Once his long-overdue play summary is finished and posted, this thread will continue Paul's game from Omega Academy. He'll be writing it, or at least most of it, but I've gone ahead and saved him the trouble of starting the thread for his new world. When his story reaches the point of his demise at the tentacles of a sentient cephalopod of mysterious origins, he'll link to this thread and continue the story here.
Riddle Me Hiss: Paul soldiers on
(42 posts) (3 voices)-
Sat Aug 2 2008 5:19 am #
-
sirpaulthesmall
MemberAfter my untimely death, I landed on the other side of a bridge, the type of which one only crosses when one was on a quest. The large stone snake guarding the door in front of me seemed impressed, and gave me a riddle that I had heard before. Upon my correct answer, he slithered away and let me in. After a nice walk through a large, airy hall, I came upon a second, smaller snake guarding a second, smaller door. A second, harder riddle was asked that I answered easily enough. A small, dank passageway of earthen walls greeted me beyond the second door. I made my way down it, wondering what on Earth was being guarded so carefully. At the end of the passage, a purple curtain was tied closed by a thin, golden cord, which, upon further inspection, proved to actually be a thin, golden snake, which presented me with a third riddle. I had not heard this riddle before and my answer was a little shaky, but apparently correct. After a brief argument over whether I had actually figured out the answer for myself, or merely “guessed”, the snake appeared to argue with a third party for a brief moment, and then unwillingly let me through the curtain.
On the other side was a well. The middle of a well, that is. Starlight streamed down from above, and water lay about 15 feet below. A rope came down the middle of the 10-foot wide shaft, tied to a bucket at the bottom. Well, I certainly hadn’t come this far to NOT drink water, so I made a leap for the rope, and clumsily made my way to the bottom. I cupped my hands and took a drink of water. Tasted like. . .water. At this point, the bucket began to rise. I clambered to stay on, spilling the water as I did so. The bucket rose for an unclear amount of time, and when I reached the top, I was met by an old man, dressed in a robe, with a slightly grumpy expression on his face. A dialogue ensued, through which I explained that near-death experiences seemed to propel me through other worlds. He interpreted this to mean that I was under the protective magic of a dweomer. I was led to his house where I was grudgingly given a place to stay. I demonstrated a knowledge of reading and spelling, and displayed my lack of knowledge of magic and chicken-feeding (long story). A display of magic confirmed with no doubt that this man was a wizard. I was given a place to sleep in the barn, but before I bedded down, I followed my equipment vectors to the well, in search of my belongings. I began to climb down the rope, and was met by a large snake, who fetched my things and brought them to me in a large plastic bag, including Toto. I sorted everything out and made my way back to my new dwelling.
I awoke the next morning to find a note instructing me to go to the library on the second floor of his house (more of a tower, really). I did so, bringing Toto with me, and found the wizard bent over a book on a table. He told me that I was to learn Halruan, the language of magic, and gave me a book and a scroll. The scroll contained characters, and grammar, and the book was written in Halruan. I was given strict orders not to practice anything out loud, and to continue studying until I was too hungry to continue. I asked him if I was his apprentice, and was given the impression that I was most certainly not his apprentice, as no self-respecting wizard would ever take on an apprentice who did not know Halruan.
I continued studying until I was too hungry to continue, at which time the wizard asked me a few questions, corrected some of my vowel sounds, and we went downstairs for breakfast. “Breakfast” consisted of rancid chicken and an uncooked egg. He performed a quick spell over his chicken, and cooked his egg of a fire. I cooked my egg as well, and did not touch the chicken.
This is where we left off. Scott, if you have anything to add/correct go ahead, and I am ready to continue when you are.
Tue Sep 30 2008 10:21 pm # -
Tell me more about Toto's involvement, if you can. How much has the (alleged) wizard asked, and how much have you volunteered? Has he done anything yet besides munch straw and ride on a 75-gallon plastic bag?
Also worth noting is the wizard's offhand comment regarding the rule of three in connection to your near-deaths . . .
Sun Oct 5 2008 7:17 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberThe wizard asked if Toto was my familiar, and I answered that no, he was merely a pet. The wizard took Toto in stride and for the most part, ignored him.
When I mentioned that this was the third time that I had nearly died and instead switched worlds, the wizard made a remark to the effect that perhaps the protective magic had worn off.
Sun Oct 5 2008 9:14 pm # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberWell, it’s been a year and a half, and there have been numerous sessions of live play. Allow me to briefly summarize, as we try very hard to move this game back onto the forum because Scott and I have no time to play together.
I have a working knowledge of Halruan, the language of magic. I study it every day, and I am aided somewhat by its similarity to Chinese.
I have learned about a score of spells from the wizard, whose name I have never asked. I call him sir, and he generally doesn’t call me anything. Almost all of the spells I have learned are matter manipulatives. The wizard generally tries to motivate me through hunger (locking the door to the pantry and throwing the key into the pond to make me learn how to shape water, etc.) Also, cartography is a frequent metaphor for making magic, and I have drawn many maps over the course of my studies so far.
I will list the botches I can remember below:
1. While attempting to shape water, I unintentionally summoned a wandering elemental water spirit into the pond, and the wizard attempted unsuccessfully to banish it, but was eventually forced to simply shape it into a very skinny, tall tube until it wandered away on its own.
2. While attempting to untwist the key to the pantry (the wizard had twisted it for practice purposes) I accidentally turned the metal key into crochet. Upon seeing the results of my botched handiwork, the wizard remarked, “This will not be easy to reverse.” The next spell I learned was how to release locks.
3. While attempting to suppress the light of a candle, I accidentally turned the whole tower into a plant. Fortunately, the wizard managed to stop its progress before the transformation was complete. We spent several months repairing structural damage to the tower, reshaping the stones, etc. I am currently banned from the tower, and am conducting most of my studies in the chicken coop, and on the grounds.
Here are the notable events of the story since we left off:
1. After delivering a map to a friend of the wizard in the village, said friend sent me out to collect berries from the swamp. On this muddy excursion, I was confronted by a beast looking something like a cross between a mountain lion and a wolf. He informed me, roughly, that the berries I was gathering did not belong to me, and I would have to return them. I didn’t want to return empty-handed, so I exchanged a “bloodless favor” for the right to gather as many berries as I could fit in a basket. The wizard seemed relatively pleased at my handling of the situation, but I think he was mainly happy that I didn’t screw anything up that he would have to fix himself.
2. Weeks later, the beast recalled his favor. His nephew had gone missing, and no one could find him. Before leaving, I asked the wizard for any advice he might be willing to give me. In reply, he said “Don’t attempt any divinations. They are quite beyond you.” As I helped them look, the child was found trapped in a mud hole and entangled in a briar patch. If anyone tried to get to where he was, they would run the risk of causing a mudslide, and bury both of them. After examining the situation, I shaped the earth around the child with magic, causing it to hold its shape, eliminating the possibility of a mudslide. I then caused the briars to untwist, freeing the child, who walked to safety. My favor paid, I returned to the tower and informed the wizard of what had happened.
3. At this point, I should inform you that one of my regular duties to collect the trash of the townspeople and bring it back to the tower. On one of these errands, a man riding a horse, with guards, approached me and asked me a lot of questions about what I was doing, and specifically what I did with the trash, where I lived, etc. He said he was an inspector from the census bureau, and insisted on following me back to my dwelling. We arrived to find the door locked and barred, and no one apparently home. The inspector suggested forcefully that I should stay with him until my guardian returned. On our way back to the village, we met the guards, one of whom took custody of me and let the inspector go back to wherever he was staying. This guard turned out to be my master in disguise, and the other one was strongly suggested to be illusory. My master questioned my briefly about just what the inspector was doing here, and what I had already told him. He told me that he would be out the following morning. The following morning, my master was out when the inspector returned. He seemed much more suspicious than usual, and continued to ask far too many questions. After several hours, a man who looked absolutely nothing like my master came down the road towards the tower towing an empty wagon behind him. The inspector questioned him about the trash, and the wizard feigned anger that I was collecting the trash from the villagers, as he had told me to go all the way to the swamp to get it, and scolded me for my laziness. At the mention of alchemy, he remarked that it was “the laziest damn thing…” When asked about the name of our dwelling (so it might be added to the map) our home was christened “Don’t come here Tower”. The story that my master told the inspector about the trash was that he took it down and sold it to a tinker in the neighboring town that would fix it and sell it. What a remarkable coincidence! That happens to be the next place the inspector needed to visit. He took me with him (to point out the tinker to him) and off we went. We found the tinker easily enough, and his story checked out with the wizards. At this point, the inspector dismissed me, and seemed quite less interested in my welfare. As a parting gift, the tinker tossed me a small pouch of coins, and told me to go to the novelty shop and buy some hens teeth. Imagine my surprise in finding GOLD in the pouch. Obediantly, I went down to the shop and asked for hen’s teeth. After a double-take at seeing the color of my money, the merchant went “in the back” and got some “hens teeth” and put them in a pouch for me. They looked something like shark’s teeth and looked to me like they were really worth the gold. When I delivered these to the wizard, he expressed his opinion that the merchant must have been quite an idiot to give me these for the amount I paid. He mentioned that they were quite rare, being pulled from the unnatural offspring of a rooster and a cockatrice.
Sun Apr 11 2010 10:42 pm # -
Excellent. To begin, a vague-yet-complete list of skills acquired so far in this world:
_____
Tech (12@2)
1@1 Basketry (grass) T2@1 W3Mag (4@2)
1@1 Mapmaking M0@1 W31@3 Purify Food/Drink M3@1* TF 0:30, Renders food and drink safe and sanitary;
appropriate gestures with both hands (mal, skull, others, wave), Halruan words spoken forcefully (paraphrase: 'There is foulness in what lies before me, from the heart through the skin, and at its root are poison and decay. All manner of foulness I expel and the ravages of time I undo in what lies before me, leaving natural sustenance and pure drink merely'), +6 SM W3
1@1 Preserve Food M3@1*
1@1 Purify Air M3@1*
1@4 Shape Liquid M3@2* TF 0:12, Reasonable volume of water assumes shape
somatically indicated during casting time; appropriate gestures with both hands (wave, weave), Halruan words spoken forcefully (paraphrase: …), lasts RS minutes, +16 SM W3
1@4 Twist M3@3* TF 0:06, Twists discrete solid(s); appropriate gesture with one hand
(), Halruan words spoken forcefully (paraphrase:…), +6 SM W3
1@2 Untwist M3@3* TF 0:06, Untwists discrete solid(s); appropriate gesture with one
hand (), Halruan words spoken forcefully (paraphrase:…), +6 SM W3
1@4 Shape Earth M3@3* TF 0:12, reasonable volume of earth (not rock) assumes shape
somatically indicated during casting time; appropriate gestures with both hands (stone, weave), Halruan words spoken forcefully (paraphrase: …), does not succumb to reasonable pressures for at least RS minutes, +16 SM W3
1@3 Release Lock M3@4* TF 0:12, … +8 SM W3
1@1 Hold Portal M3@4* TF 0:12, … +13 SM W3
1@2 Pseudo-Transmute Food M3@5* TF 0:12, … lasts RSx5 minutes, +17 SM W3
1@2 Airy Water M3@5* TF 0:06, … lasts RS/5 minutes, +13 SM W3
1@3 Fortify Object M3@5* TF 0:30, … lasts RS minutes, no SM W3
1@1 Mending M3@6* TF 00:42 fixes object +10 SM W3
1@2 Cripple Object M3@6* TF 0:30 creates critical weak point +3 SM W3
1@1 Punctual Animacy M3@8* TF 0:42, single action (possibly iterative) repeated at
specified interval, no mobility, lasts 30:00, +4 SM W3
1@3 Walk Through Walls (wood) M3@9* TF 0:30 +18 SM W3
1@2 Walk Through Walls (worked stone) M3@9* TF 0:30 +18 SM W31@1 Enhance Light M4@1* TF 0:12, … lasts 24:00, +1 SM W3
1@2 Restrict Light (Darkness) M4@1* TF 0:18 … lasts 6:00, +2 SM W3
1@3 Diminish Fire M4@2* TF 0:24 … +16 SMPsi (0@1)
1@2 Read/pronounce Halruan P0@0 W3
_____I suspect that this post won't show up initially for one reason or another, so I'll put my summary comments and questions for Paul in another post in the hopes of bringing this one out of hiding. (It's obviously spam; look at all those @ signs!)
Sun Apr 18 2010 8:09 am # -
So I looked at my notes again and about half those SALs are off by one because I never updated the electronic sheet from my paper notes after that very last session. Oh, well, it'll all be fixed by the time Paul dies.
(It may even be fixed by the time his character dies. We'll see.)
Paul, how much do you remember about the incorporation of a small bronze bell into the casting of the Punctual Animacy spell, and/or about the cartography lesson that accompanied it?
We spent several months repairing structural damage to the tower,
I'm thinking more on the order of days/weeks, but counter-correct me if you think otherwise.
Incidentally, do you recall the season? Either the season now or the season when you crawled out of the well - I know how much time has passed, so either will do.
"'Hen's teeth,' he said, 'is something of a misnomer.'"
There are probably details missed or slurred in that summary, but that's the price we pay for leaving it so long and the price I pay for not having to write it myself. (Thank you so very much, by the way.)
In case it didn't come through, I wanted to mention there seems to be a kind of unspoken confederacy of the townspeople, and that, between the wizard and the government, they seem to side with the wizard.
____
To start us off (unless you've anything to add beyond the answers to the questions I've already asked), would you mind reiterating your priorities and/or hopes/fears, for General Effects purposes? Include how content you are with various aspects of the status quo.
Mon Apr 26 2010 6:25 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberPriorities:
1. Health and safety of others close to me (Toto, the wizard)
2. Advancement in my magical skills, and acquisition of new magical skills
3. Health and safety of myself
4. Fun, excitement, adventureAs the number of skills I acquire exceeds the number I can practice daily, here are the plans I have thought of to address that problem, in order of my preference:
1. Practice all skills in a rotation (1/3 of the skills for 50 days, another 1/3 of the skills for 50 days, etc.)
2. Stop practicing the skills that I've practiced for the longest. Every time I learn another skill, stop practicing the oldest.
3. Stop learning new skills, and just practice the ones I know until they are all a certain SAL.I am satisfied with all areas of the status quo, but I would like to have more interaction with the townspeople, and practice magic in a more practical way - and by that I suppose I mean a less controlled environment. I would like to see the Jackals again, and perhaps other forms of flora and fauna. I would prefer that the political situation not worsen. The inspector would be an unwelcome face, and the less we see of the government, the better. The tower is a fine place to live, but a bed would be a welcome adjustment. More characters are good - I generally like people.
Sun May 9 2010 1:08 am # -
You've finished your spell practice for today, just in time to use the last of the daylight to start a cook fire. It's been getting colder recently, even during the day, so you're grateful for the warmth as the sun sets.
No sooner do you have your food over the fire than the wizard emerges from the tower, carrying a bucket of water and . . . a lit candle? No, as he gets closer you see that the candle-sized flame is simply hovering over his left hand. When he reaches you he sets down the bucket and stand on the other side of the fire, directing the small flame with his left hand until it floats three or four feet over your cook fire.
Apparently ignoring you, he raises his hands and speaks in ancient Halruan, casting a spell you've never seen before but which you immediately recognize. It is obviously a spell to enlarge or intensify fire - an inverse of the Diminish Fire you learned last week. It's not a simple reversal of that incantation, however; it's faster, more streamlined. Of course, the wizard casts every spell more quickly than you can manage, but in this case the spell itself achieves greater speed through economy of word and gesture. Within seconds, the whisp of flame becomes a fist-sized ball of fire.
Which, with a wave of the wizard's left hand, drops straight down, landing directly on your recently-purified chicken. Your dinner, not yet ready, is now burning.
_____
Mechanics:A teaching roll for the wizard comes up 42, so all the wizard's instruction up to this point is paying off and Paul has a very good chance of learning this spell under these conditions (example, instructor, teaching bonus) should he choose to do so. Why he would want to just now is anyone's guess.
It's also time for some skill advancement through practice, if the teaching checks succeed: 61, 64, 91, all failures (the psi bias is 0@ and the wizard has neither a level 3 BRA nor 3@ teaching skill), so Paul's M3@3 Shape Earth, M3@6 Mending and M3@9 Punctual Animacy will all have to wait 25 days for their next skill mark, for which no additional roll will be necessary at that time.
Oh, and I suppose I should roll for the wizard's spell casting? He succeeds with a 44. Failure would have been awkward. I think perhaps in the future I'll say that as a "professional" at these spells, success at the skill being taught is automatic with success at Teaching, only requiring a skill roll for conveying the example if he fails the Teaching roll. Still thinking about that.
Mon May 24 2010 5:05 am # -
<i>I concur with that treatment. A professional can show you how by way of example to cast a spell without actually casting it, in much the same way that a mechanic could give you an example of how to fix something in a car without actually fixing it, but letting you do it after he explains it and "goes through the motions", as it were.</i>
--M. J. Young
Mon May 24 2010 6:30 pm # -
While you cast the spell, the wizard takes away your fire.
I don't mean that figuratively. He reaches down, gathers up the burning firewood a few handfuls at a time, and drops it all end-first into the bucket of water. He does not appear to suffer any burns, but he's careful to stand clear of the cloud of steam that rises from the bucket.
You manage to complete the spell despite the distraction, but you don't succeed as well as you'd hoped. The flame does diminish significantly; you can probably blow it out, with some effort.
Picking up the bucket again, the wizard says, "You're using too much firewood. Autumn is waning; I'm conserving what we have. If you're not done cooking, I suggest you make do with your candle."
____
A 7 rolled for Diminish Fire, which is a minimal sort of success - but after all, it's a minimal sort of fire, so it's probably enough.Tue May 25 2010 6:27 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberWith some effort, I blow out my food. I examine its condition. If fully cooked by being set aflame, I will reflavor it and eat it. If not fully cooked, I will attempt to learn the spell the wizard just demonstrated and direct it at the candle flame, and cook my food over it.
Wed May 26 2010 2:12 am # -
Being set afire helped, but he inside is still uncooked. You carefully cast the spell at your candle's flame (once you have the thing lit); it becomes larger, hotter, and brighter, but still shy of a Coleman stove's flame, even on low. You have the feeling it will take you a while to get the hang of this one.
___
Skill learning: 15, good for one 1@1 Enhance Fire M4@2* TF 0:12 … forceful Halruan, both hands … +6 SM W3, and it is so noted on the sheet.
Sat May 29 2010 9:13 pm # -
Two days later, you make your biweekly trip to town for the purpose of collecting rubbish. While there, three things happen which are out of the ordinary course.
The proprietor of the Store, who is preparing to close up when you drop by, tells you, "Sorry, I don't have much in the way of junk for you to collect just now. What if I gave you something whole to take back, instead? Is there anything you've been missing - a useful tool, perhaps, or an interesting bauble to fill a bare space?"
Mrs. Grange, a middle-aged matron possessed of at least two children, drops a few things in your bag ("there you go, love,") and mentions that the nights are getting colder, inquiring as to whether you are quite warm enough up on that mountain with winter coming on?
Lastly, as you leave town, a girl of no older than fourteen steps out into the middle of your route out, keeping her hands behind her back. She's a bit dirty (averagely so), but with a clean face; average-looking, with brown eyes and brown hair done up in a single loose braid in the back. She's obviously waiting to intercept you.
__
These things happen in sequence, but I don't see any particular need to address them in sequence. In an effort to streamline play, I am presenting them in parallel, and allowing Paul to address them as he likes.Mon May 31 2010 7:49 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
Member"I can't think of anything we need offhand just now. Is there something you had in mind?"
__"Oh yes, we're doing quite well up there. I hope you and yours are well?"
__"...can I help you?" I give her a puzzled, somewhat unsettled expression. I'm wondering if she's being intentional confrontational or not.
Tue Jun 1 2010 12:33 am # -
"I can't think of anything we need offhand just now. Is there something you had in mind?"
"No, nothing particular. I thought with an inventory as diverse as mine, you'd be able to pick out something you could use. It's nothing compared to what you'd find in the Capital, of course . . . well, perhaps you're more self-sufficient up there than we'd thought."
"Oh yes, we're doing quite well up there. I hope you and yours are well?"
How committed are you to this position?
1) If you repeatedly insist, she will reluctantly allow you to go on your way, with admonitions to keep warm and remember to wear a cap at night;
2) If, however, she smells weakness or ambivalence, she will disappear for a brief moment and return with a rolled-up wool blanket, blue-black, which she will press upon you until you consent to take it. This is to forestall your waking up dead one morning, having frozen in the night.She and hers are well by the way, thanks for asking, little Brenda's been a bit secretive lately but she's at about that age now, isn't she?
"...can I help you?" I give her a puzzled, somewhat unsettled expression. I'm wondering if she's being intentional confrontational or not.
This bit is giving me some trouble, so I'll post what I have and follow up on this in another post.
Mon Jun 7 2010 2:16 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
Member"No, nothing particular. I thought with an inventory as diverse as mine, you'd be able to pick out something you could use. It's nothing compared to what you'd find in the Capital, of course . . . well, perhaps you're more self-sufficient up there than we'd thought."
"Well, let me take a look. I mean, we have all the necessities, but I sure there are a lot of things we could use."
___I don't repeatedly insist, and I take the blanket with little protest.
___Tue Jun 15 2010 3:08 am # -
This shop could, at this moment, have nearly any particular thing, within reason, with the likelihoods of some things being greater than others. Some rare or unusual things might sit on the shelves or remain tucked away in a corner or stashed behind something for months or years at a time, but just because something doesn't sell often doesn't mean it will never sell at all, and in this way the proprietor is something of what you might call a "diversified merchant."
There are some things he is certain to have; I am aware of these things already. What I'd like to know from you is, what might catch your eye? What would strike you as (desirable and) unusual, curious, useful, and/or relevant to your interests? If there's anything you're actually looking for, it'd be helpful for me to know that, too.
__
<third part to come>
Thu Jun 24 2010 5:03 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberWell, I would certainly be on the lookout for anything that looked magical. Now, having no experience with real magical devices, I would be relying on what I've read about. I suppose I would be looking for something that was either:
A. Particularly fine-looking, as if it were constructed by a master craftsman, and perhaps extra shiny. An other-worldly glow wouldn't be out of place.
B. Something very old-looking, or well worn, but of high-quality nonetheless. Something that looks like it has been used very often, but can weather the high usage. Perhaps covered in a thin layer of dust that seems begging to be blown away.
C. Anything with a Halruan inscription, or an inscription in a language I don't recognize
Lacking any of the above, I would be on the lookout for musical instruments, interesting books, or anything that seems out of place in this world (technology that shouldn't be here, etc.)
Fri Jun 25 2010 1:10 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberA short session of live play has resulted in the following developments:
After a long period of browsing in the shop, I settled on an odd, 45-card deck of cards, with 9 cards in each of 5 suits, numbered 2-10. The back of the cards resembles a geometric pattern, but on closer inspection, it is actually a huge conglomeration of snakes.
The girl was very uncomfortable in my presence, and presented me with a pair of homemade, somewhat amateur-looking gloves. Upon my departure, she said that I should "stay for dinner sometime". During the course of the brief conversation, it became evident that she was the daughter of Mrs. Grange.
A new lesson was taught, and I now know how to direct flame. I practiced this by moving a flame back and forth between two candles. The wizard was very careful in teaching me this spell, and had a bucket of water on hand.
Mon Jul 5 2010 3:54 pm # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberI'm currently in a live session with another player. My last couple of turns have gone thusly:
I practiced my magical skills for another 25 days, with mixed results. I improved some skills, and didn't others.
One day, the wizard presented me with a map and compass that he was relieved I knew how to use. He charged me with going on an errand he was unwilling to do himself. There is a girl travelling in the wilderness that he believes to be lost, and I am to venture out and ensure her safety. Taking with me food and water, a candle, flint, steel, matches, a bell, my new blanket, the map and compass, my sleeping bag, staff, gloves, jacket, a pair of extra socks, a tent, and a pocket knife, I venture out into the newly fallen snow.
It is expected that our paths will cross in a matter of a few hours at a stream. I believe I've overshot the rendezvous point downstream, and I am now travelling upstream looking for tracks in the snow.
Tue Jul 6 2010 12:13 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberAfter traveling upstream a bit, I encounter a girl of about 10 drinking from the stream. After greeting her and stating my intention to help, she runs away, upstream. I drop my stuff and follow her at a run, eventually overtaking her and tackling her to the ground. I try to explain again that I am here to help, but she is not listening. At this point, I see a large foot step out from behind a nearby tree. I haul her up onto my shoulder and bolt downstream toward my stuff. A giant man with a large club emerges from behind the tree and begins to look around. I get to my stuff before it sees us, kneel down and pin the girl to my side as I look for matches and a candle. The girl is still making noise, so I clap a hand over her mouth and direct her head towards the giant. The giant spots us.
Quickly, I light the candle, and, as it begins to run towards us, modify my enhance fire spell with the intention to make a flame as large as a torch. After a 12 second ritual, it fails. I tell the girl to run as the giant closes in, and I cast my 6-second "twist" spell to twist a large shrub around it's foot, hoping to trip it. This slows it down only briefly as it rips the bush out of the ground and keeps going. I attempt to shape the earth around it to bury the thing, but fail. At this point, it is too close for me to attempt another spell, and I pick up my stuff and run in a different direction than the girl.
While running, I attempt to shape the earth behind me into a thick wall, but fail again. I hear a cry from the giant and hear no more footsteps behind me. I turn back to see it cradling it's bleeding foot (the one the bush is still twisted around.) Now, I try again to bury it up to its neck in earth, but fail once more, this time spectacularly. The bush apparently becomes devoid of substance he pulls it through his foot completely, seemingly with no resistance. He throws it at me and it passes straight through my body. While it's still down, and try one more time to shape the earth around it, this time succeeding. A small mountain of earth moves itself to submerge the giant to about chest level.
I run around the beast back towards where we were, intending to follow the girl. The thing throws its club at my back, hitting me for an intensity of damage. I am knocked to the ground, but get up and continue to run.
Tue Jul 6 2010 1:46 am # -
New uses for Twist (ensnaring a moving target) and Shape Earth (capturing a person/animal). We also added a Bod-based tackle skill to Paul's sheet.
I drop my stuff and follow her at a run, eventually overtaking her and tackling her to the ground.
Paul glossed over my favorite part; while chasing her, Paul attempts to get her to see reason by proclaiming that she's lost and he isn't. When she turns around to yell, "Am not!", that's when he overtakes her.
You get to the place where you left your burning candle, retrieving your staff (discarded earlier) along the way. I assume you gather your gear (putting out and stowing the candle?).
There are footprints in the snow heading away, in the general direction that the girl was projected to have been coming from. (These of course are footprints from her flight, not her arrival at the stream, which occurred elsewhere.) This path would take you back towards the downstream giant just a little bit - it's at maybe a 60 degree angle to the stream, where 90 would be directly away from the water and 120 would be away but slanted upstream - but you left the giant buried up to its armpits in earth, without much leverage. It might not be going anywhere for a while.
I'm interested in your pace and manner as much as in your path of travel.
Wed Jul 14 2010 8:17 am # -
Toto doesn't handle that sort of pace very well; what are you doing about him?
_After five or six minutes' jog, you circle a tall spruce tree (or, at any rate, an evergreen with horizontal branches all the way down) and discover that her trail does not continue beyond it. You don't see her hiding beneath it, either.
__
No skill check for the jog, as we're out of combat and he's right - he did this kind of thing all the time in his last world, and the bod bias here is no lower.
Sat Jul 17 2010 11:09 am # -
Sure enough, there she sits, about half-way up the tree. It's a fifteen or twenty-foot climb. If you weren't directly under the tree, she'd be practically invisible.
She sees you see her.
Sun Aug 1 2010 9:23 pm # -
The sun is low now, sending orange rays shallowly from one side, and you're looking up into a fir tree. It is difficult to read her face.
"Where's the ogre?"
Tue Aug 3 2010 6:57 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
Member"Buried in earth up to his chest, and not likely to escape very soon. We have time to get a good strong lead on him, to the point that he won't be likely to catch up. That is, if you tell me where you're going. By the way, I don't believe I got your name."
Tue Aug 3 2010 7:58 pm # -
"You don't know my name?" She sound incredulous, almost scornful. "You were sent to protect me, but you don't know who I am."
Wed Aug 4 2010 4:29 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
Member"I was only given enough information to find you and recognize you. You may be in more danger than you realize. Now, do you know of a place to go where you will be safe? Does your family live nearby? For that matter, where have you been going, to begin with?
Wed Aug 4 2010 4:40 am # -
"Does my . . . "
She shakes her head, slowly; then she starts climbing down. Her dressing-gown-and-winter-coat ensemble aren't helping matters, but she doesn't seem to care.
"I'm not going home. I'm going to to Temken. That's in Solaria."
She hops down the last few feet, landing gracelessly but apparently unharmed, then looks up at your face.
"You do know where Solaria is, don't you?"
__
Edit: Almost forgot, I rolled an An-Mag check here ("the simple check is used for determining reactions and winning friendship"), because I figured it was about time for one. It was bonused two or three intensities due to the incident with the ogre combined with certain elements of Paul's performance so far (there were positive and negative elements from each, but the overall balance supports a bonus), and Paul's An-Mag is 1@9; with a roll of 20, that's either exactly or very nearly the best possible result.Congratulations, Paul, you go over as well as can be expected given all hidden circumstances. Trust sold separately.
Sun Aug 8 2010 9:02 pm # -
"It's very far. But, I've come a long way already, so . . . maybe three more days? Five, unless we keep moving."
By the way, you didn't answer my first question, which was 'do you know of a place you will be safe?'"
"I'll be as safe as I want to be in Temken. We need to find shelter for tonight, though. I know what to look for, so, lead on."
She stands, expectant.
Sun Aug 29 2010 4:50 pm # -
The map is primarily topographical and covers an area of about six miles by nine miles, with the mountain itself having an average diameter of about two miles or a smidgen more. It includes the town at the foot of the mountain, and a bit of the nearby swamp in one corner. Both of these features are on the south side of the mountain, which is itself not centered in the map's area but rather sits in its southern half. (The map's longer axis is very roughly north-south.)
Your course up until now took you north and a bit east, on a crooked path down the mountain and into the forested upper half of the map. This portion looks to be wilderness, but there is a snatch of road peeking in at one point on the northish edge, and a more substantial snatch on the more lightly vegetated eastish edge. The girl's path to this point - or anyway, her path as represented to you by the wizard before you set out - had her entering the map's area from the north-west on a south-south-easterly course, veering more and more to the east until you intercepted her bearing east-south-east across the stream. You think you know where you are within a quarter-mile.
All of which is to say there's no Temken on the map - nor any Solaria either, for that matter.
She looks at it a bit, then asks which way on the map is south.
Fri Sep 3 2010 6:38 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberJust kidding.
Upon determining a roughly accurate bearing, I set off in that direction, and continue until nightfall, or we reach some sort of obstacle, be it ogre-y or otherwise. If the bearing takes us back towards the ogre, we will take a wide (perhaps a bit less than a 1/4 mile) detour.
Thu Sep 16 2010 12:01 am # -
sirpaulthesmall
MemberThis game was recently continued in a live session. Below are the events that transpired:
We set off toward Temken, South of here. Around dusk, the girl pointed out a willow tree that had branches that reached the ground, and we set up camp there. As I build a fire and cooked some of the food I brought along, we began asking each other questions. She revealed she was travelling to Temken for “Asylum,” and indicates that she knows people there that look out for each other, and will look after her as well. In response to a question from her that I come from “Elsewhere,” and that I “haven’t travelled much…here.” She was incredulous that I had not heard of Temken, and asked if I could even read. I responded “Yes, in three languages.” I used magic to enlarge the flame once the tender caught (the spell took two tries). I cooked dinner, set up my tent, and diminished the flame to conserve wood before going to sleep.
Mon Dec 27 2010 6:54 am # -
This thread lives on in the new new forum, in another thread of the same name. It felt redundant to add some variation on "continues," given the title.
Fri May 6 2011 6:02 pm #
Reply
You must log in to post.