Near/far
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DungeonGAF | A NeoGAF Dungeon World PbP [Now Playing]
- Thread starter Jintor
- Start date
Im just going to put everything together here for easy readability if that's ok.
As the Masqued holding the captain start to disappear from view, I climb to the top of the tower seeing Serrick and a girl. Nodding at them, (I don't know what kind of weird stuff Serrick is up to), I go to the edge of the tower where i can see the bandits. If they notice me I give them a big wave and nock an arrow, though I keep my bow undrawn and pointed at the ground.
As the Masqued holding the captain start to disappear from view, I climb to the top of the tower seeing Serrick and a girl. Nodding at them, (I don't know what kind of weird stuff Serrick is up to), I go to the edge of the tower where i can see the bandits. If they notice me I give them a big wave and nock an arrow, though I keep my bow undrawn and pointed at the ground.
"Mei, my name is Serrick. I'm a druid from Noshee, and am like... this... since I was a kid."
I sit and get close to her.
"I was sent here by Lt. Reichart to stop this outbreak, you can confirm this once we get to the ground."
I get even closer, at arm's reach. I stop for a second to examine her injury.
"What have they done to you, your neck...", I cautiously touch her neck with my fingertips and give her some of my energy, "I'll pray for your injuries to heal soon."
Balance, 1d4 = 4. It's just something to heal her neck.
I see Thrakdur in the corner of my eyes and together with the bird boy's last phrase I deduce what happened below.
"Now come, the outpost is clear once again. There must be someone looking for you."
I get up and wait for her to climb down the stairs alongside me.
As Thrakdur gets their attention from the tower, I crouch down and start to tail the group, my bow still in hand. I don't get too close, and I stick to brush and trees to avoid visibility. My aim is to get within dashing distance of the group but remain concealed.
Sneaking check? 2d6+DEX: (3+6)+2=11
Sneaking check? 2d6+DEX: (3+6)+2=11
sproutella
Member
"I'll take a look at the machine myself, and see if I can do anything about it's condition. As for these recently endowed dissidents, we'll determine the source of their newfound animal tendencies."
"Kentavious?"
Full name: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Not sure how much you have planned for the character but I can throw out some ideas about him. I'm thinking a very urbane fellow, so him being out in the sticks is a bit of a surprise.
Ultimate_Trainer
Member
Following Thrakdur, I take out the compact. If he misses, I'll reflect light into a couple of bandits, so Waymore can get a better chance at catching them by surprise.
For a dirty thief, I like to stay clean. The first time a guard dog chased me through a pitch dark room and buried his teeth in my calf, I learned the importance of not giving away one's presence through scent. If I'm in town, I like to take a bath at least every other day. If I'm traveling, a good swim and a light application of mint leaves in my underarms goes a long way. Basso always gives me grief for my cleanliness, but it hasn't failed me yet.
She knocks your hands away before you can put your hand on her, and clambers to her feet by herself, staring daggers at you (keep the balance) before making her way to the stairwell. Seeing Thrakdur and Ein, she pauses, but as you make no surprised move towards them she pushes past them and rushes down the stairs.
Serrick, what do you do?
Waymore, the moment they round the corner you dash to the gates and slip through. You shadow the party down to the bottom of the hill near where you first saw the flare. The shambling group of renegades point up at the tower, where you see a figure unsling a mighty bow - even from this distance, you recognise Thrakdur's silhouette. There's a glint of light from something flashy by him.
The woman holds the Lt's sword to his throat, looks up at the tower, then spits on the ground, shoves him forward to the ground, and as one they turn and run into the wilderness.
Did you guys leave the wagons behind?
Ein, Thrakdur, Waymore: what do you do?
The stairs to the tower spiral downwards as well as up, and the Captain leads you down them with a heavy tread. "Well, I cannot refuse an Inquisitorial request, but unless you can magic up the precise gears and parts we need, I can't say I believe it will do much good. It would be faster likely to attempt to recover the gear..."
She comes to a heavy wooden door and bangs on it. "Magister Caldwell-"
"Caldwell-pope!"
She puts a weary hand on her head. "Magister Caldwell-Pope, the danger is past. A magister from Xingchu has driven off the bandits."
"Lies!" comes a very jumpy voice. "Lies, all lies! I'll not be tricked by you, foul wretch! Begone! Th-this door is protected by magic most powerful!"
The Captain looks at you and rolls her eyes. "He's a little high-strung," she whispers. "Do you think you could do something?"
Deken, what do you do?
As the group flees, I look to the Lieutenant and lowly mutter to him, "You can run back, now."
My hand itches as I watch the group get further away. I've half a mind to leave an arrow in the woman's shoulder as keepsake, but decide she's not worth the wasted arrow.
Of course she'd be scared of someone like me...
I'll just head down to the camp and bring the wagon inside, then wait for everyone to show up.
Yeah. It's pretty clear to you the group found the wagon as they left and took it, along with the animals. It'd probably be pretty easy to track, but you might have some other stuff to deal with first?
I dunno, what time did you guys get to the tower? Probably not night if Thrakdur can see all the way to where the wagons were.
I had forgotten; if Ein was going to use his mirror then there is sunlight at this time.
I keep walking down the hill, waiting for the wagons to show up, until I see the wheeltracks and hoofprints leading off the road into the woods. Fucking bastards.
"Well, Waymore: those fuckers took our stuff, and with what just happened up there I don't think we'll get help. It's just the two of us, do you still wanna follow them?"
I keep walking down the hill, waiting for the wagons to show up, until I see the wheeltracks and hoofprints leading off the road into the woods. Fucking bastards.
"Well, Waymore: those fuckers took our stuff, and with what just happened up there I don't think we'll get help. It's just the two of us, do you still wanna follow them?"
Let's say this bit of dialogue takes place when we're all back congregating. Also, I love that Thrak's horse is named Horse.
"They even took the damn horses?" I say, exasperated. "I know we have business to handle, but I am NOT walking back to the city. We need to follow them while the tracks are fresh. Should we enlist our more muscle-bound friend in case things get hairy, or do you think we got this?"
"They even took the damn horses?" I say, exasperated. "I know we have business to handle, but I am NOT walking back to the city. We need to follow them while the tracks are fresh. Should we enlist our more muscle-bound friend in case things get hairy, or do you think we got this?"
I mostly went with Horse because I didn't think you guys would let me get away with naming it Rapidash. And then you'd realize that two important aspects of my made up culture were fire and horses and the jig would be up.
We can say you guys give me a wave or something to get me to go with you. And then I go with you.
You could have called him Unimon, way cooler.
To clarify:
I was on my way down, grabbed Waymore, we both found the tracks, we agreed that we should ask for Thrakdur, we waved while he was up there and he came to meet us.
Maybe Ein would want to come with us?
You know there's an old saying in tabletop games about never splitting the party, but oh well. I think it would be out of character for Thrakdur to not go after his horse.
But also his horse wasn't with the wagon as he was riding it separately. Since I never said that though, how about the bandits took Horse, who was at the base of the tower, while they were leaving and in all the confusion nobody noticed until it was too late?
But also his horse wasn't with the wagon as he was riding it separately. Since I never said that though, how about the bandits took Horse, who was at the base of the tower, while they were leaving and in all the confusion nobody noticed until it was too late?
They are ~15 bandits (from Jintor's count at the beginning of this struggle), do you think they'd leave the wagons there had they passed by them? That's free loot.
Or maybe you're just changing the events to give them a reason to steal your horse as well; if so, my bad. This is confusing.
Or maybe you're just changing the events to give them a reason to steal your horse as well; if so, my bad. This is confusing.
Yeah the second one. Thrakdur was riding Horse separately from the wagon. But since I didn't clarify that earlier, it's unfair for me to say so now and not have my horse stolen. So I'm just saying one of the bandits managed to sneak off with Horse as they retreated from the tower and then the rest of the bandits stole the wagon and the other horses.
Ultimate_Trainer
Member
Yeah Ein is definitely coming, He should have probably stayed behind to watch over it... We just got that wagon too...
sproutella
Member
"Kentavious? It's Bastro, there's no further trouble - I made sure of that. We both know I could make short work of the charms if I wanted, so please save us some time and disable them."
sproutella
Member
1+3+1=5. Breaking the charms wouldn't hurt him, it just means it's more work next time he would want to set them up.
There's silence. You approach the door cautiously, and then Deken, it slams open into your face (d4 damage) and Kentavious bolts like a frightened chicken past the shocked Captain and up the stairs out of your view, only to run into Mei, who grabs him before he can run past. She can't exactly hold him still, but she does delay him enough for the Captain to grab his arm and pin him to the wall, where he gibbers a bit before calming down.
"Ah! Ahaha- this is brutality, I must protest- ah! Ahem. Captain, pray, release me before our... honoured guest..." he says, coughing a bit and attempting lamely to pat down his robes. "Magister Deken... Bastro... I must say, I didn't quite expect to see you here."
He doesn't seem warmly disposed to you, though he's trying to be... genteel about it. Deken, what do you do?
"Ah! Ahaha- this is brutality, I must protest- ah! Ahem. Captain, pray, release me before our... honoured guest..." he says, coughing a bit and attempting lamely to pat down his robes. "Magister Deken... Bastro... I must say, I didn't quite expect to see you here."
He doesn't seem warmly disposed to you, though he's trying to be... genteel about it. Deken, what do you do?
sproutella
Member
"That expectation applies both ways it seems, Kentavious... What is a wizard like you doing in a place like this? Don't you have some high-minded criticisms to be writing for The Observer or something like that?
Mei looks at the dishevelled looking wizard and sighs. "Really, father... please, Captain, let him go." She nods, steps back and releases the harried-looking arcanist, though she stays close, an annoyed look upon her face.
Caldwell-Pope glumly pulls out a pair of spectacles, perching them on his nose, and peers at you cautiously. "Well! You do appear to be the real Bastro, at least insomuch as you retain his... your... biting wit," he says. He strides past you back into his lab. "One can never be too careful with these... damned shapeshifters about."
"And 'tis on that problem that I have been working," he continues. The room appears at one point to have been a largish storeroom; bits of shelving holds non-perishable supplies, rusting armour is piled ungainly in one corner, and there are absolutely no windows or entrances apart from the one that Caldwell-Pope pushed open. But it is also a proper wizard's den, filled with the paraphenalia of the craft. Mysterious gems, strange, bubbling potions, bookshelves, a huge trunk of refined wood, and in the centre of it all some pseudo-mechanical contraption you've not seen before. Caldwell-Pope strides to the centre, scrummages around, picks up two wires and holds them apart in his hands.
"This should suit your sensibilities, Bastro, if I recall them correctly" he harrumphs, and jams the cables together.
Deken and Serrick, how does it feel to lose your magic, however temporarily?
Caldwell-Pope glumly pulls out a pair of spectacles, perching them on his nose, and peers at you cautiously. "Well! You do appear to be the real Bastro, at least insomuch as you retain his... your... biting wit," he says. He strides past you back into his lab. "One can never be too careful with these... damned shapeshifters about."
"And 'tis on that problem that I have been working," he continues. The room appears at one point to have been a largish storeroom; bits of shelving holds non-perishable supplies, rusting armour is piled ungainly in one corner, and there are absolutely no windows or entrances apart from the one that Caldwell-Pope pushed open. But it is also a proper wizard's den, filled with the paraphenalia of the craft. Mysterious gems, strange, bubbling potions, bookshelves, a huge trunk of refined wood, and in the centre of it all some pseudo-mechanical contraption you've not seen before. Caldwell-Pope strides to the centre, scrummages around, picks up two wires and holds them apart in his hands.
"This should suit your sensibilities, Bastro, if I recall them correctly" he harrumphs, and jams the cables together.
Deken and Serrick, how does it feel to lose your magic, however temporarily?
sproutella
Member
Like I just had some bad sushi
To him, the skinchanging is a second nature and he never thought of it as "magic", so he would feel as if he couldn't walk, or talk; like something that should be there was not anymore.
The sensation washes over you, and then Kentavious's hands fly apart, electricity or something like it arcing through the air, and the moment passes. He is sweating, panting, looking as though he has run a mile; yet, he smiles. Mei, too, looks exhausted, though the Captain is staring at you all with disciplined curiousity.
"Channelled mana forced through a coil, tempered correctly, produces a feedback loop of destructive proportions," says Kentavious, grinning, "though not on this plane, perhaps. Here, it merely seems to affect the more... magically-inclined?"
Mei stalks up, grabs the cable out of his hand and throws it in a corner. "Don't do that without warning, you twit!" She whirls to point at you, Deken. "Father is a moron, but he is capable of putting my ideas in action. However, it seems we may have rather irritated some local shapeshifters, if that brazen attack - " one hand is involuntarily massaging her bruised neck - "is anything to judge by."
Kentavious looks a little cowed. "My sweet-"
"Don't you 'my sweet' me, y-you idiot!" she spits, and pushes past Deken towards the door. "Why did I have to go get the flare while you stayed barricaded down here?"
"I had to protect our-"
"What good's your magic if you can't do both?" she says, and slams the door behind her as she stalks up the stairs.
Deken, what do you do?
===
I think at this point in time Thrakdur is atop the tower, Serrick and Waymore are in the forest or coming back to the fort's gates, and I've lost track of Ein. Serrick, what were you doing when that wave of weird hit?
"Channelled mana forced through a coil, tempered correctly, produces a feedback loop of destructive proportions," says Kentavious, grinning, "though not on this plane, perhaps. Here, it merely seems to affect the more... magically-inclined?"
Mei stalks up, grabs the cable out of his hand and throws it in a corner. "Don't do that without warning, you twit!" She whirls to point at you, Deken. "Father is a moron, but he is capable of putting my ideas in action. However, it seems we may have rather irritated some local shapeshifters, if that brazen attack - " one hand is involuntarily massaging her bruised neck - "is anything to judge by."
Kentavious looks a little cowed. "My sweet-"
"Don't you 'my sweet' me, y-you idiot!" she spits, and pushes past Deken towards the door. "Why did I have to go get the flare while you stayed barricaded down here?"
"I had to protect our-"
"What good's your magic if you can't do both?" she says, and slams the door behind her as she stalks up the stairs.
Deken, what do you do?
===
I think at this point in time Thrakdur is atop the tower, Serrick and Waymore are in the forest or coming back to the fort's gates, and I've lost track of Ein. Serrick, what were you doing when that wave of weird hit?
sproutella
Member
Following the door slam, I peruse the laboratory, looking over the instruments and reagents.
"So what's the plan here? Who is authorizing this research to be conducted at an Imperial Outpost?"
"So what's the plan here? Who is authorizing this research to be conducted at an Imperial Outpost?"
I'm on my way to the gates to ask for help when I feel a pain in my head... and then I'm alone. I can no longer feel, listen or see the things most important to me, and I know there is something missing.
I ask Waymore to go ahead and call them while I stay waiting, and try over and over to communicate with the spirits to no avail. It can't be a coincidence that this happened right after I met them.
I ask Waymore to go ahead and call them while I stay waiting, and try over and over to communicate with the spirits to no avail. It can't be a coincidence that this happened right after I met them.
Kentavious blinks. "Authorisation? You know as well as I, Bastro, that an accredited Imperial agent has basically unlimited jurisdiction in service of the Empire..."
What spirits are present in this strange and damaged place?
sproutella
Member
"Ok but why here? What is the extent of this thing, what kind of janky transfer magicks are you running to create this field or pulse?"
I also start picking through the layers of parchment, the beakers and wires, and try to make some sense myself of the work this man is doing.
If you want a roll
3+4+x
Sounds like a discern realities - do you have a +2 or +3 in Wis? Either way, ask 1 (if +2) or 3 (if +3) questions:
He shrugs. "I only just got it working a few weeks back and then it broke itself rather spectacularly. I suppose there's no harm in telling you; the aim is to create a way for non-magical folk to stand a fighting chance against those who would assault them using powers that were... entrusted to us for more noble purposes."
The Captain leans against a wall. "Inquisitor, this outpost was looking for a mage, and this one-"
"Magister Caldwell-Pope."
"- this one volunteered. I had assumed a family man would be... calm, collected."
"I am so," says Kentavious, scratching his scraggly beard nervously. "But when you lot posted the notice, I must say, you rather failed to mention any damn bandits around!"
"A frontier outpost is a frontier outpost," says the Captain. "Such things are only to be expected." She looks at you again, Deken. "Magister Caldwell-Pope assured us that here was an ideal location, due to the lack of registered mages around; no disruption to local service economies would occur. Or something along those lines."
- What happened here recently?
- What is about to happen?
- What should I be on the lookout for?
- What here is useful or valuable to me?
- Whos really in control here?
- What here is not what it appears to be?
He shrugs. "I only just got it working a few weeks back and then it broke itself rather spectacularly. I suppose there's no harm in telling you; the aim is to create a way for non-magical folk to stand a fighting chance against those who would assault them using powers that were... entrusted to us for more noble purposes."
The Captain leans against a wall. "Inquisitor, this outpost was looking for a mage, and this one-"
"Magister Caldwell-Pope."
"- this one volunteered. I had assumed a family man would be... calm, collected."
"I am so," says Kentavious, scratching his scraggly beard nervously. "But when you lot posted the notice, I must say, you rather failed to mention any damn bandits around!"
"A frontier outpost is a frontier outpost," says the Captain. "Such things are only to be expected." She looks at you again, Deken. "Magister Caldwell-Pope assured us that here was an ideal location, due to the lack of registered mages around; no disruption to local service economies would occur. Or something along those lines."
sproutella
Member
What here is not what it appears to be?
I have a +2
I have a +2
Formless, weak ones; wind gusts throughout the road. Mankind does that to them. There should be at least one great spirit inside the forest, not that it would do me any good as I am now.
You listen to Kentavious prattle on, but even you are forced to concede; easily-ruffled windbag though he is, he seems genuine enough in his account. The Captain, too, appears to be nothing more than a loyal servant of the Imperium.
The machine, on the other hand, you're less sure about. Certainly it does what Kentavious describes; that is self-evident from its demonstration. As you trace the curve of runes, though, you think to yourself: this doesn't so much nullify magic as... perhaps... drain it.
On the edge of your mind's eye you call, and they answer; spirits of insect and plant, of bird and beast, wash over you, mere shades of substance. Rotting creatures, flesh insubstantial; skeletal remains, unmoving, inanimate. You feel the bile rise in your throat and you dismiss the invitation with a snap. It is not a good feeling. This land is dying, and you're surprised you didn't feel it sooner.
Far in the distance, at the edge of perception, you can feel life and colour, and heat, and flame...
I... I follow the light. I don't know what is happening to me, or how am I not alone in this world anymore. This is way more than just those horses, what is left from my animal instincts moves me towards that sensation. It will give me answers, no matter how long must I walk towards it.
Sorry, guys, this is too important to him.