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A Second Chance (Reincarnation/Crossover)
- Thread starter Inara Seraph
- Start date
Inara Seraph
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Biigoh said:This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d100 : 36, total 36
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4063068/ Xd
??
I have no idea what to do with this.
also, it's [ roll]1d100[ /roll] without the spaces.
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Go with yhe invisible castle roll 100 on 1d100!Inara Seraph said:
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
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I'm just gonna say that rollers should use the <roll> command and make sure not to edit the post. Double-post if you really have to say something additional.
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
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Nuked my roll from orbit, that works. Writing, update soonish.
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
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I am sooooo slow. Forgive me.
BGM Set
[X] Practice reinforcement.
[X] Research at the library.
- [X] Spells.
[X] Head to the city to commission a wand.
[X] Research records of dangerous missions.
[X] Research runes in the library, try to match one to the drawing.
You don't want your skills in reinforcement to atrophy, so you spend some time on it. You want to reinforce your legs to run faster. You can already enhance your arms reliably, but being able to run fast and kick hard sounds even better. Taking the same approach of multiple sessions of steady prana infusion, you recalibrate the amount you use for your arms while gauging how you need to manipulate your prana to reinforce your legs properly. It doesn't take long for results to show. In your first real test, you sprint around the castle grounds with the wind whipping against your face and smiling joyfully at the raw speed you're capable of. You leap over a wall taller than you are, and cleave a wooden training dummy in two with an axe kick. There are some disadvantages you notice, however.
You're ultimately limited by the length of your stride, so you can't go too ridiculously fast, but you push off the ground with such force that you can accelerate very quickly and your sprinting speed is extremely fast. The next limiting factor is your endurance. You were dead tired after that test, despite it only taking fifteen or twenty minutes, tops. You aren't the most athletic person. Reinforcing your cardiovascular system might be something to try in the very far future, but not now. Messing up there would be instantaneous death, and it would be very hard to improve. Simple exercise should suffice in the meantime.
The next thing you want to try is your hearing. Your eyesight would probably be more useful to have reinforced, but you want to step up the difficulty gradually, and your ears will be easier to improve than your eyes. You know you could render yourself blind if you make a wrong move.
On the inanimate object front, there's not much else you can improve. You can't reinforce your wire-creations- trying to infuse prana into a construct maintained by that same prana just ends up in the two annihilating each other and wiping out your creation. You tried reinforcing a wand to see if you could make it a more powerful wand, but that didn't yield any results. You can't theorize why that was- it seems like it would work in theory, but in practice it just makes for one sturdy piece of wood.
Reinforcing other people.. the process is simply too slow to be effective in combat. Even just doing a hack job to mess up their internal organs would take you a few seconds of hovering your hands over their body and channeling prana to invade their system. Your decay works much faster as a close range means of attack.
Skill improved: Reinforcement E+
The cornerstone of Brimiric spellcasting- combining two or more elements together. It's what Belden is trying to teach you.
It's monstrously difficult. Ice Spear is a combination of one water and one air. No matter how you try combining, materializing, mixing, or creating the desired effect as described, you just can't manage it. The elements seem to have a mind of their own, and they vehemently resist any attempts to use them in concert. It's hard to visualize how they're supposed to interact while channeling the right amount of willpower while also directing it to the right place. If you make a mistake in any of the steps, the whole spell falls apart.
Belden gives you a helping hand here. You have absolutely no idea how, but he can cast the spell in slow-motion. He explains that it's because it's a different spell entirely- one he created for the purpose of teaching you. Apparently he's such an amazing spellcaster he can create spells like that on the fly. It makes you look a little closer at him.. at his ears. Wait.. were his ears always like that? A half-remembered memory of a very similar looking elf flits across your vision, and you think you have it- but it falls away like water in the hand. No, this can't be him. They're different. His ears are perfectly human.
In contrast to the actual spell, it has the air and water partitions highlighted midcast with differing bright colors. It's very effective as a teaching tool- combining what you've read with what you can see in front of you, the pieces start falling together. You raise your wand and channel willpower- the intense focus required causing sweat to form on your brow. "Ice Spear!"
It coalesces in midair and flies in a straight trajectory at the target, impaling it cleanly. You wipe your forehead and exhale in relief and pride. You cast it successfully. Your high doesn't last long after that lesson, however.
It's the only line class spell you can cast. You suppose you technically qualify as a line mage now, though you would be very low on the line totem pole. You tried learning additional line-class spells but you couldn't do any of them. You had to suffice for looking for a few dot class spells to add to your repertoire. Levitation is a well-known spell even the most incompetent mage can cast- you looked that up first. You also found a spell to contrast with your Chill spell- the Heat spell. It should be useful if the place you're going is cold. There were a few other dot spells you could've practiced, but you're limited by time. What you have will have to suffice.
Skill improved: Willpower Spellcasting E-
New Spell: Levitation
New Spell: Heat
New Spell: Ice Spear
Obtaining access to the records you seek isn't difficult. The archivist lets you in without even needing advance warning. In your research, you uncover some patterns that you believe are pertinent to your situation.
The most high-risk missions are ones that fall under two categories. One, they deal with a crisis. Two, the crisis doesn't extend far beyond the affected area. They become high-risk- that is, the most fatalities occur- because the manpower sent to deal with the problem is inevitably shorthanded and under-skilled.
This is probably the kind of mission you'll be sent on. If you're lucky, you'll have a knight or two to help out and watch your back. If you're not, you'll be expected to do it all by yourself. It sounds ridiculous in your head. How can you be expected to quell a peasant uprising, stop a rogue mage, or vanquish a wild monster at twelve years old? Oh, right- you're not. You're supposed to die or run away in disgrace here.
There are a lot more sane missions that could be your first. Providing water to a remote town afflicted by drought, helping to rebuild a razed village, watching over a senior knight's familiar.. anything other than this. A lot of royalty have stints in the military, but they're supposed to be offered much more training beforehand and given a natural progression of advancement to follow. You dispel this line of thought before it can spiral downward. Complaining about things you can't change is pointless.
No matter how many tomes you search, you can't find the rune you're looking for. You briefly entertain the notion that it was a practical joke meant to waste your time, but your intuition tells you that's not the case here. This rune means something, you just don't know what.
You have a vague suspicion that the books you need have been removed, or were never here in the first place. There isn't nearly enough on ancient history, compared to the wealth of information available on practically every other subject. You'll either need to find the missing books or gain access to a better library to solve this mystery.
You finally make some time to head out into the city to commission a set of wands. The one you already have works just fine, but you'd rather have one you obtained yourself. You hand it back to Belden with your thanks and apologies.
You find a highly recommended wand-crafter and pay him a visit in person. The shopkeeper is an honest man, and you're treated very nicely. After specifying what you want and ironing out the financial details, you wait around in the shop for your order to finish. You walk away at the end of the day with a brand new high-quality wand and a matching sword-wand to go with it.
You wanted a staff to complete the set, but those are harder to come by, being genuine magical artifacts- the secret of their creation has been lost to time, as opposed to wands which are made every day. You won't be able to requisition one from the royal vault until you prove yourself a bit more.
You haven't the faintest idea how to wield a sword, but that doesn't mean the sword-wand is useless. Your projectile spells, like Ice Spear, are more precise when cast by the sword-wand, and your fine control over variable spells like Chill improves as well- you can more easily adjust the temperature to the desired result without over or undershooting it. The downside is that the spells tend to be slightly less powerful. Your generic wand has no weaknesses or strengths.
Item lost: Gifted Wand
Item obtained: Generic Wand
Item obtained: Sword-wand
It's time to leave. Your uncle is off doing.. something, but a royal missive is there for you in its place to direct you. The cats are looked after- you have Sarah the maid's word that they'll be well-cared for in your absence.
There's a carriage arranged to take you to your destination. It's not the fanciest ride you've ever taken, but it's not shabby. It will lead you south, toward a village nestled in a valley created by the southern mountain ranges. Its farms have been ravaged by some kind of creature attacking and retreating, and the region has diminished in productivity because of it. The region as a whole is one of the smallest in Gallia, however- so the effects on Gallia the country are minimal. Presumably this is why additional knights aren't being dispatched to this area to take care of the problem.
You're staying at a local baron's estate for the duration of the mission, but the one you need to report in to is a knight living in the village proper. Your uncle has also ordered you to keep silent on your status as the Princess. Your identity is that of a noble orphan named Tabitha, a ward of the crown. You settle into a more serious persona- you can play innocent or naive, but only if the situation calls for it.
You need to prepare to leave. Is there anything you want to do before you board your carriage? (You have a few hours.)
[ ] No, you're prepared. Let's go.
[ ] ... (Write-in.)
At your destination:
[ ] Check in with the local nobility that you're arranged to stay with.
[ ] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
[ ] Head into the village proper to gather information about the mission.
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
1-25: Research into additional spells is only mildly successful.
26-50: Research into additional spells is successful.
51-75: Research into additional spells is very fruitful.
76-100: Research into additional spells leads you to a very peculiar tome with handwritten notes in the margins that prove extraordinarily helpful.
BGM Set
[X] Practice reinforcement.
[X] Research at the library.
- [X] Spells.
[X] Head to the city to commission a wand.
[X] Research records of dangerous missions.
[X] Research runes in the library, try to match one to the drawing.
You don't want your skills in reinforcement to atrophy, so you spend some time on it. You want to reinforce your legs to run faster. You can already enhance your arms reliably, but being able to run fast and kick hard sounds even better. Taking the same approach of multiple sessions of steady prana infusion, you recalibrate the amount you use for your arms while gauging how you need to manipulate your prana to reinforce your legs properly. It doesn't take long for results to show. In your first real test, you sprint around the castle grounds with the wind whipping against your face and smiling joyfully at the raw speed you're capable of. You leap over a wall taller than you are, and cleave a wooden training dummy in two with an axe kick. There are some disadvantages you notice, however.
You're ultimately limited by the length of your stride, so you can't go too ridiculously fast, but you push off the ground with such force that you can accelerate very quickly and your sprinting speed is extremely fast. The next limiting factor is your endurance. You were dead tired after that test, despite it only taking fifteen or twenty minutes, tops. You aren't the most athletic person. Reinforcing your cardiovascular system might be something to try in the very far future, but not now. Messing up there would be instantaneous death, and it would be very hard to improve. Simple exercise should suffice in the meantime.
The next thing you want to try is your hearing. Your eyesight would probably be more useful to have reinforced, but you want to step up the difficulty gradually, and your ears will be easier to improve than your eyes. You know you could render yourself blind if you make a wrong move.
On the inanimate object front, there's not much else you can improve. You can't reinforce your wire-creations- trying to infuse prana into a construct maintained by that same prana just ends up in the two annihilating each other and wiping out your creation. You tried reinforcing a wand to see if you could make it a more powerful wand, but that didn't yield any results. You can't theorize why that was- it seems like it would work in theory, but in practice it just makes for one sturdy piece of wood.
Reinforcing other people.. the process is simply too slow to be effective in combat. Even just doing a hack job to mess up their internal organs would take you a few seconds of hovering your hands over their body and channeling prana to invade their system. Your decay works much faster as a close range means of attack.
Skill improved: Reinforcement E+
The cornerstone of Brimiric spellcasting- combining two or more elements together. It's what Belden is trying to teach you.
It's monstrously difficult. Ice Spear is a combination of one water and one air. No matter how you try combining, materializing, mixing, or creating the desired effect as described, you just can't manage it. The elements seem to have a mind of their own, and they vehemently resist any attempts to use them in concert. It's hard to visualize how they're supposed to interact while channeling the right amount of willpower while also directing it to the right place. If you make a mistake in any of the steps, the whole spell falls apart.
Belden gives you a helping hand here. You have absolutely no idea how, but he can cast the spell in slow-motion. He explains that it's because it's a different spell entirely- one he created for the purpose of teaching you. Apparently he's such an amazing spellcaster he can create spells like that on the fly. It makes you look a little closer at him.. at his ears. Wait.. were his ears always like that? A half-remembered memory of a very similar looking elf flits across your vision, and you think you have it- but it falls away like water in the hand. No, this can't be him. They're different. His ears are perfectly human.
In contrast to the actual spell, it has the air and water partitions highlighted midcast with differing bright colors. It's very effective as a teaching tool- combining what you've read with what you can see in front of you, the pieces start falling together. You raise your wand and channel willpower- the intense focus required causing sweat to form on your brow. "Ice Spear!"
It coalesces in midair and flies in a straight trajectory at the target, impaling it cleanly. You wipe your forehead and exhale in relief and pride. You cast it successfully. Your high doesn't last long after that lesson, however.
It's the only line class spell you can cast. You suppose you technically qualify as a line mage now, though you would be very low on the line totem pole. You tried learning additional line-class spells but you couldn't do any of them. You had to suffice for looking for a few dot class spells to add to your repertoire. Levitation is a well-known spell even the most incompetent mage can cast- you looked that up first. You also found a spell to contrast with your Chill spell- the Heat spell. It should be useful if the place you're going is cold. There were a few other dot spells you could've practiced, but you're limited by time. What you have will have to suffice.
Skill improved: Willpower Spellcasting E-
New Spell: Levitation
New Spell: Heat
New Spell: Ice Spear
Obtaining access to the records you seek isn't difficult. The archivist lets you in without even needing advance warning. In your research, you uncover some patterns that you believe are pertinent to your situation.
The most high-risk missions are ones that fall under two categories. One, they deal with a crisis. Two, the crisis doesn't extend far beyond the affected area. They become high-risk- that is, the most fatalities occur- because the manpower sent to deal with the problem is inevitably shorthanded and under-skilled.
This is probably the kind of mission you'll be sent on. If you're lucky, you'll have a knight or two to help out and watch your back. If you're not, you'll be expected to do it all by yourself. It sounds ridiculous in your head. How can you be expected to quell a peasant uprising, stop a rogue mage, or vanquish a wild monster at twelve years old? Oh, right- you're not. You're supposed to die or run away in disgrace here.
There are a lot more sane missions that could be your first. Providing water to a remote town afflicted by drought, helping to rebuild a razed village, watching over a senior knight's familiar.. anything other than this. A lot of royalty have stints in the military, but they're supposed to be offered much more training beforehand and given a natural progression of advancement to follow. You dispel this line of thought before it can spiral downward. Complaining about things you can't change is pointless.
No matter how many tomes you search, you can't find the rune you're looking for. You briefly entertain the notion that it was a practical joke meant to waste your time, but your intuition tells you that's not the case here. This rune means something, you just don't know what.
You have a vague suspicion that the books you need have been removed, or were never here in the first place. There isn't nearly enough on ancient history, compared to the wealth of information available on practically every other subject. You'll either need to find the missing books or gain access to a better library to solve this mystery.
You finally make some time to head out into the city to commission a set of wands. The one you already have works just fine, but you'd rather have one you obtained yourself. You hand it back to Belden with your thanks and apologies.
You find a highly recommended wand-crafter and pay him a visit in person. The shopkeeper is an honest man, and you're treated very nicely. After specifying what you want and ironing out the financial details, you wait around in the shop for your order to finish. You walk away at the end of the day with a brand new high-quality wand and a matching sword-wand to go with it.
You wanted a staff to complete the set, but those are harder to come by, being genuine magical artifacts- the secret of their creation has been lost to time, as opposed to wands which are made every day. You won't be able to requisition one from the royal vault until you prove yourself a bit more.
You haven't the faintest idea how to wield a sword, but that doesn't mean the sword-wand is useless. Your projectile spells, like Ice Spear, are more precise when cast by the sword-wand, and your fine control over variable spells like Chill improves as well- you can more easily adjust the temperature to the desired result without over or undershooting it. The downside is that the spells tend to be slightly less powerful. Your generic wand has no weaknesses or strengths.
Item lost: Gifted Wand
Item obtained: Generic Wand
Item obtained: Sword-wand
It's time to leave. Your uncle is off doing.. something, but a royal missive is there for you in its place to direct you. The cats are looked after- you have Sarah the maid's word that they'll be well-cared for in your absence.
There's a carriage arranged to take you to your destination. It's not the fanciest ride you've ever taken, but it's not shabby. It will lead you south, toward a village nestled in a valley created by the southern mountain ranges. Its farms have been ravaged by some kind of creature attacking and retreating, and the region has diminished in productivity because of it. The region as a whole is one of the smallest in Gallia, however- so the effects on Gallia the country are minimal. Presumably this is why additional knights aren't being dispatched to this area to take care of the problem.
You're staying at a local baron's estate for the duration of the mission, but the one you need to report in to is a knight living in the village proper. Your uncle has also ordered you to keep silent on your status as the Princess. Your identity is that of a noble orphan named Tabitha, a ward of the crown. You settle into a more serious persona- you can play innocent or naive, but only if the situation calls for it.
You need to prepare to leave. Is there anything you want to do before you board your carriage? (You have a few hours.)
[ ] No, you're prepared. Let's go.
[ ] ... (Write-in.)
At your destination:
[ ] Check in with the local nobility that you're arranged to stay with.
[ ] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
[ ] Head into the village proper to gather information about the mission.
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
1-25: Research into additional spells is only mildly successful.
26-50: Research into additional spells is successful.
51-75: Research into additional spells is very fruitful.
76-100: Research into additional spells leads you to a very peculiar tome with handwritten notes in the margins that prove extraordinarily helpful.
Pipeman
Well worn.
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- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 8,260
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[X] No, you're prepared. Let's go.
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
Can't think of anything constructive to do in a few hours and don't want to delay doing our job for sentimental stuff.
I also don't want to bother with the nobility or peasantry unless there seems to be a need for it.
We get our mission details, get to work and get the job done.
Professionalism, HO!
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
Can't think of anything constructive to do in a few hours and don't want to delay doing our job for sentimental stuff.
I also don't want to bother with the nobility or peasantry unless there seems to be a need for it.
We get our mission details, get to work and get the job done.
Professionalism, HO!
Tackyseven
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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- Apr 20, 2013
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[X] Head into the village proper to gather information about the mission.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 28,725
- Likes received
- 116,446
[X] Check the maps of the area, and the assorted atlas and annual in the library if the area. To see if there are patterns there of previous predations.
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
- - [X] After that, go into the village proper to find out what you can of the area and the situation involved.
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
- - [X] After that, go into the village proper to find out what you can of the area and the situation involved.
Olive
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- May 16, 2013
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- 190
[X] Check the maps of the area, and the assorted atlas and annual in the library if the area. To see if there are patterns there of previous predations.
--[X] Pack something that can cover your face, you know that some people find your appearance unsettling.
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
--[X] Pack something that can cover your face, you know that some people find your appearance unsettling.
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
Tackyseven
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
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- 3,132
plan Bii
minuseven
low effort life
- Joined
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- Messages
- 685
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- 1,833
[X] Check the maps of the area, and the assorted atlas and annual in the library if the area. To see if there are patterns there of previous predations.
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
- - [X] After that, go into the village proper to find out what you can of the area and the situation involved.
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
- - [X] After that, go into the village proper to find out what you can of the area and the situation involved.
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2013
- Messages
- 187
- Likes received
- 78
[X] Check the maps of the area, and the assorted atlas and annual in the library if the area. To see if there are patterns there of previous predations.
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
- - [X] After that, go into the village proper to find out what you can of the area and the situation involved.
Some additional information about the area would be useful. You enlist the help of the archivist to locate the information you need to speed up your search. You obtain a map specifically of that region to take with you, a book on the various principalities of Gallia, and the original record of the cry for aid.
Item obtained: Map of Central Southern Gallia
The village is rather remote. The sole road leading to it connects it to the nearest town more than twenty miles away. There is some forest on the mountainside, but nothing very dense. The valley where the village proper is situated has a river running through it, and the surrounding areas have been converted to farmland. It should be warmer there, being father south; although, fall is turning into winter soon. It'll still be cold.
The region itself has nothing noteworthy that stands out to you in your cursory examination of its entry. The population density is quite low, and the farmland there isn't as fertile as it is elsewhere. It can only sustain itself because it doesn't have much upkeep to pay for.
The mountains that cut through the southern part of Gallia take up a good portion of the region's landmass. The mountains are relatively untamed areas; there are still projects ongoing to explore it more thoroughly and to establish more settlements in the area. The town you're traveling to is one of the few that is so close to the mountains, being nestled right at the base.
There's no history of prior attacks or unrest. The call for aid was issued just a week ago, but the attacks have been ongoing for a little more than a month. The request was made by a local baron of little repute. If not for you, it might have collected dust until the problem solved itself.
The time ticks away and you have to report in or miss your ride. You greet the driver and board the carriage. You have a pack with a change of clothes, your map, a spellbook of dot and line spells you technically shouldn't have removed from the library, and some traveling rations and water. You've dressed down significantly from your usual attire, but your clothes are still classier than anything a commoner could hope to possess. You are the only passenger, and the driver is a quiet man.
The trip passes by in silence over the course of several days. Nothing noteworthy happens other than you marveling at the fact that you're the farthest you've ever been from home. You notice, once again, that your appearance is very distinct. You are always worth a second glance to any other travelers you happen to pass. Your long white hair, your blood-red eyes- a fair and pale complexion- all of it combines to make you a very pretty and striking girl.
This close to the capital, the roads are well patrolled and order maintained. There's no danger of you being harried on your way. Eventually however, you turn off the main route to a side road whose only destination is the village you're visiting. Traffic becomes virtually nonexistent, and you start to become wary for potential attacks or interruptions.
Your worry is unneeded. Nothing happens on the final leg of your trip, and you make it there safely. The village spreads out before you on the horizon as you get closer, until you stop at the town's entrance marker. You depart the vehicle with your pack, thank the driver politely and make your way into the town, bypassing the baron's estate for the moment. The first thing you want to do is check in with the locally stationed knight.
You find your way to a shabby-looking guardhouse. It's not very big, and you can't see anyone around. You enter the building to find a man sitting behind a desk, squinting at a piece of paper in front of him. You call out for his attention. "Hello?"
He looks up at you and a look of surprise takes over his features. "Yes? Who are you?"
"I'm here about the attacks that have plagued this region. My name is Tabitha." you introduce yourself.
He smiles pleasantly. "Really? Excellent, how many are they sending?" he asks.
You have a sinking feeling in your chest. "..Just one." you answer.
His smile falters. "One? Well, it's at least a triangle class, right?" he asks hopefully.
You shake your head negatively. "I'm the knight sent to stop the attacks."
His face falls, and he sighs. He gives you a once-over before shaking his head. It makes you feel somewhat lacking for some reason. It's probably your age he's considering here. No one twelve years old is going to be a triangle class mage.
Adopting a professional demeanor, he folds his arms in front of him. "Here's what you need to know."
"I don't know what's been attacking," he begins. "All I've seen are the results after it's already left. It usually leaves the fields alone, but any buildings in the area are completely leveled. It's like a hurricane came through or something. Not a single witness has survived." He sighs again.
"Most recently, someone's house on the outskirts was also attacked- so it's not just the farms it's targeting. Ah, you have a map? Here, I'll mark the locations of the attacks so far on it."
They dot various points around the village. They're numbered one to six in order of when they happened. They progressively hit targets closer and closer to the village. You trace them with your finger, but can't discern any particular pattern other than your initial observation.
"Do you have any idea at all what is attacking?" you ask.
He shrugs helplessly. "Like I said, I don't have a clue. With no witness and no desire to try confronting the monster without backup, all I've got is the trail of destruction left in its wake. For all I know, it could be an insane rogue mage killing off random commoners, and not some kind of wild creature at all."
"It sounds like you've given up trying stop it." you say pointedly.
He frowns at you. "I've got a wife and kids here. If the crown wants me to go die for them they can come tell me in person. I know my own limits. A line mage doesn't stand a chance against something that can do what it did to those farms. If you visit them yourself, you'll see what I mean."
"Good luck. You'll need it." He shakes his head in disbelief and returns his focus to whatever it is he was doing before. You thank him politely and leave.
You think on his words as you move down the main street in the village. It's the only real road in the entire settlement. Some places that catch your eye are a very modest market with some people buying and selling things, a tavern situated in the center of the village, and a church displayed prominently against the mountainside. There are commoners all around giving you a wide berth and going about their own business, leaving you free to ruminate without interruption.
It looks like a generic commoner town. You can't read the mood of the residents here all that well; you don't know these kinds of people. You can't see any evidence of attacks, either; but then, none of them occurred here. You might see something different if you looked at the farms and other outlying regions that were hit. The sun is starting its descent through the sky, signalling mid-to-late afternoon.
What now?
[ ] Investigate the sites where attacks have taken place.
[ ] Check in with the local nobility whose place you're staying at.
[ ] Grab something to eat at the tavern, keep your ear out for rumors and talk to the barkeep.
[ ] Track down the knight, try to convince him to help you.
- [ ] Any particular argument? (optional Write-in)
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
[X] Check in with the local knight for details about your mission.
- - [X] After that, go into the village proper to find out what you can of the area and the situation involved.
Some additional information about the area would be useful. You enlist the help of the archivist to locate the information you need to speed up your search. You obtain a map specifically of that region to take with you, a book on the various principalities of Gallia, and the original record of the cry for aid.
Item obtained: Map of Central Southern Gallia
The village is rather remote. The sole road leading to it connects it to the nearest town more than twenty miles away. There is some forest on the mountainside, but nothing very dense. The valley where the village proper is situated has a river running through it, and the surrounding areas have been converted to farmland. It should be warmer there, being father south; although, fall is turning into winter soon. It'll still be cold.
The region itself has nothing noteworthy that stands out to you in your cursory examination of its entry. The population density is quite low, and the farmland there isn't as fertile as it is elsewhere. It can only sustain itself because it doesn't have much upkeep to pay for.
The mountains that cut through the southern part of Gallia take up a good portion of the region's landmass. The mountains are relatively untamed areas; there are still projects ongoing to explore it more thoroughly and to establish more settlements in the area. The town you're traveling to is one of the few that is so close to the mountains, being nestled right at the base.
There's no history of prior attacks or unrest. The call for aid was issued just a week ago, but the attacks have been ongoing for a little more than a month. The request was made by a local baron of little repute. If not for you, it might have collected dust until the problem solved itself.
The time ticks away and you have to report in or miss your ride. You greet the driver and board the carriage. You have a pack with a change of clothes, your map, a spellbook of dot and line spells you technically shouldn't have removed from the library, and some traveling rations and water. You've dressed down significantly from your usual attire, but your clothes are still classier than anything a commoner could hope to possess. You are the only passenger, and the driver is a quiet man.
The trip passes by in silence over the course of several days. Nothing noteworthy happens other than you marveling at the fact that you're the farthest you've ever been from home. You notice, once again, that your appearance is very distinct. You are always worth a second glance to any other travelers you happen to pass. Your long white hair, your blood-red eyes- a fair and pale complexion- all of it combines to make you a very pretty and striking girl.
This close to the capital, the roads are well patrolled and order maintained. There's no danger of you being harried on your way. Eventually however, you turn off the main route to a side road whose only destination is the village you're visiting. Traffic becomes virtually nonexistent, and you start to become wary for potential attacks or interruptions.
Your worry is unneeded. Nothing happens on the final leg of your trip, and you make it there safely. The village spreads out before you on the horizon as you get closer, until you stop at the town's entrance marker. You depart the vehicle with your pack, thank the driver politely and make your way into the town, bypassing the baron's estate for the moment. The first thing you want to do is check in with the locally stationed knight.
You find your way to a shabby-looking guardhouse. It's not very big, and you can't see anyone around. You enter the building to find a man sitting behind a desk, squinting at a piece of paper in front of him. You call out for his attention. "Hello?"
He looks up at you and a look of surprise takes over his features. "Yes? Who are you?"
"I'm here about the attacks that have plagued this region. My name is Tabitha." you introduce yourself.
He smiles pleasantly. "Really? Excellent, how many are they sending?" he asks.
You have a sinking feeling in your chest. "..Just one." you answer.
His smile falters. "One? Well, it's at least a triangle class, right?" he asks hopefully.
You shake your head negatively. "I'm the knight sent to stop the attacks."
His face falls, and he sighs. He gives you a once-over before shaking his head. It makes you feel somewhat lacking for some reason. It's probably your age he's considering here. No one twelve years old is going to be a triangle class mage.
Adopting a professional demeanor, he folds his arms in front of him. "Here's what you need to know."
"I don't know what's been attacking," he begins. "All I've seen are the results after it's already left. It usually leaves the fields alone, but any buildings in the area are completely leveled. It's like a hurricane came through or something. Not a single witness has survived." He sighs again.
"Most recently, someone's house on the outskirts was also attacked- so it's not just the farms it's targeting. Ah, you have a map? Here, I'll mark the locations of the attacks so far on it."
They dot various points around the village. They're numbered one to six in order of when they happened. They progressively hit targets closer and closer to the village. You trace them with your finger, but can't discern any particular pattern other than your initial observation.
"Do you have any idea at all what is attacking?" you ask.
He shrugs helplessly. "Like I said, I don't have a clue. With no witness and no desire to try confronting the monster without backup, all I've got is the trail of destruction left in its wake. For all I know, it could be an insane rogue mage killing off random commoners, and not some kind of wild creature at all."
"It sounds like you've given up trying stop it." you say pointedly.
He frowns at you. "I've got a wife and kids here. If the crown wants me to go die for them they can come tell me in person. I know my own limits. A line mage doesn't stand a chance against something that can do what it did to those farms. If you visit them yourself, you'll see what I mean."
"Good luck. You'll need it." He shakes his head in disbelief and returns his focus to whatever it is he was doing before. You thank him politely and leave.
You think on his words as you move down the main street in the village. It's the only real road in the entire settlement. Some places that catch your eye are a very modest market with some people buying and selling things, a tavern situated in the center of the village, and a church displayed prominently against the mountainside. There are commoners all around giving you a wide berth and going about their own business, leaving you free to ruminate without interruption.
It looks like a generic commoner town. You can't read the mood of the residents here all that well; you don't know these kinds of people. You can't see any evidence of attacks, either; but then, none of them occurred here. You might see something different if you looked at the farms and other outlying regions that were hit. The sun is starting its descent through the sky, signalling mid-to-late afternoon.
What now?
[ ] Investigate the sites where attacks have taken place.
[ ] Check in with the local nobility whose place you're staying at.
[ ] Grab something to eat at the tavern, keep your ear out for rumors and talk to the barkeep.
[ ] Track down the knight, try to convince him to help you.
- [ ] Any particular argument? (optional Write-in)
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
- Joined
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[X] Grab something to eat at the tavern, keep your ear out for rumors and talk to the barkeep.
- - [X] Make sure to not overeat or drink.
[X] Investigate the sites where attacks have taken place.
- - [X] Make note of which direction any tracks go and come from at the sites.
- - - - [X] Return in the late afternoon.
[X] Check in with the local nobility whose place you're staying at.
- - [X] Make sure to not overeat or drink.
[X] Investigate the sites where attacks have taken place.
- - [X] Make note of which direction any tracks go and come from at the sites.
- - - - [X] Return in the late afternoon.
[X] Check in with the local nobility whose place you're staying at.
Tackyseven
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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[X] Plan Bii
drake_azathoth
Fabulously Evil
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[X] Plan Bii
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
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BGM Set
[X] Grab something to eat at the tavern, keep your ear out for rumors and talk to the barkeep.
- - [X] Make sure to not overeat or drink.
[X] Investigate the sites where attacks have taken place.
- - [X] Make note of which direction any tracks go and come from at the sites.
- - - - [X] Return in the late afternoon.
[X] Check in with the local nobility whose place you're staying at.
You could use something to eat, and you want to hear what the commoners are saying about the recent happenings. You head on over to the tavern and step through the entrance. The patrons of the tavern hush for a moment when you walk in, but go back to their drinks after a moment. People edge away from you when you draw near, and nobody makes eye contact as you pass.
You walk up to the counter to talk to the barkeep. He speaks Gallian in a crude drawl- a commoner's accent, more rough and unrefined than the way you speak. "What'll it be, girl?"
You don't see a menu of any kind, so you just point at someone else's food and ask for some of that, as well as a glass to pour some water in. He laughed when you asked- they're called cups here in poor-man's land, he says. You smack yourself internally for such a stupid mistake. You really need to work on that.
"You some kind of royal investigator?" he asks.
"You could say that." you reply, tapping your fingers on the counter. "What do you think of the recent attacks?"
He shrugs noncommittally. "It makes for better business, I can tell you. Nobody's livin' on the outskirts anymore. Everyone's tryin' to find somewhere to live 'round here, and that means more customers for me."
You raise an eyebrow questioningly. "That's a bit callous."
"You make do with what you've got here. I don't imagine you've ever wanted for anything, from the look of ya." he says, and then disappears into the back of the tavern.
Your order finally arrives. It's.. you'll be honest, it's terrible. The food you ate on the way here was better, and you didn't think much of that either. You look forward to being able to eat something actually edible when you head over to the baron's estate. You force it down with a grimace nonetheless. You shouldn't waste food. You listen to the other tables within earshot while you eat.
You can hear a man's slurred commoner accent. It's very unpleasant to listen to. "The baron's been up to no good, tha's what I think. What have we done to bring the Founder's wrath down on us? Nothin', I say. He ain't even a proper church-going man."
There's a round of agreement from the others sitting at the table. "Who knows what he gets up to in that castle of his?"
You tune out that conversation after it drifts somewhere else and catch another a few tables away..
"How is he?" a teenaged boy asks in a hushed voice.
"Not here." a girl replies tersely.
"Come on, he's my friend too-"
"Shhh!" She looks meaningfully in your direction, and you pretend not to notice. The other boy's eyes widen in surprise when he glances over at you and he hastily drops the subject. Done with your food and having heard a few things, you depart the tavern to check out the places that were attacked.
You don't have time to visit every single site- just walking, it'll probably take you more than an hour round trip just to make it to the closest house that was razed. Since you opted to grab some food, and you still have to check in at the baron's mansion, you can't spend all day out here. You'll settle for examining the newest wreckage for now. You'll have more time to see the rest if you want in the days ahead.
The knight wasn't kidding- you let out an involuntary gasp of surprise when you crest over the hill and catch sight of the ruined home. It looks like a gung-ho demolitions team just rolled through. The house has been burnt to its foundations and turned almost entirely to ash. The ground looks less like soil, and more like a fine coating of gunpowder all over the ground extending in a wide circle around ground zero. The smell of acrid smoke still lingers throughout the area, and the air is a little bit thicker.
You start your search for traces of the monster besides the total destruction. Apart from some dried bloodstains in the debris, there's only one thing that stands out- the imprints in the ground.
You're not an expert in tracking, but you don't need to be. These tracks are enormous; you'd have to be blind to miss them. This attack took place almost a week ago and you can still make out where the creature stepped by the indentations in the soil. They lead off toward the mountains. You follow them for a little bit and find that the tracks stop abruptly and the earth is disrupted in a much more haphazard manner. If you had to guess, you'd say the creature must have taken flight here. That narrows down what it could be, you suppose.
Finished observing, you walk to the baron's mansion quickly before night falls. A servant is there to usher you in, and the baron himself meets you in the entrance hall. He's a rather short man, and a bit overweight. He looks to be at least in his mid-forties, with balding hair and a worn complexion. To say he's not pleased when you tell him who you are and what you're here for would be an understatement.
"I ask the crown for help, and they send a.. a.. a little girl?! How dare they! All my years of long service repaid with nothing! Worse than nothing!" he rants.
Interrupting him by retrieving a certain missive from your pack, you raise your voice. "This is marked with the royal seal. I think you'll find its genuine."
"Give me that!" he snaps, snatching it away from you.
He looks intently at it, frowning. He speaks hesitantly,"It certainly looks real, but.."
You put a hand on your hip and try your best to look intimidating. "If you send me back, you won't be receiving anyone else to help you with your little problem. There's no reason to turn me away." You match your will with his, boring your crimson gaze straight into his beady hazel eyes.
"But I.. you can't.." he struggles to come up with some kind of counter to your words.
Finding none, he deflates, losing his energy. "Fine. Whatever. Just don't bother me."
He shoves the missive back into your hands and wanders off, muttering curses under his breath. You studiously ignore him and grab a guest room to situate yourself in. Hopefully he won't cause any further problems for you. It seems the baron is unmarried and lives alone, apart from the servants. You take a seat on your bed and think on your next course of action.
What now?
[ ] Turn in early. You could use the rest after the long trip.
[ ] Poke around the mansion, memorize the layout, and check out the library.
[ ] Find the baron and ask him something.
- [ ] What? (Write-in.)
[ ] Find a senior servant and ask them something.
- [ ] What? (Write-in.)
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
[X] Grab something to eat at the tavern, keep your ear out for rumors and talk to the barkeep.
- - [X] Make sure to not overeat or drink.
[X] Investigate the sites where attacks have taken place.
- - [X] Make note of which direction any tracks go and come from at the sites.
- - - - [X] Return in the late afternoon.
[X] Check in with the local nobility whose place you're staying at.
You could use something to eat, and you want to hear what the commoners are saying about the recent happenings. You head on over to the tavern and step through the entrance. The patrons of the tavern hush for a moment when you walk in, but go back to their drinks after a moment. People edge away from you when you draw near, and nobody makes eye contact as you pass.
You walk up to the counter to talk to the barkeep. He speaks Gallian in a crude drawl- a commoner's accent, more rough and unrefined than the way you speak. "What'll it be, girl?"
You don't see a menu of any kind, so you just point at someone else's food and ask for some of that, as well as a glass to pour some water in. He laughed when you asked- they're called cups here in poor-man's land, he says. You smack yourself internally for such a stupid mistake. You really need to work on that.
"You some kind of royal investigator?" he asks.
"You could say that." you reply, tapping your fingers on the counter. "What do you think of the recent attacks?"
He shrugs noncommittally. "It makes for better business, I can tell you. Nobody's livin' on the outskirts anymore. Everyone's tryin' to find somewhere to live 'round here, and that means more customers for me."
You raise an eyebrow questioningly. "That's a bit callous."
"You make do with what you've got here. I don't imagine you've ever wanted for anything, from the look of ya." he says, and then disappears into the back of the tavern.
Your order finally arrives. It's.. you'll be honest, it's terrible. The food you ate on the way here was better, and you didn't think much of that either. You look forward to being able to eat something actually edible when you head over to the baron's estate. You force it down with a grimace nonetheless. You shouldn't waste food. You listen to the other tables within earshot while you eat.
You can hear a man's slurred commoner accent. It's very unpleasant to listen to. "The baron's been up to no good, tha's what I think. What have we done to bring the Founder's wrath down on us? Nothin', I say. He ain't even a proper church-going man."
There's a round of agreement from the others sitting at the table. "Who knows what he gets up to in that castle of his?"
You tune out that conversation after it drifts somewhere else and catch another a few tables away..
"How is he?" a teenaged boy asks in a hushed voice.
"Not here." a girl replies tersely.
"Come on, he's my friend too-"
"Shhh!" She looks meaningfully in your direction, and you pretend not to notice. The other boy's eyes widen in surprise when he glances over at you and he hastily drops the subject. Done with your food and having heard a few things, you depart the tavern to check out the places that were attacked.
You don't have time to visit every single site- just walking, it'll probably take you more than an hour round trip just to make it to the closest house that was razed. Since you opted to grab some food, and you still have to check in at the baron's mansion, you can't spend all day out here. You'll settle for examining the newest wreckage for now. You'll have more time to see the rest if you want in the days ahead.
The knight wasn't kidding- you let out an involuntary gasp of surprise when you crest over the hill and catch sight of the ruined home. It looks like a gung-ho demolitions team just rolled through. The house has been burnt to its foundations and turned almost entirely to ash. The ground looks less like soil, and more like a fine coating of gunpowder all over the ground extending in a wide circle around ground zero. The smell of acrid smoke still lingers throughout the area, and the air is a little bit thicker.
You start your search for traces of the monster besides the total destruction. Apart from some dried bloodstains in the debris, there's only one thing that stands out- the imprints in the ground.
You're not an expert in tracking, but you don't need to be. These tracks are enormous; you'd have to be blind to miss them. This attack took place almost a week ago and you can still make out where the creature stepped by the indentations in the soil. They lead off toward the mountains. You follow them for a little bit and find that the tracks stop abruptly and the earth is disrupted in a much more haphazard manner. If you had to guess, you'd say the creature must have taken flight here. That narrows down what it could be, you suppose.
Finished observing, you walk to the baron's mansion quickly before night falls. A servant is there to usher you in, and the baron himself meets you in the entrance hall. He's a rather short man, and a bit overweight. He looks to be at least in his mid-forties, with balding hair and a worn complexion. To say he's not pleased when you tell him who you are and what you're here for would be an understatement.
"I ask the crown for help, and they send a.. a.. a little girl?! How dare they! All my years of long service repaid with nothing! Worse than nothing!" he rants.
Interrupting him by retrieving a certain missive from your pack, you raise your voice. "This is marked with the royal seal. I think you'll find its genuine."
"Give me that!" he snaps, snatching it away from you.
He looks intently at it, frowning. He speaks hesitantly,"It certainly looks real, but.."
You put a hand on your hip and try your best to look intimidating. "If you send me back, you won't be receiving anyone else to help you with your little problem. There's no reason to turn me away." You match your will with his, boring your crimson gaze straight into his beady hazel eyes.
"But I.. you can't.." he struggles to come up with some kind of counter to your words.
Finding none, he deflates, losing his energy. "Fine. Whatever. Just don't bother me."
He shoves the missive back into your hands and wanders off, muttering curses under his breath. You studiously ignore him and grab a guest room to situate yourself in. Hopefully he won't cause any further problems for you. It seems the baron is unmarried and lives alone, apart from the servants. You take a seat on your bed and think on your next course of action.
What now?
[ ] Turn in early. You could use the rest after the long trip.
[ ] Poke around the mansion, memorize the layout, and check out the library.
[ ] Find the baron and ask him something.
- [ ] What? (Write-in.)
[ ] Find a senior servant and ask them something.
- [ ] What? (Write-in.)
[ ] Something else. (Write-in.)
MacroDaemon
Know what you're doing yet?
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- Feb 19, 2013
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- 21
I can't help but wonder how this "Tabitha" ruse is going to work at all, given our distinctive looks. There's pretty much nobody who looks like us in the entire kingdom and anybody who is at least marginally important should know that.
[X] Poke around the mansion, memorize the layout, and check out the library.
[X] Poke around the mansion, memorize the layout, and check out the library.
Inara Seraph
Know what you're doing yet?
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MacroDaemon said:
There isn't anyone marginally important around, and it's only a one-time thing. Joseph sent you here to die, if you come back victorious he's not going to order you to keep up the ruse.
drake_azathoth
Fabulously Evil
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[X] Poke around the mansion, memorize the layout, and check out the library.
ShadowAngelBeta
Well worn.
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- Mar 28, 2013
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Suspicious teens being suspicious.
Mayor is apparently greedy/a coward/something if the locals gossip is anything to go by.
Large creature that flies, possibly a dragon. Rhyme scale maybe if the teens are involved. If not then they might be hiding someone that the nobility/crown would be/are looking for.
If its the Mayor he may be staging attacks for an as of yet unknown reason but I get the feeling that isn't it.
Even if its not a Rhyme Scale Dragon it is most likely an animal that is starving. Hence the raids as it can't find any other source of food in the winter-barren lands of Gallaia (or however the f*ck its spelled).
That's what I've got so far. Right now I'm leaning towards Dragon/Friends with Teens/Possibly Rhyme Scale but won't be surprised if I'm wrong.
Mayor is apparently greedy/a coward/something if the locals gossip is anything to go by.
Large creature that flies, possibly a dragon. Rhyme scale maybe if the teens are involved. If not then they might be hiding someone that the nobility/crown would be/are looking for.
If its the Mayor he may be staging attacks for an as of yet unknown reason but I get the feeling that isn't it.
Even if its not a Rhyme Scale Dragon it is most likely an animal that is starving. Hence the raids as it can't find any other source of food in the winter-barren lands of Gallaia (or however the f*ck its spelled).
That's what I've got so far. Right now I'm leaning towards Dragon/Friends with Teens/Possibly Rhyme Scale but won't be surprised if I'm wrong.