Dungeon World - Strom's Six (Inactive)

Game Master Infernal Zero

You know how sometimes there are events, or announcements that are built up, but when they actually are done, they don't really live up to hype?

I sincerely hope that this is not one of them. =3

"I am called...,"

"Lord Borak.

Known by some as, The Despoiler."

The Winter Herald gives the Stranger a suspicious look. "I believe you know too much already, dearie."

Lord Borak favors the Winter Herald with a harmed look. "Ach. Can one ever know too much? And do you know what it cost me to find you, least of all to actually come here? I am, alas, but a shadow of my former self, so much of my Corporeal left as overly heavy baggage.

I am wounded that you would say this to me, Anastasia."

The Herald's eyes go wide. "How-" There's a sound like a dry twig snapping under a boot, and the Herald's shattered arm falls out of her sleeve and scatters across the warped space.

The crone is then far too busy collecting pieces, tisking and tutting, to pursue Borak any further.

Fizzy jumps at the Shadowy figure turning into a person

Where did your shadows go? And why do you despoil things? That doesn't seem nice. I think you should change your name to something like Borak the Friendly. That's better don't you think?

Lord Borak waves a hand dismissively as he walks along. "Ach. 'Tis not a name I chose, but one given me. I fix things, make things more...efficient. I live my life. Occasionally this means stepping on toes and upsetting an 'old boys' network of roosters who defend their little perch.

So you could call it a matter of expediency too, if you wanted."

BORAK PETTER OF PUPPIES!

Fizzy jumps up and down

That is so much better. I will call you that!

"Well, now that we've all been introduced, does anyone have *any* idea how to reliably move around this place? And, where do we want to go?"

"The Herald said to go that way," Yizid says, pointing in the direction he remembered seeing the Herald point, though he already noticed that the scenery in that area was much different. He looks at the Herald, hoping for confirmation that he hadn't lost track of the correct direction.

"If that's the right way, I think that we should do the will of heaven and stop those villains; I'm afraid they're up to good, I mean, to no good," Yizid proposes, quickly recovering from a rare slip of the tongue.

The Herald is licking the raw end of a finger and trying to stick it back onto her pieced-together hand. "Yes, yes. If this flow isn't leaking out, then it must be running in circles. Moving across the flow will take us in or out."

With the Herald taking the lead, the group continues onward. Terestria runs up to the group as they leave, with a ”Hey, wait up!” while Fizzwiddle continues to talk with the elemental about his neck. Curiously, it seems to be as much engaged in the conversation as he is...though its contribution mostly consists of incoherent babbling with a few words repeating from anything it hears from the others.
Nobody really thinks about the large chunk of ‘unoccupied’ space in their formation. If they do, they don’t point it out.
--------------------------
As they travel, Yizid tries to keep track of the man who bore his face and his elven companion. Not exactly an easy task. Sometimes the two almost appear to teleport due to the strange nature of space in this place.
He’s almost managed to get a rough idea when something flickers in the corner of his eye, appearing and disappearing from nowhere…
No, that’s not right.
Long, large translucent shapes slither and crawl on top of the gravity wells, diving in and out of the balls of crushing mass responsible for this place’s existence without fear or consequence. They weren’t there before, you’re sure it of it, and yet so many of the things lurk about this place, only ever visible in the corners of your eye. And as you notice this, the voice that has followed you since the paladin rammed that ball of light in its chest speaks the first actual words you’ve heard from it.
You see them, do you not? The spectres of the Devourers? They have not existed in any realm I know for what would be quite a time for your kind.
I pray it stays that way.
When you remember what you were doing and look for the paladin and the elf again, you find you’ve no idea of their true position once more.
--------------------------
After a few more worrying quakes, you find yourself on the opposite end of the twisted space. Before you now is a hallway just wide enough to allow two people to walk side by side, ending in a stone double door with blue veins of magic running across it in intricate patterns.
Occasionally, a small portion of yellow energy worms its way onto the door, moving about the veins that cover it with little regard for the normal flow of energy before eventually being forced out.
=================================

What do you do?

Discern Realities: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 2) + 1 = 9 +1 forward for acting on the knowledge of the substance in the teleporter being alive
What is about to happen?

Yizid was upset to lose track of the paladin. But upon hearing the voice, he realizes there might be something more threatening on his hands.

"'Spectres of devourers' sound dangerous, and I'm afraid the problems with the teleporter might be closely related," he says, trying to appraise the situation with whatever limited knowledge he had managed to pick up.

Trying to pick up as much information as he could, he asks the voice, "What exactly are spectres of devourers? And from where and when do you know them?"

Just so we're clear - what are you trying to DR about? How?

"Well, we obviously have to go thru this door" says MWG. "Anyone have any ideas?"

Spout Lore: 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (5, 5) - 1 = 9

So, what do I know about doors with veins of blue energy running thru them? Or are there convenient doorknobs on them? :)

The question was "What is about to happen?" I was asking about the shapes on the gravity wells, which I assume are the spectres of the Devourers.

"Hrmmmm. What an odd looking door," Lord Borak muses as he approaches it and examines it closely.

DR: 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (2, 6) - 1 = 7
What should I be on the lookout for?

The Herald steps up next to Borak, and knocks on the door three times with her staff.

"Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in..."

After Yizid asks his question, he hears the voice deliberating, long and beautiful notes ringing in his ears as it hums to itself. Yes, I can say that much. What you see are...shadows, the impressions left by beings close to but not quite extant in this world. Many years ago for your kind, the creatures that cast this particular shadow were known well in many worlds, before efforts were made to expel them by mortals. Their maker sought the return of his favoured children when this happened, but vanished before he had the opportunity to make it a reality. Now, they are being drawn to this place.
That is all I could hope to tell you. There are limits even on our kind, and my channel to this realm is narrow. It is a wonder I can say this much.

Glancing back to the expanse of twisted space that you just arrived from, there seems to be a few more of those shapes, more lifelike than before. They'll become something real once the process bringing them here sees completion.
(Take +1 forward when you use this information.)

For now, the door lies before you, blocking your path to your target.
--------------------------
Moves With Grace takes a moment to consider the door.
The sheer fact that magic is being run through the doors means that a supply of magic is needed for it to function properly, and there is no short supply of the stuff. This is something powerful.
Whatever it is, it's inherent to the door rather than something applied to it, which means the intent was probably long-term reinforcement of it. Right now, that's all that comes to mind.

(How do you know this, MWG?)
--------------------------
As Borak looks over the door, he notices some areas where the flow of magic is being subtly disturbed. The disruptions seem to have a radius, the effects getting stronger as you get closer to specific points. A clear sign of external magic interfering with existing enchantments. It would appear that your quarry has left some surprises for you.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to make sure nobody touches the door.

While on the hunt for the killer of his friend/patron, MWG had many opportunities to eat at various taverns. He once overheard two wizards at the table next to his discussing such a door, altho only theoretically.

Lord Borak grunts, acknowledging a skillful trap left by a cunning adversary. "Ah. The Arcadia Effect. Very dangerous. A...ah, Herald? I believe this is your balliwick? Might you be able to counter it somehow?

I'm sure you understand."

Yizid watches the shapes materialize before his eyes. "Obviously, if one happens to be a worshiper of that maker, the spectres would be less likely to want to 'devour,' right?"

Knock knock knock...
Counter: 2d6 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (1, 1) + 2 - 1 = 3

The frosty paste that remains will be able to level at the next time we rest! Yay!

Yizid watches the shapes materialize before his eyes. "Obviously, if one happens to be a worshiper of that maker, the spectres would be less likely to want to 'devour,' right?"

Did I not just say I cannot tell you any more? Knowledge is power, child.

At this point, Terestria walks up to you and taps you on the shoulder. "Are you alright, ah...what was your name again? Who are you talking to?"
"Can you help the rest of us out here? Borak's saying the door is dangerous, and I think we'd all prefer to get out of this alive."

"Of course I'm alright, I was merely communing with spirits. And my name is Yizid," Yizid says, slightly annoyed that Terestria hadn't remembered his name, but he decided that the time wasn't right to deal with it.

"As for what to do, even the spirits don't know everything, but my intuition says to get as far away as possible from the shadows, which, I have discovered, are 'spectres of devourers.' Unless someone knows how to fix the door, I think we should go the opposite direction, but I would guess that they can run faster than we can."

Lord Borak favors Yizid with an nonplussed stare. "Yes. But the only thing stopping us from going through this door are all the traps. If only we had someone here who knew a thing or two about detecting, investigating, and disabling traps. Would anyone know of such a person? Someone who perhaps had some expertise in trap detection, or trap disabling? Where might we find such a man, that would know something about traps, might even be, say, a trap expert, and would know how to get around them, or by them. And then perhaps such a man, this trap expert, might also know how to pick a lock? Perhaps? Ah! Alas! For the lack of such a person we are bereft of direction! If only such a person could be found to apply his craft to this door, then THEN we might be free to continue onward, but nay! Nay! We are forlorn of a burglar with skill and cunning to detect and disarm some traps, so we must needs wander forever lost!"

...Yizid, you never actually said your name. I actually checked through your posts to make sure of that.

Also, dear LORD Borak you work fast. Couldn't help but crack up at that tirade.

Terestria shakes her head. "Don't know what this shadow stuff is about, but it doesn't hurt to mention that Lincoln's on the other side of that door too. We're going to need to get that open to finish the job, preferably without dying in the process."

The Winter Herald continues to blow up very slowly.

"What a pity we don't have such a person. I, of course, know nothing of such business, but if this door is so important, I'm willing to try."

Tricks of the Trade: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (3, 5) + 2 = 10

Yizid manages to remove whatever enchantments were preventing entry with ease. "Miracles happen every day..."