Eric, I read in Random Chat that you're not annoyed with me. That's good. I'm a paranoid psychotic, emphasis on the "paranoid" and I worry a lot. I know you like a fast-paced game, but who says the fun has to start right off the bat? Let's spend a week to ten days getting through a year. Once I'm at 1@10 woodworking, I'll be a happy camper. Then we can have fun with whatever it is you've got in mind. Sound good to you?
Terry does not arrive.
Try again.
Anything interesting happening? What about the red pajama dudes? Any more activity from them? I would keep trying to raise the psionic shield. Does it ever work? What about TK pulse? Is it working? Keep skipping.
(Doing Therapy)
Terry does not arrive.
You have more dreams about iron, and you find yourself occasionally aware that people are shading the truth. And you get a headache after a small lie. You seem to feel as if you can see into the iron.
The mage-guards burn another man, for beating his wife to th epoint where she had bruises. The legal system seems simple on that issue...beat her without bruises, in private, she might appeal to her brothers. Bruise her visibly more than one occasion...get flash fried.
Psi shield...nope. TK pulse does work tho'.
A month passes.
Psi shield...nope. TK pulse does work tho'.
The psionic shield is an @1 skill. It should work in a flatline bias. I don't know if I've just gotten several bad rolls or what, but just in case you thought it was biased out, I wanted to make you aware of that.
Try once more for Terry, just in case.
So no one can lie to me.....
Find a snake oil salesman. A gambler, a con artist. Someone who would probably lie to me. Let's see if I can put this to good use.
(Doing Therapy)
OOC: I'll think about it.
No luck with Terry.
You find a merchant known for his hard bargaining and bad dealings.
He gives you a cold eye when you come in.
"Grain, aye, cracked, or do you want actual flour?"
You opt for some cornmeal flour.
"This is just milled and ground this morning." He's lying. Its probably several days old, or thats what it feels like, which means its going to go bad sooner. Its not like modern flour which you can hold on to for a long time. Its not even like the flour in early America. Something about their processes, and flour goes bad in two weeks. So saying three day old flour is new ground is important.
Second...not too many gamblers around. Gambling is a private amateur affair when its done, or there's the occasional reward at High Summer Festival.
"I think I'll pass on the flour. Three days old is a little too much for me."
Is there any mention of fist fighting? I want to improve my boxing skills. Maybe see if I can find some form of competition fighting. Any trainers around for that kind of thing?
(Doing Therapy)
He glares at you, but you can see he know's that you know he's lying.
"Then get out, and don't be spreading lies."
===========
Fist fighting is for young boys you find out. There's no notion of organized sports here. And getting in too many fights might result in your being sent to the Road (they don't say any more, but you can see the fear in their faces) or punished by the Mage Guards (which can vary from a few weeks hard labor to being flamed on the spot.)
However, there are trainers who will for pay, instruct you in the use of staff, club, or sword (only bronze).
Second post...
And when I say trainers, I mean two. One in staff, and one in sword.
However, there are trainers who will for pay, instruct you in the use of staff, club, or sword (only bronze).
Club? Wanna learn to use a club. Gonna try to make another collapsible baton. That's a club. On-person melee weapon for the VSP. Learn to use a club. Try to build a collapsible baton. We can go into detail later.
I was seriously going to leave the board. MJ talked me out of it. I would have thought he would have pushed me off....
(Doing Therapy)
Master Club looks piercingly at you from under his heavy eyebrows as if he's seeming something more than a normal man might.
"You have some talent." He starts you working on using the club, or straight nightstick, until he gets an idea how good you are. "Now, let's work with the practise club. Keep in mind that the typical chaos type is going to have an 'edge' on you with his sword. But, we can definitelly make you better than the typical thug."
The practise club is the same look, but its loaded with lead pellets so its very heavy.
OOC: Good you're staying.
OK, so are we still skipping ahead?
I'm going to try to build another collapsible baton. The other that I made before wasn't very good quality. I'm going to try to build a weapon of quality. I'm going to take a month to build it. (Hence, asking if we're still skipping ahead) Three pipes of descending size with stoppers at each end. The ends have a screw type mechanism to keep them locked open or closed. To employ the weapon, pull it out, give it a twist to unlock, snap my wrist to open, then give it another twist to lock it open. That last is optional. I could still hit with it. Take a month to build it, build it carefully and put a lot of effort into the project. I'm a professional metallurgist, so building a weapon of quality is within my skills.
(Doing Therapy)
Over the next month, you learn how to make rolled metal. And you find out how to make the pipes of descending size, although you're less used to that. But, the metal is not up to what you want. Either its too large and too heavy for use, or its too flimsy for use.
And you don't have a lot of time. Remember, you're doing blacksmithery and woodworking, and both take precedence over private projects.
Master Smith is interested in your project on an intermittent basis.
Over the next month, you learn how to make rolled metal.
So, no pipes? Well, that's a new use on blacksmithing then. For the moment, I'll just carry a baton and learn how to use it. Build the weapon of quality in the next world. I hate the sight of blood, so I need a bludgeon weapon, not a bladed weapon.
Just keep skipping. When I get to 1@10 woodworking, you can feel free to take the story wherever you want.
(Doing Therapy)
They do have pipes, just not anything meant to stand up to the brutal pounding of combat. However, the blacksmith does mention that since you're from Recluse, maybe you know how to make black iron. That might do the trick.
About three weeks later, as you leave the woodworker's shop to go home to a well-deserved rest, you notice three guys in the street in front of you.
One of them seems to glimmer with a whitish-redness. He leads the move in stepping toward you in a predatory manner. You can tell by the way the other two flank him that they've fought before.
"Alms for some poor soldiers from the South, good sir?" The words are polite, but the white light builds, and you have a distinctly uneasy feeling in your stomach.
"Alms for some poor soldiers from the South, good sir?"
I've got some coins in my pocket. Pull out three silvers and toss them at the guys.
That better satisfy them, cuz if not, they're going to get lead next.
(Doing Therapy)
"Thanks, good sir. Now the rest if you please."
"OK, you asked for it. I've got the money right here in my coat pocket."
Pull the 9mm under my coat and give them each one piece of lead. Then take my money back, and any they have.
I didn't want to pull the gun right away, on the off chance that they were just beggars. They're obviously not beggars. Well, they want shiny metal from me, who am I to keep it from them?
(Doing Therapy)
You pull the gun right as the man in the lead, the one that glimmers white, draws his knife and lunges toward you. You clip him in the arm, and he goes down. The two behind him are hardly slower when it comes to attacking, and are coming at you with curved daggers held overhand.
You shoot the one to your left in the chest, and he topples sideways. And then you turn fractionally to the right, and shoot the last one center mass even as he slashes you on the shoulder with his blade.
Unless you've got some extra defenses, you've got a long, narrow, not deep slash down your right bicep.
All of them are dead, including the one you shot in the arm. You feel exhausted.
Unless you've got some extra defenses, you've got a long, narrow, not deep slash down your right bicep.
How about a bulletproof, untearable, laser proof trench coat? It would probably break his knife before he went through it.
Muttering to myself. "Guy died from a shot to the arm? They make some really weak criminals here."
Take everything they have. All their money, their knives, whatever else. Then just go home.
Two
Just an observation. I'm kind of surprised that the other two continued their attack after I shot the first guy. This doesn't sound like a world where guns would have been invented yet. A loud bang and then his buddy goes down, I'd think he'd be thinking "What in the HELL was that?" and run with his tail between his legs. Just my two cents, that's all.
(Doing Therapy)
OOC: There is always a variety of responses, and a variety of characters. And you didn't give them a whole lot of time to change their minds.
You pick up their knives, their nine silver, and four copper. You also scoop up a couple leather purses, and some dice.
Your arm is slightly bruised.
You go home and dream of horrors and madness.
You go home and dream of horrors and madness.
Wake up shaken and disturbed. I might even call off work today at both places. I've been working nonstop for months. That's as good a reason as any to take a day off.
You may recall I was doing a snap to boxing stance from hands raised surrender position trick in TerraNova. Try that again. How I do is is stand with my feet planted in stance and my hands raised in surrender. All I'd really have to do is change the position of my arms. There's a cop in front of me with his gun out, I'm standing in surrender. The moment he glances at his partner, I move into stance and pop him in the nose. That's the idea of it, anyway. I would imagine there would be a sit-mod for doing this with a few minutes notice. A penalty if I had to do it instantly.
If I succeed, do it from hands on top of my head position. That's what I'll spend the day doing instead of working.
What are my skills at? How much money do I have?
OOC) I like your style.
(Doing Therapy)
You are steadily working on the first process, when you feel a sense of unease. And then one of the mage-guards, the fellow who flamed the man in the street, steps in.
"Good morning. I am Mage-Guard Flame. I understand from the others that you have not taken any day off in a long time. Now you take one off today. Care to explain? Any special significance?"
His eyes are piercing, and he stands in a ready balanced position, and you can feel the whiteness around him although it does not seem to be tinged with red. However, it is a great deal more than was around the man you first killed.
His words are formal, and polite, but also demanding.
"Good morning. I am Mage-Guard Flame. I understand from the others that you have not taken any day off in a long time. Now you take one off today. Care to explain? Any special significance?"
<cough> <cough> "I'm just a little <cough> sick today. <sniff> I think I got a bug somewhere. Just not <cough> feeling too good, that's all. I figured I would <cough> stay at home today <cough> and relax. I hope there <sniff> isn't a problem with that."
And of course, I'm ready to go for the pistol.
(Doing Therapy)
"Really? I seen no sickness chaos in your body. Please try again, and be honest this time, outlander. You stand in peril of your life."
The whiteness not seen by the eye, but seen all the same gets much brighter so that it outshines the sunlight coming in a shoulder high window.
His words have that same formality as before, and you sense he's said them before. He's still here.
"Really? I seen no sickness chaos in your body. Please try again, and be honest this time, outlander. You stand in peril of your life."
Thinking:
"I'm not the only one, jackass. My coat is fireproof. Is your coat bulletproof?"
I've folded my arms across my chest. It looks like a harmless enough position, but my right hand is right next to the gun.
Speaking:
"OK, OK, I'm not actually sick. Where I come from, we call it 'Working Man's Flu'. Not sick, just sick of working. What? You never take a vacation day?"
I'm getting a bit of a scared/annoyed attitude with him.
(Doing Therapy)
His coat is a bright red with brass buttons that looks to be made of good quality cotton. Bulletproof? No.
Also you feel a bit queasy after your lie.
"Outlander Blackstaff, while ignorance of the law is no excuse, still, I am going to give you another chance. Your lie would have justified flaming you if I chose."
You get the feeling that he's telling the truth, kind of. Like its technically true.
The whiteness you can see but not see dims a bit.
"Anything unusual happen to you in the last day or two? See something? Hear something? Unusual?"
OK, now I'm getting nervous. I told you my right hand was next to my gun? Move it to the gun, pull the gun out but still under the coat, and wait there. It's in my hand, one move brings it up and in his face.
"OK buddy, since you seem to know so much about me, why don't you tell me why I took the day off work? I don't want to risk lying to you again."
I'm scared.
He stares at you coldly, but you can sense the fury underneath. He takes a deep breath.
"I will be back within the hour, outlander blackstaff. Do not go any where."
He turns and walks out of the room, his back rigid. You hear him asking questions in a low murmur to others in the household.
He turns and walks out of the room, his back rigid. You hear him asking questions in a low murmur to others in the household.
Use that psionic enhance senses trick to listen in on him. Enhance my hearing by dropping smell. That should be a new use.
Also, I'm on red alert status.
OOC) I need you to post my character sheet. I got a new computer and I lost that information.
He's asking about unusual noises, and strange people nearby in the last couple days. Your employer is clearly nervous to talk to him.
OOC: Um, you could go look through your posts....and recreate it, right? If I do it, it will be real low on my list of priorities, like I might get to it in a month.
"Hey, Mr. Flame (Or whatever he called himself) There's no need to harass my boss. You want to know why I took a day off work? I'll tell you. Three guys tried to mug me the other day and I was forced to dispatch them with extreme prejudice. If you've got a problem with that, take it up with me, but leave him out of it. What business is it of yours what I do anyway? I don't tell you how to barbecue people do I?"
Of course I've got the gun in my hand whilst saying all of this. In my hand, out in the open. To him, it probably just looks like a blacksmithing project, since guns don't exist here.
OOC) Then what the hell are you using for my character sheet?
OOC: A bit of memory. Don't you have a sheet on this site somewhere?
"Thank you." He says. "I have no problem with your defending yourself. Its well within the Codex to do so."
He eyes your gun warily.
"Order Mage, however such as that is not within the Codex. You will have to leave and take it with you, now."
You glance at the gun, and it seems to be blacker than black, a soothing coolness, a rightness to it, and this feeling spreads out from it even as Mage Flame brings his whiteness up to a higher pitch than you've seen before.
"If you resist, let your boss leave the room first."
Second...
Sometimes you remind me of data too.
"If you resist, let your boss leave the room first."
"Hey boss man, you heard him. Get lost."
"Order Mage, however such as that is not within the Codex. You will have to leave and take it with you, now."
"This thing? This is just a blacksmithing project. It's nothing, really. I was just trying to see if I could make two pieces of metal slide smoothly. It's nothing."
Looks like we got ourselves a Mexican standoff. If he makes any move that even resembles he could be about to flame me..... Well, I don't really need to explain that, do I?
Sometimes you remind me of data too.
OOC) Care to elaborate?
"Your gun is black iron. Black iron is against the Codex. Put it down."
And yes, he does say 'gun'.
OOC: Not really.
OOC) Oh, remind you of data, character sheets. For a minute, I thought you meant Data from Star Trek.
"OK, don't get twitchy."
Holster the gun.
He breathes out a long sigh.
"Excellent. Order Mage, according to the Codex, I am instructed to tell you that this town does not allow such as you in it. You are to leave in the span of one hour."
He steps back, never taking his eye off you, and abruptly leaves.
Your gun is black iron. Black iron is against the Codex
"Would it help if I told you it was made out of aluminum?" (Which it is)
So I've got an hour to get out of town. Nuts. Well, I promised the blacksmith I wouldn't be competition, here's my chance to prove it.
"Master Smith, it seems I might be departing company."
What's my woodworking up to?
Well drat. He might not have reacted as strongly to such, although he probably would have reacted still. I'll remember that the next chaos mage you run into.
He blinks.
"You made a weapon out of a precious metal?"
"Ah, yes," He looks unhappy. "You've been a good worker, you have." He scratches his chin. "Wife, get the man a packet of food!" He barks, and she nods, a tear in her eye. You can see he's not not mad at her, he's just trying to hold back his sadness.
He writes you a letter and folds it up like an envelope.
"You can give this to Master Wrought in Carbondale up the coast, or to Master Ore in Falconsburg inland. They both know me. And both cities are free to Order Mages."
"Carbondale is more accepting of Order Mages." Master Flame says with a small, formal nod. "As you're aware, Chaos and moving water do not get along well. But in either place, you will have to cross the dispute border."
"If, you're done with your business, Master Flame, this is my place of business." Master Smith says. The chaos mage bows, and leaves, taking the hint.