This is a non-Campaign to Test Stuff

Game Master Tacticslion

*votes for Flock.* Because they have wings like bats.

Robert knows about it. I don't like lying to people. I'm also brutally honest in RL.

I work on ignoring the "brutal" and going with the "honest" myself. :D

In-character, though, I enjoy playing tricksters - predominantly, one supposes, because I am not one IRL. It's similar to why I love playins assassin-style characters and wizards - I like the idea of those sorts of things, but I'm hardly either terribly sneaky or a genius (nevermind my persistent inability to conjure reality into different shapes by waving hands and muttering lines)...

It's one of the reasons illusionists are fun, if you don't enforce the rather bizarre Paizo rulings of weird magic glowy thingies. If you do, though... they are terrible.

Of course, a really honest illusionist is also fun, and even honest people can still use the Bluff skill to rather great effect...

Speaking of, IRL-comparison, I'd suggest that TKD emphasizes a combination of Bluff and Intimidate along with its martial forms - continuously, we're told things like, "don't let the opponent see that you're tired" and, "make sure you seem really frightening - you can win the battle more easily when they're attacks are less steady" which, actually, is pretty solidly within those two skill-sets, and require neither lying nor bullying (two of my personal greatest troubles with the Bluff and Intimidate skills).

if were going with wings, it really should be a 'murder' like crows, that's absolutely wonderful, but you see, poor 'eternal seed' nor 'The Lady' have wings, neither does Usawoti, so a flock or murder just won't do.

hey, at least it's not 'kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out.' Was there a plan in there? I still looks like the mad ravings of a lunatic avoiding work.

The basics of one, yeah... a bit.

I need to get Inarus on track.

What track is that? I though you said you didn't have a plan! XD

"What would be the outcome then, if we divided the layers power between all 3 of us?" Inarus asks the voice.

He still thinks this guy knows everything, or worse yet that were keeping anything other than the key and the 'troop'

You're not? ;D

I don't do illusionists. The nature of what you get on an illusion being so much of GM Fiat makes me uneasy. I like things that are less fuzzy, more concrete. I dislike adjudicating illusions as well, not knowing where the line is.

That being said there's some cheese involving minor image duplicating obscuring mist, and you yell to your allies until they see through it. I stubbornly refuse to have anything to do with that stuff.

I try to have as little things to do with GM Fiat as possible, since my previous experiences have been anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong.

I too, am a trickster of sort but my tricks tend to have a rather lethal edge to them. We are the sum of our experiences, afterall.

hey, at least it's not 'kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out.' Was there a plan in there? I still looks like the mad ravings of a lunatic avoiding work.

I need to spell check better:

(A GM's role is to always laugh at players' plans... ;D)

In reference to my own plan "It looks like the mad ravings of a lunatic avoiding work" Because I'm sitting here typing at my desk at work...

I need to get Inarus on track.

Inarus wrote:

"What would be the outcome then, if we divided the layers power between all 3 of us?" Inarus asks the voice.

He still thinks this guy knows everything, or worse yet that were keeping anything other than the key and the 'troop' For lack of better words. What do you call a group made up of Mephits, dragons, a band of sentient walking fungus and emotional jewelry? Other than a troop...

The plan: get the bird, get the key, get out of town ;)

So the reason I like flock, just a little bit, an old Joke from "Lethal Weapon" When the Gibson and Glover characters were leaving the 'bad guys' lair.

"What did the first priest say to the second one?"
"Let's get the flock out of here"

Now I need to start thinking about actually posting in a game or two...

What do you think Mort? Head back the way we came and find an exit, or someone take the deal? Usawoti would head back and search for an exit. He doesn't believe that the 'oracles' options are the only valid ones.

Head back the way we came to find the exit. Whether the oracle knows everything or not is not consequential. On the offhand the oracle is right, the consequences will be too serious. I don't want to take that risk.

IF we really get stuck then I guess we come back again.

If you really want to do the power of the level thing, either I take it, or we do a 3-way split.

Good night! I'm out! Please discuss!

(Also, bear in mind, just because you don't accept the deal doesn't mean everyone's getting out of here... muwahahahah... >:D)

Urg. Super sick yesterday and when o wasn't had little Internet or was I. The car. Sorry! Hopefully I'll update tonight!

(Hoping to have more sleep tonight - Il at three hours so far, but I just woke up and realized I had t posted, so I'm scrambling to add something. Sorry!

Urg. Super sick yesterday and when o wasn't had little Internet or was I. The car. Sorry! Hopefully I'll update tonight!

(Hoping to have more sleep tonight - Il at three hours so far, but I just woke up and realized I had t posted, so I'm scrambling to add something. Sorry!

it's cool, Inarus wants to know everything the 'hedonist oracle' knows. 'Hedonist oracle' is that a new archetype I smell? Their curse? They can't say 'NO'

it's cool, Inarus wants to know everything the 'hedonist oracle' knows.

Not a bad pro-strat as far as that goes...!

'Hedonist oracle' is that a new archetype I smell? Their curse? They can't say 'NO'

D-... dang it, Robert... th-that archetype is... c-... canon'd. Now. Thanks to you.

>:I

For the record, just because the NPC is making noises as if you were leaving is not the GM pushing you out the door or even presuming you're walking, yet. That is me responding to the tone in Usawoti's post. You may feel free to talk more, or even institute the flex-time mechanic.

The flex-time mechanic goes like this:

Player: "Man, I wish my character was still talking to <NPC>. So let's make that happen!"

Continued Conversation with NPC:

At that one time my PC was speaking with Loony McWeirdo...

PC: "What do you mean the Dodgers are going to lose? I say the Bears are going to lose!"

Current time...

Yeah, man, I sure am glad we're watching the big game! Man! What a weird conversation with that oracle dude(tte) about it!

... then...

Continued Conversation with NPC and that one Player:

At that one time your PC was speaking with Loony McWeirdo...

NPC: "Who will win? Let me think. Hmmm... da Bears. Yah, still da Bears."

Current time...

Bottom of the ninth, bases are loaded, and the Dodgers are two-down and up to bat! The ball is pitched hard, and the batter swings, and <snipped for spoilers>

... and so on. Or, if you're both interested, you can continue as you are, or both go back to talk more, or pretty much whatever you want! :D

Reading through and digesting, will answer prolly on train/at work.

Ok, just read the in game post, need to think about it, reread it and post. That should happen later tonight. But three things come to mind.

1) Great Post!

2) Thirteenth level ain't nearly high enough.

3) Oh crap, Oh crap, were all gonna die!

Also it disturbs me greatly that you reference two sports teams from two different sports; seemingly that Inarus and Usawoti, and by extension their team are playing one game, and the tower/'hedonist' oracle are playing a separate game.

I guess the good news is that both then can be winners and the best in their choice of games.... but I don't think so...

Do you think we are going to have any descendents, Usawoti? Otherwise we could ignore the threat to our descendents bit.

I don't think I'm going to be having a clutch of eggs or something...

Do you think we are going to have any descendents, Usawoti? Otherwise we could ignore the threat to our descendents bit.

I don't think I'm going to be having a clutch of eggs or something...

I think Usawoti always wanted to get married and settle down eventually... his plan was to return to his people and tell his story, I was considering having Navarre be his descendant... Maybe he has a little bundle of joy back in the Quah he doesn't know about...

Mwah... hah... hah.

>:D

I've a feeling turning our back on this level might bite us in the back later.

I don't doubt it at all, but we can't stay, or at least Usawoti is not willing to do what it takes to appease the 'oracle' and he doesn't want anyone else too!

lets go back, we know where the door is for the level we came in, lets go to the second level and find it's door.

edit: go ahead and get any information you want, but lets not stay!

If it gets us the key to the end I don't think it's a bad idea...

Shucks locate object isn't on shaman spell list. Else if we know how the key looks like we can locate object it and probably get hit by another hammer.

well ask it will get us a key before you make any rash decision. The plan was to get to the center shaft, find the bird, get the key, leave the tower, leave the dimension. It still sounds like a good plan...

edit:for being CG your worrying an awful lot about a place we are, for a lack of better terms, raiding!

It's the G speaking. Do you want needless creatures killed/corrupted?

And it cant' be a raid when there's no lewt...

ok, a house is burning down, you tell everyone to leave, they ignore you, and their too big for you to forcibly pick up and carry out... That's what were talking about. It refuses to leave, if it stays and gets eaten, not my problem!

There is a key, we know there is a key, the GM told us there is a key...

But what if you could just put out the fire? Then no one would have to leave right?

Daggum, do I love this stuff. You guys rock.

Good night!

But what if you could just put out the fire? Then no one would have to leave right?

The whole machine is the fire.

It's made to feed off of sin, it's made to inject sentient creatures, into the area's to sin or be sinned upon, it doesn't care. It feeds off of the pain and suffering of sentient beings.

There is no place to escape the abuse of sin. This level only sins in such a way that no one is forced, so no one is hurt. But if this was the real world these actions would hurt people, destroy families, ruin communities. but here this level is so much less bad than everything else we've found that we forget it's still sin.

Issues we haven't even asked, what do all these creatures (in this level) eat? Or do they not eat? I'm not even asking the oracle or the GM that question...

Maybe think of it as a sinking ship...

Anyway, were not staying, stop thinking about it. No martyrs, chaotic good don't get to be Martyrs.

Hippies have to be dragged off by 'The LE Man.'

I don't think I'll let you drag me off for this. It's my life, afterall. And if a job needs to be done, it needs to be done. The power here will let you access the top level where you can make your way home. Better someone gets out, then no one at all. But I'll need to work on how to do it.

Technically outsiders like mephits don't need to eat or sleep.

I don't think I'll let you drag me off for this. It's my life, afterall.

huh? so does that mean your going to stay? That's a really bad idea... How are we supposed to wander to new places if your locked up here?

I'll do my time and maybe see you in a thousand years :)

Technically outsiders like mephits don't need to eat or sleep.

Don't tell our Mephits that!

Ok This is a really bad Idea! Whatever that bad GM told you, don't listen to him, I see those little spoilers with Inarus written on them, I know they make you feel special and you want to read them, ignore them, come on lets to get Shuvuu! Forget all this 'three layers' stuff!

I'll do my time and maybe see you in a thousand years :)

This is a bad idea! were officially changing your alignment. You don't get to be Chaotic Good any more, you've been demoted to Neutral Good!

I need to do some stuff with the bank, so probably later I'll put a post out on why I did what I did,then get to business.

but you will be bound to the tower, and fated to return, to stay until a cycle has passed

None of us are getting out unless I do this.

though your chosen bride will be forever barred from being here with you for reasons that cannot possibly yet be understood" Then, "and eventually, you will pass into obsolescence, and be destroyed or replaced, the sins so ancient as to predate your people eventually returning to reassert themselves

You'll be separated from Yeye, which obviously wouldn't be fair to you, and the ancient sins would come back.

but will instead bring a true and lasting change and will eventually permit a true transition from the sin of this device and the other three layers you are now a part of back into its intended virtue

I can change things for the better, I really can!

the way is sealed by that which rules and is ruled by this place and only by fulfilling its destiny may any pass beyond

The way ahead is sealed.

opening the gate on this level is part of the process of replacing the one who claimed the title of 'master' long ago"

Proceeding forward requires someone take up the mantle.

if you destroy the barrier we may be able to rebuild it in time but it will not matter - by the time it would be complete it would no longer serve its purpose

Everyone down here is going to die or get corrupted by another sin should I not do so.

it must be noted that if you actively oppose those who intend to do evil to you that you may wish to reconsider your reasons for leaving" it responds, wryly "as this layer in particular has now tasted you and will seek to haunt you or your descendants later

It's going to bite us in the back. Wouldn't be fair if something happened to your kids, would it, Usawoti?

"it came here as part of a pogrom to continue the will of an ancient human king it once respected - a king whose goals and desires were being corrupted by his own servants" it replies.
"unfortunately what had been done by seven hundred could not be undone by one no matter how much more powerful the one than even the mightiest seven"

Our predecessor tried to do good (and was pretty powerful), but got screwed over.

it fought this - in fact it worked very hard to negate its fate entirely" it notes, amused, "and yet to date all things that were revealed have been proven true

in truth" it says, "the harder it fought against its fate the tighter the loop of that fate and the more tightly it became bound by that fate until it became even more like the prophecy suggested than it would have been had it merely accepted it

The more you fight your destiny, the more it binds you. Resistance is futile.

this is the only way to open the path to your home

The key is the ticket home.

whatever will follow after me may easily learn of your existence from the eternal memory that this place holds of all that has happened inside of it and all who pass through its being - much less ones so influential as you three - and it is likely that whatever comes after me that discovers you will bend fate itself to conspire to bring you and/or your descendants to great violence harm evil corruption debasement or all of the above for its own ends

Further confirms that by not accepting we are d@mning them to an eternity of corruption, and we may trigger forces in pursuit of us.

however with each new layer you acquire your will to fight the sin will be removed one step at a time until you are no more than a puppet of that sin

Wading through various levels isn't going to do us any good and may well damn us in the end. We aren't getting any closer to the key that way.

it most certainly grants you enough authority to open the way to the deuteroterminal level - the level of second death - at the top of the shaft"
After a breath, "the key will most likely be found within that place - but perhaps there is another who will claim it first or who has opened the way with the blood of an innocent"

Taking up the mantle will give me the power to get to the place where we can get the key and the ticket home.

ok, first your whole assumption is that this thing knows what it's talking about... it's the ruler of a level of sin...

We can get to the middle through one of the other tunnels.

there was a plan: get to the middle, get the bird, get the key, get out, get home.

This only gets us to the middle, no further on our plan. But you won't be able to get out or go home.

we can do it some other way.

so how much are we going to talk in game?

I'll probably Declare intentions and get to it in next 1-2 posts.

We got to the middle, didn't get anywhere near the top, because we didn't have the power to get the key. Absorbing this level will allow us to get the elevator to bring us to where the key is. Then we can figure out how to get the key. After we get the key, you can go home. If we do as you suggest and wander the levels we risk getting corrupted, which I presume is a game over.

Oh fk. I lost my very long post. I'll wait till I get home to redo it I think. Oh wait, I found my post.

I heart you guys...

You see the issue is generally in PBPs, I take the attitude that everyone gets to go to hell in a gilded carriage if they choose to. You can certainly try to persuade the other party to change their mind, but any further I think people will get irritated.

Note no matter how irritated, I did not stop the halfling from climbing the wall. I even said you're welcome to - just don't expect me to follow you.

crap I had a list of questions and just cleared it. so I'll ask the last one and retype the others tomorrow.

So have either of you seen the movie Pandorum? When GM TL described how the beings were being described on the cold lust level it reminded me of something, it was one of those itches, I finally remembered what it was.

I decided that sentient beings being created on the other levels had to look like humans coming out of hypersleep, on the space ship.

If you've seen the movie, you'll know what I mean. If not, don't watch it, seriously, do not watch this movie...

Will post my lost questions in the morning.

I am not a Sci fi fan so I have not watched that movie, nor will I intend to.

I have not! But perhaps they do! (I dunno.)

But the film sounds vaguely like Event Horizon, a film that I have (unfortunately) seen - it's pretty terrible and I hate that I have it in my memory. But alas.

But, uh, I don't really use it to inspire stuff... blech.

Also, I'm a super-fan of sci-fi, but, uh... outside of "magic machine" this really doesn't have anything directly related, here. :)

Oh, and Inarus: just being clear, you can, in fact, leave these layers. You may move to pretty much anywhere within the layers and to the "shelf" areas that correspond to them in the shaft of the tower.

Outside of those, you may fly, normally, anywhere you otherwise could.

You do not have a "key" as you're patrons have been discussing it - instead, you've been given an amount of "security clearance" (as it were) that helps you do stuff or get access to things in the tower.

But in terms of plot, outside of establishing NPC stuff, you're aware that there's really not too much else going on.

Oh, something I forgot to mention: those ice elementals on the other side of the ice wall? They're actually acidic ice-mud-ooze elementals, infected by the sins of the two layers above this one - it's very likely that a "half dragon" (you've already seen that this can mean many things) will arise from there to challenge you at some point - though now that you are the half-dragon that has succeeded at inheriting the layer, it's no longer assured nor is it even likely that it will defeat you. After all, you, too, now have several layers' worth of power, and when it challenges you - and it will - it will no longer face an entity trapped by its own sin barely keeping its sanity and the lair together by force of slowly-eroding honor.

Also, previously, all the inhabitants of this layer had been bound, mentally, to one another - there had been the equivalent of a psychic gestalt with the previous master, making him not a "him" so much as a "them" - but there are now a host of newly-awakened individuals. They are willing to do as you would like, however, whatever that is. To be clear, they haven't developed "free" will, yet - they can't, really, develop it so long as they remain in this place: they are freed from their previous cycle (which was the method by which the previous master prevented descending to cruelty and wickedness) but they will never be more than extensions of your desires and those of the layers so long as they are here. Whether that is a good thing or not is up to you.

Further, though there was a limited amount of sustenance granted by the master of this layer during the eternal intercourse, the fact is that, yeah, the creatures eventually died of exhaustion, exposure, and starvation, melting away and becoming part of the layer's energy. With the Eternal Seed's garden, the fresh growths between flame/wrath and air/gluttony and your ability to create similar locations at will, your own ability to create limitless food and water (see your Su abilities, on the other page) and your ability to heal or grant rest (as well as lacking the forever-reinforcement of being frozen in nothing but eternal engagement with lust) any new creatures will have the ability to live, normally (well, for a given value of that word).

Feel free to ask questions.\

EDIT: Oh, and, in case you're wondering, why this part wasn't in spoilers, or whatever, some sense of this transfers through the gem that binds Usawoti and Inarus. Yup. That's it. >.>

Dang it, you two, why don't you just automatically adjust to my schedule so I can see you both interact real-time?!

/whining (for now)

;D

Also, I'll hooooooooooooooopefully (?) not be available after this. So... enjoy talking 'bout stuff!

... but I might post in discussion or make a small clarification or correction, if you notice something wrong (for a given value of "wrong").

** spoiler omitted **