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Poll

Alan

It was inevitable
- 14 (41.2%)
Winners don't do drugs
- 6 (17.6%)
I'll be back
- 2 (5.9%)
Drink the Kool Aid
- 6 (17.6%)
Groovy
- 3 (8.8%)
Insane in the membrane
- 3 (8.8%)

Total Members Voted: 34


Pages: 1 ... 471 472 [473] 474 475 ... 521

Author Topic: Special People: Mechanical Syndrome  (Read 1074037 times)

Tiruin

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7080 on: October 20, 2017, 09:36:40 am »

((Chat with River: Check!
San: Probably check! I'm assuming that given the recent events, we have no choice but to bring him with us [read this in a non-cynical tone]))

Theri picks up Riverpup and holds him gently on where he would be once she began travel with San, back to Ike; because someone breaking down needed both space, and comfort, and she at least 'knew' this from her own experiences.

"I'm not demanding an answer, just curiousity. And that'll be satisfied when you feel better. I don't hold any fault (and in all honesty, I don't believe in fault); so enjoy the ride okay? Gather your thoughts and relax. I'll be planning to move at a brisk walk soon, with you and San with me. But in the meantime I've to check with Irine if things are okay.

"Will you be okay, Irine? I am all ready to set off. I mean, you may need more supplies and forage, and we can try makeshift weaponry if we are to attack or defend. We can...possibly live off the land as we wait. I lack words because I lack ideas right now."


Ready up at Irine's note!
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NAV

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7081 on: October 20, 2017, 11:44:53 am »

"The sobriety has gliders and airships? Maybe this world's not primitive as I thought, maybe enchantment is equal to technology after all....."
Logged
Highmax…dead, flesh torn from him, though his skill with the sword was unmatched…military…Nearly destroyed .. Rhunorah... dead... Mastahcheese returns...dead. Gaul...alive, still locked in combat. NAV...Alive, drinking booze....
The face on the toaster does not look like one of mercy.

Zormod

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7082 on: October 20, 2017, 03:22:57 pm »

Brian Hoss, hull of the Maximus
Move my other eye above the second cluster, but don't enlarge it or move it close enough to feel the machine's push.
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GigaGiant

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7083 on: October 20, 2017, 04:58:39 pm »

Quote
((Nice use of a previously provided detail to your advantage. I approve.))

You move behind the door before it opens. It swings inwardly, hiding you. Everything's quiet for a second or two.
"Hey! Are you sure he's in here?" you hear him say.
: Yes, that's what the records say. : a female voice on a radio responds.
"Well, I'm looking at the interrogation room right now and I'm telling you he's not here."
: Well, ummm... :
"Hold on a sec, let me check something." he says as he picks up the chair and uses it to keep the door from closing.
: OK :

You hear him take a few careful steps forward. You charge at him with a cry and shove the man forward, surprising him and causing him to fall on the metal table, hitting his head on it. This stuns him long enough for you to put your knee on his neck and start strangling him.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" you scream into his face.
He tries to push your leg off him but he isn't strong enough.
"What is this place? Why am I here?"
"Grh- glargh!" the man responds as he flails his arms around ineffectually.
You think you discovered a small issue with your 'interrogate while strangling him' plan.

Strangle the man into unconsciousness (or death, though unconsciousness is preferred). Steal his radio and any other useful items that he might have. Look outside my room to make sure no one else is  approaching. Then activate the radio and speak into it. Demand the listener identify who she is and why she or her organization sent that man to this location. If the person is unwilling to provide information, then threaten to kill her associate unless she cooperates.
Logged
Insert witty signature here

Lenglon

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7084 on: October 21, 2017, 01:07:18 am »

"I'll be fine. Just come back quick please okay? I don't know how long these people can last."
Logged
((I don't think heating something that is right above us to a ridiculous degree is very smart. Worst case scenario we become +metal statues+. This is a finely crafted metal statue. It is encrusted with sharkmist and HMRC. On the item is an image of HMRC and Pancaek. Pancaek is laughing. The HMRC is melting. The artwork relates to the encasing of the HMRC in metal by Pancaek during the Mission of Many People.))

Harry Baldman

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7085 on: October 21, 2017, 02:44:35 am »

Campaign, Ike!

I'll take the Void Bomb! Preferably with some kind of secure Order-aligned containment solution so it doesn't just explode violently in the middle of the night or something. And also some of those OU (Om-Uling) components.

And a ranged weapon would be cool too. Preferably something magical, but a regular crossbow will do if he's strapped for resources.

As for questions:

1: Tell me more about these Warriors/Sorcerers of Chaos. Do they work for the Sovereignty or are they some kind of other political entity? Are they known to hang out anywhere in the direction we're going, as it sounds like Alan would like to meet these people? Do they eat anyone who tries to approach or something? Most of all, are they impressed by especially powerful Chaos magic?

2: Can I assume that I've also consulted the monastery's records about the basic political/geographical/societal/cultural bits of this world so that any information I'm given from now on can be contextualized more like the recap and less like "oh here is this dude and he has armor and there are a bunch of other people in armor and there's also magic or something". Basically asking if I can get context and GM descriptions akin to what a regular person from this world would get on things we encounter from now on.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2017, 02:48:18 am by Harry Baldman »
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NAV

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7086 on: October 21, 2017, 12:19:54 pm »

What types of cool alchemical crossbow bolts can I think of?
-Grappling hook bolt. Sticks to any surface and has a lightweight strong cord attached. Maybe the cord is enchanted to extend or retract on command to act as a true powered grappling hook.
-Web bolt, spews out very sticky web when it hits, immobilizes target or creates a trap.
-Ice bolt, freezes target or creates slippery surface. Similar to web.
-Seeking bolt, uses wind majycks to auto aim and seek targets, maybe even seek their weak points, maybe uses the wind magic to propel itself faster.
-Anti-magic (probably void) bolt that simply pierces magical defenses and maybe disables or weakens magic when it hits.
-Flashbang bolt. It produces loud noise and bright light. Kinda generic non-lethal AOE.
-Healing bolt. It has a syringe full of health potion on the end. Kinda silly and ineffective against armour.
-Bolt that splits into many poisoned darts. Poison can be lethal or nonlethal.
-Trench bolt that digs a hole or wall bolt that builds a wall somehow.
-Chaos bolt. Never know what it does until you try. Powerful.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2017, 05:22:08 pm by NAV »
Logged
Highmax…dead, flesh torn from him, though his skill with the sword was unmatched…military…Nearly destroyed .. Rhunorah... dead... Mastahcheese returns...dead. Gaul...alive, still locked in combat. NAV...Alive, drinking booze....
The face on the toaster does not look like one of mercy.

Beirus

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7087 on: October 21, 2017, 04:03:17 pm »

WMD, Space Mission

If I can focus my Willpower on preventing the demon from feeding off me, or preferably turning it into a symbiotic relationship, do that. If my suit won't be ruined by doing the thing I do, do the thing. Deploy Walker and Weapons and break through the thin wall, preferably without excessive unnecessary damage, then go down that hallway. Otherwise, go down the other hallway with the pipes without doing the thing.
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Because everything is Megaman when you have an arm cannon.

Coolrune206

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7088 on: October 21, 2017, 08:25:29 pm »

If Tess can catch any debris (metal fragments from something being destroyed this turn, or pieces of the exploded space torpedoes that are floating by) she does so and holds on to it for now, admiring it.
 If not, she stretches idly.
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"You are a shameful gaggle of cowards who has made a mockery of the challenge, but you have avoided death. Sit and eat."

Xantalos

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7089 on: October 22, 2017, 04:24:57 pm »

Alan, Trusting Fellow

"I trust ya, buddy!"

Go look around for the wavy blue lines object while I wait for Brad to figure out the door. Maybe it's around here someplace?

((As always, that dialogue is brilliant.))
Logged
Sig! Onol
Quote from: BFEL
XANTALOS, THE KARATEBOMINATION
Quote from: Toaster
((The Xantalos Die: [1, 1, 1, 6, 6, 6]))

Parisbre56

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7090 on: October 23, 2017, 06:22:13 pm »


Not on a mission


You cower assume a more tactically sound position near the top of the stairs while you get one of your dolls to get you a candle from downstairs. However, the short doll is quite clumsy and takes a while to climb the stairs and reach you. At least the floor is made of stone so there's little danger it will set the entire place on fire if it trips. Worst it can do is maybe light a curtain or a carpet on fire.

By the time the doll gets back to you it's a bit too late for it to be useful. You can already see the source of the noise (though it appears he can't see you): It's the same old man from before. He is shuffling forward like a zombie, slowly dragging his feet against the stone floor with a faint sound of glass being dragged against stone. He keeps walking forward, despite the bloody pieces of glass sticking out of the bottom of his boots. Looks like he will pass by the stairs and keep going through the hallway. His hands are covering his face. Small rivulets of blood escape from beneath his hands, the red drops occasionally dripping to the floor, creating a trail behind him. He is crying and you can occasionally hear him whimpering "gone, gone..." between sobs.


A tinge of regret welled up inside of Napoleon as he deducted that the old man was referring to the sword he'd taken from the display case. Perhaps if he'd left it alone, the old man wouldn't be in such a state. Oh, the lengths people would go just to express their sorrow at failure...

At first, Napoleon considered giving the sword back and expressing his deepest regret at stealing it. However, something told him that he would regret it. After all, such a man didn't seem to be in the best state of mind and who's to say that he won't punish Napoleon by disemboweling him with the sword, a bitter irony that's characteristic of poetic justice. Besides, the sword was wasted at the side of a lifeless mannequin anyway.

Taking the candle from the clumsy doll, Napoleon unsummoned it as he continued to watch the old man trail blood along the hallway. With the other two dolls at his side, Napoleon decided to:

Wait until the old man disappear from sight before climbing down the stairs. Once at ground floor, Napoleon will then go to the dining room and walk down the stairs there.
You're about to go down the stairs when a pale humanoid blur jumps out of the shadows, grabs the old man and disappears back into the shadows. There is a scream but it is silenced before it can end.

Crap.


Quote
((Nice use of a previously provided detail to your advantage. I approve.))

You move behind the door before it opens. It swings inwardly, hiding you. Everything's quiet for a second or two.
"Hey! Are you sure he's in here?" you hear him say.
: Yes, that's what the records say. : a female voice on a radio responds.
"Well, I'm looking at the interrogation room right now and I'm telling you he's not here."
: Well, ummm... :
"Hold on a sec, let me check something." he says as he picks up the chair and uses it to keep the door from closing.
: OK :

You hear him take a few careful steps forward. You charge at him with a cry and shove the man forward, surprising him and causing him to fall on the metal table, hitting his head on it. This stuns him long enough for you to put your knee on his neck and start strangling him.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" you scream into his face.
He tries to push your leg off him but he isn't strong enough.
"What is this place? Why am I here?"
"Grh- glargh!" the man responds as he flails his arms around ineffectually.
You think you discovered a small issue with your 'interrogate while strangling him' plan.

Strangle the man into unconsciousness (or death, though unconsciousness is preferred). Steal his radio and any other useful items that he might have. Look outside my room to make sure no one else is  approaching. Then activate the radio and speak into it. Demand the listener identify who she is and why she or her organization sent that man to this location. If the person is unwilling to provide information, then threaten to kill her associate unless she cooperates.
You keep pressing the writhing man's windpipe with your leg, trying to render him unconscious. The man, clearly in pain from your ability, tries to push you away. He manages to push you back a bit but can't manage to stop you from strangling him.

Spoiler: My thought process (click to show/hide)

You keep pushing the man's throat, ignoring his progressively weaker efforts to get free until he finally stops struggling. You hesitantly get off him and look at him carefully, ready to attack if he starts moving again. You're happy to see he makes no such attempt to move. You are less happy when you notice that he is actually not breathing. Maybe you used a bit too much strength.

You blindly grope the man, trying to find anything useful on him. You find a strange electronic device with some buttons and connectors on it, a multitool (hey, you might be able to use that to open your handcuffs!), a security card with his picture on it identifying him as Marco Antilles, a wallet that contains an ID with the same name (you don't explore it fully, it's a bit hard to do with your hands behind your back), some keys (sadly none for your cuffs), a hat (a black baseball cap with Velcro adjusters and no logo) and a pair of mirrored sport sunglasses (curved and of a greyish color).

Trying to use the radio with your hands behind your back presents a problem though. You have to position it between your knees and then use your nose to manipulate the button on top of it. Even then, it's not easy to keep it pressed.

: What's going on there? Mantis, is that you? : you hear the woman ask, probably in response to the noise you're making.
: Mantis, respond! Are you alright? You're breaking up. :
"Who are you? Who do you work for? Why did you send this guy after me?"
: Who is this? Where is Mantis? :
"I'm asking the questions here. The guy you sent in my interrogation room can't speak right now."
: Oh shit! Is he alright? :
"If you don't start answering my questions, I'll make sure he's dead!"
: What? No! You got this all wrong. We're here to rescue you! Please don't hurt him! :
She sounds genuinely desperate to you.
: We're the good guys here. We just want to help you get out of there. Can't you trust me? :
"And you're just doing that out of the kindness of your heart? No ulterior motive? You expect me to believe that?"
: Look, I know you have questions. But it's a bit complicated to explain over the radio and we're running out of time. When you two make your way back to me, I promise I'll explain everything. :
You guess she has a point. If anybody is manning those cameras, then if they haven't seen what happened here, they'll probably notice the open door and the dead body soon enough.

Fortunately, you can see nobody in the hallway outside. It's not a complicated layout, just 3 other doors with electronic locks similar to yours and another door at the end of the hallway. Just like your room, there's bright lights on the ceiling and a camera on the dead-end part of the hallway. You assume the closed door on your side of the hallway leads to the monitoring station of your interrogation room.
"You still haven't told be who you are or who you work for."
: My codename is Iris and I am part of a network of freedom fighters called Rockslide. Now please, you have to follow Mantis out of there. I'm waiting in a van in the parking lot. :


The Maximus

See Zormod's turn for a somewhat important message from Icarus.

John, on the Maximus

Of course.  Thanks, Zero.

"Not having a lot of luck shutting this thing down.  I'm still looking for the controls!"

Maybe take ten steps to the left and try again?
You focus once more on trying to find the control system for the motors. This time you actually manage to remain focused long enough to find it. A relatively simple design, a few exotic materials but nothing too alien. You can easily turn this on, despite the fact that you can't understand some of its electronics. At least you could easily turn it on, if the thing was actually powered. Damnit!

Well, you guess this makes sense, Icarus said the only power source he could detect was on the turret itself, not anywhere on its surrounding area. You could keep trying, hoping to find some way to power it on. Maybe there's a backup battery around here somewhere, maybe you could connect it if you followed the power lines. Or maybe you could find an alternate way of powering it. Or maybe this was just a huge waste of time.

Kosak Durar:

"Bah!"

Okay, get back, get back into the nook I was in before. That's not working.
You move back to your safe spot with no issue.

The turret moves around a bit but then stops. Then it starts moving again, tracking the Phoenix and shooting missiles at it as it flies overhead, now moving even more erratically than before as it tries to track it at this much closer range.

Brian Hoss, hull of the Maximus
Move my other eye above the second cluster, but don't enlarge it or move it close enough to feel the machine's push.
You move your other eye in front of the second sensor. This seems to be enough to cause it to completely lose its ability to track the Phoenix.

That is, until the Phoenix passes overhead, making the turret turn around and start shooting it until it disappears. It stays much closer, visible as a blurry shape moving in erratic patterns around your sky. It twists and turns, easily intercepting the missiles before they can get close. At this range their explosions light up the area around you like temporary suns, the shockwaves making your bodies tremble, the reverberations making themselves felt in your empty stomachs.

: Thanks for making the missiles more manageable! I'll stay closer to keep its attention. Is there something else you want me to do? Or keep acting as a distraction? :

If Tess can catch any debris (metal fragments from something being destroyed this turn, or pieces of the exploded space torpedoes that are floating by) she does so and holds on to it for now, admiring it.
 If not, she stretches idly.

The only thing being destroyed this turn are missiles. You look around but can't notice any debris from them that have landed close to you. You decide that going close to them in the hopes of catching debris is probably a bad idea, since any such catching would most likely happen at fatal velocities.

You could always head back and grab one of those acceleration seats from where you landed. Or maybe ask someone to lend you something they don't need.


WMD, Space Mission

If I can focus my Willpower on preventing the demon from feeding off me, or preferably turning it into a symbiotic relationship, do that. If my suit won't be ruined by doing the thing I do, do the thing. Deploy Walker and Weapons and break through the thin wall, preferably without excessive unnecessary damage, then go down that hallway. Otherwise, go down the other hallway with the pipes without doing the thing.
You pinch your armour and tug it a bit. It looks... acceptably durable and somewhat elastic, but you're quite certain it's not elastic enough to allow you to go full size. Maybe you should ask your entity to give you an upgrade that- oh, wait, your entity hates your guts, never mind.

You could try it anyway. You might be able to use your control to cause a helpful RME that could solve the no-suit issue. Or maybe you could blast your way through the hull, find a door and seal it behind you, though you aren't sure what kind of power would be necessary to punch a hole in this armour. Or, hell, even if none of the above work, you bet all the energy you give off would be enough for someone to spot you and hopefully come help you... or at least pick up your body after you drown so that they can revive you.

As you consider this, you decide to explore the tunnel with the pipes a bit. If this is a dead end you can always go back to the cracked wall. Or maybe follow the trench in the opposite direction. While you walk, you focus your willpower on attacking or controlling the demon. But no matter how much you struggle, it has no effect.
Haha. So Strong. So Pathetic.
What's worse, you start feeling pain. Not mental pain, not something in your mind. This is real, physical pain, like someone is burning the skin off your scalp.
So pathetic you almost make me pity you. Let me give you a hint.
The pain starts spreading across your body. It feels as if it's trying to suck your skin into itself, through the holes between your bones. The pain forces you to stop, mostly out of fear that you'll get hurt or pass out.
I am part of this mind, part of these thoughts. You can't use your mind to destroy me because your mind is not yours. And soon it will be mine.
You're not certain how much of this is true. You know it can't be entirely true, because you felt that even these few words took a lot out of the demon, a loss multiplied greatly due to your mental attacks.
The sooner you give up, the better. Focusing your mind on me now will only cause you pain. You have better things to focus on.
He might be right. As you shake your head to clear the pain away, you notice that your surroundings have changed yet again. The pipes have melted, twisted and merged, forming a roughly honeycomb pattern on the walls. The whole tunnel looks deformed. You think you can see it vibrating slightly, just beyond the edge of the light cone projected from your visor. It makes you feel like you're inside the throat of some alien beast.

Wait, now that's going to screw with your mind forever. Did this actually work and you managed to get him to help you or did he say this just because he knew it'd distract you and/or make you suffer more?


Chizra

"Ike, you should ask for long range weapon so you can snipe."

1. Nikolai would like some standard stabby bolts and some explodey ones. Maybe even some blunt ones. But what fancy exotic alchemical bolts do they have?

2. Examine the crossbow. How accurate/powerful/quality does it seem? Does it reload through cranequin, windlass, goats foot lever?

3. Examine the Ice Blade. Note how big and slashy/stabby and cool looking it is.

4. Examine the MMM. I know what it does but have no idea what it is and how one uses it. Does it have a button?

5. Examine the water armour enchantment. Is it an enchantment placed on my current armour or is it something separate like an amulet? How does one activate the water armour?

6. Examine a signaller. Same dealio as the rest.

1. Well, he could craft a more stable bolt and put some sort of fuse on it to detonate it. You propose putting something that will trigger the explosive in front of the bolts like a grenade launcher round and he agrees that's probably a better idea, assuming you store the detonators seperately, in order to prevent accidental detonation. He doesn't have too much knowledge on the matter of weapon technology, so he is welcome to any suggestions you have.

2. It's a good quality crossbow, nothing magical. It could get through light, even medium armour with a good shot but it doesn't reload too quickly. ((I have no idea about the various variations of crossbows, so let's say it uses whatever mechanism you'd prefer (within reason). Also, if you have knowledge on the subject, is it true that crossbows are more powerful but harder to aim due to their weight? I'll probably read up on it when I have more time.))

3. ((Are you going to run penetration tests with all of your equipment? I'm not letting you turn this into Tinker. :P)) Anyway, the Ice Blade is quit longer than you'd expect a one-handed sword to be, mostly because the water makes it quite light. The Headwater says that one with Water Manipulation abilities could affect its shape and size, but he doesn't think you have the necessary affinities. Still, you could ask one of the mages travelling with you to try to teach you some simple water magic, maybe you'll get lucky and manage to learn some basic spells. The sword is activated by simply twisting a ring on its guard. It will then use water to reform its blade. It's as sharp as you'd expect a very sharp knife or sword to be and even better at stabbing, however it's not too durable. Its lack of elasticity makes it brittle and easy to shatter if you hit something with too much strength. It might not be that good at blocking normal swords, at least not without some magical help. Reforming it is quite easy. You can just wait for it to reform out of the ambient humidity, you can dip it in a pool of water to reform it instantly, you could touch it on the broken pieces of itself to reattach them... As a final test, you try pouring some booze on it and are delighted to find out it manages to use it to reform itself. Hmmm... That opens up some possibilities... The headwater warns you not to lick it. You'd be surprised, he says, how often they have to give that warning to novice guards. Mostly because the other guards like to prank them. You make a mental note to keep it away from Alan.

4. Malachor's Manipulative Mirage is... a thing. It's certainly a thing. There's a sphere on it and a couple of transparent tubes. There's also a cube and a rotating thing. And a funnel and what looks like a chimney. And maybe antennas? Or are those handholds? It- the water goes through the cylinder and then it- no, wait, it goes through the syringe and then split by the fan- it- it- look, the thing just works, it's magic, you have no idea how. You put water in the funnel, mist comes out. By using a valve at the bottom of the funnel you are able to control the size of the effect and the rate of consumption. From inside the effect it looks like you're in a thin cloud, limiting your sight range somewhat, but from the outside it looks like an explosion of steam that disappears a moment later, leaving nothing behind. Your test subjects say they could see nothing from outside the cloud beyond the occasional distortion but the effect broke the moment they stepped through the barrier. And it lasts for quite some time. However, this is already a very humid area and rich with water magic, so maybe it's not the best place to conduct a baseline test.

5. The water armour is comprised out of shackle-like rings of metal that go around your wrists, arms, legs, ankles and waist, linked together by pieces of cloth. Water mages favour speed and fluidity of movement, so it's originally meant to be worn as the wearer's single piece of clothing, the pieces of cloth helping to keep it together and protect the wearer's modesty while keeping it light and flexible, however it is quite capable of being worn over or under armour (though under ends up with your armour getting soaked when you deactivate it). The cloth also seems capable of absorbing quite a bit of water and keeping it there, allowing the armour to be formed quickly (and providing the water mage with a hidden weapon) even in places where there is little humidity or water. It does seem a bit fragile, a few direct hits and it could be cut to shreds. On the other hand, it seems to be capable of supporting quite a bit of water without slowing you down at all and even forming a transparent visor for you out of clear and stable water. Triggering it requires a tiny use of magic while uttering some magical words that activate the enchantment, which you should be able to master within a day or two, or so the Headwater says.

6. The signaler is a wand of black rock with a piece of glass attached on one end. You point the glass part wherever you want and then say the necessary magic words and use a bit of magic to command the enchantment and make it do what you want. The Headwater says that if you're desperate or can't concentrate enough to cast magic you can break the glass. This will cause the entire fire magic contents of the signaller to be discharged at once as a superhot ball of fire that can keep burning for a few seconds. It even works when the signaller is too empty to be able to be used normally, discharging what little magic is left inside. There are also magic words that can cause the glass part to glow, the brightness depending on the charge left, but such use is to inefficient to be worth using for more than a few seconds, most scouts just use that when they need to check how much charge is left in the signaler. He also says you should be careful not to break the wand, since that will cause it to explode. It's quite sturdy, but not indestructible and you don't want it exploding in your hands, so try not to use it to block a sword or something.

"The sobriety has gliders and airships? Maybe this world's not primitive as I thought, maybe enchantment is equal to technology after all....."
Well, I'd say it's more of a difference in ways of thinking. The real world says that everything man made is technology. But in the world you're in they think that everything in the world is magic and technology is just an aspect of magic. Things that we would be most likely to consider machines would be mostly things of Order and Death magic for them, combined with various other elements. That's not to say they couldn't benefit from an overall more scientific way of thinking, something closer to the way the modern world works. Perhaps it's because magic allows them to take shortcuts or perhaps it's because mages are unstable power hoarders focusing on unimportant issues or maybe it's because nobody cares to educate the public and mass produce magic or maybe it's the various wars and catastrophes that have occurred, but you're certain that their world could be in a much different state. With a more scientific and utilitarian approach you're certain they could easily have Fire-powered spaceships, Wind-Order-hybrid AIs, Death-Mind cyborg drones remotely controlled through lightning-antenna transmissions and so many other wondrous things. Then again, maybe there's a reason all those things don't exist, maybe there's something in technology that 'harms' magic or maybe there's some things that magic just isn't good at.

What types of cool alchemical crossbow bolts can I think of?
-Grappling hook bolt. Sticks to any surface and has a lightweight strong cord attached. Maybe the cord is enchanted to extend or retract on command to act as a true powered grappling hook.
-Web bolt, spews out very sticky web when it hits, immobilizes target or creates a trap.
-Ice bolt, freezes target or creates slippery surface. Similar to web.
-Seeking bolt, uses wind majycks to auto aim and seek targets, maybe even seek their weak points, maybe uses the wind magic to propel itself faster.
-Anti-magic (probably void) bolt that simply pierces magical defenses and maybe disables or weakens magic when it hits.
-Flashbang bolt. It produces loud noise and bright light. Kinda generic non-lethal AOE.
-Healing bolt. It has a syringe full of health potion on the end. Kinda silly and ineffective against armour.
-Bolt that splits into many poisoned darts. Poison can be lethal or nonlethal.
-Trench bolt that digs a hole or wall bolt that builds a wall somehow.
-Chaos bolt. Never know what it does until you try. Powerful.
-That would be hard to do. He doesn't know of any mixture that could easily do that, though he could use the mixture for the next bolt. But you shouldn't get your hopes up.
-He could make such a mixture, use a brew of fire, water and order magic that should do the trick, but it would be a bit unstable and he wouldn't be able to produce too many.
-Ice he can do easily. From what you understand, it works by inducing a change in the magical state of water but keeping it liquid. When the vial breaks the water is released and quickly freezes a few seconds later. The effect is boosted by the existence of water, but it can't freeze an entire lake or somethig, maybe three times the volume it normally would. It could be quite useful as a trap, creating a slippery surface quickly. A direct hit should also be quite nasty, since it would probably freeze a good chunk of someone's arm or leg and even work through most non-magical armours.
-He has no idea how to make a seeking bolt. That would require some very complex enchantments or maybe using Forbidden magic to bind the soul of a living thing to the bolt and use it to direct its flight. It might be better (and cheaper for him) for you to just get better at aiming.
-Sure, he can do a void bolt or two. Just note that it will be quite unpleasant if it breaks while you're holding it. And it would be the equivalent of shooting flesh eating bacteria or nerve gas or something like that. (People really dislike dark magic and void magic, bitter enemies have allied themselves in the past to fight against dark magicians, they're that bad and they have an even worst reputation amongst the common people. There's a reason its use is heavily restricted.) That means people will most likely hate you for using it (even if you use it to save them) and it will corrupt an area and the people entering it for quite some time after you use it. On the other hand, it's an almost guaranteed way to bypass magical defenses, so weigh the pros and cons.
-Sure, flashbang is also doable. Some simple fire alchemy, but instead of focusing on the explosion, focus on the release of heat and light. It still won't be pleasent if you hit someone in the head with it, so file it under less-than-lethal, not non-lethal. He could also give you a sleeping poison gas if you want something less-than-lethal and don't mind it being a bit slower to act.
--Hmm... He could have one of the masters do something like that, a bit of Order and Water magic combined with a good healing potion or poison of your choosing. He wouldn't be able to make too many though.
-That would require Earth magic and he doesn't have too much experience with that. He could ask around on the alchemy masters, but don't get your hopes up.
-A bolt full of pure chaos energy? They can do that. It won't be as powerful as a Chaos Power Stone exploding, but it should produce some interesting effects, especially if the bolt penetrates the skin and injects its contents. Such use is bordering on war crimes territory but while abhorrent it should be considered acceptable.

Campaign, Ike!

I'll take the Void Bomb! Preferably with some kind of secure Order-aligned containment solution so it doesn't just explode violently in the middle of the night or something. And also some of those OU (Om-Uling) components.

And a ranged weapon would be cool too. Preferably something magical, but a regular crossbow will do if he's strapped for resources.

As for questions:

1: Tell me more about these Warriors/Sorcerers of Chaos. Do they work for the Sovereignty or are they some kind of other political entity? Are they known to hang out anywhere in the direction we're going, as it sounds like Alan would like to meet these people? Do they eat anyone who tries to approach or something? Most of all, are they impressed by especially powerful Chaos magic?

2: Can I assume that I've also consulted the monastery's records about the basic political/geographical/societal/cultural bits of this world so that any information I'm given from now on can be contextualized more like the recap and less like "oh here is this dude and he has armor and there are a bunch of other people in armor and there's also magic or something". Basically asking if I can get context and GM descriptions akin to what a regular person from this world would get on things we encounter from now on.

Okay, it'll take a while to prepare your magical dirty bomb. He needs to start working on it soon if you want it to be ready to leave by tomorrow. It shouldn't explode as long as the sphere doesn't break, since the sphere holds the dark magic enchantment that keeps it stable. He'll give you a box with foam in it if you're afraid it will break. Just make sure nobody gets curious and opens it. And keep Alan away from it, lest he fumbles and launches a couch towards it.

He doesn't have any magical weapons that don't require at least some magical skill to use and most of them are short range anyway. He can give you a crossbow, same as Nikolai. There's some crossbows that have Order enchantments that make their bolts a bit more accurate and some Fire crossbows that are much stronger than normal, but he doesn't have any of those here.

The Warbands of Chaos are groups of Chaos-aligned individuals that have banded together for one reason or another, usually due to a shared ritual, less commonly due to a powerful warlord or shared aim. While they are not as bloodthirsty or warlike as their name would suggest, there's enough groups of the warlike and bloodthirsty kind to give the rest a bad name and even the more 'reasonable' groups are usually bad news for the inhabitants of an area. They've been known since the time of the Necromancer-Emperor, coming from some island in the northeast on their strange vessels to roam the land, seeking whatever they desire. They are sometimes employed as mercenaries by the Sovereignty, using them when they want something dead and don't really care about what happens and/or don't want to risk their soldiers. They are unreliable and need to be carefully managed lest they turn on you or damage your troops but their raw power and the fact that they're disposable more than makes up for it. And yes, powerful Chaos magic would be very likely to impress them. So, if you encounter any they'll probably be basically a group of Alans, but likely more bloodthirsty and warlike.

Well, I don't think you can get a lifetime's experience in a single night, but I've already been assuming you've been talking with the population and asking them questions about things. You can spend the rest of the night in the library looking for/asking questions about things that require a slightly higher level of education if that is what you wish.


Alan, Trusting Fellow

"I trust ya, buddy!"

Go look around for the wavy blue lines object while I wait for Brad to figure out the door. Maybe it's around here someplace?

((As always, that dialogue is brilliant.))
You look around and manage to find a few bowls and a knife. You bet one of those things must be the thing in the picture, Maybe. Probably. The question is, how do you use it?

Brad is currently kicking a certain point on the bottom of the door with his bootheel. ... Well, you're certain he knows what he's doing, he looks professional enough.


The Badlands

((Chat with River: Check!
San: Probably check! I'm assuming that given the recent events, we have no choice but to bring him with us [read this in a non-cynical tone]))

Theri picks up Riverpup and holds him gently on where he would be once she began travel with San, back to Ike; because someone breaking down needed both space, and comfort, and she at least 'knew' this from her own experiences.

"I'm not demanding an answer, just curiousity. And that'll be satisfied when you feel better. I don't hold any fault (and in all honesty, I don't believe in fault); so enjoy the ride okay? Gather your thoughts and relax. I'll be planning to move at a brisk walk soon, with you and San with me. But in the meantime I've to check with Irine if things are okay.

"Will you be okay, Irine? I am all ready to set off. I mean, you may need more supplies and forage, and we can try makeshift weaponry if we are to attack or defend. We can...possibly live off the land as we wait. I lack words because I lack ideas right now."


Ready up at Irine's note!
Depending on how things go you might get there next turn. Sorry for the delay, need Harry and NAV to finish what they're doing so I can fast forward time.

River appreciates you being there for him while he is grieving.
« Last Edit: October 24, 2017, 09:57:52 am by Parisbre56 »
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Xantalos

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7091 on: October 23, 2017, 06:55:52 pm »

Alan, Branded Goods Loremaster

"Hmmmmm. Well, the water of life is obviously Kool Aid, and the bit about the eyes  clearly means that the eyes have to be sanctified with the water of life to open the door. Therefore, I have to inject Kool Aid into someone's eyes, and then have them look into this here pool of water. Only possible explanation."

Summon a very large mixing cup, an oversized spoon, and an exceptionally large quantity of Kool Aid powder. Mix it up and then think of what I could use to inject it into an eye. A turkey baster? Am I even capable of summoning needles?
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XANTALOS, THE KARATEBOMINATION
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FallacyofUrist

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7092 on: October 23, 2017, 07:37:15 pm »

((Alan's freaking insane.))

Kosak Durar:

This was... very complicated. What could be done? The maintenance door, or whatever it was, would not open. While it would perhaps be possible to break the door down, that would involve damage to the suit Kosak wore, which seemed like a bad idea. Kosak was out of his element.

Observe the turret's movements. Does it have any other possible weak points?
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Generic Arms Race.

Would you like to play a game of Mafia? The subforum is always open to new players.

GigaGiant

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7093 on: October 23, 2017, 08:00:50 pm »

(Ah, crud. Should have kept my eyes closed while strangling him.  :-\ I'll think up an action in the next 12 hours)
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Sir Elventide

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Re: Special People: Welcome to the party, pal!
« Reply #7094 on: October 23, 2017, 08:25:56 pm »

You're about to go down the stairs when a pale humanoid blur jumps out of the shadows, grabs the old man and disappears back into the shadows. There is a scream but it is silenced before it can end.

Crap.

(Well, this sucks. Of course, most situations can be solved adequately if the right tactics are used. Also, Alan is nutzo crazy...)

"Putain de merde, all I took was a damn sword and now this happens?!' Napoleon's mind practically screamed as he quickly took the sword out of his clothes. Replacing it back at his side, Napoleon slowing and quietly unsheathed it as he readied the dolls to defend him in case the pale being try to attack him as well. Wiping away tears that have no doubt completed their job of clearing debris from his eyes to maintain their clarity and definitely have absolutely nothing to do with barely contained terror, Napoleon slowly backed away from the landing as slowly and safely as he could.

Like a tank keeping its thicker frontal armor pointing toward the enemy while moving in reverse, Napoleon is keeping the dolls in front of him as he makes it to the main floor and continue toward the dining room and its flight of stairs while making sure that he doesn't bump into anything. Of course, unlike a tank, he is much smaller and even more fragile. Nevertheless, he has a sword and can summon more dolls if needed. By God, he is the Doll Prince and it is not his destiny to die here! It is his destiny to outsmart, outmaneuver, and crush his enemies and then rule over them! This is merely a test of his... ah... erm... 'night time combat inside a largely unknown location' tactical prowess. Sure it may be a first for him but one has to start somewhere. Even Napoleon Bonaparte started as an artillery officer.

Reminding himself that he is actually superior to the pale entity, Napoleon felt better if only slightly. Nevertheless, even he knew that it was a bad idea to underestimate his possible foe so he:

Continue to carefully walk backward toward the stairway in the dining room before turning to descend it. Just in case the being somehow position itself behind him, Napoleon has summoned a third doll to guard his rear. In this way, Napoleon hoped to guard more effectively against the pale creature should it decide come out of the shadows and attack him.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2017, 08:30:32 pm by Sir Elventide »
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