Hey there! To all who've not seen me about - still alive! Feeling better, but still not back up to speed yet. May have been a little optimistic on when I get back.
I still don't intend to drop this, but I don't think now's a good time to kick the game back up. I'm being careful to not strain myself as it is so I don't have to drop off the radar again. Got to build back up to this.
Safest thing to say right now is that I'll be back when I'm ready, whenever that is. Don't want to put a timeframe on it, since I couldn't really give you a good idea of when that might be, and it'd be both disappointing and stressing to miss that. But I hope I'll be back soon enough. There's fun stuff yet to come that I really want to play with. Some of you might even have an idea of what some of that is.
In any case, just letting you know I'm alive. Hope to see you there when I'm ready to come back.
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Just on the side...once that door opens, you're going to be at the core of the Skyruin. The Paladin and his elven friend are going to be in there, alongside Lincoln and Nora.
And that's not mentioning whatever craziness is keeping the place aloft in the first place.
I'm a little tired to put up my usual list of questions right now, so I'm just going to put it out there:
What do you think the core looks like? What's going on in there? And what is happening or present that would make the (presumably) inevitable confrontation in there more interesting and dynamic, than say...a brawl in a hallway?
If I'm going to put this off, I'd like to make this good. Whoever's here, feel free to put ideas forward. The less resistance to this getting off the ground again, and the better we can make this when that happens, the, err...better.
Anyway. To everyone reading this - see you guys later, and I can't wait to see what you all come up with, and where this'll all go.
To everyone else - sorry, but I've been having a hard time giving this game the investment it deserves. I end up doing a lot of thinking where this game is concerned, but I haven't been able to actually devote the necessary time to pulling everything together. And considering what comes next after the door is open, I do not want to half-ass this.
This week and the next, I'm going to be trying to get things cleared up so that I've got less to worry about, and empty out my head of some of the crap that's in it now. Hopefully, it won't take much longer than that to sort myself out.
Until then, when I'm better equipped to run this game, updating will be on hold. You might see me about elsewhere, but I'm trying to avoid anything too mentally taxing right now. I hope you understand.
...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."
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.
And there is little power one can provide when your only link to the world is one devout.
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."
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.
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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?)
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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Having problems accessing the site. For some reason, I can't get on Paizo via my internet, so my only means of getting on here is via data. Every other site seems to be fine. Not exactly sure what's going on.
Expect further updates to be delayed until this gets sorted, somehow.
Can I get a roll to navigate this place, Yizid? Even if you can see him, space does not make sense here to mortal beings on more than a local scale, outside of the gravity wells - and the paladin's done enough walking to be outside of the space you can make sense of.
Don't worry - I'm sure if you ask nicely someone can help. Or maybe not. How are you planning to get about?
As you rush over to the mech, you find Terestria’s managed to pull herself together a bit, using her good arm to pull herself up on the opening on the mech left when its arm was torn off. ”You alright, Fizz? In a little rough shape, but I think I can bear it.” She has a little laugh to herself at the joke before taking a look around.
Looking up at the mech, it’s still mostly intact. Grommy would probably able to do something with it, if he was here. If you move around to where the arm was torn off, you can see inside a little. There’s some cables, various pieces of metal with strange patterns, and...oooh, that’s shiny. You can’t see most of it, but you spot the sides of some sort of silver hexagon with some of those cables running into it. It’s a decent way in there, though. You’d have to climb in to get it or something, and that’d be a tight squeeze.
Further down, Terestria’s checking out the arm that came off for anything useful. A little ways further than that, the pew that you conjured is nearly finished dissipating.
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Herald, as your magic takes hold, four cards come out, and show you their faces.
The two of gears (a little blunt, perhaps), the numen of eyes, and...the card of Winter, upright. Like this, a symbol of unspeakable tragedy to uneducated fools. To those who know better, it may be a removal of obstruction and the opportunities that follow, or a sudden reveal of that which lies beneath the obscuring layer. The cards having shown their values, they rearrange themselves.
The 2 of gears positions itself before the Winter card, the numen of eyes hidden behind the Winter with its face turned away. A tether coalesces between the backs of the numen and the Winter, a link seemingly directed into the Winter. The gears approach the Winter, seeking to cover it - and then, it’s violently repulsed, further manifestations like the tethers lash out from the Winter in violent and uncontrolled spasms.
The cards make to return, but they screech to a halt, compelled by more magic than your own. The setup starts like the first time, but this time, the backs of the numen and the Winter approach each other as well, and meet. Where before the gears are sent flying, here they merely jolt back as the Winter whirls around to reveal the face of the numen of eyes.
The scene stops there, courtesy done as all but the numen of eyes returns to the deck. It is that one card that remains to now look at you, taking the sight of you into its flat gaze and then tilting as if in a polite nod before returning to the deck. You can feel whatever it was that intervened release its grip on your cards.
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(No need to roll any dice here. No miss - but no XP either.) Yizid, as you wrack your mind trying to figure out if you’ve seen them, you come to the conclusion that you’ve never met the man, and would, in fact, have remembered it if you’d met someone that looked just like you.
The voice that is now suddenly part of your life returns, and...starts tutting in your ear?
That’s...how are you supposed to feel about that? This whole thing is weird.
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Stranger, as you follow the paladin and the elf, you suddenly recognise the elf - though admittedly, she’s not the one you know. Yours made a habit of waylaying you at every turn, disrupting your functions, killing everyone who you so much as said a word to, and generally being an aggravating little ball of spite. A dangerous one at that. Her name was Nora.
All versions you know of fit a pattern. They have a foul temperament, have something they’re incredibly devoted to, and are willing and able to cross just about every line for it when pushed.
It usually doesn’t take much pushing.
As you exit the realm of memory, you realise that only your retinue has come with you, and that the rest are far enough away that meaningful direction is impossible. You can remember the path back to everyone else, but if you keep following Nora and the paladin, that won’t be the case much longer. It’s a matter of whether to leave them behind, or abandon your pursuit.
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Thanks for letting me know, Bikke. I wasn't exactly sure what was happening.
I forgot to mention before, but as with the others who've had to leave, if you have any bonds with Terestria then you can go ahead and resolve them and mark XP.
Oh, and if you have spare bond slots, at all? Feel free to write one in at any time that feels right. Just note that you've done that if you do.
I shouldn't be too long. I'm just...making revisions to my notes.
I'm sure this bodes well.
I give a week for everyone to act before engaging in GM activity, and Bikke hadn't posted. It's only been a week now, Stranger.
I don't intend to let schedule veer off significantly again. I'm just really tired right now, and it's my own fault.
I promise you, I'm not rushing anything. I didn't write that whole thing from scratch to put out the next day, and I wasn't scrambling to put it together. The whole affair felt rather leisurely, really - concocting ideas, getting down ones that had occurred to me earlier, and just writing what felt would naturally follow. It's fun.
I love to see how you all respond, too.
I might have given off the wrong impression. I might have been concerned about what I wrote, but I have no problems at all with actually writing it all. I just wanted to be sure I hadn't contradicted something from earlier by accident, or something - it's easier to make errors like this.
I can't say I understand what goes off in my head - where the stress points are, and the release valves. But I do know all of this is something I very much enjoy, and something that feels good to do.
Still. Thanks for your concern. Just the contact means a lot.
Feel free to talk freely with me about these things - aaaand also to tell me to stop if you think I should, because I probably won't recognise when I should myself.
Alright, let's hope I haven't accidentally written something that will be regretted later due to whatever oddity is occurring with my head.
As Fizzwiddle fires his magically constructed church pew, a thin shell of red seems to coalesce around it in the air, breaking into multitudes of crimson lines that surge into the pew and grant it a soft red hue. When it crashes into the mech, instead of dissipating on contact the pew keeps going, tearing off the arm (and more of the mech besides) as gravity suddenly begins to act on it. As the mech’s arm gradually slows down to the pace of the moving ground, the pew bounces down the path a little ways more, before skidding to a halt with its final landing. As it comes to a halt, the pew starts to deconstruct, its crimson pieces flying off into the air and dissipating.
If you were to look, you’d find the eyes of the elemental acting as Fizzwiddle’s scarf have become more distinct, now-orange circles staring out from its mildly luminous red body.
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After its pew-induced intense structural violation, the mech’s rockets start to sputter before they fizzle out. Digging her feet into the ground and pushing harder, Terestria manages to bring the mech to a halt before she and Bikke get carried too far away. With a surge of green over her body, she drops to her knees as a human once more, panting with exertion as blood trickles down her limp arm.
The body of the dwarf Bikke used as a shield drops limply to the ground as well, covered in blood and displaying all the rigidity you’d expect from someone who’d had their skeleton broken in several places and outright pulverised in others. As they fall, they leave a dwarf-shaped bloodstain behind on the mech.
There’s some blood on you too...alright, a lot of blood. That’s not going to come out easily.
Looking past the mech, and further beyond the Herald, you see the elven bow-woman’s eyes open wide with shock as a silver something rams into her chest.
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As the elf fires and Moves With Grace sends her shot astray of its intended course, the paladin scrambles to his feet and focuses intently on Yizid as he says his piece.
Shaking his head, the paladin steps forward. ”And yet, there are gods of war, combat and bloodshed, as are there tales upon tales of deific vengeance. Truly, violence is not the divine way.”
As the Stranger makes his gestures, the elf’s deflected arrow strikes his flank, still seeking him despite the alterations to its flight. (1d8 damage, halved as per MWG’s defend.) The silvered stones ascend, and point themselves toward their targets.
The paladin turns about at his partner’s gasp of pain to see the elf tearing out the silver stone from her chest with both hands, her bow on the floor as she tries to remove the device that badly wounded her. He spots the other seeking to take his head, and as it impacts his helmet, he tears it off with divinely-enhanced speed, leaving him with a nasty gash on his head but otherwise alive. As he grips his spear in one hand and then loops his arm around his partner, he glances about to see the dismembered mech and the body by it, and looks to Yizid with an expression of fury and melancholy.
As strange as it is noting the subtle differences in his face that note just how different he is, it’s not really possible to deny that Yizid saw his own face staring back at him. ”I must fall back here, but we are not done with one another.”
With that, he flees away from the group, dragging the elf with him and leaving her bow on the ground as she utters protests and curses non-stop. Yizid hears that beautiful voice once more as the paladin utters prayers for guidance in this twisted space.
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As the two that remain of the opposing trio attempt to flee, the Skyruin quakes once more.
Trying to get an update together and out, but I've been dealing with technical issues, my inability to get some decent sleep, and general persistent goings-on with my head that I don't understand in the slightest.
Doing my best, and hoping to get that update up soon. Feel free to speculate about what's coming up, or whatever else you want to do. This is a discussion thread, use it how you like - I'm not particularly fussed what you talk about as long as I can get your attention when I need it.
Oh, and MWG, I might be able to get you a copy if you want to look it over - just PM me about it. Only remember seeing a couple places that linked the playbook, and all those links are dead now.
Might be a little difficult, Yizid. Since it's applied, it's going to require careful application to the target, or to get them to ingest it. And they're not going to just let you gently caress their face or something.
So the obstacles are that one - they're in armour. Plate, even. That's going to get in the way of applying anything, so you'll have to get that out of the way. Two - you're pinned. Until you get free, it'll be hard to do much of anything. And three - they're going to be resisting anything you do.
It's possible, but using that poison amounts to getting free, yanking off their helmet, and forcing it down their throat or something. I figure that'll take three successful Defy Danger rolls to pull off on your own, at least.
Up to you if you think that's worth it.
Chaos continues to reign as the group hug dissolves into a mass of people trying to avoid being hit by a lump of speeding metal.
The Stranger and his assistant are the first to make an immaculate escape, separating easily from everyone else and distancing themselves from the others with their prepared passage.
At the same time, Yizid attempts to wrench himself from the path of the mech, failing to disentangle himself from the others in his haste. Moves With Grace deftly unworks himself from the falling tangle of limbs and follows the Stranger, while Terestria, Bikke and the Herald avoid being dragged along by sheer fortitude. Bikke tears the other dwarf away for use as a shield and braces for impact, while Terestria uses her working arm to retain a hold on Fizzwiddle, and the Herald steps forward to meet the mech’s uncontrolled advance. With a growl and a great heave, Terestria throws Fizzwiddle towards Moves With Grace before the impact.
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The Herald suffers the mech’s impact first, buffeted by winds and icy shards of her swiftly thwarted aegis before being battered by the mech’s meteoric impact. (1d8 damage, messy. You’re welcome to detail your own injuries.) Bikke is the next to be struck...though in truth, it’s the poor burned dwarf he uses as a shield who takes the brunt of it. The sound of crunching bone is heard as the metal meets his body, and he spits up blood onto the mech. Terestria is the last to be struck, taking the blow with all the formidable fortitude granted by the form of the Stoneskin Bear.
The four are carried along by the force of the mech’s propulsion, and there’s little that can be done to prevent that due to the lack of traction, until the effects of the Herald’s EMP begin to wear off. The rapid flow of the ground begins to come to a crawl, and the feeling of solid ground underfoot returns, along with the sense that their current orientation to the world should have them falling to their deaths.
Terestria plants her feet and presses against the rocketing mech, trying to halt it as best she can without both arms at her disposal.
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As the pirate and mage are carried away, Yizid finds himself on the ground with the elf and paladin on top of him. The effects of the Distortion Core don’t reach to his location, and he can feel himself slowly moving along the ground as he lays upon it.
The elf and paladin recover quickly, making use of their more ideal positioning to rapidly pin the priest to the ground together. The paladin lifts a hand and conjures a ball of radiant light, before ramming it into your chest.
All the breath is forced from your body as the power that was suddenly introduced to it floods it, filling it with warmth as a transcendent voice fills your ears.
The paladin leans in, the voice coming from his helmet filled with barely restrained loathing...though oddly enough, it doesn’t feel like it’s completely directed at you. ”Strangers we may be, but I know you all too well. You remind me of a part of my life I have come to despise - a time before I heard the radiant voice in truth. It seems you were not so fortunate as I was in those moments...but I know that you can still do better.” It’s at this point that the paladin’s voice is starting to become uncomfortably familiar.
The two shift, and the elf gets off the ground as the paladin takes the sole responsibility in holding you down. The paladin speaks again, his voice now more kindly. ”Count yourself fortunate, brother. You’ve been imbued with a spark of real divinity. And I do not intend to let you waste it.” As he holds you down, the elf begins to take aim at the Stranger once more.
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The Herald and Bikke are being pushed along the path by the rocketing mech, getting ever further away as Terestria tries to push against it and Bikke’s dwarf-shield just kind of...bleeds, on it.
Yizid is currently pinned by the paladin, and the elf is taking aim on the Stranger again.
Fizzwiddle has been hurled by Terestria so that he lands near Moves With Grace. The two of you are in a good position to assist Yizid and the Stranger with their situations, though Moves With Grace may be able to catch up to Bikke and the Herald if they seriously push themself to reach them.
Don't worry about it so much. It's not like it's got any notable long term consequences, and you're not the one that thought all this up when thinking about how to make things progress.
Everyone's distracted and in danger, sure...but EVERYONE is, not just the party.
Did nobody note the extra dwarf in the group hug? Because that's a good thing for you. Thank Fizzwiddle for that.
You did good, Fizzwiddle. It was a fun ritual...if a rushed one.
Bikke, I take great satisfaction is telling you that due to Fizzwiddle ritualling you into a giant group hug that both the party and the people you were fighting are all part of (not considering post-update actions), the mech is still speeding toward you. This'll teach you to invent dogs to mislead me! Even though it really has nothing to do with that!
...though seriously, I think you missed something when you were reading.
We don't even know if everyone else has been hit yet. As is it, I think my early update threw off the check-in timings for the last third of the party...that, or I've managed to confuse them.
I hope nobody's confused. Do tell me if you are, and it's my fault.
Side note: You're all great. Seriously, can't say it enough. I never expected this situation, and that's amazing.
Ohhh, the CHAOS!
In order:
Stranger, can you be more specific about where that stone leads?
And Herald, can I ask how you were planning to deal with the mech, given its momentum, and the terrain's current frictional deficit? You already rolled, but I doubt you were planning to stop it with your bare hands.
Thank you, MWG. You’re on point with your description of the situation as it was then.
The situation’s changed now, but still, thanks.
And Stranger, you sneaky git, you changed your story! Don’t think I didn’t notice!
A few things happen at once.
The Stranger’s oration draws the attention of the opposing group. The mech seems to look in his direction, but it’s going too fast to stop. The paladin seems shaken by his words, though the elf is still glaring hatefully at him.
None of them take action.
The Herald’s EMP strikes the mech, and the field the Distortion Core was projecting starts to go haywire as the mech’s regulation systems attempt to get it back under control. The ground flow returns to normal, and starts speeding up, and up, and up, while the local space starts twisting even further.
Bikke takes the mech’s charge head on, and sends it tumbling into the ground flow, speeding down along the ground without any semblance of control.
Fizzwiddle’s magic suddenly asserts itself. Everyone finds themselves gathered together in a big group hug where the Herald was standing...though there’s a young dwarf with everyone that didn’t appear to be there before, covered in burns and severely scarred. He seems surprised, and keeps looking nervously toward the bear beside him. It’s hard to understand why though - it’s only Terestria.
It’s at this point everyone notices the mech is still there, and speeding towards them.
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You’re all entangled with each other in a group hug, ally and enemy alike, and the ground is practically a river that you can walk on. Any efforts toward finding solid footing will probably involve a good deal of hoping for the best.
You’re all pretty sure that any attempt at ranged combat would end with your attack looping around and hitting you in the shins, in the best case...not that it’s something you need to worry about with everyone so close together.
Oh, and there’s a massive lump of rocket-propelled metal hurtling in your direction. Might want to address that.
Not impossible, but damn hard at the speed it's moving at. I think I'll wait on you, then resolve Fizzwiddle's ritual. Aside from whether you're harmed, I don't think there's much that it wouldn't derail in terms of further action.
MWG was also shouting his head off. The point is mainly that your spacial reference is off. I took presence as meaning that you arrived in the area in time to hear it, not that you were standing alongside the group that went ahead suddenly. Can you be a little more specific when you mean something like that, next time? The better we can communicate these things, the ah...better.
Also, Fizzy, normally you tell me what you're trying to do, and then I tell you the requirements, but I'm fine just letting that go ahead this once. I'm not even going to state requirements. That's a goldmine already for me just by letting that go ahead normally. MUHAHAHAHA!
I swear that looked smaller before I actually put it on Paizo. Not important.
Due to RL circumstances, Terestria has had to step back. I hope to be able to play with them again, but for now, it's farewell.
Seriously, if you're reading this right now? It's been great having you. If space frees up again here or I start another game, I'll be sure to ask if you're up for it. I'd give you a free pass to return any time, but it wouldn't be fair to boot someone just when they haven't done anything to warrant it, and ah...I don't think I can handle 7 players.
Good luck with your life, and I hope to see you again.
In the meantime, someone else has stepped up to fill in. They were part of the original recruitment, but since Gorn is tied up elsewhere (and we still have Bikke) they've got a new character for this campaign.
Introducing the Stranger in the Dark, everyone. Hope you get along.
Come to think of it, looking at the design, it’s very much reminiscent of the ARSL-3300. The dwarves unearthed one a long time ago - their culture lead most to dismiss it, but it seems the pilot here took it open themselves to study and improve on the design.
The ARSL series were designed to be adaptable from the start, trading off long-ranged combat capability for a massive array of weaponry designed so that you’d always have an effective weapon against any given foe.
The 3300 also boasted the first prototype Distortion Cores, and at the time they were such temperamental and resource intensive devices that it meant few were made, giving the 3300 a very brief production run. They were designed as an environmental magic countermeasure that would project a field meant to stave off the adverse effects of spaces such as these. (Why did it become necessary to start developing this kind of technology?)
As prototypes, they were also rather easy to overload, if you knew what was going on.
As Bikke makes his charge, the ground begins to slow and gain a greater measure of solidity, and space begins to make a little more sense nearby...though it’s very easy to wish that it hadn’t, as from what you can tell you’re probably upside-down compared to normal gravity.
Smug satisfaction radiates from the armoured man as he steps aside, allowing the mech to suddenly rocket toward Bikke unobstructed - quite literally in this case, as jets of flame project from the mech's back. ”I believe we will be quite fine without your assistance...though I could not say the same for your dwarven companion.”
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Bikke, you’ve got a giant hunk of metal coming for you at astonishingly high speed, intent on smashing your face in with all the momentum available to a rocket-propelled mech suit. Given the bulk of the thing, let alone it’s speed, you’re pretty sure that’s enough to pulverise the average dwarf, and a few walls on top for size.
Of course, that’s still like comparing a toddler’s boot to the crash of the ocean. That anchor-headed tin can doesn’t know what’s coming to it.
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The man turns his attentions to the recently arrived group, and after a moment of straining to see them, seems to startle at who he sees. ”What? Fizzwiddle? The monk? Why are you...I’d thought you’d gone on ahead? And why are you...” He seems to focus on Yizid. ”I...I see. I think I have an understanding of what has occurred here. No matter. No heathen doppleganger will prevent us from halting an unjust death.” His spear gains a soft glow. ”Least of all a charlatan who speaks falsehood of divine will.”
The Herald senses an intense wave of magical power emanate from behind her.
At that moment, the elf looses an arrow, which flies off over the Herald’s shoulder to strike a target behind. The paladin turns to see what his comrade fired on - and immediately takes up a fighting stance. ”YOU! Why are you here?!”
Behind the Herald and Terestria, a figure emerges, as if from the air itself. The arrow shatters to pieces in the air in front of him, the fragments flying away in all directions - except any that would hit them. By their side, a second figure emerges.
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All according to plan. Your entry went ahead as best as could be hoped and more, and the initial protections you set up to prevent any accidents have done their job admirably. Not even your servant took any harm.
The man with the spear seems to recognise you. Their elven friend, too. Of course, the idea that they actually know who you are is ridiculous.
You’re just a Stranger.
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Terestria readies herself to adopt a new form as the fighting starts. Before the Herald, Bikke and the mech face off, and beyond them the paladin prepares to fight as the elf readies another arrow. Both of them are currently focused on the two new figures that have appeared behind the Herald, summoned in by powerful magic.
The magical signature was very close to that of the Skyruin...they may well have been pulled in by this place.
Off in the distance(?), Moves With Grace, Yizid, and Fizzwiddle see everything unfold as it happens from the entrance. The whole of the twisted core still lies before them, numerous paths leading into the distorted space, all impossible to navigate based solely on spatial reference. Getting to the rest of your group will take a special effort on your behalf.
The elemental about Fizzwiddle’s neck happily mimes blowing in the wind with the tails of its currently scarfy form, indulging in the ambient magic thick in this place.
MWG, Fizzwiddle, I might suggest re-checking your class moves. I promise there’s a reason for it.
It didn’t occur to me earlier, but this actually sounds more like a DR to me, rather than a Spout Lore - as I understood, you were checking the control panel to see if it had anything to do with that wail, rather than seeing if you had an idea what just happened, or why it might have happened, based on your own knowledge of such things. So for now, I'll treat it as such. I'm not going to ignore Fizzwiddle's aid, though. A natural crit is a beautiful thing.
------------
As Yizid presses the button Fizzwiddle pointed him to, an array of translucent pictographs and arcane script springs to life above the panel, hovering in the air. It’s some kind of status panel, or perhaps a diagnostic display. Working alongside each other, the two of you are able to partially decipher the display.
The pictograph for the teleporters seems to indicate nothing wrong with them. Leading into the image depicting the teleportation chamber is another pictograph indicating some sort of container. It’s mostly filled with blue, but there’s a yellow portion to it - more than that, the yellow portion is moving and snaking about amongst the blue.
As far as you can tell, that container holds the energy that powers the teleportation chamber. The way that yellow portion moves though...there’s little doubt in your minds that whatever that yellow energy is and where it came from, it’s alive. (Yizid, Fizzwiddle, take +1 forward when you make use of this information.)
Assuming you still go through and don't investigate further, you teleport to the start of the twisted meltscape without incident, and see Bikke, Terestria and the Herald already navigating throughout it, facing off against another group you don't recognise.
=================================
With the Herald leading the way, she, Bikke and Terestria are able to make notable progress through the twisted space of the core. About a third(?) of the way across, you find three figures ahead of you, apparently having been waiting atop the seemingly uphill path you were taking.
The figure on the left side of the path reveals itself to be a large mechanical suit that reminds you of the Myrmidon. The design is far more bulky than Gromroir’s, and the pilot is out of sight.
On the right side of the path is an elven woman in leathers with a bow, a longsword, and a glare that would kill a basilisk stone dead if she were to pit her gaze against its.
And standing front and centre is a man covered head to toe in gleaming armour, armed with a winged spear. ”Halt right there! I see you, and I know what foul deeds you seek to commit.” He steps forward, his greaves sinking slightly into the ground as he does. "As a humble servant, I have been taught that none are beyond redemption. Go back from whence you came, and this shall be forgotten." He twirls his spear, and points it toward you catching the light as he does. "But should you seek to continue on your path, then I shall have no choice but to strike you down!"
As he makes his statement, the mech suit comes forward beside him and readies itself for combat, and the elf nocks an arrow and readies herself to fire at a moment's notice. "Turn back now, you three, or face divine fury."
The dramatic effect they were going for is somewhat diminished by the fact they have to keep stepping back to keep their position on the shifting ground.
Immediate thoughts? You could have at the pathways. It's pretty much certain to lead to unbridled chaos as the liquefied materials that form them are sent flying, and the path itself will likely destabilise, but it could lead to some interesting ways to get from pathway to pathway, to say nothing of what else you could accomplish with such an action.
Apart from that, I wouldn't expect too many fixtures on the pathways themselves. In a gravity induced melt-zone, I wouldn't expect much to remain intact like that, to say nothing of how much will get pulled into the gravity wells. You might find things, be they constructions like the kind you mention or things left behind by other selves, but I wouldn't expect them to remain for too long.
Herald, as you examine the local area, a surge of magic off in the...distance? Catches your attention. Looking over to where it came from, you spot seemingly far away figures on one of the pathways that seem to be paying attention to you. You aren't sure if they were there before.
They break off as they notice you've spotted them, and start moving. It's hard to tell where they're headed due to the contorted space.
=======================
Yizid, as you look about, you hear a piercing wail - this time, seeming to come from the control panel itself. The sheer volume of it is enough to hurt your head. And as soon as it came, it fades away again.
Nobody else hears a thing, though the elemental about Fizzwiddle's neck shifts its eyes to look at the panel.
The Skyruin doesn’t really have brakes. Why would it? It wasn’t designed to go anywhere.
That’s not to say that you couldn’t make it travel, but doing so would require changes that would surely void the warranty.
As the teleporter activates, the Herald, Bikke, and Terestria take on luminous forms, and rise into the ceiling as beams of blue light. And with that, they’re gone.
Herald, Bikke, Terestria:
To your eyes, it looks as if you’re in a tunnel, passing by rings of light and headed toward a bigger, shining light at the end of the tunnel.
Fortunately for you, this isn’t some grim metaphor. When the light washes over you, you find yourself in a room akin to the one you were sent off from, except...runnier, near the door. The deforming of the floor stops at a line of magic, which as you look around, seems to run around the room.
And when you finally leave the room, it’s rather apparent why the floor was like that.
Looking about from your platform outside the room, the world seems to have given up on maintaining any spatial consistency. Up is clockwise, all the paths from where you are simultaneously directly ahead, spiralling downward, the length of your foot and the size of a small castle. Here and there, figures the same and yet different to you travel the paths that contort around this space, the very ground beneath their feet running in streams and chunks toward dark orbs littered about the area that form the only points of reference you could hope to confirm the locations of. Everything is constantly in motion, and beyond all hope of following with mortal eyes.
There are artists famed for depicting scenes such as the one before you, but you can all agree that their visions are a far cry from that which you find before you now.
An expanse of tortured space lies before you.
What do you do?
MWG, Yizid, Fizzwiddle:
When the other groups vanishes away, all is silent for a while. A moment passes. And then, you all hear something. It’s ever so faint...but so very clear.
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.
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.
This is all looking great. I wonder if we'll see Paladin-Yizid roaming within?
There's still one question to be answered:
The remaining 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?
That question goes to Fizzwiddle. In the interest of keeping things moving, someone else can jump in to answer it if the question is still unanswered by Saturday.
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.
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?
To Yizid, Moves With Grace, and Fizzwiddle:
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.
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?
Well, if someone's willing to roll interference on that Spout Lore, then that can be managed.
Do tell why you wanted that 6-! If there was any particular misfortune you wished to seek out, I may be able to accommodate given the opportunity.
After a couple times running it through and some supplementary drawings, the elemental seems to understand. Its form thins and stretches out, working around Fizzwiddle's neck and layering over itself before settling on his body, the ends of the 'scarf' trailing out over one shoulder for a convenient wind to pick up. With the sheer size of it, it ends up covering the entirety of the gnome's neck and shoulders, shimmering and faintly glowing red. A brighter circle appears on the outside layer of the 'scarf' - its eye, presumably. The eye moves about, bits of the scarf stretching off so it can get a better look as it tries to match up with what Fizzwiddle drew.
Meanwhile, Moves With Grace starts to think back, but his thoughts are interrupted as the ground shakes violently. The elemental seems to react particularly badly, starting to unform rapidly and try to get away, nearly dragging away Fizzwiddle with it.
The Herald feels a powerful pulse of magic from deep within the Skyruin, before the shaking stops and the elemental begins to settle back onto Fizzwiddle's shoulders.
It comes to the monk's mind that Lincoln said he was planning to take over the island and fly it about.
He doesn't get the impression that plan is going well.
What are you trying to learn, exactly? I will need to limit what information you can get, given the time that's passed, but you can definitely get a bit of info that might still be relevant.
You can definitely try to DR to find out whether Lincoln is honest. If you hit your roll, I'll assume you picked the appropriate question to find out - for reference, that's "What here is not as it appears to be?" If you get more questions, or decide to change your mind if you only get one, pick the question and tell me what you're interested in finding out. I'll try to offer an alternative piece of knowledge if the info would be irrelevant now or outside your ability to learn then.
Glad you're making use of DR, but I don't plan on making an exception for you twice, since letting you do this a lot is easily abusable. Try to be aware in future.
Also, Fizzy, I've seen your post. Now just isn't a good time to respond to it. I'll get to you later.
