Ooof, I was afraid it was some kind of family emergency. :( No worries about not giving us notice, it's hard to think about anything else when something like that is going on.
I'm certainly still excited to play The First Flame!
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Unfortunately Pasha doesn't seem to have posted anywhere on the boards since May 28th. Hopefully they're doing okay. In happier news I got some art of The First Flame. :)
The First Flame's Radiance dims, no longer filling the room, but focusing instead only on the King of Dreams. It falls on him like the light of a warm yellow star on a living world. It spins swiftly, life arising, changing, growing. For a brief instant cities appear and spread across the world, then in a blink of an eye they fall to ruin. This happens again. And again. Across many worlds. The repeated scenes are accompanied with a sense of loneliness... but also empathy. Then the light fades to the light of distant stars. There are so many... such a vast number. They are born, grow old, fade, or explose. Awe and wonder accompany this sight. "Now then, I believe that I owe you all an explanation as to why I sent for you, yes? While the matter itself is public, the details are not. Therefore, I would ask you to follow me, please. There are a few people I would like you all to meet." He looks at the ground and weaves his hand around in an arcane fashion, forming a magical sigil on the ground. "If you would be so kind, Wardens." The First Flame gives another slight bow, and steps toward the sigil.
Why did I make it take so much work to come up with how The First Flame speaks? Oh right, because it's fun too. XD
As The First Flame follows Lily away from the landing platform, its light shimmers and focuses briefly on Misha. It falls on the skywhale like gentle morning sunlight, accompanied by a sense of gratitude, and perhaps just a bit of gentle encouragement. It turns its light to Lily as she attempts to copy its Radiance. Its light shines on her mind like the light of a young sun shining through the window of a god's forge, where the god labors on a strange contraption made of twisted tubes of bronze... capped by the same huge fire opal which lies in The First Flame's chest. Indeed, the scene shifts to The First Flame looking down at the inventor-god as he plunges the contraption into its chest. Time passes, the planets and stars moving through their dances as The First Flame soars through the void. There is a sense of... concentration, and a strange feeling of complex flows, accompanied by an image of a being practicing with a complicated instrument. The message ends with a sense of patience. It stays 'silent' as it walks through the castle, focusing instead on listening to conversation and looking at the sights. Dreams are a rare thing for it to have, so even with its eons of life a realm of dreams seems almost new to it. The First Flame approaches the King and gives him a small bow. Its Radiance flares, brightening much of the hall near it. Those its light touches see in their minds the flaring of a young star, from which erupts a bird of flame--the young First Flame. Eons pass in the blink of an eye, the phoenix barely changing with the long ages as it flies the void, bringing Light and Warmth where it is needed. Abruptly it is in Hyraeatan with the Broken Circle, and then here in front of the King.
Yeah, 48 hours is plenty.
The First Flame enjoys its flight over the city, occasionally shining brighter when it flies over something particularly interesting or something it just thinks could use a bit more light. As Misha descends to land, it returns again to its bipedal form and lands by the cabin door. It returns Magdalena's bow with a bob of its head that might have been an attempt at a bow, then turns to look at the pixie as she arrives. It's... hard to tell if it has a reaction to Lily's sudden praise, since it simply gazes at her with its fiery eyes, but the way its light shimmers feels somewhat amused. After Lily finishes speaking, The First Flame gives her a nod much like the one it gave Magdalena, its Radiance feeling like warm afternoon sunshine as it does so, shifting to the image of it following after Lily under the light of the twin dream-suns.
The First Flame briefly considers stepping into the carriage in its smaller form, but the truth is, stretching its wings sounds pleasant. It steps into a clear area in the park, and shifts shape to its true form, swelling up to somewhere around the size of the skywhale. It dips its head slightly to Magdalena, its Radiance shining over all the group like the patient, untroubled light of a warm yellow star encouraging growth on a living world, completely unbothered by anything those its light touches might view as insulting or problematic to it. The First Flame then turns and dips its head more deeply to Misha, its light focusing more on the skywhale as its shifts to match the dream-sun above, conjuring to mind the image of the great phoenix following behind the skywhile, looking with interest at the city below and the sky above while its Radiance falls on all around.
I'm seeing how long The First Flame can go without needing to use words to communicate. :D
The First Flame briefly considers offering to serve as conveyance. It would, after all, love to stretch its wings over this city of dreams, to let its Radiance touch more of this dimension it so rarely visits, but it decides it would not be politic to offer. Instead its light touches the minds of those around it like warm afternoon sunshine, calm and gentle and accepting as it gives a nod of its head to the words of the others.
I don't have a need to roll checks myself, I'd be fine with you rolling them.
The First Flame... well, it has not tasted the solar wind of its birth star in a very, very long time. But it knew this was simply a memory of it, for what were memories but dreams of the past? But in all its eons of life, it hasn't had cause to spend much time in the Dimension of Dreams, so it enjoys seeing the new sights, its head turning and tilting swiftly as it examines its surroundings. It is not surprised when it sees the one who called them here again. It shines its Radiance on her, as the expectant light of a star shining on a world where the first signs of life are appearing, waiting eagerly to see what happens next.
The First Flame accepts the specially-modified drone Maedyri made for it. Its light shifts again, falling on your minds like the eager light of a new star, just peering out from its shell of rock and dust to greet the universe, as The First Flame also turns its key in the air.
Hmmm... on the one hand I feel like it makes sense roleplay-wise for her drones not to work on The First Flame, on the other talon its not a game-mechanical thing so *hostile* effect similar to it would work fine... maybe say we've figured out a way to get them to work? I would assume this isn't the first time Maedyri's done this with the Broken Circle.
The First Flame stands unblinking, unmoving, but its light shimmers, falling on your minds like warm afternoon sunshine on a sunning beast, relaxing and comforting.
Depends on how much we want to lean into the idea of The First Flame being made of plasma and whether or not your drones could deal with that. :D
The First Flame, still in its smaller anthropomorphic form, enters the Circle's meeting-place and stands in its usual place (it's not clear if it's ever figured out chairs...). After Duskashae speaks, its light brightens and shimmers--a process its Circle-mates are familiar with by now, meaning it's about to 'speak' by its light conjuring images in their minds. Its light falls upon them like the light of a distant star shining through a window upon a sleeping figure. Another being stands over the sleeping figure--the woman all the Broken Circle saw in their dreams. She places a key next to the sleeping figure. Its light shifts to the multi-colored dream-light of a sun in the realm of dreams. The Broken Circle stands in its light, a portal closing behind them. A shapeless figure approaches the Circle and gestures, leading them to a figure in a throne. The Circle listens to this being for a time, then the group starts speaking among themselves. This is accompanied by a sense of agreement focused on Duskashae.
I'm thinking The First Flame has been in the city for about eighty years, and probably joined the Broken Circle not long after arriving in the city.
Hmmm, should we bump into each other before we're all in a big group, or just wait until we're all together...
The First Flame awakens from its short sleep, perched at the edge of Hyraeatan's grand Orchard. It was not the first time it had spoken in dreams. Indeed, dream-speech was the first way it had spoken, before it had a Voice. The key in its beak proved that it had been true dream-speech. It shrinks down to its anthropomorphic form, passing the key in its beak to its hand as it does. It tilts its head one way, then the other, considering. Had the other members of the Broken Circle also been given keys? Had they also dreamed? It will have to consult with them. It opens its wings and flies to seek after them, flowing its plasma through its Voice. Its Radiance takes on an inquisitive tint, as a star's light questing through dark depths of a distant world, searching out places it rarely reaches.
I am very much looking forward to writing The First Flame's weird communication. :D
Oh, The First Flame was definitely around long before Golarion was formed. :D I'm figuring it hasn't visited any of the primary campaign settings. They already have their own sources of warmth and light.
Wait, this campaign is being run by an actual vampire? :D (Okay, I'm sure you've heard that one too many times already) I don't think I have anything further I was going to ask, so I'm ready!
All right, sounds good on all of those! I think the talents I'd want to be able to apply to Light of Noon are Bend Radiance, Intensity Control... probably Star Genesis, too. I'd ask about Daylight as well but "Kill everything in a two-mile radius" is probably not something it's ever going to want to do. XD (And it can pretty much already do that just with Searing Light, just more slowly)
All right, what did I have questions on... right. * Since The First Flame's strength would be over 40 if not for the cap, when it's in its smaller humanoid form, would it be able to reduce the strength penalty for being smaller by the amount it would have been over 40? It's not a big deal either way since melee attacking is usually its least favored tactic, but I thought it would be fun for it to be freakishly strong even when human-sized. Well, even more freakishly strong than 32 already is. XD * Can it apply its Light talents that affect glows to the area of light from Light of Noon from its Lightbringer divine talent? I'm mostly thinking of the ones that let it modify the area its light shines on (so it can avoid burning friendlies or expand the area of its light). I'm also debating about the three talents I had picked out for Light of Noon--right now I have Searing Light, Blinding Light, and Radiation, but I was toying with the idea of swapping Radiation (Low radiation is a pretty weak thing at our level) for Prismatic Radiance. I'm a little iffy on it just because it seems a little less thematic... what do you think? * Not a question, but this is what I'm thinking of for renaming/altering the appearnce of the different Lights from Lightbringer:
* The Holy template says it gives "DR 5/Good". The Titanic Template says it "Increases DR by 5/-". I interpreted that to mean "It gives you DR 5/-", but I could see the argument that it's supposed to mean "It increases any DR you have by 5", so that it would have DR 10/Good. (I also suspect the Holy template is supposed to give DR 5/Evil and someone just mixed that up). Or I could see it meaning "You increase DR by 5 and also have DR 5/- if you didn't have DR before", meaning it would have DR 10 against anything that doesn't penetrate the DR from Holy and DR 5 against anything that does. Which interpretation would you say is correct? I have been having fun musing on the relationships The First Flame might have with the group. I'm sure it listens patiently to Maedyri's messages, maybe shining appreciatively on her from time to time. :D
Greetings everyone! I am looking forward to writing for this bird-shaped mass of sapient plasma! :D I'll have some clarification questions and possible tweaks to ask about... after I get back from work this evening. For now, I don't recall if I'd shared this sketch of The First Flame I got yet.
The First Flame stands unmoving, radiant. Its Radiance is the warm light of a star shining on a living world: calm, steady, welcoming. Some living beings stand in that light for the moment, but the planet continues to turn. Those now in darkness will see the light sooner or later.
@First Flame: Your character performed well in most relevant situations, but had a little difficulty in hitting foes with melee attacks. There was also a problem with your blasts being able to hit foes with a higher touch AC, but those types of enemies aren't quite as common in this campaign. Outside of having issues hitting AC in some cases, your character performed admirably with its other abilities. Oh, I'm pleasantly surprised it did so well. :D Being weak on melee attacks was a known issue for me, not surprised there.
I would certainly be curious to know how The First Flame fared in playtesting, whether or not they get in. I feel like I was a bit undertuned, but I haven't played enough at this kind of power level to have a good intuitive feel for whether or not that's actually right (and I didn't go and try to playtest myself to find out XD).
I do have a Google Doc spreadsheet linked in this profile, it explains better where all the numbers come from (if you follow the formulae I used).
I am trying to not think about how cool that Ktinos build could be (Kaiju bloodline legendary bloodrager! Binder troubadour! Transformation feats! I could really have fun with the four Beast Spirits!), so some more on The First Flame. First, I got a quick sketch (yay Patreon rewards :D) of what it might look like--missing the Voice of the Stars in its chest, I'm debating if I want it to look a bit more raptor-like, but I really like how the plumage turned out. Second, some just assorted notes on things you'd probably know about The First Flame:
All right, I went back and added a couple more mythic feats to the first flame (adding to its list of immunities that I'm trying to get as much like an elemental as possible, mostly, but also making up for the fact that I was actually overspent by one on magic talents). I'm actually a little tempted to go back and change its "Immune to Light" deific talent because now it has fire immunity from another source, but decided I wanted the additional immunities from it enough to keep it. Also realized I'd missed the extra 10 HP. Theoretically The First Flame is now complete other than traits (and I'm probably going to keep putting off traits until I find out if it gets in since they're so minor I doubt they'd have any effect on selection and the list to choose from is long...). Now I just have to convince myself that just because I came up with a cool build for a different character I haven't gotten to play much doesn't mean I need to go and actually build a second character. XD
Oh, I forgot about the two bonus mythic feats. (And the three traits, but at this level that's not much of a difference) I was thinking a bit about the consequences of The First Flame speaking through this telepathy apparatus. In addition to the limitations of "Can only speak to someone within 720' that my light is shining on", the fact that it can't hear responses telepathically fits with the connection with its light--it's radiating the thoughts out, but it can't receive them. More important, it's a standard action for it to speak--it takes it some effort to phrase its alien thoughts into something understandable to most other beings. I'm thinking its speech will sometimes be more imagery than words, depending on whether or not it feels the need to construct its thoughts in language to get it across.
This made me realize there's nowhere on my sheet where I actually list which boons I picked, because it was the talents from picking Boon of the Apex Entity I was referring to. It has the Lightbringer sphere with the Cosmic Power and Immunity to Light talents. Speaking of that and cool visuals, I was playing with the idea of renaming the 'Light of the Dawn' and 'Light of the Noon' and so forth abilities the base Lightbringer sphere gives to be 'Light of the Yellow Dwarf' and 'Light of the Red Giant' and so forth, with its plummage changing appearance to match which one it's using.
@The First Flame: I just did a quick lookover and everything seems in order, although I will admit some surprise when I didn't see Conflagrant Cluster considering how popular it is for Destruction Sphere enjoyers. Not a big deal or anything, just a surprising turn of events. I'd been skipping over anything marked 3rd-party just to reduce the search space. XD Seems like it wouldn't add a ton more damage, anyway, and I was going more for flavor than just big numbers. ...I feel like that may be a mistake, The First Flame is seeming very under-tuned compared to a lot of the other entries. I suppose that's something that could be fixed after selection if it gets selected. I do like the visuals you went for with the implant! Like I said, I'm a sucker for cool aesthetics. You're speaking to the guy who commissioned art of his phoenix-shifter. :D I've been playing around with the idea of making some of its other equipment look unusual--it's incredibly ancient, much of its gear is probably keepsakes from civilizations that eons ago or the like. Some of it I'm wanting to say is actually an expression of its power--the Phoenixfire Halo (a ring of flowing flames that hovers above its head) is definitely in that category. Oh, and also, I decided to call the telepathy implant "Voice of the Stars" I was realizing I hadn't put The First Flame's Deific Talents in its profile, I'm fixing that now.
Okay, I think I have everything transfered over to this profile. Let me know if there are any issues. On its telepathy implement, I think I've settled on it being a weird contraption of celestial bronze tubes. However, the inventor god that made it for The First Flame knew that would be kind of ugly so they capped the side of it that would stick out of its chest with a massive fire opal. Over the eons, The First Flame has very slowly accumulated carbon from its fusion around this contraption. Now, the fire opal is surrounded by more than a foot of rough diamond.
Sad, but understandable.
So, are we playing "Wait for someone else to say something" again?
The First Flame's thoughts radiate out like a calm but focused light, the steady glow of the constant stars. Perhaps we should travel to the world and begin our investigation there? It sounds as if we have few divinations to do from a difference.
The First Flame dips its great head to Caravalle. The light of its thoughts is calm and steady, like the morning sun on a clear day. We shall want to bend all our powers of divination upon our task before we depart, I think. I have none such, however, beyond the sight of my eyes. Most likely we shall find that the most important answers are hidden from divinations... or our enemies would likely have broken through already. Still, what divinations do we have? The outer defenses at least we should be able to investigate by such means. And perhaps what legends the locals may know of the place. Sometimes the 'ancients' hide clues for the future in such things. There is a trace of wry humor to its use of 'ancients', acknowledging that it itself could well be counted as one.
I'd certainly be interested in continuing. I'd asked the question I did to try to keep conversation going or at least draw out a "no, let's go".
So, are we waiting on something right now? Is there more to plan?
Its thought-light still falls like a laughing, twinkling star. No, stealth will be only a temporary/prerequisite measure for a group such as us. But if we can learn a little of the details of the situation, it will aid us. The First Flame looks to Evelynda, its thoughts steadying to a steady glow. Invisibility should be sufficient for me, I would think. As soon as I use any of my magic/Radiance/Flame, any disguise would be compromised.
Oh right, you asked about The First Flame's auras. Its always-on Aura of Gold gives a +2 luck bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks to all allies within 60' of it. It can also shed bright light using its Light sphere abilities to have other auras, with a range of up to 205' (or 2 miles if it really gets spendy with things, but that seems like it would rarely be called for). It can bend its light to exclude certain squares, which it would use to exclude enemies from positive auras or exclude allies from negative auras. It can combine any two of: * Beacon of Hope: You can roll twice and take the better result on saves vs. fear, and you can roll a second time against fear effects you initially failed a save against * Blinding Light: Dazzles and possibly blinds * Bound Light: Entangles and possibly prevents dimensional travel * Inner Sun: Causes a single weapon to do extra fire damage (or creates a weapon of light that does fire damage) * Irradiance: Sickens and possibly nauseates * Revealing Light: Suppresses invisibility * Searing Light: Does damage (33 fire and 33 untyped a round) * Shining Arsenal: Causes targetted armor to protect against incorporeal beings or a weapon to count as a certain metal for weaknesses and DR * Luminous Smite: Basically paladin Aura of Justice, gives its Charisma (+17) to attack and its class level (+30) to damage against evil targets ...yes, this means that The First Flame could do 66 damage a round to everything in a two-mile radius, if it so chose. Epic levels are scary. (Also it would not want to do that if it had a choice because that's *massive* collateral damage to the environment)
The First Flame considers the information, tilting its massive head to one side in thought. A dangerous/pitiable/terrible foe indeed, as might be anticipated, it 'says', the light of its thoughts cold and remote like a distant star, It seems we would be best served by seeking to swiftly acquire this mantle. We shall wish to be careful with our approach, for these Obliviax may well already be positioned to take advantage of any weaknesses/openings in the item's defenses/guardians that we create. We should gather what information/sights/words we may from the inhabitants quietly first, preferably without revealing ourselves. Humor touches its thoughts, its starlight twinkling merrily. Unfortunately I am ill-suited to going unnoticed, even in my smallest form.
I'm debating about The First Flame's telepathy--it doesn't really *have* a native language, so I'm thinking its telepathy comes through as organized thought more than words. So I was debating about giving some synonyms sometimes on some of its words, like "Radiance/Killing Light/Radiation" or the like to indicate that its thoughts don't always fit nicely into words.
The First Flame looks down upon Sharletta with what might be sympathy. The light of its thoughts is gentle and warm, like afternoon sunshine that has heated stones to perfect lounging temperature. I think we must all learn about working together. We are accustomed, each of us, to being peerless, yes? Beings like us are rare indeed in each universe, much less ones that work together. No doubt we shall all find points of friction between us as we move forward, but we must put these aside and learn to trust one another, else the End-Flame shall consume all. We must keep no secrets from one another in what we are doing. Its thought-light grows fiercer as it turns its burning gaze to Evelynda. You asked of capabilities. I am The First Flame. The fires of the stars are my blood and breath, and I can draw them forth to consume everything from my foes to solid stone. My Radiance can scorch flesh within and without or turn talon or blade into searing blazes. But light also brings life, and so may I. Wounds and illness of all sorts I can burn away at a thought, and even death retreats before my Radiance. You shall also find that my simple presence lifts the heart and strengthens the limb. It returns its gaze to Sharletta, its light again growing softer. I would be curious if your little creature can survive my interior.
The First Flame waits for the answer to the question the others are asking before allowing Sharletta close.
As Arinolus's voice sounds in its mind, The First Flame mantles respectfully. Raising its head once again, it 'speaks', its thoughts as fierce and bright as a blue-tinged titan among stars. It shall be done. The End-Flame shall not prevail. It pauses a moment, the fierceness of its thought-light softening in wordless agreement with Sharletta's questions. The Gorvet--should we seek their destruction as well, or focus solely on the Mantle? That is, if they do not force the issue themself. A flare of burning light in their thoughts makes clear the great firebird's thoughts on the subject.
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