Neri seemed visibly more upset at Sterling than made sense considering what little he'd said. "I'm going to head back up to the volcano, and investigate it a bit. Maybe there's something I missed due to being so tired. Then I'm going to investigate all of the places that don't try to kill me on approach. Anyone coming with?" He moved away from the table and headed for the door, "After the volcano, I mean. I'm fairly certain it'd kill me if not for my armor right now."
"No, I have better get back to my foundry or some of what I need done will take forever. "
I don't seem do have anyting better to do.
Kong steps over to Neri, and waits to accompany him.
Neri heads to the volcano (Compound J) and looks around.
Kong only goes as close as he feels reasonably comfortable...
Kong stops at the steps, the lava gives off heat like a blast furnace. And his armor is not set up for that.
Neri pokes around in the volcano, and is about to give up when he realizes the Lava that's flowing around the Dais has filled the large bowl as well. The lava in there seems to be under his control. After a few minutes of experimentation, he realizes that the Lava can take the shape of any of the places he's been. So he can see the valley with the compounds in 3D in the lava. It doesn't appear to be real time, as he can't see individuals moving around unless he wills them to move. But he can expand down in full detail to anything he's seen. Looking at places he hasn't seen results in a blurry mess. It suddenly occurs to him that this would work great to plot out either construction... or for plotting out battles.
Neri came back out. "Lava-based sandcastles." he explained. "I can design things in the bowl that no one else gets to see because it's too hot. Would be great if we could use it for something, but all it really does is let me better visualize things."
And onward they went from compound to compound.
"Thanks for coming along, Kong. Was nice to not have to be -as- worried. That just leaves finding something to carry a lot of water in, so we can go back to the mountain and get more than our fill. Magical healing water probably has a lot of uses.. and spending the next however-many-days getting clothing we can actually use."
I'll be takink zome healing vater vith us.
Upon searching the area a bit further, you find that the wall of lava also moves some when you attempt to make it move. You find several small 'pockets' in the lava, like storage bins. In one you find 10 blank runestones. Another leads to a hallway, at the end of which is a room with a bed, a table, and a dresser, all made of stone. There's also a bathtub with steaming water in it in a small side area. No towels, not that you'd need one. The temperature in the living area is about 90, instead of 150.
Sterling is poking around in the library, and finds that the books, while need and with little numbers on the end, don't appear to be stored in any particular order, or at least, not one that he can make sense of. The little book of notes on the books doesn't appear to be organized either. One book listed with a number is about cooking, the one under it is about insects from the desert. Glancing through the book shows that the library seems to have books on a wide range of subjects, but finding any one specific book is a nightmare, given the numbers aren't in order, and there's no 'sectioning' in the library. It might take days to track down a single specific book.
Assured Skill (Ex)
In times of need, you're virtually assured success when using skills. As a free action before you roll a skill check, you can expend one use of mythic power to roll that skill check twice, take the higher result, and add your tier to the total.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22Perception: 30
After a short time of waiting Luna headed to the tavern, It wasn't safe but it was better than what she had. She'd move to some place she could hide with easy if needed unless stopped.
While thumbing through the third 'index' book in the pile, you happen across the title 'A Breef Hystore of Melcanath'. There's a red dot next to it. You haven't seen a red dot next to anything else in the book. It has a number of 283.
After a few minutes in the tavern, and getting a drink, Luna ends up being all but ignored by the patrons while she sits in the corner.
Sterling frowns. I hope this is what I think it is. He begins a methodical search for the book
Jacob watched the activity about the makeshift town with skepticism. Something right out of a dream, and yet... The feelings were too real, the personalities too complex, and the ramifications too foreboding. It's as if some god dropped us here as an experiment.
While most of the group ran about molding metal and concocting elixirs, Jacob honed his bonds with the people of the inn. He told stories, learned the basics of the lute, and tried to make himself useful. In truth, the unmotorized natures of his home and natural surroundings gave him a surreal ease here.
But what am I really accepting?
If he bought into Sterling's view, it was reality - "new" or otherwise. The metal of his chain link vest and rapier were certainly real as was the beard he was starting to grow. But what happened to earth then? The island? Drake? Those were questions he couldn't answer, for now. He tried not to dwell on them.
Somewhat foreboding as well was a second consciousness that seemed to be welling-up within him, a mentality that provided intuition at worst and uncanny skills at best. Jake could somehow read a text in symbols he had never seen before when he walked into Kong's lair, and when trying to describe what he'd read, it was as if he were speaking in tongues. Similar phenomena were present throughout the group, so they didn't unnerve him too much.
Eschewing the implements of war most of the party seemed occupied with, Jacob wandered into Harry's compound to see how he felt about things. "Alaska is about as survivalist a place as you can get. How do you feel about our odds here?"
Luna took the drink more to stop waiters from bothering her than anything else, after what happened she wasn't quick to trust this food. She played with her rolled up whip as she watched the tavern trying to think of her next step to get home.
The next four weeks go by quickly for everyone. Harry's foundries are kept busy fabricating weapons and armor and ammunition. Sterling is squirreled away in his mansion and mutters about either finding something or toward the end is annoyed at idiot authors when he does talk.
At the end of the four weeks, Harry has his bow and arrows, Sterling his bolts, and Neri his lighter armor and smaller weapon.
Kong makes short forays into the woods, taking anyone who wants to go...anxious to at least get to know the immediate area. He always keeps 1 Mage Armor and 5 Cure Light potions on him, once he can get them.
He's no hunter, but he'll try for anything that presents itself as a possible easy target, over this time. He's not sure how real the food he gets at the inn really is...not that he's sure about the animals...
Neri helps out in the forge for half of his waking hours, and spends the other half getting to know people. He loans his stones to anyone that has even a passing interest in magic, though he uses his personification stone to clean everyone up at the end of each work day.
More so than anything but the forging Neri tries to learn about everyone around him, whether they can leave the compounds or not.
Luna would spend most of the daylight hours exploring further and further into the woods, joining kong whenever offered, she pushed the others do the same and leave this place. She avoided her apartment building and stayed at the inn at night and refused to eat the first day until hunger won on the next and she ate the taverns food. If there was any other bathing option available she would reject Neri's stone cleaning as well.
Luna always kept her bag that she entered this world with on her person even when she went into the forest, if she was able to get preserved or non perishable foods she would keep them in the bag for when they leave.
Those who explore the nearby woods find that the woods look perfectly normal, and animals seem to stay away from the lake area. The lake has fish such as bass and perch in it, for those who want to try fishing as opposed to inn food. It's also clean enough to swim and bathe in.
The small salt water area with sharks turns out to be even more dangerous than thought, as there is a large armored plated squid that lives in the salt water lake as well, and can reach out beyond the water, so it seems more real than the folks in the buildings.
What few animals the group finds around the clearing tend to be reversed. That is, carnivores are seen eating plants, while herbivores are rapacious predators. Omnivores seem unchanged, although those with meat preferences normally have reversed to plant preferences, and vice versa.
The inhabitants of the compounds seem to be able to leave whenever they want, but they vanish when they do. Later they'll return, as if they had gone home for the night, or to work, or what have you. The compound inhabitants seem to be every day normal folk for their mind set. Tavernkeepers, farmers, foundry workers, housekeepers. Occassionally one of the people in another compound will travel to the Inn for a drink or for dinner, this is semi-common for Harry's foundry workers, especially on people's birthdays.
Lumpy did not sleep well that night after reading the book. He tossed and turned, to much to deal with in his head. In the morning, Lumpy's mood did not improve in the morning. There could be a way back.
Sterling wrestled with telling the others what he learned. It was apparent to him that they were in deep state of denial. And they didn't seem to trust or believe what he had to say on the subject of this world. No. It would be better to keep things to myself.
Lumpy would go to the inn looking for the hunter that warned of dragons to appear again. He spent all his free time in Jacob's inn brooding in a mug of ale, waiting for her to appear. Hoping, at every opening of the inn's door.
It takes several days, the woman only comes in every few weeks, usually with something dead slung over her back that ends up on the menu that night.
Eventually though she comes in. You've found out her name is Tamarla. The bartender waves at her, then points at Sterling. "Sir Lumpkin wanted to see you." He tells her as he takes the two dear haunches she slams down on the counter.
The woman raises an eyebrow, and looks over at Sterling. "What do you need?"
Lumpy stick out his hand and smiles. I'm Sterling Lumpkin. I'm the local Alchemist. I didn't know your name, but I asked about the attractive canny hunter, and everyone knew who I was talking about. Lumpy smiles warmly then moves to a corner table.
You know my mansion? It has an extensive, yet disorganized library. I've read some revelatory things. And you. Sterling pauses and points gently at her You are different from these others. There is something special about you. Sterling shakes his head and chuckles softly
Sounds like a pick up line...Not that I wouldn't... Lumpy looks down then looks back into her eyes Can you help me with some answers?
Mythic Power
Diplomacy Check:34
The woman looks at Sterling, and grins. "Sorry, spoilers. Nice try though, if I were anyone else, it would have worked too." She pats Sterling on the hand. "Good eye though. You can ask questions. There's not many I can answer. I don't even remember most of the answers myself." She shrugs. "As long as I get to keep hunting, I'm happy. It's all I ever wanted to do."
Sterling places his hand on hers patting. You've told me volumes already. Sterling leans back and shakes his head with a smile. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Besides, my stolen companions treat everything I say with denial and skepticism. Maybe that’s for the better.
Sterling offers her some gum he created in the lab. Tastes like bubblegum...sort of Sterling chews for several long moments Your idea of heaven as a reward? The question was rhetorical, and Sterling quickly follows up. Seriously, none of you guys figured that instructions chiseled on the cave exit wall might have come in handy?
The woman looks at the chewing gum, and waves it off. "Looks like someone scraped out a deer's bladder and left it to dry." She says with a shudder. She blinks. "Heaven? Cave wall? Don't like caves. No deer."
After spending almost a month interacting with the NPCs (those who have interacted with them), you've discovered that at times they have almost a split personality. Sometimes almost but not quite getting that the PCs are not who the NPCs think they are, but it usually flashes out after a moment or two. Almost like they rewind to just before the recognition.
Luna spent her time trying to make a map of the area slowly making her way further and further out.
Still avoiding her apartment Luna would be in the tavern currently trying to take some of the food outside to see if it vanished.
Luna has found that the food that is generally available in the tavern vanishes when you go out the door.
Food made from the critters that Tamarla brings in, on the other hand, can be taken outside.
[ooc] Mythic Power
Sterling arches his eybrow. He snaps his fingers in front of her face. Stay focused. Where can I find Barrius? he asks forcefully
The woman frowns as Sterling snaps his fingers in her face. She stands up, and throws her drink in his face. "A&*@*+%, if you want Miss Luna, she's right over there." The woman huffs. "Don't go flirting with me to try to make her jealous, or whatever weird thing you're doing... I don't care who you are." The woman stomps out of the inn.
HAHAHAHAHA! The thought sneaks into her train of thought. I'd pay to see that again...
Lumpy seems deep in thought. The evaporating drink is cool on his face. He looks up at Luna. His blank expression provides no clue as to what he's thinking. He gets up in a swift motion and strides to Luna. We'll leave in the morning. I may be able to fulfill my promise to you. I'll tell the others.
Luna's small smirk disappears as Lumpy looks at her.
"Finally, we can move."
Luna went to gather her things including any non perishable foods she could gather.
Kong walks in and glances at Sterling...Huh?
Harry will get his kit together, and be ready to move.
He will be taking 20 each of durable arrows of:
cold iron
silver
normal
blunt
Since he didn't have time to get better armor, he'll just keep wearing the boat anchor (chain mail).
Each time that someone gave Neri credit for something that he hadn't done, he corrected them, only accepting things when they were things he actually had done. He even pointed out when they said he was acting strange that it was because he was a different person than who they thought he was.
Neri had helped to make an ordinary chain shirt for himself, and after having things explained to him thoroughly, he wound up going with a starknife; what it lacked in power, it made up for in utility and weight.
He kept both the sword and the breastplate in his room when he wasn't using it, and consistently thought about training to use both better; but it just seemed like wasted effort when everything else was so much easier.
Sterling was one of the first to the Inn in the morning. He comes prepared. A bandoleer of reagents to create quick bombs. A belt of leather encased class tubes with assorted liquids and powders. He carries a large wooden case with a large shoulder strap. He wears a backpack filled with the other assorted gear. He watches quietly as the rest of the group filters in.
So, we are ready. I Recommend we go back to our birthing cave first. We didn't really examine it because of the freakout factor. I'd like to leave a message on the cave wall, for any who might show up while we're out.
"I'd prefer to just clear out the cave as best we can, as well. And to collect some of the water. No sense in leaving a place people get randomly dropped full of things that will try to kill them. The water's useful, too."
I'd much rather go out looking for a city...ve know vhere ve came from...I sink ve need to know if anyting iss...real...here.
Kong looks for reactions...