Dungeon World - Strom's Six (Inactive)

Game Master Infernal Zero

Lore: Winter isn't the same as winter. Lincolyn has a magically inept babysitter. #IceQueenShade
Treasure:A book I can SL Lincoln's next stop with.
Notable threat: golem swarm 9000? I dunno about this one...

Alignment:Spur another to greater things through prophecy and hidden knowledge.
Notably, the attempt was made, but I'm not sure MWG really benefited from my efforts. There might have been some stuff with the phase glove...

Bonds
I think we saw the laughing man with the failed attempt to save "the funny one" I think that might fit the given portend if it results in a mascot npc.

In any case, Elena's bond needs to be replaced. "The knave of quills, a man of many hats. It would seem Yizid has a lot to contribute to our efforts."

As long as that's three or more, that'll get nonna to level two... INT to 17, and the move know-it-all. People following my advice gain +1, and I gain xp if you succeed.

MWG missed two rolls, so 2 XP there.

He didn't have any Bonds, since he just met everyone.

Alignment : he's been trying to guide y'all from an extreme position (kill Lincoln) to a middle way, but so far no luck.

I'd have to echo the Herald's answers on the "group" questions, so 3 XP there.

Total = 5 XP, no level-up. :(

MWG, now's the time to write some bonds based on your first impressions of people. Go ahead and add them as you interact. I think you have a max of 4 bonds that you can have - that's how many most classes get.

If you have more ideas for a single person than you do for the group in general, then you can write several bonds with one person as well.

It's a good idea to get some bonds. They're important for Aid/Interfere and getting XP.

I think Herald is onto something here,

Though for lore I think whatever Fizzy is about to tell us about the red thing and "Adventuring is nothing like in the books!"

Definitely used magic to aid my new friends

I wonder if Elena would let me play with some of her toys.
The Winter Herald does magic differently from me. How cool! We should have tea and discuss magic sometime.-NOPE

The way Bikke talks is incomprehensible to me. I will have to find a way to communicate with him-It would appear that we are speaking...this was a poor bond Replace with. Bikke and I will write the story of our adventures together. Time for the fist one!

Grom bought me a yummy drink once. One I have never tasted before. I will have to find him something yummy that he has never tried before-nope

+5 means a level when combined with my failed rolls

Also took Alarm and Arcane Ward.

Counterspell is more interesting but since Fizzy only did combat and did not encounter and spells it makes sense he would learn to protect himself better. Same thing with alarm

If you ask me, a book isn't what I'd call a memorable treasure. For the Winter Herald, maybe it is. And the horde of golems isn't notable in my or Bikke's opinion. We did learn a lot about the world, though, so I'll mark 1 XP from that.

My bond with Elena is out of the picture it seems. Likewise with the ones with Gromroir (Loopy said to mark XP from those, so I did). That leaves me with my bond with the Herald:

Tha granny o' winter be a land lubber. Old salt, but a land lubber nonet'eless. Care be taken tha' she won't boss around Bikke just because o' 'er mileage.

Me and the Herald didn't have much interaction, so I'm going to keep this as is, unresolved for now. That leaves me with three fresh bonds:

Shiver me timbers, me beauty Terry's saved me life more times 'an one. And tha' cure for hangover, too! Bikke oughta repay this somehow, an' fin'out 'ftha animal trick works fer a shark!

Arr, Fizzy be a sheep-brained, midget rascal-of-a-mage. Me 'n' me rough styles will show'im a good ol' pirate prank, too. Tha future generations be laughin' wit' me humor once tha log gets its writin'!

Arr, Yizid has a famili-arr looks on 'em: this ain't tha first time me's seen tha' clam-tongued scurvy dog...

As for my alignment, I didn't defeat any worthy foes. Bah.

Oh, we get to level up? I have 9 XP, so sure.

I take Multiclass Dabbler, and grab a move from the Bard.

A Port in the Storm
When you return to a civilized settlement you’ve visited before, tell the GM when you were last here. They’ll tell you how it’s changed since then.

Terestria? Can you actually talk like a person when you're transformed? Be understood by everyone and stuff? Because I swear you used to change back when you wanted to talk to someone, but you seem to be just launching right into conversation regardless of form at the moment. It's messing with me.

That's a good question. I think Terestria would talk in an animal-accented voice when transformed, it's magic!

I definitely think she spoke as a bear. But I'm happy for you to make the call based on the animal. A mammal is one thing, but maybe it's a stretch to say a beetle could communicate freely?

Fine for "It's magic" to hold right now. There'll be some explanation. We can delve into this later, if you want to. Just know when you establish a rule for your magic, I expect it to be adhered to.

--------------------

Feel free to keep interacting, but I might not be up to updating here for a bit. I've been informed...well, it's yesterday now over here, but my grandma died. I only found out late in the day, and...I'm not quite feeling myself at the moment.

I've no idea how long this'll be affecting me for. I just that it will, and that I have no idea when it'll boil over for me. So...fair warning.

I'll chip in for littler stuff when I'm up to it, but yeah - it might be a while before the next bigger update.

I'll be ready when you're up for it. Doesn't matter when that is.

I'm sorry to hear of the loss.

For the questions, I only witnessed one of the things in the Herald's list (golems), and half-dead at that, so I'm not sure about XP for that.

Having made it to the island, I think I infiltrated a location for alignment. In total, it looks like 1 or 2 XP.

I'm reusing the character's previous bonds for the new characters.

I will make sure that Fizzy will not discover my past.
I'm sure Terrestria will be of use to me.
Moves With Grace doesn't intimidate me.
I will not mess with the Winter Herald.
Bikke looks suspicious to me.

Sorry, Loopy. How old was she?

Loopy - so sorry for your loss. Take your time.

Regarding bonds :

They don’t realize it, but the Herald is a great source of wise aphorisms.

Fizzy is teaching me an interesting technique (martial or otherwise).

Bikke’s ways exemplify the temptation of the laity’s life.

Bikke still manages to anger me.

Sorry, Loopy. How old was she?

Honestly? No idea. Never once heard her age. She was a great grandparent in memory, so...fairly old.

As I remember hearing though, she hid having cancer for a few years, and was generally a pain about taking any measures that might make her life easier.
I don't remember all the details of those conversations...but it even if she was old, it may not have been age. I don't know.

Sorry for your loss Loopy. My grandmother passed away last week as well, let me know if you need anything.

so very sorry :(

Everyone still alive? No need to halt activity.

...or should I start making ominous things happen sometime soon and get this moving?

I think I'm good for now. I'll let you know if I think I'm going to be taking some time again.

Herald? You've made the same post twice. How'd that happen?

Samsung galaxy s3.

Hit submit, went off to do something, and when I opened the page it looked like I'd hit preview.

Poke?

It might be helpful to know that the post notifier stopped working across the site.

Well, that is what can only be described as thoroughly frustrating. Gah.

Alright - I'm intending to have an interesting internal environment for the Skyruin. Considering it's where you'll likely end up facing Lincoln and Nora, I'd like to be able to have some interesting environmental interactions be possible.
I don't know, however, what you would find most interesting.

Everyone up to a quick bout of questions right now?

Sounds fun.

Aye!

Sure!

Well then, without further ado.

To the Herald, Bikke, and Terestria(?):

For a giant floating landmass, the Skyruin's been fairly mundane thus far. But within the core of the floating island, the magical nature of this place is easy to discern. Even Bikke's able to feel the magic in the air.
Choose a question to answer. Whatever you say, that is truth, witnessed by you all.

• The appearance of this place is unnatural somehow - like a wizard's creation, or a fragment of another world. Just what do you see?
• There is a quirk to this place that makes getting around...not necessarily difficult, but noticeably different than would be expected in a more normal locale. Just what is it?
• The place is unnatural, but if that were all, it would be fine. Something truly unnerves you about this place - what is it?

A lot of mystery surrounds the Skyruin. There are a number of rumours and facts being passed off as each other, though few know which is which. And when you have enough of a way with people, they are far more willing to tell you about it freely than they would any other stranger marvelling at the sight.
Choose a question to answer. Whatever you say, that is legend, fearsome and eternal.

• Everyone has their own pet theory about what really happened to cause the Skyruin to be torn from the ground. Which of them have you come to trust most, and what part of it do you think worth remembering as you delve deeper?
• There are many who care less for the history of this place, a number of them fools and hopefuls seeking a wonder for themselves inside. What most special of things do they all dream to claim?
• Wherever there are hopefuls, there are cynics and naysayers. Others speak of things of terrible power, ones best lost from this world, for fear of what might happen. What most terrible of things is there, intimately tied to mortal beings?

If a few days pass and questions remain unanswered, feel free to jump in with answers for them. Just be sure that you've given everyone else their fair chance to answer.

What most special of things do they all dream to claim?

It is said that there's a diamond the size of a human's head that is the source of the *unending* magical energy that powers the Skyruin. With that much power, anyone with magic abilities could rule the world (or, sell it to someone with magic abilities for a huge price...)!

There is a quirk to this place that makes getting around...not necessarily difficult, but noticeably different than would be expected in a more normal locale. Just what is it?

Within the heart of the skyruin, space is folded into tight knots as the forces that keep the island afloat pull in every direction. Careful observation is about as effective as a leap of faith, if somewhat safer. One just has to avoid getting stuck in one of the gravity wells without a means to pull onesself free.

Before I answer a question, I'd want to make sure of one thing: Have we (the table) established how the Skyruins is staying afloat? I mean it's magic, obviously, but has there been any deeper lore of the explanation? Like, just a truckload of anti-gravity magic, or something else? And what about the people responsible, have we established who's the archmage who caused the landmass to float?

In memory, we don't even know if there is an Archmage. Some people think it happened due to magic run amok, others due to divine intervention for whatever reason. There's nothing established for who put it in the air, at all.

Similarly, I don't think there's much as to how other than what the Herald said. It could need the gravity wells to work, it could be the gravity wells themselves doing it, or it could just create the gravity wells as a side effect of the process, but whatever makes the island float it has lead to a load of gravity wells twisting the space at the core of the Skyruin.

Cool, thanks.

The appearance of this place is unnatural somehow - like a wizard's creation, or a fragment of another world. Just what do you see?

"Melting".

Due to the way how gravity and space are influenced and warped by the volumes of magic, the place is an engineer's nightmare because of the issues with shifting place. The structures near the core have been built to resist such problems. Where normal stone and wood would slowly begin collapsing under the strain over the years, there is no fear of that happening in the core. Everything is stable, or at the very least, as stable as things can be in the gargantuan cluster of complex magics the Skyruins is...

Without concerning oneself with the underlying magi-physical workings, a visitor can notice this phenomenon from the way the walls and the floor and the ceiling all seem to be "flowing", in whatever direction the flow takes them. "Melting" is also a good word to describe it, as if the stone was forced to shift itself, slowly but visibly. It is all cosmetic only, of course: everything is stable because the flowing balances out itself.

Awesome, moebius conveyor belts. This is going to be fun.

Everyone has their own pet theory about what really happened to cause the Skyruin to be torn from the ground. Which of them have you come to trust most, and what part of it do you think worth remembering as you delve deeper?

The floating of the island depends on the gravity wells, but the gravity wells themselves are mysterious: They might have always existed on the island, they might have grown there spontaneously, or they might have been built there by some entity, through mundane, magical, or divine means.

Yizid, of course, subscribes to the last of the theories. The gravity wells were put in place by some deity. The practical difference between the theories is whether its gravity can be manipulated by prayer, magic, or technical expertise. Yizid, lacking the two latter means, prefers to use the first. However, others might have better luck trying the other two means.

Slammed today will post tomorrow

I'm still here! It's just so hard to keep up! >_<

The place is unnatural, but if that were all, it would be fine. Something truly unnerves you about this place - what is it?

Time and space are warped, folded in on themselves. The structures melt and flow, but so do personal timelines.

People traversing this otherworldly locale often come into contact with other versions of themselves or those they know, shades, memories given form, dark reflections. And they're not always friendly.

For those who may be interested, I'm looking for a few players to fill out the third act of my narrative-heavy Magical Girl game found here.

This last arc should be about six months to a year of weekly+ posts.

This is all looking great. I wonder if we'll see Paladin-Yizid roaming within?

There's still one question to be answered:

Looks like I'm promoting a game too!

The GM of a Play by Post run on Slack that I play in is looking for one or two new players. If you're interested, PM me and I'll send you their email - just send them a quick character bio after that.

It's a different experience to playing on Paizo, but I've rather enjoyed it myself.

For those who may be interested, I'm looking for a few players to fill out the third act of my narrative-heavy Magical Girl game found here.

This last arc should be about six months to a year of weekly+ posts.

Looks super interesting Bastian, I was about to submit a character idea but had a reality check... I can hardly keep up with this game!

I'm still around, opening a show this week will lighten up next week a bit

It's now Monday. Anyone may now answer the following question:

Wherever there are hopefuls, there are cynics and naysayers. Others speak of things of terrible power, ones best lost from this world, for fear of what might happen. What most terrible of things is there, intimately tied to mortal beings?

I'd be remiss to go ahead without a cursed treasure or horrible monster to torture you with.

Wherever there are hopefuls, there are cynics and naysayers. Others speak of things of terrible power, ones best lost from this world, for fear of what might happen. What most terrible of things is there, intimately tied to mortal beings?

tl;dr unholy giant worm, here's a mental image to help you sleep at night

Whenever some bold explorer traverses the area, they often report seeing unnerving, unexplainable-but-familiar visions [1]. Rumor has it that the gravity wells not only produce sounds, but even almost-tangligble voices. And, as is often the case with ghost stories, the voices speak of stressful dooms. These two factors (one a bit more tested than the other) have contributed into a conspiracy theory:

"There is a Wurmhole in the Skyruins!"

No living person has ever seen a Wurmhole, of course, because it is a myth. But no one can deny that it is a bit strange that nearly every bestiary and monster manual and category of monsters from two centuries ago describes a Wurmhole. Maybe Wurmholes did exist, two hundred years ago, and just vanished one day leaving future historians confused. Probably not, but nonetheless the subject is like catnip to conspiracy theorists.

Wurmhole(s) (it is unclear whether there are multiple, or just one), according to the old textbooks, are enormous invertebrates, resembling worms. Said to be distant relatives to the massive sandworms, Wurmholes can devour anything and everything. Their coloration varies from bone white to mushy grey to pitch black, but they're most easily identified from the large number of holes in their bodies.

Whenever the monster-categorizing textbooks rank their monsters in terms of dangerousness, Wurmhole ranks among the mighty dragons. While their flesh is soft, they seem to regenerate all wounds, and their bodies produce hallucinogens that make people see and hear things.

Interestingly enough (and this is where the conspiracy theory really gets going), one mention says that Wurmholes can eat space itself.

Piloting the XR4445 Tengri Tomor is no simple thing of pulling levers and pushing buttons. Access to the vessel's helm and targeting systems is through a power gauntlet which integrates with the user on a permanent basis.

Locally, this gauntlet is referred to as the "witch blade" because, within the core, the previous pilot's blackened skeleton is tied to a pillar as if she were burned at the stake. Folk have every reason under the sun to fear the thing, and the learned have no reason to tamper with an island which is anchored just where it needs to be.

Legends of the witch blade speak of Gods calling lighting out of the sky to smite their foes.

Dang, too late XP

ALSO!!!

There are small pockets where supposed Wurmhole attacks occurred, though surely there is another explanation. Those sleeping here can hear the screams, and "see the faces" of those who were killed. It is mostly harmless, but really creepy and frightening

Sorry for the delay everyone. We're in business!

Just to be clear, I'm somewhat waiting for Herald or Terestria to choose a course of action, i.e. where we're going or what we're doing.

I've got a 4 that needs to resolve.

I know. I'm just dealing with a series of technical difficulties is all. With any luck, they won't take long to resolve.