ThLunarian
Member
((Yep, every party member and ally in the room got brought along))
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Navigating the Astral Sea: A NeoGAF Play-by-Post Pathfinder Game
- Thread starter ThLunarian
- Start date
KittenMaster
Member
Satra remains collapsed on the sand, lazily prolonging any effort to move strained limbs and a tired spirit.
The airship pilot, formerly a crewman of a ship bound to water, can recognize the tinge of salt of the water, but its innocence, the purity of its scent absent from the odors of writhing fish, dampened wood, sweat, and other stenches make the sea around him an odd stranger to him.
Finally, he is motivated to pull himself up, scraping his clothing against the sand. He looks to the sudden hero, curiosity evident in his voice, "A more literary god in the machine, I take it?" His voice turns to genuine gratitude, "I am so very glad someone like you had bailed me out when I had been left to die before," then sarcasm, "I was worried it would've been Ciel that would swoop in- may I ask who you are?" he asks, at this point watching Cecil kindly feed the man that had been made a Drow once more.
If Satra is capable of noticing the physical condition Shulmor suffers, he'll inquire more about his illness, otherwise will wait for Cecil's answer.
The airship pilot, formerly a crewman of a ship bound to water, can recognize the tinge of salt of the water, but its innocence, the purity of its scent absent from the odors of writhing fish, dampened wood, sweat, and other stenches make the sea around him an odd stranger to him.
Finally, he is motivated to pull himself up, scraping his clothing against the sand. He looks to the sudden hero, curiosity evident in his voice, "A more literary god in the machine, I take it?" His voice turns to genuine gratitude, "I am so very glad someone like you had bailed me out when I had been left to die before," then sarcasm, "I was worried it would've been Ciel that would swoop in- may I ask who you are?" he asks, at this point watching Cecil kindly feed the man that had been made a Drow once more.
If Satra is capable of noticing the physical condition Shulmor suffers, he'll inquire more about his illness, otherwise will wait for Cecil's answer.
ThLunarian
Member
"Cecil Fairhaven," he replies neutrally. "Former monarch of the Holy Kingdom of Evrai and rejector of the gods' dominion over all things. For my alleged crimes, I was put to the sword by...." He surveys the hastily-assembled camp. "...By some of your friends, I suppose. My soul has been concealed within the Raven Queen for the better part of a year, even after the majority of her powers were drained from her. I suspect she was saving me as a last resort."
Shulmor definitely looks more fleshy and less skeletal than before to Satra, and he is likely still coughing up blood.
Shulmor definitely looks more fleshy and less skeletal than before to Satra, and he is likely still coughing up blood.
KittenMaster
Member
Satra scoots himself forward towards the bonfire, surveying the illness further, "You're ill. Is it something a concoction could try to delay?" He suddenly comes to the realization that he is, in fact, not a doctor. "Doc!" he calls out, looking over to Menek, "Do you know what's wrong with him?"
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Shulmor almost immediately recognizes Cecil as a paladin due to the semi-opposite nature of his dark power, but as the paladin does not appear hostile, he shows no negative reaction. He gingerly takes the piece of meat when offered. "Indeed I must. You have my gratitude, both for the rescue and for acquiring food for us." Shulmor nips at the slice of meat, almost unsure of what to do with it. Having gone over five thousand years without eating or engaging in any of the activities necessary to maintain biological life, he takes disproportionately tiny bites at the meat, looking like a squirrel handed a giant edible block.
His coughing of blood has slown down a little from the initial transformation back to a Drow, but he is still frequently having to turn his head to bloody the sand as opposed to the area around the others. Hearing Satra, he replies, his answer punctuated by the occasional cough. "Given how quickly the wretch abandoned her duties, I would have been shocked had she shown up."
"Yes, indeed I am. To answer your question, it is a heart defect. A more literal weakness of the heart as opposed to what I have chastised some of you for, and the catalyst that forced me to expedite my ascension to lichdom. Given time, I can craft an amulet that will lessen the symptoms, but in lieu of what has happened, that may be time we do not have. I imagine that many of you here have access to the means of magic and potions to temporarily assuage my coughing, but the condition is metaphysical as well as physical. It may be one year or fifty, but if I am unable to redo the process of ascension, my fate is sealed."
Hearing Cecil introduce himself, he says "I see. Allow me to introduce myself as well, I am Shulmor. You too have lost your kingdom then?" Shulmor has steadily sped up eating as time goes on, finishing the offered meat and realizing that he is still hungry in the face of millennia of no need to eat. "If I may, could I have another slice after everyone else has been served?"
His coughing of blood has slown down a little from the initial transformation back to a Drow, but he is still frequently having to turn his head to bloody the sand as opposed to the area around the others. Hearing Satra, he replies, his answer punctuated by the occasional cough. "Given how quickly the wretch abandoned her duties, I would have been shocked had she shown up."
"Yes, indeed I am. To answer your question, it is a heart defect. A more literal weakness of the heart as opposed to what I have chastised some of you for, and the catalyst that forced me to expedite my ascension to lichdom. Given time, I can craft an amulet that will lessen the symptoms, but in lieu of what has happened, that may be time we do not have. I imagine that many of you here have access to the means of magic and potions to temporarily assuage my coughing, but the condition is metaphysical as well as physical. It may be one year or fifty, but if I am unable to redo the process of ascension, my fate is sealed."
Hearing Cecil introduce himself, he says "I see. Allow me to introduce myself as well, I am Shulmor. You too have lost your kingdom then?" Shulmor has steadily sped up eating as time goes on, finishing the offered meat and realizing that he is still hungry in the face of millennia of no need to eat. "If I may, could I have another slice after everyone else has been served?"
KittenMaster
Member
Satra shakes his head, "I can't not try to buy you some time." He hands over a cure wounds extract, "I take it a cure disease or curse won't work then.. This might help close the wound, I hope.."
<I have no idea if that will actually work, but it's a spell I still have prepared. I assume the strength of the cure wounds spell doesn't matter atm>
<I have no idea if that will actually work, but it's a spell I still have prepared. I assume the strength of the cure wounds spell doesn't matter atm>
ThLunarian
Member
"Have as much as you like, friend," he says to Shulmor. "I found a rather large nesting ground deeper in the forest, and I am only a passable hunter at best. I'm sure that with our feline friend's help, we will all eat well for the duration of your recovery.
"Yes, I did lose my kingdom, and when it was only in its infancy. I suppose it was hubris that did me in; to so openly defy the gods was, in hindsight, a death sentence. How ironic that now, defiance of the gods may in fact be our only means of survival."
Cecil looks back at the fire for a moment and then smiles. "Dire times make for strange bedfellows," he says to Shulmor. "A year ago, if someone had told me that I would break bread with an until-recently-undead anti-paladin, let alone aiding him in his recovery and strategizing against a common foe, I might have had that person locked up out of concern for his sanity."
"Yes, I did lose my kingdom, and when it was only in its infancy. I suppose it was hubris that did me in; to so openly defy the gods was, in hindsight, a death sentence. How ironic that now, defiance of the gods may in fact be our only means of survival."
Cecil looks back at the fire for a moment and then smiles. "Dire times make for strange bedfellows," he says to Shulmor. "A year ago, if someone had told me that I would break bread with an until-recently-undead anti-paladin, let alone aiding him in his recovery and strategizing against a common foe, I might have had that person locked up out of concern for his sanity."
((Almost finished levelling up, no idea on what feat to get though. Menek is pretty locked in as a support character and not sure what is good for that))
Menek sits quietly on the beach staring out onto the endless horizon as silent as the owl on his shoulder. The sight of an emaciated Arozora weakened to the point of non existence seems to have affected both the champion and parole officer of the deity in the same manner. While there is a close mental connection between the witch and the familiar and the emotional feedback between the two reinforces their melancholy each is lost in their own thoughts.
Menek glances over as Satra calls him I am not a Doctor either Satra, Saving lives was never a concern of mine. Between us and Viss we should have enough magicks to stave off Shulmor's condition for quite a while. Reincarnation is also perhaps an option... Menek trails off not feeling hungry at all at the moment.
His faith was almost everything to him and the prospect of the object of his devotion being subsumed into Zerome's horrific essence was terrifying. But it was the ravings of Zeilo, and the sight of Jefred and Alyet tortued to death that paralyzes him into a very uncharacteristic inaction. His only solace for Jefred and Alyet at least had been that they would return to the good graces of Arozora but even that certainty had been taken from him.
He felt the need to memorialize them in some fashion and so he begins to speak even though his words might end up being as impermanent as letters traced in the sand to be washed away by the rising tide of Zerome.
Jefred was the most loyal of my friends. He was by my side from almost the start. We were the ones who marshaled the energies and forces of the tiny community of Arozan monasteries that were being overrun by the Volgothian barbarians that wanted nothing more than to see every book burned. Since the central kingdoms didn't care to protect us we did it ourselves. We turned scribes, and copyists, and preservers, and librarians into stalwart defenders. The True Shields of Aroz that held off the rampaging hoards. And while they held, Jefred and I with stealth and guile snuck into the heart of the Volgothian camp, assassinated their Hoarde-King, framed the second in command for the deed and made our escape as the invasion fractured and splintered and tore into itself. Jefred was loyal, brave, strong, intelligent and a far better man than I. It was his idea to not pursue the retreating barbarians for vengeance or to build bigger and larger walls to hold them off but instead make our knowledge available to them. Soon even the most hardened barbarians were coming to the monasteries' free clinics to have their sick and wounded treated. With treatment came tutoring for their children and with tutoring the barbarian way of life changed. Repelling the invasion was the triumph of my schemes, the lasting peace that followed was his alone.
With the region peaceful in a way that had no precedence in history prosperity came and the small monasteries became the hub of cities that rapidly expanded in wealth and influence. Small communities of learning became huge centers of Knowledge and Industry. The balance of power on Minae shifted away from the older cities to our upstart region dedicated to Aroz. The followers of the chaotic god, The Trickster Prince, took offense to our orderly bastions of research and started a conspiracy to discredit us as monsters interfering with the natural order of things;destroying the old ways and the old professions. No one was the target of their ire more than Alyet. She was brilliant and intelligent and sharp and witty and she created wonders that left everyone who saw them work with awe. If the Princelings could vilify her then they could turn the entire continent against us. There was no violence or bloodshed here, at least not at the start, but a campaign of whispers and mockery, of cloak and dagger bribes and courtly maneuvers and I dove in. There was no scheme of theirs that I could not unravel, no agent of theirs that I could not find and turn into a double agent wittingly or unwittingly. They wished to vilify Alyet's accomplishments and instead I ensured that she would be an inspiration instead. And I turned their whispers and mockery against them so it was they who were shunned, their temples which were deserted while more and more institutions and places of worship were dedicated to Aroz. The final spiteful act of their disintegrating cabal was to send assassins against me. The last of which would have ended me if Jefred had not saved my life at the cost of his own.
Menek fidgets I... think now that it would have been better if Jefred had not reached me in time. He would have gone on to live a longer good life and I would not have done what I did. Without Jefred's moderating influence I began to see the chaos of the Trickster Prince in the practice of arcane magic. I fell fully into a minor sect of Arozan teachings that taught that magic was chaos and evil and the antithesis of everything Aroz stood for. Just as Fleshbane saw evil not in evil acts but in biological life I saw evil in the arcane.
Zeilo was the Archmage of the continent and he... accepted the changing times with grace actually. He sent embassies and was instrumental in setting up information exchanges between the old universities of magic and the new technical colleges while I struggled against the Princelings and then mourned Jefred. When I came back I looked around and I saw a new enemy, this one borne not from reality but from my own perverted understandings. I used everything I had learned from the whispering campaign of The Trickster and I used them... so so much better than they had. I started slowly and cautiously where they had been aggressive and flashy. I ensured I knew what all my agents were doing at all times while they had just sent theirs out as independent operators. Slowly but surely the wizards, and sorcerers, and bards, and witches found themselves being viewed with suspicion, they stopped being invited into people's homes and shunned from the halls of Power. I think Zeilo knew what was happening but he could not fight what I was doing because I made sure it was like fighting a fog. I was always at least at third remove from each act in my war of character assassination against an entire discipline. It worked, and it worked everywhere. Magic users were driven underground as they were no longer accepted in society Finally Zeilo retreated and pulled all of the people who would follow him to a small town in the far away mountains. He was long lived and I suppose he thought he could wait out the era of persecution and come back into the world when it passed.
It wasn't enough for me. Unlike him I was coming to the end of my lifespan and I wanted everything arcane stamped out as my final act. I gathered the most devout of my intolerant Arozan sect.. now strong in the church.. and trained the most vicious and hate blinded of them as mage killers supreme. And I had this army descend on Zeilo's remote town and had everything and everyone on it wiped from existence in one bloody night. The final triumph of Good over Evil in my diseased mind
Menek falls silent.
I just wanted him to help me right the wrongs I had inflicted on Minae. I just wanted him to forgive me.
Menek sits quietly on the beach staring out onto the endless horizon as silent as the owl on his shoulder. The sight of an emaciated Arozora weakened to the point of non existence seems to have affected both the champion and parole officer of the deity in the same manner. While there is a close mental connection between the witch and the familiar and the emotional feedback between the two reinforces their melancholy each is lost in their own thoughts.
Menek glances over as Satra calls him I am not a Doctor either Satra, Saving lives was never a concern of mine. Between us and Viss we should have enough magicks to stave off Shulmor's condition for quite a while. Reincarnation is also perhaps an option... Menek trails off not feeling hungry at all at the moment.
His faith was almost everything to him and the prospect of the object of his devotion being subsumed into Zerome's horrific essence was terrifying. But it was the ravings of Zeilo, and the sight of Jefred and Alyet tortued to death that paralyzes him into a very uncharacteristic inaction. His only solace for Jefred and Alyet at least had been that they would return to the good graces of Arozora but even that certainty had been taken from him.
He felt the need to memorialize them in some fashion and so he begins to speak even though his words might end up being as impermanent as letters traced in the sand to be washed away by the rising tide of Zerome.
Jefred was the most loyal of my friends. He was by my side from almost the start. We were the ones who marshaled the energies and forces of the tiny community of Arozan monasteries that were being overrun by the Volgothian barbarians that wanted nothing more than to see every book burned. Since the central kingdoms didn't care to protect us we did it ourselves. We turned scribes, and copyists, and preservers, and librarians into stalwart defenders. The True Shields of Aroz that held off the rampaging hoards. And while they held, Jefred and I with stealth and guile snuck into the heart of the Volgothian camp, assassinated their Hoarde-King, framed the second in command for the deed and made our escape as the invasion fractured and splintered and tore into itself. Jefred was loyal, brave, strong, intelligent and a far better man than I. It was his idea to not pursue the retreating barbarians for vengeance or to build bigger and larger walls to hold them off but instead make our knowledge available to them. Soon even the most hardened barbarians were coming to the monasteries' free clinics to have their sick and wounded treated. With treatment came tutoring for their children and with tutoring the barbarian way of life changed. Repelling the invasion was the triumph of my schemes, the lasting peace that followed was his alone.
With the region peaceful in a way that had no precedence in history prosperity came and the small monasteries became the hub of cities that rapidly expanded in wealth and influence. Small communities of learning became huge centers of Knowledge and Industry. The balance of power on Minae shifted away from the older cities to our upstart region dedicated to Aroz. The followers of the chaotic god, The Trickster Prince, took offense to our orderly bastions of research and started a conspiracy to discredit us as monsters interfering with the natural order of things;destroying the old ways and the old professions. No one was the target of their ire more than Alyet. She was brilliant and intelligent and sharp and witty and she created wonders that left everyone who saw them work with awe. If the Princelings could vilify her then they could turn the entire continent against us. There was no violence or bloodshed here, at least not at the start, but a campaign of whispers and mockery, of cloak and dagger bribes and courtly maneuvers and I dove in. There was no scheme of theirs that I could not unravel, no agent of theirs that I could not find and turn into a double agent wittingly or unwittingly. They wished to vilify Alyet's accomplishments and instead I ensured that she would be an inspiration instead. And I turned their whispers and mockery against them so it was they who were shunned, their temples which were deserted while more and more institutions and places of worship were dedicated to Aroz. The final spiteful act of their disintegrating cabal was to send assassins against me. The last of which would have ended me if Jefred had not saved my life at the cost of his own.
Menek fidgets I... think now that it would have been better if Jefred had not reached me in time. He would have gone on to live a longer good life and I would not have done what I did. Without Jefred's moderating influence I began to see the chaos of the Trickster Prince in the practice of arcane magic. I fell fully into a minor sect of Arozan teachings that taught that magic was chaos and evil and the antithesis of everything Aroz stood for. Just as Fleshbane saw evil not in evil acts but in biological life I saw evil in the arcane.
Zeilo was the Archmage of the continent and he... accepted the changing times with grace actually. He sent embassies and was instrumental in setting up information exchanges between the old universities of magic and the new technical colleges while I struggled against the Princelings and then mourned Jefred. When I came back I looked around and I saw a new enemy, this one borne not from reality but from my own perverted understandings. I used everything I had learned from the whispering campaign of The Trickster and I used them... so so much better than they had. I started slowly and cautiously where they had been aggressive and flashy. I ensured I knew what all my agents were doing at all times while they had just sent theirs out as independent operators. Slowly but surely the wizards, and sorcerers, and bards, and witches found themselves being viewed with suspicion, they stopped being invited into people's homes and shunned from the halls of Power. I think Zeilo knew what was happening but he could not fight what I was doing because I made sure it was like fighting a fog. I was always at least at third remove from each act in my war of character assassination against an entire discipline. It worked, and it worked everywhere. Magic users were driven underground as they were no longer accepted in society Finally Zeilo retreated and pulled all of the people who would follow him to a small town in the far away mountains. He was long lived and I suppose he thought he could wait out the era of persecution and come back into the world when it passed.
It wasn't enough for me. Unlike him I was coming to the end of my lifespan and I wanted everything arcane stamped out as my final act. I gathered the most devout of my intolerant Arozan sect.. now strong in the church.. and trained the most vicious and hate blinded of them as mage killers supreme. And I had this army descend on Zeilo's remote town and had everything and everyone on it wiped from existence in one bloody night. The final triumph of Good over Evil in my diseased mind
Menek falls silent.
I just wanted him to help me right the wrongs I had inflicted on Minae. I just wanted him to forgive me.
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Shulmor takes the potion and hesitates, eons of aversion to positive energy requiring a conscious note that he's no longer undead and that it's no longer tantamount to poison to override. After drinking the potion, a few minutes pass without any coughing. "Your aid is appreciated. A potion of cure disease or curse would probably work about the same, that is to say it'll mask the symptoms for a little while but not get rid of it. Reincarnation is absolutely not an option. It would entail an overhaul of what I am, and I would no longer be the Shulmor destined to rule over the multiverse; it would be tantamount to death. The amulet I would need to craft would take close to three weeks to make, and is not exactly a one person job. Given Zerome's move, I doubt we can afford to sit around here for that long."
In response to Cecil, he says "I see. You have my condolences then. My empire was not in its infancy, but it was annihilated in an instant thanks to placing too much responsibility on a subordinate that seemed worthy. My scrapes with gods were few and far between, and more limited to those proclaiming to be be a champion of a protected god. From what I have seen of my short time here, it is fortunate that I did not arouse the ire of the entire pantheon at once."
"Yes, there is a certain irony to this, isn't it? I find the conviction of most paladins to be admirable, but I can count the number of paladins I haven't been forced to kill for those convictions on one hand. Dire times make for strange bedfellows indeed."
His conversation with Cecil temporarily at a pause, Shulmor listens to Menek speak, taking a different message from it than what the man likely intended. Figuring the man wants a minute alone, he waits before responding to his speech.
"What you have described is truly exemplary intelligence agency work, the kind of caliber only my most elite of staff could have approached. You are right to feel that misinterpreting the wishes of your deity and embarking on a misguided operation was folly, but the efficiency with which you carried it out is something you should feel pride in. You should only view your service as repentance for operating on a false premise, regret is beneath someone of your station. So too is seeking forgiveness from those you culled in your operation. You did what you felt was needed, there is only going forward from there. Bending backwards to try and renege on past deeds will only put you in the path of one who determined to achieve retribution. What Zelio did is what anyone I rolled over in the expansion of my empire would have given the opportunity."
"There is nothing wrong with taking time to mourn the loss of close subordinates, and it seems we are in need of recovery anyway. Let us think of our next course of action while doing so."
In response to Cecil, he says "I see. You have my condolences then. My empire was not in its infancy, but it was annihilated in an instant thanks to placing too much responsibility on a subordinate that seemed worthy. My scrapes with gods were few and far between, and more limited to those proclaiming to be be a champion of a protected god. From what I have seen of my short time here, it is fortunate that I did not arouse the ire of the entire pantheon at once."
"Yes, there is a certain irony to this, isn't it? I find the conviction of most paladins to be admirable, but I can count the number of paladins I haven't been forced to kill for those convictions on one hand. Dire times make for strange bedfellows indeed."
His conversation with Cecil temporarily at a pause, Shulmor listens to Menek speak, taking a different message from it than what the man likely intended. Figuring the man wants a minute alone, he waits before responding to his speech.
"What you have described is truly exemplary intelligence agency work, the kind of caliber only my most elite of staff could have approached. You are right to feel that misinterpreting the wishes of your deity and embarking on a misguided operation was folly, but the efficiency with which you carried it out is something you should feel pride in. You should only view your service as repentance for operating on a false premise, regret is beneath someone of your station. So too is seeking forgiveness from those you culled in your operation. You did what you felt was needed, there is only going forward from there. Bending backwards to try and renege on past deeds will only put you in the path of one who determined to achieve retribution. What Zelio did is what anyone I rolled over in the expansion of my empire would have given the opportunity."
"There is nothing wrong with taking time to mourn the loss of close subordinates, and it seems we are in need of recovery anyway. Let us think of our next course of action while doing so."
KittenMaster
Member
In response to Shulmor's desire to prolong his sense of self and preserve his influence, Satra suggests, "I can't say I can help you get your phythercy back and ensure your survival, but should 'Shulmor' be forced to end, I say Shulmor should make his last moments something not even death can make people forget- That's what someone special to me had done, I'm sure because of her stunt that everybody knows her name... except myself."
For Menek, Satra falls respectfully silent, finding himself unable to relate or find any words to console the burdened elder, but he watches, listening to the story.
For Menek, Satra falls respectfully silent, finding himself unable to relate or find any words to console the burdened elder, but he watches, listening to the story.
"Fairhaven," Fleshbane addresses the restored paladin when there is a lull in the conversation. "It would seem that the fates have conspired to put us on the same trajectory in our mutual rebellion against the gods. The day continues to yield unexpected surprises."
It would take only a few paces for the righteous paladin and the genocidal construct to engage each other in combat once again, but upon reflection, nothing but embers remain of the raging inferno of hatred for all biological life that fueled Fleshbane in their past encounter. Instead, he feels something that seems to be outside of the limited range of the emotional spectrum bestowed upon him by the Pan-Skirn consensus. Having no knowledge of it, he cannot put a name to it. He only knows it feels... empty.
It would take only a few paces for the righteous paladin and the genocidal construct to engage each other in combat once again, but upon reflection, nothing but embers remain of the raging inferno of hatred for all biological life that fueled Fleshbane in their past encounter. Instead, he feels something that seems to be outside of the limited range of the emotional spectrum bestowed upon him by the Pan-Skirn consensus. Having no knowledge of it, he cannot put a name to it. He only knows it feels... empty.
ThLunarian
Member
((Yes, Fe and Cu are also on the beach))
ThLunarian
Member
"Xenocide Unit," Cecil acknowledges Fleshbane coolly. "I am glad to see that your desire to destroy me has cooled somewhat. Perhaps your hatred is no longer so ubiquitously scrawled upon your nanoangstroms?"
He allows that to linger for a moment before continuing. "You are correct - our rebellion against the gods is in full swing once more. That is why we need a plan of action, sooner rather than later."
He looks out at the sea. "I have no idea where we are," he admits. "I had no time to pinpoint a destination; my teleportation spell was guided by pure instinct. All I can ascertain is that we are still in the Astral Sea. Fortunately, it seems peaceful enough. We have time enough to recover and to strategize, to craft a plan to stop Zerome once and for all."
He looks around to everyone, one at a time. "So. Any ideas?"
((To be clear, this is the open-ended portion of the game, where you tend to any unfinished business that your characters have before going to fight the Big Bad Evil Guy.
You also should probably come up with a plan on how to fight Zerome. Be creative; I don't have any kind of railroad tracks laid out, so anything you come up with is probably going to be allowed))
He allows that to linger for a moment before continuing. "You are correct - our rebellion against the gods is in full swing once more. That is why we need a plan of action, sooner rather than later."
He looks out at the sea. "I have no idea where we are," he admits. "I had no time to pinpoint a destination; my teleportation spell was guided by pure instinct. All I can ascertain is that we are still in the Astral Sea. Fortunately, it seems peaceful enough. We have time enough to recover and to strategize, to craft a plan to stop Zerome once and for all."
He looks around to everyone, one at a time. "So. Any ideas?"
((To be clear, this is the open-ended portion of the game, where you tend to any unfinished business that your characters have before going to fight the Big Bad Evil Guy.
You also should probably come up with a plan on how to fight Zerome. Be creative; I don't have any kind of railroad tracks laid out, so anything you come up with is probably going to be allowed))
KittenMaster
Member
Satra chimes in, "I need a flying warship. It'll do a lot more to Zerome than my little handgun.. I'm Satra by the way, I sort of stumbled into this whole mess."
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Shulmor nods approvingly at Satra's speculation on whether he ever technically died and his thoughts on a notable death. "Yes, I have been thinking about that since I was forcibly resurrected. As far as I know, I am now a live being on the Astral Plane, as opposed to a native of one of the afterlives." "Indeed. That was the purpose of the failsafes I had seeded into each star within my empire. Should I perish before the ritual of forming another phylactery can be finished, I shall claw my way out of the afterlife and bend death itself to my will. I will not let something so meager put an end to my conquest."
As Cecil looks around for suggestions, Shulmor takes it upon himself to seize the reigns of their planning. Standing up, he uses the shotgun procured from the Observatory as a stick to draw in the sand with. "We face a force currently superior to our own, in power, resources, and numbers. From past experience, the way you defeat such a force is to cut off its support, surround it on all sides by factions interested in bringing it down, and crushing it." While speaking, he draws a single large mark in the sand with arrows running to and from, and draws a bunch of smaller ones in a circle around it that cut off the arrows while continuing.
"Now, Zerome has little in the way of allies. It assimilates and takes the power of assets and others for itself. Cutting off Zerome means keeping it from conducting further draining and assimilation of planes. This would require us to have knowledge of where he is taking the Observatory or assimilation forces, and beating him to those areas to either evacuate the populace or obliterate them to the point where there is nothing to be assimilated. Which choice is preferable depends on time and the likelihood that the evacuees could turn around and contribute to the assault on Zerome. There is only so much that can be done without access to larger forces, but if resources are limited, I presume that an evacuation is something the three of you will be most passionate about, Menek, Viss, and Cecil. If wetwork is required, I presume it will be mostly you and me, Fleshbane."
"What's more likely to determine the outcome here is the gathering of allied forces." He begins to draw a notch in the sand for each deity that was present and drained in the Observatory. "I am not a theology expert, but I don't think every last deity was drained based on what we saw before being teleported out. The remaining gods can be visited and persuaded to join us on the grounds that they don't want to be eaten by a giant goddamn robot god. Survival is quite the unifying force, it will make it possible to build a coalition of the forces of good and evil survivors alike. Even feral beasts like the demons you've faced can be convinced to fight if it's the difference between life and death. Even the realms of drained gods could be worth visiting. While the head has been withered, it is possible that numerous forces still remain, desperate to regain their leadership. We should also return to Esperia and Prexia and convince them to join as well, I will elaborate on why in a minute. I suggest we figure out who is most likely to be convinced easily first and save the targets we may have to coerce into action as later down the list. Given your propensity for scholarly research Menek, I am recommending that you take lead on the compilation of order for recruits when you have had time to recover. In fact, given your history, I am going to ask that you serve as chief advisor and coordinator for the operation as a whole. Viss, there may be wild creatures and forces of nature that are unopen to conventional diplomacy but able to be called in en masse by you. That is something you should look into, and if amplifying equipment or magic is needed to summon proper forces, that may well be possible down the line."
"This brings us to the question of how to hurt Zerome. From what we have seen, it is apparent that gods can bleed and can be hurt. If a god can be hurt, then a machine god can malfunction. This is why it is important that we secure Esperia and Prexia, as well as any other technological strongholds we can find. EMP bombs and computer viruses will be as crucial as magic to winning this fight. It is highly doubtful that such things by themselves will be enough, but they could make the difference in whether or not we get a window for mass bombardment. In fact, if magitech R&D proves sufficient, we may well find a way to reverse engineer the radiation broadcast Zerome used and leech away its powers. Given your respective technological savvy and knowledge of its workings Satra and Fleshbane, I propose that the two of you try and come up with tools to use on that front. It should be an easier task when we have access to the equipment on a more technologically advanced plane."
"You are correct that you will need a flying warship, Satra. We will need countless such vehicles. That is all the more reason why it is important that we bring in as much of that magicless, technologically advanced plane we visited as we possibly can. Nearly every battle I have participated in was decided by which side had space superiority. While what I have seen of the Astral Planes suggests it will be more a matter of air superiority, I expect the principle to hold. Ground forces and forces to land on and assault Zerome's command center shall be important as well, but air superiority is crucial. I doubt Satra wants to be left training thousands of pilots, so securing the Air Force of both Esperia and Prexia as well as the flying beings of as many planes as possible is crucial."
"As for you Cecil, you have once lead a kingdom, possess enough power to have gained the Raven Queen's attention, and have already expressed a desire to strike against the gods. I anticipate that you will serve as one of the prime commanders of the joint forces alongside myself and any gods that follow us into combat against the rogue machine."
Shulmor puts the shotgun away, his briefing nearly concluded. "Barring any additional ideas, that is where we stand. You all know your jobs for the time being. Any objections?" Sternly looking around, he awaits any replies. When concluded, he sits back down, looking a little exhausted from the contemporaneous operation planning.
As Cecil looks around for suggestions, Shulmor takes it upon himself to seize the reigns of their planning. Standing up, he uses the shotgun procured from the Observatory as a stick to draw in the sand with. "We face a force currently superior to our own, in power, resources, and numbers. From past experience, the way you defeat such a force is to cut off its support, surround it on all sides by factions interested in bringing it down, and crushing it." While speaking, he draws a single large mark in the sand with arrows running to and from, and draws a bunch of smaller ones in a circle around it that cut off the arrows while continuing.
"Now, Zerome has little in the way of allies. It assimilates and takes the power of assets and others for itself. Cutting off Zerome means keeping it from conducting further draining and assimilation of planes. This would require us to have knowledge of where he is taking the Observatory or assimilation forces, and beating him to those areas to either evacuate the populace or obliterate them to the point where there is nothing to be assimilated. Which choice is preferable depends on time and the likelihood that the evacuees could turn around and contribute to the assault on Zerome. There is only so much that can be done without access to larger forces, but if resources are limited, I presume that an evacuation is something the three of you will be most passionate about, Menek, Viss, and Cecil. If wetwork is required, I presume it will be mostly you and me, Fleshbane."
"What's more likely to determine the outcome here is the gathering of allied forces." He begins to draw a notch in the sand for each deity that was present and drained in the Observatory. "I am not a theology expert, but I don't think every last deity was drained based on what we saw before being teleported out. The remaining gods can be visited and persuaded to join us on the grounds that they don't want to be eaten by a giant goddamn robot god. Survival is quite the unifying force, it will make it possible to build a coalition of the forces of good and evil survivors alike. Even feral beasts like the demons you've faced can be convinced to fight if it's the difference between life and death. Even the realms of drained gods could be worth visiting. While the head has been withered, it is possible that numerous forces still remain, desperate to regain their leadership. We should also return to Esperia and Prexia and convince them to join as well, I will elaborate on why in a minute. I suggest we figure out who is most likely to be convinced easily first and save the targets we may have to coerce into action as later down the list. Given your propensity for scholarly research Menek, I am recommending that you take lead on the compilation of order for recruits when you have had time to recover. In fact, given your history, I am going to ask that you serve as chief advisor and coordinator for the operation as a whole. Viss, there may be wild creatures and forces of nature that are unopen to conventional diplomacy but able to be called in en masse by you. That is something you should look into, and if amplifying equipment or magic is needed to summon proper forces, that may well be possible down the line."
"This brings us to the question of how to hurt Zerome. From what we have seen, it is apparent that gods can bleed and can be hurt. If a god can be hurt, then a machine god can malfunction. This is why it is important that we secure Esperia and Prexia, as well as any other technological strongholds we can find. EMP bombs and computer viruses will be as crucial as magic to winning this fight. It is highly doubtful that such things by themselves will be enough, but they could make the difference in whether or not we get a window for mass bombardment. In fact, if magitech R&D proves sufficient, we may well find a way to reverse engineer the radiation broadcast Zerome used and leech away its powers. Given your respective technological savvy and knowledge of its workings Satra and Fleshbane, I propose that the two of you try and come up with tools to use on that front. It should be an easier task when we have access to the equipment on a more technologically advanced plane."
"You are correct that you will need a flying warship, Satra. We will need countless such vehicles. That is all the more reason why it is important that we bring in as much of that magicless, technologically advanced plane we visited as we possibly can. Nearly every battle I have participated in was decided by which side had space superiority. While what I have seen of the Astral Planes suggests it will be more a matter of air superiority, I expect the principle to hold. Ground forces and forces to land on and assault Zerome's command center shall be important as well, but air superiority is crucial. I doubt Satra wants to be left training thousands of pilots, so securing the Air Force of both Esperia and Prexia as well as the flying beings of as many planes as possible is crucial."
"As for you Cecil, you have once lead a kingdom, possess enough power to have gained the Raven Queen's attention, and have already expressed a desire to strike against the gods. I anticipate that you will serve as one of the prime commanders of the joint forces alongside myself and any gods that follow us into combat against the rogue machine."
Shulmor puts the shotgun away, his briefing nearly concluded. "Barring any additional ideas, that is where we stand. You all know your jobs for the time being. Any objections?" Sternly looking around, he awaits any replies. When concluded, he sits back down, looking a little exhausted from the contemporaneous operation planning.
Shulmors analysis is correct, Fleshbane says. Zerome is powerfulmore powerful than any before and possibly any that will follow, but his schemes have verified my hypothesis that gods are not beyond destruction. He is a god of metal instead of flesh, but he is still vulnerable if enough force and power can be brought to bear against him. Now we are to return to
Pardon me, Master Fleshbane, but may I have a word?
Fleshbanes head rotates around to view behind him as he hears his name. Behind him stands Cu; the copper elemental appears to be undamaged, though his lustrous shine has long since faded and his surface is mottled with patches of green tarnish. It is most important, I assure you, he says. Something not intended for audio receptors other than your own.
Without a word, Fleshbane and Cu vanish in a deafening thundercrack.
---
Sir, I feel I must apologize, Cu gushes once they reappear on a deserted stretch of beach some distance from the remaining population of the Observatory. None of this would have happened without Aus treachery. I should have been able to detect her duplicity, but I failed in my given task.
I assign no fault to you in this, Fleshbane says. I would not expect counterintelligence to fall under the purview of a master of etiquette and protocol.
Exactly, Cu says, mimicking the sound of a sigh though he has no lungs with which to expel air. It is why I am so adept at it.
The copper elemental approaches the monstrous construct and presses something into his hands. My true master requests an audience.
A gold coin lies in the palm of Fleshbanes oversized hand. Emblazened into the surface is an emblem of a pair of glasses and a rapier.
Pardon me, Master Fleshbane, but may I have a word?
Fleshbanes head rotates around to view behind him as he hears his name. Behind him stands Cu; the copper elemental appears to be undamaged, though his lustrous shine has long since faded and his surface is mottled with patches of green tarnish. It is most important, I assure you, he says. Something not intended for audio receptors other than your own.
Without a word, Fleshbane and Cu vanish in a deafening thundercrack.
---
Sir, I feel I must apologize, Cu gushes once they reappear on a deserted stretch of beach some distance from the remaining population of the Observatory. None of this would have happened without Aus treachery. I should have been able to detect her duplicity, but I failed in my given task.
I assign no fault to you in this, Fleshbane says. I would not expect counterintelligence to fall under the purview of a master of etiquette and protocol.
Exactly, Cu says, mimicking the sound of a sigh though he has no lungs with which to expel air. It is why I am so adept at it.
The copper elemental approaches the monstrous construct and presses something into his hands. My true master requests an audience.
A gold coin lies in the palm of Fleshbanes oversized hand. Emblazened into the surface is an emblem of a pair of glasses and a rapier.
ThLunarian
Member
((Just to clarify something that might not have been before: Zerome teleported all of the most well-known and powerful gods into the Observatory, not just the ones I listed. Lesser gods were not present, but all of the greater ones were. I only listed the ones I did for the sake of brevity.
If there's one you're not sure about, feel free to ask. No one has run afoul of this so far but I wanted to nip possible headaches in the bud))
If there's one you're not sure about, feel free to ask. No one has run afoul of this so far but I wanted to nip possible headaches in the bud))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((I'm not sure how greater versus lesser breaks down in this campaign, so I'll just ask about all the ones that came to mind thinking it over.
Hextor was what I was thinking of when typing up that last post. Lolth could also be interesting given Shulmor's Drow heritage and overthrowing of several houses. I'm guessing most of the Norse gods related to Sybil are gone, but no harm in checking. Same for the three gods overlooking the city Satra came from. Bahamut and Tiamat could be cool just for trying to procure an army of dragons, so I'll ask about those too. And from what I've gathered from Pathfinders, the Old Ones are in that pantheon, so trying to recruit Cthullhu or Nyarlathotep could be quite the ride XD.
I think that covers it for now. If I think of any more to ask about before we move on, I'll get them posted.))
Hextor was what I was thinking of when typing up that last post. Lolth could also be interesting given Shulmor's Drow heritage and overthrowing of several houses. I'm guessing most of the Norse gods related to Sybil are gone, but no harm in checking. Same for the three gods overlooking the city Satra came from. Bahamut and Tiamat could be cool just for trying to procure an army of dragons, so I'll ask about those too. And from what I've gathered from Pathfinders, the Old Ones are in that pantheon, so trying to recruit Cthullhu or Nyarlathotep could be quite the ride XD.
I think that covers it for now. If I think of any more to ask about before we move on, I'll get them posted.))
KittenMaster
Member
<Wikipedia lists all of the greater and lesser gods, and IIRC this would mean that all of Hestavar is currently godless since the "big three" are major deities
Also, I see what you did there, Mike M
>
Also, I see what you did there, Mike M
FF6 reference, obviously!
ThLunarian
Member
((Lolth, Hector, Bahamut, Tiamat, Pelor, Mystra, and Odin have all been taken. The lesser Norse gods were not taken and are still around. Cthulhu and that other one that's hard to spell don't exist in this setting. I couldn't find the post that describes the 3 gids in Satra's world so I will leave it up to KM as to whether they were greater or lesser gods))
KittenMaster
Member
<Hestavar is a town in the Astral Sea where Pelor, Ioun, and Erathis. Looking at the wikipedia again, I am only sure that Pelor is a major deity now that I am trying to find the info.>
ThLunarian
Member
((Got it - all three of them were taken actually))
KittenMaster
Member
<Olidammara is an intermediate deity... That'll be a fun visit for Satra
Also, did you get the latest PM I sent? Still waiting for a response to that one.>
Also, did you get the latest PM I sent? Still waiting for a response to that one.>
This is not a rebellion against the gods Menek says shaking off some of his stupor with effort It is a fight against one god. I do not know about the rest of you, but I will fight, to ensure my friends the peaceful afterlife that they have earned, not one subsumed in Zerome's insanity
Menek stands up and nods at Shulmor Gathering allies to overwhelm Zerome is a fine starting move but from my little experience with Esperian technology computing machines are very adept at dealing with many different events in parallel. I will do what I can to counter that but I hope that we will be able to bring in the Esperian machine minds on our side as well.
But the second move, while Zerome is distracted by our new armies, is to target Zerome's new source of strength and take them from him. We know there is a machine that generates the radiation that separated the old gods from their power. Let us call this the Divinity Dissolution Engine. And there must be a mechanism by which free floating divine energies are then 'harnessed' by Zerome. Let us call this the Harvester of the Sacrement. If Satra and Fleshbane can find a way to counter the Dissolution Engine's radiation then that will help prevent further gods from weakening but if we can destroy the Harvester then Zerome will grow no more powerful indeed... Menek steeples his fingers If the Harvester is storing Divine Energy to prepare it to be absorbed by Zerome then destroying it will release it back into the aether and away from Zerome entirely.
But for the initial stages I agree with Shulmor and time is wasting.
Menek stands up and nods at Shulmor Gathering allies to overwhelm Zerome is a fine starting move but from my little experience with Esperian technology computing machines are very adept at dealing with many different events in parallel. I will do what I can to counter that but I hope that we will be able to bring in the Esperian machine minds on our side as well.
But the second move, while Zerome is distracted by our new armies, is to target Zerome's new source of strength and take them from him. We know there is a machine that generates the radiation that separated the old gods from their power. Let us call this the Divinity Dissolution Engine. And there must be a mechanism by which free floating divine energies are then 'harnessed' by Zerome. Let us call this the Harvester of the Sacrement. If Satra and Fleshbane can find a way to counter the Dissolution Engine's radiation then that will help prevent further gods from weakening but if we can destroy the Harvester then Zerome will grow no more powerful indeed... Menek steeples his fingers If the Harvester is storing Divine Energy to prepare it to be absorbed by Zerome then destroying it will release it back into the aether and away from Zerome entirely.
But for the initial stages I agree with Shulmor and time is wasting.
KittenMaster
Member
Satra starts to hoist himself up back into a stand, dusting his pants off. Shulmor accepting his plans to build a ship and hearing him out that he technically has one more chance alleviates much of his worries and gives him an eagerness that's driven further by the urgency that embers at their feet. He looks between the rest of the group and begins speaking, "There might be a chance to build a fleet but it's a long shot," he begins, "You see.. when I crash landed the Frontiersman, it was just a cargo ship- most of its bulk was just a storage container shipping parts I was supposed to deliver to the Raven Queen. These were archon parts meant to make repairs to the existing ones at the Observatory."
"Well," he continues, "the Peraxians started shooting me down and I jettisoned the cargo to lighten my ship and try to pull a few stunts- I thought that the Peraxians would have gotten a hold of valuable technology that they shouldn't have, that is until this Archibald fellow sold them out to Zerome." He concludes, "So there is a chance that the Peraxians might've ignored the cargo I dropped in favor of Zerome's power, and I may be able to find the parts to build new archons."
"As for persuading the gods to help us.. I think I might know how to find at least one god, and I plan to do that after getting a ship to travel."
"Well," he continues, "the Peraxians started shooting me down and I jettisoned the cargo to lighten my ship and try to pull a few stunts- I thought that the Peraxians would have gotten a hold of valuable technology that they shouldn't have, that is until this Archibald fellow sold them out to Zerome." He concludes, "So there is a chance that the Peraxians might've ignored the cargo I dropped in favor of Zerome's power, and I may be able to find the parts to build new archons."
"As for persuading the gods to help us.. I think I might know how to find at least one god, and I plan to do that after getting a ship to travel."
ThLunarian
Member
((In case you're not already doing so, start thinking about what steps you're going to take in order to implement your plan(s). We might be able to do some concurrently, while there are some parts that might require the entire team to go together. It's up to you guys how and whether you want to split up and where you want to go.
We will start enacting these plans after Nezumi writes her piece, assuming that that's enough time for you guys to come up with starting points))
We will start enacting these plans after Nezumi writes her piece, assuming that that's enough time for you guys to come up with starting points))
KittenMaster
Member
<Can we collectively as a group figure out where we are and how to get to where we need to go first? That seems like as good of a first step as any.>
Viss found herself at a strange beach staring at waves that had the wrong color. It takes her a moment to remember who she has gotten here. Everything that has happened after their fight in the observatory seems to be hidden in a thick haze, almost as if it had happened to someone else.
A stern snorting from Tessa is what finally pulls her out of her trance. For a moment Viss remembers the feeling of loosing her friend and sadness overcomes her but then the dinosaurs warm breath hits her as Tessa hit she face as the T-Rex bows down and gently bumps her massive head against Viss' breast.
Another chance. She had been given yet another chance.
Viss takes a deep breath and lays her hand on Tessa's snout, a smile on her face. "Looks like we are not done quite yet friend." She walks over to the rest of the group where a debate over their next step is already in progress. She nods along most of the ideas almost feeling useless.
"I hate to admit this, but my experience with any kind of technology," her tongue almost stumbles over the unfamiliar word, "is very limited. All the knowledge I have is what we have encountered during those last days and I fear that my understanding of it is mostly nonexistent." She pauses, scolding herself for the stubborn ignorance she had practiced during their stay in that strange land. She looks around at her companions and smiles. "But I have absolute trust that whatever the rest of you decides will be valid and I will complete any task assigned to me to my best capabilities."
She stops talking and seems to fall back into the almost trance like state that she had been in ever since they had left the observatory.
((Sorry for the half-assed post. Stupid real life responsibilities
I'm also struggling a bit with the problem that Viss would indeed not have anything to offer as far as plans for how to defeat Zerome are concerned. This is really out of her comfort zone. Personally I have been thinking about some kind of trap that involves the Overmind and some kind of virus maybe, but this isn't anything that Viss would suggest or even think about.))
A stern snorting from Tessa is what finally pulls her out of her trance. For a moment Viss remembers the feeling of loosing her friend and sadness overcomes her but then the dinosaurs warm breath hits her as Tessa hit she face as the T-Rex bows down and gently bumps her massive head against Viss' breast.
Another chance. She had been given yet another chance.
Viss takes a deep breath and lays her hand on Tessa's snout, a smile on her face. "Looks like we are not done quite yet friend." She walks over to the rest of the group where a debate over their next step is already in progress. She nods along most of the ideas almost feeling useless.
"I hate to admit this, but my experience with any kind of technology," her tongue almost stumbles over the unfamiliar word, "is very limited. All the knowledge I have is what we have encountered during those last days and I fear that my understanding of it is mostly nonexistent." She pauses, scolding herself for the stubborn ignorance she had practiced during their stay in that strange land. She looks around at her companions and smiles. "But I have absolute trust that whatever the rest of you decides will be valid and I will complete any task assigned to me to my best capabilities."
She stops talking and seems to fall back into the almost trance like state that she had been in ever since they had left the observatory.
((Sorry for the half-assed post. Stupid real life responsibilities
I'm also struggling a bit with the problem that Viss would indeed not have anything to offer as far as plans for how to defeat Zerome are concerned. This is really out of her comfort zone. Personally I have been thinking about some kind of trap that involves the Overmind and some kind of virus maybe, but this isn't anything that Viss would suggest or even think about.))ThLunarian
Member
((Plane shifting isn't required to get anywhere. The Astral Sea is one continuous plane. That includes Esperia. You guys all just got teleported.
Also, hint: you do NOT want to blindly teleport anywhere near Esperia right now.
Mike M, this might be a good time to write about your excursion that we discussed over PMs and that you just alluded to in your previous post, depending on whether you see it as a back-and-forth scene or just a short story sort of deal. And you can always just 'catch up' with the rest of the group if needed))
Also, hint: you do NOT want to blindly teleport anywhere near Esperia right now.
Mike M, this might be a good time to write about your excursion that we discussed over PMs and that you just alluded to in your previous post, depending on whether you see it as a back-and-forth scene or just a short story sort of deal. And you can always just 'catch up' with the rest of the group if needed))
KittenMaster
Member
Noting Viss' lack of understanding with technology, Satra suggests, "Aldebaran was completely shut down when you turned him to wood.. maybe you can find more out in the Sea that can do the same?"
Viss muses Satra's idea over. "Perhaps." Remembering the vast armee of metal machines she adds. "But that was one enemy. As it stands now my powers are nowhere near strong enough to even deal with a even a fraction of what we are dealing with. And with the gods bereft of their powers I wouldn't even know where to look for this kind of knowledge." She pauses a moment pondering the problem. "I might seek the help of my father... He is no God so I guess he should still be free." The thought of the gentle elf in the hands of that horrible machine sends a shiver down her spine causing her fur to stand up. "If anyone knows if such a power exists than it would be him."
The spritely old man leans back in his chair, his fine leather boots propped up on the surface of his exquisitely-crafted mahogany desk. A coin tumbles over the knuckles of his right hand, changing size, denomination, and material with each flip before disappearing into his palm and reappearing to repeat the performance.
On the desk lies the remains of a mechanical puzzle box, the internal gears and components laid out in an orderly fashion. The mans glasses reflect the soft light leaks out from around the edges of its closed lid.
So glad we could meet face to face after all this time, he says with a smile.
Fleshbane gazes down at the defeated puzzle box. I am sure that you already know that I have escaped the limitations imposed upon me by Zeromes intrusive programming, he says. Your assistance is no longer required, but I surmise that was never your intent to begin with.
The man swings his legs to the ground and chuckles. Very astute, he says as he stands to his feet and brushes the wrinkles out of his pants. Come take a walk with me. We have much to discuss, and I was never good at staying still for very long.
Gesturing to a door behind Fleshbane (one that had not been there when he first appeared in this chamber), the strange god moves past Fleshbane and escorts him out into a long hallway with vaulted ceilings. Small alcoves are set at periodic intervals to display various works of art and artifacts. Did your iron golem messenger tell you about these? he asks as they pass.
That you have acquired a collection of sacred artifacts liberated from the possession of other gods? Yes, he had noted that.
Want to know how I do it?
You are a god of mischief, I am sure you have all manners of... mischievous methods.
A wry smile plays across the mans lips. I know nobody pays me much mind out here in my little corner of the Sea, but I pay very much mind indeed to the happenings of other domains and planes. Being underestimated is a potent advantage, one I intentionally cultivate. Old habits just die hard, I guess. But I also like to think that I have a unique perspective on the shape of things.
Individuals absent a collective consciousness by their very definition have unique perspectives.
The man nods. Then perhaps mine is just more unique than most. Prior to my ascension, I was involved in quite the dustup between a number of deities and some beings that could eat gods for lunch. We came out on top, in the end, and the Astral Sea went back to business as usual. But I have viewed alternate possibilities. Ones in which we were not so triumphant to varying degrees, others in which the enemy was vanquished with such gusto that the gods fell upon one another to quench their unsated lust for blood.
Fleshbane almost strides past the hallway as the master of the place takes an abrupt left turn down a staircase that the constructs internal sensors insist had appeared only at that instant. I view myself as something of a peacekeeper, the man continues. The things I take are to even the playing field, to ensure that no one god can amass enough power to leverage in any meaningful measure against another.
And somehow they never notice the absence of their power?
Of course not, the man chuckles. I was a skilled counterfeiter as a mortal, but as a god, I am sublime. The rightful owner of every one of these items still thinks them safely tucked away wherever theyve hid them, and if Ive done my job well, they will never know otherwise.
Fleshbane pulls up short. You are no god of mischief, he says.
No?
You are a god of deception.
"Surely they are one and the same, though."
"I think not."
The smile on the bespectacled mans face could not possibly be more broad. Just so, he says as he resumes his trek. Have your processing units or whatever you have rattling around in that artificial cranium of yours begun to piece together the puzzle just yet?
At least in part, Fleshbane says. If your aim is to preserve the balance of powers in the Astral Sea, then you have undoubtedly been observing the rise of Zeromes influence.
And Ive had a devil of a time trying to get the better of him, the man grumbled as he took another sharp turn and began to ascend a spiral staircase. Again, Fleshbanes senses told him that no such staircase had existed previously. I have many agents of all manners of shapes and sizes, but what I dont have in my stable are any constructs. There arent that many sapient ones to begin with, and whichever ones happen to make it to the Astral Sea are just gobbled up and integrated into Zeromes being. Inch by inch and drop by drop, he grew more powerful, but there was nothing I could do to infiltrate his operation. He was the operation. Imagine my glee when he cheated his way into providing a representative on the Raven Queens little super team and provided me an opening to slip in one of my best people to bring me what I needed.
My initial search through the Raven Queens database for a means to free myself of Zeromes code. Cu tampered with the results to ensure that I would find you.
Exactly! If I couldnt get into Zeromes domain to get what I needed, then at least I could get a piece of Zerome. The code you sent Fe withincidentally I had it cracked before he even left my domainwas all I needed for me to proceed with my plans. But unfortunately, things have gone awry, and I find myself needing to repurpose my original schemes. It is no longer sufficient to maintain the balance, Zerome must be removed from the equation entirely. And that is where you come in, my metal-clad friend.
The staircase disgorges them into a room with a pair of towering iron doors looming above them. Now lets see here, the man says as he pulls out a ring of keys and begins flipping through them one at a time. Ah! Here it is.
Upon turning the key, the sound of machinery churning within the doors echoes through the room. Eventually, the two heavy doors slowly swing outward of their own accord, revealing the contents of the room beyond. What would you give to bring an end to Zerome?
((Fleshbane will just catch up with the others))
On the desk lies the remains of a mechanical puzzle box, the internal gears and components laid out in an orderly fashion. The mans glasses reflect the soft light leaks out from around the edges of its closed lid.
So glad we could meet face to face after all this time, he says with a smile.
Fleshbane gazes down at the defeated puzzle box. I am sure that you already know that I have escaped the limitations imposed upon me by Zeromes intrusive programming, he says. Your assistance is no longer required, but I surmise that was never your intent to begin with.
The man swings his legs to the ground and chuckles. Very astute, he says as he stands to his feet and brushes the wrinkles out of his pants. Come take a walk with me. We have much to discuss, and I was never good at staying still for very long.
Gesturing to a door behind Fleshbane (one that had not been there when he first appeared in this chamber), the strange god moves past Fleshbane and escorts him out into a long hallway with vaulted ceilings. Small alcoves are set at periodic intervals to display various works of art and artifacts. Did your iron golem messenger tell you about these? he asks as they pass.
That you have acquired a collection of sacred artifacts liberated from the possession of other gods? Yes, he had noted that.
Want to know how I do it?
You are a god of mischief, I am sure you have all manners of... mischievous methods.
A wry smile plays across the mans lips. I know nobody pays me much mind out here in my little corner of the Sea, but I pay very much mind indeed to the happenings of other domains and planes. Being underestimated is a potent advantage, one I intentionally cultivate. Old habits just die hard, I guess. But I also like to think that I have a unique perspective on the shape of things.
Individuals absent a collective consciousness by their very definition have unique perspectives.
The man nods. Then perhaps mine is just more unique than most. Prior to my ascension, I was involved in quite the dustup between a number of deities and some beings that could eat gods for lunch. We came out on top, in the end, and the Astral Sea went back to business as usual. But I have viewed alternate possibilities. Ones in which we were not so triumphant to varying degrees, others in which the enemy was vanquished with such gusto that the gods fell upon one another to quench their unsated lust for blood.
Fleshbane almost strides past the hallway as the master of the place takes an abrupt left turn down a staircase that the constructs internal sensors insist had appeared only at that instant. I view myself as something of a peacekeeper, the man continues. The things I take are to even the playing field, to ensure that no one god can amass enough power to leverage in any meaningful measure against another.
And somehow they never notice the absence of their power?
Of course not, the man chuckles. I was a skilled counterfeiter as a mortal, but as a god, I am sublime. The rightful owner of every one of these items still thinks them safely tucked away wherever theyve hid them, and if Ive done my job well, they will never know otherwise.
Fleshbane pulls up short. You are no god of mischief, he says.
No?
You are a god of deception.
"Surely they are one and the same, though."
"I think not."
The smile on the bespectacled mans face could not possibly be more broad. Just so, he says as he resumes his trek. Have your processing units or whatever you have rattling around in that artificial cranium of yours begun to piece together the puzzle just yet?
At least in part, Fleshbane says. If your aim is to preserve the balance of powers in the Astral Sea, then you have undoubtedly been observing the rise of Zeromes influence.
And Ive had a devil of a time trying to get the better of him, the man grumbled as he took another sharp turn and began to ascend a spiral staircase. Again, Fleshbanes senses told him that no such staircase had existed previously. I have many agents of all manners of shapes and sizes, but what I dont have in my stable are any constructs. There arent that many sapient ones to begin with, and whichever ones happen to make it to the Astral Sea are just gobbled up and integrated into Zeromes being. Inch by inch and drop by drop, he grew more powerful, but there was nothing I could do to infiltrate his operation. He was the operation. Imagine my glee when he cheated his way into providing a representative on the Raven Queens little super team and provided me an opening to slip in one of my best people to bring me what I needed.
My initial search through the Raven Queens database for a means to free myself of Zeromes code. Cu tampered with the results to ensure that I would find you.
Exactly! If I couldnt get into Zeromes domain to get what I needed, then at least I could get a piece of Zerome. The code you sent Fe withincidentally I had it cracked before he even left my domainwas all I needed for me to proceed with my plans. But unfortunately, things have gone awry, and I find myself needing to repurpose my original schemes. It is no longer sufficient to maintain the balance, Zerome must be removed from the equation entirely. And that is where you come in, my metal-clad friend.
The staircase disgorges them into a room with a pair of towering iron doors looming above them. Now lets see here, the man says as he pulls out a ring of keys and begins flipping through them one at a time. Ah! Here it is.
Upon turning the key, the sound of machinery churning within the doors echoes through the room. Eventually, the two heavy doors slowly swing outward of their own accord, revealing the contents of the room beyond. What would you give to bring an end to Zerome?
((Fleshbane will just catch up with the others))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Not sure what to add for Shulmor that wasn't in his big plan speech. Asgard seems like a good early stop for picking up forces. He's also going to want to hit the Nine Hells at some point to pick up an army of Devils since they're already used to hierachies and organization. Given the state of Esperians and Prexia, not sure when we want to work that in.
Also, let me know if there's any time to do some Craft Wondrous Item work.))
Also, let me know if there's any time to do some Craft Wondrous Item work.))
KittenMaster
Member
<I already had Satra describe his plans ICly, but I'll just restate them: he'll try to find the lost archon parts and if he (or Fleshbane) can build some new archons out of those he'll try to use them to build a ship and use that ship to try to find a certain god he wants to speak to for help.>
ThLunarian
Member
((So there are lots of cool things brewing here, and I'm excited to see them come to fruition. It sounds like everyone is going to split up, so I'll write a (hopefully) meaty post this evening to set things in motion.
However, I might be out of commission for a bit. Definitely through the weekend.
I'm having minor shoulder surgery tomorrow. Once I recover from the initial procedure I'm hoping to be back in this swing of it, but I have no idea how the recovery process is going to affect my ability to type.
I'll keep you guys informed of my progress, and hopefully this won't mess anything up for too long. But just in case, I plan to set each of you up so that you can at least finish your own individual story paths on your own before the big finale.
I'll be back this evening.
Oh, Axel: you can do the Craft Wondrous Item thing during your travels to gather forces. You don't even really need to talk about it; just add it to your inventory and spend the cash. It'll be fine.
I will also add that during these side quests, you'll be free to find shops where you can spend your money. And by that token, everyone add 50,000 gold to your character sheet, for balancing purposes))
However, I might be out of commission for a bit. Definitely through the weekend.
I'm having minor shoulder surgery tomorrow. Once I recover from the initial procedure I'm hoping to be back in this swing of it, but I have no idea how the recovery process is going to affect my ability to type.
I'll keep you guys informed of my progress, and hopefully this won't mess anything up for too long. But just in case, I plan to set each of you up so that you can at least finish your own individual story paths on your own before the big finale.
I'll be back this evening.
Oh, Axel: you can do the Craft Wondrous Item thing during your travels to gather forces. You don't even really need to talk about it; just add it to your inventory and spend the cash. It'll be fine.
I will also add that during these side quests, you'll be free to find shops where you can spend your money. And by that token, everyone add 50,000 gold to your character sheet, for balancing purposes))
ThLunarian
Member
Cecil Fairhaven listens patiently as the party strategizes, staring at the wild boar that roasts on his makeshift spit. His once-pristine armor is sullied with sandy grit; his cape is dirty and torn in a few places. His crown was tossed aside early in the day, and by now is half-buried in the sand.
These things seem not to bother him. His expression is one of contemplation.
When finally it seems that everyone has talked themselves out of ideas, Cecil rises.
"Then it is settled," he announces. "While Lord Shulmor courts the Asgardians, Lady Viss will seek the counsel of Ser Curai, in the domain of Melora. Ser Satra seeks to unearth the secrets of the lost technology the Archons, and I presume your Xenocide Unit is on a mission of his own.."
He turns to the Investigator. "Which leaves only you, Lord Menek. No doubt you have much research to perform; the question is, where do you prefer to do so? I cannot in good conscience recommend a return to Esperia before final preparations are complete. Perhaps a return to the Isle of Enlightenment might be in order?"
Once Menek makes clear his destination, Cecil nods. "Very well then. I shall send each of you to the destinations you seek, at which point you will carry out whatever duties you deem worthwhile, as will I. We shall reconvene here in one months' time to share what we have learned. I wish you the best of luck, but my feeling is that we shall require a fair bit more than luck in order to emerge victorious."
With nothing more than a nod, Cecil casts a spell.
******************
Viss finds herself in the very same grove in which she stood, upon her entrance into the Astral Sea.
It is anything but peaceful.
All around her, nature has run amok. Plants are growing wildly out of control (in some cases the growth is visible in real time), animals are behaving erratically, and chaos prevails throughout the wood.
******************
Shulmor appears in an urban setting. The architecture is modern, and was quite polished until very recently; now it appears ravaged by war. His immediate surroundings are deserted, but throughout the countryside it is clear that battle lines have been drawn.
It seems that, in Odin's absence, the Asgardian pantheon has turned on itself, in a bid for rights to the throne.
*****************
Satra is suddenly standing right next to the remnants of his crashed airship - where this whole mess started, from his perspective. In the distance, he can see the Observatory floating above the Esperian skyline, which has already undergone a substantial transformation. The buildings have been transformed to connect to one another, creating a sort of grid that flows through the entire cityscape.
He can already tell that he won't want to linger here for long.
*****************
((gonna wait for confirmation about Menek's desired destination before I describe what he enters into.
I'm going to be honest and say that I'm not exactly sure how much leeway I want to give you guys to write about your ensuing adventures for this part. I'm going to give you a rule of thumb: If you believe your character would easily be able to accomplish a task, then assume you can succeed and write about it accordingly.
However, if you are about to write something and think to yourself. "Hmmm.... should I really be able to get away with handwaving this?" then maybe pause the narrative and give me an opportunity to interact, or to ask for a skill check, or whatever.
Sorry about the vagueness, but I trust you guys to make things interesting no matter what happens.
Now.... wish me luck in my surgery!))
These things seem not to bother him. His expression is one of contemplation.
When finally it seems that everyone has talked themselves out of ideas, Cecil rises.
"Then it is settled," he announces. "While Lord Shulmor courts the Asgardians, Lady Viss will seek the counsel of Ser Curai, in the domain of Melora. Ser Satra seeks to unearth the secrets of the lost technology the Archons, and I presume your Xenocide Unit is on a mission of his own.."
He turns to the Investigator. "Which leaves only you, Lord Menek. No doubt you have much research to perform; the question is, where do you prefer to do so? I cannot in good conscience recommend a return to Esperia before final preparations are complete. Perhaps a return to the Isle of Enlightenment might be in order?"
Once Menek makes clear his destination, Cecil nods. "Very well then. I shall send each of you to the destinations you seek, at which point you will carry out whatever duties you deem worthwhile, as will I. We shall reconvene here in one months' time to share what we have learned. I wish you the best of luck, but my feeling is that we shall require a fair bit more than luck in order to emerge victorious."
With nothing more than a nod, Cecil casts a spell.
******************
Viss finds herself in the very same grove in which she stood, upon her entrance into the Astral Sea.
It is anything but peaceful.
All around her, nature has run amok. Plants are growing wildly out of control (in some cases the growth is visible in real time), animals are behaving erratically, and chaos prevails throughout the wood.
******************
Shulmor appears in an urban setting. The architecture is modern, and was quite polished until very recently; now it appears ravaged by war. His immediate surroundings are deserted, but throughout the countryside it is clear that battle lines have been drawn.
It seems that, in Odin's absence, the Asgardian pantheon has turned on itself, in a bid for rights to the throne.
*****************
Satra is suddenly standing right next to the remnants of his crashed airship - where this whole mess started, from his perspective. In the distance, he can see the Observatory floating above the Esperian skyline, which has already undergone a substantial transformation. The buildings have been transformed to connect to one another, creating a sort of grid that flows through the entire cityscape.
He can already tell that he won't want to linger here for long.
*****************
((gonna wait for confirmation about Menek's desired destination before I describe what he enters into.
I'm going to be honest and say that I'm not exactly sure how much leeway I want to give you guys to write about your ensuing adventures for this part. I'm going to give you a rule of thumb: If you believe your character would easily be able to accomplish a task, then assume you can succeed and write about it accordingly.
However, if you are about to write something and think to yourself. "Hmmm.... should I really be able to get away with handwaving this?" then maybe pause the narrative and give me an opportunity to interact, or to ask for a skill check, or whatever.
Sorry about the vagueness, but I trust you guys to make things interesting no matter what happens.
Now.... wish me luck in my surgery!))
ThLunarian
Member
((Good luck with your surgery!!! I don't think that I can really decide whether or not Curai can du anything to really help our cause, but I think I'll be able to come up with a little intro scenes until you come back and take manners in hand
((Thanks! I might suggest making your story about plowing through the chaos and actually finding Curai to begin with. Also maybe a side plot about quelling nature's revolt and getting things to calm down. Just some ideas
))Menek mediates a bit as the others vanish ruminating over where he would be most useful as the most technologically advanced destination he knows has seemingly been overtaken and fortified by the ascendant Zerome.
The correct approach would be to use the Observatory's Library to learn as much about our enemy as possible. But since that resource is denied some other area of similar capability would be useful yes.. but... let me think... one aspect that sets artificial intelligence apart from other sentience is that it is not created spontaneously... by definition in fact.. so... what I would seek to know is Where did Zerome come from? There may be answers there that we need
((CC roll 110257 for 48 on Know:Religion Where did Zerome come from.
If that isn't enough then the Isle of Enlightment it is
Otherwise he'll want to go the point of origin and start digging up secrets if he's fairly certain that it's a place that Zerome no longer pays attention to; what with his brand new seats of power in the Observatory and Esperia.))
The correct approach would be to use the Observatory's Library to learn as much about our enemy as possible. But since that resource is denied some other area of similar capability would be useful yes.. but... let me think... one aspect that sets artificial intelligence apart from other sentience is that it is not created spontaneously... by definition in fact.. so... what I would seek to know is Where did Zerome come from? There may be answers there that we need
((CC roll 110257 for 48 on Know:Religion Where did Zerome come from.
If that isn't enough then the Isle of Enlightment it is
Otherwise he'll want to go the point of origin and start digging up secrets if he's fairly certain that it's a place that Zerome no longer pays attention to; what with his brand new seats of power in the Observatory and Esperia.))
KittenMaster
Member
The air is horrid, it stings with a bitter chill that stiffens the hair on Satra's skin. He is reunited with the twisted metal once known as The Frontiersman with little moment to celebrate. Almost, a flood of memories enter his mind, him and the Kobold he found and adopted as his copilot. The realization that he had spent much of his time with his dear friend sways his prior apathy towards the otherwise unremarkable and low-rate Astral faring ship makes him begin to wonder if he will miss The Frontiersman, if it was a part of what he was this whole time.
Then it dawns on him, Dewie is still in Esperia. He gazes over the landscape slicing part the vivid Astral skies, shuddering to think what the cancerous tumors claiming to be a system might do to endanger him and the half-orc he met.
There is no going back now.
Satra would be hesitant to admit that he had thought of building the ship and escaping the war zone, but a tinge in his heart gives want to be in the battle to find some sort of glory for himself and his ship as well as save Dewie. Is it a shared sense of pride with his sister? No, the only thing he'll change is the name of his ship; the heart of the new ship will still be Satra Addlelove and Dewie, two honest beings working out their troubles. He was never good at deception anyhow.
He finishes gaguing the general direction he went as he was crashing in a downward spiral. Somehow he had managed to guestimate the deviation from a regular path of travel in the back of his head while his sentiments grasped his thoughts. His body more and more taking notice of the chill and the static in the humidity, he begins to trudge in the direction he thinks he jettisoned the cargo.
<'Will continue if there's confirmation as to whether he finds the cargo with the archon parts or not
I also thought about drawing a landscape featuring the dark grim metal future but I kept thinking of the transformed Observatory as these floating towers in Xenoblade X so I'm just gonna take a screenshot of that instead even if it's a very non-canon visual>