Bay 12 Games Forum

Curo is crazy in a "Rarr Kill Everything" sort of way, which works out alright if you're trying to recruit for the God of Death. Useful, even, if you need someone to go nuts and kill a whole country worth of people. A paranoid schizophrenic is very different from that - it means that you might suddenly decide to turn on Morka at any time if you get it into your head that one of the other necromancers is plotting against you.

Curo doesn't sound like someone who'd be particularly loyal, and if we did so we'd turn to Morka. I'm fairly sure that a lot of young, amateur necromancers like us are paranoid, and we have plenty of reason to be. Also, I was exaggerating. Don't take everything I say literally.

Act suspicious. Act suspicious as all hell. Extract as much information out of her- er, him- her- dammit, IT as you can, and then say that it's still not enough, that you know what people do to necromancers- after all, you're part of the race that has the most reason to hate them; you know how much they fantasize about what they'd do if they got their hands on an amateur necromancer, etc. etc. etc., and you can't trust anything she/he/it says solely on their word. Act like you're a paranoid schizophrenic if you have to- convince her/him/it that you've got no reason to believe that she/he/it is what she/he/it is, and maybe you'll be able to get out of this without making either an (involuntary) ally or an enemy out of her/him/it.

She didn't actually -say- she was another necromancer. I think she's some sort of god? She DID change into a he-elf when she found we were she-elfy.

"Join me" = "Worship me", ya?

She did say that she was a necromancer, but she didn't say she was a necromancer like us. It's possible that she's a necromantic god, but since there's been no mention of gods so far, I very much doubt it- religions in this world seem to focus on concepts such as Water and Order, not actual deities, although those concepts may have personifications for all we know.

As for the transformation, isn't strange that she made such a blatant demonstration of her powers, at least in this supposed dream realm? (She never actually said we were in there, just implied it strongly.) That's not exactly conducive to deception. There are two most likely reasons for this: Either it's such an ingrained habit that she simply didn't think of it (in which case, she must indeed be skilled at 'dreamscaping', and, if she's telling the truth about it being as difficult as it is, she's also probably a very skilled mage, as well) or she wants us to be aware of her abilities. Perhaps this is a forewarning, so that we don't try anything funny- necromancers of the past seem to lend credence to this theory. On the other hand, it could be a literal demonstration- an attempt to both quail us and get us curious about her offer.

Either way, caution is the best course to take here- but don't get so paranoid that we disregard her without hearing what she has to say, or worse, make an enemy of her. We don't want to take a gift horse without looking in its mouth, not in our situation, but we also don't want to lose what may be our only opportunity to learn necromancy from someone who seems to know what they're doing, instead of through vague secondhand accounts and dangerous experimentation.

EDIT: As for a title, I, personally, think that's a little egoistic at this point, but whatevs.

ARPKTK

ARPKTK cackles with triumph, Its voice becoming a buzzing chorus as Its crocodilian form begins to dissolve into black smog. The cloud rises into the air, taking shape as a great swarm of giant locusts. A thousand small voices laugh, melding together into one, booming roar of glee. The swarm of locusts spreads along the coast, devouring every Jackalman in Its path, leaving nothing behind- not hair nor skin nor bones.

When ARPKTK has devoured every living thing in sight, It dissolves back into a cloud of smog not much different from the cloud of locusts It had become to visit destruction upon the Jackalmen. Enshrouding Itself to become a great serpent long enough to wrap around the planets floating in Oceanus and squeeze each dry, It releases a greenish, glittering cloud from Its mouth into the water, curing all diseases in an unusual display of benevolence. It then transmits, in the booming voice of divinity, He who dares harm my servants is a fool, for he knows not what he has wrought. Occul! My people and prey! Commanded are ye to be fruitful and multiply. Let your children be plentiful, for the Feral Hunt is endless, and I know not temperance in the pursuit of my prey.

(Nourish Populace: Occul) [-1]- Counteract Dinomantus' Pestilence.
(Nourish Populace: Occul) [-1] (1/3 Domain: Fertility)

The King of Beasts grins hungrily as It eyes Its new servants- and prey. Idly snapping up a few Occul who failed to escape in time in Its great jaws, Its grin fails to falter when some others rally together to face It, singing angelic, dual hymns of both challenge and praise to their new God. It yawns widely, showing Its massive, spiking teeth as It looks upon the shore of its domain to eye the creations of the new pantheon.

"More food? They look delicious."

ARPKTK eyes the stone creature before It suspiciously as the Feral God's body shifts, becoming less rounded and more scaled, fins becoming four tiny feet while the tail thickens and loses its crescent-shaped end. Its head, on the other hand, lengthens, gaining a long, toothy snout. It slides itself onto shore, the sand sticking to its wet, scaly belly. It hisses, booming voice gaining a gravelly quality, like the rumbling of a mountain disturbed by a rockslide, as it finishes the change,

"What sort of alliance do you offer? ARPKTK has no need to join any pantheon."

The King of Beasts' great form is propelled back into the waters with the blow, waves radiating from Its path. It recovers quickly, and swims about the waters near the Golem's feet, its predatory gaze hungry and watchful. After a few moments, It speaks, its voice deep and booming, like the crashing of waves against shorelines,

"And what has ARPKTK to gain from this deal?"