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Author Topic: You are a Necromancer! Chapter 2-36 Decisions, Decisions  (Read 684011 times)

NoahTophatz

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #900 on: March 26, 2012, 01:43:40 am »

Head north
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Mutie? My eldrtich fluffykins? He is a graceful and proud creature! That may or may not be the essence of every nightmare since the beginning of time and will cause you to go mad by being near it.

RAM

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #901 on: March 26, 2012, 05:13:31 am »

I suspect that it will be difficult to reach a clear consensus at this point, and encourage the author to proceed without such...
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Vote (1) for the Urist scale!
I shall be eternally happy. I shall be able to construct elf hunting giant mecha. Which can pour magma.
Urist has been forced to use a friend as fertilizer lately.
Read the First Post!

Deep Waters

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #902 on: March 26, 2012, 08:26:39 am »

Head north

Is that a vote I spy, good sir?
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[23:14:34] <GameMaster> And so (...) a one-armed dwarf and a mage wearing a blanket walk into a tomb.
[23:14:42] <GameMaster> Sadly, that isn't a joke.

[20:42:03] <HailFire> our wizard tower just got smoked by projectile cats from space

NoahTophatz

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #903 on: March 26, 2012, 04:11:38 pm »

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New words are made by general useage
Mutie? My eldrtich fluffykins? He is a graceful and proud creature! That may or may not be the essence of every nightmare since the beginning of time and will cause you to go mad by being near it.

monk12

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #904 on: March 26, 2012, 04:38:43 pm »

Spoiler: Author's Note (click to show/hide)

Running probably isn't going to work. Yeah, Omo could make it, but we're tired and we've never gone hand over hand on a rope in our entire lives. We will fail comically if we attempt it at any significant speed and our dad will find out and we will be grounded until we're 50.

Here's my suggestion:
0. This is something that we should do regardless of which plan we choose: Look through Prestidigitation for the Beginning Practitioner for basic waterproofing spells that are safe to apply to the book and to our writing materials. It would seriously suck if we managed to get across the river only to discover that our one and only source of general magical knowledge was ruined by the water.
1. Go find that bear that the trailsign warned about before and use a combination of Calm Animal and knowledge of the location of delicious honeycomb also mention by the trailsign to wheedle the bear into serving as a distraction for us by screwing around in the ranger's tents. Time this so that the bear is at the camp after dark.
2. While the rangers are being distracted by our bearstraction, cross the river under cover of darkness.
3. Run like hell.
Are we an elf, or a dwarf? Why don't we just run on TOP of the rope, like a true elf, while doing various acrobatic stunts and rudely gesturing at the salmon. We could fish while we're at it.

On a serious note, do we know how to swim? couldn't we loosen a log from the shore, and paddle across? we shouldn't be too conspicuous---a log in the current. we can land further down stream.

The log would decrease both our chances of drowning and being spotted.

We could attach our supplies to the underside of the log, using our leather.

You got a better idea?
Well... we could try luring a bear into their camp to cause confusion.
That idea is crazy. I like it!
No, no, there's too many things that could go wrong.
Oh come on, that plan is too ridiculous to fail! It's the last thing they'd be expecting!
...I can't tell if you're being serious, Omo.
Honestly, neither can I. I still say we should go for it, though.
Let's not and say we did. Alright, what if we just swam across under cover of darkness?
I don't think I can swim that well, can you?
Well, what if we found a log or something and tried to float across with that?
Hm... that could work. Throw your stuff up on it, keep it dry.
I think I want to try learning a waterproofing spell I found first, just to be safe. And, do you have an idea of where most of the Rangers are stationed?
Probably keeping watch on the ferry. There will be patrols and sentries all along the riverbank, but I think we can evade them if their schedules aren't significantly altered from when I was a Ranger.
Alright, how about we travel north a ways and pitch camp for the night, then I'll spend tomorrow learning that spell, then we find a log and make a crossing at twilight?
Sounds good to me- let's move.

Standing, you settle your things and head northward- Omo leads you on a slightly westward curve, attempting to avoid any errant Elven Rangers. Afternoon quickly gives way to evening, and then dusk. Urging stealth, Omo makes no fire, and instead of setting up the tent he fashions a crude lean-to from scattered branches. You settle down for a cold, uncomfortable night, while Omo falls immediately asleep.

The next morning dawns chilly and clear as you groggily stumble from your shelter and stretch out your various aches and pains. Omo is already gone, but you don't worry about it too much, and after breaking out your trail rations for a morning meal you get down to studying your spellbook. The spell itself seems fairly straightforward, but the language it is couched in is unfamiliar and high-handed. You were taught your other General Magic spells by a patient teacher who could demonstrate the spell in action and speak in terms you could relate to- you learned the spell as a matter of instinct and emotion, and came to understand the details later. This book is technical, forcing you to deduce the process from the explanation of its workings. It is as though somebody tried to explain what a plus sign is by giving you 2+2+3=7 with no other explanation. It is, in a word, frustrating.

Eventually, your grumbling and perseverance pays off when you finally manage to cast the spell. Waterproof makes an object non-absorbent for an hour per point of Mana, effectively preventing the water from harming the target. Large quantities of water (like a typhoon or complete submersion) can reduce the duration of the spell, but even so it should be more than enough to get across the river. Since it doesn't actually prevent contact, it doesn't work on acids or certain potions, and it doesn't rustproof. It's well suited for keeping paper, leather, and clothing dry, or preventing the dissolution of ink in water, and that's about it.

You idly eat a light midday meal, wondering where Omo got to. After a few hours of fidgeting, you finally hear a rustling in the bushes, and soon see Omo hauling a sizable log on a makeshift sledge toward your clearing.

Hey Nym! This bloody thing was surprisingly hard to find- I really thought there would be more deadwood out here.
I was wondering where you went. Do you really think we need that large of a log?
The way I figure, it can't hurt. Ready to go?
I think we should wait until it starts getting dark- we'll be harder to spot.
I was hoping you'd changed your mind. Alright- got anything to pass the time? Cards or dice? Anything?
Not really.
...I spy with my little eye, something that is green.
Is it the forest?
Yep! Your turn!
*sigh* I spy with my little eye...

Several hours of I Spy later, the sun begins to set. You quickly waterproof your spellbook before wrapping it and your scroll case in your cloak, just for insurance. The sun is down, but there is plenty of light to see by when you reach the river, and you pause for a moment in awe. The river is rather wide, but that's nothing special- you've spent plenty of time around moving water. No, the sight that takes your breath away is the plains beyond.

In Yicelafo, you've never been able to see more than a hundred yards away- the forest is called the Walled Jungle for a reason. But here, at the edge of the woods, you can see for miles. The plains of Thrimesdur are covered with a blanket of tall, waving grass, broken only by the odd shrub or small tree. You can feel a gentle night breeze blowing your way, carrying the fresh scent of green spring grass and blooming flowers. You can see clear to the horizon, where the stars are beginning to shine in the eastern sky, and the Moon makes its triumphant debut. Almost, you imagine you can see beyond the plains, to the wasteland of the Sacred Grove, to the Black Swamp of the Golgothans, to the mountainhomes of the Dwarves, and beyond.

Omo grins at you.

So you feel it too, eh?
What?
The pull of far-off lands. The knowledge that there is more to see than you can possibly imagine, a world without walls. I've felt it ever since my first patrol brought me to the border, not all that far north of here. You should see the mountains- majestic is the only word I have for them, and it is woefully inadequate.
Yeah... I think I understand you a little better, Omo.
Hm?
Nevermind- let's get this log in the water.

Hastily, you drag the log to the river's edge, splashing into the shallows. The log floats low in the water, but it floats, and Omo expertly lashes your belongings to the top. Omo quickly shucks off his boots, shirt, and pants, tying them to the log.

Hurry up and strip, Nym!
I've got my tunic and boots off, I think I'm alright with an undershirt, Omo.
For the love of... look, the biggest danger in this river is getting too tired before we cross, and the more clothes you wear, the harder you have to swim. Not to mention if your unmentionables are wet, you'll catch your death of cold!
Hey! Who's there?

Glancing back, you see a Ranger emerging from the trees, bow in hand.

No time! In we go!
What are you doing? Stop!

Plunging into the water, you wade into the current, quickly losing touch with the bottom. With Omo beside you, you begin kicking as well as you can, pushing your log further into the river. Hazarding a backward glance, you see the Ranger on the riverbank, arrow at his bowstring. Clearly he is reluctant to fire, and instead keeps yelling for you to return.

Progress across the river is distressingly slow, as you and Omo find yourselves outmassed by the item-laden log. You distinctly feel you are floating downriver faster than you are crossing, but at least you are making headway. There's a bad moment at mid-river when you feel an undertow dragging at you, but you and Omo resist the pull and continue on. Soon enough, you can feel the current weakening, and your feet touch bottom on the opposite side. You wade ashore in Thrimesdur, sodden but free and away from Yicelafo.

Ha ha! Oh, but it is good to be out here.
It certainly took long enough- that river looks a lot wider now that I've swum it.
So it does. Well, what do you say- should we camp here and head into Larathor tomorrow, or press on and sleep in an inn tonight? I don't know about you, but I'm wet, cold, and hungry- food, fire and a bed sound like they're worth another hour's walk!

You are about to agree as you shrug your tunic back on, but then you remember your promise to yourself. "First night in the wilderness, away from settlement and elves- that's when I'll tell Omo I'm a Necromancer." Maybe this doesn't count though- after all, Larathor isn't all that far off, and it might be better to wait until you are deeper in Thrimesdur. What to do, what to do...

Spoiler: You (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spells (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Omo Thunderjaw (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Notable Figures (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Planned Experiments (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Maps (click to show/hide)

Ehndras

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #905 on: March 26, 2012, 04:48:59 pm »

Nah, don't tell him yet. Its too early. Wait until we get further, and perhaps by that point we'll understand him even better.
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Draigh

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #906 on: March 26, 2012, 04:57:50 pm »

whoohoo, the story continues!

My vote:
We are not in the wilderness yet (one hour walk from a village or city is NOT wilderness), just out of the elven forests. Get a nice sleep at the inn to celebrate our freedom and dry up from our swim.
Also: gather information at said inn about current state of affairs, local mages, general thoughts about magic in Thrimesdur and get the opinions of these humans about elves. That way we know what to expect for the future.
Finally: Check book for basic illusion spells that can alter ones appearance. If they do not like elves, we might want to work on an illusion and pose as humans.
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Deep Waters

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #907 on: March 26, 2012, 05:21:35 pm »

First of all...

YES! WE'RE PAST THE RIVER (AND MY FIRST ACTUAL STORY-POST THING IN THIS THREAD)! ^victorydance^

Ahem. Now that that's out of the way. :P

I think the only downside to waiting a little longer is that longer we wait, the angrier Omo might get for us not telling him. Even if he does accept our necro-ness wholeheartedly, he may be mad at us for not trusting him. He sounds like a pretty cool guy (his reaction to Project Bearstraction attests to that) but still, that's a huge thing to ask of someone. Plus, the fact that we'll be breaking a promise to ourselves, and that's never fun. :(

My personal vote is just getting to Larathor first. We're wet, we're tired and we're bound to word something wrong here or there. (Plus, these things require careful timing for maximum drama. ;D) I'm merely pointing out a few of the possible consequences.

whoohoo, the story continues!

My vote:
We are not in the wilderness yet (one hour walk from a village or city is NOT wilderness), just out of the elven forests. Get a nice sleep at the inn to celebrate our freedom and dry up from our swim.
Also: gather information at said inn about current state of affairs, local mages, general thoughts about magic in Thrimesdur and get the opinions of these humans about elves. That way we know what to expect for the future.
Finally: Check book for basic illusion spells that can alter ones appearance. If they do not like elves, we might want to work on an illusion and pose as humans.

You ninja'd me literally milliseconds before I hit the post button. _ _U

In any case- I agree with this completely. (Well, almost completely.) I don't believe the illusion spell is necessary quite yet- there's nothing we've heard so far that indicates we elves would receive anything more than a lukewarm welcome, at worst. Plus, Larathor appears to be a trading post between everyone along the river, including elves. They might not be as cosmopolitan as those buccaneers of the Jeweled Coast, but they're probably not that isolated. The elves might send a messenger to be on the lookout for two elves that skipped the border for whatever reason, but I don't know if they'll make that much of an effort, especially if they don't know Omo the Deserter is one of them. It'll probably take a lot longer than an hour for that one elf that saw us to report back, and longer than that for them to organize the whole message thing, anyway. If we just stay overnight, there shouldn't be a problem. The spell might come in handy later, though, if the inner cities are less... tolerant. (I doubt it, but there's always those who think the elves are cowards or elitists or something. Y'know, for hiding away from everyone.) Plus, what sticks out more than an elf in a city of humans? We'll get a lot of attention just for being elves, and while I doubt it'd be too negative (unless Yicelafo kicks up a fuss, then the rulers of Thrimesdur might deport us- but I'm pretty sure they all have bigger things to worry about right now), if we ever get found out it'd be pretty easy to recognize who we are no matter where in Thrimesdur we go.

And some attention, while not negative, I doubt we would want at all... (...fetishists anyone? <<;)

Speaking of which, we've talked a lot about how the necromancers are probably much stronger and more skilled than us. But can we assume that they know any other kind of magic, like we do? We weren't exactly the greatest mage in the world before manifesting our powers, so maybe the other necromancers weren't either (in fact, I'm almost positive the Pirate King wasn't)- and I doubt they'd waste time on learning it when they have so many undead armies to raise already. These general utility spells don't sound like much, and against an undead army they aren't, really, but they might be our best tools against the evil necromancer menace (as distinct from the awesome necromancer good guys, aka us).
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[23:14:34] <GameMaster> And so (...) a one-armed dwarf and a mage wearing a blanket walk into a tomb.
[23:14:42] <GameMaster> Sadly, that isn't a joke.

[20:42:03] <HailFire> our wizard tower just got smoked by projectile cats from space

bombzero

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #908 on: March 26, 2012, 05:25:39 pm »

Oh idea, once we get into experiment mode, try to find a way to create traps via necromancy, I don't have many ideas, but animating objects has potential.
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Grek

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #909 on: March 26, 2012, 05:29:35 pm »

Lets wait until we're dry and well rested for this.
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bombzero

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #910 on: March 26, 2012, 05:31:17 pm »

Lets wait until we're dry and well rested for this.
Oh idea, once we get into experiment mode, try to find a way to create traps via necromancy, I don't have many ideas, but animating objects has potential.

not now, or even soon, i was suggesting putting it on our experiment "to-do" list.
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lockman766

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #911 on: March 26, 2012, 06:12:03 pm »

I think we should head into town news doesn't travel that fast, we should have at least a day to rest. We should also buy a map so we don't get lost. As for telling Omo that were a necro we should wait until we are in town(inside an inn),or traveling to the next town.
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bombzero

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #912 on: March 26, 2012, 06:19:11 pm »

As for telling Omo that were a necro we should wait until we are in town(inside an inn),or traveling to the next town.

nonononononono telling him in towns, what if we are overheard by even one person??? or if he is shocked and blurts it out accidentally in surprise? we wouldn't just have to explain to Omo, but the entirety of the town while they are trying to burn us at the stake (or whatever humans do to necromancers.)

telling him on the road, when nobody else is in sight for miles, would probably be our best bet.
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Deep Waters

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #913 on: March 26, 2012, 06:20:50 pm »

Does anyone mind if I start putting together a vote tracker thing again?
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[23:14:34] <GameMaster> And so (...) a one-armed dwarf and a mage wearing a blanket walk into a tomb.
[23:14:42] <GameMaster> Sadly, that isn't a joke.

[20:42:03] <HailFire> our wizard tower just got smoked by projectile cats from space

Grek

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 26
« Reply #914 on: March 26, 2012, 06:22:44 pm »

not now, or even soon, i was suggesting putting it on our experiment "to-do" list.

I meant the conversation. The conversation should wait until we're dry and rested.
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