She starts, and puts it back down quickly. Har, you think it actually looks pretty tasty and smells sweet.
@discrider@joshgotro Do you want to do anything while it's just you three, the prisoner, and the sheep? Otherwise, we'll cut to when Victor and Hans arrive around sunset, such as it is under the clouds.
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joshgotroDeviled EggThe Land of REAL CHILIRegistered Userregular
Soon enough, you see the cart roll back in, Hans and Victor atop it. The instant Hans sees the sheep, he leaps off, running over to them and rubbing up against Abby's face, the rest of the flock crowding around. He then starts speaking, but what comes out is a series of baaas instead of any human language. He's totally absorbed in this, all care thrown to the wind as he speaks to each one of his sheep, rubbing them affectionately.
The prisoner has awoken by this point, and was quickly gagged and bound by Nasim, who has him at knifepoint. You can see her shoulders relax the barest amount as she sees Victor pull in with their supplies. It occurs to you that it might be awkward trying to fit five people in the cart, even with Nasim shifted into a bird.
It's late evening, and the clouds are turning a deep, dark grey as the temperature drops. You could camp for the night, or you could press on back to town, which would cost 1 Spirit from everyone except Aub, due to her Endurance.
I've also been thinking about how to make Endurance more exciting. I think the main idea is that it protects from mundane discomfort and injury. So the first tier gives you advantage against hazards, lets you go without resting for a day, etc. Tier 2 lets you ignore difficult terrain and temperature extremes, take half damage from falls and hazards, go without resting for 3 days. Tier 3 drastically slows aging, lets you do a D&D elf trance instead of sleeping, lets you go without resting for a week, and makes you all but immune to any kind of mundane injury, so you can just shrug off, say, a big rock falling on you.
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joshgotroDeviled EggThe Land of REAL CHILIRegistered Userregular
"I'll take first watch."
Aub tackles securing the cart, Colonel, and Bitsy.
... "Hans, can you get these animals home from here?
Hans unburies his face from Abby's side and baas at you for a second, then coughs, looking embarrassed. He then says "It's only a half a day's travel. I'd, uh, really rather you stick with me in case those bandits are still out here." He glances over the direction Har rode off in an hour ago. "That wolf was there with them that night, you know. Ate poor Chuck and Woodsley. I could live the rest of my life without seeing something like that again." He shudders. "I keep thinking about one of my sisters..." he trails off, then resumes comforting his sheep without saying another word.
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joshgotroDeviled EggThe Land of REAL CHILIRegistered Userregular
Aub visibly shakes at the news and looks to the rider.
That's a success! Describe what that looks like for Har, and ask some questions.
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joshgotroDeviled EggThe Land of REAL CHILIRegistered Userregular
edited September 2018
The air starts to change around Aub as she moves towards the rider. Her emotion is obviously manifesting in the physical world. The aether seems to be radiating like heat.
Aub grabs the rider from Nasim, not taking care to make sure her knife doesn't hit.
"Second watch then", states Har a bit glumly, questioning how she thought that wolf was an innocent creature.
Aub and Nasim appear to have the interrogation under control, and not really seeing much else to do besides fathoming her guilt with Hans, Har retreats for the night.
Most of the night is spent in the aether, questioning the stars whilst flat on her back in her boat.
It is quieter here.
And the waves are always soothing.
She seems to be spending more and more time out here, disassociated from everybody.
Or at least, disassociated apart from the rhythmic ripples the sleeping leave.
Maybe it's true that the ocean calls people.
The next morning, Har wakes up refreshed, bouyed by the night's rest.
But the beat of the waves against the deck does not seem to leave her this time.
(Evocation Axis unlocked)
Victor says nothing as he begins to rest, being granted third watch by nature of the other two volunteering first. He retreats inwardly again, grasping at the Aether with the negative feelings he was able to invoke before. It was still a struggle, a constant battle of holding onto the magic and shaping it using the opposite emotion the Radiant normally exercised, but little by little, it took form in his mind, a small cloud, painful and choking, built from the anger he was able to drum up while thinking of the pain that was being inflicted on these people. And, just as it appeared, it dissipated, leaving behind newfound knowledge and skill.
The prisoner cowers before the rage radiating off Aub, launching into a rambling account of how he ended up as a bandit, which, as he tells it, was all to protect his family from the cult, which terrifies him to no end. The Prophet swept through his town, flanked by monsters and a small group of followers, demanding they hand over their food or able-bodied workers, showing everyone terrifying visions from an orb he held in his hand. Nasim takes great interest at this, and gets his last known location: Baron's Hill.
Eventually Aub is able to pry out of the man the location of the bandit camp - downriver to the east, in the forest. The man begs her not to kill them, however, as many of them were coerced or young and foolish.
Late into the night, howls can be heard from close by, but the camp is unmolested, at least this night. You all awake, prisoner still secured.
The bandit camp is about 2.5 days east. Davittsburg is about 4 hours northwest.
Victor packs his things back into the cart when they wake up, intentionally ignoring the prisoner that they captured. "So, where to next? Seems like we might have a bandit problem to solve?"
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joshgotroDeviled EggThe Land of REAL CHILIRegistered Userregular
The bandit gave all he was willing and Nasim seemed happy to keep him company. The day was long and emotions ran high. Aub moved around the camp, sacrificing quiet, to work her body, finding any way for this rage to leave. When her watch was done, rest came quickly.
The figure was already there. Victor, Har and the others were gone. The camp fire licked at the night, but no shadow formed the the right of the figure.
The camp site washed away as the aether turned on it's head and a small clearing materialized around Aub and the figure. The opalescent film moved around them but put pulled at Aub. Even her, her anger bend the flow.
The figure moved twice, his arm out, and then instantly moved to strike Aub, and a second later, both had blades of midnight, forming from their arms, slashing at each other.
The figure moved without weight, so fast, yet every strike hit with force. Aub switched into a defensive stance, weaving long arms with her obsidian blade and the figure jumped away, further than should be possible, landing without sound or disturbing the ground. His blade fell away into nothing, and he gestured for Aub to stay there.
The figure bend it's knees, disappeared, reappeared in front of Aub, and it's blade reformed, striking down towards Aub. As the blade moved, the figure fractured and pieces of itself moved to the blade, keen vitriol fell from the blade as it would strike Aub...and the figure was back three paces away.
Geth, roll 1d10 for did Nasim trying to get extra info
EDIT: Grammar is fun, but at least my roll was hot.
Nasim spent some time interrogating the man alone the previous night, and seemed satisfied after she was finished.
As you're all packing up for the morning, she, sitting behind the bound man, pulls out a knife. Her free hand raises, pointing at the prisoner. She sweeps her gaze across the rest of the team, eyes flat. Hans' gaze immediately hits the ground, and he nervously gets up from his half-finished breakfast to go get the sheep ready to move out.
...
Har gets up and walks towards Nasim. "One sec"
Har pulls herself on deck.
It's... bright up top.
Refocusing her eyes through the glare, she turns her attention to the animal bound next to the boat. "Are you goin' to be givin' anyone anymore trouble?"
Geth roll 2d10 for Forecasting the rider's actions
"No no no! No way, I'm done with the bandit life, just need to uh, go back home and get my family so we can flee..." A bead of sweat drips down his forehead even in the chill morning air. You think back on what you overheard of the interrogation, and while his fear of the cultists sounded genuine, he was clearly avoiding providing details of his involvement. Moreover, he said not a word about the strange transformation he and his mount had gone through. His eyes flick to your forearm for a moment as he starts in on another long-winded account of what he's going to when he gets home.
You think he's definitely going to cause some sort of trouble, but isn't likely to attack your party.
Har pins the man to the ground with her knee as she roughly gives him a once-over. "I reckon your family won't be needin' your bone plating anytime soon"
Cornered as he is, the man futilely struggles and yells as you cut a seed, looking the same as your own, out of his arm. The instant it leaves his body, he falls down, dead.
Everyone was too invested in the struggle to pay too much attention. Har can tell that the seed in her hand is still alive and that removing her own would be an extremely bad idea.
"Ha.. I guess I'm..", Har stammers.
Leaping for her pack, she drags her arm wrap back out.
"I guess I'm not choppin' my arm off anytime soon.", she jabbers, wrapping her seed tightly with the wrap. "Didn' need to know this. Should'a let Nasim.."
Har trails off.
"If 'nyone wishes to curse themselves with that seed, best speak up now.
It being still pulsing, I got a mind to crush it.
Don't want this dead one's spirit stuck in that thing, if it stole it."
The weirdness of the last few minutes have broken Nasim's calm. She's looking at Har with a worried stare, with a slight hint of fear. She does not say anything.
Looking around, she takes the silence as affirmation.
Bending back over the body, Har pries the seed out once more.
"Victor, if you could lend your glory shield thing, I'm not sure what migh' happen when I make meal of this."
Har carries the seed to a likely looking rock in the middle of the clearing.
Waiting for Victor to prepare his Shimmering Veil (we don't appear to have been giving Vigor to people?), Har sets the seed down on the flat hard surface.
Har raises her hammer as her eyes flicker, and the hammer-anvil takes on a blue sheen.
With a grim determination, Har swings, bringing the hammer down on the seed and it's aetheric projection alike.
(Using Shocking grasp to cleanse)
Victor follows Har and prepares, grasping at the Aether to purge any negative effects that may burst forth when the seed is smashed.
(We haven’t been assigning vigor because only can have one boon and other than the very end of the last fight, you two always have a different boon active)
Har spits. "Not sure that did anything better, but now no other damn fool can curse themselves.
We shoul' deliver these sheep."
Har stops as she passes Nasim. "Ah that...
I thought the seed gave him his power, and that taking it would give him mind to leave peacefully.
Didn' think it would take his life too.
.. We should bury the sod."
Har pinches the bridge of her nose. "... There be wolves about."
Posts
Some sorta spirit-beast"
@discrider @joshgotro Do you want to do anything while it's just you three, the prisoner, and the sheep? Otherwise, we'll cut to when Victor and Hans arrive around sunset, such as it is under the clouds.
The prisoner has awoken by this point, and was quickly gagged and bound by Nasim, who has him at knifepoint. You can see her shoulders relax the barest amount as she sees Victor pull in with their supplies. It occurs to you that it might be awkward trying to fit five people in the cart, even with Nasim shifted into a bird.
It's late evening, and the clouds are turning a deep, dark grey as the temperature drops. You could camp for the night, or you could press on back to town, which would cost 1 Spirit from everyone except Aub, due to her Endurance.
What do you do? @joshgotro @discrider @AustinP0027
Aub tackles securing the cart, Colonel, and Bitsy.
...
"Hans, can you get these animals home from here?
Geth roll 1d10+20 for Angry Face McINTERROGATE
Aub grabs the rider from Nasim, not taking care to make sure her knife doesn't hit.
"Where are they? Tell me now!?"
Aub and Nasim appear to have the interrogation under control, and not really seeing much else to do besides fathoming her guilt with Hans, Har retreats for the night.
Most of the night is spent in the aether, questioning the stars whilst flat on her back in her boat.
It is quieter here.
And the waves are always soothing.
She seems to be spending more and more time out here, disassociated from everybody.
Or at least, disassociated apart from the rhythmic ripples the sleeping leave.
Maybe it's true that the ocean calls people.
The next morning, Har wakes up refreshed, bouyed by the night's rest.
But the beat of the waves against the deck does not seem to leave her this time.
(Evocation Axis unlocked)
Eventually Aub is able to pry out of the man the location of the bandit camp - downriver to the east, in the forest. The man begs her not to kill them, however, as many of them were coerced or young and foolish.
Late into the night, howls can be heard from close by, but the camp is unmolested, at least this night. You all awake, prisoner still secured.
The bandit camp is about 2.5 days east. Davittsburg is about 4 hours northwest.
The figure was already there. Victor, Har and the others were gone. The camp fire licked at the night, but no shadow formed the the right of the figure.
The camp site washed away as the aether turned on it's head and a small clearing materialized around Aub and the figure. The opalescent film moved around them but put pulled at Aub. Even her, her anger bend the flow.
The figure moved twice, his arm out, and then instantly moved to strike Aub, and a second later, both had blades of midnight, forming from their arms, slashing at each other.
The figure moved without weight, so fast, yet every strike hit with force. Aub switched into a defensive stance, weaving long arms with her obsidian blade and the figure jumped away, further than should be possible, landing without sound or disturbing the ground. His blade fell away into nothing, and he gestured for Aub to stay there.
The figure bend it's knees, disappeared, reappeared in front of Aub, and it's blade reformed, striking down towards Aub. As the blade moved, the figure fractured and pieces of itself moved to the blade, keen vitriol fell from the blade as it would strike Aub...and the figure was back three paces away.
"mooooove with meeeee"
Aub unlocked Reaper's Vow
EDIT: Grammar is fun, but at least my roll was hot.
Nasim spent some time interrogating the man alone the previous night, and seemed satisfied after she was finished.
As you're all packing up for the morning, she, sitting behind the bound man, pulls out a knife. Her free hand raises, pointing at the prisoner. She sweeps her gaze across the rest of the team, eyes flat. Hans' gaze immediately hits the ground, and he nervously gets up from his half-finished breakfast to go get the sheep ready to move out.
Har gets up and walks towards Nasim.
"One sec"
Har pulls herself on deck.
It's... bright up top.
Refocusing her eyes through the glare, she turns her attention to the animal bound next to the boat.
"Are you goin' to be givin' anyone anymore trouble?"
Geth roll 2d10 for Forecasting the rider's actions
You think he's definitely going to cause some sort of trouble, but isn't likely to attack your party.
"Well, if you say so.."
She unsheathes her knife.
Geth roll 1d10+4 for Finding his seed
"I reckon your family won't be needin' your bone plating anytime soon"
The seed, however, pulses warmly in your hand.
Geth, roll 1d10+2 for Nasim's assessment
@joshgotro @AustinP0027 @discrider
(Does doing this do anything?)
Leaping for her pack, she drags her arm wrap back out.
"I guess I'm not choppin' my arm off anytime soon.", she jabbers, wrapping her seed tightly with the wrap.
"Didn' need to know this. Should'a let Nasim.."
Har trails off.
"If 'nyone wishes to curse themselves with that seed, best speak up now.
It being still pulsing, I got a mind to crush it.
Don't want this dead one's spirit stuck in that thing, if it stole it."
Edit: I forgot about Coalfang.
Bending back over the body, Har pries the seed out once more.
"Victor, if you could lend your glory shield thing, I'm not sure what migh' happen when I make meal of this."
Har carries the seed to a likely looking rock in the middle of the clearing.
Waiting for Victor to prepare his Shimmering Veil (we don't appear to have been giving Vigor to people?), Har sets the seed down on the flat hard surface.
Har raises her hammer as her eyes flicker, and the hammer-anvil takes on a blue sheen.
With a grim determination, Har swings, bringing the hammer down on the seed and it's aetheric projection alike.
(Using Shocking grasp to cleanse)
(We haven’t been assigning vigor because only can have one boon and other than the very end of the last fight, you two always have a different boon active)
Nothing unusual happens as you destroy the seed; you only sense another living creature dying - something any adventurer is well-acquainted with.
"Not sure that did anything better, but now no other damn fool can curse themselves.
We shoul' deliver these sheep."
Har stops as she passes Nasim.
"Ah that...
I thought the seed gave him his power, and that taking it would give him mind to leave peacefully.
Didn' think it would take his life too.
.. We should bury the sod."
Har pinches the bridge of her nose.
"... There be wolves about."