... similarly, they could be using the Cortex system, so anyone may just maybe succeed at anything/fail at anything, and she rolls like Orthos when his character's life depends on it).
continuing with the earlier thought now that the joke at Orthos' impossible tendency to roll ones in strict defiance of all odds is finished, maybe:
<mutter grumble razza frazza 1s gripe grumble>
I mean. Have you tried just... you know... not rolling 1s?
Just to see what it's like, I mean.
To be clear, this is a joke. This is only a joke. Had this been actual snark, I would... uh... I don't know. Not... not put this disclaimer up? Maybe? I couldn't guess. But it's not meant as real snark.
It's a link to another forum (one associated with the Webcomic called "Captain SNES" - a great webcomic with slow pacing and an unfortunate amount of foul language... to the point that it becomes part of the plot! - that is worth-while), which you'd have to sign up to to pitch in for (standard "comic forum" stuff applies: basically it's like this without any store, fewer people, and even less consistent oversight; the admin is a cool dude, but there isn't enough activity for constant monitoring to be a necessary thing), but I figured there were enough people poking around over here that I might as well mention it.
Either way, happy gaming - here or wherever!
Also, out of curiosity, what do you guys think of the idea of running undead characters?
Discuss! (Or don't; I couldn't hope to keep this thread on any sort of a track, I just was kind of interested in what people thought of the premise.)
EDIT: oh, and just in case it's not clear, I'm actually planning on running the game on Discord; I'm using that forum because it's going to be on that forum's Discord channel. Hype! (But in limited doses!)
(In my defense, I've got really terrible internet.)
Robert Henry wrote:
Ok, back to the description of the game:
Thanks TL, for the narrative. One of my favorite authors right now is Brandon Sanderson. Obviously some stuff more than others, but one of the things he did that I thought was great: He put a book on line, and then included the annotations explaining some of the writing process. So I was hoping for something similar at the end of this game. I was not disappointed.
I'm glad you enjoyed! I know not everything I wrote up there is perfectly accurate - it's my current reconstruction of my brain-state at the time, so, you know. Caveats, salt, and taking with grains or blocks. XD
Robert Henry wrote:
I fully expected for Usawoti to be left alone with the Mephit somewhere.
Actually, yeah, that's a better end that I'd originally foreseen. So, that's nice that we were both pleasantly surprised!
Robert Henry wrote:
Since Usawoti was a shaman instead of fighter I wanted to play him as something other than 'smash first ask questions later' character. Next time I play that character I will make sure he has 'sense motive' and some skill in 'diplomacy'.
Hah! You never know what benefits you may unlock by making people like you!
Robert Henry wrote:
I felt Everel was just depressed and despondent not evil or manipulative. For the coven I assumed they were evil and manipulative, but a better option than the plants (who oddly enough still became our allies) and that treating them with respect would be the best route to go.
Hee. Seems about right, doesn't it?
The plants thing was... funny, really. Quiet Gazer (who, as an aside, and for the record, was the actual specific one who's forces killed Golnan, and who confronted him, personally) had little idea that you were working for the coven when she first found you, and literally grasped at the chance to collect the prophesied "heroes" (who could, after all, be working for her side), in order to manipulate them into service for her own purposes. And then she got turned into an abyssal bottom feeder, and then turned inside out and exploded. Or, well, rather, turned into jewelry. Same thing, really.
And you did end up working with her (and her sisters), but it was a long road getting there.
Usawoti's natural 20 charisma check (I don't know if you rolled it, or I did in secret, as you weren't supposed to know it was a thing) meant that the jewelry... took a shine to you, in a personal way. Inarus' substantially-less-than-that meant it did not take to him so very well.
Hence the interactions in all future events.
That said, Usawoti never really understood his jewelry (at least not for a long time), while Inarus kept talking with her, and it forged an interesting and unique relationship.
Robert Henry wrote:
I don't really want Navarre to have any of Usawoti's memories, I would be curious as to how much of Usawoti's story is lore, because now the giants and Shoanti are at war, right?
The story of Usawoti, like so many, is complex and difficult to decipher truth from fiction.
As far as Navarre knows, the man named Usawoti was an ancient great human shaman with a beautiful immortal wife of some kind who somehow successfully negotiated a peace that lasted for centuries between the two people - it is said he bested them in physical tests of might, mental tests of wit and skill, and spiritual tests of faith and power, forcing them to bow to his superior awesome. He had many, many adventures (some of which are probably even true!), brought impossible wealth and prosperity for his people, and expanded the lands and numbers of the hawk people far beyond other tribes.
Alas, those dirty, conniving, back-stabbing, untrustworthy giants, you know - can't trust 'em - and so now, of course, they're all making war with the People again. So sad that they can't even listen to their own heroes (as they often erroneously consider Usawoti a giant - something that clearly doesn't make sense, as his mound is way too small; stupid giants).
You can, of course, adopt, embrace, or reject any of the linguistic and emotionally manipulative turns of phrase in the previous paragraph. It was a half-in-character statement of how things might have been explained to Navarre.
Navarre likely has some sort of connection to Usawoti beyond even normal for his peers.
Navarre may or may not know he is a descendant of Usawoti... but honestly, that's not saying much, anymore. Usawoti had a looooooooooooooot of kids (as his wife stayed young, beautiful, and vigorous until the end), and those produced a loooooooot of children, besides.
After six hundred years, the exact details of Usawoti have mostly faded to history myth and fable, and he is one of the several that have "ascended" to be among the Azghat - one of the exceptionally few that still have names known to the People.
Robert Henry wrote:
So some final questions for you:
Wow, when you ask questions, you go straight for the (narrative) jugular!
Hah!
Robert Henry wrote:
As for the mouse, did it stay with Inarus or did it get transferred to Usawoti? Also any hint as to it's importance.
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeheheheheheheh.
>:D
Man, if I forget this, later, this will look so weird. Also be hilarious in its own way, so there's that.
Robert Henry wrote:
what was Everels relationship with the plants and the giants? Had he really been stuck there all that time or did he move out of the dimension and back in?
"Well known" is about the only thing I'll say, at present. It may or may not come up, later.
... we shall see.
Robert Henry wrote:
Lastly, was Yeye ever really an elven princess?
This is a deeply insightful question that I'm surprised was never asked in-game. It was one of two questions that I thought were left fairly clearly ready to be posed multiple times that may well have answered... a great amount of other questions.
I will say that the idea of "was <__________> ever really" is a great deal harder to answer, and applies to a much broader series of elements within this story than simply Yephima's status as an elven princess.
... but, yes, for our narrative purposes, she was, in fact, once "really" an "elven princess" for whatever that's worth (albeit, not, exactly, a "princess" - even in the original intro, that was supposed to be made clear that the term was a kind of cultural short-hand for daughter of an important person). Sort of. After a fashion.
I will also say that this is unlikely the last you'll ever hear of this... series of events and... such... though you may never realize it, when it comes up.
After all, neither of you want the full memories to be found at some point, and that's fair - makes for an interesting narrative either way! So no: neither of you know of the details of this past life.
TL, there were a lot of things that you changed or you revamped, do you have any interest in sharing any more of the story, or background or things that you changed? I'm intrigued with how Yeye got to the dimension, if she really was part of the elves, what was Erevel's part in all of this?
Um, is it stuff you could copy and paste or would you have to type it all out?
Tacticslion wrote:
1) Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!
2) I don't mind at all, but, uh, not tonight.
3) It'll have to be typed. I don't even have all of my original notes, so...
Robert Henry wrote:
When you've got it typed I would like to read it. If no one else is interested or if it's a ton of documents I can PM you an e-mail to send it to me.
Okay, so, first things first, I don't have everything that I've changed or tweaked in the background.
That said, this was something of an intentional experiment as a GM. I tend to vastly prefer the more "stable" background elements - i.e. things that function from the beginning and flow forward. But in this case I intentionally created a world that had... issues, with time and what is and is not real. This allowed me to (semi- ... or at least quasi-) seamlessly add "retcons" while still having an internally-coherent narrative. Some retcons, however... had me retconning this element, so... not quite as perfect as it seems. XD
There are several background decisions I'd made from the beginning, that I've dropped hints at throughout that either none of you picked up on, or, if you did, you either ignored or didn't investigate or interpreted it in a different way. I'm still not sure I'm ready to share those, as, to some extent, that's part of my retconning. Hints about the story, history, or nature of pretty much everything in this game. Some hints were intentionally obtuse, while some were weaker than intended - so, in retrospect, it doesn't seem like it should have been a surprise, even though it was, at the time.
On the other hand, there were quite a few elements that were surprising and had me scrambling.
For example, as a GM, I'd tried to strongly hint that there was a "trick" to getting to the "roof" of the tower - a manner of interfacing with it that would let you specificy "roof" to air elementals who didn't understand that. I failed. Instead, it was taken as, "Here is a door, we will enter it." When I tried to discourage that particular course of action, even intervening to enable you to stay out... it didn't work. And so began the longest, by far, part of the adventure. Frankly, I'll admit: I didn't know how to not make this side-quest a TPK. And, while I'd kind of intended for everyone to die at some point, I'd hoped it was a more heroic end than "We jumped down a hole and died."
... also, I had to now make a series of potentially deadly adventures for you both.
And, as a GM, again, frankly I'll admit: it turned the game from tragedy to something far more hopeful. Those couple of levels and increased numbers of recruited NPCs meant that you could effectively "pay" the various costs associated with "activating" the tower, without entirely and instantly dying. Because you had NPCs, you guys actually became heroes instead of self-interested mercenaries. And with their help, you distracted and defeated armies that were supposed to be (and would have been) effectively unbeatable as they were nigh-infinite (comparatively).
Having Inarus die, thrice, in the narrative, was interesting from a GMing standpoint. The first, of course, was when he switched bodies. While the spirit lived, he put it well, "I've killed myself." (His corpse, by the way, was rather ingloriously and quickly devoured by centipedes, that were then eaten by evil waters, and exploded into magic; just for the record). The second was facing the demon-plant - Inarus, again, sacrificed himself, after a fashion, and it, again, helped him come out all the stronger. And finally, when he died a third time against the uberdragon of gluttonous air, I kind of had a good thing going, so offered him a "final out" as it were, by allowing him to "press start to continue" - I figure I'd done so for him twice already, and, when I'd offered something similar (with two reductions) to a certain other person, nothing had happened for quite some time, so it seemed like said offer was refused; thinking about it in-character, the next logical person to extend that offer to would be the other flying creature... who'd just died...
And so Inarus' narrative as a spirit dragon was born out of another's either not accepting (due to disinterest, or disagreement with GM-held presumptions) or forgetting to follow through with an idea. It made sense to me in-character, and out, and I went with it. It was, pretty strictly, a one-time offer, though.
Speaking of other players and their deaths, and GM-left-scrambling moments, Golan's death was... a mistake. Basically, the GM (that's me) made a combination of tactical and power-assessment errors that resulted in a rather stunningly ugly player-kill. Luke was justifiably annoyed, I think, by the whole thing. I did, of course, have a whole... thing... for what would happen to him, and how it could all work out, but over PMs he effectively declined the offer (super-fair). The offer, for story-reasons, remained open for a while, but it just never seemed to work out as either of us wanted. Unfortunate, really! ... but it worked out in other ways, so, that's neat.
Also unexpected, but not unappreciated, was Usawoti's strong response to Yephima! That was... excellent! Similarly, Inarus' hesitations, but ultimate embracing of choosing the Coven. This was a phenomenal character hook, that allowed me to easily allow the two of you to communicate (though, humorously, how much you communicated, exactly, was something that had to be communicated as well, and that was hard... XD), allowed for NPCs to both aid you and bide their time, and allowed for you to "pick a side" as it were, and kind of stick with it. What surprised me, of course, was that you took the "moral" course with the giants.
I'll level with you: both factions were evil. Suuuuuuuuuper evil. Except... the giants did, in fact, have families. And the possibility of morality (as they weren't demon plants). These were two elements of your earlier decision making that I hadn't taken into account until, I think, one of you mentioned something like that for making said decision. That got me thinking about them in an entirely different way. It also meant that, by the time Yephima showed up, she could be a (effective) "moralizing" influence on the coven (and her people - and vice-verse), have it make sense, and also support the heroes in their stated goals. Having Usawoti vaguely resemble a generic stone giant child felt right for a number of unrelated reasons (and let you have equipment even when you couldn't have your equipment), but, in retrospect, that was basically the best thing to do, as it immediately emotionally tied you to the giants in a positive way, and allowed them to respond favorably to the both of you, as well. Basically, the giants (and hags) became less evil as-played by me, because you chose the giants and made good in-character arguments about why the giants were the less-evil faction.
Moving back to the tower: wow, what a mess I'd made as a GM getting there. As part of my "time is malleable" backstory, as a behind-the-scenes, I'd made a self-retconning prophecy known to be "true" by the two different factions, which, each time reality and history was rewritten (which was a thing that happened), the prophecy remained true. And that prophecy mentioned heroes, something about a dragon and his elephant son and a, "rain and/or reign <translation unclear> of death" involving them, and then noted "they" <unclear> would make "their" way to and into the tower toward the top, while facing great dangers. (Also "great danger and much death" lurked in the tunnels; they must past beyond, despite death.) Also, also, "Something, something, mutter, mutter, Ereval." (It's been a while.)
Full disclosure - I was writing the story even while I was running you all through it, at the beginning. I had the basic plot and background, but there were details I didn't know. I don't know for sure if I had this prophecy before we started the game or not, but I know that when I came up with it, it gave me an anchor to hold on to so I, as GM, didn't lose my sanity in retconsylvaniatown. Hence I clung to it like a life preserver.
This prophecy was something I'd hung my hat on - a line in the sand I wouldn't cross, the proud nail never brought low, the one thing I wouldn't bend on. Because it was the one thing that was supposed to be constant - the gist, of course, being that the heroes arrive, fight the dragon knight and steed of lest, and prove who they are, and then go to the tower for a good time. The heroes were supposed to die (it was left ambiguous), and then have their spirits/memories/etc. "pass beyond" and voila, you end up with new characters down the road with lingering memories.
Funny thing is, I'd kind of immediately forgotten it. And when I did remember it, everything had kind of worked out around this. Inarus was now the very dragon knight, so Usawoti (viewed by the populous) must, himself, be the son of said knight. So, sure, that was how the prophecy was fulfilled, right? Right.
... then you guys jump into the tunnels. The one place I'd said was "certain death" - which, to be fair, I did mostly for in-character reasons, so that the various creatures like the demon plants didn't choke the interior of the tower with their minions everywhere... at least not yet - they wanted to control the tower, first.
So what to do? Tunnels that mean certain death, a very inglorious TPK, and break for new game, plus, "No, really, you guys, I'm a good GM, I swear!"...? This was made even harder after my critical blunder with Luke and Swiftwing. I realized that I'd suggested the tunnels had lots of life in them, and, in fact, had ever-so-vaguely "mapped" the tunnels (no real maps, nor even "real"definition or order to them, but the basic ideas and how they fit together), and made a point of displaying how "life" could exist. And I realized that the joke I'd made that you guys wouldn't ever get (well... now you would) that the "highest" tunnels were where creatures got "high" from air-based intoxicants was actually one of the more survivable tunnels around.
So I set about making a series of tunnels filled to the brim with every elemental creature I could justifiably (to myself) put in, that would both be a point of great danger, allow you both to show off your character's relative power and ability, and create an interesting and complex exploration narrative.
... and also wouldn't go where you wanted, because the tunnels were literally an endless (very complex) "loop" (that is, if you went up enough floors, you'd be at the "bottom" again - as there was no "bottom" or "top" relative to themselves). I didn't bother planning a particular way out, as death in these tunnels in glorious heroism would actually make it easier for your souls to be processed and sent beyond. Then you guys asked for information, and I put my thinking cap on, and thought about the problem as a non-GM. I came up with solutions with you, and proposed them, and you both summarily rejected them all for reasons I'm still not entirely sure of... but that's fine, as it all worked out!
And so, you found another way out, and you managed to keep things running, and we got to the story the way that we did, and here we are now.
As to the ending, I'd had a large number of ideas for how it would end - usually some sort of tragic-heroic death, though sometimes a somber, solitary life of sorrow and loneliness, and once Usawoti and Iya-iya had the potential to end up together - a kind of "second choice of mate, via shared survivor syndrome"-thing... but ultimately none of those were really satisfying.
Just before Christmas break, I'd also decided to have an interactive info dump with branching dialogue trees, based on what Usawoti chose, and just a metric ton of possibilities. I also put, what I thought, were clever limits on the amount of info "dumped" as there was a system of "QP" ("question points") that you could posit, and any given answer would take so-many QP - that represented how long and involved a question was. That way, there'd be lingering mysteries (maybe), but it could be an organic conversation with lots of cool in-character revelations immediately before she died a kind of death you can't get better from.
... and then, frankly, I just couldn't do it. I looked at everything the two of you had accomplished, everything you'd been at, and everything that you were... and that you had made her into. And I realized that she wouldn't do that to you. "Here's a bunch of stuff to break your soul and spirit, and also I die and you don't get to be with me, ssssooooooooorrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyy-!" That especially didn't sit well with me, as she wasn't a passive damsel, and you'd encouraged her to make her own way and her own decisions - you pointed out that willingness to die is fine and all, but sometimes its more important for the people she cares about to find a way to live. That had struck a cord with her. And, as established, she was canny, clever, and willful enough to strike impossible bargains, and navigate her way through deadly agreements, and even ameliorate the wickedness of a coven devoted to nothing beyond their own evil designs. Also Erevel. (Oh, man, Erevel.)
So I couldn't do that. I couldn't do it to you, I couldn't do it to Inarus, and I couldn't do it to either player - especially not in the midst of an emotional moment, throwing a gut-punch, and an, "Also you don't get to control your character or make decisions, nyah!" slap that would kind of come with said revelations. It felt rude to you guys, the players, and I didn't like the way it removed player agency: I didn't like it as a GM, and I didn't like it as a fellow player. I may have made the story, but the way it worked itself out made it feel... wrong to follow through. So I changed it, and probably won't go into detail beyond this - it might still come up, later, but we'll have to see. Hopefully, by that point, time and distance will have left player agency a thing. If I don't immediately forget it, again, that is. XD
And as for how she weaseled out of it, she cursed you - and herself, as a result - pretty hard. And that's all I'll say about that. For now.
And then there was Erevel.
DAG. GUM. EREVAL.
First: no, I never really learned how to sepll ish amne. Dyslexic, you know. So, that was a thing.
Second: I honestly intended for you guys not to like him. He was supposed to be an unpleasant prickly grouse... that you needed. At some point, in the vague, distant past, I had plans for him. Oh, such plans. ... ... ... I have no idea what most of them were, now.
Third: Totally unrelated, but LOL, the mouse. Whatever happened to that little guy, anyway?
(Well, I know what happened to him. >:D)
Fourth: The plans that I still recall that I have for him... never came up. Each time I would have utilized him as an NPC or other device, it really didn't fit the situation you currently found yourself in. It got to the point that it was kind of a private joke of mine to myself. "Oh, hey, I wonder if Ereval will show up now: nah!" (I didn't say it was a funny private joke. But it... it made sense in context. Stop judging meeeeeeeeeee~!)
Fifth: See, you might not have cared about him, but he had several unique pieces of knowledge. These included, but were not limited to:
- methods to raise the dead a limited number of times (never came up until he was out of reach or the game was quit; admittedly, as it was reincarnate might not have been a popular option, anyway)
- methods to cross the waters with a relative amount of safety
- methods to negotiate with any given faction (but when this came up, he was stuck waiting two islands away)
- methods to extract wealth from this misbegotten wretched world
Sixth: he never got to say, "Well, maybe you really are the heroes I've waited for this whole time."
Nine: I will let you know that Erevel was the single most honest person with the least interest in deceiving you that any of you have met the entire game.
===================================
I might be able to come up with more later, but that's about what I've got for now. Any more specific questions?
===================================
Robert Henry wrote:
So I Inarus is Inarus will he have Inarus' memories or just subconscious motivations? Not that I care either way, just curious.
GM Tacticslion wrote:
1) Sure! Probably be here. Some things might not be mentioned, yet, though, for quasi-potential-spoiler thingies. -Ish. I might be overly-cautious, here, as it's unlikely that things will work out the ways I think they might, but, hey, better safe than sorry. XD
2) The latter.
... unless Mort's super-interested in the former, in which case: still the latter. (... for now.) ;D
I would be interested to know if either of you are interested in eventually acquiring the "complete" memories or not?
While Inarus is definitely the reincarnated spirit of Inarus, the same is less certain of Navarre and Usawoti.
1) Sure! Probably be here. Some things might not be mentioned, yet, though, for quasi-potential-spoiler thingies. -Ish. I might be overly-cautious, here, as it's unlikely that things will work out the ways I think they might, but, hey, better safe than sorry. XD
2) The latter.
... unless Mort's super-interested in the former, in which case: still the latter. (... for now.) ;D
One became a leader of two peoples with a name passed down in legend.
One became a divine spirit revered for eternities.
One was killed just as he was starting an adventure, never to be found.
And with that, the spirit dragon came to rest, at long, long last, after eons.
He wandered for a time in a heaven above heaven, a Nirvana of glory, and in wild Elysian fields and forests and terrain. He knew many things, many glories.
He saw his mother, at long last, she who had borne and raised him; who, upon seeing him once again, ran to him and embraced him. They spent perhaps an eon together, simply admiring different sunsets, and another sampling different dishes from across the glories of paradise.
He saw his Mother, the Harborwing who had known him and loved him far before he had ever conceived of becoming the half-orc-turned-dragon once known as "Inarus;" she taught and guided and played with him, and showed him many wonders, and the exact pattern his life had played out, and how he had taken demons and turned them into angels*.
* Figuratively.
He was even granted leave to eventually find his father - a man who had turned into a tiny host of pathetic, disgusting, mewling things with no thought or mind, much less recollection, though one vaguely recalled once siring a son, though it cared for nothing but reveling in endless slaughter - it was a life destined to be cut short in its current track. There was no comfort in this, only a pathetic soul that would never amount to more than what it had achieved, but what it had achieved, through little fault of its own, was this: siring a man who would change the worlds for the better.
Inarus saw many of his "children" and their "children" as well - those who followed him through death and into life, once again. Mephits and dragons and former demons and the children they spawned with each other and others, besides.
And so, Inarus lived and moved and experienced.
Then, one day, an inestimably long time, later, and an incalculably short time later, he felt the gentle warmth of his mother's shadow, as well as his Mother's shadow.
"यह समय है, मेरे प्यारे बेटे"
"حان الوقت، يا ابن الحبيب."
"הגיע הזמן, בני האהוב."
"Ин вақт, писари маҳбуби ман аст."
"Ni wakati, mwanangu mpendwa."
<'It is time, my beloved son.' says your Mother.>
"Time to be free." says your mother. "Time to be yourself in a way you were never allowed. You may pick who you will start as, and in that time you will choose who you become. And you will always be welcome here, again, should you choose to return.."
"हमेशा याद रखें: आप प्यार करते हैं"
"تذكر دائما: أنت محبوب."
"זכרו תמיד: אתם נאהבים."
"Ҳамеша дар хотир доред: шумо дӯст медоред."
"Daima kumbuka: unapendwa."
<'Always remember: you are loved.'>
And so it was, with two kisses, and many hugs and farewells, that the one once named Inarus entered back into the eternal stream of life, plunging into that deep pool from an incalculable height, and following to where his heart lead him, racing through the streams and rivers and the essence of life to find new birth, once again...
Though she was never as powerful, as glorious, in many ways - having been diminished in the destruction she was freed from - she was his and he was hers.
Together, the two of them ruled the giants for 57 years, before retirement back to the Shriikiri Quah (her accepting a reduction in height to do so). They were welcomed with open arms by their people, and together, under Usawoti's (sometimes reluctant) leadership, built a lasting truce between the restored giantkin and the shriikiri quah that actively persisted for well over three hundred years, and remains in the memories of the people still.
And, together, they had many sons and daughters, some who remained with the giants, and some with the hawk clan.
And Usawoti was gathered to his ancestors, as Mope was passed down through the generations of the Shriikiri Quah, revered as a hero by many races, and father (on two sides) of the race of half-giants who still live within the world to this day.
It was one day after his retirement that the Eternal Seeds left, and Usawoti found his jewelry gone as well. Nonetheless, both of his people continued to have enhanced fertility and abundance for many years to come.
Usawoti was outlived by his wife, who never seemed to age, though her spirit seemed to pass on with him. One day, her great grandchildren looked around to find her missing. She remains a legend among the people of the hawk (and many giants) to this day.
As with all legends, the truth of such things was distorted and changed, made "new truth" by generations in each new telling. And so it was.
And then, one day, around six-hundred years thereafter, a descendant of that man, a descendant named Navarre.
A flash of warm vapor and a cool spray frost, and you see a naked figure in the fountain, where it is carried along by the stream and poured out into the lake, floating.
It is Yeye. She is doesn't move, for a moment.
Then, she stirs, and stands, rising from the water.
The sense of a smile that warms like the sun you've almost forgotten. Like the sky your realms only hint at.
"कोई बोझ नहीं है - केवल शांति"
"ليس هناك أي عبء - السلام فقط."
"אין שלום - רק שלום."
"Ягон бор нест - танҳо сулҳ."
"Hakuna mzigo - amani tu."
<'There is no burden - only peace.'>
"आपके बलिदान ने यह संभव बना दिया है"
"لقد جعلت تضحياتكم هذا ممكنا."
"הקורבן שלך עשה את זה אפשרי."
"Ин қурбонии шумо имконпазир аст."
"Sadaka yako imefanya hivyo iwezekanavyo."
<'Your sacrifice has made this possible.'>
"आपकी स्वतंत्रता आपकी है, क्या आप चाहें?"
"حريتك هي الخاصة بك، إذا كنت ترغب في ذلك."
"החופש שלך הוא שלך, אם תרצה."
"Озодии шумо худи шумо аст, агар шумо мехоҳед."
"Uhuru wako ni wako mwenyewe, unapotaka."
<'Your freedom is your own, should you wish.'>
"तुमने अच्छे से किया।"
"لقد أحسنت."
"עשית היטב."
"Шумо хуб кор кардаед."
"Umefanya vizuri."
<'You have done well.'>
"चेतावनी दीजिए, हालांकि"
"ولكن حذر من ذلك."
"הזהיר, עם זאת."
"Вале огоҳ бошад."
"Uelewe, hata hivyo."
<'Be warned, however.'>
"मेरी सहायता करके, आपने हमेशा से बुराई की दुश्मनी बनायी है"
"من خلال مساعدتي، كنت قد جعلت إلى الأبد عداوات الشر."
"ללא שם: על-ידי סיוע לי, ללא שם: יש לך עשה עוינות של הרוע."
"Бо кӯмаки ман, шумо ҳамеша тоқати бадиро ба вуҷуд овардаед."
"Kwa kunisaidia, umefanya uadui kwa milele."
<'By aiding me, you have forever made enmities of evil.'>
"यहां, आप सुरक्षित हैं"
"هنا، أنت آمن."
"הנה, אתה בטוח."
"Ин ҷо шумо бехатар ҳастед."
"Hapa, wewe ni salama."
<'Here, you are safe.'>
"वहां, आप नहीं होंगे"
"هناك، لن تكون."
"שם, אתה לא תהיה."
"Дар он ҷо, шумо намехоҳед."
"Huko, huwezi kuwa."
<'There, you will not be.'>
"लेकिन आप मुफ्त हो जाएगा"
"ولكن سوف تكون حرة."
"אבל אתה תהיה חופשי."
"Аммо шумо озод хоҳед буд."
"Lakini utakuwa huru."
<'But you will be free.'>
Oh sorry. Later then. Currently distracted =) Oh wait. I can respond now.
I'm serious about this: you're putting more pressure and expectation on yourself than I am. When you can, and no pressure.
If I push my players hard, I push myself harder. So being unable to respond to posts when I am being asked for to me is quite a big thing. Because it means the game is waiting for me, and I have no right to hold up another's time.
And yet, we are not your players.
You're my players.
And, as I know how hard you push yourself in most cases, I'm telling you, as GM, that you don't have to worry about it, here, nearly so much. Effectively: you need not apologize or rush to post. Just do so when you can.
Relax, this is a place for fun and not excess social pressure!
After having sealed the portals, discussed things with Iya-iya, and established the beginnings of a religious conceit among his followers for several months, Inarus eventually returns to his three layers.
He discovers that, though his powers are much greater, he loses almost all access to anything beyond his tower, with only minimal access to the realm beyond - and, though it is beautiful in its own way, infinite cycles of destructive energy of all kinds raging across in a kaleidoscope of coruscating colors of cleansing energy eventually gets a little boring - few times does he ever bother to check on them.
From his experiences within the plane, days pass instead of seconds, lifetimes instead of hours, millennia instead of days, eons and epochs beyond counting instead of weeks.
And so his legend was formed.
In the immediate apocalypse at the "cleansing" of the plane, Inarus used his influence to guard those few still living, and guide them across the seas to the tower, and to his realms, to find a place to live. Some died anyway, but most survived, and Inarus would come to be known as the Glorious Guardian of Forever among the remaining survivors, and those in his realm. Over the years, his three layers become sacred places, free from true sin, but permitted as protected paradises, with clarity and honor. The future generations there would launch periodic forays into the other floors, becoming known among the generations of those places as the rough equivalent of adventuring celestials, purging the unclean, and saving those who could or would follow the tenets of the King of the Heavens.
Abundance.
Righteous Fury.
Fertility.
Air for soothing breath.
Flames for healing warmth.
Frost for preservation and protection.
And then one day, many eons hence, he hears a voice.
As he sleeps, Inarus does something exceptionally peculiar... he dreams. He's not sure why this is peculiar. After all, he's dreamed before. But somehow, this is different.
"शुभकामनाएं, बच्चे" says a voice.
"تحياتي، طفل." it echos.
"ברכות, ילד."
"Салом, кўдак."
"Salamu, mtoto."
<It is saying, 'Greetings, child.'>
"आपके दुख के लिए मैं क्षमा चाहता हूं आपने अच्छी तरह से किया है, हालांकि।"
"أنا آسف على معاناتك. لقد فعلت جيدا، ومع ذلك."
"אני מצטער על סבלך. עשית טוב, עם זאת."
"Ман барои чӣ шуморо ранҷ медиҳад пушаймон ҳастам. Шумо хуб анҷом додаанд, вале."
"Nasikitika kwa mateso yako. Umefanya vizuri, hata hivyo."
<It continues, 'I am sorry for your suffering. You have done well, however.'>
"आपके पास - जानबूझकर या नहीं - मेरे नाम पर बहुत कुछ किया इसके लिए, मैं आपको धन्यवाद करता हूँ।"
"لديك - عن علم أو لا - فعلت الكثير في اسمي. لهذا، أشكركم."
"יש לך - ביודעין או לא - לעשות הרבה בשמי. לשם כך, אני מודה לך."
"Шумо - дониста ё не - хеле амал ба исми Ман. Барои ин ба шумо ташаккур."
"Una - kwa kujua au la - kufanyika sana katika jina langu. Kwa hiyo, nakushukuru."
<The voice explains, 'You have - knowingly or not - done much in my name. For this, I thank you.'>
"मैं तुम्हें एक इनाम देने की तलाश करता हूं"
"أسعى لإعطائك مكافأة."
"אני מבקש לתת לך פרס."
"Ман кӯшиш кунед, аҷре дод."
"I kutafuta kukupa zawadi."
<Benevolence emanates, as it continues, 'I seek to give you a reward.'>
"मैं तुम्हें आराम दे दूँगा"
"أود أن أعطيك الراحة."
"אני אתן לך מנוחה."
"Ман туро ором мебахшам."
"Napenda kukupumzika."
<She speaks, so gently. 'I would give you rest.'>
"यदि आप स्वीकार करते हैं, तो मैं आपकी कर्तव्यों को पूरा करूँगा और आपका वर्तमान स्वरूप एक पहलू - एक अवतार - अपने आप में बदल जाएगा।"
"إذا قبلت، سوف أتسلم واجباتك وسوف يتحول شكلك الحالي إلى جانب - صورة رمزية - بنفسي."
"אם אתה מקבל, אני אקח את החובות שלך ואת הטופס הנוכחי שלך יהפוך היבט - אוואטר - של עצמי."
"Агар шумо қабул кунед, ман вазифаҳои худро иҷро мекунам ва формати ҳозираи шумо ба як ҷанбаи табдил табдил меёбад."
"Ikiwa unakubali, nitachukua majukumu yako na fomu yako ya sasa itabadilika kuwa sehemu - avatar - mwenyewe."
<She explains, 'If you accept, I will take over your duties and your current form will transform into an aspect - an avatar - of myself.'>
"आप अपनी मां की गले में वापस आ जाएंगे और एक समय के लिए सो सकते हैं, और फिर अपने दोस्तों के साथ एक नए जीवन में, एक नई दुनिया में फिर से जुड़ें।"
"سوف تعود إلى احتضان أمك والنوم لبعض الوقت، ومن ثم انضمامه مع أصدقائك في حياة جديدة، عالم جديد."
"אתם תחזרו לחיבוק אמכם ותישנו זמן מה, ואז תתחברו עם החברים שלכם לחיים חדשים, עולם חדש."
"Шумо ба анбӯҳи модаратон бармегардед ва дар як вақт хобед ва сипас бо дӯстони худ дар ҳаёти нав, дунёи нав ҳамроҳ шавед."
"Wewe utarudi kukumbatia mama yako na kulala kwa wakati, na kisha utaunganishwa na marafiki zako katika maisha mapya, dunia mpya."
<'You will you will return to your mother's embrace and sleep for a time, and then be rejoined with your friends in a new life, a new world.'>
"एक वास्तविक दुनिया, और सच है, इस बार"
"عالم حقيقي، وصحيح، وهذه المرة."
"עולם אמיתי, נכון, הפעם."
"Ҳаёти воқеӣ, ва ин ҳақиқат."
"Dunia halisi, na kweli, wakati huu."
<'A real world, and true, this time.'>
"एक जीवन जो आपकी खुद की है"
"حياة خاصة بك."
"חיים משלך."
"Ҳаёти шахсии шумо."
"Maisha ambayo ni yako mwenyewe."
<'A life that is your own.'>
"मैंने आपके लिए पहले से ही ऐसा ही किया है, अपने झुंड को आजादी के लिए मार्गदर्शक बनाते हुए - आपके इरादे वाले दृष्टि से - जब आप उपस्थित नहीं कर सकते"
"لقد فعلت مماثلة بالنسبة لك بالفعل، وتوجيه قطيعك إلى الاستقلال - لرؤيتك المقصود -، عندما لا يمكنك جعل المظهر."
"אני כבר עשיתי דומה לך כבר, המנחה את הצאן לעצמאות - לחזון המיועד שלך, כאשר אתה לא יכול לעשות את המראה."
"Ман аллакай ба шумо монанд карда будам, рамзи худро ба истиқлолият роҳнамоӣ мекунам - ба рӯъёи худ, - вақте ки шумо намоиш дода наметавонед."
"Nimefanya sawa na wewe tayari, unaongoza kundi lako kwa uhuru - kwa maono yako yaliyokusudiwa -, wakati huwezi kuonekana."
<'I have done similar for you already, guiding your flock to independence – to your intended vision –, as you cannot make appearance.'>
A Week After Arrival
You travel at a moderate pace for some hours - about eight - climbing ever-higher up the monstrously large mountain range, witnessing the sun rise and climb high into the sky on your journey, before finally arriving at a sight of some majesty. Across the hard and rocky mountainous high ground is a thick covering of snow and ice that glitters and refracts rainbows sunbeams all around in the daylight; a sudden and massive hole sinks into the rocky land, quickly, giving way to a sudden and sharply beautiful green warmth shot through with riotous colors from blossoms of all kinds, from which rises enough steam to be clearly visible from far away, were it not instantly dispersed by the ever-present winds at this extreme height.
In the center of this green ringed depression sits a relatively massive and lovely warm pool of pure and sparkling water, fed by icemelt from the edges of the ring, as well as a large series of small waterfalls at one end, themselves clearly hot, as they cut through the ice. Water, it seems, sinks into the earth under the pool, probably to be emitted in several streams and wells lower in the mountain. In the center of the pool is a lushly overgrown (yet low) island with a clearly burbling hotspring pushing up from the center, leaving hot streams moving into the larger body of water in which it sits.
"Di'n't I tell ya, boss? I found a good place for this."
This, clearly, is a sacred place - prayers to the spirits of nature, the Azghat, ancestors of your people (both Shriikiiri Quah and giantkin), and all their gods are in order before entering such a locale. The proper religious rites observed, sacred music sung, and elements followed, Mope walks you carefully down the hill, and steps carefully on the water, bringing you to the central island. The eternal seeds wait amidst the shrubbery with Toos, though the Ladies continue to be borne on your arm. Shuuvu rests on your shoulder, at peace.
"Di'n't I tell ya, boss? I found a good place for this." brags Mope, slightly, before nodding, letting you off on the central island, and, with a quick word to Shuuvu (apparently encouraging the bird to fly back to the ring for privacy) vanishes onto your flesh to give you the most privacy possible when you have many eyes and other sensors keeping watch, expectantly.
And with one or two more posts, we should be done.
I will say only this, then. Your most expressed plan of action is unlikely to accomplish what you think it does, as it seems you have forgotten something about the nature and limit of your abilities.
Usawoti, how much did you pay attention to what Inarus was saying in that alternate reality about himself and his new state of existence? Seems you had made up your mind and weren't listening too much... but I'm curious what you think.
Query: Inarus, did you happen to seal the portals or not?
Also, query: should I mention something to you out-of-character that might change your plans in-character; Inarus should know this, but may or may not think of it.
The newly healed and named Mephit, "Toos" looks at him. "You may have no ********* intent, but I do: I'mma hangin' with you. 'Sides - you'll definitely need my help!" he grins ear to ear.
Ladies and ES
The two seem to hit it off well enough, and, after a time, the jewelry returns to you. In your mind, a voice says, we have come to an accord - an emotive pause - for now our beloved you need us - another pause, then, and perhaps them - a brief moment, before - to continue to assist bringing your leadership potential to its maximum though our discussions will continue and it may be in the future that we move on for your own sake
And with that, the jewelry returns to sleep.
Mope and a snowball's chance...
"No prob'lem, boss." Mope nods.
Though there is some confusion, the giants generally agree. On the appointed day, you leave before the dawn - before any, save the few guards are awake.
The rest of this scene will be resolved after your conversations with Inarus.
My internet is intermittant, at best, right now, so apologies for the messy post. It's hard to keep previewing when it might cut out at any moment!
Inarus, you realize your people are in the southern area of Varisia, near the Mierani Forest, but the foothills of mountains.
Usawoti, you realize you and yours are in a part of the Kodar Mountains that is relatively far from home, but still recognizable to you. Technically along the far northern border of the Storval Plateau itself.
Shuuvu takes off and soars - free, for the first time in some time of the stink and powerful winds and death of that plane.
The Eternal Seed(s) also seem to be content to observe.
Mope nods, and dashes off, hunting far, wide, and hard for Usawoti's requested hot springs. Your geography check can indicate several potential spots.
--------------
Over the next few hours Usawoti feels a rather continuous, increasingly insistent tingle.
Within an hour or so, after his return, the insistent ever-growing ringing sensation stops, suddenly, and, after a time, he hears a soft whisper. "Usawoti - did you make it out?" It is Inarus!
(Congratulations! The two of you can now talk by whisper. Probability for errant or lost communication is high, but you can more or less get it through. Think "talking by whisper over cellphone with an occasionally bad connection" or something.)
---------------------------
Usawoti also hears a subtle susurrus of social signals and ideas flooding through his mind - a host of analyses and concepts loosening his tongue and flooding him with confidence - and suddenly, he feels quite... princely. He understands people - and understands how to get them to work towards his goals.
Congratulations, you have a +4 bonus to your charisma (this is in addition to your previous +5, bringing your current total to 9+5+4 = 18); and a +29 to bluff checks; a +28 to diplomacy checks; a +13 bonus to performance combat; a +9 bonus to disguise, intimidate, and sing; and a +7 bonus to all other charisma- or charisma-based checks. You can roll up to three different times and take the best. You gain a +4 bonus and a single re-roll each round to your other checks. If you have fewer than 6 ranks in a charisma-skill, treat that skill as if you had six ranks and it was a class skill (so another +9 bonus; +13 with your charisma). These bonuses will eventually wear off, but they are what you have for now.
You gain an additional +5 toward any who could find you sexually appealing.
Further, your accent changes at will to adapt and adopt their own, and you speak rather flawless giant, and your mind is filled with cultural information.
The giants gather around Usawoti, some seeing his "new" form for the first time. Others watching this small man who claimed to be their Fuyrstei - one above even mythical visekongurs and markgreife, those no-longer extant legendary rulers who once commanded jarls - with curiosity and earnestness, but uncertainty.
There is some amount of shock among the giants around you, though not revulsion. Though not the largest, you are no longer the smallest person around.
Your equipment changes with you, though things you separate from will return to their original size.
Diplomacy 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 39 ⇒ (15) + 39 = 54 Diplomacy 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 39 ⇒ (11) + 39 = 50 Diplomacy 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 39 ⇒ (3) + 39 = 42 Bluff 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 40 ⇒ (5) + 40 = 45 Bluff 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 40 ⇒ (6) + 40 = 46 Bluff 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 40 ⇒ (6) + 40 = 46 Charisma, 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18 Charisma, 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 Charisma, 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
Intimidate 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (1) + 22 = 23 Intimdiate 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (13) + 22 = 35 Intimidate 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (12) + 22 = 34 Perform (Sing) 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (5) + 22 = 27 Perform (Sing) 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (11) + 22 = 33 Perform (Sing) 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (16) + 22 = 38
Charisma, 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 Charisma, 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 Charisma, 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 Improve by +5 to any who do or could find you sexually attractive.
Handle Animal, 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 27 ⇒ (12) + 27 = 39 Jandle Animal, 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 27 ⇒ (3) + 27 = 30 Handle Animal, 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 27 ⇒ (1) + 27 = 28
Sense Motive, 1 of 2, take the best:1d20 + 20 ⇒ (19) + 20 = 39 Sense Motive, 1 of 2, take the best:1d20 + 20 ⇒ (16) + 20 = 36
Wisdom, 1 of 2, take the best:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24 Wisdom, 2 of 2, take the best:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23
Oh! Forgot.
Performance Combat, 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (2) + 23 = 25 Performance Combat, 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (12) + 23 = 35 Performance Combat, 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (3) + 23 = 26
Perception, 1 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 24 ⇒ (1) + 24 = 25 Perception, 2 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 24 ⇒ (7) + 24 = 31 Perception, 3 of 3, take the best:1d20 + 24 ⇒ (12) + 24 = 36 +3 in bright light
-----
Over the course of the next few hours, days, weeks, and months, Usawoti asserts himself, his authority, and his presence. To that end, he begins working with the various jarls and jarls-apparent among these people, intuiting their skills and talents and powers and organizing them according to his best understanding, which he works to expand upon by listening intently to the words of many - the high and the low alike.
He sits in judgement upon them and begins a Great Ordening (as it would come to be known) of his people – he reduces those he finds unworthy (complete with a trial by combat before witnesses, when necessary) and empowers those he finds more suitable. He teaches ancient and beautiful music, even as they teach him the same. He uses his skill in nature and ability with animals to lead powerful chases and tame big beasts of burden; he shows the more delicate of their kind how to master the crafts of his Quah and how to design fashions and make new things on their own, blending both giant traditions and Shoanti to make a powerful blend of both. The giants quickly come to love him. To fear him. To respect him. And to honor his name. He is "Usawoti-flott'Fuyrstei" and "Usawoti Hertougi Risastórt" - the great prince and the duke of giantkind.
And so his name rang forth from the mountains for little more than half a century, as he was known as the greatest among the giants.
-----------------
Within the span of a day, Mope returns, having found a gorgeous hotspring.
"Found one." the spirit-horse notes, breathing heavily, having run the whole time. He speaks to you in hushed whispers of a place of supreme natural beauty.
As an aside, limited wish shouldn't cover greater scrying, as you're not in "your" realm, you're in the tower... but I don't care enough to enforce it at this point in the story. We're working on denouement. Inarus will likely find the particular ability to communicate in this manner fading, as time goes on, until he can (if he can) return to his realm, again.
It takes quite a bit of time to talk with all of your followers in that fashion. Eventually, you realize that you can simply will the gist to them, and organize many of them to speak with each other, and pass the information along more efficiently.
They will begin to follow the mandates...
I'm going to presuppose you try repeatedly with Usawoti until you confirm he's fine. Also, you can read the two spoilers for Usawoti, below.
Usawoti:
"yes my lord we are whole" replies a soft voice in your head.
"[b]you will need assistance and we will give it though it means that we will be... tired" she says. "[i]though we will sleep now we will be with you and aid you as long as we are allowed" she says.
Usawoti:
The eternal seeds awaken, and *schplork* off of your body, wondering at this new world. They follow you, for a time, to watch the events.
Spoiler Alert!: they will eventually, at some point in the future, simply... leave, quietly.
Usawoti, roll a Will save.
Higher than 21:
You feel a brief tingle of some kind.
Please roll another saving throw and compare against these two spoilers, again.
Lower than 21:
You suddenly hear a whisper from nearby, "[b]Usawoti - did you make it out?" It... it's Inarus!
She looks around. "I͘ a͞pp҉ea͠r̡ ͘t̵o ͠be i̛n ̛ano̧the͝r wòr͟l͢d ͝e̡n͜tir̴ely.҉ ̀It ís.͢.̛.̸ o͞bnoxio͢us҉ly̨ brig̵h͘ţ." She closes her eyes and twists away, swaying, slightly. "T̢he̵r̛e is ̵s͏ơm̨e s͘ort̕ o̕f ͠fiery͠ ba̶l͡l ͞ab̧o̵ve̸,̴ t͝h͘ough ͞i̵t͘ ́d͝oèşn҉'̵t f̕all͢. I͏t ̧is͘.͠.̸. ͏d͞i͜zz͝i̵nģl͏y ҉l̵a͠rge͠ śṕace͢ -̴ al̴m̸o͏st na҉ưse̴a͠t̴i̡ng,̨ ͝r̶e͞all̷y̡." she says.
Squinting, she peers around. "To̕o͟ ̶m̷an̸ý gre̕e͘ns͘. ́L͏o͡ts ̕of̡ ̵plant̕s̀, ͏I b͏eli̴ev̀e̛.̴ T̡he̷ s͡ub̛s̸ta͠n͡ce ͢you'͡v҉e ça͝ll͠ed̕..̴.͏ ̕s͢t̸o͞n̢e?́" she scuffs the ground. "E͏ar̡t͏h. Dirt,͝ that ́i̢s̶." she squints around, clearly has a bout of mild dizziness looking up, then looks down again. "See҉m͠s ̶lik̴è ͢it̴ ̶w͘o̸rk̛ed͝.̡ ҉Di̶d.͠.̵.͢ ̴pas͏sin͠g ̨th̕ro͟u͝gh ͞th̴e ͠pǫr҉t̶al sev̸er̛ ͜ou͝r ̀con̴n̛e͠ct̵ion͡?" she asks.
She shakes her head, then says to your mind, "I think we're almost through! ͘It seems it really worked! ̵The last of the giantkin are almost through the portals, the youngest are all saved, and I'm heading through myself, as you asked." she notes.̵
"͝You've done it, Inarus! You've saved ever-" she begins, then nothing.
Iya-iya is gone.
Inarus can still feel his followers... out there... somewhere... but whatever connection he'd once held to Iya-iya has suddenly been severed. Just like Usawoti.
Welp. Surely that one won't ever come back to bite anyone ever again.
Inarus, you've suddenly lost connection with Usawoti. Last you knew, he was safe, but then he is simply gone.
I'll give you at least one more update, but we are getting really close to denouement territory.
Usawoti, please feel free to engage with anything you want, but, barring something that highly surprises me, that's the end of your character being in the other realm.
She laughs, softly, though it turns into a wracking cough. Once recovered she says, "From wherever you've brought our people - from wherever your throne as prince is."
She looks at your eyes. "You care so much. The most valuable of treasures. Please, return your steed to yourself, and kiss me." she asks.
Presuming you do - Mope has his reservations, but is more than willing to go with you - the following:
Usawoti feels the warmth of a summer day as winter showers pour a pleasant chill. Spring. Winter. Sunny days. Lightning. Her breath, her lips, bring him places of wild natural beauty and brilliance.
And when he opens his eyes, Usawoti finds himself on a mountainside. Hundreds of giants of all descriptions are arriving.
Inarus is gone.
Iya-iya is gone.
That world of darkness is gone.
Yeye is gone.
And Usawoti stands alone on a mountainside surrounded by giants, a hawk on his shoulder, a steed on his chest, a mephit in his backpack, and a very ornate - surprisingly quiet - plant (or jewelry, it's hard to tell) on his hand, bearing a tightly packed snowball.
After a wracking cough, she places a piece of snow, apparently made from... nothing?... - little more than a hard-packed ball - into Usawoti's hand.
"Take this, and swear to me you will do right by my - now by our - people, and claim the title as Prince for fifty-nine years before retiring both of us from that place. If you swear this, after one week, I need you to fling this into a warm spring."
She falls into another coughing fit, this time producing much fluid on the floor, some of it blood. She relaxes into your arms, seemingly no longer able to stand. With a rueful smile, she says, "And, you know, though this doesn't make for the most romantic scene," she trails off, biting her lip, then, has fully, "... children would be nice." she finishes.
"... I ask only that you trust me, accept a cost - not your soul - with no fight, and believe in me - believe and know that our life together will be, despite any cost." She coughs. "Please."
’What? Will not suirvive? ’Mope turns as she asks, we need to find out what she is talking about.’ As Mope turns toward the shore, Usawoti turns and his head toward YeYe his voice cracking from emotion. ”Will not survive this bridge's span”? What do you mean? If you cannot leave this place we can go to the tower. We have the means to enter again. We can stay there with Inarus. I would rather live there with you than return to Golarion, there is nothing there for me without you.”
Mope quickly turns and dodges the increasingly violent black waters, as he carefully rushes back through the gate of Pride, Usawoti feels a brief surge of arrogance, before he arrived at the doorway down.
After trotting toward the protect tower as she indicates, avoiding the hole down, Yephima slides off the saddle, and turns, nervous toward Usuwati.
"I must confess: though you are my chosen, I have fooled you. For I am already dead."
She gestures to herself.
"The simple truth is that I never had enough power. Never enough to help what I loved, what I served, what I cared for."
She laughs, bitterly.
"Ironic, right?" she shakes her head. "A princess, a veritable titan, and it's simply not enough."
She sighs, wistfully. "And so, at one time, when I was myself and yet not, I created a bargain. I gained power in exchange for my soul. Don't fear - I did think I was clever, after all, and made sure that if it was never used it would cost me nothing, and if it was used it wouldn't automatically cost me everything - nor would it corrupt my essence to pervert me to evil or any I affected or anything like that. What's more, I ensured that it could be used for any purpose I wanted, and the outcome would follow my desires as I interpreted, not those of any others poorly interpreting my will." A wisftul smile. "But it was, in the end, too perfect. It went exactly as advertised. Of course, what I couldn't know is the cost of my soul-price would not come immediately, and, while my desires were my own to fulfill as I desired, I could not fulfill the desires of any other - it must be selfish power for my purposes and none other."
She looks at Usawoti, evenly.
"I have discovered a loophole, however." she says. "You."
She smiles, sincerely, shyly.
"But I need you to trust me. To accept what I ask. And to do as I say." Her face twists with embarrassment. "I need you to trust me enough to become a tool - an instrument of my desires - and to express your love in that."
She breathes, shakily, and as she's about to speak, a sudden spasm seizes her, and she clutches her chest, sending her to her knees. She coughs. "Hm. Less time than I thought."
She looks up at him, apologetic, yet pleading. "Will you do this? Will you trust me? Allow me... to use you... for my selfish desires?"
'We get to the bridge and get Yeye's people through, now that I have her we will rescue as many as we can. What was that ...loss? ... was that the blessing from pride?...Why is Mope slowing? Ah an Illusion, good boy I could always trust you.'
As Yeye speaks his name he turns looking over his shoulder, leaving the direction they are going to his noble steed,"Ask what ever you need dear heart."
In response to the question, Usawoti smiles, "Yes my beloved I love you. I was drawn to you the moment I saw you. As we spoke I knew our fates were intertwined. Your presence with me in the tower grew into a love that I would die for." Disturbed by the timing of the conversation, he nods toward the bridge. "I look forward to growing old with you surrounded by our great grand children."
@Usawoti...
"If you love me, then do this for me. Turn back, and then stop with me, for a moment, on that shore." she says, pointing back to the tower. "Permit me a last gift: a moment with you, now."
A mildly shaky breath. "I will not survive this bridge's span." Her breath catches. "And I have a gift for you."
Inarus wrote:
Does Inarus have any ache in his foreclaw too?
Mild. Kind of "echo-y," really, rather than so direct.
Inarus senses Iya-iya's pain through the link. Worried he asks her, "Are you all right?"
"I... am." she replies. "I'm uncertain what's going on with my foreclaw, but it's minor. It seems to be... shared, though." she nods. Inarus senses the same from Usawoti.
Usawoti - you notice a minor but dull and deep ache in your hand - you had other things to worry about before, so it really didn't register, but now that you've got two others on the "line" talking about it.
Inarus wrote:
You see.. Inarus is the sort of live and let live kind of dragon. If the portals will pose a risk to people in Golarion, he'll happily seal them without hesitation. But to prevent Usawoti from spending his whole life opening the portal? Nah. Everyone has freedom of choice, afterall. Besides who knows if some of his followers in their demiplane might change their minds and maybe he can get them to Golarion as well.
Inarus thinks what are the consequences of not sealing the portals. Take 10 for 33 knowledge everything.
Well, massive bursts of multiple massive kinds of destructive energy might leak out under certain circumstances or at certain times, should the portal random-open, or people may unwittingly open up a portal and be entirely eradicated (or, if they have phenomenal reflexes, they'd probably only get slightly hideously scarred and maimed forever). If improperly opened - such that it is left open -, it could even cause massive destruction in the area (forest fires, polluted lakes of acid, unnatural electric storms, and so on).
Adventurous types are more prone to doing that sort of thing by incident than others, though it's possible if a people - say, the elves - didn't know (or didn't believe reports) of all being destruction, they could send a scouting or recon civilian group. Or a bard or druid or mage or something like that researching history and exploring potential problem areas succeeds at a random DC 25 UMD check. Alternatively, if someone learned how to move the portal, it could function like a WMD-bomb, activated in the vicinity of place, and allowing the destructive energies to do their thing. There are other possibilities, but they are increasingly remote.
It is a small risk (very small in the case of broad-scale destruction), but it does exist.
You can also not only close, but SEAL the portal so it doesn't open up, again.
-----------
Iya-iya
As the dragon continues to place ever-more giants in, somewhere, far in the distance, a high whining sound begins.
Well, you're welcome to look in, as much as you like." Iya-iya tells Inarus through their link... a link which, slowly, seems to be fading. A minor but dull ache is in her hand.
-----------
Usawoti
Mope turns about, and heads off across the bridge. Black sludge has become excessively aggressive, and even reaches onto the bridge, but Mope handily manages to avoid any entanglements (literally or otherwise) as he moves past the first gate. Usawoti feels something... go out of him, leaving. The gate - pride - flares with energy, and suddenly a field of shimmering essence causes Mope to halt... before sniffing through the ruse and passing beyond the illusion - an illusion that keeps at bay the the bizarre black water.
"... Usawoti." says Yephima. "... I... I need to ask." she waits a moment. Then, "Do you love me?" she barely breathes.
This is the incredibly edited down version! Sorry it took so long.
I have a set of posts. They're really good ones. Lots of coding. Thoroughly checked multiple times. "Choose your own adventure" type spoilers for Usawoti (I worked very hard to make sure that Usawoti could make thorough responses in-character, at his leisure, by following a narrative set of variable answers; even had a new mechanic* introduced that allowed for narratively limited but free form optional exploration of conversation trees). Potential reveals I've been waiting on from the beginning until now. Things that explain several otherwise random-seeming events and a few mechanical things going on in the background. A method of tying your future characters into the AP. Thoroughly depressing ending.
Sounds perfect, right?
... except I can't do it. I find myself unable to post them.
There are a number of reasons why, but ultimately, it boils down to feeling like some of these (by being so explicit) are taking away player agency to an extent I'm uncomfortable with - also nervousness about how it would be recieved as a story element (go figure: GM has stage fright).
Anyhoo, I'm restructuring the ending to be something more appropriate to how I feel the characters and story have developed as well as to leave enough ambiguity to enable a feeling of player agency. Also to be sort of kind of less depressing. A bit. Sort of. Maybe.
Or maybe it's more depressing. Heh.
But either way, one I think we all will enjoy more.
But this is a long post to say, "Remodelling at work, pardon my dust delay."
* It's actually good for PbPs because it allows player freedom and larger post structures without info dumps that are uncomfortable to a given player. It's probably poorly balanced, though, insomuch as it could be balanced, because it's a first attempt; also will need to be tweaked if I ever use it for more than one player.
Inarus watches as Iya-iya works at escorting ever more through the portal. The smaller creatures who can fly are sent above, while those smaller who can't are carried.
She flies low over the ground (though the defensive darkness has started to come unraveled) and across water that seems to be dying in front of her.
"Co̸me̵!̕ N̶ơw҉!" she cries. "As̛ t͘h͞e̷ ̨a̧g̶en͡t o͡f͝ D̴i̸s̕ha͞d̡ŗálu͟o҉nǵg҉ I ̵am̷ ͡br̶ing͜i̴n̸g͝ ͞y͏ou̶ ͞to̷ ͠s̸a̶fety!͘"
The giants seem to be responding to her call, and mobilizing, but it is no easy task.
Children are held above the heads of moving parents. With permission, she snatches numerous giant infants and a few slightly grown children onto her back to fly them more quickly than their parents across the waters to the portals, a race against time, making flight after flight in a desperate bid to save more lives.
Her spirit and mind sails to Inarus. "This is all I can do for you, Inarus." she thinks. "I am sorry. But perhaps you can sleep. Maybe discover how to hibernate! And in sleeping, you can dream! ... perhaps." she says. "But whatever you do: you, Inarus, are a hero. Thank you."
"... I am sorry." she grimaces, smiling apologetically. "I understand - we have all lost much."
With the help of his plant-jewelry, over the next minute, Usawoti finds three sets of weirdly flesh-toned (three different shades) bracers, that have a spongier feel - made of fungus, apparently. One set was worn by his foe - two others were worn by similar creatures, also deceased. He finds three similar-looking daggers - pitch black devices each of two twisting blades, and a bone handle wrapped in some unidentifiable leather, the energy and power of the thing thrumming in his hand. One has a black rock still pulsing within it - he finds five other similar nearby rocks. Several sets of giant armor are... almost intact (more so than the creatures who wore them), and a brief flick of the wrist from Yeye has them removed, cleaned, and mended for him (even if they are too large for him to wear). Similarly, an array of simple weapons, and giant bags.
"Here: allow me to help." she says, creating a very small cloth... that opens into a very large space. "Just don't put in any bags, gorgeous." she says. The mundane giant gear and sacks are quickly slipped inside - also by magic from her. "You'll want to check over that way as well." she gestures. Usawoti finds the alter to be rather enormous stone chest, practically immobile. A second cloth - that opens into a hole - appears and she uses a magical hand to help him move it over the chest and close it on the other side.
One minute of searching and another of collecting accomplished.
Yephima pats Mope, softly on the mane.
"Hhhhuh." Mope says, mildly surprised. "You jus' got a lot lighter, or I jus' got a lot stronger."
"The latter." she says. "So I take it you are the spirit steed of my betrothed's tribe?"
"Yes'm." he nods, still looking forward.
"Well Usawoti could not have better. He is blessed." she says, warmly.
"... that he is, m'am. And we are moreso ta have him." says Mope.
"Indeed." she nods. "More than any may realize/"
With a pained grunt, she shifts back on Mope's saddle, and pats the area in front of her. "Here," she pats the horse (who is uncomplaining and un-tired), smiling at you, "take this ride with me, good sir. Take me... home." she smiles, softly. Her eyes filled with emotion.
- the eternal seeds think for a moment, before splorching out of you and around her
"Ack!" Yephima starts in surprise, but then - after shuddering for a moment - shakes her head and continues to Mope.
After a moment, we are sorry, dear heart, but we are not able to assist her in any real way your jewelry notes, apologetically.
"Stop fussing over me like a mother hen, dear heart." she looks at you wryly. "I'm probably still stronger than you..." she notes, amused.
"... but yes." she says, shrinking, to merely being a very, very big woman.
She is still injured, but, looking at you, she sighs, and waves a hand, visibly healing... slightly. "There." she says "Now do what you need - I'll be fine." she admonishes.
She waves a hand, when, suddenly, Usawoti's negative levels are erased.
Yeah - I altered the text earlier to go sighs way. For clarity, though, with regeneration, she is no longer bleeding (and wil not start again, soon) though still much weaker and more fragile than normal.
I think it's just posting slow over the last couple of weeks I've posted and it didn't show up, so I went in on a different page and it was there.
So since your awake again, If I remember correctly the 'eternal seed' was traveling in Usawoti's armor, correct? if the regeneration spell didn't help he may wake the seed for their help.
Also if the 'heal check' doesn't tell him anything (even if it does but nothing else is working) he will put the 'ladies' on her finger to act as a health monitor. If Yeye is suffering from something the demon plant did they should at least be able to tell me what it is.
Wait, was it regeneration or restoration - despite their confusingly alliterative nature, those do two pretty different things, and I'd need to know for sure to adjucate what just went down.
Her flesh rounds, a bit, becoming more healthy, though still clearly sweating. You examine her and locate a... leak, of sorts - not a particular stab wound or anything, but with fluid coming from here, nonetheless. You quickly take some leaves and cloth and similar material and manage to stop it up.
Your Heal check stopped her Bleed damage! ... for now! Congratulations! She is not healthy, but your restoration and Heal aided. Cure spells... might (or might not) help. (Roll a CL when you use them. DC 18.) If you used regeneration, you do not need to make this check.
Also, she's got a negative level or three and some strength and constitution drain. If you used restoration, you can remove either strength or constitution drain.
"Ah..." she says, still breathing heavily, though better, "thank you..." She smiles as she intentionally controls her breathing.
She winces when she breathes, a bit, then, smiling, "You are a remarkably stubborn man." she teases.
More seriously, "Listen, you know we don't have much time - your spells have helped, but I am still weak, and will be: you need to make sure you collect anything you'll need once we leave - there are people to lead, after all." she notes, with a small smile. She nods around.
She unsteadily heaves herself to her feet, and begins heading toward your steed.
"Big'un." says Mope, looking up.
She gives a wry look, a single eyebrow arched, "Flatterer." she says, flatly.
Mope shrugs. "Hey, he likes ya, so that's what matters." the horse adds.
Her smile softens, and she nods, once.
As an aside, you have slightly less than 20 minutes, at present, to get back to a portal somewhere. If you want to look for stuff, that's a Perception check, and you have enough time to technically take 20 - that's a minute - to look around, should you choose. You get a +6 bonus from helpful jewelry; after crunching numbers, 24+6-5 = +25 on your Perception check after all bonuses and penalties. On the other hand, you could try to heft Yephima onto Mope, but she seems to be working (if unsteadily) in that direction herself. You could always try other skills, though, if you feel that it's a good idea to do so.
The fungus (heating unevenly inside and out) explodes in a vile burst of disgusting slick abyssal filth, leaving just another mangled pile of gore where a creature once was.
A woman appears, and collapses to her knees, as she makes a snap with her fingers. At the sound, the infinite reality around you makes a scrhipping sound, and suddenly the infinite void... crinkles, and then falls away, like cloth sinking to the floor, save it simply vanishes upon full collapse, leaving a (cleaner but still-) gore-slicked flat and empty stone island with a singular seven-sided stone alter (looking similar to the ones in the tower, though having seven crude sides instead of being a cube) about eighty feet away from you.
"You'll... want... to get... what you... can..." she nods, exhausted, at the mess. Her hair is matted with the sweat dripping from her flesh, her eyes glazed, slightly, and her breathing shallow. You see few obvious wounds - some bruising, perhaps, but nothing she can't survive - yet something seems... weak about her, her complexion sallow and seemingly thinner than you recall.
She is smiling, but it isn't a pleasant smile - it's a fierce one, a warrior's smile at victory over the defeated.
It turns softer when she turns her gaze to Usawoti.
"I know... the approaching doom..." she pants, "... but you'll... want... things... here."
"You'll... have... people... to care for..." she pants, smiling kindly.
The fungus reals from the storm, then the spear pierced through her entirely, causing her to collapse - while valiant, the hooves of the spirit steed and claws of the hawk seem to have no real effect - though, the plant seems to be taking shuddering breathes, as the fetid monster's body seems to be attempting to knit itself back together, even as biting frost and cackling electricity emanate impotently from her hands and wrists.
I am here. speaks Yeye to you, Finish her, quickly!
i have found her speaks Qui'Gaz'Er to your mind, your beloved is over there - an area near where the impression of Yeye was is indicated.
It's Yeye, and it's not, technically, six spells "at once"... from her perspective, anyway.
Technically, you'd need a perception check that you couldn't make and/or a sense motive check you also couldn't make. Buuuut, there's a "connection" anyway. Go figure.
>:)
I'm aware that Usawoti was the recipient of several "personal" spells - that's not a problem, in this instance, though.
If you really want to know, though you're character wouldn't:
it's been two spells per round, each subjective round she's had; there is a reason for this, but it starts with, "She was waiting/planning for something like this." and ends with, "It's pretty awesome, but this is still a tragedy." - the good hope, though, comes from Mope.
