Homebrew system thread II, part 2

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-12-05 12:55pm

There's some permeating all of it, and at a guess some of the powers within do have something to do with containment and safety;
the one of particular interest is a strong knot of substance and something else, probably earth, on the inner surface across one of the join lines- the one where a lock would normally be, where what should be doors come together.

Fiji_Fury, Panzer?

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-05 01:46pm

Ah-HA.

Larric's no expert on stones per se, but he starts probing more closely at that knot- at a guess, the chemical structure of the stone is being played with to molecularly bond the surfaces. Is there any sign of such tampering?* Looking at it, does Larric think he can get it to undo itself without stone-magic of his own? If so, he does. If not:

"Wish I knew more about rock-magic. Wish Verone... no, wait. Dirt, did you once say you knew- could you take a look at this?"
____________

*If it's a design feature, 'tampering' probably isn't the right word...

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-12-05 01:59pm

It is indeed possible; the more slowly it's done the better, but how much time is it worth taking, considering the commotion's probably started by now inside the tower?

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-05 02:09pm

As fast as is reasonably consistent with the door itself not shattering into itty bitty little pieces and dropping something volatile on the ground. Larric's magical attack on the meld-spell is more in the character of chiseling the lock out than picking it; he doesn't much care if some rock flakes fall of the edges. Or, for that matter, if the first half inch on either side of the meld crumbles into powder.

He's not using a great excess of force, mind you, but he's a bit indiscriminate about zone of effect if being careful would take more than 20-30 seconds. If it looks like less than that he'd be reasonably cautious- figuring that emptying the storage closet would take longer than that anyway, even with the best will in the world.

Kaelan · Post by **Kaelan** » 2012-12-05 05:36pm

Dirt gets ready to back up Larric, just in case there is some intelligence within the tower that detects him as the threat. The goal is to make sure that nothing distracts him so much as he makes a mistake and adds a second explosion to the tower that includes the rest of us!

Chest wise, if this thing has taken knocks and attacks from creatures it's most likely not that fragile. Most locks tend to be semi robust, if anything so the owners of the items don't break them when they get in after leaving them along. If this things been left here for several hundred years and still works, chances are it's still going to be in reasonable shape.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-05 06:12pm

Right, but if I understand it rightly, Larric is trying to unbind the molecular structure; accidentally disintegrating bits of the lock in his haste wouldn't be improbable.

Sort of like opening a door lock with a prybar- you're going to break it, and you might well damage the door panel or the frame while you're at it.

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-12-05 08:03pm

There is a small chorus of crunching and popping sounds, but careful prodding reveals- it seems to have worked. There are no clouds of choking death billowing out, anyway, and gentle pressure causes the doors to start to slide open.

Turns out it might have been a good idea to bring a mule, if you could find a toxin- proof one. Inside surfaces are marked, probably paint if you can get paint to turn to stone, with runes, in the older, more elaborate style; the chest is half full of what look to be sponges or mushrooms or some strange kind of funghi, all on little shelves of their own. The other half is row upon row of containers, almost all small- from the size of a hand down to the size of a finger- most of which are unlabelled and those that are not are labelled in something that an elvish historian of dead languages might be able to puzzle out.

Fairly safe bet none of them are harmless, though. Varying states of full, most depleted at least a little. The contents of some can be guessed at from the colour, there are a couple of red and purple ones for instance, most are shades of yellowy-browny-grey. Funny thing is look closely at the containers and you can see a weft to them, as if they were made out of glass that had been spun and woven like cloth; might be worth finding an empty one to play with and see what it does.

Larric may not be phenomenally materialistic, but it's a fairly safe bet that "Ka-ching!" has just occurred to him. On the other hand, he and Dirt and Alfred have about- less empty volume- fifteen cubic feet of glassware to get out before kaboom happens. Plan?

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-05 09:40pm

Larric starts with the glassware. A quick heft- do they feel fragile or reasonably sturdy? They're designed to last a long time and be field-durable, presumably they're tough enough that they can be (for example) piled into sacks if they're handled carefully. I assume they come with caps or corks or the like.

The alchemist then lays down his cloak, and lays out small vials into it lengthwise up to the limit of what it's practical to carry.* He folds around and over and takes the bundle up in his arms, holding the ends/corners carefully where it might fall apart. Then he walks out of the mound, keeping an eye on his footing. The whole thing might take a little
____________

*From experience, assuming Larric is about as strong as I am which sounds roughly right... He's got to walk what, a hundred yards or so?

Anything more than ~30-40 pounds of stuff that's packaged this way is going to be a bit on the risky side, especially when dropping it is totally unacceptable. Carrying more weight, as a brute exercise in moving goods, is not that hard. That's not the problem as such, it's safety factors when you're handling a mass of clinking vials bundled up in a roll of cloth. Then again, glass bottles, that's probably roughly a cubic foot of the stuff right there.

Dirt and Alfred could probably accomplish more this way: more strength and confidence in their own precision and physicality. The plants and fungi can also probably stand rougher handling. Probably.

OOC:

I would HOPE that Aburon and Dale have a realistic sense of how long it takes to move a large supply of dangerous materials, even when you're in a hurry.

Fiji_Fury · Post by **Fiji_Fury** » 2012-12-06 08:56am

"It's changed," Dale says, referring to the atmosphere. "Something is stirring within the ritual circle."

For a moment he's all anxiety and at a loss of what to do. A deep breath might normally steady his nerves, but given the foul chemicals in the air it won't do right now. He closes his eyes and attempts to feel the place rather than see it. For a moment, nothing happens. He can hear Larric in the background chiselling away at the stone cabinet, detect the tense foul air and feel fully the uncertainty in his own mind. Then some calm comes back to him and an idea pops into his mind.

"Oh Great Lord, Sheppard of the Night, restless spirits are chained to this place. Grant me your blessing to undo their binding and end their misery."

Of course... he just said all this in Shadowspeak (6).

He opens his eyes and heads into the tower, not waiting to think about things. This process is going to be something else. Dale ignores the Druid for now and begins to scan the interior for the bindings of tortured or wrathful spirits. The headdress is a prime consideration, as are the skeletal remains bound into the ritual circle.

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-12-06 09:30am

That brings another set of memories flooding into place. Hunting something, a seed of death, a particle, a fragment of the original- although there is a strange amber glow around the edges of the mental picture- is this future rather than past, or is it both?

A similar prayer- and a similar answer. Not to free and escort on, but to destroy- the thing not to be dealt with as a lost sheep, but as a wolf. Put down, caused to cease to be, without pity or mercy.

(The wolves do object to this metaphor, by the way.)

Someone- not sure if it's the druid or the patron, what echoes of him (probably) can still achieve lucidity from time to time, saying; the cruelty of the Towers extended well within their own ranks. The mage who set the outpost up would have balanced and strengthened the circle with the trapped spirits of their own less favoured apprentices; probably the ones who showed least artistry in sacrificing and binding the workmen to the rest of it. It'll be their skeletons in the circle.

The regalia is mountain work, though; the crown to understand the circle, the staff to control, the shield to protect against. Crown's dangerous, staff's pointless, shield might come in handy.

Then it definitely is the druid who says 'You take the one on the right, I'll take the one on the left, meet you in the middle.' Actions?

Kaelan · Post by **Kaelan** » 2012-12-06 02:37pm

Dirt feels a swelling of nostalgia on seeing inside the chest, looks just like grandma's cooking larder. Seeing the quantity of goods that we need to move, and Larric's woefully small cloth for the task he lays down the door (Shield), moving Fifi off it.

"Tray. Put on, we carry. Sort out when away from boom."

Then, with some regret, he tips out the contents of his pack to make space for the bio matter.
"Don't ask",
as several suspect skull, flute thin white bones and special 'packets' bounce away along with the rest of the 'useful' and interesting nick-naks that ogres tend to acquire in travelling. He then proceeds with packing up the fungi into the pack using his gardening expertise to keep them from coming into contact with each other, or anybodies flesh.

"When we go, Alfred 'n' Me take door. you take fifi"

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-06 02:53pm

Larric recoils from the skulls and isn't even thinking about the bone flutes.

"That's... that's a good idea. Thank you."

He looks at the carnivorous plant. "Hm. I wonder if you'd care for some aired phosphorus... Have to see to that later." He assists in loading up the giant tray-shield, making sure the glass containers are as balanced and stabilized as they can be- small vials propped between large ones, which are in turn chocked using anything handy that happens to be square or triangular.

Kaelan · Post by **Kaelan** » 2012-12-06 04:22pm

On seeing Larric's reaction to the skulls,
"No worry. Elf head from before cave. Can get another later. Maybe bad thing here have better skull."

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-12-07 07:14am

That's a good plan; works quite well, apart from that Grandma's cooking larder probably didn't contain quite so many poly-horriblanes; sorting all of this lot out, figuring out what is what and what it does, is going to be interesting. The- glass and cork stoppered- bottles mostly fit on the door- shield, but some of them are going to have to go in the pack too. The fungi smell strange- as only to be expected really- but they cover the entire spectrum from actually quite sweet and flowery to month old meat.

No cockups during loading, there is that- the plant pot is surprisingly heavy, and Fifi looks- without visible eyes, remember- at Larric, looks at Dirt, looks back at Larric, hisses at the fungi. She may be slightly jealous. (She also has two unspent XP, by the way.)

So, you've got a door full of heavy, toxic chemicals, seems to be working so far, various bits- the bone flutes and the like could prove useful as battens to stop them rolling off, actually- wedging them on, and sounds of mayhem from the tower.

Good idea, that. Fiji_Fury, what are you doing or trying to do? You're faced with a chained skeleton that has risen to its' feet and seems to be trying to conduct the tides of power in the circle, and something very odd, thaumaturgically speaking, happening on the other side- but not explosive, at least.

Fiji_Fury · Post by **Fiji_Fury** » 2012-12-07 09:05am

On a note regarding the shield: pick it up. The senese that it could be useful is as good as making the decision for Dale.

As for the skeletal ritual-bound minion... nothing cautious here. Dale steps toward it and swings the shield two-handed in an arc that begins on the inside of the circle and ends about two feet past the skeleton toward the outside of the circle. Subltety be damned.

Option A - the skeleton is physically smacked away from the ritual and somewhat from the tides of power in the circle; follow up with with a sword strike (the non-magical one; that murder-blade doesn't seem quite right for this to Dale) that is imbued with life energy (Life-4). Since it's undead, Dale suspects that such concentrated energy will be harmful to its thaumaturgical being.

Option B - the skeleton doesn't budge and begins to react in some other way; drive a "spear" of life energy through the skeleton.

Option C - uh... better see what happens and make it up on the fly.

Preping for phase II: become away of the energies/mystical bonds between the skeleton and the ritual circle. Assault those bonds. First though, let's see what the Captain America moment results in.

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-12-07 09:53am

It's a good idea in principle; could and should work- but it doesn't quite manage to work first time, because the shield is acted on, is pushed and twisted by the tides of the circle, and trying a full swing is like hitting the incoming tide with a board trying to beat it back- the thing is almost jerked out of your hand by the turbulence.

The skeleton mage believes it's a credible threat, though; tries to move out of the way as far as its' fetters will let it, tries to summon up a torrent of tormented energy to bash the shield aside- when Dale has to pull the blow short to regain control of it, the skeleton tries to turn that torrent into an attack.

It's not a good move, though; a wild and uncoordinated splashing of energies as the torrent follows it's own rules and not the skeleton's- and an ebb in the tide as the surge moves away that gives Dale a clear shot and a second chance.

Skeleton steps back, but not fast enough- the edge of the shield catches it in the thighbone, there's a splintering crack and a cloud of white and grey released into the wash of magic; it's hurt- steps back trying to ward you off with one hand, reaches into the circle for power to remake itself with the other.

caught in the tide is the best way to describe it, being in the circle, actually; below the surf- line, pushed and battered in all directions at once; and it tingles. Irregularly, eratically, but there's enough power to turn you into a little pink cloud if it was mastered and focused properly. Next action?

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-07 01:25pm

Larric attempts to make soothing noises at the plant. "There, there. We'll be out of here soon."

He turns to Dirt and Sir Alfred, checking the loading and trying to make sure nothing's been mis-stored. Presumably, we three will be backing out shortly with the chemicals.

Fiji_Fury · Post by **Fiji_Fury** » 2012-12-08 11:20am

Oh crap. Well I'm committed now.

Use my own Motion (4) to help steady myself. Draw my sword and try striking at the skeleton to break it up more. Key targets include: the outstretched hand, it's head, it's collarbone. Start with the hand.

If there is a surge toward the skeleton I'll push the shield off of it and ride the tide into the attack. If there is a surge away from the skeleton, I'll shield myself from a possible counter-attack.

Kaelan · Post by **Kaelan** » 2012-12-09 11:38am

OCC

ECR has been in touch, and his internet\phone is down until wednesday. He'll try to get onto another network and post prior to then, but he doesn't want to feel as though he's ignoring the posts.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-09 12:59pm

OOC:

That's fine. And let me just say [glances at Dale] it is such a relief not to be center stage this time!

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-12-10 08:36am

Well, I'm at the public library, and while, yay, I wish I'd remembered to bring my dice- (improvises random number generator by drawing grid on back of library ticket, closes eyes and points at random, remembers the existence of online dice rolling software on the way)-

there has already been a surge towards it, that's how dale got the second attack in; it's chained, can't do too much dancing out of the way. The sword connects, splinters and splits one of the thing's ribs but does not shatter entirely- and the skeleton combines defence, regeneration and counterattack by trying to draw the magic of the sword in, to defeat and incorporate it.

If the surges of magic were put into words (and remember it is going to be lying, exaggerating and boasting for its' pseudo-life), it would be something along the lines of "Hah! Can't you do better than that, you swelling, you pus- filled, squishy thing, temporary excresence upon the world? Playing with a power you have no mastery over, beyond your comprehension; lost and forgotten follower of a god that cannot face its' own futility, flapping and fumbling at something you cannot grasp.

We know death; we are death, become and overcome. We know the meaning of man. Give me that- you cannot wield it, floppy child, it is too noble for a bandit lurking in the undergrowth waiting to ambush travellers therough the Gates of Eternity. Give me that.'

Have to get the reply in a bit, sessions here are really short. The really annoying thing is that my broadband and landline are by two separate providers; one of them can find a line fault, one's oblivious. Guess which is which? (Something else to sort out after the actual thing is done.)
So, apart from proving that dealing with telephone companies makes me think of undead and human sacrifice, I might be back later- I'm off to buy a wi-fi tablet.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-10 11:17am

...I thought he was striking with a non-magical sword. I am confused.

Panzersharkcat · Post by **Panzersharkcat** » 2012-12-10 05:46pm

He decides hammers do better against bony stuff and puts the items he was moving, if he was doing that, down and heads to help Dale out. He goes for the leg.

(OOC: Sorry. Busy, partly with the whole post-apocalyptic neo-Byzantine empire in Fallout Europe dossier I'm doing and trying to do story based on Seven Samurai, which I need to get around to watching. Also, dice roller from Wizards of the Coast.)

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-12-10 06:28pm

Larric's eyes go wide:

"If I try to take that end of the door I'll rupture myself; let's at least get it all out of the mound!"

[Assuming Sir Alfred cooperates at least that far, Larric and Dirt (and Rohal?) can move back and forth fairly quickly shuttling the cargo, while Alfred goes in to help. That gets things out into the open air, easier to see what you're doing and more elbow room so you're less likely to trip over things or bump into someone while carrying hazardous waste.

Fiji_Fury · Post by **Fiji_Fury** » 2012-12-10 07:55pm

OOC: A few things to set straight before we go completely whacky and start SMASHING things.

Dale's combat with the skeleton is taking place within the center of the black tower (based at the edge of the ritual circle in fact). All of you are still outside the tower, so while you may have a sense & sounds of combat coming to you, you can't see anything directly. Furthermore, Dale is using his non-magical sword, but was channeling life-energy through it (perhaps using faulty reasoning that life energy would be harmful to the undead). Given this, the response posted by ECR is still consistent with the intended and actual actions taken thus far. It really would be best to get all those chemicals and nasty things out and away from the mound before hurrying back to help Dale in the fray.

IC: Well, shit. The effectiveness of that attack was less than inspiring. Next action will be to strike again with the blade, ditching the attempt to channel power through it. (Larric would recognize this process in an intellectual fashion as trial and error observation, attempting to test alternate hypotheses regarding how best to damage the creature. So far the shield smash is definitely in the lead). Effort will be taken to interpose the shield between any damaging energies and Dale himself, and if necessary he'll abandon an attack to do so.

On a positive note though... the thing is trying to taunt me? Not bloodly likely.

Using Shadowspeak (6) Dale will respond (maybe this will confer some sort of morale or other penalty to my enemy, maybe it will boost my own strength or maybe it will be wasted effort; the damn skeleton has one thing right: Dale has no mastery here and cannot fully grasp how best to destroy it):
"Deluded words from a mere minion bound to this circle for eternity. You claim to be death, but your fear of the beyond chains you here and has warped you into this pitiful form. Trapped. Abandoned. Obscure. Impotent." With that... smashy smashy. Drive it onto the defensive again.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Homebrew system thread II, part 2

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