.
"Now you know everything I know."
Also remind her of the fragmentary memory thing; we know air raids exist, she feels like a childhood friend, we know skeletons aren't supposed to be out and about, etc.+1"I saw some weird creatures swimming in the Anima, through the dips above me and the skeleton. If Piecewise knows what's going on it won't tell me, it just repeats the question with its spooky voice. Oh, and I found out that skeletons can't hover, but they can try very, very hard."+1
Say that last one with a smile. You know, to inject some humor into the situation. She seems pretty stressed, something funny like that might help her relax.
"Now you know everything I know."
"I saw some weird creatures swimming in the Anima, through the dips above me and the skeleton. If Piecewise knows what's going on it won't tell me, it just repeats the question with its spooky voice. Oh, and I found out that skeletons can't hover, but they can try very, very hard."
Say that last one with a smile. You know, to inject some humor into the situation. She seems pretty stressed, something funny like that might help her relax.
"Now you know everything I know."
Also remind her of the fragmentary memory thing; we know air raids exist, she feels like a childhood friend, we know skeletons aren't supposed to be out and about, etc.+1"I saw some weird creatures swimming in the Anima, through the dips above me and the skeleton. If Piecewise knows what's going on it won't tell me, it just repeats the question with its spooky voice. Oh, and I found out that skeletons can't hover, but they can try very, very hard."+1
Say that last one with a smile. You know, to inject some humor into the situation. She seems pretty stressed, something funny like that might help her relax.
"Now you know everything I know."
Otherwise nothing.
Hm. I feel like we're made of weird shit that could get us shot in an alley, so sticking with other weird shit that could get us shot in an alley would be... "safer" probably isn't the right word, but it'd probably synergize better.+1
Plus we literally have no goals at the moment. Going with forbidden whatsits is as good a starting point as any, and probably our thing in general.
+1Hm. I feel like we're made of weird shit that could get us shot in an alley, so sticking with other weird shit that could get us shot in an alley would be... "safer" probably isn't the right word, but it'd probably synergize better.+1
Plus we literally have no goals at the moment. Going with forbidden whatsits is as good a starting point as any, and probably our thing in general.
Also, Alexander Kelley probably had a reason to create us. Since Esme knew him, she is the biggest lead to the reason why and our past we have.
+1Hm. I feel like we're made of weird shit that could get us shot in an alley, so sticking with other weird shit that could get us shot in an alley would be... "safer" probably isn't the right word, but it'd probably synergize better.+1
Plus we literally have no goals at the moment. Going with forbidden whatsits is as good a starting point as any, and probably our thing in general.
Also, Alexander Kelley probably had a reason to create us. Since Esme knew him, she is the biggest lead to the reason why and our past we have.
My talents are good for implanting information and pulling it out again so I'm pretty invaluable for agents who need to learn skills quickly
Well that's distressingly mundane. Oh well.
"What use does the other place have for information in here? Is this city important for the war effort somehow?"
"Why are you risking your life for this? Some big moral thing or country pride or what?"
"Am I a necromancer, then? And if so, how do I get better at it or figure out what I can do with it?"
"Who or what are we up against? Does this place have ancient necromancer generals and mindreading spyhunters and demon-summoning factory bosses, or do they make a habit of ousting their most valuable leadership?"
"If I am a necromancer, and from what you described you are some kind of thought transfer person, what other kinds of 'talents' are there?""I'm not sure if there is a master list of all possible talents thanks to mixed talents and other things like that, but I'll put something together."
"What kind of weapons to these people use, are they like conventional ones or are they like attack demons or something?""Patrols will use rifles, maybe enchanted equipment if they're well outfitted. They also have gyrocopters and pseudobirds, armored cars, sometimes they're mounted on armored crawlers. Higher up than patrols and they're gonna be more talent specialized. Often projectors mixed in with normal soldiers and summoner support. "
QuoteMy talents are good for implanting information and pulling it out again so I'm pretty invaluable for agents who need to learn skills quickly
Can she teach us [kung-fu (https://media.giphy.com/media/3WvhJ783Le5ieNEZ8z/giphy.gif)]?
Also yes, how common are our magic powers and who do we need to look out for? Are there government bad wizards? Also, we don't know anything about these factions, really, the military could have coup'ed because of the previous regimes propensity for talking in the theater.
...Could we get that self-defense manual in our head really quick? A theory of combat is better than what we have right now, which is nothing. And besides, we can train using its guidance as we go about our overthrowing of the government and all that.
...Could we get that self-defense manual in our head really quick? A theory of combat is better than what we have right now, which is nothing. And besides, we can train using its guidance as we go about our overthrowing of the government and all that.How about something that is useful as information instead? Like the map of this town. Just in case we get in trouble on our stroll and have to run. It would be useful to know where to run to.
...Could we get that self-defense manual in our head really quick? A theory of combat is better than what we have right now, which is nothing. And besides, we can train using its guidance as we go about our overthrowing of the government and all that.How about something that is useful as information instead? Like the map of this town. Just in case we get in trouble on our stroll and have to run. It would be useful to know where to run to.
What could possibly go wrong?
What could possibly go wrong?As always, everything.
Just download the entire library. What could possibly go wrong?
...Could we get that self-defense manual in our head really quick? A theory of combat is better than what we have right now, which is nothing. And besides, we can train using its guidance as we go about our overthrowing of the government and all that.
Okokok, so things to learn:
Self-Defense Manuals
History Book
Map of City
*insert lore dump here, unless GM says NO.*
Blah blah blah necromancy
Blah blah eat all the memories
the way you start a gyrocopter is with a roundhouse kick
Anything that can be done blah blah should be done that way
Maybe we should meditate on what we just learned and see if we get any additional incite.
Hmm... What if you put more anime into someone? Could you make them even stronger? Could you kill someone but instead of eating the memories yourself, you put them inside someone else? Can you bind living things to your will? Or maybe bind their clothes to your will by spraying your blood on them and have them strangle them?
From what we read I gather that Piecewise is a puppet and not an actual thinking being, right?
Probably best not to animate a mailbox. Maybe we can animate a doll or some pants or something. Or maybe there's some corpses here we could use. Any rattraps or bodies that have yet to be disposed of?
Oh, but best to ask for permission to practice first.
Hmm... What if you put more anime into someone?
Hmm... What if you put more anime into someone? Could you make them even stronger? Could you kill someone but instead of eating the memories yourself, you put them inside someone else? Can you bind living things to your will? Or maybe bind their clothes to your will by spraying your blood on them and have them strangle them?+1
From what we read I gather that Piecewise is a puppet and not an actual thinking being, right?
Probably best not to animate a mailbox. Maybe we can animate a doll or some pants or something. Or maybe there's some corpses here we could use. Any rattraps or bodies that have yet to be disposed of?
Oh, but best to ask for permission to practice first.
Check if we have a core distinct from our body.You open your eyes and Esme carefully pulls her hand from your head. She looks you up and down once or twice.
Hmm... What if you put moreanimeAnima into someone? Could you make them even stronger? Could you kill someone but instead of eating the memories yourself, you put them inside someone else? Can you bind living things to your will? Or maybe bind their clothes to your will by spraying your blood on them and have them strangle them?
From what we read I gather that Piecewise is a puppet and not an actual thinking being, right?
Probably best not to animate a mailbox. Maybe we can animate a doll or some pants or something. Or maybe there's some corpses here we could use. Any rattraps or bodies that have yet to be disposed of?
Oh, but best to ask for permission to practice first.
You think back to when you killed the mouse. You remember...something coming out of it but you can't recall exactly what it was. Just some shimmering stuff that went up when the Anima connection failed. Maybe the mouse's memories? You're not sure you want to eat the memories of a mouse...but they might be good. Mice hear lots of things, see lots of things. Hmm.
In any case, you grab one of the nails and carefully jam it down the mouse's throat before reaching up and grabbing at the Anima. As you touch it, the red glow of your ring flows up your arm in little pulses and with a cold tingle you catch hold of the fabric of life. You pull it down; it resists more than you imagined it would but not hugely so and you carefully wrap it around the head of the nail, which is still sticking out from the mouse's mouth. The ring flashes once more as the connection is made and then the mouse's body shivers. With an odd muffled squeak it rises up onto its legs again and then stands perfectly still.
Recall if it's possible to see through or use the senses of the puppet ourselves, if we can sense how many we have active/when one is destroyed, and if signal strength/latency becomes an issue when the puppet is far away.+1
Hmm. I wonder if the stuff we can absorb from books with Esme's help counts as "memories" that Anima Phantoms can eat. If so, that could be a source of food for them, as large as the library itself.
Do Anima Phantoms only eat specific kinds of memories, or do they just devour anything? Does it matter how emotional/interesting the memories are?
As funny as this is, a mouse with a nail shoved down it's throat is not a good spy, because it is obviously undead.We just need to shove the nail in further, or get a smaller nail.
Or just use the mouse's heart.We'd have to physically wrap it, though, which would require some surgery.
Hmm. I wonder if the stuff we can absorb from books with Esme's help counts as "memories" that Anima Phantoms can eat. If so, that could be a source of food for them, as large as the library itself.
Yeah, but it's no like it needs its flesh. It's just padding. Just armor. Cut a hole and then apply some duct tape and you're done.Or just use the mouse's heart.We'd have to physically wrap it, though, which would require some surgery.
Yeah, but it's no like it needs its flesh. It's just padding. Just armor. Cut a hole and then apply some duct tape and you're done.Or just use the mouse's heart.We'd have to physically wrap it, though, which would require some surgery.
You can't see through their eyes or really "Sense" anything directly. However, like with Piecewise in the closet, they can sort of broadcast their understanding of the world to you. If you try it with the mouse you get the impression the room you're in and that there is a person here. The mouse appears to have poor human differentiation because it can't tell you anything specific about yourself. To the mouse you're just "A human". Not even that really, just a big thing on two legs. You can sense how many are active and generally how strong the "Signal" is via the heartbeats in your head.Recall if it's possible to see through or use the senses of the puppet ourselves, if we can sense how many we have active/when one is destroyed, and if signal strength/latency becomes an issue when the puppet is far away.+1
Hmm. I wonder if the stuff we can absorb from books with Esme's help counts as "memories" that Anima Phantoms can eat. If so, that could be a source of food for them, as large as the library itself.
Do Anima Phantoms only eat specific kinds of memories, or do they just devour anything? Does it matter how emotional/interesting the memories are?
As funny as this is, a mouse with a nail shoved down it's throat is not a good spy, because it is obviously undead.
Another thing to recall: Do undead naturaly decay?
I wonder if we can anchor to a claw or something that's naturally external. Probably risks damaging it, though.You think about what you've learned...the book said nothing about the nature of the anchors, as in any differences between particular objects. There probably are some but it might be more in the theory or advanced practices.
Do different anchors have different properties? Is there a reason a necromancer might favor the heart over the liver or a length of rib, for instance?
Do we recall if anima phantoms eat memories OR mana or memories AND mana? More specifically, is there any way to keep an anima phantom servant without going insane or killing things for it?Or just use the mouse's heart.We'd have to physically wrap it, though, which would require some surgery.
You teach the mouse hover mode and it immediately begins bouncing up and down with odd, stiff motions and repeated squeaks.You think back to when you killed the mouse. You remember...something coming out of it but you can't recall exactly what it was. Just some shimmering stuff that went up when the Anima connection failed. Maybe the mouse's memories? You're not sure you want to eat the memories of a mouse...but they might be good. Mice hear lots of things, see lots of things. Hmm.
In any case, you grab one of the nails and carefully jam it down the mouse's throat before reaching up and grabbing at the Anima. As you touch it, the red glow of your ring flows up your arm in little pulses and with a cold tingle you catch hold of the fabric of life. You pull it down; it resists more than you imagined it would but not hugely so and you carefully wrap it around the head of the nail, which is still sticking out from the mouse's mouth. The ring flashes once more as the connection is made and then the mouse's body shivers. With an odd muffled squeak it rises up onto its legs again and then stands perfectly still.
MOUSE.
HOVER MODE.
Also congratulations to us, if we weren't a necromancer before, we sure are now! Let's maybe bring our mouse friend along as we try to learn some of the other things on our list the natural way in the library.
Alexander Kelly was apparently a big deal, maybe we can find a biography on him or something. Even if it ends up being full of propaganda, we could probably glean some insight into his deeds and reputation.+1
After all, anything he did, we can most likely do as well.
Alexander Kelly was apparently a big deal, maybe we can find a biography on him or something. Even if it ends up being full of propaganda, we could probably glean some insight into his deeds and reputation.+1
After all, anything he did, we can most likely do as well.
Alexander Kelly was apparently a big deal, maybe we can find a biography on him or something. Even if it ends up being full of propaganda, we could probably glean some insight into his deeds and reputation.+1
After all, anything he did, we can most likely do as well.
Oh geez yeah this is important isn't it
+1
Also we should probably try to get on everyone else's sleeping schedule at some point, recommend we go to sleep after this.
Maybe we should just sleep for a bit.
Just make sure that the one who eats it is the target. The general problem with poisoned food is that you have to either be the one who serves it, or be right there when it gets served to poison it. Otherwise there likely will be collateral damage.
We're talking about partially sapient undead spaghetti hereHuh.
They say sleep can help you work out problems and organize/find memories. Maybe we should try sleeping?
Also, if we want to learn more, then maybe we should find someone who knew him, some friend or co-worker. Maybe we should find some old newspaper article or something that has information about who he was working with? Or maybe some telephone catalogue that has his office's location?
Hmm. Can we eat? Can we taste? We should try eating something before going to bed.You put all the books back and then go wandering, looking for some food. Its surprisingly hard to find food just sitting around in a library...or perhaps it isn't surprising at all...in any case you head back to the living quarters and check out what appears to be a pantry of sorts and find a good supply of food, mostly canned or dried, and select an already open bag of dried apple slices. You aren't hungry and when you do bite into the slice of rubbery fruit it has a sort of dull and distant taste, but a taste none the less. You seem to be able to eat the stuff alright but you don't bother eating much since you're not actually hungry. Idly chewing on one last slice you return to your room and strip down to your underclothing before laying on the bed.
Also, if we can animate everything, even things that aren't dead animals, then assassination should be pretty easy. Just reanimate some spaghetti and make it choke whoever eats it.
+1 to examine his energy, though we probably don't know enough to tell much about what could be specifically wrong/right. Maybe ask Esme if skeleton constructs like to wander off and read Tolstoy every so often. Don't these things need memories aka information to survive? Maybe it's just snacking.+1
If nothing else, jaunt on up and ask him what he's reading today.Better idea: tell him to show us the book title. If we ask him, he can not reply in words.
+1+1 to examine his energy, though we probably don't know enough to tell much about what could be specifically wrong/right. Maybe ask Esme if skeleton constructs like to wander off and read Tolstoy every so often. Don't these things need memories aka information to survive? Maybe it's just snacking.+1QuoteIf nothing else, jaunt on up and ask him what he's reading today.Better idea: tell him to show us the book title. If we ask him, he can not reply in words.
Don't these things need memories aka information to survive? Maybe it's just snacking.
Open the book to the page he's holding and read whats there.+1
Fail to notice the lead, go have a sandwich.
Oh goodness we can ask questions and get answers in the form of writing. This is a big deal.+1
Also he found information on our past life.
Firstly tell him there is more gravy than a grave about him, and then ask him if he can tell us more about who we were. Also, does he know who he was before he was Piecewise? Also we should see if he can tell us more about the extent to which he is aware. Have we been carrying a thing that qualifies as a person around in a briefcase? We should apologize.
+1Oh goodness we can ask questions and get answers in the form of writing. This is a big deal.+1
Also he found information on our past life.
Firstly tell him there is more gravy than a grave about him, and then ask him if he can tell us more about who we were. Also, does he know who he was before he was Piecewise? Also we should see if he can tell us more about the extent to which he is aware. Have we been carrying a thing that qualifies as a person around in a briefcase? We should apologize.
+1Oh goodness we can ask questions and get answers in the form of writing. This is a big deal.+1
Also he found information on our past life.
Firstly tell him there is more gravy than a grave about him, and then ask him if he can tell us more about who we were. Also, does he know who he was before he was Piecewise? Also we should see if he can tell us more about the extent to which he is aware. Have we been carrying a thing that qualifies as a person around in a briefcase? We should apologize.
Alright, so Piecewise can answer questions. Cool!You ask Piecewise what he is. He responds in a neat, even, almost typewriter like script that "I am a skeleton".
Ask Piecewise to answer the following questions using the paper and pencil we've provided him, giving him time to answer each one before asking the next: "What are you? Who were you? What am I? Who was I?"
Lets look through the book piecewise had and see of there's any other information that it might contain.The book doesn't seem to contain any more info related to Kelley, though it does contain a lot of information about arcane research.
Hmm. That doesn't leave us with much to go on. So investigating that lab and the people working there at the time should probably be our priority, unless Esme has a better idea about what we should investigate or something she'd like our help with.You show the article to Esme and ask what she thinks your next moves should be.
But perhaps we should get a bit more basic questions first. Like, where's that lab? How do we get there? Do we walk? Take a cab? Drive? Do we need money? Do we need an ID? Do we need to hide our face with a fashionable scarf?
Something that is common, but not so common that it looks fake. How about Thomas Johnson?
I vote for Thomas Deadison. Because science!
How about "Eligius Goldstine".+1
So far the only name to get a vote is "Eligius Goldstine" so unless someone else has something better, thats what we'll be going with.
Do you know why the sun shines?
Why do you make poster for the government and forge documents?
Here's Bruce, he hates strangers, distractions, and questions. Now then, what is your name?"She was introduced to me by some tough I was forging paintings for. Wanted a business license. Went from there."
"[vomits unrelated exposition]"
At any rate:
1) "How did you and Esme came to know each other?" - this will touch on multiple topics. A good question.
2) "What is the form of government of Milos? Is there a prominent figurehead or are they merely a group of individuals whose interests align?" - likely will result in a useful summary of many things
3) "Was there always a rivalry between Milos and Eurstoya?" - Good followup to the previous question if we require more detail.
4) "Nice beard, Bruce. Bruce the Beard. Brucey Beard."
Various questions, choose what you find interesting:
Yeah, but to buy him a drink we'll need money.+1
Maybe we can offer to work for him? Animating things and putting them in positions he can paint them in.
Probably not the best use of our time, but it's an idea.
Hey whatever happened to Piecemouse?Back at the library.
Hey whatever happened to Piecemouse?Back at the library.
Yeah, but to buy him a drink we'll need money.+1
Maybe we can offer to work for him? Animating things and putting them in positions he can paint them in.
Probably not the best use of our time, but it's an idea.
+1Yeah, but to buy him a drink we'll need money.+1
Maybe we can offer to work for him? Animating things and putting them in positions he can paint them in.
Probably not the best use of our time, but it's an idea.
You offer to work for Bruce in exchange for the answers to your questions.Yeah, but to buy him a drink we'll need money.+1
Maybe we can offer to work for him? Animating things and putting them in positions he can paint them in.
Probably not the best use of our time, but it's an idea.
De-animate self (through stabbing) to pose as an anatomical reference corpse.+1
What? No. Jump under the bed like the nice man says.
+1What? No. Jump under the bed like the nice man says.+1
+1+1What? No. Jump under the bed like the nice man says.+1
Self-stabbing would likely either not work, or kill us for real. No real reason to risk it.
Self-stabbing would likely either not work, or kill us for real.
+1+1+1What? No. Jump under the bed like the nice man says.+1
Self-stabbing would likely either not work, or kill us for real. No real reason to risk it.
+1+1+1What? No. Jump under the bed like the nice man says.+1
Self-stabbing would likely either not work, or kill us for real. No real reason to risk it.
Vote changed to this
At least try to quietly get naked while we're there.
That way, if we are found out, we can just make up some excuse about how we didn't want to be seen naked or something.
Recommend we take an empty vase underneath the bed so that when we get naked we can bandit-tiptoe up behind the bad guy, tap them on the shoulder, then enjoy their moment of bafflement before bonking them with it.But as disrobing takes time, we should get under the bed first and disrobe there.
[Edit: -1 to my own plan]
You scramble under the bed, pressing yourself to the far back corner where it abuts two walls, hiding yourself as much as possible while still being able to peek out. You can only see people's feet and shins from this angle, but its better than nothing. A few seconds after you stop moving Bruce opens the door with the same annoyed and uncaring attitude he originally greeted you with. Esme starts to speak but before she can say anything another person shoves their way past her and into the room. Black military boots and metal shin guards over dark pants.+1+1+1What? No. Jump under the bed like the nice man says.+1
Self-stabbing would likely either not work, or kill us for real. No real reason to risk it.
Vote changed to this
Let's get under the bed. Brucey Beard probably knows what he's doing.
Stay under the bed. We could just live like this. We don't need to eat or anything, why do anything?
Come out from bed, become hulk, destroy puny baton peon.I've never heard of Orpheus, what show if he from?
Anyway new goal, let's start planning some supervillain shit, but for good. We can necromancer so its's time to start learning how to build undead armies in a secret lair to overthrow the government that was mean to Bruce and Esme that one time.
Hey wait shit, is there time to change my name vote? I forgot about the all-time best necromancer, Orpheus (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/hand_sign/orpheus.jpg). We should name ourselves that. At the very least we should talk like that. None of you are ever going to be able to unhear his voice now anyway.
Come out from bed, become hulk, destroy puny baton peon.I've never heard of Orpheus, what show if he from?
Anyway new goal, let's start planning some supervillain shit, but for good. We can necromancer so its's time to start learning how to build undead armies in a secret lair to overthrow the government that was mean to Bruce and Esme that one time.
Hey wait shit, is there time to change my name vote? I forgot about the all-time best necromancer, Orpheus (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/hand_sign/orpheus.jpg). We should name ourselves that. At the very least we should talk like that. None of you are ever going to be able to unhear his voice now anyway.
become hulk, destroy puny baton peon.-1
Come out from bed,+1
Anyway new goal, let's start planning some supervillain shit, but for good. We can necromancer so its's time to start learning how to build undead armies in a secret lair to overthrow the government that was mean to Bruce and Esme that one time.[/b][/size]
Hey wait shit, is there time to change my name vote? I forgot about the all-time best necromancer, Orpheus (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/hand_sign/orpheus.jpg). We should name ourselves that. At the very least we should talk like that. None of you are ever going to be able to unhear his voice now anyway.
Agreed. Patience will be importantbecome hulk, destroy puny baton peon.-1Come out from bed,+1
Anyway new goal, let's start planning some supervillain shit, but for good. We can necromancer so its's time to start learning how to build undead armies in a secret lair to overthrow the government that was mean to Bruce and Esme that one time.[/b][/size]
Hey wait shit, is there time to change my name vote? I forgot about the all-time best necromancer, Orpheus (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/hand_sign/orpheus.jpg). We should name ourselves that. At the very least we should talk like that. None of you are ever going to be able to unhear his voice now anyway.
Except the Orpheus part. In classical mythology, Orpheus failed his attempt at necromancy by being impatient. Let us not follow his example.
+1Agreed. Patience will be importantbecome hulk, destroy puny baton peon.-1Come out from bed,+1
Anyway new goal, let's start planning some supervillain shit, but for good. We can necromancer so its's time to start learning how to build undead armies in a secret lair to overthrow the government that was mean to Bruce and Esme that one time.[/b][/size]
Hey wait shit, is there time to change my name vote? I forgot about the all-time best necromancer, Orpheus (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/hand_sign/orpheus.jpg). We should name ourselves that. At the very least we should talk like that. None of you are ever going to be able to unhear his voice now anyway.
Except the Orpheus part. In classical mythology, Orpheus failed his attempt at necromancy by being impatient. Let us not follow his example.
+1
Also remember to greet the formerly sleeping person who hasn't met us. No reason not to be polite.
+1Agreed. Patience will be importantbecome hulk, destroy puny baton peon.-1Come out from bed,+1
Anyway new goal, let's start planning some supervillain shit, but for good. We can necromancer so its's time to start learning how to build undead armies in a secret lair to overthrow the government that was mean to Bruce and Esme that one time.[/b][/size]
Hey wait shit, is there time to change my name vote? I forgot about the all-time best necromancer, Orpheus (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/hand_sign/orpheus.jpg). We should name ourselves that. At the very least we should talk like that. None of you are ever going to be able to unhear his voice now anyway.
Except the Orpheus part. In classical mythology, Orpheus failed his attempt at necromancy by being impatient. Let us not follow his example.
Preemptively get naked to be ready for another raid
Also remember to greet the formerly sleeping person who hasn't met us. No reason not to be polite.
Get out from under the bed and ask Bruce what that was aboutYou get your body moving again - it takes a moment for it to come out of complete immobility- and crawl out. The woman, who you think might honestly be more reasonably called a girl now that you really get a good look at her, stares at you wide eyed as you do. Ah, right, she didn't know you were there. You wave a bit awkwardly and introduce yourself as Orpheus, which causes both Bruce and Esme to give you a rather odd look.
Do not.What do you propose, instead?
"Too bad I need to stay sneaky, or I'd just kill all the government goons who know with an ever-growing horde of undead. Hehe."
We probably shouldn't experiment randomly with people's stuff, but I am all for offering necromantic services towards the goal of wiping out/supplanting/Yes, but we should probably experiment to make sure we know how our new power worksconquering the worldthe guvmint.
We probably shouldn't experiment randomly with people's stuff, but I am all for offering necromantic services towards the goal of wiping out/supplanting/Yes, but we should probably experiment to make sure we know how our new power worksconquering the worldthe guvmint.
Alright,
We go a dump and practice there, no one owns trash, right?
+1Alright,
We go a dump and practice there, no one owns trash, right?
+1, let's make TRASH GOLEMS (https://www.copyblogger.com/cdn-origin/images/oscar.jpg).
+1+1Alright,
We go a dump and practice there, no one owns trash, right?
+1, let's make TRASH GOLEMS (https://www.copyblogger.com/cdn-origin/images/oscar.jpg).
+1+1Alright,
We go a dump and practice there, no one owns trash, right?
+1, let's make TRASH GOLEMS (https://www.copyblogger.com/cdn-origin/images/oscar.jpg).
Why not start with something small? Like some creature made out of paper?You walk over to the corner of the room and pick up a piece of crumpled up and discarded paper. Rather than try and fold it into anything fancy, you just sort of wad and pull and crunch it till its a sort of lump with 4 small stumps of limbs. Then you use the ring to again prick your much scarred finger and connect a bit of Anima to the thing before connecting it to yourself. This is harder than with the mouse; the Anima you bring down doesn't want to "stick" to the paper. You have to grab more and more, handfuls of the stuff and shove it into lump before it finally sticks and even then you can see it slowly slipping away. Still, its enough to hold the little golem in your hand and have it move about awkwardly.
I say we make a small moving origami bunny to give as a present to the little girl. It should be animated with our own strength and not a spirit. And we should ask Esme to make sure it's okay to use our ability outside.
They're probably asking themselves what our motive is.+1 telling them this will hopefully clear things up
Our motive probably is that Esme and Bruce were kind to us so we want to return the favor. Plus we need to find out who we really are. And the government probably wants to kill us.
So both selfish and selfless reasons and quite simple at that. Then again, what can one expect from someone who was literally born yesterday?
They're probably asking themselves what our motive is.+1 telling them this will hopefully clear things up
Our motive probably is that Esme and Bruce were kind to us so we want to return the favor. Plus we need to find out who we really are. And the government probably wants to kill us.
So both selfish and selfless reasons and quite simple at that. Then again, what can one expect from someone who was literally born yesterday?
+1They're probably asking themselves what our motive is.+1 telling them this will hopefully clear things up
Our motive probably is that Esme and Bruce were kind to us so we want to return the favor. Plus we need to find out who we really are. And the government probably wants to kill us.
So both selfish and selfless reasons and quite simple at that. Then again, what can one expect from someone who was literally born yesterday?
Yeah +1
You explain to them that you aren't entirely sure what you're supposed to be doing in this life, but that you would like to return their kindness. You add that you'd also like to find out who you are and get rid of this government that wants to kill you, for completely selfish reasons really.+1They're probably asking themselves what our motive is.+1 telling them this will hopefully clear things up
Our motive probably is that Esme and Bruce were kind to us so we want to return the favor. Plus we need to find out who we really are. And the government probably wants to kill us.
So both selfish and selfless reasons and quite simple at that. Then again, what can one expect from someone who was literally born yesterday?
Yeah +1
Heh. A good way to get killed.
It's funny because we're already dead.
I assume that the objective here is to deprive these follows of their lives for the sake of repurposing their meat and minds. Along with whatever equipment they happen to be wearing.
I assume that the objective here is to deprive these follows of their lives for the sake of repurposing their meat and minds. Along with whatever equipment they happen to be wearing.
Yeah probably but like, are these actual bad guys? Or are we talking just regular local constabulary? I'd rather not re-purpose what amounts effectively to rando locals. Maybe these guys are like the cops in V for Vendetta and they are all comically evil, maybe they're all about community outreach and coat drives.
If they bad, we gets 'em.
I assume that the objective here is to deprive these follows of their lives for the sake of repurposing their meat and minds. Along with whatever equipment they happen to be wearing.
Yeah probably but like, are these actual bad guys? Or are we talking just regular local constabulary? I'd rather not re-purpose what amounts effectively to rando locals. Maybe these guys are like the cops in V for Vendetta and they are all comically evil, maybe they're all about community outreach and coat drives.
If they bad, we gets 'em.
A necromancer gets stronger by killing people. If we want to fight the government, we fight the government. We're not going to get away with doing that without fighting the police.
Well, I'm rather partial to submachineguns, but those are probably expensive and might be a little unsubtle. Maybe we could build some trash golems and give them sharp things?What level technology are we talking about exactly with the trash bags? If we use them, they have to be either cloth or thick plastic. Thin plastic is too easily torn.
I assume that the objective here is to deprive these follows of their lives for the sake of repurposing their meat and minds. Along with whatever equipment they happen to be wearing.
Maybe it would be a good idea to make a nice construct, but I'm tempted to sew some trash bags together into a roughly humanoid shape and giving them pointy sticks. They'd be camouflaged, at least~
Plan Literal Trash Army: Raid some dumpsters for full trash bags, sew them together into trash golems, puppet them and arm them with sharpened broom handles. Leave the whole thing dumped on the side of the street by the patrol and ambush the police.
Create a trash golem (self powered) and an un-rat (phantasm). Compare the Mana cost.+1
I was under the impression that we need to be there to absorb memories but Phantasms can just absorb memories on their own (otherwise they'd have no reason to go berserk and attack people when they're hungry, since they'd have nothing to gain from doing so). So they could just feed on the souls of the things they kill, we don't have to be there to witness every death. If we're lucky, maybe they can even store memories of things they kill, like how animals store excess food as fat. Maybe we can use Esme to read those memories or even extract them, milking them for resources.
That should probably be one of the things we test: can they feed on death without our help?
Create a trash golem (self powered) and an un-rat (phantasm). Compare the Mana cost.+1
Feel like we should de-animate these, since they were a test and are draining.Yes, and the paper too. Wait, we can’t reanimate the rat since then we would be trapping a phantom in a corpse. Would it starve there or can it leave? We can possibly take the doll with us and once we kill the officers, cover the doll with muscles to see if that makes it easier. What do we do with our first mouse and Piecewise? Think they can help in an6 way? Also messing with the nail will dea I ate the mouse we animated too, not just the rat. Maybe the mouse and rat can be used to help us.
We've established that it is possible (though difficult/impermanent/taxing) to animate non-living objects. Also our broke-ass rat is unlikely to be useful.
I like both of those people. -1
Also, let's just maybe do that to the established-to-our-own-satisfaction bad-guy police, thereby correlating everything we've been told.
I like both of those people. -1
Also, let's just maybe do that to the established-to-our-own-satisfaction bad-guy police, thereby correlating everything we've been told.
Ah, well, there's a reason I didn't bold it.
*snip
...Alright then.
Consider acquiring vocal cords for Piecewise anyway. Sure, he can talk... but we shall teach him to sing!
I hope piecewise isn’t bored being in the suitcase, canStill in the library, in your room.
Question, is the first mouse we animated in the library still or is it here?
Continue the forgery-getting process.+1
While documents are being forged, find more dying rats and practice extracting their memories when they die.
+1Continue the forgery-getting process.+1
While documents are being forged, find more dying rats and practice extracting their memories when they die.
+1+1Continue the forgery-getting process.+1
While documents are being forged, find more dying rats and practice extracting their memories when they die.
For reals though folks everything that Esme has told us can be confirmed by killing rando faceless baddies and extracting their memories. Why do we want to kill our allies out of thin air so badly?
..because many players might not even do that?
Well, if we do kill people we should take their memories.
Agreed. We should take memories of those we kill, which is why practicing it on rats is a good idea, so we know how to do it when we kill peopleWell, if we do kill people we should take their memories.
Oh, yeah, I think I misread your action there. Meesa Sorry.
Anyway yeah we are apparently going after some government goons soon and I wholly endorse the idea of practicing the successful absorption of memories from these guys.
You ask Esme if it would be ok to walk out into the alley and look around for rats. You explain that you want to try out extracting memories from them.+1+1Continue the forgery-getting process.+1
While documents are being forged, find more dying rats and practice extracting their memories when they die.
Sounds good. I just need some animals to practice the memory extractions, it doesn't matter which type.+1
+1Sounds good. I just need some animals to practice the memory extractions, it doesn't matter which type.+1
+1Sounds good. I just need some animals to practice the memory extractions, it doesn't matter which type.+1
+1 for this addition to the plan+1Sounds good. I just need some animals to practice the memory extractions, it doesn't matter which type.+1
+1
Let's go a step further. Show the chicken something it will recognize, then do the deed. See if we can extract the specific memory of say, a red-and-yellow polka-dotted ball, or an image of a painting. Something unique that it may not be able to understand but will have a clear picture of in its mind. Then we can gauge/improve our skill at, say, searching a memory set for specific information.
"I saw the chickens life pass before my eyes and I was bored."
Now lets see what happens when we feed the rat all the chicken memories.
Hmm.... How about this: We reanimate a few rats, or maybe some venomous animals if we can find any. We use the details of chickens and other easy to obtain animals to supply the power for the reanimation. We also take a study pot or something similar and tie it around Piecewise's core to protect it from shooting damage. Finally we lay in ambush for the patrol.Yes, to this plan, do you think raccoons are here too? Raccoons are larger than rats and are also common occurrences in alleyways, we can use them in conjunction with the rats
Piecewise (covered in clothes that obscur his true form) and ourselves are armed with knives. The rats hide in dark places or sewer holes. Finally we turn an entire trashcan or two into a golem (assuming they are on wheels or can otherwise move themselves). We slam the trashcans into the patrol, hopefully taking a few out or at least distracting them. At the same time, we attack with the rats and try to hit their vitals. Finally, Piecewise moves in and tries to stab them while they're distracted. Since he is all bones, he should be very durable. Even if he's a little weak, the distraction will hopefully give him enough time to do the deed. We stand ready to assist with cleanup and absorb their memories.
We decide where to go from there. If it's a remote area we can just reanimate the dead patrol and take them to an abandoned building, hide them in a closet. Could even have the rats eat their flesh and leave only their bones so we can make more Piecewises.
Coons might be a bit rare, but what about a few stray cats and whatnot? Maybe even the odd mutt if we're lucky!Yes
"I saw the chickens life pass before my eyes and I was bored."So is this our action? I don't see any others, though some people seem to be against it?
Now lets see what happens when we feed the rat all the chicken memories.
I think our science is complete and now it's time to go jump some baddies in an alley and suck up their minds like thin jello through a tiny straw.Right, but we need to protect Piecewise before this, we need to get him armor for the core
We should specifically attempt to extract any and all information about the current corrupt power structure. This includes names, ranks, responsibilities/level of authority and location.
We should ask Esme (or more likely, Brucebeard) how one usually goes about murdering hopefully maybe corrupt police officers for personal gain in this town.
+1We should ask Esme (or more likely, Brucebeard) how one usually goes about murdering hopefully maybe corrupt police officers for personal gain in this town.
+1
Also: Ask Piecewise to spar with us, being careful not to hurt us. We've only seen him do slow quiet things-- maybe if given the proper orders, he'll prove faster than we realize? It's worth checking.
+1We should ask Esme (or more likely, Brucebeard) how one usually goes about murdering hopefully maybe corrupt police officers for personal gain in this town.
+1
Also: Ask Piecewise to spar with us, being careful not to hurt us. We've only seen him do slow quiet things-- maybe if given the proper orders, he'll prove faster than we realize? It's worth checking.
We need to know if he can fight
What if his talents are something more than fisticuffs? I don't want to be like hey man show me what you can do, and also please do it on us, and then he accidentally vaporizes us with necromanctic laser vision or something.
What if his talents are something more than fisticuffs? I don't want to be like hey man show me what you can do, and also please do it on us, and then he accidentally vaporizes us with necromanctic laser vision or something.
Ahh, fine. Reanimate the chicken, and tell Piecewise to destroy it or render it inert as quickly as possible.
Yes, we need to do this, I didn’t think of thatWhat if his talents are something more than fisticuffs? I don't want to be like hey man show me what you can do, and also please do it on us, and then he accidentally vaporizes us with necromanctic laser vision or something.
Ahh, fine. Reanimate the chicken, and tell Piecewise to destroy it or render it inert as quickly as possible.
+1 I like the sound of laser skeletons.What if his talents are something more than fisticuffs? I don't want to be like hey man show me what you can do, and also please do it on us, and then he accidentally vaporizes us with necromanctic laser vision or something.
Ahh, fine. Reanimate the chicken, and tell Piecewise to destroy it or render it inert as quickly as possible.
I really hope it's laser vision.
Is there another floor we can do this in? I don’t want to damage anything Bruce is working on+1 I like the sound of laser skeletons.What if his talents are something more than fisticuffs? I don't want to be like hey man show me what you can do, and also please do it on us, and then he accidentally vaporizes us with necromanctic laser vision or something.
Ahh, fine. Reanimate the chicken, and tell Piecewise to destroy it or render it inert as quickly as possible.
I really hope it's laser vision.
+1We should ask Esme (or more likely, Brucebeard) how one usually goes about murdering hopefully maybe corrupt police officers for personal gain in this town.
+1
Also: Ask Piecewise to spar with us, being careful not to hurt us. We've only seen him do slow quiet things-- maybe if given the proper orders, he'll prove faster than we realize? It's worth checking.
We need to know if he can fight
Let's ask him. Be like hey man what actually ARE your combat capabilities? Can you demonstrate upon this undead chicken?
What if his talents are something more than fisticuffs? I don't want to be like hey man show me what you can do, and also please do it on us, and then he accidentally vaporizes us with necromanctic laser vision or something.
Yeahhh!+1
Next order of business: can Piecewise use proper weaponry, or is he limited to his hands only?
Find Piecewise a weapon. A knife or something would be ideal, but any clubby thing will do in a pinch. Give Piecewise the weapon, animate the chicken again, and tell him to, using the weapon, render the chicken inert as quickly as possible, without removing the nail.
Yeahhh!+1
Next order of business: can Piecewise use proper weaponry, or is he limited to his hands only?
Find Piecewise a weapon. A knife or something would be ideal, but any clubby thing will do in a pinch. Give Piecewise the weapon, animate the chicken again, and tell him to, using the weapon, render the chicken inert as quickly as possible, without removing the nail.
How would we reassure her?Yeahhh!+1
Next order of business: can Piecewise use proper weaponry, or is he limited to his hands only?
Find Piecewise a weapon. A knife or something would be ideal, but any clubby thing will do in a pinch. Give Piecewise the weapon, animate the chicken again, and tell him to, using the weapon, render the chicken inert as quickly as possible, without removing the nail.
Yeah that surgical precision coupled with the speed of movement makes me interested in the results of this experiment. If we find he is capable of this sort of thing but with martial combat, let's try throwing him some rubber balls and whatnot and see if he can stab em out of the air or some such. See what his ability to track motion and/or hand eye coordination is like.
In the case that we find him to be capable, we should advise him that he is to defend our person from physical threats at all times. Define physical threats as a clear intent to cause us bodily harm from a hostile party. Allies are to be excluded as a hostile party. I know this opens us up to backstabbing, but the last thing we need is for him to bisect poor Esme because she offered a high five or some such.
Also Bruce's poor daughter seems to be internally screaming, maybe we should offer some friendly reassurances? We just sort of showed up in her house and started performing profane rituals immediately with little explanation after she was traumatically manhandled.
I'm not the best at this. Maybe like hey sorry we should explain, we aren't bad guys we only like to twist the souls of the departed into a freshly broken corpse for the good of all mankind. Also this human skeleton that I keep in a sack is named Piecewise would you like to touch it?Ok, is our first rat with us? The puppet, not the phantom. We can tell the puppet to stay calm and let her pet it too. Maybe we can have her pet the chicken too. I don’t think the phantom rat would be a good choice, since we don’t have as much control of it as the others. Maybe she would like the animals too since they’d be more familiar than Piecewise. Of course she can still interact with him if she wants too. Yes, we need to explain what we are doing.
Y'kno, reassuring.
Just feel like from her perspective her entire home has become a showcase of body horror and noone is even really talking to her.
Ok, is our first rat with us? The puppet, not the phantom. We can tell the puppet to stay calm and let her pet it too. Maybe we can have her pet the chicken too. I don’t think the phantom rat would be a good choice, since we don’t have as much control of it as the others. Maybe she would like the animals too since they’d be more familiar than Piecewise. Of course she can still interact with him if she wants too. Yes, we need to explain what we are doing.
Yes, I was thinking doing the messy stuff in a different room as well if possibleOk, is our first rat with us? The puppet, not the phantom. We can tell the puppet to stay calm and let her pet it too. Maybe we can have her pet the chicken too. I don’t think the phantom rat would be a good choice, since we don’t have as much control of it as the others. Maybe she would like the animals too since they’d be more familiar than Piecewise. Of course she can still interact with him if she wants too. Yes, we need to explain what we are doing.
Er, +1... but maybe keep an eye on Bruce to make sure we aren't upsetting him or anything, and don't let her pet the chicken Piecewise is about to maybe decapitate. (Alternatively, let her pet it, then do the messy bit in a different room if one's available? Whatever.)
+1Yeahhh!+1
Next order of business: can Piecewise use proper weaponry, or is he limited to his hands only?
Find Piecewise a weapon. A knife or something would be ideal, but any clubby thing will do in a pinch. Give Piecewise the weapon, animate the chicken again, and tell him to, using the weapon, render the chicken inert as quickly as possible, without removing the nail.
You ask Bruce if you can borrow a knife. He doesn't respond for a moment but eventually agrees after you promise that you won't make a mess. You take the chicken to the kitchen, drain it of blood and remove the guts before reanimating it and bringing it back. You give piecewise the knife you used to do all this and then reanimate the chicken again, this time with a nail embedded inside the now hollow chest cavity. Mary is watching something boil in a large pot and completely ignoring everything while Bruce watches out of the corner of his eye. Esme is sitting on the bed again, head in her hands, idly watching. You step back and give Piecewise the order to again render the reanimated chicken inert, but this time without removing the nail like he did last time.+1Yeahhh!+1
Next order of business: can Piecewise use proper weaponry, or is he limited to his hands only?
Find Piecewise a weapon. A knife or something would be ideal, but any clubby thing will do in a pinch. Give Piecewise the weapon, animate the chicken again, and tell him to, using the weapon, render the chicken inert as quickly as possible, without removing the nail.
Maybe we need to find non puppet creatures to have Piecewise test things. What if we find an animal we haven’t killed yet, and asked Peicewise to kill it? This way we can figure out how he does vs living targets before putting him against the patrol
+1Maybe we need to find non puppet creatures to have Piecewise test things. What if we find an animal we haven’t killed yet, and asked Peicewise to kill it? This way we can figure out how he does vs living targets before putting him against the patrol
Yeah, otherwise he's just going for cores, and said patrol won't have them.
Acquire 3 live chickens. Go into a room Mary cannot see. Order piecewise to kill the first as quickly as possible, the second as quietly as possible, and the third spilling as little blood as possible.
The second two test cases in case we need to unobtrusively kill someone.
Humans have cores. They have more cores than undead do. One stab through the brain and they're gone. One stab through the heart and they'll be dead in seconds. One stab through the throat or two stabs through the lungs and they'll quietly die in a short while. Perhaps we should stop this ultra specific testing before it gets ridiculous.+1. Cancelling previous vote
Get some clothes, enough to make Piecewise look like a human. Also try to make it thick to provide defense against blunt force trauma, unless doing so would significantly hinder his speed. Finally, ask Bruce to borrow a pan or some spare piece of metal and tie it around Piecewise's core and something long and sharp that can be used as a rapier. (Maybe some sort of sharp pick he uses for sculpting details?) Hopefully they should be enough to help bypass any armor, but I'm guessing a lovely patrol won't be armored like a SWAT unit so they'll have at least some unarmored parts.
The second part of the plan is to get Esme to grant us knowledge from one of her books (probably a medical or swordfighting one) with the goal of learning the human body's weak points. It won't make us an expert fighter but it should hopefully let us better direct Piecewise's attacks, which should be our primary objective. That way he can kill more quickly, more quietly and have more options about bypassing armor.
Finally, ask Esme what would warrant a response from a patrol. An anonymous tip about suspicious activity? Anti-government graffiti? Calling them and taunting them? We want our enemies to be weak and few, so we can't do something very serious. But we would also like to not involve innocent cops that are just doing their job, so we might want to do something that would involve the military. Unless doing so would be very hard or there's no meaningful distinction between cops and military.
With all that done, we can find an abandoned location and start planning our attack. Maybe there's an empty lot or abandoned construction site or factory around here?
*snip*+1 to all of this. We've learned beyond any shadow of a doubt that Piecewise is quite capable of straight-up slaughtering an enemy if need be. It's possible that he has some kind of mental block set preventing from doing so-- you never know-- but we can't find that out until we actually go out to kill somebody, so I figure we're good to go. It's time for a plan, and Paris' is a solid one.
+1 to the above, we can find a location for planning attacks, we can read a book about martial combat (piecewise draws on our own knowledge), and plan said attack with Esme and whoever else she usually does these sorts of things with. She did make it sound like there was a bit more organization going on than just her and Brucey.+1 to this--
For my opinion, I think keeping Piecewise in the suitcase is wisest. Deploy as needed. You can put a hat and a scarf on him but he's totally gonna look like a skeleton in clothes no matter what we do. But that's just me.--not to this. We can't properly equip Piecewise if we're toting him around in a suitcase all the time, and I figger we should be able to clothe him thoroughly enough to keep him under the radar.
+1
Look for nice long baggy stuff, trenchcoats and whatnot; we want to hide Piecewises' bony nature, and any armor he might be wearing. Get him a balaclava or something too, so's to keep the skull well hidden. (Can Piecewise see through blindfolds? Check, and wrap his skull up completely if he can.)
For armor: A frying pan sounds clunky; use one if necessary but keep an eye open for better options. A helmet of some kind would be good, if a low-profile one can be found. Anything we equip Piecewise with must be low-profile enough to hide under his clothing.
For weaponry: Have Piecewise keep that knife. Additionally, try to find him something useable as a cosh or sap; Piecewise might need a blunt weapon at some point. Make sure he can hide both objects within his clothing.
Aren't skeletal fists blunt weapons in themselves?
+1
Look for nice long baggy stuff, trenchcoats and whatnot; we want to hide Piecewises' bony nature, and any armor he might be wearing. Get him a balaclava or something too, so's to keep the skull well hidden. (Can Piecewise see through blindfolds? Check, and wrap his skull up completely if he can.)
For armor: A frying pan sounds clunky; use one if necessary but keep an eye open for better options. A helmet of some kind would be good, if a low-profile one can be found. Anything we equip Piecewise with must be low-profile enough to hide under his clothing.
For weaponry: Have Piecewise keep that knife. Additionally, try to find him something useable as a cosh or sap; Piecewise might need a blunt weapon at some point. Make sure he can hide both objects within his clothing.
+1+1
Look for nice long baggy stuff, trenchcoats and whatnot; we want to hide Piecewises' bony nature, and any armor he might be wearing. Get him a balaclava or something too, so's to keep the skull well hidden. (Can Piecewise see through blindfolds? Check, and wrap his skull up completely if he can.)
For armor: A frying pan sounds clunky; use one if necessary but keep an eye open for better options. A helmet of some kind would be good, if a low-profile one can be found. Anything we equip Piecewise with must be low-profile enough to hide under his clothing.
For weaponry: Have Piecewise keep that knife. Additionally, try to find him something useable as a cosh or sap; Piecewise might need a blunt weapon at some point. Make sure he can hide both objects within his clothing.
+1.
I remove my previously stated action from the running.
+1+1
Look for nice long baggy stuff, trenchcoats and whatnot; we want to hide Piecewises' bony nature, and any armor he might be wearing. Get him a balaclava or something too, so's to keep the skull well hidden. (Can Piecewise see through blindfolds? Check, and wrap his skull up completely if he can.)
For armor: A frying pan sounds clunky; use one if necessary but keep an eye open for better options. A helmet of some kind would be good, if a low-profile one can be found. Anything we equip Piecewise with must be low-profile enough to hide under his clothing.
For weaponry: Have Piecewise keep that knife. Additionally, try to find him something useable as a cosh or sap; Piecewise might need a blunt weapon at some point. Make sure he can hide both objects within his clothing.
+1.
I remove my previously stated action from the running.
Well, we can always take the IKEA approach for moving them around. Just carry Piecewise in one suitcase and his clothes and armor/weapons in another. Then assemble them in place.
Maybe it would make sense to use a ranged weapon in the next attack. Just have a group of skeletons simultaneously snipe the entire patrol.
Sure, but the problem with that is that no matter how good a shot one is, one can only shoot so fast. That's why more is better.
I support this too. Why let kills go to waste? +1 to reanimating them after memory extractionSure, but the problem with that is that no matter how good a shot one is, one can only shoot so fast. That's why more is better.
I am in full favor of animating the bad guys' skeletons so we can have more gun-toting skeleton boyz.
We can name them all Piecewise 1- ∞, and rename the current one to Piecewise Prime.
We need to figure out the plan. We have 2 rats, one of which is controlled by a phantomm, Piecewise, and a chicken. We must plan the attack using our current assets right now. What if we reanimate more chickens and use them as well as the rats?
Yes, I’m fine with shooting them too, if we have guns, but I wasn’t sure if we had guns or notWe need to figure out the plan. We have 2 rats, one of which is controlled by a phantomm, Piecewise, and a chicken. We must plan the attack using our current assets right now. What if we reanimate more chickens and use them as well as the rats?
I think Esme will be guiding us presently on the proper method of ambuscading a police convoy or what have you. I'm cool just shooting these people to be honest if that's what's recommended. We're noob cadets at this, as it stands.
+1+1
Look for nice long baggy stuff, trenchcoats and whatnot; we want to hide Piecewises' bony nature, and any armor he might be wearing. Get him a balaclava or something too, so's to keep the skull well hidden. (Can Piecewise see through blindfolds? Check, and wrap his skull up completely if he can.)
For armor: A frying pan sounds clunky; use one if necessary but keep an eye open for better options. A helmet of some kind would be good, if a low-profile one can be found. Anything we equip Piecewise with must be low-profile enough to hide under his clothing.
For weaponry: Have Piecewise keep that knife. Additionally, try to find him something useable as a cosh or sap; Piecewise might need a blunt weapon at some point. Make sure he can hide both objects within his clothing.
+1.
I remove my previously stated action from the running.
+1 I am eager to see how our low-profile heavily trench coated skeleton man in a balaclava goes in this heavily monitored police state.
+1 again.
Follow Esme's lead. She seems to have a pretty good idea of how to properly gear up a skeleton.+
I just worry that padding piecewise down will make him less effective. His main strength isn't physical power or speed, but machine precision. Gunking up his joints with heavy cloth will muck that up.What if we just don’t pad the joints, but pad non joints
I just worry that padding piecewise down will make him less effective. His main strength isn't physical power or speed, but machine precision. Gunking up his joints with heavy cloth will muck that up.
+1I just worry that padding piecewise down will make him less effective. His main strength isn't physical power or speed, but machine precision. Gunking up his joints with heavy cloth will muck that up.
Oh. That's true. Mm...
Do the armor thing. Maybe avoid the padding thing, if it encumbers Piecewise unduly.
I say keeping the clothes/armor and the skeleton in separate containers and then moving them to the place we'll ambush the patrol and putting them on Piecewise there is best. That way there'll be even less chances of it being spotted and anyone who does see him might just mistake him for a weird homeless man.+1 rescinding previous +1
+1I say keeping the clothes/armor and the skeleton in separate containers and then moving them to the place we'll ambush the patrol and putting them on Piecewise there is best. That way there'll be even less chances of it being spotted and anyone who does see him might just mistake him for a weird homeless man.+1 rescinding previous +1
Completely surrounding the core might introduce latency.
+1I say keeping the clothes/armor and the skeleton in separate containers and then moving them to the place we'll ambush the patrol and putting them on Piecewise there is best. That way there'll be even less chances of it being spotted and anyone who does see him might just mistake him for a weird homeless man.+1 rescinding previous +1
Knife good. But, no reason we couldn't get a revolver or something as backup. Piecewise only uses what we tell him to, and a pistol hidden away in a pocket makes no noise.+1
+1Knife good. But, no reason we couldn't get a revolver or something as backup. Piecewise only uses what we tell him to, and a pistol hidden away in a pocket makes no noise.+1
How many are we expecting? Because if there's 3 or less I say we knife one, Piecewise gets another probably with a knife, and Esme gets the last."Two or three is the normal size, but 5 is the max I'd expect."
I forget, what are Esme's combat skills like?
"Say, are these guys worth anything to us alive? Piecewise could probably knock 'em out pretty fast if need be..."No, probably not, unless one turns out to be unique gifted somehow. Nothing they can tell us that we can't learn from devouring their souls as it is.
Let's keep Esme at distance/lookout and see if piecewise and ourselves can handle the wetwork.+1"Say, are these guys worth anything to us alive? Piecewise could probably knock 'em out pretty fast if need be..."No, probably not, unless one turns out to be unique gifted somehow. Nothing they can tell us that we can't learn from devouring their souls as it is.
Hmm, taking down five quickly might be hard with our current resources. Unless...+1
Hmm, maybe we should get something like a stake that we can stick into a body quickly and use as the core for a puppet. Gives us another option for use in combat.
What we do should depend on how many we have to take out, so let's plan to scope that first. If it's only two or three, we can probably shiv them quickly and quietly between ourself and Piecewise. If it's more, things will probably get loud anyway so we should use the gun.
+1Hmm, taking down five quickly might be hard with our current resources. Unless...+1
Hmm, maybe we should get something like a stake that we can stick into a body quickly and use as the core for a puppet. Gives us another option for use in combat.
What we do should depend on how many we have to take out, so let's plan to scope that first. If it's only two or three, we can probably shiv them quickly and quietly between ourself and Piecewise. If it's more, things will probably get loud anyway so we should use the gun.
+1Hmm, taking down five quickly might be hard with our current resources. Unless...+1
Hmm, maybe we should get something like a stake that we can stick into a body quickly and use as the core for a puppet. Gives us another option for use in combat.
What we do should depend on how many we have to take out, so let's plan to scope that first. If it's only two or three, we can probably shiv them quickly and quietly between ourself and Piecewise. If it's more, things will probably get loud anyway so we should use the gun.
On the subject of knife-staking... a brain-stab should kill pretty quick yes? Stab somebody through the eye, twist the knife around a bit, pull it out again, then do the heart-stake thing.+1
Also:
Keep the revolver. Ask Esme to help us assimilate some material on marksmanship before we go.
"I've got several months worth of training. I'll just give you that." She says before directing you to sit down. You comply and she steps around to your right side and places her left hand on your head.On the subject of knife-staking... a brain-stab should kill pretty quick yes? Stab somebody through the eye, twist the knife around a bit, pull it out again, then do the heart-stake thing.+1
Also:
Keep the revolver. Ask Esme to help us assimilate some material on marksmanship before we go.
Welp, time to wait.Right in the center of the road here, totally in the open?
excitement about making it into the advanced marksman section
Lets just hide in the alley behind some boxes and jump the cops when they pass by.
+1Lets just hide in the alley behind some boxes and jump the cops when they pass by.
+1
Is "Him" Kelley or someone else? Could we tell?
Don't ask her though, if it wasn't Kelley it's none of our business
Sure it is. If she has an attachment to him and she thinks he is us or that we can lead her to him then we can use that as leverage to get her to do what we want.She already knows we don’t know where Kelley is, we asked about him earlier, we are trying to find him too
Why practice poses? Shouldn’t we wait quietly in an alley until they come within sliding/stabbing/shooting range?
+1Lets just hide in the alley behind some boxes and jump the cops when they pass by.
+1
Is "Him" Kelley or someone else? Could we tell?
Don't ask her though, if it wasn't Kelley it's none of our business
Wait for them to pass. Have PW move silently up behind them and disable them with the knife. Stat where we are and fire on them with the revolver only if they manage to draw weapons.+1
+1Wait for them to pass. Have PW move silently up behind them and disable them with the knife. Stat where we are and fire on them with the revolver only if they manage to draw weapons.+1
+1Wait for them to pass. Have PW move silently up behind them and disable them with the knife. Stat where we are and fire on them with the revolver only if they manage to draw weapons.+1
+1+1Wait for them to pass. Have PW move silently up behind them and disable them with the knife. Stat where we are and fire on them with the revolver only if they manage to draw weapons.+1
+1
You wait, staying absolutely still, as the men walk past. As they pass the alley where piecewise is waiting, you order him to silently disable them. Piecewise moves from the alley in a sort of long legged lope, not quite running but not walking either. He closes the distance within a few moments, before any of the men can react to the small amount of sound he is making. Here, from the back, you can't quite make out exactly what happens. The skeleton moves in to the center of the group and you see metal flash. He strikes the head of the man to his left, then turns and strikes the man to the right. The man in the center, who he's directly behind, spins to see whats happening only to have a boney hand clamp onto his face and shove him to the ground. The other hand works quickly, like the needle of a sewing machine, thrusting down repeatedly, almost too rapidly to see.+1+1Wait for them to pass. Have PW move silently up behind them and disable them with the knife. Stat where we are and fire on them with the revolver only if they manage to draw weapons.+1
+1
Piecewise is pretty awesome.+1
And now... It's feeding time. Feeding on those sweet sweet memories and skills.
First we should make sure nobody is watching. Then we should help Piecewise hide the bodies. Then we should feed.
Make sure we're not consumed by their memories, stop if it gets overwhelming.
Then reanimate them and give control to a ghost that looks capable enough to move their body. No sense wasting good bodies.
Woohoo!+1Piecewise is pretty awesome.+1
And now... It's feeding time. Feeding on those sweet sweet memories and skills.
First we should make sure nobody is watching. Then we should help Piecewise hide the bodies. Then we should feed.
Make sure we're not consumed by their memories, stop if it gets overwhelming.
Then reanimate them and give control to a ghost that looks capable enough to move their body. No sense wasting good bodies.
+1Woohoo!+1Piecewise is pretty awesome.+1
And now... It's feeding time. Feeding on those sweet sweet memories and skills.
First we should make sure nobody is watching. Then we should help Piecewise hide the bodies. Then we should feed.
Make sure we're not consumed by their memories, stop if it gets overwhelming.
Then reanimate them and give control to a ghost that looks capable enough to move their body. No sense wasting good bodies.
No burying bodies, we still want those.+1
We are a necromancer, and there's nothing wrong with a little socially sanctioned murder so we can gather spare parts. :3
+1Woohoo!+1Piecewise is pretty awesome.+1
And now... It's feeding time. Feeding on those sweet sweet memories and skills.
First we should make sure nobody is watching. Then we should help Piecewise hide the bodies. Then we should feed.
Make sure we're not consumed by their memories, stop if it gets overwhelming.
Then reanimate them and give control to a ghost that looks capable enough to move their body. No sense wasting good bodies.
+1No burying bodies, we still want those.+1
We are a necromancer, and there's nothing wrong with a little socially sanctioned murder so we can gather spare parts. :3
We are going to use the bodies
Oh ho ho.+1 but shouldn’t we take all of the memories so that we have extra memories to feed the phantoms?
I said they were maybe just regular dudes, but IIRC that's not how we do.
Peruse their recent memories for useful information. Maybe a month or so each, tops. Discard the rest. Animate the bodies using the hearts and the strongest-looking anima we can find. Since we've never done this before, we do one and check the results. We should make sure we don't accidentally create something with more will than is good foritus.
Then name them with names ending in -wise.
Oh ho ho.+1 but shouldn’t we take all of the memories so that we have extra memories to feed the phantoms?
I said they were maybe just regular dudes, but IIRC that's not how we do.
Peruse their recent memories for useful information. Maybe a month or so each, tops. Discard the rest. Animate the bodies using the hearts and the strongest-looking anima we can find. Since we've never done this before, we do one and check the results. We should make sure we don't accidentally create something with more will than is good foritus.
Then name them with names ending in -wise.
You slip out of the alley and immediately order Piecewise to move the bodies into the nearest alleyway. He grabs two by the collar, one in each hand, and drags them the into the shaded confines of an alley, with you and Esme carrying the last between you. As soon as you're out of immediate sight you order piecewise to busy himself cleaning up the scene as best as he can, hiding the blood at least for the moment. The skeleton leans down and yanks the metal spike out of the back of the dead man's head, wiping the blood and brain matter off on the man's coat before vanishing the blade up his shirt sleeve and walking out to deal with the scene. You watch him go for a moment and then turn to the bodies. Their connection to the anima is gone and their memories are flowing out of them, gathering in great clouds of images. The fish creatures from the anima are starting to swarm down, drawn by this chum of dying consciousness. You slap your hand down over the closest man's head and feel the memories flow into you.+1Woohoo!+1Piecewise is pretty awesome.+1
And now... It's feeding time. Feeding on those sweet sweet memories and skills.
First we should make sure nobody is watching. Then we should help Piecewise hide the bodies. Then we should feed.
Make sure we're not consumed by their memories, stop if it gets overwhelming.
Then reanimate them and give control to a ghost that looks capable enough to move their body. No sense wasting good bodies.+1No burying bodies, we still want those.+1
We are a necromancer, and there's nothing wrong with a little socially sanctioned murder so we can gather spare parts. :3
We are going to use the bodies
Lets use the nails as the cores and use the snow to get the blood of the one guy.Yes, we can fit the nails deep inside the bodies and stitch them up
If they don’t rot, we can puppet them. No one knows they are dead yet, and we have their memories. We can use them as spies if we directly puppet them
Lets use the nails as the cores and use the snow to get the blood of the one guy.Yeah, let's do that and merely puppet them so we can move them somewhere safe. Not necessarily back to the library, maybe Esme knows of a safehouse or abandoned building that's closer.
Or just reanimate the individual parts and have them join together as a Voltron-zombie.I'm liking the sound of the Voltron-zombie, but for that we'd probably want more than three dead guys for it, because the more bodies the bigger the monster.
Yes, but if we are puppeting one body using multiple puppets, it would be difficult to determine which part is doing what if we aren’t watching itOr just reanimate the individual parts and have them join together as a Voltron-zombie.I'm liking the sound of the Voltron-zombie, but for that we'd probably want more than three dead guys for it, because the more bodies the bigger the monster.
I don't think it works like that. From what I remember we leave a piece of our mind with the puppet so that it can carry out our commands. That's why we can't make too many of them, but we can control many at the same time. And that's why you can't only use puppets, you also need some of those creatures.Oh yes, thanks for reminding me
Lets use the nails as the cores and use the snow to get the blood of the one guy.Yeah, let's do that and merely puppet them so we can move them somewhere safe. Not necessarily back to the library, maybe Esme knows of a safehouse or abandoned building that's closer.
Once there we can perform surgery to get to their hearts.
Of those options, I like the warehouse we control best.Yes, me too +1
Of those options, I like the warehouse we control best.Yes, me too +1
Alexander used to keep his in a freezer when he wasn't using them, to keep them fresh.
Of those options, I like the warehouse we control best.Yes, me too +1
+1Of those options, I like the warehouse we control best.Yes, me too +1
+1
+1Of those options, I like the warehouse we control best.Yes, me too +1
+1
She seems really on board with this.Well, she is a soldier and this is what you came here to do.
Pretend that my post up above is bolded, and questions to Esme. We need something to turn fresh corpses into skeletons, and preferably a way to dispose of the leftover meaty bits.
If we can get those tools, the plan is to make these three like Piecewise was when we woke up. Down to the skeleton, with their hearts acting as cores.
We'll use Phantoms to animate these. Try to hook ones that appear to have a good balance of power and hunger.
Oh, we're stripping down the entire thing? Yeah alright...+1Pretend that my post up above is bolded, and questions to Esme. We need something to turn fresh corpses into skeletons, and preferably a way to dispose of the leftover meaty bits.
If we can get those tools, the plan is to make these three like Piecewise was when we woke up. Down to the skeleton, with their hearts acting as cores.
We'll use Phantoms to animate these. Try to hook ones that appear to have a good balance of power and hunger.
+1
Also maybe a fresh change of clothes. This is gonna get... really messy.
Say, do we know what holds Piecewise's bones together?
Oh, I hadn’t thought of that+1Oh, we're stripping down the entire thing? Yeah alright...+1Pretend that my post up above is bolded, and questions to Esme. We need something to turn fresh corpses into skeletons, and preferably a way to dispose of the leftover meaty bits.
If we can get those tools, the plan is to make these three like Piecewise was when we woke up. Down to the skeleton, with their hearts acting as cores.
We'll use Phantoms to animate these. Try to hook ones that appear to have a good balance of power and hunger.
+1
Also maybe a fresh change of clothes. This is gonna get... really messy.
Say, do we know what holds Piecewise's bones together?
Maybe we should just embalm them.
Oh, I hadn’t thought of that+1Oh, we're stripping down the entire thing? Yeah alright...+1Pretend that my post up above is bolded, and questions to Esme. We need something to turn fresh corpses into skeletons, and preferably a way to dispose of the leftover meaty bits.
If we can get those tools, the plan is to make these three like Piecewise was when we woke up. Down to the skeleton, with their hearts acting as cores.
We'll use Phantoms to animate these. Try to hook ones that appear to have a good balance of power and hunger.
+1
Also maybe a fresh change of clothes. This is gonna get... really messy.
Say, do we know what holds Piecewise's bones together?
What tools, exactly, does one use to strip flesh from bone or extract an intact heart?Esme indicates she doesn't really know the finer points of butchering like that. She does however say that she thinks they use pressure hoses to clean remaining meat off of bones in slaughterhouses.
Hmm. Might want a plan to dispose of the bits we won't end up needing.
Yeah IIRC we use the spirits but have to tether them to our own will or whatnot, which is the part that is tiring to maintain.yes, we must ask about a way for recharge. If we deanimate, we can store the de animated bodies if our minions get killed
Anyway yeah be like wow hey I feel like this many spirits is too much and maybe I'm dying and/or about to pass into a coma, you got some v8? For real though we should ask if she has a way to recharge our spiritual batteries from without, or we need to release a skeleton or two. Minions are great but we also need to function outselves.
Send Piecewise or Esme to go bring us something to kill. Or at least ask her for what she thinks the easiest way to recharge is.+1
+1Send Piecewise or Esme to go bring us something to kill. Or at least ask her for what she thinks the easiest way to recharge is.+1
+1Send Piecewise or Esme to go bring us something to kill. Or at least ask her for what she thinks the easiest way to recharge is.+1
”the air feels thicker than usual”You somewhat groggily explain your feelings and ask Esme about a way to recharge your mana. The amount of it you have seems directly connected to your physical state in a way quite like that of the spirit bound corpses beside you. You ask her about a way to recharge, such as killing something.
Hm, this is a conundrum. I'm thinking more disguises would be best... trousers, trench-coats and ski-masks maybe? Think, form-concealing stuff. Whatever we can get our hands on in a hurry.+1
They're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
They're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
They're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
+1
They're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
+1
Oh. Oh yeah! I forgot that was a thing we can do. +1
Yes, keeping the bones separate is a good idea, and also trying to figure out what we were doing in the hotel before our deathThey're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
+1
Oh. Oh yeah! I forgot that was a thing we can do. +1
I forget, when we took Piecewise back out of his case, did he just sort of assemble himself? We should use separate containers per skeleton in case mixing up the magicked bones causes unexpected !!!FUN!!!.
Additionally, we now have a viable (and successful) proof of concept. We can decide on a higher goal. For instance, we could target some sort of official and peruse his memories in an effort to find higher priority targets and locations. Or, perhaps of higher interest to us, try and find people who know more about who we were and what we were doing making skeletons in a tub full of blood and organs. We obviously had some kind of plan here, maybe we should use our newfound intel-via-violence skills to that end.
Oh, and we should test the new skellies to see if their quality matches that of Piecewise. Toss em a coin and see if they can swat it out of the air with a knife or something.
Yes, keeping the bones separate is a good idea, and also trying to figure out what we were doing in the hotel before our deathThey're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
+1
Oh. Oh yeah! I forgot that was a thing we can do. +1
I forget, when we took Piecewise back out of his case, did he just sort of assemble himself? We should use separate containers per skeleton in case mixing up the magicked bones causes unexpected !!!FUN!!!.
Additionally, we now have a viable (and successful) proof of concept. We can decide on a higher goal. For instance, we could target some sort of official and peruse his memories in an effort to find higher priority targets and locations. Or, perhaps of higher interest to us, try and find people who know more about who we were and what we were doing making skeletons in a tub full of blood and organs. We obviously had some kind of plan here, maybe we should use our newfound intel-via-violence skills to that end.
Oh, and we should test the new skellies to see if their quality matches that of Piecewise. Toss em a coin and see if they can swat it out of the air with a knife or something.
+1Yes, keeping the bones separate is a good idea, and also trying to figure out what we were doing in the hotel before our deathThey're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
+1
Oh. Oh yeah! I forgot that was a thing we can do. +1
I forget, when we took Piecewise back out of his case, did he just sort of assemble himself? We should use separate containers per skeleton in case mixing up the magicked bones causes unexpected !!!FUN!!!.
Additionally, we now have a viable (and successful) proof of concept. We can decide on a higher goal. For instance, we could target some sort of official and peruse his memories in an effort to find higher priority targets and locations. Or, perhaps of higher interest to us, try and find people who know more about who we were and what we were doing making skeletons in a tub full of blood and organs. We obviously had some kind of plan here, maybe we should use our newfound intel-via-violence skills to that end.
Oh, and we should test the new skellies to see if their quality matches that of Piecewise. Toss em a coin and see if they can swat it out of the air with a knife or something.
+1 if these are suggested actions, +1 to Parisbre's action as well
Infinite skeleton armies powered by suffering.I like the sound of that.
+1 to both plans+1Yes, keeping the bones separate is a good idea, and also trying to figure out what we were doing in the hotel before our deathThey're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
+1
Oh. Oh yeah! I forgot that was a thing we can do. +1
I forget, when we took Piecewise back out of his case, did he just sort of assemble himself? We should use separate containers per skeleton in case mixing up the magicked bones causes unexpected !!!FUN!!!.
Additionally, we now have a viable (and successful) proof of concept. We can decide on a higher goal. For instance, we could target some sort of official and peruse his memories in an effort to find higher priority targets and locations. Or, perhaps of higher interest to us, try and find people who know more about who we were and what we were doing making skeletons in a tub full of blood and organs. We obviously had some kind of plan here, maybe we should use our newfound intel-via-violence skills to that end.
Oh, and we should test the new skellies to see if their quality matches that of Piecewise. Toss em a coin and see if they can swat it out of the air with a knife or something.
+1 if these are suggested actions, +1 to Parisbre's action as wellInfinite skeleton armies powered by suffering.I like the sound of that.
+1+1Yes, keeping the bones separate is a good idea, and also trying to figure out what we were doing in the hotel before our deathThey're skeletons. Just fold em up and put them in a suitcase or two or maybe some bags. If we work together with Piecewise and Esme we should be able to carry them away from here.+1
If Esme doesn't have a suggestion for where to take them, then find some place near that lab Piecewise found. Better to have them nearby in case we need assistance.
If that place is too far away, then just some nearby safe spot will do for now. We can move them closer to the lab later.
+1
Oh. Oh yeah! I forgot that was a thing we can do. +1
I forget, when we took Piecewise back out of his case, did he just sort of assemble himself? We should use separate containers per skeleton in case mixing up the magicked bones causes unexpected !!!FUN!!!.
Additionally, we now have a viable (and successful) proof of concept. We can decide on a higher goal. For instance, we could target some sort of official and peruse his memories in an effort to find higher priority targets and locations. Or, perhaps of higher interest to us, try and find people who know more about who we were and what we were doing making skeletons in a tub full of blood and organs. We obviously had some kind of plan here, maybe we should use our newfound intel-via-violence skills to that end.
Oh, and we should test the new skellies to see if their quality matches that of Piecewise. Toss em a coin and see if they can swat it out of the air with a knife or something.
+1 if these are suggested actions, +1 to Parisbre's action as well
...Have Piecewise toss a coin to us and try to bat it out of the air with a knife.
Hey, let's test all of our undead bodies, while we're at it.
We should investigate that place Piecewise found. Maybe it holds info on why we exist or at least what Alex was doing for the government and where he is now. It probably also has information the resistance will find useful, like some new technology or secret weapon they've developed.+1
I forgot all about that, I feel dumb now.+1We should investigate that place Piecewise found. Maybe it holds info on why we exist or at least what Alex was doing for the government and where he is now. It probably also has information the resistance will find useful, like some new technology or secret weapon they've developed.+1
...Have Piecewise toss a coin to us and try to bat it out of the air with a knife.
Hey, let's test all of our undead bodies, while we're at it.
I forgot all about that, I feel dumb now.+1We should investigate that place Piecewise found. Maybe it holds info on why we exist or at least what Alex was doing for the government and where he is now. It probably also has information the resistance will find useful, like some new technology or secret weapon they've developed.+1
...Have Piecewise toss a coin to us and try to bat it out of the air with a knife.
Hey, let's test all of our undead bodies, while we're at it.
+1
+1I forgot all about that, I feel dumb now.+1We should investigate that place Piecewise found. Maybe it holds info on why we exist or at least what Alex was doing for the government and where he is now. It probably also has information the resistance will find useful, like some new technology or secret weapon they've developed.+1
+1
+1...Have Piecewise toss a coin to us and try to bat it out of the air with a knife.
Hey, let's test all of our undead bodies, while we're at it.
+1
+1I forgot all about that, I feel dumb now.+1We should investigate that place Piecewise found. Maybe it holds info on why we exist or at least what Alex was doing for the government and where he is now. It probably also has information the resistance will find useful, like some new technology or secret weapon they've developed.+1
+1
+1...Have Piecewise toss a coin to us and try to bat it out of the air with a knife.
Hey, let's test all of our undead bodies, while we're at it.
+1
+1I forgot all about that, I feel dumb now.+1We should investigate that place Piecewise found. Maybe it holds info on why we exist or at least what Alex was doing for the government and where he is now. It probably also has information the resistance will find useful, like some new technology or secret weapon they've developed.+1
+1
"Would you like us to help? Maybe we can have an undead bug stick to a guard there to tell us where he goes. Then we can grab him while he's sleeping and have you read his mind. Or just kill them and absorb their memories, though I'm worried that might put them on alert."+1
Ask something along those lines.
"Would you like us to help? Maybe we can have an undead bug stick to a guard there to tell us where he goes. Then we can grab him while he's sleeping and have you read his mind. Or just kill them and absorb their memories, though I'm worried that might put them on alert."+1
Ask something along those lines.
-1 to the assault"Would you like us to help? Maybe we can have an undead bug stick to a guard there to tell us where he goes. Then we can grab him while he's sleeping and have you read his mind. Or just kill them and absorb their memories, though I'm worried that might put them on alert."+1
Ask something along those lines.
I was supporting the bug, to get inside the place and scout
Or +1 to Esme’s plan for us acting like cargo
Capturing a guard would be ideal for intel gathering purposes, but also it sounds from Esme's description like the kind of place where someone would immediately notice a missing guard. Still a good idea, but possibly risky...
I do officially vote against the idea of a frontal assault. -1 to that.
Little tiny spy bugs or spy mice is a pretty good idea though!+1 to spy mice
I recommend spy mice though, bugs are teeny but also have basically no capacity to understand the world around them in a way that is meaningful to a human.
"Would you like us to help? Maybe we can have an undead bug stick to a guard there to tell us where he goes. Then we can grab him while he's sleeping and have you read his mind. Or just kill them and absorb their memories, though I'm worried that might put them on alert."
Ask something along those lines.
From what I understand, we can't really see through their eyes though. The best we can do is know their status. Hmm... Unless there's a way to extract memories from undead. Maybe we can experiment with that.+1
Do only living things form memories? Experiment with the mouse. Maybe if we animate it with a spirit we can then consume the spirit to gain some of the memories. Or maybe we can order the spirit to do a certain action we can sense upon certain events?
Also, can the spirit-animated skeletons speak better than Piecewise? I mean, can they answer questions? Can you hold a conversation with them? Would they be able to report something they've seen (like Esme doing something with her hands behind our back?).
Finally, can we transfer spirits? Can we put one in a body that's good for scouting and then move it to a skull so that it can report what it saw?
+1"Would you like us to help? Maybe we can have an undead bug stick to a guard there to tell us where he goes. Then we can grab him while he's sleeping and have you read his mind. Or just kill them and absorb their memories, though I'm worried that might put them on alert."
Ask something along those lines.From what I understand, we can't really see through their eyes though. The best we can do is know their status. Hmm... Unless there's a way to extract memories from undead. Maybe we can experiment with that.+1
Do only living things form memories? Experiment with the mouse. Maybe if we animate it with a spirit we can then consume the spirit to gain some of the memories. Or maybe we can order the spirit to do a certain action we can sense upon certain events?
Also, can the spirit-animated skeletons speak better than Piecewise? I mean, can they answer questions? Can you hold a conversation with them? Would they be able to report something they've seen (like Esme doing something with her hands behind our back?).
Finally, can we transfer spirits? Can we put one in a body that's good for scouting and then move it to a skull so that it can report what it saw?
So if we are effectively a Piecewise, able to command our own body as though it is a similar puppet, what are we? I don't mean in a physical sense, but our current understanding is that such an arrangement must be deliberately created and then constantly maintained by a necromancer.Maybe Alexander is doing this?
Is our spirit/soul/consciousness even human? Is someone, somewhere maintaining our existence through their mana?
From what I understand, we can't really see through their eyes though. The best we can do is know their status. Hmm... Unless there's a way to extract memories from undead. Maybe we can experiment with that.
Do only living things form memories? Experiment with the mouse. Maybe if we animate it with a spirit we can then consume the spirit to gain some of the memories. Or maybe we can order the spirit to do a certain action we can sense upon certain events?
Also, can the spirit-animated skeletons speak better than Piecewise? I mean, can they answer questions? Can you hold a conversation with them? Would they be able to report something they've seen (like Esme doing something with her hands behind our back?).
Finally, can we transfer spirits? Can we put one in a body that's good for scouting and then move it to a skull so that it can report what it saw?
+1 agreed. This is important to knowFrom what I understand, we can't really see through their eyes though. The best we can do is know their status. Hmm... Unless there's a way to extract memories from undead. Maybe we can experiment with that.
Do only living things form memories? Experiment with the mouse. Maybe if we animate it with a spirit we can then consume the spirit to gain some of the memories. Or maybe we can order the spirit to do a certain action we can sense upon certain events?
Also, can the spirit-animated skeletons speak better than Piecewise? I mean, can they answer questions? Can you hold a conversation with them? Would they be able to report something they've seen (like Esme doing something with her hands behind our back?).
Finally, can we transfer spirits? Can we put one in a body that's good for scouting and then move it to a skull so that it can report what it saw?
+1 we should figure this stuff out before starting our infiltration plans
"Would you like us to help? Maybe we can have an undead bug stick to a guard there to tell us where he goes. Then we can grab him while he's sleeping and have you read his mind. Or just kill them and absorb their memories, though I'm worried that might put them on alert."
Ask something along those lines.
From what I understand, we can't really see through their eyes though. The best we can do is know their status. Hmm... Unless there's a way to extract memories from undead. Maybe we can experiment with that."Sneaking something undead in to spy for us isn't a terrible idea." Esme says, considering it, "But it does have a risk. Undead under someone's control have a connection to the necromancer, one that other necromancers can see. If there are other necromancers in that facility, which would not be surprising considering its apparent purpose, then they would recognize the spy as at least being an unknown undead. And remember that those connections lead straight back to you so they might be able to trace it."
Do only living things form memories? Experiment with the mouse. Maybe if we animate it with a spirit we can then consume the spirit to gain some of the memories. Or maybe we can order the spirit to do a certain action we can sense upon certain events?
Also, can the spirit-animated skeletons speak better than Piecewise? I mean, can they answer questions? Can you hold a conversation with them? Would they be able to report something they've seen (like Esme doing something with her hands behind our back?).
Finally, can we transfer spirits? Can we put one in a body that's good for scouting and then move it to a skull so that it can report what it saw?
We should get better fish to put in the skeletons.And crabs, what are some of the larger spirits nearby?
There's none in the room currently, but if you went looking around, you could probably find some. From your experience, the larger ones can come in just about any shape, though still aquatic themed. On the way to last night's activities you saw what looked like a man sized bateriophage drift by about 25 feet up. No telling what you might find elsewhere.We should get better fish to put in the skeletons.And crabs, what are some of the larger spirits nearby?
There's none in the room currently, but if you went looking around, you could probably find some. From your experience, the larger ones can come in just about any shape, though still aquatic themed. On the way to last night's activities you saw what looked like a man sized bateriophage drift by about 25 feet up. No telling what you might find elsewhere.We should get better fish to put in the skeletons.And crabs, what are some of the larger spirits nearby?
+1There's none in the room currently, but if you went looking around, you could probably find some. From your experience, the larger ones can come in just about any shape, though still aquatic themed. On the way to last night's activities you saw what looked like a man sized bateriophage drift by about 25 feet up. No telling what you might find elsewhere.We should get better fish to put in the skeletons.And crabs, what are some of the larger spirits nearby?
Next time we see a man sized anything we nab it and stuff it into a skelton.
-1, we don't want anything that large until we gain more power. We don't want to end up killing ourselves.Oh yeah, we probably still need something bigger than the crab
Put a mouse spirit in the same skeleton as the crab. Maybe the crab will eat it and grow stronger.+1
+1Put a mouse spirit in the same skeleton as the crab. Maybe the crab will eat it and grow stronger.+1
You take the spirit from the mouse and place it into the skeleton with the crab spirit. As you watch the two spirits seem to grow indistinct and overlap before solidifying into something different and singular. The combined spirit still mostly resembles the crab but slightly changed. Not more fish like just a bit larger and different.+1Put a mouse spirit in the same skeleton as the crab. Maybe the crab will eat it and grow stronger.+1
You take the spirit from the mouse and place it into the skeleton with the crab spirit. As you watch the two spirits seem to grow indistinct and overlap before solidifying into something different and singular. The combined spirit still mostly resembles the crab but slightly changed. Not more fish like just a bit larger and different.+1Put a mouse spirit in the same skeleton as the crab. Maybe the crab will eat it and grow stronger.+1
Ask Esme immediately if this is normal.
Ask Esme immediately if this is normal.
Eh, let's allow Esme some rest before we start badgering her about such things. We're hyper right now off of her mana, recall.
Let's experiment with the flexibility of undead. For example, what happens if we try to stick a piece of cloth between a skeleton's lower and upper arm bones? Can we pull a bone off a skeleton and then reattach it (perhaps with the use of some of our Mana)?+1
Another experiment I'd like to try is how much we can use our power offensively or defensively How quickly can we reanimate something? Could we, for example, reanimate a door to force it to unlock or force it close and remain closed? What about reanimating a card so we can more easily throw it to our target? What about reanimating someone's shoelaces to make them get tied up and cause that someone to trip? What about making something hover between us and our target? Or maybe instead of hovering we can make invisible magical legs for it, like how skeletons have invisible magical joints.
Finally, it's a bit morbid, but I'd like to try finding a living thing and reanimating part of its body or sticking a spirit in it while it's still alive. Maybe it heals them. Maybe it gives them power. Maybe they end up possessed. Maybe we just can't do that. Whatever the case, it would be useful to know.
+1, though we already know non corpses such as shoelaces and doors are much more tiring to reanimate than corpses. The one about putting the spirit in something still alive sounds good though, we are not using Esme though, let’s find a different living thing for it firstLet's experiment with the flexibility of undead. For example, what happens if we try to stick a piece of cloth between a skeleton's lower and upper arm bones? Can we pull a bone off a skeleton and then reattach it (perhaps with the use of some of our Mana)?+1
Another experiment I'd like to try is how much we can use our power offensively or defensively How quickly can we reanimate something? Could we, for example, reanimate a door to force it to unlock or force it close and remain closed? What about reanimating a card so we can more easily throw it to our target? What about reanimating someone's shoelaces to make them get tied up and cause that someone to trip? What about making something hover between us and our target? Or maybe instead of hovering we can make invisible magical legs for it, like how skeletons have invisible magical joints.
Finally, it's a bit morbid, but I'd like to try finding a living thing and reanimating part of its body or sticking a spirit in it while it's still alive. Maybe it heals them. Maybe it gives them power. Maybe they end up possessed. Maybe we just can't do that. Whatever the case, it would be useful to know.
+1, though we already know non corpses such as shoelaces and doors are much more tiring to reanimate than corpses. The one about putting the spirit in something still alive sounds good though, we are not using Esme though, let’s find a different living thing for it firstLet's experiment with the flexibility of undead. For example, what happens if we try to stick a piece of cloth between a skeleton's lower and upper arm bones? Can we pull a bone off a skeleton and then reattach it (perhaps with the use of some of our Mana)?+1
Another experiment I'd like to try is how much we can use our power offensively or defensively How quickly can we reanimate something? Could we, for example, reanimate a door to force it to unlock or force it close and remain closed? What about reanimating a card so we can more easily throw it to our target? What about reanimating someone's shoelaces to make them get tied up and cause that someone to trip? What about making something hover between us and our target? Or maybe instead of hovering we can make invisible magical legs for it, like how skeletons have invisible magical joints.
Finally, it's a bit morbid, but I'd like to try finding a living thing and reanimating part of its body or sticking a spirit in it while it's still alive. Maybe it heals them. Maybe it gives them power. Maybe they end up possessed. Maybe we just can't do that. Whatever the case, it would be useful to know.
Agreed, no humans yet. Let’s use a rabbit+1, though we already know non corpses such as shoelaces and doors are much more tiring to reanimate than corpses. The one about putting the spirit in something still alive sounds good though, we are not using Esme though, let’s find a different living thing for it firstLet's experiment with the flexibility of undead. For example, what happens if we try to stick a piece of cloth between a skeleton's lower and upper arm bones? Can we pull a bone off a skeleton and then reattach it (perhaps with the use of some of our Mana)?+1
Another experiment I'd like to try is how much we can use our power offensively or defensively How quickly can we reanimate something? Could we, for example, reanimate a door to force it to unlock or force it close and remain closed? What about reanimating a card so we can more easily throw it to our target? What about reanimating someone's shoelaces to make them get tied up and cause that someone to trip? What about making something hover between us and our target? Or maybe instead of hovering we can make invisible magical legs for it, like how skeletons have invisible magical joints.
Finally, it's a bit morbid, but I'd like to try finding a living thing and reanimating part of its body or sticking a spirit in it while it's still alive. Maybe it heals them. Maybe it gives them power. Maybe they end up possessed. Maybe we just can't do that. Whatever the case, it would be useful to know.
Definitely not Esme. Or Bruce or Mary. Basically no humans, preferably not even government ones (at least for our initial testing)
We could always try smushing phantoms into parts of ourself. Find a phantom with really good aim and stick it in our arm or something.
Or maybe graft octopus limbs to ourself and then put thinky phantoms in there to enhance our intellect and give us fresh ideas? Could become a real monster if we wanted to, I think.
We could always try smushing phantoms into parts of ourself. Find a phantom with really good aim and stick it in our arm or something.
Or maybe graft octopus limbs to ourself and then put thinky phantoms in there to enhance our intellect and give us fresh ideas? Could become a real monster if we wanted to, I think.
Ok that's really, really cool and also suuuuper dangerous until we know more about the mechanics that govern our existence.
Totally support this once we know our arm isn't going to sprout lethal claws and also gain sentience or some such.
Lets wait on this until we know what phantoms will do to living bodiesWe could always try smushing phantoms into parts of ourself. Find a phantom with really good aim and stick it in our arm or something.
Or maybe graft octopus limbs to ourself and then put thinky phantoms in there to enhance our intellect and give us fresh ideas? Could become a real monster if we wanted to, I think.
Ok that's really, really cool and also suuuuper dangerous until we know more about the mechanics that govern our existence.
Totally support this once we know our arm isn't going to sprout lethal claws and also gain sentience or some such.
DERM OCTOPUS ARM CONFIRMED
Well, if we're in a combat situation, we could tie an animate arm on the back of our shirt, give it a gun and tell it to shoot people who aren't us. But then you have to make sure it doesn't accidentally shoot us or sometime we care about. But if things we puppet have part of ourselves in them, maybe it will be smart enough to know? Maybe we can try with something harmless, like a flashlight
Hmm... We should call it "Gun Angel".
Obedient AI that will only remain obedient if we feed mana and memories to it. We mustn't forget what the spirits eatWell, if we're in a combat situation, we could tie an animate arm on the back of our shirt, give it a gun and tell it to shoot people who aren't us. But then you have to make sure it doesn't accidentally shoot us or sometime we care about. But if things we puppet have part of ourselves in them, maybe it will be smart enough to know? Maybe we can try with something harmless, like a flashlight
Hmm... We should call it "Gun Angel".
We can animate all kinds of prosthetics and armors and such to use as weapons this is getting rad AF.
It's basically adding obedient AI to anything we want.
Obedient AI that will only remain obedient if we feed mana and memories to it. We mustn't forget what the spirits eatWell, if we're in a combat situation, we could tie an animate arm on the back of our shirt, give it a gun and tell it to shoot people who aren't us. But then you have to make sure it doesn't accidentally shoot us or sometime we care about. But if things we puppet have part of ourselves in them, maybe it will be smart enough to know? Maybe we can try with something harmless, like a flashlight
Hmm... We should call it "Gun Angel".
We can animate all kinds of prosthetics and armors and such to use as weapons this is getting rad AF.
It's basically adding obedient AI to anything we want.
Well, we can just create a group of undead masters that rules over a world of living cattle. I'm sure nothing is or will go wrong with that.
Attempting to place something into the joint of one of the skeletons is...rather a confusing event. The elbow, as joints go, is a pretty tight with the ulna basically cupping the end of the humerus. However, the radius doesn't perfectly fit to the joint in its current fleshless state; the connection is usually facilitated via cartilage and ligaments. This means the bone is effectively hovering in place, though is quite immovable from that configuration. Into this gap you can easily place a piece of cloth. It reminds you of a magnet; the way these two things can be strongly affixed to each other by some kind of invisible and untouchable force. However, attempting to slip anything between the bones where they're touching proves impossible. Pulling off bones proves impossible as well; or at least as impossible as it would be for you to rip off a man's arm. You get the feeling it could be done but not with your strength.Agreed, no humans yet. Let’s use a rabbit+1, though we already know non corpses such as shoelaces and doors are much more tiring to reanimate than corpses. The one about putting the spirit in something still alive sounds good though, we are not using Esme though, let’s find a different living thing for it firstLet's experiment with the flexibility of undead. For example, what happens if we try to stick a piece of cloth between a skeleton's lower and upper arm bones? Can we pull a bone off a skeleton and then reattach it (perhaps with the use of some of our Mana)?+1
Another experiment I'd like to try is how much we can use our power offensively or defensively How quickly can we reanimate something? Could we, for example, reanimate a door to force it to unlock or force it close and remain closed? What about reanimating a card so we can more easily throw it to our target? What about reanimating someone's shoelaces to make them get tied up and cause that someone to trip? What about making something hover between us and our target? Or maybe instead of hovering we can make invisible magical legs for it, like how skeletons have invisible magical joints.
Finally, it's a bit morbid, but I'd like to try finding a living thing and reanimating part of its body or sticking a spirit in it while it's still alive. Maybe it heals them. Maybe it gives them power. Maybe they end up possessed. Maybe we just can't do that. Whatever the case, it would be useful to know.
Definitely not Esme. Or Bruce or Mary. Basically no humans, preferably not even government ones (at least for our initial testing)
Maybe we should rest for a bit to build up our mana supply.+1
+1Maybe we should rest for a bit to build up our mana supply.+1
You return to your room and lay down. This time you make sure to do two things: First you write a note to Esme to make it clear you're asleep and not dead. Actually dead. Well, you know. Second, when you lay down you don't simply tell yourself to sleep, you give yourself a time limit. Its roughly 5 am right now so you set yourself for 7 hours, so you'll wake up at about noon. That done, you close your eyes and sleep. You seem to wake up a moment later but the bright light of the noon day sun tells you otherwise. You blink and look around before sitting up and are surprised to see Piecewise sort of looming over you, staring down at you. He isn't moving and isn't holding anything this time, he's just sort of...there.+1Maybe we should rest for a bit to build up our mana supply.+1
He might just give us a yes/no answer to that question, so...+1
"Piecewise, is anything unusual going on; if so, lead me to it."
Remember, he can only answer questions about stuff we've seen personally.
+1He might just give us a yes/no answer to that question, so...+1
"Piecewise, is anything unusual going on; if so, lead me to it."
Remember, he can only answer questions about stuff we've seen personally.
Piecewise doesn't move away, but instead raises his hands and knits his fingers together in what seems like an unconscious gesture of contemplation. After a moment he speaks two words in his harsh, barely audible, whisper of a voice.+1He might just give us a yes/no answer to that question, so...+1
"Piecewise, is anything unusual going on; if so, lead me to it."
Remember, he can only answer questions about stuff we've seen personally.
(https://pics.me.me/h-well-allow-me-to-retort-34229531.png)
"....O-O"
+1 to trying to get Piecewise to speak more. But I bet you a dollar he's going to say his name is piecewise.
Maybe we should look outside, see if anyone came to the building?
So every so often Esme slips that she knew more about Alexander and his goals than she let on initially.Maybe +1 to asking Bryan/Brian/Byron
I would not blame her for keeping things a bit close to the vest from the sudden appearance of an undead clone with amnesia, and I recommend we still trust her at this juncture, but maybe we should be more.... I don't know, critically observant?
Also hey wait, her and the caretaker guy seem like they've been close for a while. Maybe he knows more about the relationship between Esme and Alexander?
Can we resuscitate people - not just to an undead state, but true resuscitation? If so, it opens up a new information-gathering tactic: kill the person some way that doesn't do much damage, examine the memories we take from them, put their memories back minus those of us kidnapping and killing them, return them to their previous location, resuscitate them there. We could even do this to our allies, so long as other allies don't know and we don't damage them.
Can we resuscitate people - not just to an undead state, but true resuscitation? If so, it opens up a new information-gathering tactic: kill the person some way that doesn't do much damage, examine the memories we take from them, put their memories back minus those of us kidnapping and killing them, return them to their previous location, resuscitate them there. Works well for important people who would be missed if we killed them permanently.We would need to find someone willing to test this, that would be difficult
Can we resuscitate people - not just to an undead state, but true resuscitation? If so, it opens up a new information-gathering tactic: kill the person some way that doesn't do much damage, examine the memories we take from them, put their memories back minus those of us kidnapping and killing them, return them to their previous location, resuscitate them there. Works well for important people who would be missed if we killed them permanently.We would need to find someone willing to test this, that would be difficult
YesCan we resuscitate people - not just to an undead state, but true resuscitation? If so, it opens up a new information-gathering tactic: kill the person some way that doesn't do much damage, examine the memories we take from them, put their memories back minus those of us kidnapping and killing them, return them to their previous location, resuscitate them there. Works well for important people who would be missed if we killed them permanently.We would need to find someone willing to test this, that would be difficult
Not necessarily. We could find another patrol and keep one member alive, take him to the warehouse, then test this (removing memories of us killing the patrol as well.)
If we could employ the services of a skilled physician, we could abduct higher ranking officials and go with a "capture and release" style of intel gathering.Now we need to figure out how to get a physician to work with us, or steal the memories of a physician
This way we would have more time to peruse memories. If we don't get what we want on the first dive, we can just knock the asshole out again. Also, no alarms raised due to dead generals or whatever.
If we could employ the services of a skilled physician, we could abduct higher ranking officials and go with a "capture and release" style of intel gathering.Now we need to figure out how to get a physician to work with us, or steal the memories of a physician
This way we would have more time to peruse memories. If we don't get what we want on the first dive, we can just knock the asshole out again. Also, no alarms raised due to dead generals or whatever.
If we could employ the services of a skilled physician, we could abduct higher ranking officials and go with a "capture and release" style of intel gathering.Now we need to figure out how to get a physician to work with us, or steal the memories of a physician
This way we would have more time to peruse memories. If we don't get what we want on the first dive, we can just knock the asshole out again. Also, no alarms raised due to dead generals or whatever.
... assuming there is some way of killing a person that won't still cause problems when they're resuscitated.
Also, we've already tested Piecewise. He can talk but he just repeats things or says things we know.Yes. He told us to be careful, so maybe we should check outside to see if anyone is nearby
+1Also, we've already tested Piecewise. He can talk but he just repeats things or says things we know.Yes. He told us to be careful, so maybe we should check outside to see if anyone is nearby
Nicholas. Old Nick, if you want a method to remember him by.So every so often Esme slips that she knew more about Alexander and his goals than she let on initially.Maybe +1 to asking Bryan/Brian/Byron
I would not blame her for keeping things a bit close to the vest from the sudden appearance of an undead clone with amnesia, and I recommend we still trust her at this juncture, but maybe we should be more.... I don't know, critically observant?
Also hey wait, her and the caretaker guy seem like they've been close for a while. Maybe he knows more about the relationship between Esme and Alexander?
From what I can see there are a lot of actions here, but they all generally just have a single +1, and generally those +1's are all from naturegirl. I'm choosing this one because its the one that is the most simple to do right now. We'll go from there.+1Also, we've already tested Piecewise. He can talk but he just repeats things or says things we know.Yes. He told us to be careful, so maybe we should check outside to see if anyone is nearby
Hmm. How should we feed our new pets? Will they whine at us if they get hungry or just start hunting?+1 to book finding, we can give our phantoms the memories from said books. We should probably make sure Esme’s ok, at least, before we leave for good. I want to help
Try to find an interesting book to read. Not for research or anything, just try to find a book it seems we would enjoy.
Maybe, consider the options. We are not required to live our life around fighting or looking for answers. If we wanted to, we could leave this behind, find something different to do with our unlife. We were built to do necromancy, set to find Esme, but we have the freedom to choose. So:
What do we want?
+1 to finding Esme.+1
+1+1 to finding Esme.+1
You consider searching the library for an interesting book but then also consider that you haven't seen Esme. You decide that you can get a book after you find her. Considering the warning you just got and the fact that she's effectively been your lifeline here, you feel a slight urgency to make sure she's ok. You ask Nicholas but he says she hasn't left the building and that he hasn't seen her. You check upstairs. She's not in her room or the kitchen. You head downstairs and after a bit of wandering find her in the records section, right where she was when you first came here.+1+1 to finding Esme.+1
Go purchase something living and experiment with extracting memories from it without killing it. Also try reanimating it or putting a ghost in it without killing it to see what happens.+1 Much more useful than my idea
See if a skeleton can understand another skeleton is linked with us and if they can see the energy linking it to us. See if they can see point towards the source of the link. If it works, then from now on, we will use a skeleton other than Piecewise as a lookout while we sleep by ordering them to point at the direction the energy controlling Piecewise is coming from, if it comes from a direction other than ourselves. Maybe it will give us a clue.
Also, order ourselves to point at the energy controlling us. Maybe we don't know it consciously, but our undead body does.
Other than that, ask Esme if she needs anything from us to prepare our covert insertion into the secret research lab.
Go purchase something living and experiment with extracting memories from it without killing it. Also try reanimating it or putting a ghost in it without killing it to see what happens.+1 Much more useful than my idea
See if a skeleton can understand another skeleton is linked with us and if they can see the energy linking it to us. See if they can see point towards the source of the link. If it works, then from now on, we will use a skeleton other than Piecewise as a lookout while we sleep by ordering them to point at the direction the energy controlling Piecewise is coming from, if it comes from a direction other than ourselves. Maybe it will give us a clue.
Also, order ourselves to point at the energy controlling us. Maybe we don't know it consciously, but our undead body does.
Other than that, ask Esme if she needs anything from us to prepare our covert insertion into the secret research lab.
+1Go purchase something living and experiment with extracting memories from it without killing it. Also try reanimating it or putting a ghost in it without killing it to see what happens.+1 Much more useful than my idea
See if a skeleton can understand another skeleton is linked with us and if they can see the energy linking it to us. See if they can see point towards the source of the link. If it works, then from now on, we will use a skeleton other than Piecewise as a lookout while we sleep by ordering them to point at the direction the energy controlling Piecewise is coming from, if it comes from a direction other than ourselves. Maybe it will give us a clue.
Also, order ourselves to point at the energy controlling us. Maybe we don't know it consciously, but our undead body does.
Other than that, ask Esme if she needs anything from us to prepare our covert insertion into the secret research lab.
+1
I forget what the original link to the lab was. How did we find out about it, and how is Kelley connected to it?
Also, we should ask Esme if there are people - good and bad - still living who could recognize that we look like Kelley. Other than her.
Hmm. How should we feed our new pets? Will they whine at us if they get hungry or just start hunting?
Try to find an interesting book to read. Not for research or anything, just try to find a book it seems we would enjoy.
Maybe, consider the options. We are not required to live our life around fighting or looking for answers. If we wanted to, we could leave this behind, find something different to do with our unlife. We were built to do necromancy, set to find Esme, but we have the freedom to choose. So:
What do we want?
I mean, isn't what we want more info about the truth of our existence?
I mean, figuring out this mystery while fighting a guerilla war sounds like fun. Do we have anything better to do?Nope, that means it time to become war heroes.
You ask Esme about preparing for a covert insertion into the lab, and if she needs anything for it.+1Go purchase something living and experiment with extracting memories from it without killing it. Also try reanimating it or putting a ghost in it without killing it to see what happens.+1 Much more useful than my idea
See if a skeleton can understand another skeleton is linked with us and if they can see the energy linking it to us. See if they can see point towards the source of the link. If it works, then from now on, we will use a skeleton other than Piecewise as a lookout while we sleep by ordering them to point at the direction the energy controlling Piecewise is coming from, if it comes from a direction other than ourselves. Maybe it will give us a clue.
Also, order ourselves to point at the energy controlling us. Maybe we don't know it consciously, but our undead body does.
Other than that, ask Esme if she needs anything from us to prepare our covert insertion into the secret research lab.
+1
I forget what the original link to the lab was. How did we find out about it, and how is Kelley connected to it?
Also, we should ask Esme if there are people - good and bad - still living who could recognize that we look like Kelley. Other than her.
Straight up? There's only one possible conclusion. We are being controlled by space aliens!
Anyway, maybe we should just take a look at some map? Maybe we can find a place where we can stake out there place. Maybe we'll see some sort of supply truck. Maybe the truck will have a company name we can search or maybe we can add some undead bug to it to track it to its home.
Straight up? There's only one possible conclusion. We are being controlled by space aliens!+1
Anyway, maybe we should just take a look at some map? Maybe we can find a place where we can stake out there place. Maybe we'll see some sort of supply truck. Maybe the truck will have a company name we can search or maybe we can add some undead bug to it to track it to its home.
You head back up stairs and check out the location of the lab. The article that Piecewise pointed out before obviously does not list the exact address but it does list some information. You take that information and start referencing some maps along with the memories you have. None of the memories have exact knowledge of the thing's location or anything to do with it, but one of them does recognize some thing in one of the images printed with the article. This info leads you to a town called Axminster to the northeast, still along the coast. The maps don't list anything specific about a government installation, but when you cross reference some older maps with some newer ones there is the addition of a road that seems to lead to nothing out along the sea cliffs. Possibly its just a scenic route, but possibly its the road to something they didn't want on any maps.Straight up? There's only one possible conclusion. We are being controlled by space aliens!
Anyway, maybe we should just take a look at some map? Maybe we can find a place where we can stake out there place. Maybe we'll see some sort of supply truck. Maybe the truck will have a company name we can search or maybe we can add some undead bug to it to track it to its home.
+1
Tell Esme, see if she knows anything about Axminster and see if her research has uncovered anything.+1
Ask her if anyone is still alive that might recognize us!Kelley (this was in an earlier post but didn't happen in the turn.)
Look through news archives (we're in a library after all) to find any mentions of inexplicable things happening near Axminster.
Look in the same archives for any things that happened in the recent or otherwise past at that hotel we woke up at.
Look for any disturbances in the anima for indications of where our early-morning message might have come from (although they're probably gone by now.)
+1Tell Esme, see if she knows anything about Axminster and see if her research has uncovered anything.+1
Ask her if anyone is still alive that might recognize us!Kelley (this was in an earlier post but didn't happen in the turn.)
Look through news archives (we're in a library after all) to find any mentions of inexplicable things happening near Axminster.
Look in the same archives for any things that happened in the recent or otherwise past at that hotel we woke up at.
Look for any disturbances in the anima for indications of where our early-morning message might have come from (although they're probably gone by now.)
+1+1Tell Esme, see if she knows anything about Axminster and see if her research has uncovered anything.+1
Ask her if anyone is still alive that might recognize us!Kelley (this was in an earlier post but didn't happen in the turn.)
Look through news archives (we're in a library after all) to find any mentions of inexplicable things happening near Axminster.
Look in the same archives for any things that happened in the recent or otherwise past at that hotel we woke up at.
Look for any disturbances in the anima for indications of where our early-morning message might have come from (although they're probably gone by now.)
We should go find a homeless guy and see how much anima it takes to make it explode, then refine the process until we can create the ultimate Kung fu move, The Five Finger Death Punch!
+1 to the spy ratsWe should go find a homeless guy and see how much anima it takes to make it explode, then refine the process until we can create the ultimate Kung fu move, The Five Finger Death Punch!
How does this not have all the +1's we should practice punching people with anima until they explode like an old pinata.
Also I still recommend spy rats. Just one or two, order them to scurry about the corpse receiving area and learn things. First have one put a small watch in a drain vent or something, have it check in every hour so when we extract the memories we have a timeframe as to when things like deliveries happen. Then have them hang about the area and learn as much about day-to-day routine as possible.
I'd recommend against having them try to penetrate further, as any trained necromancer inside the facility might be able to spot our rats.
Maybe do this for a week or so, relay daily updates to Esme.
+1 I'm glad someone liked my idea to punch people until they explode.+1 to the spy ratsWe should go find a homeless guy and see how much anima it takes to make it explode, then refine the process until we can create the ultimate Kung fu move, The Five Finger Death Punch!
How does this not have all the +1's we should practice punching people with anima until they explode like an old pinata.
Also I still recommend spy rats. Just one or two, order them to scurry about the corpse receiving area and learn things. First have one put a small watch in a drain vent or something, have it check in every hour so when we extract the memories we have a timeframe as to when things like deliveries happen. Then have them hang about the area and learn as much about day-to-day routine as possible.
I'd recommend against having them try to penetrate further, as any trained necromancer inside the facility might be able to spot our rats.
Maybe do this for a week or so, relay daily updates to Esme.
+1 I'm glad someone liked my idea to punch people until they explode.+1 to the spy ratsWe should go find a homeless guy and see how much anima it takes to make it explode, then refine the process until we can create the ultimate Kung fu move, The Five Finger Death Punch!
How does this not have all the +1's we should practice punching people with anima until they explode like an old pinata.
Also I still recommend spy rats. Just one or two, order them to scurry about the corpse receiving area and learn things. First have one put a small watch in a drain vent or something, have it check in every hour so when we extract the memories we have a timeframe as to when things like deliveries happen. Then have them hang about the area and learn as much about day-to-day routine as possible.
I'd recommend against having them try to penetrate further, as any trained necromancer inside the facility might be able to spot our rats.
Maybe do this for a week or so, relay daily updates to Esme.
+1 I'm glad someone liked my idea to punch people until they explode.+1 to the spy ratsWe should go find a homeless guy and see how much anima it takes to make it explode, then refine the process until we can create the ultimate Kung fu move, The Five Finger Death Punch!
How does this not have all the +1's we should practice punching people with anima until they explode like an old pinata.
Also I still recommend spy rats. Just one or two, order them to scurry about the corpse receiving area and learn things. First have one put a small watch in a drain vent or something, have it check in every hour so when we extract the memories we have a timeframe as to when things like deliveries happen. Then have them hang about the area and learn as much about day-to-day routine as possible.
I'd recommend against having them try to penetrate further, as any trained necromancer inside the facility might be able to spot our rats.
Maybe do this for a week or so, relay daily updates to Esme.
-1 to homeless anima punchThat's why we learn how so we can make the "wrong people" explode!
It's a cool idea. It's also going to get us noticed by the wrong people.
-1 to homeless anima punchThat's why we learn how so we can make the "wrong people" explode!
It's a cool idea. It's also going to get us noticed by the wrong people.
Also I doubt they're going to care about some homeless people, like most big cities they wouldn't care if the homeless people went away.
So... is anyone else here opposed to the punching of homeless people just on principle of "not punching random innocent homeless people"? Because... that'd be a pretty firm push from "hero" to "villain", ethics-wise.Yes, I am opposed to punching innocents. We should limit the killing to our enemies
If everybodies gonna get all weird about punching hobos, why don't find some drug dealers and gang members and punch them until they explode?
+1If everybodies gonna get all weird about punching hobos, why don't find some drug dealers and gang members and punch them until they explode?
Better.
it is a bit hard to tell how much support the punch person plan has, as people seem to be backing it in part or with modification. This action on the other hand has several people backing it, so I'm gonna go with this.+1+1Tell Esme, see if she knows anything about Axminster and see if her research has uncovered anything.+1
Ask her if anyone is still alive that might recognize us!Kelley (this was in an earlier post but didn't happen in the turn.)
Look through news archives (we're in a library after all) to find any mentions of inexplicable things happening near Axminster.
Look in the same archives for any things that happened in the recent or otherwise past at that hotel we woke up at.
Look for any disturbances in the anima for indications of where our early-morning message might have come from (although they're probably gone by now.)
I almost want to just go visit the town and ask around, in light of the idea that we don't look enough like Alexander to trip any alarms.+1
Still risky. But it would be a great opportunity to explore the world around us, as well. Get some fresh perspectives.
I almost want to just go visit the town and ask around, in light of the idea that we don't look enough like Alexander to trip any alarms.+1
Still risky. But it would be a great opportunity to explore the world around us, as well. Get some fresh perspectives.
+1I almost want to just go visit the town and ask around, in light of the idea that we don't look enough like Alexander to trip any alarms.+1
Still risky. But it would be a great opportunity to explore the world around us, as well. Get some fresh perspectives.
+1
Lets deactivate all the minions but piecewise, as for the stuff we bring with us I say we bring a handgun, piecewise, some clothing, and whatever else will make us look like a normal train passenger.
I disagree. We can kill things and eat their+1brainzmemories to recover our power and feed our minions. So really, the only limit is that we can't be an evil lich, hiding in our tower, commanding self-replicating hordes of undead, we actually have to be near the front lines. Hmmm... Unless...
Command a skeleton to kill one of those test animals we purchased and then eat its memories. Then try to extract said memories from the skeleton or have the skeleton regurgitate them or something. Is such second-hand feeding possible?
If that works, then the next step is investigating phantom reproduction to see if we can split an overfed phantom into two and have one go to a reanimated corpse. That would probably require special "Commander" zombies that have necromancy rings.
+1I disagree. We can kill things and eat their+1brainzmemories to recover our power and feed our minions. So really, the only limit is that we can't be an evil lich, hiding in our tower, commanding self-replicating hordes of undead, we actually have to be near the front lines. Hmmm... Unless...
Command a skeleton to kill one of those test animals we purchased and then eat its memories. Then try to extract said memories from the skeleton or have the skeleton regurgitate them or something. Is such second-hand feeding possible?
If that works, then the next step is investigating phantom reproduction to see if we can split an overfed phantom into two and have one go to a reanimated corpse. That would probably require special "Commander" zombies that have necromancy rings.
special "Commander" zombies that have necromancy ringsthat's what we are
True statement. So if we can control our actions, then commander rings give the ability to control actions. If our commander is still able to command us or not is still a valid question. So far we haven’t done anything to make whoever is commanding us cancel an action, so we don’t know if we can cancel an unwanted action or notspecial "Commander" zombies that have necromancy ringsthat's what we are
+1I disagree. We can kill things and eat their+1brainzmemories to recover our power and feed our minions. So really, the only limit is that we can't be an evil lich, hiding in our tower, commanding self-replicating hordes of undead, we actually have to be near the front lines. Hmmm... Unless...
Command a skeleton to kill one of those test animals we purchased and then eat its memories. Then try to extract said memories from the skeleton or have the skeleton regurgitate them or something. Is such second-hand feeding possible?
If that works, then the next step is investigating phantom reproduction to see if we can split an overfed phantom into two and have one go to a reanimated corpse. That would probably require special "Commander" zombies that have necromancy rings.
Couldn't we get picewise to carry two suitcases full of skeletons instead of getting someone else?Yes,
+1Couldn't we get picewise to carry two suitcases full of skeletons instead of getting someone else?Yes,
Er, ah...+1Couldn't we get picewise to carry two suitcases full of skeletons instead of getting someone else?Yes,
Punch Piecewise for me.
Punch Piecewise for me.-1
Wait... the skeleton, the author, or someone else?Yes.
Let’s outline the plan so the author isn’t confused, If I have read the suggestions, we are taking them with us in 3 suitcases, we carry one and piecewise carries two, or we carry two and piecewise carries one. We will head to the town where the lab is and ask the locals about the place
If this is incorrect please correct this
Sounds like the plan.Let’s outline the plan so the author isn’t confused, If I have read the suggestions, we are taking them with us in 3 suitcases, we carry one and piecewise carries two, or we carry two and piecewise carries one. We will head to the town where the lab is and ask the locals about the place
If this is incorrect please correct this
Sounds good to me.
You buy three suitcases from a second hand store, specifically choosing ones that are large enough to contain the skeletons, but only barely. You take a bit of time to modify them, with some help from Nicholas of all people, to be able to open rapidly, both from the inside and outside, just in case. Nick apparently has some experience with such mechanisms, though he won't say why. You gather some clothing and supplies, getting an extra knife and revolver for yourself on top of the blade and gun piecewise is carrying, and knives for each of the skeletons which you entomb with them in the suitcase. At Esme's urging you also stick a tag on the heads of each bagged skeleton marking them as museum property; a last ditch excuse if the bags get opened. As you head out, Nick stops you and spends a few minutes showing you a trick of concealing a blade up your sleeve and rapidly producing it with a flick of the arm. Its a trick you remember Piecewise being able to do for some reason, despite you not telling him to or teaching it to him. You secret the blade away and head off.Sounds like the plan.Let’s outline the plan so the author isn’t confused, If I have read the suggestions, we are taking them with us in 3 suitcases, we carry one and piecewise carries two, or we carry two and piecewise carries one. We will head to the town where the lab is and ask the locals about the place
If this is incorrect please correct this
Sounds good to me.
We could also head to the forest and search there for the lab
Are there any hunters or rangers or loggers or other people that work in the woods that can be identified? We could identify them by their supplies (e.g. axes, traps, etc.) or by their association with relative industries (e.g. butchers, weaponsmiths, logging camps, etc.).+1 But I think eating their
They'll be the ones who'll know the most about the area around town. Then all we need is to either kill one and eat their memories or try to get them talking by e.g. getting then drunk and trading stories.
Are there any hunters or rangers or loggers or other people that work in the woods that can be identified? We could identify them by their supplies (e.g. axes, traps, etc.) or by their association with relative industries (e.g. butchers, weaponsmiths, logging camps, etc.).+1 But I think eating their
They'll be the ones who'll know the most about the area around town. Then all we need is to either kill one and eat their memories or try to get them talking by e.g. getting then drunk and trading stories.brainsmemories would be easier and less risky than trying to get them drunk.
Agreed, we should just ask people about the area around the town. We needn’t kill people if we can ask themAre there any hunters or rangers or loggers or other people that work in the woods that can be identified? We could identify them by their supplies (e.g. axes, traps, etc.) or by their association with relative industries (e.g. butchers, weaponsmiths, logging camps, etc.).+1 But I think eating their
They'll be the ones who'll know the most about the area around town. Then all we need is to either kill one and eat their memories or try to get them talking by e.g. getting then drunk and trading stories.brainsmemories would be easier and less risky than trying to get them drunk.
While eating innocent civilians is certainly the most convenient for our character, I think this would actually attract a whole dang lot of attention in this case.
Step 1) Show up in small, backwoods town as a shadowy stranger with a shadowy manservant.
Step 2) The townsfolk start immediately disappearing.
Step 3) Probably drowned as a witch or something.
Step 4) Rise from the lake, declare ourselves divine, because jokes on them we're undead.
Step 5) Found our own cult, eat all the townsfolk, go back to Esme 5 years later and pretend we got lost.
I got lost there for a minute but anyway we don't want to attract attention and missing townsfolk will totally attract attention.
Step 1) Show up in small, backwoods town as a shadowy stranger with a shadowy manservant.
Step 2) The townsfolk start immediately disappearing.
Step 3) Probably drowned as a witch or something.
Step 4) Rise from the lake, declare ourselves divine, because jokes on them we're undead.
Step 5) Found our own cult, eat all the townsfolk, go back to Esme 5 years later and pretend we got lost.
Are there any hunters or rangers or loggers or other people that work in the woods that can be identified? We could identify them by their supplies (e.g. axes, traps, etc.) or by their association with relative industries (e.g. butchers, weaponsmiths, logging camps, etc.).+1 But I think eating their
They'll be the ones who'll know the most about the area around town. Then all we need is to either kill one and eat their memories or try to get them talking by e.g. getting then drunk and trading stories.brainsmemories would be easier and less risky than trying to get them drunk.
While eating innocent civilians is certainly the most convenient for our character, I think this would actually attract a whole dang lot of attention in this case.
Step 1) Show up in small, backwoods town as a shadowy stranger with a shadowy manservant.
Step 2) The townsfolk start immediately disappearing.
Step 3) Probably drowned as a witch or something.
Step 4) Rise from the lake, declare ourselves divine, because jokes on them we're undead.
Step 5) Found our own cult, eat all the townsfolk, go back to Esme 5 years later and pretend we got lost.
I got lost there for a minute but anyway we don't want to attract attention and missing townsfolk will totally attract attention.
I like Egan, he's silly.Sounds good, but what is meant by rat phase, is it sending rats to the lab when the birds find it, or something else?
Anyway my official bolded recommendations are:
Establish a cover as a museum researcher, visit nice places around town like taverns and such to ask about local history. Like how Frodo in LOTR pretended to be writing a book.
Use birds to find the lab, then rats to infiltrate. Hang around for a few weeks to a month tops during rat phase, head on back.
I like Egan, he's silly.Sounds good, but what is meant by rat phase, is it sending rats to the lab when the birds find it, or something else?
Anyway my official bolded recommendations are:
Establish a cover as a museum researcher, visit nice places around town like taverns and such to ask about local history. Like how Frodo in LOTR pretended to be writing a book.
Use birds to find the lab, then rats to infiltrate. Hang around for a few weeks to a month tops during rat phase, head on back.
+1I like Egan, he's silly.Sounds good, but what is meant by rat phase, is it sending rats to the lab when the birds find it, or something else?
Anyway my official bolded recommendations are:
Establish a cover as a museum researcher, visit nice places around town like taverns and such to ask about local history. Like how Frodo in LOTR pretended to be writing a book.
Use birds to find the lab, then rats to infiltrate. Hang around for a few weeks to a month tops during rat phase, head on back.
This.
Rats can sneak in and learn things like guard schedules, shipping intervals, personnel information, things like that. Make it easier to pack ourselves into a box and get inside to snoop about and learn.
+1+1I like Egan, he's silly.Sounds good, but what is meant by rat phase, is it sending rats to the lab when the birds find it, or something else?
Anyway my official bolded recommendations are:
Establish a cover as a museum researcher, visit nice places around town like taverns and such to ask about local history. Like how Frodo in LOTR pretended to be writing a book.
Use birds to find the lab, then rats to infiltrate. Hang around for a few weeks to a month tops during rat phase, head on back.
This.
Rats can sneak in and learn things like guard schedules, shipping intervals, personnel information, things like that. Make it easier to pack ourselves into a box and get inside to snoop about and learn.
+1+1I like Egan, he's silly.Sounds good, but what is meant by rat phase, is it sending rats to the lab when the birds find it, or something else?
Anyway my official bolded recommendations are:
Establish a cover as a museum researcher, visit nice places around town like taverns and such to ask about local history. Like how Frodo in LOTR pretended to be writing a book.
Use birds to find the lab, then rats to infiltrate. Hang around for a few weeks to a month tops during rat phase, head on back.
This.
Rats can sneak in and learn things like guard schedules, shipping intervals, personnel information, things like that. Make it easier to pack ourselves into a box and get inside to snoop about and learn.
But I say at some point we should do that Five point plan that Dunamisdeos made.
1. There is a military base here, that much is apparently an open secret.
2. It was made in the last 5 or so years, though some say a little longer. Back before the coup and revolution.
3. Before and after the revolution there were pretty consistent shipments up the old road to the base; no one knows exactly what but large military trucks that drive through town in the middle of the night. They come from the south, down the coast road, but they take a side route that bypasses the town itself. They're only visible by their headlights most times.
4. The base is still manned though seems less busy these days; the shipments still come but erratically.
5. Apparently, the traitor Kelley was somehow connected because shortly after he was denounced by the party there was a sudden influx of soldiers into the area. Some people say there was fighting, other that there wasn't, but if it did happen it was up in the woods not in town.
6. Shortly after the soldiers arrived there was a night where strange lights were seen in the sky above the woods and surrounding lands. Again, descriptions vary but many say that they saw lights "Falling" into the woods, like a slow cyclone drawn in to somewhere out there.
7. The old road up to the base is still there but there are new fences and gates, further out from before. "Half the wood" is now fenced off they say.
Writing is lovely as always. :)+1 But also be looking for big fish spirits to bring our bird army to life.
Ask Piecewise if he enjoys the window view. Maybe we can gain some insight on the nature of our skeletal friend.
Mm, it might behoove us to use the small fry spirits for our birds. If we make a swarm of flying ones with the big hungry boys, things might uh, get out of hand.
I say go for quality over quantity and just use puppets, assuming we can get them to follow complex commands, like Piecewise can.
+1 We can make a super bird!I say go for quality over quantity and just use puppets, assuming we can get them to follow complex commands, like Piecewise can.
I think we can't control the larger ones as easily when there are many? Honestly maybe just one really good bird that we can tell to simply fly about until it finds the place might be best.
+1
Writing is lovely as always. :)You look over at Piecewise and furrow your brow. You ask him if he likes it there. He looks back at you with the same vacant expression as ever and after a few long moments replies, "I do not know." He stares at you for a few more seconds before turning back to the window. Hmm. This isn't the first time he seemed to do things he either shouldn't know how to do or that he has no explanation for. Its odd. Very odd.
Ask Piecewise if he enjoys the window view. Maybe we can gain some insight on the nature of our skeletal friend.
You walk over to the basin and start sorting through the corpses, looking for the one best suited to your spying purposes. You discard a few immediately: two have damaged wings and a third has its head blown clean off. You eventually decide on a cormorant; its dark plumage will offer it cover in the darkness and long neck and keen eyes will be useful in observation. Not to mention it was killed quite cleanly; just a small hole in the breast as evidence of its passing. You take one of the cartridges of birdshot and open it up, spilling out a dozen or so of the small steel spheres onto your hand. You select one of them and use your finger to stuff it deep into the innards of the bird, wedging it into place. You use this as the core, anchoring the anima to it before tying the creature to yourself with your own blood. You stick some more of the shot in the wound and then plug the hole up a bit with feathers and dried blood. You want this thing to look as though it were very obviously killed by a hunter, just in case you need to abandon it. A dead bird filled with birdshot is perfectly natural while a bird with a single nail in its breast would be...curious to say the least.+1 We can make a super bird!I say go for quality over quantity and just use puppets, assuming we can get them to follow complex commands, like Piecewise can.
I think we can't control the larger ones as easily when there are many? Honestly maybe just one really good bird that we can tell to simply fly about until it finds the place might be best.
+1
Trailing cord... necromancers can see that, can't they.If they were close to it they could, but imagine it like a piece of string tied on the bird and then back to you. From the air you really couldn't see it at a glance, its too thin. Though, if they watched the bird carefully for a while, they might notice something connected to it.
HMM
Can we make a vampire.
It's night time, so it would probably be suspicious if we went snooping around.+1
I say we just get something to eat in our room (we can't eat but we don't want to make others suspicious) and go to bed. Have Piecewise wake us up if anybody comes or if we oversleep.
Or maybe just stay in bed pretending to sleep. We don't have to actually sleep, right? Do we feel better after doing so?
Would camping in the woods be suspicious? Could we pretend to be on a hunting trip? This will give us more freedom of movement and let us do things during the night. We could even hunt to feed our skeleghosts.
+1It's night time, so it would probably be suspicious if we went snooping around.+1
I say we just get something to eat in our room (we can't eat but we don't want to make others suspicious) and go to bed. Have Piecewise wake us up if anybody comes or if we oversleep.
Or maybe just stay in bed pretending to sleep. We don't have to actually sleep, right? Do we feel better after doing so?
Would camping in the woods be suspicious? Could we pretend to be on a hunting trip? This will give us more freedom of movement and let us do things during the night. We could even hunt to feed our skeleghosts.
+1It's night time, so it would probably be suspicious if we went snooping around.+1
I say we just get something to eat in our room (we can't eat but we don't want to make others suspicious) and go to bed. Have Piecewise wake us up if anybody comes or if we oversleep.
Or maybe just stay in bed pretending to sleep. We don't have to actually sleep, right? Do we feel better after doing so?
Would camping in the woods be suspicious? Could we pretend to be on a hunting trip? This will give us more freedom of movement and let us do things during the night. We could even hunt to feed our skeleghosts.
Patrolling soldiers means sneaking out isn't a thing we can do now, lets just sit for a bit.
+1Patrolling soldiers means sneaking out isn't a thing we can do now, lets just sit for a bit.
+1
Chillax until piecebird returns is probably wisest. Keep an eye on that soldier though, in case they've somehow got wind of you. Full combat gear seems a bit over the top for a routine patrol.
You watch the soldier pass, somewhat nervous that his presence means they're on to you somehow. But he doesn't stop at the inn or even look your way, he just trundles on in the darkness until all you can see is the distant glow of his flashlight sliding back and forth in the dark. You go and sit back down on the bed and this time you wait straight through till daylight, or at least the first weak glow of dawn. The bird returns before the sun actually rises and the streets are filled with people. It lands on the window ledge and taps three times before Piecewise opens the window without being asked. You immediately set the pen and paper in front of the bird and command it to draw you a map of the compound. It gets to work, rapidly jerking its head back and forth, slashing out lines on the paper with the same distressing precision as Piecewise. You sit on the edge of the bed and watch until its finished.+1Patrolling soldiers means sneaking out isn't a thing we can do now, lets just sit for a bit.
+1
Chillax until piecebird returns is probably wisest. Keep an eye on that soldier though, in case they've somehow got wind of you. Full combat gear seems a bit over the top for a routine patrol.
No one in town can find out about our crimes if the isn't anyone in town.Thst would alert the patrols
Not if we get rid of them as well.No one in town can find out about our crimes if the isn't anyone in town.Thst would alert the patrols
Recommend we begin Operation Phase: Ratwise.+1
While we wait for rats to mess with lets go and look around the town and see if there's a library, and if there is one lets check its newspaper catalog and see if there's any info about the facility in the local papers.
+1While we wait for rats to mess with lets go and look around the town and see if there's a library, and if there is one lets check its newspaper catalog and see if there's any info about the facility in the local papers.
+1 to this, be sure to be back at the inn by nightfall.
+1While we wait for rats to mess with lets go and look around the town and see if there's a library, and if there is one lets check its newspaper catalog and see if there's any info about the facility in the local papers.
+1 to this, be sure to be back at the inn by nightfall.
Question, if Birdwise is a puppet, he doesn’t need to eat, right?
Well, guess if we want to be horrible, we could murder one or more of the people who helped build the base for their memories of it. It wouldn't be subtle, but probably would not put The Powers That Be on guard like if we took out a patrol unless they both keep excellent records and are paranoid about necromancers.
Have Birdwise carry the four rats to the compound and have the rats enter the buildings and figure out what’s inside them
+1Have Birdwise carry the four rats to the compound and have the rats enter the buildings and figure out what’s inside them
+1 to an actual action.
+1Have Birdwise carry the four rats to the compound and have the rats enter the buildings and figure out what’s inside them
+1 to an actual action.
You again wait for darkness, going through the same routines with the woman downstairs, presenting a good public face. Once night has come and the streets are sufficiently empty, you begin. Birdwise isn't big enough to carry all four rats at a time so he has to go in trips, carrying one out into the woods and then returning for the next.+1Have Birdwise carry the four rats to the compound and have the rats enter the buildings and figure out what’s inside them
+1 to an actual action.
+1. Operation Ratbirdwise is a go.
Teach ourselves to whistle in tune
Murder?
Teach ourselves to whistle in tuneWhile practicing this, practice throwing our voice too
Teach ourselves to whistle in tuneWhile practicing this, practice throwing our voice too
+1Teach ourselves to whistle in tuneWhile practicing this, practice throwing our voice too
A very practical compromise. Just think of the hijinx we can get up to as we throw our voice to Piecewise while he commits premeditated murder at a later date!
+1
((I'm having flashbacks to Groundhog's day. How long before we begin using our sleepless nights to learn various questionably useful skills.))+1Teach ourselves to whistle in tuneWhile practicing this, practice throwing our voice too
A very practical compromise. Just think of the hijinx we can get up to as we throw our voice to Piecewise while he commits premeditated murder at a later date!
+1
I say we just wait for the rats and birbwise to return. Just sort of put up the appearance of puttering about while we wait. Then go back to Esme with our new intel.+1
Is the living worker in town, maybe we can ask him about the layout of the baseThe worker(s) are still living in town, however asking them about the project seems a tricky prospect. Or rather, asking them any specifics about it seems difficult, as your cover is that of a researcher. You could probably make a good case for talking with them about their experiences on the project and what it was like, but if you started asking for details as to how the base was laid out, they might grow wary. There is also the inherent issue that the base has probably been updated and changed since they built it.
Is there any convenient drainage pipe coming out of the base? Since we and our minions don't need to breathe, it might be a good entry point.
You spend two days mostly just sitting around, practicing your ventriloquism. Despite hours upon hours of work, you still cannot manage to get any better at it. You're quite frustrated, honestly, that you have gone this long and tried this hard and made no, or at at least very minor, progress.I say we just wait for the rats and birbwise to return. Just sort of put up the appearance of puttering about while we wait. Then go back to Esme with our new intel.+1
Maybe we can frame it as an interview about the socioeconomical impact of their employment. You know, have they found any other employment besides the construction work, does the base ever call them back to do additional work, were there any work accidents and if so were the victims and their families compensated? The sort of thing someone studying the history of this place would ask.+1
We can also show fake interest to various insignificant details about their work and their life (e.g. what sort of material did they use? Was it a health hazard? What was their diet and work hours?) so that if they say something significant about the base we can question them about it without sounding too suspicious.
Order body to take on a form which could maneuver the ventilation ducts.We are not a mimic
...Hey, we don't know that we're not a fleshhorror, worth a try right :v
+1Maybe we can frame it as an interview about the socioeconomical impact of their employment. You know, have they found any other employment besides the construction work, does the base ever call them back to do additional work, were there any work accidents and if so were the victims and their families compensated? The sort of thing someone studying the history of this place would ask.+1
We can also show fake interest to various insignificant details about their work and their life (e.g. what sort of material did they use? Was it a health hazard? What was their diet and work hours?) so that if they say something significant about the base we can question them about it without sounding too suspicious.
You go and meet with the workers under your chosen guise and interview them about their time working on the base. They are more than happy to go on long, often recursive rants about the subject and it becomes clear that they were somewhat of local celebrities during that time. They were "In the Know" about the base and its goings on, which for a gossip hungry populace made them everyone's friend. This status vanished after the project was complete and its clear they have a nostalgic fondness for that time. Your interview seems to be playing surrogate to those times.+1Maybe we can frame it as an interview about the socioeconomical impact of their employment. You know, have they found any other employment besides the construction work, does the base ever call them back to do additional work, were there any work accidents and if so were the victims and their families compensated? The sort of thing someone studying the history of this place would ask.+1
We can also show fake interest to various insignificant details about their work and their life (e.g. what sort of material did they use? Was it a health hazard? What was their diet and work hours?) so that if they say something significant about the base we can question them about it without sounding too suspicious.
I say we got all the information we could hope to get, so now it's time for us to actually do the thing and investigate the lab. First of all, we need to plan the route we will take to get there as well as consider alternative escape routes. Second is to actually choose our targets. Based on what we know so far, I'd suggest going through the sewers, finding an opening or creating one with a crowbar or screwdriver or whatever and then making our way to either the lab or that secret underground section. We take piecewise with us for muscle, carry a bunch of rats on us for disposable scouts/distractions and have birdwise on standby nearby. Would something like that work?You see no sign of being undead in the mirror. You have no circular thread, and you even have what looks to be a normal connection to the anima, just like everyone else. They could tell if they touched you though; because you're physically clearly not alive.
Also, I just thought of something: if we're undead would people other necromancers be able to tell we're undead? This could be bad if they can.
Order body to take on a form which could maneuver the ventilation ducts.+1
...Hey, we don't know that we're not a fleshhorror, worth a try right :v
First, there's an earlier action that we didn't try that I think we should:Mayhsps this is because we can’t?Order body to take on a form which could maneuver the ventilation ducts.+1
...Hey, we don't know that we're not a fleshhorror, worth a try right :v
First, there's an earlier action that we didn't try that I think we should:Mayhsps this is because we can’t?Order body to take on a form which could maneuver the ventilation ducts.+1
...Hey, we don't know that we're not a fleshhorror, worth a try right :v
First, there's an earlier action that we didn't try that I think we should:+1 I don't see why we can't try to do this.Order body to take on a form which could maneuver the ventilation ducts.+1
...Hey, we don't know that we're not a fleshhorror, worth a try right :v
You command your body in this way and brace yourself for something strange. Only after this do you realize that transforming into a fleshhorror like that would likely ruin your clothing and make your life harder...Luckily it doesn't happen. You squish yourself down and lay on the ground, but thats it. You don't transform, you don't change, your body merely tries its best to get into the right position. Its a lot like when you told the rat to fly and it just kept jumping instead of growing wings.First, there's an earlier action that we didn't try that I think we should:+1 I don't see why we can't try to do this.Order body to take on a form which could maneuver the ventilation ducts.+1
...Hey, we don't know that we're not a fleshhorror, worth a try right :v
Hmm... We need a way to open the grate. We could go either quietly or quickly. For quietly we'd need some sort of tool. For quickly, we can use the gun we have or something to bash it with. Alternatively we can just animate it and order it to get out of our way but that costs a lot of mana.+1 But I don't think we should go into a storm drain during a storm, because the water going through it could make it impossible to get through and could cause us to get injured or damage out stuff.
Is there any hint of a storm coming? A storm might make our rats less effective but it would help make us stealthier.
Is there any tool we could use to quietly open the grate? If yes, try to either buy such a tool or have birdwise steal one that is unattended if buying one would draw attention.
Based on our previous experiments with golems, can we gauge if we have the mana necessary to animate the grate long enough for us to order it to open on its own?
We should have dark clothes on for better camouflage and a second outfit stashed nearby so we can wear it if our first outfit becomes too recognizable.
Perhaps a nice backpack to put stuff in and some notepad to copy things to would be useful?
Hmm... We need a way to open the grate. We could go either quietly or quickly. For quietly we'd need some sort of tool. For quickly, we can use the gun we have or something to bash it with. Alternatively we can just animate it and order it to get out of our way but that costs a lot of mana.
Is there any hint of a storm coming? A storm might make our rats less effective but it would help make us stealthier.
Is there any tool we could use to quietly open the grate? If yes, try to either buy such a tool or have birdwise steal one that is unattended if buying one would draw attention.
Based on our previous experiments with golems, can we gauge if we have the mana necessary to animate the grate long enough for us to order it to open on its own?
We should have dark clothes on for better camouflage and a second outfit stashed nearby so we can wear it if our first outfit becomes too recognizable.
Perhaps a nice backpack to put stuff in and some notepad to copy things to would be useful?
But I don't think we should go into a storm drain during a storm, because the water going through it could make it impossible to get through and could cause us to get injured or damage out stuff.
What should our 'wises do during infiltration?I think we should leave most of them at the inn, and take a few of the rats with us to use as scouts.
The phantoms need to come with, otherwise they will start killing townsfolk,What should our 'wises do during infiltration?I think we should leave most of them at the inn, and take a few of the rats with us to use as scouts.
I'm sure the people in the town will be fine, they can handle a few people being eaten.The phantoms need to come with, otherwise they will start killing townsfolk,What should our 'wises do during infiltration?I think we should leave most of them at the inn, and take a few of the rats with us to use as scouts.
If we could cut them loose to hide their ties with us, they could serve as a great distraction, though I don't know if Esme would approve.If they leave, we won't be able to find these phantoms again
That reminds me, we should find some way to send a wisebird with a message to Esme about what we're doing, and tell it to return if she attaches a reply. Also we should ask her if anyone we know back there has attracted government suspicion. Also instruct the wisebird to scram if it seems any signs of government suspicion/monitoring of Esme and company.
That reminds me, we should find some way to send a wisebird with a message to Esme about what we're doing, and tell it to return if she attaches a reply. Also we should ask her if anyone we know back there has attracted government suspicion. Also instruct the wisebird to scram if it seems any signs of government suspicion/monitoring of Esme and company.+1
+1That reminds me, we should find some way to send a wisebird with a message to Esme about what we're doing, and tell it to return if she attaches a reply. Also we should ask her if anyone we know back there has attracted government suspicion. Also instruct the wisebird to scram if it seems any signs of government suspicion/monitoring of Esme and company.+1
That reminds me, we should find some way to send a wisebird with a message to Esme about what we're doing, and tell it to return if she attaches a reply. Also we should ask her if anyone we know back there has attracted government suspicion. Also instruct the wisebird to scram if it seems any signs of government suspicion/monitoring of Esme and company.You write out a quick note and secure it to Wisebird's leg. You give him precise instructions on how to find Esme and what to do once he does, as well as a few contingency plans. Its a long trek back to the city, so chances are you won't see him for at least a day if not a bit more. Once everything is set you release him out the window and watch him go for a few seconds before returning to more pressing matters.
As long as you aren't gone for long, they should behave.The phantoms need to come with, otherwise they will start killing townsfolk,What should our 'wises do during infiltration?I think we should leave most of them at the inn, and take a few of the rats with us to use as scouts.
Hmm... We need a way to open the grate. We could go either quietly or quickly. For quietly we'd need some sort of tool. For quickly, we can use the gun we have or something to bash it with. Alternatively we can just animate it and order it to get out of our way but that costs a lot of mana.You open the window again and sniff at the air, feeding your senses back through your scavenged memories. You don't think a storm is coming, but the skies are dark regardless and the smell of the sea makes it hard to pick out of if there's a definite wetness in the air. Its an informed guess and little more.
Is there any hint of a storm coming? A storm might make our rats less effective but it would help make us stealthier.
Is there any tool we could use to quietly open the grate? If yes, try to either buy such a tool or have birdwise steal one that is unattended if buying one would draw attention.
Based on our previous experiments with golems, can we gauge if we have the mana necessary to animate the grate long enough for us to order it to open on its own?
We should have dark clothes on for better camouflage and a second outfit stashed nearby so we can wear it if our first outfit becomes too recognizable.
Perhaps a nice backpack to put stuff in and some notepad to copy things to would be useful?
Initiate plan "Break in"+1
Step 1: Reach the woods without drawing attention. If that doesn't seem likely, we can at least try to mislead them about our destination. Maybe we can start early, go to the train station and take a circuitous route to the forest from there?
Step 2: Open the grate. We're going through the pipes with piecewise and the gang. The rats will let us know when there are no guards around so we can open the grate with the least chance of them noticing us. Piecewise and the gang will help us open the grate. The gang stays there, hiding underwater or wherever in case things get violent. They'll also try to close the grate in such a way that it can open easily but it isn't immediately obvious it has been tampered with without closer examination.
Step 3: Get in the lab. While the grate is being opened, the rats will give us a final update on the guards' position and disposition. If it looks like we can make it, us and piecewise head for the lab entrance. Be sure to account for the fact that the door might be locked and that we might require some extra time to turn the lock into a golem and order it to unlock.
Step 4: Assess the situation. Are there people here? If so we need a disguise, like a spare lab coat or something. Are the lights closed? If so we need to move carefully so as not to attract attention.
Step 5: Profit. Search for anything of interest. We won't have time to read everything in depth so skim through them and take whatever looks interesting. Take notes if something can't be taken. We can read it at our leisure or have Esme transfer the knowledge to us later.
Step 5.5: Loot artifacts or visit other interesting destinations to check them out, like those secret underground sections.
Step 6: Escape.
At least that's the general idea. But, as they say, no plan survives contact with reality.
Wait a day since we're going through the drain and there is a slight possibility of storm, and so we can get Esme's reply - who knows, there might be something important she needs to tell us.+1
Then initiate Parisbre's break-in plan.
+1Wait a day since we're going through the drain and there is a slight possibility of storm, and so we can get Esme's reply - who knows, there might be something important she needs to tell us.+1
Then initiate Parisbre's break-in plan.
+1Wait a day since we're going through the drain and there is a slight possibility of storm, and so we can get Esme's reply - who knows, there might be something important she needs to tell us.+1
Then initiate Parisbre's break-in plan.
You wait another day. You check the weather forecast: it claims that tonight will be cloudy but stormless.+1+1Wait a day since we're going through the drain and there is a slight possibility of storm, and so we can get Esme's reply - who knows, there might be something important she needs to tell us.+1
Then initiate Parisbre's break-in plan.
Initiate plan "Break in"
Step 1: Reach the woods without drawing attention. If that doesn't seem likely, we can at least try to mislead them about our destination. Maybe we can start early, go to the train station and take a circuitous route to the forest from there?
Step 2: Open the grate. We're going through the pipes with piecewise and the gang. The rats will let us know when there are no guards around so we can open the grate with the least chance of them noticing us. Piecewise and the gang will help us open the grate. The gang stays there, hiding underwater or wherever in case things get violent. They'll also try to close the grate in such a way that it can open easily but it isn't immediately obvious it has been tampered with without closer examination.
Step 3: Get in the lab. While the grate is being opened, the rats will give us a final update on the guards' position and disposition. If it looks like we can make it, us and piecewise head for the lab entrance. Be sure to account for the fact that the door might be locked and that we might require some extra time to turn the lock into a golem and order it to unlock.
Step 4: Assess the situation. Are there people here? If so we need a disguise, like a spare lab coat or something. Are the lights closed? If so we need to move carefully so as not to attract attention.
Step 5: Profit. Search for anything of interest. We won't have time to read everything in depth so skim through them and take whatever looks interesting. Take notes if something can't be taken. We can read it at our leisure or have Esme transfer the knowledge to us later.
Step 5.5: Loot artifacts or visit other interesting destinations to check them out, like those secret underground sections.
Step 6: Escape.
At least that's the general idea. But, as they say, no plan survives contact with reality.
Hmm. Should had taken a rope or something. Oh well, too late for that now.+1 We also should have gotten masks or something in case things go wrong.
Through the roof we go! Hopefully piecewise won't be necessary. If things go wrong we can just have him shoot the lock and go through the front door to come rescue us.
Hmm. Should had taken a rope or something. Oh well, too late for that now.You take a moment, breathing deep, waiting for the man to walk a little further away. You count seconds silently to yourself, and on ten push the drain cover up and very carefully set it down, making as little sound as you can. The rats swarm up to join you, sitting on your shoulders, and maybe 30 second later piecewise lifts himself heavily out of the hole. You move to the wall and piecewise braces himself against it, boosting you up one fluid motion that tosses you halfway up to the roof. You catch the edge with your upper body and then swing a leg up, pulling yourself the rest of the way. You command piecewise to return to the drain and replace the cover, then to wait for you to come back. You tell him to be ready to come to the rescue, if things should go badly. You can't see it, but you somehow sense him readying himself down there like the coiled spring of a bear trap.
Through the roof we go! Hopefully piecewise won't be necessary. If things go wrong we can just have him shoot the lock and go through the front door to come rescue us.
We should see what info we can find about the other projects!Agreed
Some sort of records room would be ideal to raid for info.
We should see what info we can find about the other projects!Agreed
Some sort of records room would be ideal to raid for info.
"+1KellHaber line."
As in Kelley, perhaps?We should see what info we can find about the other projects!Agreed
Some sort of records room would be ideal to raid for info.
+1. Search for records and then Project Sinker and Mortar.
"+1KellHaber line."
As in Kelley, perhaps?We should see what info we can find about the other projects!Agreed
Some sort of records room would be ideal to raid for info.
+1. Search for records and then Project Sinker and Mortar.
If we encounter a lone guard within the facility we could kill him and use his blood. Unlikely?We can’t, remember the tests we did? It would make the liv9ng explode
That reminds me, can we animate living tissue? Animate someone's upper spinal cord, order it to snap, and suddenly there is no threat and no (bloody) mess. A good way to kill someone who doesn't know we're nearby.
Put our blood up in dat box.Our blood might be too decayed to work, even if our live self might have worked here in the past, which I doubt
I don't think we should do it because they might be able to trace us through out blood with magic or something.Put our blood up in dat box.Our blood might be too decayed to work, even if our live self might have worked here in the past, which I doubt
Hmm. We could search fridges and the like. If we're lucky some scientist might have taken a sample of their own blood. But the chances are low and we don't have much time left.You lift a rat up to the nearest air vent and wait for it to squeeze through. You then stand by the lab door and wait, watching the tether for that rat slowly move about like some sort of necromantic compass needle. After a few long minutes you hear the door knob begin to rattle. Slowly, jerkily, the knob turns and the door clicks open a half inch. You grab the knob and open the door the rest of the way and scoop the rat up as you step through.
We could call it a day and instead leave some rats here hidden for surveillance, but there's always the chance one of them can detect the energy that links then to us and track us.
We could go directly to the source, so to speak, and try to raid the barracks to find a scientist to kill so we can eat their memories, but that would draw a lot of attention to us.
Or we could try to bypass the lock, either by animating the door and ordering it to open or simply brute-forcing it with the crowbar, but there's always the chance that will activate some sort of alarm.
The way I see it, there's two options that don't carry as much risk of triggering an alarm.
First of all, find a vent and send a rat through it. If we're lucky, it will be able to make its way into the lab. If we're even luckier, the security system is one way and it will be able to use some sort of emergency release to open the door from the other side. But there's always the chance that won't work. If it doesn't, have the rat find some way to kill itself if it can't make its way back to us, preferably in a way that doesn't leave much evidence. I dunno, maybe we can send it through a toilet?
Second, search for personnel reports, id cards, duty rosters, whatever might help us figure out who has access to the labs. Try to find a juicy target, someone with good permissions that wouldn't be too hard to Target. If they leave the lab to visit the town at any time, we can target them then. Or we could even target them right now, perhaps by sending our rats to get some of their flesh. Sure, it might wake them up, but if we're lucky they'll just think it's hungry rats.
It appears that- at least once- this technique was successful and everything from then on was simply trying to replicate it.
It appears that- at least once- this technique was successful and everything from then on was simply trying to replicate it.
This. This here. That's gotta be us.
Current theory: we're somebody else's soul jammed into the body of this "Alexander" fellow. Where's Alexander? I dunno-- but it seems his soul is possessing Piecewise from time to time.
We've got the information we wanted. It's time to get out of here.
How big a deal it would be would depend on a variety of things, the biggest being if they know there was a break in. If they don't realize there was a break in, then chances are that they wouldn't notice for a long time, maybe ever.It appears that- at least once- this technique was successful and everything from then on was simply trying to replicate it.
This. This here. That's gotta be us.
Current theory: we're somebody else's soul jammed into the body of this "Alexander" fellow. Where's Alexander? I dunno-- but it seems his soul is possessing Piecewise from time to time.
We've got the information we wanted. It's time to get out of here.
+1. It must be us. Also, it is Time To Scoot.
Question: How big a deal do you think it would it be if we took those notes back with us? Esme may have more insight as to the ones that seem to pertain to us. It's an archive, it's not like people are verifying it's contents daily. Someone would probably notice eventually but it's not like they'd notice tonight, or probably even this week. They might even suspect that they're stolen. They'd probably blame clerical error.
I say we take some notes back. Specifically, the ones that pertain to us. Do not take notes for all the other projects, that breadth of missing info would point to a break in or theft.
It appears that- at least once- this technique was successful and everything from then on was simply trying to replicate it.
This. This here. That's gotta be us.
I say we take some notes back. Specifically, the ones that pertain to us. Do not take notes for all the other projects, that breadth of missing info would point to a break in or theft.+1
But what if we turn out to secretly be Ultra Hitler or something, and what if that fact is so secret that its even hidden from us?Wouldn’t we know if we’re the leader of a military government? If we were the leader, they would act dufferently towards us. We know the government doesn’t like necromancy unless they are the ones doing it. We should get some notes about the 3 projects back to Esme, being sure to not be detected during or after our escape
It appears that- at least once- this technique was successful and everything from then on was simply trying to replicate it.
This. This here. That's gotta be us.
Current theory: we're somebody else's soul jammed into the body of this "Alexander" fellow. Where's Alexander? I dunno-- but it seems his soul is possessing Piecewise from time to time.
We've got the information we wanted. It's time to get out of here.
I say we take some notes back. Specifically, the ones that pertain to us. Do not take notes for all the other projects, that breadth of missing info would point to a break in or theft.You look through the notes one last time and select the ones you think are the most pertinent. You carefully fold them up and hide them away in you shirt before tidying up the room and putting everything back how you found it, or at least as close as you can remember. You close the door behind you and skedaddle back to the maintenance closet, careful to shut off any lights you've turned on along the way. You climb back up into the ceiling and then, with some difficulty, close the ladder and shove it so it lands, propped up against the wall like before. From there its nothing but two sections of vent work to refit and reattach before you climb back up and out of the vent.
I think we told Piecewise to hide near by and come to us when we got out of the lab.+1
Lets wait a bit longer then see if we can leave.
We could legit just park ourselves in a vent and sleep until tomorrow night if we wanted to. Make a rat wake us up, etc.Piecewise is hanging out in the drainage pipe that you used to get into this compound. Basically waiting to spring out of the sewer as soon as he's called for.
.......Where is Piecewise at?
I think we told Piecewise to hide near by and come to us when we got out of the lab.You stay pressed to the ceiling and wait, one eye on your watch while you listen to the movements in the building and areas around it.
Lets wait a bit longer then see if we can leave.
Well, he's unlikely to be looking up at the roof unless he's taken a sudden interest at stargazing, so take a peek, if all looks clear have Piecewise do the same and if all looks clear from his end as well, then he can come catch us when we jump. Then we put the grate back in its place and get out of there ASAP.+1
If the area is not clear however, then this is more of a problem. We've got to move now, so we don't have time for an elaborate distraction. We can try for a simple distraction or go for a Bavarian fire drill but that might backfire and just draw more guards here. It might be easier to just take him out. Too bad we don't have birdwise available.
If there's a single guard, then if he has something that's easy for a rat to steal (like a beret) throw our most not-undead-looking rat at him, have it steal the thing and run away with it. Hopefully that will distract the guard long enough for us to get away with the help of Piecewise. If he calls for assistance, then have the rat head towards the front group of guards to stop them from reaching the back.
Else, if the above plan won't work and he's close enough to jump on, just order our body to jump on him and take him out to take advantage of our super-precision mode. Then we can just drag him in the sewer with the help of Piecewise.
If there's more than one guard... I dunno, I guess we'll have to wait and see how they're arranged to think of something.
+1Well, he's unlikely to be looking up at the roof unless he's taken a sudden interest at stargazing, so take a peek, if all looks clear have Piecewise do the same and if all looks clear from his end as well, then he can come catch us when we jump. Then we put the grate back in its place and get out of there ASAP.+1
If the area is not clear however, then this is more of a problem. We've got to move now, so we don't have time for an elaborate distraction. We can try for a simple distraction or go for a Bavarian fire drill but that might backfire and just draw more guards here. It might be easier to just take him out. Too bad we don't have birdwise available.
If there's a single guard, then if he has something that's easy for a rat to steal (like a beret) throw our most not-undead-looking rat at him, have it steal the thing and run away with it. Hopefully that will distract the guard long enough for us to get away with the help of Piecewise. If he calls for assistance, then have the rat head towards the front group of guards to stop them from reaching the back.
Else, if the above plan won't work and he's close enough to jump on, just order our body to jump on him and take him out to take advantage of our super-precision mode. Then we can just drag him in the sewer with the help of Piecewise.
If there's more than one guard... I dunno, I guess we'll have to wait and see how they're arranged to think of something.
+1Well, he's unlikely to be looking up at the roof unless he's taken a sudden interest at stargazing, so take a peek, if all looks clear have Piecewise do the same and if all looks clear from his end as well, then he can come catch us when we jump. Then we put the grate back in its place and get out of there ASAP.+1
If the area is not clear however, then this is more of a problem. We've got to move now, so we don't have time for an elaborate distraction. We can try for a simple distraction or go for a Bavarian fire drill but that might backfire and just draw more guards here. It might be easier to just take him out. Too bad we don't have birdwise available.
If there's a single guard, then if he has something that's easy for a rat to steal (like a beret) throw our most not-undead-looking rat at him, have it steal the thing and run away with it. Hopefully that will distract the guard long enough for us to get away with the help of Piecewise. If he calls for assistance, then have the rat head towards the front group of guards to stop them from reaching the back.
Else, if the above plan won't work and he's close enough to jump on, just order our body to jump on him and take him out to take advantage of our super-precision mode. Then we can just drag him in the sewer with the help of Piecewise.
If there's more than one guard... I dunno, I guess we'll have to wait and see how they're arranged to think of something.
I would recommend against killing a guard at all costs. The ideal scenario is the one in which noone ever realizes we were here.Hopefully there is only one guard so we could just distract and escape
That can still happen if we just kill everyone.No one can find us if they're all dead.
I mean, she's helping us, sure, but for all we know she's just helping us because she sees us as a potential weapon in this war or a way for her to reach Alex.
Good point, but the town is connected to the base, the town and base would know that the new guy came into town, some time later, a guard dies, new guy leaves, no more guards are dyingI mean, she's helping us, sure, but for all we know she's just helping us because she sees us as a potential weapon in this war or a way for her to reach Alex.
Yes, as I noted, to her we're essentially a uniquely skilled imposter in Kelley's body. But that would also mean that we have quite a bit of leverage to use on Esme if she does cross us. A pathway to Alex is something only we can provide her, whereas we can get along quite fine without her - witness this whole thing we just (mostly) pulled off. And even if she is just using us and is not in fact a friend, she could still be considered an ally or at least a neutral.
Plus, how the heck is she going to know if we kill this one guy?
The primary concern for me is that this place is filled to the brim with bleeding-edge-quality necromancers as well. They absolutely figure out how he died, and maybe who did it as well.
Well, he's unlikely to be looking up at the roof unless he's taken a sudden interest at stargazing, so take a peek, if all looks clear have Piecewise do the same and if all looks clear from his end as well, then he can come catch us when we jump. Then we put the grate back in its place and get out of there ASAP.
If the area is not clear however, then this is more of a problem. We've got to move now, so we don't have time for an elaborate distraction. We can try for a simple distraction or go for a Bavarian fire drill but that might backfire and just draw more guards here. It might be easier to just take him out. Too bad we don't have birdwise available.
If there's a single guard, then if he has something that's easy for a rat to steal (like a beret) throw our most not-undead-looking rat at him, have it steal the thing and run away with it. Hopefully that will distract the guard long enough for us to get away with the help of Piecewise. If he calls for assistance, then have the rat head towards the front group of guards to stop them from reaching the back.
Else, if the above plan won't work and he's close enough to jump on, just order our body to jump on him and take him out to take advantage of our super-precision mode. Then we can just drag him in the sewer with the help of Piecewise.
If there's more than one guard... I dunno, I guess we'll have to wait and see how they're arranged to think of something.
+1 to the addemdumThe primary concern for me is that this place is filled to the brim with bleeding-edge-quality necromancers as well. They absolutely figure out how he died, and maybe who did it as well.Well, he's unlikely to be looking up at the roof unless he's taken a sudden interest at stargazing, so take a peek, if all looks clear have Piecewise do the same and if all looks clear from his end as well, then he can come catch us when we jump. Then we put the grate back in its place and get out of there ASAP.
If the area is not clear however, then this is more of a problem. We've got to move now, so we don't have time for an elaborate distraction. We can try for a simple distraction or go for a Bavarian fire drill but that might backfire and just draw more guards here. It might be easier to just take him out. Too bad we don't have birdwise available.
If there's a single guard, then if he has something that's easy for a rat to steal (like a beret) throw our most not-undead-looking rat at him, have it steal the thing and run away with it. Hopefully that will distract the guard long enough for us to get away with the help of Piecewise. If he calls for assistance, then have the rat head towards the front group of guards to stop them from reaching the back.
Else, if the above plan won't work and he's close enough to jump on, just order our body to jump on him and take him out to take advantage of our super-precision mode. Then we can just drag him in the sewer with the help of Piecewise.
If there's more than one guard... I dunno, I guess we'll have to wait and see how they're arranged to think of something.
Removing my original +1, voting for this except wait instead of attacking
You slowly drag yourself to the edge of the building and get up on your hands and knees so you can peek over the edge. There's no one behind the building at the moment, and you don't hear anyone moving on the sides of the building either. Now or never. You shoot an order to Piecewise and the grate lifts with great speed but complete silence and is carefully set to the side with equal precision. Piecewise, moving in a strange, almost slithering fashion, silently rises from the drain and moves to be underneath you. You swallow some trepidation and, in as smooth and quiet a motion as you can, lift yourself up onto the lip of the roof and then roll off. There is only a second of free fall for you to consider your actions before you feel Piecewise's hands hit your back. He moves with you, absorbing the momentum of the fall and wrapping his arms around you. Instead of placing you on your feet and letting you walk to the drain, he carries you like a log, slung between both arms, and then basically dunks you straight into the hole. Like everything he does, it all happens with great speed and precision and this time with almost complete silence.+1 to the addemdumThe primary concern for me is that this place is filled to the brim with bleeding-edge-quality necromancers as well. They absolutely figure out how he died, and maybe who did it as well.Well, he's unlikely to be looking up at the roof unless he's taken a sudden interest at stargazing, so take a peek, if all looks clear have Piecewise do the same and if all looks clear from his end as well, then he can come catch us when we jump. Then we put the grate back in its place and get out of there ASAP.
If the area is not clear however, then this is more of a problem. We've got to move now, so we don't have time for an elaborate distraction. We can try for a simple distraction or go for a Bavarian fire drill but that might backfire and just draw more guards here. It might be easier to just take him out. Too bad we don't have birdwise available.
If there's a single guard, then if he has something that's easy for a rat to steal (like a beret) throw our most not-undead-looking rat at him, have it steal the thing and run away with it. Hopefully that will distract the guard long enough for us to get away with the help of Piecewise. If he calls for assistance, then have the rat head towards the front group of guards to stop them from reaching the back.
Else, if the above plan won't work and he's close enough to jump on, just order our body to jump on him and take him out to take advantage of our super-precision mode. Then we can just drag him in the sewer with the help of Piecewise.
If there's more than one guard... I dunno, I guess we'll have to wait and see how they're arranged to think of something.
Removing my original +1, voting for this except wait instead of attacking
Greet our faithful avian underling.
Yay, good job Piecewise! Also apparently we have some sort of healing ability, which means we don't have to be as careful. I was worried we would have to find some way to repair corpses to preserve ourself. Hmm. That does beg the question of if we have a core we need to protect, if we can sustain a certain amount of damage or if we're more or less immortal. Wonder if that's what they're trying to achieve with their experiments. If by transferring a soul to an undead you can make someone immortal then you could make invincible supersoldiers that could win the war with that sort of power. And then you could set yourselves up as immortal rulers of the world. Assuming there are no downsides to this sort of thing. Or maybe there are ways to defeat it through other sorts of special abilities. Or maybe regeneration requires special conditions to occur. Maybe that's why we were in a bathtub full of blood and organs when we woke up, we needed to regenerate from massive damage for some reason and we needed spare materials to do so. Speaking of which...
Check ourselves in a mirror. Do we appear to be missing something? Do we look paler? Do we feel like we've expended Mana? Or maybe like our stomach is emptier? Or maybe we're missing one of our rats? Experiment with cutting our palm, see what happens.Pat birdwise on the beak so he will play our voicemail.See if Esme sent any sort of response to us with birdwise. Also check him for signs he's been tampered with, just in case.
+1, we need to figure out what Esme saidYay, good job Piecewise! Also apparently we have some sort of healing ability, which means we don't have to be as careful. I was worried we would have to find some way to repair corpses to preserve ourself. Hmm. That does beg the question of if we have a core we need to protect, if we can sustain a certain amount of damage or if we're more or less immortal. Wonder if that's what they're trying to achieve with their experiments. If by transferring a soul to an undead you can make someone immortal then you could make invincible supersoldiers that could win the war with that sort of power. And then you could set yourselves up as immortal rulers of the world. Assuming there are no downsides to this sort of thing. Or maybe there are ways to defeat it through other sorts of special abilities. Or maybe regeneration requires special conditions to occur. Maybe that's why we were in a bathtub full of blood and organs when we woke up, we needed to regenerate from massive damage for some reason and we needed spare materials to do so. Speaking of which...
Check ourselves in a mirror. Do we appear to be missing something? Do we look paler? Do we feel like we've expended Mana? Or maybe like our stomach is emptier? Or maybe we're missing one of our rats? Experiment with cutting our palm, see what happens.Pat birdwise on the beak so he will play our voicemail.See if Esme sent any sort of response to us with birdwise. Also check him for signs he's been tampered with, just in case.
+1 to all of this.
Also damn I want that voicemail to be a thing tho.
+1+1, we need to figure out what Esme saidYay, good job Piecewise! Also apparently we have some sort of healing ability, which means we don't have to be as careful. I was worried we would have to find some way to repair corpses to preserve ourself. Hmm. That does beg the question of if we have a core we need to protect, if we can sustain a certain amount of damage or if we're more or less immortal. Wonder if that's what they're trying to achieve with their experiments. If by transferring a soul to an undead you can make someone immortal then you could make invincible supersoldiers that could win the war with that sort of power. And then you could set yourselves up as immortal rulers of the world. Assuming there are no downsides to this sort of thing. Or maybe there are ways to defeat it through other sorts of special abilities. Or maybe regeneration requires special conditions to occur. Maybe that's why we were in a bathtub full of blood and organs when we woke up, we needed to regenerate from massive damage for some reason and we needed spare materials to do so. Speaking of which...
Check ourselves in a mirror. Do we appear to be missing something? Do we look paler? Do we feel like we've expended Mana? Or maybe like our stomach is emptier? Or maybe we're missing one of our rats? Experiment with cutting our palm, see what happens.Pat birdwise on the beak so he will play our voicemail.See if Esme sent any sort of response to us with birdwise. Also check him for signs he's been tampered with, just in case.
+1 to all of this.
Also damn I want that voicemail to be a thing tho.
(animate a parrot if you want voice mail~)+1+1, we need to figure out what Esme saidYay, good job Piecewise! Also apparently we have some sort of healing ability, which means we don't have to be as careful. I was worried we would have to find some way to repair corpses to preserve ourself. Hmm. That does beg the question of if we have a core we need to protect, if we can sustain a certain amount of damage or if we're more or less immortal. Wonder if that's what they're trying to achieve with their experiments. If by transferring a soul to an undead you can make someone immortal then you could make invincible supersoldiers that could win the war with that sort of power. And then you could set yourselves up as immortal rulers of the world. Assuming there are no downsides to this sort of thing. Or maybe there are ways to defeat it through other sorts of special abilities. Or maybe regeneration requires special conditions to occur. Maybe that's why we were in a bathtub full of blood and organs when we woke up, we needed to regenerate from massive damage for some reason and we needed spare materials to do so. Speaking of which...
Check ourselves in a mirror. Do we appear to be missing something? Do we look paler? Do we feel like we've expended Mana? Or maybe like our stomach is emptier? Or maybe we're missing one of our rats? Experiment with cutting our palm, see what happens.Pat birdwise on the beak so he will play our voicemail.See if Esme sent any sort of response to us with birdwise. Also check him for signs he's been tampered with, just in case.
+1 to all of this.
Also damn I want that voicemail to be a thing tho.
Looks like all that's left to do is wait until morning and get on a train and to the meeting place.Yeah. If we can't stuff birdwise and the rats in our stuff, then have them commit suicide somewhere they won't be found. If we can only carry part of them, then the bird gets priority. Hmm... Or maybe we can pretend the bird was our kill? Or would that be too weird?
Looks like all that's left to do is wait until morning and get on a train and to the meeting place.Yeah. If we can't stuff birdwise and the rats in our stuff, then have them commit suicide somewhere they won't be found. If we can only carry part of them, then the bird gets priority. Hmm... Or maybe we can pretend the bird was our kill? Or would that be too weird?
+1Looks like all that's left to do is wait until morning and get on a train and to the meeting place.Yeah. If we can't stuff birdwise and the rats in our stuff, then have them commit suicide somewhere they won't be found. If we can only carry part of them, then the bird gets priority. Hmm... Or maybe we can pretend the bird was our kill? Or would that be too weird?
Let's just take out the cores and have piecewise dump em in the woods or something. Without the cores they just rats. Even if someone came upon a pile o rats in the woods they'd just be like hey weird, a pile o rats in the woods. We should keep birdwise he's super useful.
We have wolverine powers! Awesome. But they run on mana, so let's definitely never find out what happens when the fuel that apparently keeps our physical form cohesive runs out.
I forgot, how do we restore mana? I don't think we can do it by sleeping...We can “eat” memories
+1+1Looks like all that's left to do is wait until morning and get on a train and to the meeting place.Yeah. If we can't stuff birdwise and the rats in our stuff, then have them commit suicide somewhere they won't be found. If we can only carry part of them, then the bird gets priority. Hmm... Or maybe we can pretend the bird was our kill? Or would that be too weird?
Let's just take out the cores and have piecewise dump em in the woods or something. Without the cores they just rats. Even if someone came upon a pile o rats in the woods they'd just be like hey weird, a pile o rats in the woods. We should keep birdwise he's super useful.
We have wolverine powers! Awesome. But they run on mana, so let's definitely never find out what happens when the fuel that apparently keeps our physical form cohesive runs out.
You take off your sneaking clothes and pack them away, replacing them with more acceptable traveling clothing. You then look over the rats and the bird, considering what to do with them. You pull Wisebird's core and put in your pocket, stacking his body with the rest of your "Catch" from the forest; they'll all bend in well enough with your guise of professor and huntsman. The rats, however, stand out too much. You order them to scatter into the woods and destroy their own cores. They obediently scurry off and you feel an odd pang of sentimentalism. The stolen memories conjure images of pets and dull sadness of their lost. You don't quite understand it, but as their tethers snap one by one you feel wistful despite your short time together.+1+1Looks like all that's left to do is wait until morning and get on a train and to the meeting place.Yeah. If we can't stuff birdwise and the rats in our stuff, then have them commit suicide somewhere they won't be found. If we can only carry part of them, then the bird gets priority. Hmm... Or maybe we can pretend the bird was our kill? Or would that be too weird?
Let's just take out the cores and have piecewise dump em in the woods or something. Without the cores they just rats. Even if someone came upon a pile o rats in the woods they'd just be like hey weird, a pile o rats in the woods. We should keep birdwise he's super useful.
We have wolverine powers! Awesome. But they run on mana, so let's definitely never find out what happens when the fuel that apparently keeps our physical form cohesive runs out.
Open the envelope and read what’s inside+1 Also look in the bag.
Get ye envelope and shove the cognitohazards therein into our precious vulnerable brain.
-1 this could kill us or cause brain damage, let’s read it before trying anything rashGet ye envelope and shove the cognitohazards therein into our precious vulnerable brain.
+1, roll will save.
They're just using schmancy words to say "read the envelope". Should be safe enough!Oh, I thought they meant literally shoving it in our skull
+1 thenGet ye envelope and shove the cognitohazards therein into our precious vulnerable brain.
+1, roll will save.
They're just using schmancy words to say "read the envelope". Should be safe enough!Oh, I thought they meant literally shoving it in our skull+1 thenGet ye envelope and shove the cognitohazards therein into our precious vulnerable brain.
+1, roll will save.
Because of where you were, there is a chance that someone might be looking for you. If you left anything behind, like threads of a shirt, they might be able to trace them back. Put any clothing or other items that might have left traces into this bag after you've taken the change of clothes out. Get changed. I will meet you back at home. Come around the back.
You walk over to the bag and, with one finger and a fair bit of what you consider to be rational trepidation, peek inside. Inside is a set of clothing, a jacket, shoes, and even a nice new handgun. Well, there are much worse things that could have been. You pick up the envelope and open the unsealed flap, withdrawing the single sheet of paper within. The words within are typed, not hand written, and there are no names, no specifics, just direct instructions.Quote from: The LetterBecause of where you were, there is a chance that someone might be looking for you. If you left anything behind, like threads of a shirt, they might be able to trace them back. Put any clothing or other items that might have left traces into this bag after you've taken the change of clothes out. Get changed. I will meet you back at home. Come around the back.
Follow Esme's cleanup instructions, take the bag and its contents, make a few final observations of our surroundings, then get back to the library, making sure to remain unobserved.+1
+1Follow Esme's cleanup instructions, take the bag and its contents, make a few final observations of our surroundings, then get back to the library, making sure to remain unobserved.+1
+1Follow Esme's cleanup instructions, take the bag and its contents, make a few final observations of our surroundings, then get back to the library, making sure to remain unobserved.+1
+1Follow Esme's cleanup instructions, take the bag and its contents, make a few final observations of our surroundings, then get back to the library, making sure to remain unobserved.+1
Yeah, +1.
Detail to Esme the fruits of our search, and show her the documents we nabbed.+1
+1Detail to Esme the fruits of our search, and show her the documents we nabbed.+1
+1Detail to Esme the fruits of our search, and show her the documents we nabbed.+1
But it's so entertaining!
+1+1Detail to Esme the fruits of our search, and show her the documents we nabbed.+1
+1. Also, don't make her sad
+1+1Detail to Esme the fruits of our search, and show her the documents we nabbed.+1
+1. Also, don't make her sad
We ought to tell her we apparently have fleeting access to Alexander's memories, and be like so hey, why? Also sorry, we saw enough to understand what's going on there, and also we're especially sorry since we don't mean to have things happen like what happened in the doorway.
This is only going to worse, judging by the progression of these events, and it's only going to be worse if we just ignore it.
+1 she should probably know thisWe ought to tell her we apparently have fleeting access to Alexander's memories, and be like so hey, why? Also sorry, we saw enough to understand what's going on there, and also we're especially sorry since we don't mean to have things happen like what happened in the doorway.
This is only going to worse, judging by the progression of these events, and it's only going to be worse if we just ignore it.
Now you mention it, we absolutely should address this somehow. +1
+1 she should probably know thisWe ought to tell her we apparently have fleeting access to Alexander's memories, and be like so hey, why? Also sorry, we saw enough to understand what's going on there, and also we're especially sorry since we don't mean to have things happen like what happened in the doorway.
This is only going to worse, judging by the progression of these events, and it's only going to be worse if we just ignore it.
Now you mention it, we absolutely should address this somehow. +1
I mean it'll just be worse later. Sad now, or probably really sad later.Why would she be really sad later? I mean, things could turn out great. If she wants to hope, why should we crush that hope? Especially since we can use that hope to our advantage later.
+1+1 she should probably know thisWe ought to tell her we apparently have fleeting access to Alexander's memories, and be like so hey, why? Also sorry, we saw enough to understand what's going on there, and also we're especially sorry since we don't mean to have things happen like what happened in the doorway.
This is only going to worse, judging by the progression of these events, and it's only going to be worse if we just ignore it.
Now you mention it, we absolutely should address this somehow. +1
+1Detail to Esme the fruits of our search, and show her the documents we nabbed.+1
+1. Also, don't make her sad
You give her the documents you've taken and then go over them together with her, filling in any details you found that aren't listed in the papers. After about two hours of this she sets the papers next to her on the cot and holds her head in her hands, thinking.+1+1 she should probably know thisWe ought to tell her we apparently have fleeting access to Alexander's memories, and be like so hey, why? Also sorry, we saw enough to understand what's going on there, and also we're especially sorry since we don't mean to have things happen like what happened in the doorway.
This is only going to worse, judging by the progression of these events, and it's only going to be worse if we just ignore it.
Now you mention it, we absolutely should address this somehow. +1
Lets just go to sleep for a few days.
(Seems like we made it worse by mentioning the random memories.)
Lets just go to sleep for a few days.
(Seems like we made it worse by mentioning the random memories.)
+1.
Had I gotten here earlier, I would have said to also tell her she now has a chance of getting Alex back, if we can figure out some way to retrieve all his memories/soul. Of course, we'd need another body to house him, so we'd basically need to recreate his work on transferring souls - wait.EsEsme can transfer memories, right? If we get access to all of Alex's memories, couldn't she just siphon them into her mind, and have Original!Alex's personality/soul timeshare with her brain?
Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?i know the in game self won’t say it, but real life me thinks this is an interesting way to ask what happened
^don't actually say this
Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?i know the in game self won’t say it, but real life me thinks this is an interesting way to ask what happened
^don't actually say this
usually this is shown in response to understanding a reference. Thus thread is the first time I’ve heard “what’s the haps?”Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?i know the in game self won’t say it, but real life me thinks this is an interesting way to ask what happened
^don't actually say thisSpoiler: Ah yes. (click to show/hide)
usually this is shown in response to understanding a reference. Thus thread is the first time I’ve heard “what’s the haps?”Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?i know the in game self won’t say it, but real life me thinks this is an interesting way to ask what happened
^don't actually say thisSpoiler: Ah yes. (click to show/hide)
ok thanks for the clarification. As I typed this I thought of how often I say that, sorry for repetitionusually this is shown in response to understanding a reference. Thus thread is the first time I’ve heard “what’s the haps?”Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?i know the in game self won’t say it, but real life me thinks this is an interesting way to ask what happened
^don't actually say thisSpoiler: Ah yes. (click to show/hide)
Can also be used to mean "Ah yes, I see we have the same unusual taste in [amusing phrases in this case, but any odd idiosyncrasy will do].
Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?+1 except literally say that.
^don't actually say this
+1 Say it.Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?+1 except literally say that.
^don't actually say this
+1+1 Say it.Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?+1 except literally say that.
^don't actually say this
Clearly we should make up a new nickname so that we don't end up calling her Es again~would Ezzie work? :D
+1+1 Say it.Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?+1 except literally say that.
^don't actually say thisClearly we should make up a new nickname so that we don't end up calling her Es again~would Ezzie work? :D
No. No no no no no. -1.
Head on up. For the time being, keep our mouth shut.
You head up the ladder and, after a minute figuring out how the hidden door works, climb out into the records room. You leave piecewise here, just in case there's company up above that would respond poorly to him, and head up. The library is as quiet as ever but this time there are actually people here. Four people are sitting at a table over near the reference section on the first floor. The tall, thin windows show only darkness outside and the yellow halogen lights above the table cast hard shadows on its inhabitants. One is Esme, then another woman, and two men, none of whom you recognize. They are all dressed well enough but not ostentatiously; this could easily be a gossip session between clerks in a bank break room. You get a little closer and realize they either can't see you or at least haven't. The light of the table and the darkness of the area around them probably makes it hard to see anything without specifically looking for it.+1+1 Say it.Let's head on up. What's the haps, Ezzie? Did anyone come looking for us? Did you glean anything of note from the documents we recovered?+1 except literally say that.
^don't actually say thisClearly we should make up a new nickname so that we don't end up calling her Es again~would Ezzie work? :DSpoiler (click to show/hide)
Anyway I can see which way the tide is going. +1 to the "What's the Haps Ezzie" train choo choo.
Get out of there - unseen and fast.+1
"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back."
Make an appearance (hands raised, friendly, smiling, non-threatening, put that charm to work) and try to convince them that even if they don't trust us, they're better off using us or at least leaving us be. Our argument could be the following:
We are an asset. We've proven that by providing them with this information and showing that we're willing to attack targets like patrols for them. Our goals align. We want to find out more about ourself, they want to find out more about us. They want to topple a government that's probably liable to kill us just for how we look and liable to lock us up and vivisect us for what we are. If they kill us, they may be taking out a spy or they might be losing a valuable asset. If they try to kill us and fail, they might be turning an ally into an enemy. And with what we can see about the state the war is in, they need all the allies they can get. They lose any chance to influence or control us.
If they're afraid we'll betray them, then there's no reason for us to know anything about their organization. We can help them and they can help us and we can keep our contact to a minimum. Hell, we don't even need to help each other, we can just tell Esme what we're planning so that she can stop us if we're going to get tangled in some sort of operation they're planning. Frankly, we don't care about them at all. The only reason we're willing to go out of our way to help them is because Esme has been helping us and we want to repay her for her help. So as long as they don't do anything to hurt us or Esme, they have nothing to worry about.
I might edit that when I have some more time to think.
+1, who is the they?"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back."
Make an appearance (hands raised, friendly, smiling, non-threatening, put that charm to work) and try to convince them that even if they don't trust us, they're better off using us or at least leaving us be. Our argument could be the following:
We are an asset. We've proven that by providing them with this information and showing that we're willing to attack targets like patrols for them. Our goals align. We want to find out more about ourself, they want to find out more about us. They want to topple a government that's probably liable to kill us just for how we look and liable to lock us up and vivisect us for what we are. If they kill us, they may be taking out a spy or they might be losing a valuable asset. If they try to kill us and fail, they might be turning an ally into an enemy. And with what we can see about the state the war is in, they need all the allies they can get. They lose any chance to influence or control us.
If they're afraid we'll betray them, then there's no reason for us to know anything about their organization. We can help them and they can help us and we can keep our contact to a minimum. Hell, we don't even need to help each other, we can just tell Esme what we're planning so that she can stop us if we're going to get tangled in some sort of operation they're planning. Frankly, we don't care about them at all. The only reason we're willing to go out of our way to help them is because Esme has been helping us and we want to repay her for her help. So as long as they don't do anything to hurt us or Esme, they have nothing to worry about.
I might edit that when I have some more time to think.
This is better. +1 to transparency and an opportunity to put Esme's probably somewhat powerful allies at ease
+1, who is the they?"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back."
Make an appearance (hands raised, friendly, smiling, non-threatening, put that charm to work) and try to convince them that even if they don't trust us, they're better off using us or at least leaving us be. Our argument could be the following:
We are an asset. We've proven that by providing them with this information and showing that we're willing to attack targets like patrols for them. Our goals align. We want to find out more about ourself, they want to find out more about us. They want to topple a government that's probably liable to kill us just for how we look and liable to lock us up and vivisect us for what we are. If they kill us, they may be taking out a spy or they might be losing a valuable asset. If they try to kill us and fail, they might be turning an ally into an enemy. And with what we can see about the state the war is in, they need all the allies they can get. They lose any chance to influence or control us.
If they're afraid we'll betray them, then there's no reason for us to know anything about their organization. We can help them and they can help us and we can keep our contact to a minimum. Hell, we don't even need to help each other, we can just tell Esme what we're planning so that she can stop us if we're going to get tangled in some sort of operation they're planning. Frankly, we don't care about them at all. The only reason we're willing to go out of our way to help them is because Esme has been helping us and we want to repay her for her help. So as long as they don't do anything to hurt us or Esme, they have nothing to worry about.
I might edit that when I have some more time to think.
This is better. +1 to transparency and an opportunity to put Esme's probably somewhat powerful allies at ease
+1, who is the they?"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back."
Make an appearance (hands raised, friendly, smiling, non-threatening, put that charm to work) and try to convince them that even if they don't trust us, they're better off using us or at least leaving us be. Our argument could be the following:
{argument}
This is better. +1 to transparency and an opportunity to put Esme's probably somewhat powerful allies at ease
Although we're actually the ones talking behind someone's back, since we're facing the speakers.we could orient ourselves to face everyone by heading to a side
+1+1, who is the they?"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back."
Make an appearance (hands raised, friendly, smiling, non-threatening, put that charm to work) and try to convince them that even if they don't trust us, they're better off using us or at least leaving us be. Our argument could be the following:
{argument}
This is better. +1 to transparency and an opportunity to put Esme's probably somewhat powerful allies at ease
Gonna +1 all of this. Solid speechification, with a bit of humor worked in. :D
+1+1, who is the they?"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back."
Make an appearance (hands raised, friendly, smiling, non-threatening, put that charm to work) and try to convince them that even if they don't trust us, they're better off using us or at least leaving us be. Our argument could be the following:
{argument}
This is better. +1 to transparency and an opportunity to put Esme's probably somewhat powerful allies at ease
Gonna +1 all of this. Solid speechification, with a bit of humor worked in. :D
+1+1+1, who is the they?"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back."
Make an appearance (hands raised, friendly, smiling, non-threatening, put that charm to work) and try to convince them that even if they don't trust us, they're better off using us or at least leaving us be. Our argument could be the following:
{argument}
This is better. +1 to transparency and an opportunity to put Esme's probably somewhat powerful allies at ease
Gonna +1 all of this. Solid speechification, with a bit of humor worked in. :D
+1 to introducing ourselves. Recommend we apologize for eavesdropping as well, it was unintentional.
+1 to introducing ourselves. Recommend we apologize for eavesdropping as well, it was unintentional.
+1+1 to introducing ourselves. Recommend we apologize for eavesdropping as well, it was unintentional.
Fair point. Let's revise like so:
"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back." Make an appearance: hands raised, friendly smile, keep our head down.
"Apologies, ladies and gents-- didn't intend to eavesdrop, but I just came in and I couldn't help but overhear. If I might put in my two cents?"
Speak our piece.
+1+1 to introducing ourselves. Recommend we apologize for eavesdropping as well, it was unintentional.
Fair point. Let's revise like so:
"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back." Make an appearance: hands raised, friendly smile, keep our head down.
"Apologies, ladies and gents-- didn't intend to eavesdrop, but I just came in and I couldn't help but overhear. If I might put in my two cents?"
Speak our piece.
From the context ([historical name] from [acronym]), I assume it's a weeby thing.
+1+1+1 to introducing ourselves. Recommend we apologize for eavesdropping as well, it was unintentional.
Fair point. Let's revise like so:
"You know, it's not polite to speak about someone behind their back." Make an appearance: hands raised, friendly smile, keep our head down.
"Apologies, ladies and gents-- didn't intend to eavesdrop, but I just came in and I couldn't help but overhear. If I might put in my two cents?"
Speak our piece.
+1 this seems well-rounded and non-threatening.
Frankly, their concerns are perfectly valid and we should treat them as such. Our existence is super suspicious, and we should do everything within reason to reassure them.
"It could had gone worse?" offer with a smile. "I mean, that one looks like the sort of guy who'd suspect his shadow of being a spy."+1
After that:
"Thanks for supporting me. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble." add more seriously.
After that:
"Any word from the lab? Any indication that they might be coming after us?'
And after that:
"Did they have any insights about what we discovered? Or any suggestions about what we could look into next?"
+1"It could had gone worse?" offer with a smile. "I mean, that one looks like the sort of guy who'd suspect his shadow of being a spy."+1
After that:
"Thanks for supporting me. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble." add more seriously.
After that:
"Any word from the lab? Any indication that they might be coming after us?'
And after that:
"Did they have any insights about what we discovered? Or any suggestions about what we could look into next?"
+1"It could had gone worse?" offer with a smile. "I mean, that one looks like the sort of guy who'd suspect his shadow of being a spy."+1
After that:
"Thanks for supporting me. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble." add more seriously.
After that:
"Any word from the lab? Any indication that they might be coming after us?'
And after that:
"Did they have any insights about what we discovered? Or any suggestions about what we could look into next?"
"It could had gone worse?" offer with a smile. "I mean, that one looks like the sort of guy who'd suspect his shadow of being a spy.""It could had gone worse? I mean, that one looks like the sort of guy who'd suspect his shadow of being a spy."
After that:
"Thanks for supporting me. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble." add more seriously.
After that:
"Any word from the lab? Any indication that they might be coming after us?'
And after that:
"Did they have any insights about what we discovered? Or any suggestions about what we could look into next?"
A good next step would be to find out as much about Alexander and his work as possible.
It's a fairly sure bet that we are a result of his work one way or another.
+1 to the plan, also yes, I agree we are likely Alexander’s work in some wayA good next step would be to find out as much about Alexander and his work as possible.
+1, and his co-workers as per Esme's suggestionIt's a fairly sure bet that we are a result of his work one way or another.
Definitely, considering the circumstances of our awakening, and the Kell-Faber line
+1+1 to the plan, also yes, I agree we are likely Alexander’s work in some wayA good next step would be to find out as much about Alexander and his work as possible.
+1, and his co-workers as per Esme's suggestionIt's a fairly sure bet that we are a result of his work one way or another.
Definitely, considering the circumstances of our awakening, and the Kell-Faber line
+1+1 to the plan, also yes, I agree we are likely Alexander’s work in some wayA good next step would be to find out as much about Alexander and his work as possible.
+1, and his co-workers as per Esme's suggestionIt's a fairly sure bet that we are a result of his work one way or another.
Definitely, considering the circumstances of our awakening, and the Kell-Faber line
"Hmm. How would we go about tracking his colleagues down? Were they targets in the campaign to erase him from existence? If so, then you're right, our best hope of finding someone who is friendly to us would be to find someone who is captured or in hiding, as anyone who isn't hiding is either working with the government or trying to not attract its attention. We'll have a hard time finding someone in hiding if even the government can't find them, unless we get more help from Piecewise. So maybe our best bet is finding someone they've captured and forced to work for them. Was there any indication of that in the documents we recovered?"+1
Let's discuss our options for now. See what she thinks about combining 1 and 2.
"Hmm. How would we go about tracking his colleagues down? Were they targets in the campaign to erase him from existence? If so, then you're right, our best hope of finding someone who is friendly to us would be to find someone who is captured or in hiding, as anyone who isn't hiding is either working with the government or trying to not attract its attention. We'll have a hard time finding someone in hiding if even the government can't find them, unless we get more help from Piecewise. So maybe our best bet is finding someone they've captured and forced to work for them. Was there any indication of that in the documents we recovered?"+1
Let's discuss our options for now. See what she thinks about combining 1 and 2.
"Hmm. How would we go about tracking his colleagues down? Were they targets in the campaign to erase him from existence? If so, then you're right, our best hope of finding someone who is friendly to us would be to find someone who is captured or in hiding, as anyone who isn't hiding is either working with the government or trying to not attract its attention. We'll have a hard time finding someone in hiding if even the government can't find them, unless we get more help from Piecewise. So maybe our best bet is finding someone they've captured and forced to work for them. Was there any indication of that in the documents we recovered?"
Let's discuss our options for now. See what she thinks about combining 1 and 2.
"...Yes ma'am." Look demure.+1
"...Yes ma'am." Look demure.+1
(A-Team theme plays)+1
Gentlemen, we are now a part of the resistance."...Yes ma'am." Look demure.+1
+1 for sure though, let's follow her lead for the time being.
"Alright then. The prison I was talking about is quite a distance north of here, in the mountains. I think the closest town to it is about 30 or 40 miles away. Its a hole in the ground where they put people they don't want to see again but don't want to kill for whatever reason. I think before we go storming the place we should try and find out who is actually in there, so we can see if it will even be worth the effort. We'll need a list of detainees or the memories of someone who knows it."(A-Team theme plays)+1
Gentlemen, we are now a part of the resistance."...Yes ma'am." Look demure.+1
+1 for sure though, let's follow her lead for the time being.
It's possible they have necromancers holed up in there
I assume we have an enemy-if-my-enemy relationship with them, in general.
"If we want to go through the gate normally, what ID or documents will they require?+1
How would people inside the main building be likely to react to a mouse scampering around? Also, could we disguise a skeleton more easily than ourself?"
I'm wondering if we can use a wiserat as a scout.
I'm also thinking we couldld get us and some skeletons in through the gate normally, then sneak into the main building - it's got to have some entrance other than the main one.
+1 Agreed, killing will draw too much attention and puts us in unnecessary danger"If we want to go through the gate normally, what ID or documents will they require?+1
How would people inside the main building be likely to react to a mouse scampering around? Also, could we disguise a skeleton more easily than ourself?"
I'm wondering if we can use a wiserat as a scout.
I'm also thinking we couldld get us and some skeletons in through the gate normally, then sneak into the main building - it's got to have some entrance other than the main one.
Just going to say that I don't think killing everyone at the gate is a good idea.
It's possible they have necromancers holed up in there
Well, this is just a checkpoint, so I don't think they'd use the big guns on a common, low-risk, low-sensitivity facility.
Unless they've figured out there was a necromancer at Axeminster recently.I assume we have an enemy-if-my-enemy relationship with them, in general.
Well necromancers don't necessarily seem to be tied to any common goals or allegiances, so I assume they could be just as loyal (or unloyal - see Original Kelley) to the government as any other citizen. So the aren't necessarily the enemy of our enemy. Nor does there seem to be a stigma against necromancers (for example Dwarf Fortress's habit of running out people who don't age) which might create a sense of solidarity.
They might regard us as a powerful potential ally or mentor/information source, though, since we are deeply connected to Alex Famous Necromancer Kelley. Or at least as someone who is very risky to antagonize.
"If we want to go through the gate normally, what ID or documents will they require?"That gate likely doesn't lead many places other than the prison...so you'd need to impersonate someone who is going to that prison for some reason. Supplies, prisoner transport, repair, something like that. We'd need a military vehicle, unless the cover was of an official coming to inspect or something where they'd have a personal car, and the proper papers and ID. We'd need Bruce's help again, and we'd need to know what those papers would look like. Proper code numbers and such."
How would people inside the main building be likely to react to a mouse scampering around? Also, could we disguise a skeleton more easily than ourself?"
I'm wondering if we can use a wiserat as a scout.
I'm also thinking we couldld get us and some skeletons in through the gate normally, then sneak into the main building - it's got to have some entrance other than the main one.
Send rats through the sewer system to climb/swim up to the toilets while keeping track of their location. They'll very carefully take a look around and come back. Then they'll report about the kind of restroom they arrived at. The most lavish and least dirty and most private is likely to belong to the most important person/people. And their office can't be far.
+1Send rats through the sewer system to climb/swim up to the toilets while keeping track of their location. They'll very carefully take a look around and come back. Then they'll report about the kind of restroom they arrived at. The most lavish and least dirty and most private is likely to belong to the most important person/people. And their office can't be far.
That's-- brilliant. And devious. And brilliant. Yes. +1
+1Send rats through the sewer system to climb/swim up to the toilets while keeping track of their location. They'll very carefully take a look around and come back. Then they'll report about the kind of restroom they arrived at. The most lavish and least dirty and most private is likely to belong to the most important person/people. And their office can't be far.
That's-- brilliant. And devious. And brilliant. Yes. +1
+1 we need to have a way of knowing if they get to the prison or not, I imagine the sewer system is huge+1Send rats through the sewer system to climb/swim up to the toilets while keeping track of their location. They'll very carefully take a look around and come back. Then they'll report about the kind of restroom they arrived at. The most lavish and least dirty and most private is likely to belong to the most important person/people. And their office can't be far.
That's-- brilliant. And devious. And brilliant. Yes. +1
+1.
we have a winner
+1 we need to have a way of knowing if they get to the prison or not, I imagine the sewer system is huge+1Send rats through the sewer system to climb/swim up to the toilets while keeping track of their location. They'll very carefully take a look around and come back. Then they'll report about the kind of restroom they arrived at. The most lavish and least dirty and most private is likely to belong to the most important person/people. And their office can't be far.
That's-- brilliant. And devious. And brilliant. Yes. +1
+1.
we have a winner
I have a rotating avatar, GLaDOS is just one of the incarnations
Since it is a checkpoint, we ar going to need a different plan, unfortunately I can’t think of one right now
So paris didn't understand that the checkpoint is way out in the boonies, basically just servicing that prison. Hence a place that might not have direct sewer access.I’m thinking we should put a spirit into the rat
The new plan, as he outlined, is to use an animated bird to carry an animated rat over to the checkpoint from a long distance. The bird will drop the rat onto the main building at night, and the rat will then scurry in and try to find the documents we need. If its successful, it will memorize the info we need, then scurry back to the roof and be exfiltrated by the bird. From there it will return to us and transcribe the info. This is all assuming that everything goes well and that it can actually get into the...whatever it is that is holding that info. Its important to remember at this point that puppets are obedient but not very good at problem solving, while those creatures animated with spirits are smarter, but less obedient.
I bring this up because while we can get away with a puppet bird, that rat could be either a puppet or an actual spirit animated construct.
Thoughts? Additions?
As an addition: We have a relatively high quality crab spirit in one of our skeleton that we have further enhanced by combining it with another spirit. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg8033295#msg8033295) Furthermore, we have the ability to transfer spirits from one animated body to another. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg8031259#msg8031259) So I suggest we remove the crab spirit (which we shall name Mr. Crab) from the skeleton and try putting it in a rat/mouse if it looks like it can contain it. That way, not only will it have a higher chance of completing its mission but when it's done we can just put it back into its skeleton and have it transcribe things or even answer some questions. Make sure it's well fed and understands that it should do its best to remain unseen while trying to find the information. Also make sure to state its objective in a way it understands.
As an addition: We have a relatively high quality crab spirit in one of our skeleton that we have further enhanced by combining it with another spirit. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg8033295#msg8033295) Furthermore, we have the ability to transfer spirits from one animated body to another. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg8031259#msg8031259) So I suggest we remove the crab spirit (which we shall name Mr. Crab) from the skeleton and try putting it in a rat/mouse if it looks like it can contain it. That way, not only will it have a higher chance of completing its mission but when it's done we can just put it back into its skeleton and have it transcribe things or even answer some questions. Make sure it's well fed and understands that it should do its best to remain unseen while trying to find the information. Also make sure to state its objective in a way it understands.+1, if the crab spirit turns out to be too big, we should put it back into the skeleton and put one of the others inside
+1
+1 But I think we should name it Mr. Crabs instead.As an addition: We have a relatively high quality crab spirit in one of our skeleton that we have further enhanced by combining it with another spirit. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg8033295#msg8033295) Furthermore, we have the ability to transfer spirits from one animated body to another. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg8031259#msg8031259) So I suggest we remove the crab spirit (which we shall name Mr. Crab) from the skeleton and try putting it in a rat/mouse if it looks like it can contain it. That way, not only will it have a higher chance of completing its mission but when it's done we can just put it back into its skeleton and have it transcribe things or even answer some questions. Make sure it's well fed and understands that it should do its best to remain unseen while trying to find the information. Also make sure to state its objective in a way it understands.+1, if the crab spirit turns out to be too big, we should put it back into the skeleton and put one of the others inside
+1
Also, after creating Birdcrab, send him out and back once to tell us the general guard amount/layout/patrol routes of the checkpoint. Do this before sending him with Ratwise.i thought we were creating Ratcrab, who would be led there by Puppetbird
Also, after creating Birdcrab, send him out and back once to tell us the general guard amount/layout/patrol routes of the checkpoint. Do this before sending him with Ratwise.i thought we were creating Ratcrab, who would be led there by Puppetbird
You leave the table and head back up to the medical section of the library, returning to where the skeletons are waiting. You have Piecewise bring you a rat and proceed to tear the spirit from the skeleton and put it in the rat. Despite the large difference in size, it does work and the rat reanimates with the large phantom as its motive force.+1 But I think we should name it Mr. Crabs instead.As an addition: We have a relatively high quality crab spirit in one of our skeleton that we have further enhanced by combining it with another spirit. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg8033295#msg8033295) Furthermore, we have the ability to transfer spirits from one animated body to another. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg8031259#msg8031259) So I suggest we remove the crab spirit (which we shall name Mr. Crab) from the skeleton and try putting it in a rat/mouse if it looks like it can contain it. That way, not only will it have a higher chance of completing its mission but when it's done we can just put it back into its skeleton and have it transcribe things or even answer some questions. Make sure it's well fed and understands that it should do its best to remain unseen while trying to find the information. Also make sure to state its objective in a way it understands.+1, if the crab spirit turns out to be too big, we should put it back into the skeleton and put one of the others inside
+1
"Anything we should know about what your co-conspirators might think of this? Or are we giving them any information at all?That last part was because she was actually in another country, the country that's at war with this one. Kelley left that place to come here (probably because this country's no-ethics approach to research gave him more liberty to experiment) and then a long time later she came here as a spy for her country's government with the official goal of helping the war effort and the personal goal of finding Kelley. It was explained here: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg7953741#msg7953741
If we're not telling them, and you're going with us, they might notice your absence.
In fact, you might need to tell Nicolas a cover story for him to use if any mysterious strangers - government, informant, or conspirator - happen to notice your absence.
Speaking of which, if the government was so hell-bent on rooting out all traces ofmeKelley, how come they haven't found you yet? Did they not keep tabs on who was associated with him?
+1"Anything we should know about what your co-conspirators might think of this? Or are we giving them any information at all?That last part was because she was actually in another country, the country that's at war with this one. Kelley left that place to come here (probably because this country's no-ethics approach to research gave him more liberty to experiment) and then a long time later she came here as a spy for her country's government with the official goal of helping the war effort and the personal goal of finding Kelley. It was explained here: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg7953741#msg7953741
If we're not telling them, and you're going with us, they might notice your absence.
In fact, you might need to tell Nicolas a cover story for him to use if any mysterious strangers - government, informant, or conspirator - happen to notice your absence.
Speaking of which, if the government was so hell-bent on rooting out all traces ofmeKelley, how come they haven't found you yet? Did they not keep tabs on who was associated with him?
But I agree with everything else, those are good questions. Then camping trip is a go!
It would be great if we could buy a bird, maybe with the excuse of using it somehow for the library. Otherwise we could always trap a small bird using something like a sticky stick trap and then use that to lure a bigger bird. Or we could even take that rifle we bought, assuming we wouldn't get in trouble for carrying it.
Remember to get our cover story in order, so that we know how to act when we're together. Are we brother and sister going back to where we had family camping trips together, are we an assistant helping Esme do some field research, are we a couple going to spend our time looking at the sights?
Remember to bring things that would be useful in a camping trip. Blankets, food, etc. It would help if some of them could double as weapons (e.g. utility knife) or cores (sewing needles maybe?).
+1"Anything we should know about what your co-conspirators might think of this? Or are we giving them any information at all?That last part was because she was actually in another country, the country that's at war with this one. Kelley left that place to come here (probably because this country's no-ethics approach to research gave him more liberty to experiment) and then a long time later she came here as a spy for her country's government with the official goal of helping the war effort and the personal goal of finding Kelley. It was explained here: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173328.msg7953741#msg7953741
If we're not telling them, and you're going with us, they might notice your absence.
In fact, you might need to tell Nicolas a cover story for him to use if any mysterious strangers - government, informant, or conspirator - happen to notice your absence.
Speaking of which, if the government was so hell-bent on rooting out all traces ofmeKelley, how come they haven't found you yet? Did they not keep tabs on who was associated with him?
But I agree with everything else, those are good questions. Then camping trip is a go!
It would be great if we could buy a bird, maybe with the excuse of using it somehow for the library. Otherwise we could always trap a small bird using something like a sticky stick trap and then use that to lure a bigger bird. Or we could even take that rifle we bought, assuming we wouldn't get in trouble for carrying it.
Remember to get our cover story in order, so that we know how to act when we're together. Are we brother and sister going back to where we had family camping trips together, are we an assistant helping Esme do some field research, are we a couple going to spend our time looking at the sights?
Remember to bring things that would be useful in a camping trip. Blankets, food, etc. It would help if some of them could double as weapons (e.g. utility knife) or cores (sewing needles maybe?).
Yeah, we really need to not call her Es on this trip.+1
Buy specimens and supplies. Don't get notices. Pay attention if it seems anyone is looking at us longer than usual while we're out
+1 what do you mean by notices? Did you mean noticed? Either way worksYeah, we really need to not call her Es on this trip.+1
Buy specimens and supplies. Don't get notices. Pay attention if it seems anyone is looking at us longer than usual while we're out
+1 what do you mean by notices? Did you mean noticed? Either way worksYeah, we really need to not call her Es on this trip.+1
Buy specimens and supplies. Don't get notices. Pay attention if it seems anyone is looking at us longer than usual while we're out
Keep going. Hiding in an alley or something will make us look more suspicious. And if night falls and traffic becomes reduced we will be more suspicious or at least more likely to be stopped. Stick to crowded streets as much as possible and keep going.+1 Being suspicious is probably something we don't want right now.
Keep going. Hiding in an alley or something will make us look more suspicious. And if night falls and traffic becomes reduced we will be more suspicious or at least more likely to be stopped. Stick to crowded streets as much as possible and keep going.+1 Being suspicious is probably something we don't want right now.
+1Keep going. Hiding in an alley or something will make us look more suspicious. And if night falls and traffic becomes reduced we will be more suspicious or at least more likely to be stopped. Stick to crowded streets as much as possible and keep going.+1 Being suspicious is probably something we don't want right now.
+1
You decide to risk it and head towards the library, doing you absolute best to look as banal and utterly ordinary as possible. They still stop you.+1Keep going. Hiding in an alley or something will make us look more suspicious. And if night falls and traffic becomes reduced we will be more suspicious or at least more likely to be stopped. Stick to crowded streets as much as possible and keep going.+1 Being suspicious is probably something we don't want right now.
+1
If they know who we are, the only option which contains this from the library is if we kill everyone present. This is something we're capable of, assuming there's nobody here with magic BS. We are quite durable.Ok, the ordering to deny them from the enemy bit isn’t necessary, phantoms will eat the memories regardless, +1
On the other hand, if it's nothing, then attacking immediately will create unnecessary heat.
Wait. If they ask about us resembling Alexander, say it's a coincidence.
If they try to arrest us, order our body to slit the throat of the nearest enemy, then move on to kill everyone else in the outpost. Afterwards, catch a large phantom, place it in a body, and order it to consume all memories present in order to deny them to the enemy.
How about "do everything Egan said but eat the memories ourselves, and make sure to use precionmancer mode when fighting"?we don’t need to eat memories to live, I don’t think we are a phantom. Phantoms require memories to survive. It makes more sense to give them the memories, I would think.
If they know who we are, the only option which contains this from the library is if we kill everyone present. This is something we're capable of, assuming there's nobody here with magic BS. We are quite durable.Ok, the ordering to deny them from the enemy bit isn’t necessary, phantoms will eat the memories regardless, +1
On the other hand, if it's nothing, then attacking immediately will create unnecessary heat.
Wait. If they ask about us resembling Alexander, say it's a coincidence.
If they try to arrest us, order our body to slit the throat of the nearest enemy, then move on to kill everyone else in the outpost. Afterwards, catch a large phantom, place it in a body, and order it to consume all memories present in order to deny them to the enemy.
If he used a different but similar-looking person, couldn't we, well, just say we happen to look like Kelley? Of course, I don't think that'd convince them.The issue then wouldn't be our connection to Kelly, but the fact that we're supposed to be missing presumed dead by now. And the name we picked for ourself, which we put on the papers, would not match the face of the person that Kelly used.
I say wait to see what he says when he comes back.+1
If they try to arrest us, flip the fuck out. I agree, the only way to completely isolate any trouble from the library is to kill everyone here. Hopefully it's something silly. Stay cool.
I say wait to see what he says when he comes back.
If they try to arrest us, flip the fuck out.
+1I say wait to see what he says when he comes back.+1
If they try to arrest us, flip the fuck out. I agree, the only way to completely isolate any trouble from the library is to kill everyone here. Hopefully it's something silly. Stay cool.
+1I say wait to see what he says when he comes back.+1
If they try to arrest us, flip the fuck out. I agree, the only way to completely isolate any trouble from the library is to kill everyone here. Hopefully it's something silly. Stay cool.
"Orpheus Goldstine?" She asks, an eyebrow raised.
Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.
+1Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.
+1
Much better than flipping out and killing things.
Let's let our character come up with the particulars-- he oughta know more about this world now than we do, and world knowledge is critical for this sort of thing.fair point
Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.
+1
Much better than flipping out and killing things.
You give the name of "Eligius Goldstine".
You give the name of "Eligius Goldstine".
I've re-read the pages near that quote,The character said his name was Orpheus after crawling out of under the bed. Told it to Mary, Bruce's daughter. Bruce went with it, since he hadn't actually forged the papers at that pointYou give the name of "Eligius Goldstine".
And
1. Apparently we (the players, not the character) talked about the name Orpheus a bit after Commander Ellis left Bruce.
2. Bruce mentioned someone named Nina Antonov, who we could help him find as a favor. Just an interesting thing we haven't thought about since.
3. If we can ever do so without being killed, found out, or drawing attention to the Library, we are so murdering Commander Ellis.
UnderstoodI've re-read the pages near that quote,The character said his name was Orpheus after crawling out of under the bed. Told it to Mary, Bruce's daughter. Bruce went with it, since he hadn't actually forged the papers at that pointYou give the name of "Eligius Goldstine".
And
1. Apparently we (the players, not the character) talked about the name Orpheus a bit after Commander Ellis left Bruce.
2. Bruce mentioned someone named Nina Antonov, who we could help him find as a favor. Just an interesting thing we haven't thought about since.
3. If we can ever do so without being killed, found out, or drawing attention to the Library, we are so murdering Commander Ellis.
+1Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.
+1
Much better than flipping out and killing things.
+1
Less fun, but I see your point
Also: "Goldstine"? Heh.
Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.Remember to make it mesh with Esme's story, just in case we're still going with the camping trip story.
Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.Remember to make it mesh with Esme's story, just in case we're still going with the camping trip story.
+1Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.
+1
Much better than flipping out and killing things.
+1
Less fun, but I see your point
Also: "Goldstine"? Heh.
I'm pretty sure I added the Goldstine part, as for why I have no idea.
Emmanuel Goldstein, dissenter/enemy of the state from 1984?I don't think that's it as I haven't gotten around to reading that book.
Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.Remember to make it mesh with Esme's story, just in case we're still going with the camping trip story.
+1
Emmanuel Goldstein, dissenter/enemy of the state from 1984?I don't think that's it as I haven't gotten around to reading that book.
"Orpheus Goldstine?" She asks, an eyebrow raised.
snrk
I'd... forgotten we named ourself that. :P
Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.Remember to make it mesh with Esme's story, just in case we're still going with the camping trip story.
+1
+1
"Orpheus Goldstine?" She asks, an eyebrow raised.
snrk
I'd... forgotten we named ourself that. :P
I fukkin' SNRRRRRKKKKED a mouthful of coca cola when she said our name. I'd completely forgotten that our alias name is Orpheus, aka the best fictional necromancer (https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/p__/images/3/3e/Orpheus.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20140529152914&path-prefix=protagonist).Come up with something based on the memories we've consumed. We have so much knowledge and a seemingly superhuman ability to recall it, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with something plausible. Say we're from the country, where record keeping is looser.Remember to make it mesh with Esme's story, just in case we're still going with the camping trip story.
+1
+1
+1 to this. Make it simple, and something we can remember later.
*applause*
What if they're just letting us go so they can keep an eye on us and look for any concrete signs of necromancy, and see who we associate with? Who knows, we might have slipped through their net now only to thoroughly implicate the Library and ourself further down the line.
Especially since they know we're about to go on a trip away from any other contacts and with just the two of us, and they know the general area we plan to camp in...
What if they're just letting us go so they can keep an eye on us and look for any concrete signs of necromancy, and see who we associate with? Who knows, we might have slipped through their net now only to thoroughly implicate the Library and ourself further down the line.
Especially since they know we're about to go on a trip away from any other contacts and with just the two of us, and they know the general area we plan to camp in...
This is worth bringing up to Esme for sure.
+1What if they're just letting us go so they can keep an eye on us and look for any concrete signs of necromancy, and see who we associate with? Who knows, we might have slipped through their net now only to thoroughly implicate the Library and ourself further down the line.
Especially since they know we're about to go on a trip away from any other contacts and with just the two of us, and they know the general area we plan to camp in...
This is worth bringing up to Esme for sure.
Indeed. Express our suspicion.
Ellis Knows Things. All in favor of eating her mind?We already killed 3 people here, no doubt killing a captain wil draw ever more attention
I ain't against it on principle, but I'd want to wait on a good opportunity. Gotta be subtle and sneaky-like about it.
I ain't against it on principle, but I'd want to wait on a good opportunity. Gotta be subtle and sneaky-like about it.
And once we get an opportunity, it'll give us a gold mine of information. Really need to make sure phantoms don't eat her memories. Maybe we'll find out where Nina Antonov is!
May I axe you a questionwho are you asking? Also yes
May I axe you a questionwho are you asking? Also yes
no
that is not the way
acquire axe
then axe questions
we must acquire axe
Why don't we get a hatchet, its like a axe but smaller.yep, smaller=easier to carry, easier to conceal
Nah, I think it's more that the official propaganda is he's dead but there are rumors he's alive and soldiers probably know to look out for him. Otherwise we wouldn't had been stopped by some random soldier because our face looks familiar. Unless he's part of her elite unit or something.
Edit: Maybe get in contact with Bruce to see if we can find out more about his missing fugitive daughter. It's a long shot but maybe some of the documents we recover from our raid will contain information about her. Just because the government says they don't know where she is doesn't mean it's true. But don't give him any information about what we're doing, answer vaguely if he asks, just in case something bad happens.
Other than that, ready to go.
She says its reasonable. But she already intended to do everything under the guise of normalcy until you're safe in the woods. May want to leave Piecewise behind; he has no papers and won't look good if stopped.What if they're just letting us go so they can keep an eye on us and look for any concrete signs of necromancy, and see who we associate with? Who knows, we might have slipped through their net now only to thoroughly implicate the Library and ourself further down the line.
Especially since they know we're about to go on a trip away from any other contacts and with just the two of us, and they know the general area we plan to camp in...
This is worth bringing up to Esme for sure.
Indeed. Express our suspicion.
Oh, he never specifically said that when Ellis said "we'll start looking for that traitorous daughter of yours" she was talking about Mary. Then when we asked about what that all was about her went on to explain how some people protested and even committed "terrorist" acts and then went into hiding. And Mary was described as more of a girl than a woman, so I found it unlikely she would had joined the protests. So I always assumed he had another daughter that had joined the protests and then went into hiding.Ooc she was in her early teens at the time. She's now in her late teens. Girlish in action more than anything. She was involved with protests, the "kids with signs" he talks about, but got rounded up with others and associated with more extreme elements. They didn't really care to differentiate. The government is only a few years old and it is desperate to maintain control.
Consume the goernment.We should look into some kind of alcohol that'll pair nicely with it.
Ask about watchers, both of the mundane and the magical kind, so that we better know how to behave in these sort of situations. Where are they usually located? Do they watch areas or people? Are there ways to spot them or evade them? What sort of restrictions do they have? Stuff like that.
Ask about watchers, both of the mundane and the magical kind, so that we better know how to behave in these sort of situations. Where are they usually located? Do they watch areas or people? Are there ways to spot them or evade them? What sort of restrictions do they have? Stuff like that.
Sounds good, also +1
+1 try coding the questions if possibleAsk about watchers, both of the mundane and the magical kind, so that we better know how to behave in these sort of situations. Where are they usually located? Do they watch areas or people? Are there ways to spot them or evade them? What sort of restrictions do they have? Stuff like that.
Sounds good, also +1
Ask about watchers, both of the mundane and the magical kind, so that we better know how to behave in these sort of situations. Where are they usually located? Do they watch areas or people? Are there ways to spot them or evade them? What sort of restrictions do they have? Stuff like that.
Sounds good, also +1
+1.
Also, "if anyone was listening they'd be bored by now" - heh, that's the same thing she said when she and Bruce were waiting.
Oh, also ask if there's a way to protect an area from supernatural surveillance and if doing so automatically makes such areas suspicious. Also ask if there are areas that naturally repel such supernatural surveillance that we may seek out when we need a hiding place.+1
Ask about watchers, both of the mundane and the magical kind, so that we better know how to behave in these sort of situations. Where are they usually located? Do they watch areas or people? Are there ways to spot them or evade them? What sort of restrictions do they have? Stuff like that.
Oh, also ask if there's a way to protect an area from supernatural surveillance and if doing so automatically makes such areas suspicious. Also ask if there are areas that naturally repel such supernatural surveillance that we may seek out when we need a hiding place."Watchers is just a general name we use for anyone with senses beyond normal who are used for spying or surveillance. Their exact abilities will vary person to person: Remote viewers, Postcogs -those are people who can see into the past in one way or another-, Precogs, Trackers, Astral Projectors, any number of things. Its one of the things that makes defense against them so difficult, what you would do to defend is different depending on the person tracking you. For example, an astral projector would have a hard time finding that bunker of ours simply because they wouldn't think to look in a false pillar. But if they could 'home in' on an individual by their picture or something, then there would be little that we could do. Luckily really powerful and precise watchers are rare, so they only get assigned to really important things. Our best defense against them is simply remaining unimportant or not suspicious. Or at the very least mundane in our transgressions. If we get caught then we're just illegal immigrants, not spies, if you catch my drift. Still in trouble but a lot less interesting. Similarly, if you ever do a break in like you did, being discrete is a great benefit because it stops them from even realizing the crime and pulling in a Postcog to look into it.
Spend tomorrow observing routes, so do we spend today getting closer to the place we are scouting?+1 Probably better to do something productive than contemplate whether or not aluminium will protect our mind.
I agree, dropping it at midnight when there's no light and the guards are more tired, more relaxed and more likely to not notice things, stay in place and avoid bothering to investigate strange noises sounds like the best idea. The only issue is, how is the rat going to see if the room with the information we need is dark? While I'm certain the rat is able to navigate fine in darkness, it probably won't be able to read so well. A light suddenly turning on might attract attention. And if we take the document instead of copying it we risk alerting then to our presence and getting a watcher on our tail. So we either hope the document is in a room without windows or a room where the light is turned on all the time or we take the document (assuming the rat can identify it in the darkness), copy it and then have the rat put it back where it took it from. What does Esme think about this? Any suggestions?Esme says, and some quick tests with a reanimated rat confirms, that it does not seem to need ordinary sensory organs or environments conducive to those organs in order to function. Even blindfolded the rat could not only "see" but could memorize materials given to it. Esme recommends having the rat enter the compound, find the needed papers, memorize them, then return here and use it to copy the information.
We should also decide on a way for the rat to signal that it needs a pickup. Could we detect some sort of motion it makes? Or could we give it something small like an undead bug or a small golem and have it crush it or remove its core to signal us that we should order the bird to go pick it up?
Finally, we should decide where to drop the rat. Were there any obvious every points we could see? Open windows? Unused stove chimneys? Unused regular chimneys? Ventilation system? Or maybe they open the windows during the day, so we can have the bird drop the rat during the day and have it hide until night?
Edit: Also, could we identify any high ranking officers? If yes, then following them with some sort of bug might be an easy way to discover the target room. If not, then we can wait for another transport and have the bird watch the person recording the information to see where it ends up.
Give piecewise a needle or something to stab throughout a fly or other bug's heart with his precision skills. Or use our own necroprecision to do so.We don't have Piecewise with us, but it's a good idea.
Are there dragonflies in this biome? Would probably be simpler to catch and still not very conspicuous. If it's the right season we could look for water and maybe find one.That's also a good idea, send caterpillars or scarabs or ants or something.
Alternatively, this is a little base out in the boonies, so they probably have some crawling things that like to get inside. Could have a birdwise nab one intact and bring it to us.
Give piecewise a needle or something to stab throughout a fly or other bug's heart with his precision skills. Or use our own necroprecision to do so.We don't have Piecewise with us, but it's a good idea.
Order ourselves to catch a fly and then drown it, to take advantage of our hyper-precision mode. That way the body should remain intact. Then we can add a small core, maybe a tiny splinter of wood or rock or even a particularly sturdy leaf and send it to act as a tracking beacon for the guard. If it's easy to do and inconspicuous we could even attach them to all of the guards of the night shift so that we can alert the rat if it's about to cross their path. There's always the chance the guards swat the annoying flies and we lose them but it shouldn't matter.Are there dragonflies in this biome? Would probably be simpler to catch and still not very conspicuous. If it's the right season we could look for water and maybe find one.That's also a good idea, send caterpillars or scarabs or ants or something.
Alternatively, this is a little base out in the boonies, so they probably have some crawling things that like to get inside. Could have a birdwise nab one intact and bring it to us.
Regardless of if the above works, I say we go ahead with the plan.
lets send our bird and rat out to get an idea of how the prison itself is laid out, but don't do it if we already have a map of it.
lets send our bird and rat out to get an idea of how the prison itself is laid out, but don't do it if we already have a map of it.Yeah, let's gather some information before committing to a plan.
+1 This is more thought out than my thing.lets send our bird and rat out to get an idea of how the prison itself is laid out, but don't do it if we already have a map of it.Yeah, let's gather some information before committing to a plan.
Don't send the rat though, no reason to risk a high level minion on blind exploration. We could send some simple puppet rats the bird hunts for us instead.
First of all discuss with Esme how likely it is that they have some sort of magical detection/protection method and how likely it is to detect us. Also ask if their network have anyone actually working in the prison or able to provide us with a way to enter it.
We should keep an eye out for any points of interest, like the office of the director of the prison, sewage/rainwater pipes, hospitals, isolation rooms, exercise yards, etc. Maybe ask Esme for ideas about what to look for.
Also, is there any way to reward the rat for a job well done? Maybe feed it some extra energy to let it know it did good.
+1 This is more thought out than my thing.lets send our bird and rat out to get an idea of how the prison itself is laid out, but don't do it if we already have a map of it.Yeah, let's gather some information before committing to a plan.
Don't send the rat though, no reason to risk a high level minion on blind exploration. We could send some simple puppet rats the bird hunts for us instead.
First of all discuss with Esme how likely it is that they have some sort of magical detection/protection method and how likely it is to detect us. Also ask if their network have anyone actually working in the prison or able to provide us with a way to enter it.
We should keep an eye out for any points of interest, like the office of the director of the prison, sewage/rainwater pipes, hospitals, isolation rooms, exercise yards, etc. Maybe ask Esme for ideas about what to look for.
Also, is there any way to reward the rat for a job well done? Maybe feed it some extra energy to let it know it did good.
We should return to the Network with the information we gathered+1
You somewhat reluctantly agree to return to the city with the information you've gathered; it seems a waste to leave when you're so close...but she makes a good point. You're not strong enough to get in there at the moment and risk the retribution it would bring upon you and your allies. You help Esme pack up the gear, deanimate the bird, and head back.We should return to the Network with the information we gathered+1
Look for an opening to leave the car before someone notices.
Look at the Anima to see if we notice any clues as to what's happening. Watch the strands from hawk-us and our normal body.
if we do this, make it subtle, like a small nod. Hawks have good vision, a human might not notice it, p,us our human body is supposed to be asleepLook at the Anima to see if we notice any clues as to what's happening. Watch the strands from hawk-us and our normal body.
+1
Also also, see if we can still order our human body to do things.
+1if we do this, make it subtle, like a small nod. Hawks have good vision, a human might not notice it, p,us our human body is supposed to be asleepLook at the Anima to see if we notice any clues as to what's happening. Watch the strands from hawk-us and our normal body.
+1
Also also, see if we can still order our human body to do things.
+1if we do this, make it subtle, like a small nod. Hawks have good vision, a human might not notice it, p,us our human body is supposed to be asleepLook at the Anima to see if we notice any clues as to what's happening. Watch the strands from hawk-us and our normal body.
+1
Also also, see if we can still order our human body to do things.
That is... not good news.+1 Perch on the shoulder of our human body
Go to sleep again. See whose body we wake in.
+1That is... not good news.+1 Perch on the shoulder of our human body
Go to sleep again. See whose body we wake in.
Maybe proximity will help us switch back?
You climb up onto your own shoulder after several awkward and ultimately failed attempts to fly. Once there you order your body to do two things: first to sleep and second to "Go back to your human body". You close your eyes and moments later reopen them. You look at your hands. Human. You reach over and pull the hawk off your shoulder. Its stiff as a board, as though in rigor mortis. As a test, you set the bird body on the floor and once again sleep, this time ordering yourself to move into the bird. You open your eyes and again are looking up at your human body. You transfer back and forth a half dozen times, quickly coming to the conclusion that distance doesn't seem to matter. At least as far as you can tell, the furthest you can try it is about 10 feet with the bird corpse all the way in one corner of the room and you in the other.+1That is... not good news.+1 Perch on the shoulder of our human body
Go to sleep again. See whose body we wake in.
Maybe proximity will help us switch back?
Immediately inform Esme. Immediately.+1 As soon as she wakes up tell her "I'm a wizard now." then what we discovered.
Immediately inform Esme. Immediately.+1 After she wakes up, whisper to her what happened
Immediately inform Esme. Immediately.+1 After she wakes up, whisper to her what happened
You consider shaking Esme awake and then consider against it. Though your knowledge of normal human anatomy and needs is not exactly perfect, you understand the necessity of sleep. You cross your arms and consider this new discovery. You wonder if it just requires a corpse, not a corpse you've previously controlled. You think about corpses you know the location and existence of that you haven't animated. There are preserved specimens at the library you haven't touched...those might work. You attempt to jump into a large eel you remember in a glass jar near where you left the skeletons. No luck. You try a few others and come to the conclusion that just knowing about the corpse isn't good enough.Immediately inform Esme. Immediately.+1 After she wakes up, whisper to her what happened
+1
Would Esme's ability to copy and move knowledge around enable us to communicate with her covertly if she knew we needed to get something across? With our permission could she look at what's in the front of our mind, allowing us to silently tell her stuff and her to transfer her responses in reverse?
We're in a library, we could just research what sort of poisonous wildlife exists around here. Or just ask Esme to tell us what she knows or transfer the knowledge to our mind.
Maybe there are snakes we can use. Maybe there are scorpions. Maybe there is something else. Or we could have a rat put something poisonous in his food. It would raise more suspicions but it would be unlikely for it to be linked to us, assuming the poison is something we found in nature or stole while riding another body. Or we could try to arrange for some accident, but that has higher chances of damaging their body in a way that makes it harder for it to sneak around. Or we could find a sleeping guard and have a rat jump into his mouth, lodge itself in his neck and choke him. Or we could practice controlling and flying with birds and once we feel confident enough find a bird that is good at mimicry (like crows or parrots, again depends on what local fauna is available) and use it to hold an actual conversation with him.
Another test we should do: can we absorb memories in these alternate bodies if it comes down to it? It would be useful for finding the prisoner's location once we kill the guard.
Also, can we check if the ability to jump between bodies has to do with the existence of a core? Maybe we don't need to animate and then de-animate bodies, maybe we just need to define a core in them.
Also, can we order our body to move in cases where we have to use an unfamiliar body? E.g. maybe we have to transfer ourselves to a bird or a dog or an insect. Instead of wasting time learning how to move with extra/different limbs, could we just order our body to move?
Lets make a pile of extra bodies and hide them all over the place.Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the FLOOOOOOOR
Does swap power work only on dead thing.Suddenly freaky Friday
Does swap power work only on dead thing.swaping only works in bodies we’ve animated, so no, it doesn’t work on living things
There is a third category beyond "living" and "dead", you know.yes, undead, aka. Animated corpses, which our swapping works on. I doubt we can swap to things that haven’t been killed yet, which is what I meant by “living”
Inanimate objects are neither living nor dead, and we are fully capable of animating them. Remember the paper golem we made? We don't know if we can transfer ourself into a golem, or only corpses. If golems work, then we have a lot more freedom in how we can manifest. We could leave a gauntlet somewhere and hop into it to write down a message. We could be a paper airplane or paperwork or a trash can.There is a third category beyond "living" and "dead", you know.yes, undead, aka. Animated corpses, which our swapping works on. I doubt we can swap to things that haven’t been killed yet, which is what I meant by “living”
Shrug our hawky wings.
Hey! Just because we can change bodies doesn't mean we wanna give this one up!You tell Esme you're not sure, but all things considered you'd like to keep that body as your "Main", only using the others as temporary vessels. She nods.
For one, it's the body we woke up in, it's helped us stay "us" and define what "us" is. It would be useful as an anchor, something stable we can go back to. And maybe we've grown attached to it and think of it as part of our identity, such as it is.
Second, we've had memories Esme while in that body. We don't know if the memories are hidden in our body or if they originate from that body.
And third, this body is high quality and has not started rooting, smelling, locking up or otherwise degrading. Maybe whatever happened in that bathtub full of blood helps preserve it. Maybe it's chemically treated. Maybe there's a spell on it that helps keep it safe. Or maybe it's our presence that helps keep it fresh. Until we can do an autopsy on it or something to confirm our deny that, we should keep it. (We should also try Empiricist's idea and see if we can order this body to restart its biological processes, or at least a mimickry of them. It would be quite useful, not to mention interesting.)
Of course, I understand that this body has some "heat" in the sense that it's been seen by others and participated in illegal activities, but we can always deal with that by hiding it in a basement or some cabin deep in the woods.
Any plan that involves a lot of body swapping, particularly at long range, will probably use up a lot of mana. And I'm not sure if we generate it on our own, do we? Is Esme willing to keep us charged up?
We can hop back to our human body and check our ring as we walk our human body back to the libraryYou carefully park your hawk body and then leap back into your normal vessel, awakening where you left yourself. You check your ring. Still mostly full, so it seems like mana is only drained when you leap, not to maintain the connection. Useful.
Test how fast we can switch bodies. Could we switch bodies if someone is about to harm us? I'm thinking, we don't know what happens if the body we're in gets harmed. We don't know if we have a core or something like that. So it might be best to leave a body the moment things get too dangerous.You test this a few times. You think you can switch bodies within maybe a second or two. Distance doesn't seem to matter in terms of how fast the switch is either.
Lets go with that plan, and we can get the anesthetics from a hospital.
Sounds like a good plan, where to get anesthetics?
Don’t say these r act words, I worded them badly
Hmm. Well, since whatever body we use is going to be undead anyway, the snake could still work. Get a dead venomous snake and inject whatever substance we're using into it. This presumably wouldn't be harmful to the body, because it's already dead anyway. Only issue is getting a snake which can carry enough venom without being too conspicuous."If you want to use a snake, we should use one native to that area. I'll check out whats out there and get us a specimen. As per the anesthetic, I think I can get hold of some from a University hospital near here...I'm not technically allowed to have it but I'll have access to where its kept and I'm pretty sure I can smuggle it out without being caught. Its not exactly high security over there."
Another option would be using a rodent body and just carrying the payload on its back or something. But a rat with a syringe tied to its back would be pretty noticeable, I'd think.
And then, maybe there's weirder options. Animate a moth doused in anesthetic and fly into someone's snoring mouth? That would almost certainly result in the death of that body, and I'm not sure how well our soul fits into something that small. Maybe it's workable if we're a rodent body and the moth is a puppet? It's not like we're forced to rely only on our swapping power, so puppets are on the table. Puppet hawk carrying us in the form of a rat, in turn carrying a puppet moth?
I mean, my previous suggestion should be tempered with the idea that if she is some kind of unstable psycho that legit needs to be in prison, we should feel free to eat her mind and scoot on out of there.i agree she would be a powerful ally.
But she could be a powerful ally. Depending on the amount of work she did with Alexander we could also learn more about ourselves, or conduct research thereof.
Keep in mind our memory absorption is imperfect. We would gain the technicalities, but having a trained researcher or whatever she is with expertise in the field of necromancy could be invaluable.
We seem to have absorbed three whole lifetimes just fine. Even if we didn't gain everything in perfect detail, we would be gaining a whole lot of information, so reliable that it will feel like our own life.and if we do that a lot, we might forget who/what we are
One gruesome alternative would be to poison their food supply with something slow acting and/or psychoactive. There's chaos, maybe some rioting, lots of people die, we swoop in and slurp her memories along with anything else we want, stab ourselves and make it look like a prisoner did it and then jump to another body in some safehouse. However I don't think Esme would approve of indiscriminate murder.+1 to the bolded plan
I don't think we should tell any lies but we shouldn't be too forward either, in case one of those people that can see the past come to investigate. We should say we're working against the state and want her for information. Promise to keep her safe and snuggle her off the country (assuming Esme can arrange for that). If she agrees to that, I think we should just go with breaking her out, along with some other prisoners to make it look like she got out in the chaos of an unrelated prison break. Maybe some of the prisoner names we got are of people belonging to some kind of Mafia-like organization that would be likely to break them out, so by letting them leave we can deflect some suspicion. Then once we get her out safely we can have a normal conversation without risking someone overhearing us. And if things go sideways we can always fall back on the "eat her memories" plan.
What kind of options do we have for breaking someone out? Could we steal a gateway vehicle from someone and get away with it? Or maybe kill a horse and keep it nearby to carry her away? How about explosives, could we use those to break a wall down like they do in westerns?
Finally, in order to avoid communication problems with Esme, could we safely leave a skull or head or something back in the library, in case we ever want to leave but also have a messenger there that can do better than screeching? I'm thinking we give her a small bone hidden in a ring or locket or sock or something like that that can be on her at all times and vibrate to let her know we want to call, maybe even give her some information about the reason we're calling depending on how it moves. Then depending on circumstances we either take over the skull and have a face to face conversation or we command it to speak. Maybe two skulls so we can have one for taking over and another for commanding.
+1 to the above, but despite my vote for keeping her alive we should be ready to kill her if needed. I say we do our best to ascertain her threat to us before deciding.Agreed, what questions do we ask? About the projects?
If we can sneak in, we can observe. We can perhaps leave notes in her cell asking questions. If she shows any indication of being of use, we can save her. Otherwise, off her.
I feel like the overall idea is to be better than the bad guys. Killing anyone we find simply because it's more convenient sort of makes us the bad guys.
One gruesome alternative would be to poison their food supply with something slow acting and/or psychoactive. There's chaos, maybe some rioting, lots of people die, we swoop in and slurp her memories along with anything else we want, stab ourselves and make it look like a prisoner did it and then jump to another body in some safehouse. However I don't think Esme would approve of indiscriminate murder.You consider the situation until Esme returns. She puts her packages down on a table and walks over to where you're seated, staring up at the ceiling with your feet on the table as you think
I don't think we should tell any lies but we shouldn't be too forward either, in case one of those people that can see the past come to investigate. We should say we're working against the state and want her for information. Promise to keep her safe and snuggle her off the country (assuming Esme can arrange for that). If she agrees to that, I think we should just go with breaking her out, along with some other prisoners to make it look like she got out in the chaos of an unrelated prison break. Maybe some of the prisoner names we got are of people belonging to some kind of Mafia-like organization that would be likely to break them out, so by letting them leave we can deflect some suspicion. Then once we get her out safely we can have a normal conversation without risking someone overhearing us. And if things go sideways we can always fall back on the "eat her memories" plan.
What kind of options do we have for breaking someone out? Could we steal a gateway vehicle from someone and get away with it? Or maybe kill a horse and keep it nearby to carry her away? How about explosives, could we use those to break a wall down like they do in westerns?
Finally, in order to avoid communication problems with Esme, could we safely leave a skull or head or something back in the library, in case we ever want to leave but also have a messenger there that can do better than screeching? I'm thinking we give her a small bone hidden in a ring or locket or sock or something like that that can be on her at all times and vibrate to let her know we want to call, maybe even give her some information about the reason we're calling depending on how it moves. Then depending on circumstances we either take over the skull and have a face to face conversation or we command it to speak. Maybe two skulls so we can have one for taking over and another for commanding.
Counterproposal: give her a note which explains that we're dead and can swap bodies, and if she knows how this is accomplished we'd be willing to help her perform the procedure on herself, otherwise we have to kill her sorry :(
Regardless of what the plan is, we should apologize to Esme+1 Yeah we should probably do that.
Regardless of what the plan is, we should apologize to Esme+1 Yeah we should probably do that.
(This is the only upvoted action)Regardless of what the plan is, we should apologize to Esme+1 Yeah we should probably do that.
+1.
Our very existence is probably difficult on her, let's not fray our relationship with basically our one ally.
Remind me again, can we possess just any old dead body? If so, could we just wait until an insect or rat in/near Jennifer's cell dies, and inhabit it?
Of course, we need to figure out where her cell is first.
This one.Counterproposal: give her a note which explains that we're dead and can swap bodies, and if she knows how this is accomplished we'd be willing to help her perform the procedure on herself, otherwise we have to kill her sorry :(
This sounds legit.
Hey ykno what? Maybe we're overthinking this. Use a rat to drop her a note that says we're part of the resistance and looking for information. Give zero other information. Ask all the questions we need if she responds positively. Promise that if we achieve our goals we will either arrange her escape or release at a later date.
If she's not going to help us, we can either A) Leave her where she is B) Absorb her memories.
This one.Counterproposal: give her a note which explains that we're dead and can swap bodies, and if she knows how this is accomplished we'd be willing to help her perform the procedure on herself, otherwise we have to kill her sorry :(
This sounds legit.
Hey ykno what? Maybe we're overthinking this. Use a rat to drop her a note that says we're part of the resistance and looking for information. Give zero other information. Ask all the questions we need if she responds positively. Promise that if we achieve our goals we will either arrange her escape or release at a later date.
If she's not going to help us, we can either A) Leave her where she is B) Absorb her memories.
+1This one.Counterproposal: give her a note which explains that we're dead and can swap bodies, and if she knows how this is accomplished we'd be willing to help her perform the procedure on herself, otherwise we have to kill her sorry :(
This sounds legit.
Hey ykno what? Maybe we're overthinking this. Use a rat to drop her a note that says we're part of the resistance and looking for information. Give zero other information. Ask all the questions we need if she responds positively. Promise that if we achieve our goals we will either arrange her escape or release at a later date.
If she's not going to help us, we can either A) Leave her where she is B) Absorb her memories.
+1
Don't give any unneeded info, especially info on our unique abilities. Out greatest asset is the fact than no one knows to be on the lookout for us/someone with our abilities. We can always send a second note/eat her if we think that she has info about us specifically.
Also, have an undead rat deliver the note. If she's a necromancer, she should notice that.
Also also, consider if we might be able to get a copy of the intake procedures once we are in the guard's body. I doubt we'll ever be able to sneak her out, but maybe we can figure how they trace escaped prisoners with these + the guard's memories.
(I'm a bit confused because you guys seem to be talking crossways about this. Some talking about using reanimated rats (Despite the danger of detection they pose) others about the guard, some about notes, others about direct conversations. I'm gonna lay out the plan as best as I can guess it from all the talking. If it seems ok, just say so. If you wanna make changes, do so, but please make sure to be precise. If possible I'd like to take you from here to in the prison in one post so I wanna be exact. I'll update this as soon as we have an answer, as I want to get this underway. )+1This one.Counterproposal: give her a note which explains that we're dead and can swap bodies, and if she knows how this is accomplished we'd be willing to help her perform the procedure on herself, otherwise we have to kill her sorry :(
This sounds legit.
Hey ykno what? Maybe we're overthinking this. Use a rat to drop her a note that says we're part of the resistance and looking for information. Give zero other information. Ask all the questions we need if she responds positively. Promise that if we achieve our goals we will either arrange her escape or release at a later date.
If she's not going to help us, we can either A) Leave her where she is B) Absorb her memories.
+1
Don't give any unneeded info, especially info on our unique abilities. Out greatest asset is the fact than no one knows to be on the lookout for us/someone with our abilities. We can always send a second note/eat her if we think that she has info about us specifically.
Also, have an undead rat deliver the note. If she's a necromancer, she should notice that.
Also also, consider if we might be able to get a copy of the intake procedures once we are in the guard's body. I doubt we'll ever be able to sneak her out, but maybe we can figure how they trace escaped prisoners with these + the guard's memories.
So, are we using the rat or the snake? I’m thinking snake
If we're going with that plan, then I'd like to propose some amendments:
1. Have a puppet-bird airdrop a snake into the prison, preferably during nighttime.
2. Find an isolated guard. Inject him with the aneasthetic, killing him. Then consume his memories and reanimate his body.
3. Use the guard's memories to determine our target's location and the best way to get a message to her. If the guard doesn't know her location, then we could use the same rat-trick we used at the outpost to find and copy the information. (We can't just go blindly searching every room hoping we come across the right one.)
4. Assume the guard's identity, doing his duties, laughing at jokes he would laugh, talking about things he usually talks about, beating up prisoners, generally act in a way that would not attract attention.
5. During that time, use the best method possible (probably some combination of rat and bird) to drop a note to the woman explaining you are part of the resistance and looking for info. Try to get her to give you the information. If she won't give you the information for free, promise to get her out later, when you can.
6. If she agrees to give you the information, ask her questions regarding her time at the lab, the mass grave, the three projects, and anything to do with Alexander, including where he currently is and why he is being hunted. You will do this through notes if possible, in person as the rat if not.
7. If she is unwilling or unable to act with you, kill her and devour her memories. Make it look like an accident or natural event to avoid suspicion.
8. Using the the rat body, or a human guard body acquired through poisoning with the snake body, you will attempt to discover the standard policies and procedures of the prison, including what they would do to try and track an escaped prisoner. If possible and safe, undermine these operations somehow.
9. Once proper info has been gathered, dispose of any controlled bodies in a non-suspicious way and then telerot back.
To each of those I will also add a general sanity check rule:
0. Consult with Esme to make sure we're not doing anything stupid. For example, maybe it's better to use a snake the bird kills, so that we don't touch the snake at all, in case they can somehow trace it back to us through some sort of residue. Once the guard's memories have been consumed, also use those to judge the feasibility of our next steps.
I guess we go about this guys daily activities, and maybe see if he knows how they track people escape.Yes, consider that. We need to know what we should watch out for. Even if we don't know exactly how they do it, knowing small things like who we're supposed to report to about things like that or how such things were detected/handled in the past might help.
You lace up your boots, sitting on the edge of the bed, and consider further questions.I guess we go about this guys daily activities, and maybe see if he knows how they track people escape.Yes, consider that. We need to know what we should watch out for. Even if we don't know exactly how they do it, knowing small things like who we're supposed to report to about things like that or how such things were detected/handled in the past might help.
Also, is there any way we could legally gain access to the main offices? You know, to lodge a complaint or to report something or to make a phone call or to visit the infirmary? The infirmary will probably be dangerous since we run a risk of someone checking our pulse, but it's nice to know our options.
Who handles the cleaning/maintenance of the main offices and sector A? If it's prisoners we might be able to get them to smuggle something.
Order the bird to find us a mouse or other small animal, just in case we need one later. Also make sure the bird is well hidden or maybe give it a command to fly away and find another hiding spot if something approaches it, we don't want it getting eaten by a cat or something.
What are our options in terms of ways to get our minions around the place without attracting attention? Could mice or other small animals move around on the outside without attracting too much attention? Are there vents or sewers or dungeons? Are the windows/doors usually open and could small animals pass through them?
Do prisoners of block A get to use the yard like everyone else?
What about windows? Do prisoner rooms have windows? Do their doors have windows a small animal could pass through?
We should look through this guys memories and see if he ever leaves the prison.According to his memories he works here for about 6 months of the year and lives the rest of it in a nearby city. He doesn't really leave the prison during his working time. Nothing around here to do and nowhere to go in the great open wilderness.
Also see if he knows how close we can get to the magic anima lens thing with out suspicion.
Lets keep doing this guys job, then once his shift is over we can figure out what we might be able to get away with.You go through a whole day from this point on. Watch the prisoners file out into the yard and stand guard over them as they mill about. You bring them back in and feed them lunch. And then you watch over them until sometime after dinner when the next shift relieves you.
Go spend some time near the anima lens. Maybe we can figure who operates it and when and if there's any part of it that could be used to disable it without making it obvious that it's disabled. Then again, if it lets them see the little anima creatures it might not be possible to do so. But either way we'll need to find a way to disable it or know the times when it's safe to operate. Maybe we can animate something nearby to cause an accident? Maybe we can unplug something? Maybe we can send a bug to cause a short circuit?You check your duty belt before continuing. You've got...a baton and a handgun as weapons. The guards up on the catwalks of the admin building and the outer walls have rifles and the armory has rifles as well.
Oh, idea! Maybe we can animate a part of the lens itself or put a small undead creature in/near it and then deanimate it? That way when we want to disable it we just telerot there and do the deed.
Also, do non-puppet undead (the ones controlled by the little creatures) also have an anima link to us?
Nature, did you read my post?When I posted, I skimmed it first. I read it now and I support the idea. I won’t skim again. Sorry.
Hmm. If we were still alone, I'd make a single puppet and have it look through the lens at us, and then ask it to indicate yes/no if we look any different through it than a human, discounting the visible tether. Probably not a good idea to do that test right this second.
Casually, try not to walk past the viewing side of the lens while he's here. We're not sure if we look weird to close inspection.
Hey, while we're boldtexting, try to think of ways to murder important people using only this body while making the death look like an accident. We could also discard this body and steal theirs, so long as we make this body's death look like an accident.
Also also, estimate how long we have in this body before decay will become obvious.
We don't need to actually have the prisoner kill us, we just have to pin it on them. If the only surviving witnesses are the prisoner and us (in the body of someone high-ranking), then they're going to believe whatever we said happened.no +1s but we'll think on this for the moment.
Though it might be best not to do anything super-weird in front of the fallguy, and we'll probably want to select someone powerful to body-steal, like the warden or something.
Well, let's plan on killing and impersonating the warden, then. Search our memories for a good person to frame for the murder of this body. If we don't know of anyone in particular, maybe quietly ask around for information and rumors about prisoners.
(Thinking of taking the warden's body both because they'll have access to everything and lots of information, and also because their death should harm this place a good deal...)
We don't really need to get the warden in there though, do we? All we need to do is get our current body in there. We can just puppet it there and use the Warden to give it the authority to be there. And with the Warden's knowledge we'll also know when the Anima lens is operated, so we know when we can use our puppets So our biggest issue would be to find a way to kill the warden quickly and without anybody noticing us.
Do we know where the Warden (or perhaps the highest ranking officer of the night shift) sleep? Do we know if he has any windows or any other ways to enter his room (chimney, vents, etc.)? And do we have any leftover poison we can use for a second poisoning? Or something else that could be used by a relatively small creature (e.g. raccoon) to quietly kill someone? Like a scalpel or something poisonous? Do we know if the warden have any habits that would render him susceptible to poisoning, e.g. drinking a glass of alcohol before bed?
I'm thinking, we pretend to go to sleep, we telerot to the bird, we scout the rooms to find our target, we telerot to the snake, we slither out to a window, we telerot to the bird, have the bird pickup the snake and bring it back to the forest to supply it with the rest of the poison, then we fly it back to the target's room. Hmm. Then again it's winter so a window being open is not as likely. Maybe a chimney? I bet officers have fireplaces in their rooms.
Also, now that I think about we don't have to leave the body in a pristine condition. A stab wound through the heart could be bandaged and concealed beneath clothing. We just have to be careful to leave the face unharmed (or no more harmed than something that can be justified as "I cut myself shaving"). Maybe that raccoon could come in handy, what with the ability to wield tools. Maybe we can fly it up to a window, have it quietly open the window and then get in and... I dunno, inject the Warden with some dangerous detergent or something. Or cut an important artery, supposedly one falls unconscious almost immediately and dies within a minute or so of these arteries being severed and we can target one that can be covered by clothes (e.g. the legs). Or just stab him through the heart.
Do we know how much security there is around the infirmary and its supplies, so we can gauge how hard it will be to get in there to steel stuff.+1 to looking through his memories to figure this out.
Do we know how much security there is around the infirmary and its supplies, so we can gauge how hard it will be to get in there to steel stuff.+1 to looking through his memories to figure this out.