[Damundra Canyon]
"Short compared to us," Emily clarifies, looking amused even as she holds a hand over her nose. Ugh, the smells. Reminds her of the Tailpipe after a birthday bash, "Probably taller than you folks."
[Ruined Observatory]
"Very well. Come, we have a ritual to enact."
What follows is directions from Skye on placement; Hiep is encouraged to stay outside of the ritual area unless necessary to protect the others. Khannie gets a rune circle drawn around her on a flat piece of stone outside the primary ruins; she's allowed to do anything she likes, as long as she stays within, so a game, book, or something to that effect is recommended. She's here to essentially be a battery for this thaumaturgic ritual.
Skye, meanwhile, is forced to go through an hours long period of chanting and ritual dancing around the perimeter of the ruin, no matter how long that takes, speaking in a poetic form of what Hiep will recognize as Old Realm as she beats the butt of her spear in time with the chanting. Eventually, Khannie will feel a tug on her essence, attempting to set it to work on cleaning up the way reality is fractured here. How that expresses to Khannie herself depends on her, but regardless it won't be a good feeling. She'll also know she can cut it off at any moment of course; this is required to be willing aid on the part of the 'god' in the ritual.
All told, this will take roughly eleven hours, during which Skye's endurance is going to be sorely tested. But she's stoic enough to go for it anyways; I wonder what her sister, hidden deep inside Khannie, thinks of this.
Outside: Grass touch place
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Halae
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Halae#9979 on Discord if you need me. I'm forgetful, so don't be afraid to ping me asking me to get to posting.
Tags:
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Earl of Purple
- Transcendent Soul Poster
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Coaching Inn
Only one of the high elves is distracted by the Goron; the rest are sat and chatting to each other over a meal and drinks. The one talking to the Goron is apparently trying to sell it something, a bag that catches the light. The Goron doesn't seem interested.
"Yeah, I know the way to Inside." The Quirk-y man replies. "I'm not goin' there, though. I've got a job delivering a car to Little Sattleborough. I'm not supposed to give lifts, because it's not my car, I'm delivering it for a customer. I'm only here for my legally-mandated break. And a meal. I've not had a roo burger this good since I was a lad, I'll come back here again if I can." He has another bite of his burger, eyeing Lia. "There's a Riftline station in Little Sattleborough, it's how I'm getting back to Inside myself. And the bosses won't know I've had a passenger, if you can, y'know, gimme a reason to break the rules..." Also known as 'give him a bribe'.
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
The knight screams as he's shot in the arm, laser blasts ripping through his unenchanted and unenhanced platemail like paper. He drops his sword, and falls to his knees, sobbing and clutching the injured limb, before he looks up at the shooter, eyes filled with tears, before his eyes explode and he collapses to the side, dead.
Only one of the high elves is distracted by the Goron; the rest are sat and chatting to each other over a meal and drinks. The one talking to the Goron is apparently trying to sell it something, a bag that catches the light. The Goron doesn't seem interested.
"Yeah, I know the way to Inside." The Quirk-y man replies. "I'm not goin' there, though. I've got a job delivering a car to Little Sattleborough. I'm not supposed to give lifts, because it's not my car, I'm delivering it for a customer. I'm only here for my legally-mandated break. And a meal. I've not had a roo burger this good since I was a lad, I'll come back here again if I can." He has another bite of his burger, eyeing Lia. "There's a Riftline station in Little Sattleborough, it's how I'm getting back to Inside myself. And the bosses won't know I've had a passenger, if you can, y'know, gimme a reason to break the rules..." Also known as 'give him a bribe'.
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
The knight screams as he's shot in the arm, laser blasts ripping through his unenchanted and unenhanced platemail like paper. He drops his sword, and falls to his knees, sobbing and clutching the injured limb, before he looks up at the shooter, eyes filled with tears, before his eyes explode and he collapses to the side, dead.
Avatar provided by Happyturtle. Still using it, after all these years.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Ruined Observatory]
High level nonsense is definitely an apt way to describe it.
So!
The ritual begins.
At first Khannie will watch pretty attentively, but this form of ritual magic is DEFINITELY not the most exciting. Eventually she'll pull a book out of her pack and begin to read it. When the power starts being drawn from the unicorn her shadow stretches and lengthens, rivulets of darkness running away like little streams to points surrounding the ritual circle.
If Skye has done a ritual like this before, which no doubt she has, she's probably familiar with the fact that this is typically an unpleasant experience for the god as their essence is drained.
Something VERY different happens with Khannie.
She is a black unicorn, and all black unicorns represent the purity of death in some capacity.
The manifestation of death in Khannie isn't death in any physical sense.
It's the death of corruption.
Her domain is purity of purification. And the act of purification feeds her, whether she's engaged in it or another is.
Skye may be surprised to find that the unicorn's essence is actually growing faster than she can draw it with the ritual.
A crown of midnight blue and shadowy indigo begins shimmering above her horn as the iridescent purple of her coat begins leaking into the shadows in the surroundings. As the sun begins to dip low and darkness begins falling that darkness is consumed by the unicorn, leaving the world brightly visible and sharply contrasted. A world where shadows are still cast in spite of the night.
However...
As the last of the sunlight vanishes shapes begin stirring within the fallen/not fallen tower...
High level nonsense is definitely an apt way to describe it.
So!
The ritual begins.
At first Khannie will watch pretty attentively, but this form of ritual magic is DEFINITELY not the most exciting. Eventually she'll pull a book out of her pack and begin to read it. When the power starts being drawn from the unicorn her shadow stretches and lengthens, rivulets of darkness running away like little streams to points surrounding the ritual circle.
If Skye has done a ritual like this before, which no doubt she has, she's probably familiar with the fact that this is typically an unpleasant experience for the god as their essence is drained.
Something VERY different happens with Khannie.
She is a black unicorn, and all black unicorns represent the purity of death in some capacity.
The manifestation of death in Khannie isn't death in any physical sense.
It's the death of corruption.
Her domain is purity of purification. And the act of purification feeds her, whether she's engaged in it or another is.
Skye may be surprised to find that the unicorn's essence is actually growing faster than she can draw it with the ritual.
A crown of midnight blue and shadowy indigo begins shimmering above her horn as the iridescent purple of her coat begins leaking into the shadows in the surroundings. As the sun begins to dip low and darkness begins falling that darkness is consumed by the unicorn, leaving the world brightly visible and sharply contrasted. A world where shadows are still cast in spite of the night.
However...
As the last of the sunlight vanishes shapes begin stirring within the fallen/not fallen tower...
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Englebrook]
"Dandy." The shapeshifter wheezes, still recovering from having a massive cat dropped on him. Not for the first time, he thanks his lucky stars that the shapeshifting he does effectively resets him every time he touches a viable target; as long as nothing happens that fundamentally alters the Paladium Knightess or Armored Wolf cards on his person, he can bounce back from anything that isn't immediately fatal.
No sense in saying that out loud, of course. Sense fate seems to hate him so much right now.
And speaking of fate hating him, is... is that the cat knitting itself back together? Are they going to have to fight the damn thing now?!
...Oh.
That's, um... that's not a cat.
It doesn't look too much like a gnoll, either. Well, obviously it looks like a gnoll in the sense that it looks kinda like what would happen if someone took a random guy and a hyena and put them in a blender together and tried to stitch up whatever came out, but at the same time it doesn't really have the demeanor of a gnoll. None of that gnashing and growling and threatening to eat innocent bystanders that seemed to mark most of the gnolls' attitudes.
Blank's eyes are immediately drawn to the bony shield on the creature's arm, finding it to be an odd feature in of itself before he realizes the commonality.
"...Wait a minute."
"Dandy." The shapeshifter wheezes, still recovering from having a massive cat dropped on him. Not for the first time, he thanks his lucky stars that the shapeshifting he does effectively resets him every time he touches a viable target; as long as nothing happens that fundamentally alters the Paladium Knightess or Armored Wolf cards on his person, he can bounce back from anything that isn't immediately fatal.
No sense in saying that out loud, of course. Sense fate seems to hate him so much right now.
And speaking of fate hating him, is... is that the cat knitting itself back together? Are they going to have to fight the damn thing now?!
...Oh.
That's, um... that's not a cat.
It doesn't look too much like a gnoll, either. Well, obviously it looks like a gnoll in the sense that it looks kinda like what would happen if someone took a random guy and a hyena and put them in a blender together and tried to stitch up whatever came out, but at the same time it doesn't really have the demeanor of a gnoll. None of that gnashing and growling and threatening to eat innocent bystanders that seemed to mark most of the gnolls' attitudes.
Blank's eyes are immediately drawn to the bony shield on the creature's arm, finding it to be an odd feature in of itself before he realizes the commonality.
"...Wait a minute."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.
Want some rye? Course ya do!
Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
Want some rye? Course ya do!
Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
-
quillpleasant
- Reborn Elder Poster
- Posts: 1630
- Joined: Feb 27, 2023 7:23 am
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- Pronouns: Any
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Englebrook
Upon seeing the tendrils devour the bizarre fallen cat, Octavia immediately struggles to her feet, joints grinding in irritation. One thing that she hasn't learned in Monster Slaying class- endurance. She's used to taking large beasts down quickly, not going all day against an army of smaller ones. And her body, while it doesn't get tired like humans do, needs to draw power from her halo to function. It's moving slowly and jerkily now.
But it's still enough to get her back to her feet, and she brings her fists up in a defensive boxing posture. Creating more luminous weapons is out of the question, but Octavia is still strong enough to do some serious damage with her fists. Planting her back foot in the earth, she crouches, preparing to lunge forward at this new adversary-
Wait, why is it backing away? And why is Blank looking at it like that?
Octavia is a bit too oblivious to understand what's happening, and she's not exactly an expert on shapeshifting, so she misses the obvious similarities here. But something is going on.
-why are we not fighting this one? please advise- she says, sounding just a bit lost.
Coaching Inn
Lia glances at the elves- perhaps they would have been a better option. But she's here now, so she might as well try to see if she can deal with this man. Of course, as usual she has limited options for barter.
"Well, I've no money," she starts, although her simple dress and lack of any bag might make that obvious, "But I can grow any kind of mushroom, including deadly or hallucinogenic varieties. A lot of them can be worth money, so if that's something you're interested in, then pick your poison." To demonstrate, she holds out her hand, and from the palm grows a brown mushroom with a spongy, pitted cap- a morel.
Of course, doing so makes her wince, but she tries to hide that behind a smile. If he's not interested in mushrooms, then she's at a loss as to anything else she could do. Sometimes being specialized is a hindrance.
Upon seeing the tendrils devour the bizarre fallen cat, Octavia immediately struggles to her feet, joints grinding in irritation. One thing that she hasn't learned in Monster Slaying class- endurance. She's used to taking large beasts down quickly, not going all day against an army of smaller ones. And her body, while it doesn't get tired like humans do, needs to draw power from her halo to function. It's moving slowly and jerkily now.
But it's still enough to get her back to her feet, and she brings her fists up in a defensive boxing posture. Creating more luminous weapons is out of the question, but Octavia is still strong enough to do some serious damage with her fists. Planting her back foot in the earth, she crouches, preparing to lunge forward at this new adversary-
Wait, why is it backing away? And why is Blank looking at it like that?
Octavia is a bit too oblivious to understand what's happening, and she's not exactly an expert on shapeshifting, so she misses the obvious similarities here. But something is going on.
-why are we not fighting this one? please advise- she says, sounding just a bit lost.
Coaching Inn
Lia glances at the elves- perhaps they would have been a better option. But she's here now, so she might as well try to see if she can deal with this man. Of course, as usual she has limited options for barter.
"Well, I've no money," she starts, although her simple dress and lack of any bag might make that obvious, "But I can grow any kind of mushroom, including deadly or hallucinogenic varieties. A lot of them can be worth money, so if that's something you're interested in, then pick your poison." To demonstrate, she holds out her hand, and from the palm grows a brown mushroom with a spongy, pitted cap- a morel.
Of course, doing so makes her wince, but she tries to hide that behind a smile. If he's not interested in mushrooms, then she's at a loss as to anything else she could do. Sometimes being specialized is a hindrance.
horses can attack and eat me
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Outside the Delve of Dripping DreadEarl of Purple wrote: ↑Feb 13, 2024 1:18 pm Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
The knight screams as he's shot in the arm, laser blasts ripping through his unenchanted and unenhanced platemail like paper. He drops his sword, and falls to his knees, sobbing and clutching the injured limb, before he looks up at the shooter, eyes filled with tears, before his eyes explode and he collapses to the side, dead.
The group looks at the man mainly confused at the direction this takes. They do take their distance to the dead body of the knight. The speaker looks at the shooter with a confused and slightly mad expression, who replies with a confused look and says: "The weapon was on normal shoot mode."
non of them really thinks that they could save him. It's more the question what killed him. The scanners go in to see if there is anything, but the speaker guy already knows they wont find much. It's likly to be related to the illusions or some kind of other magic.
In that time, the woman checks the unconcious woman. They don't free her from the shakels as they have no idea if she really was an enemy of the knight or not.
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Earl of Purple
- Transcendent Soul Poster
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Coaching Inn
"Does that include shiitake mushrooms? I'll help you for some of those. But... the elves are actually going to Inside direct, there's a concert I think they said? So if you offered them the same deal, they'd go for it and it'd be quicker." It might be quicker, but possibly not as safe; the horned man is a professional driver, unlike whoever the high elves have driving for them.
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
She's not shackled; only deep asleep, not restrained in any way. She seems perfectly healthy, and doesn't awaken from the checks the woman gives her; unless they're trying to awaken her, anyway.
Scans reveal little, unless they can pick up mental energy or psychic powers. He was killed by a psychic, specifically by heating up his brain until it cooked. So they can figure that out as a cause of death.
"Does that include shiitake mushrooms? I'll help you for some of those. But... the elves are actually going to Inside direct, there's a concert I think they said? So if you offered them the same deal, they'd go for it and it'd be quicker." It might be quicker, but possibly not as safe; the horned man is a professional driver, unlike whoever the high elves have driving for them.
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
She's not shackled; only deep asleep, not restrained in any way. She seems perfectly healthy, and doesn't awaken from the checks the woman gives her; unless they're trying to awaken her, anyway.
Scans reveal little, unless they can pick up mental energy or psychic powers. He was killed by a psychic, specifically by heating up his brain until it cooked. So they can figure that out as a cause of death.
Avatar provided by Happyturtle. Still using it, after all these years.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Englebrook]
"'cuz it's acting weird," Khannie helpfully supplies. She still has her horn lit, casting both she and her surroundings in high contrast shadows. Just in case the monster does something more threatening than...
Tripping over Blank.
"Not like regular gnoll weird, either. HEY! Hyena guy. Can you talk?" Khannie demands of the gnoll.
The gnoll, trying to stand up, perks at the question and sure LOOKS like it's trying to talk. But that isn't what happens. What happens instead is that it begins coughing up gross sludge. Definitely not the sort of thing that's pleasant to watch OR helpful for answering Khannie's question.
More than a few villagers are watching from afar now. Are the adventurers taking the extra scary looking gnoll prisoner? Maybe they're going to use it to lead them back to the gnoll gnest.
"'cuz it's acting weird," Khannie helpfully supplies. She still has her horn lit, casting both she and her surroundings in high contrast shadows. Just in case the monster does something more threatening than...
Tripping over Blank.
"Not like regular gnoll weird, either. HEY! Hyena guy. Can you talk?" Khannie demands of the gnoll.
The gnoll, trying to stand up, perks at the question and sure LOOKS like it's trying to talk. But that isn't what happens. What happens instead is that it begins coughing up gross sludge. Definitely not the sort of thing that's pleasant to watch OR helpful for answering Khannie's question.
More than a few villagers are watching from afar now. Are the adventurers taking the extra scary looking gnoll prisoner? Maybe they're going to use it to lead them back to the gnoll gnest.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Englebrook]
"...That sounds like a 'no'." Blank observes, scooting away from the sludge. He pulls himself back to his feet and takes another step back, covering his nose and mouth to keep any aftershocks from coming out.
After a moment of this, he turns to Khannie and Octavia. "...Okay, we're all thinking it, I'm just saying it. That thing's definitely taking after me, right?" He asks, gesturing toward the vomiting, awkward, shield-bearing gnoll.
"...That sounds like a 'no'." Blank observes, scooting away from the sludge. He pulls himself back to his feet and takes another step back, covering his nose and mouth to keep any aftershocks from coming out.
After a moment of this, he turns to Khannie and Octavia. "...Okay, we're all thinking it, I'm just saying it. That thing's definitely taking after me, right?" He asks, gesturing toward the vomiting, awkward, shield-bearing gnoll.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.
Want some rye? Course ya do!
Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
Want some rye? Course ya do!
Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
-
Shadowcaller
- Poster from Beyond the Veil
- Posts: 2889
- Joined: Aug 02, 2022 6:29 am
- Location: Sweden
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Damundra Canyon]Morty wrote: ↑Feb 12, 2024 7:21 pm [Damundra Canyon]
These people may be racist, but at least they know how to party. After an uncomfortably squeezed journey, Thariza finds this place familiar. A sight like this is fairly typical after a party in the Black Citadel, especially if the Blood Legion are involved.
"We're looking for our friend. She was here a few hours ago. Short, long hair, horns, wears armor."
The bartender raises her head in recognition as the two describe Ambrosia. "Oh tha elf? Yeah it was the only outsider we've had all day. She must have been asking for ye two. Told them that ye went down into tha canyon." She nods, seemingly seeing no need to add any further context to this.
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quillpleasant
- Reborn Elder Poster
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- Pronouns: Any
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Englebrook
Octavia slowly lowers her defensive posture, slumping a little. Well, she's not going to complain about a lull in the fighting. Her halo flickers as she glances between the gnoll and Blank, and then glows a little brighter as she finally comprehends.
-oh! it's leaking like you just did. maybe the stone imprinted off your internal blueprint?- she says, crossing her arms thoughtfully. -the question is, does it actually have your powers?-
One way to find out. Octavia steps forward and reaches out to poke the gnoll. Just on the off chance it has copied Blank's copying ability. There's an infinite loop there somewhere.
Octavia slowly lowers her defensive posture, slumping a little. Well, she's not going to complain about a lull in the fighting. Her halo flickers as she glances between the gnoll and Blank, and then glows a little brighter as she finally comprehends.
-oh! it's leaking like you just did. maybe the stone imprinted off your internal blueprint?- she says, crossing her arms thoughtfully. -the question is, does it actually have your powers?-
One way to find out. Octavia steps forward and reaches out to poke the gnoll. Just on the off chance it has copied Blank's copying ability. There's an infinite loop there somewhere.
horses can attack and eat me
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
► SHOW SPOILER
Ginger bites down at the chunk of flesh in her jaws, staring at her foes corpse victoriously. She took in several breaths, blood-soaked body heaving with each one. The Kholo saw red. The thrill of battle ran through her, as did white-hot anger, and she wanted more. More blood. She was hungry. She needed-
What?
The champion blinked. No. No. This wasn't her. Something else was coursing through her, and it scared her. She buried her rage long ago. Think. Breath. She shut her eyes, and began whispering prayers to Sarenrae. She didn't need this. Not now. This wasn't her. At the same time, her hands moved downwards, ignoring her more serious wounds as she tried to find the source. There, her leg. Her hands began to glow with warm radiance, healing magic pouring into the wound, easing the pain and slowly pushing back the bloodthirsty hunger that pounded in her head. As her senses returned to her, she spat out the gnoll's flesh with disgust. Not the first time she's tasted gnoll flesh, to be fair. But even when she was still with her tribe, such practices were a sign of honour, respect. Not for some horrid creature of the Abyss like this.
Still channelling the healing energy of her Goddess, Ginger did the best to wipe her blood from her face. It didn't help with that awful hunger. Her magic seemed to be keeping it from worsening for now though, but who knows how long that will last. She limps her way back to the cabin, limp slowly becoming a stride as her spell did its work. "Sorry you had to see me like that," she calls out, back to the people she had rescued. "I think it's safe now though. Shit. These things are nasty. What happened? Know where they came from?"
► SHOW SPOILER
"I wasn't in over my head, you just... came at a bad time, okay? I would've still won! Probably." Kestrel insists, pouting as Atreyu immediately set about teasing her again. There's a pause, and the birdgirl does have to admit to herself that she's being a little bit silly. Things were looking a bit bad for a moment, there. So she adds, somewhat meekly. "... Thanks though, I really do mean it."
She watches the wood and bark fade away from her skin with some curiosity, before Atreyu remarks on her state of dress. Her eyebrows furrow for a moment, before she looks down, and immediately begins to blush furiously. "Wha- no, hang on, wait, no not again, please don't look!- ow!" The hiss of pain came as she pulls her legs up to her chest in her haste to cover herself, the cut on her leg stinging as she did.
Bismark wrote:Silence, birb-wench.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Outside the Delve of Dripping DreadEarl of Purple wrote: ↑Feb 14, 2024 3:02 pm Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
She's not shackled; only deep asleep, not restrained in any way. She seems perfectly healthy, and doesn't awaken from the checks the woman gives her; unless they're trying to awaken her, anyway.
Scans reveal little, unless they can pick up mental energy or psychic powers. He was killed by a psychic, specifically by heating up his brain until it cooked. So they can figure that out as a cause of death.
The woman tries to wake her up, still be on guard. You can't know if she is friendly or not. Still she will ask her:
"Do you remember what heppend last to you?"
Well the scanners can detect that the brain overcooked and exploded. Not that they can identify psychic powers. At last not with that drohne. It was after all made with hast and the purpose was that it can't be tricked by illusions due to it's simple designe and basic scanners.
The speaker looks worried as the results come in.
"We might deal with something beyond our reach." he says. "I hope that guy got some chip in his head, otherwise we all could be target of that activity."
-
Earl of Purple
- Transcendent Soul Poster
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- Pronouns: He/Him
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
The woman groans and sits up, looking around blearily and confused. "What... Where am I? I should be in bed. Did... did I sleepwalk again? I started last week, never did it before." She seems confused, and doesn't spot the corpse yet.
Checking for a chip... the dead knight didn't have a device in his head, but there was something in his brain that wasn't supposed to be; organic, and with a similar density to the surrounding brain matter, so it's hard to detect. The DNA is very inhuman, however; closer to a cuttlefish, though the state of the brain means there's little surviving DNA.
The woman groans and sits up, looking around blearily and confused. "What... Where am I? I should be in bed. Did... did I sleepwalk again? I started last week, never did it before." She seems confused, and doesn't spot the corpse yet.
Checking for a chip... the dead knight didn't have a device in his head, but there was something in his brain that wasn't supposed to be; organic, and with a similar density to the surrounding brain matter, so it's hard to detect. The DNA is very inhuman, however; closer to a cuttlefish, though the state of the brain means there's little surviving DNA.
Avatar provided by Happyturtle. Still using it, after all these years.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
The woman stays calm and points at the knight.
"That guy was carrying you around." she says. "When we asked him why he attacked us."
The others are a bit scattered. The scan is a bit of a relief as any parasite is better then an invisible force. Still all are looking at the boss guy asking if this is really worth it. He remains silent, listening to the lady and planning the next move. They do need to improve the scan to find what this guy had in his brain.
The woman stays calm and points at the knight.
"That guy was carrying you around." she says. "When we asked him why he attacked us."
The others are a bit scattered. The scan is a bit of a relief as any parasite is better then an invisible force. Still all are looking at the boss guy asking if this is really worth it. He remains silent, listening to the lady and planning the next move. They do need to improve the scan to find what this guy had in his brain.
-
Earl of Purple
- Transcendent Soul Poster
- Posts: 2110
- Joined: Aug 01, 2022 3:59 pm
- Location: Amongst the Folk from the North
- Pronouns: He/Him
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
The lady screams when she sees the corpse, and scrabbles backwards to get further away from it. When she's calmed down a little, she'll reply "I've never seen him before, no idea who he is. Was."
There's very little brain to scan, to get further information. They're going to either risk it, scan the woman to see if she's got anything in her brain, or leave this for somebody else.
The lady screams when she sees the corpse, and scrabbles backwards to get further away from it. When she's calmed down a little, she'll reply "I've never seen him before, no idea who he is. Was."
There's very little brain to scan, to get further information. They're going to either risk it, scan the woman to see if she's got anything in her brain, or leave this for somebody else.
Avatar provided by Happyturtle. Still using it, after all these years.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
They do attemp the scan, but with that scanner the chances are near 0 to get it. They aren't prepared for that.
The woman doesn't seem to be starteled by the scream.
"Well, Can you tell us more about those sleep walkings you had?" she asks. "Maybe it is also related to this. Did your head hurt or do you got any new wounds?"
They do attemp the scan, but with that scanner the chances are near 0 to get it. They aren't prepared for that.
The woman doesn't seem to be starteled by the scream.
"Well, Can you tell us more about those sleep walkings you had?" she asks. "Maybe it is also related to this. Did your head hurt or do you got any new wounds?"
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Englebrook]
"Yeah kinda," Khannie admits, still watching the creature cautiously. "But how though? Just cuz you swallowed the riftstone and it... what... imprinted on you or something? I don't get it."
But then again, Arthfael is such a crazy mishmash of magic and curses there's no telling how some corrupting curse like THIS would interact with it. So what's this gnoll, exactly? Is it him? Or... part of him like the cards? Or what exactly?
Then the gnoll gets poked by Octavia, causing it to immediately transform.
Just not in the way anyone was really expecting.
The creature folds in on itself, leaving behind a card of riftstone caked in abyssal black. An icon of the gnoll has been etched into it, exposing the thrumming purple crystal under the black patina. It's... like Blank's other cards? Just not made out of... Well. Card and ink. Khannie eyes the card skeptically.
"Okay I guess it WAS kinda like one of your cards. Just messed up with gnoll stuff somehow?"
Somehow.
Life is full of mysteries.
"Whatever. I'm gunna check around to see if any of the villagers got bit and purge the corruption before it gets too deep. Then we outta check on that guy at the jail."
[For Whom the Bell Gnolls]
Ginger might want to get that bite looked at. Definitely not healthy.
But for now the immediate danger is past and she calls out to the occupants of the house.
"They came rolling in from the east," the woman up on the second floor calls out. "We've seen one or two over the past few days and killed them with a shovel. But a whole mob of them like that's a whole different story. Never seen one of those big ones, neither."
Definitely not a good sign, that.
"Jed thinks they might've crawled out of the Pit. Old open mine the way they came from. Got abandoned after the minors broke through into some sort of cavern that leads straight to hell. Started making folk see things and go crazy. But I ain't never heard of nothin' ever coming out of it 'cept bad dreams."
Technically it leads straight to the Abyss.
But random peasants probably aren't up to date on planar geography.
"Hell you look bad. You want a slice of shepherd's pie? I figure we owe you something for helping us out."
"Yeah kinda," Khannie admits, still watching the creature cautiously. "But how though? Just cuz you swallowed the riftstone and it... what... imprinted on you or something? I don't get it."
But then again, Arthfael is such a crazy mishmash of magic and curses there's no telling how some corrupting curse like THIS would interact with it. So what's this gnoll, exactly? Is it him? Or... part of him like the cards? Or what exactly?
Then the gnoll gets poked by Octavia, causing it to immediately transform.
Just not in the way anyone was really expecting.
The creature folds in on itself, leaving behind a card of riftstone caked in abyssal black. An icon of the gnoll has been etched into it, exposing the thrumming purple crystal under the black patina. It's... like Blank's other cards? Just not made out of... Well. Card and ink. Khannie eyes the card skeptically.
"Okay I guess it WAS kinda like one of your cards. Just messed up with gnoll stuff somehow?"
Somehow.
Life is full of mysteries.
"Whatever. I'm gunna check around to see if any of the villagers got bit and purge the corruption before it gets too deep. Then we outta check on that guy at the jail."
[For Whom the Bell Gnolls]
Ginger might want to get that bite looked at. Definitely not healthy.
But for now the immediate danger is past and she calls out to the occupants of the house.
"They came rolling in from the east," the woman up on the second floor calls out. "We've seen one or two over the past few days and killed them with a shovel. But a whole mob of them like that's a whole different story. Never seen one of those big ones, neither."
Definitely not a good sign, that.
"Jed thinks they might've crawled out of the Pit. Old open mine the way they came from. Got abandoned after the minors broke through into some sort of cavern that leads straight to hell. Started making folk see things and go crazy. But I ain't never heard of nothin' ever coming out of it 'cept bad dreams."
Technically it leads straight to the Abyss.
But random peasants probably aren't up to date on planar geography.
"Hell you look bad. You want a slice of shepherd's pie? I figure we owe you something for helping us out."
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Destroyed Wizard's Tower BasementHalae wrote: ↑Feb 05, 2024 12:03 am [Destroyed Wizard's Tower Basement]
'I am a suit of symbiotic armor! In exchange for making it so you need to eat more - sorry about that - I'll be able to strengthen you, armor you, and... well, act as legs. But I want your consent first. It's something of an intimate process.'
The little chitinous creature seems earnest enough, at least.
The hobgoblin looks up, wrinkling her nose as she looks through the crack in the ceiling of the chamber to see the sky outside. It wasn't like there was any help coming, at least not in time. Onisa deflates, giving a sigh and takes a moment to set the dagger and her own gear to the side a bit. "Go for it. If it gets me out of here, I'll agree to whatever you need to do. I'm not going to be getting out any other way. No one knew we were coming here after all." She admits. "What do you need me to do?"
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Ruined Observatory]
Hiep is... not good at waiting. And the wait is long enough that she'll be bored out of her skull before very long. Which she deals with by pacing, fidgeting and practicing kicks and punches against nearby surfaces. When shapes begin to stir and lurk, she's visibly relieved. Finally, something to fight.
[Damundra Canyon]
"Why didn't you tell her we haven't arrived yet?" Thariza sighs. That seems like a case of incorrect information. "If she's already gone into the canyon, we'll have to follow."
Hiep is... not good at waiting. And the wait is long enough that she'll be bored out of her skull before very long. Which she deals with by pacing, fidgeting and practicing kicks and punches against nearby surfaces. When shapes begin to stir and lurk, she's visibly relieved. Finally, something to fight.
[Damundra Canyon]
"Why didn't you tell her we haven't arrived yet?" Thariza sighs. That seems like a case of incorrect information. "If she's already gone into the canyon, we'll have to follow."
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Halae
- Coffin-Bound Aged Poster
- Posts: 797
- Joined: Dec 24, 2022 11:35 pm
- Location: A chill white land
- Pronouns: She/Her
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Rebonack wrote: ↑Feb 13, 2024 3:17 pm [Ruined Observatory]
High level nonsense is definitely an apt way to describe it.
So!
The ritual begins.
At first Khannie will watch pretty attentively, but this form of ritual magic is DEFINITELY not the most exciting. Eventually she'll pull a book out of her pack and begin to read it. When the power starts being drawn from the unicorn her shadow stretches and lengthens, rivulets of darkness running away like little streams to points surrounding the ritual circle.
If Skye has done a ritual like this before, which no doubt she has, she's probably familiar with the fact that this is typically an unpleasant experience for the god as their essence is drained.
Something VERY different happens with Khannie.
She is a black unicorn, and all black unicorns represent the purity of death in some capacity.
The manifestation of death in Khannie isn't death in any physical sense.
It's the death of corruption.
Her domain is purity of purification. And the act of purification feeds her, whether she's engaged in it or another is.
Skye may be surprised to find that the unicorn's essence is actually growing faster than she can draw it with the ritual.
A crown of midnight blue and shadowy indigo begins shimmering above her horn as the iridescent purple of her coat begins leaking into the shadows in the surroundings. As the sun begins to dip low and darkness begins falling that darkness is consumed by the unicorn, leaving the world brightly visible and sharply contrasted. A world where shadows are still cast in spite of the night.
However...
As the last of the sunlight vanishes shapes begin stirring within the fallen/not fallen tower...
[Ruined Observatory]Morty wrote: ↑Feb 16, 2024 12:14 am [Ruined Observatory]
Hiep is... not good at waiting. And the wait is long enough that she'll be bored out of her skull before very long. Which she deals with by pacing, fidgeting and practicing kicks and punches against nearby surfaces. When shapes begin to stir and lurk, she's visibly relieved. Finally, something to fight.
Skye continues the ritual, even as she misses a step when the thing comes out of the tower. She has to maintain the ritual; if she doesn't, it could collapse, and they'd need to start again from the beginning. That's just not something she's willing to do this late into it. A quick, urgent look towards Hiep and Khannie is all she can afford during the chants; she can maintain the ritual or fight, but not both.
[Destroyed Wizard's Tower Basement]
I simply need you to hold still.
And then the chitin and pseudopods start flowing up onto Onisa's body. Wherever it touches gains a pins and needles feeling as the creature's body moves to cover her, fusing with the structure of her flesh through the skin. As she does so, Onisa will feel through the symbiote, as their nervous systems become connected wherever it covers.
It'll be the work of a few minutes, sliding in under her clothes to get access to all of her flesh unimpeded, but as it does so chitin grows in various places, covering Onisa. Eventually, the hobgoblin will find herself wearing an entire suit of armor made from the chitin, linked to every part of her body, even around the neck and head, though the helmet splits apart and settles in around her neck after checking to make certain the helmet's shape is acceptable - it's shaped as a sallet. From the back of the helmet and from around the waist hang lengths of leathery flesh, clearly meant for style, though their veiny nature reveals them to be alive.
And, most importantly, Onisa will have legs again. They're made entirely from the same chitin and slime the symbiotic armor is constructed from, but they're present, and they're functional!
Shadowcaller wrote: ↑Feb 14, 2024 9:58 pm [Damundra Canyon]
The bartender raises her head in recognition as the two describe Ambrosia. "Oh tha elf? Yeah it was the only outsider we've had all day. She must have been asking for ye two. Told them that ye went down into tha canyon." She nods, seemingly seeing no need to add any further context to this.
[Damundra Canyon]
Emily's opinion of these people continues to trend downward. Stupid assumptions, drunks, lies, bigotry, it's like all the worst people from her homeland have gathered here and gotten a foot shorter. Clear anger expresses itself on Emily face, bordering on fury, but when she speaks it's tightly controlled, "Let's go, Thariza. We need to move quickly to get to her,"
Thariza knows Emily well enough to know she's barely restraining herself from lashing out when she turns away from the bar to walk out the way they came.
Halae#9979 on Discord if you need me. I'm forgetful, so don't be afraid to ping me asking me to get to posting.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Englebrook]
"Gah!" Blank starts as the gnoll folds down into a card. "What the... I mean, why would it... how?!"
All excellent questions, of course.
"...I guess I'm a little contagious?" He tries, kneeling next to the card.
...Huh. You know, if not for the fact that it's made of corruptive magic, that would actually be really cool. It already looks kind of fancy; a jet-black playing card with an image of a gnoll engraved into it in near-luminescent lines.
...He should take it with him.
Not to use, obviously. But something like this demands to be studied.
Carefully, Blank unwraps ine of the scarves from around his neck and bundles up the card, before tucking it away... somewhere on his person, out of sight andout of mind.
"Gah!" Blank starts as the gnoll folds down into a card. "What the... I mean, why would it... how?!"
All excellent questions, of course.
"...I guess I'm a little contagious?" He tries, kneeling next to the card.
...Huh. You know, if not for the fact that it's made of corruptive magic, that would actually be really cool. It already looks kind of fancy; a jet-black playing card with an image of a gnoll engraved into it in near-luminescent lines.
...He should take it with him.
Not to use, obviously. But something like this demands to be studied.
Carefully, Blank unwraps ine of the scarves from around his neck and bundles up the card, before tucking it away... somewhere on his person, out of sight andout of mind.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.
Want some rye? Course ya do!
Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
Want some rye? Course ya do!
Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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quillpleasant
- Reborn Elder Poster
- Posts: 1630
- Joined: Feb 27, 2023 7:23 am
- Location: Somewhere cold
- Pronouns: Any
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Coaching InnEarl of Purple wrote: ↑Feb 14, 2024 3:02 pm Coaching Inn
"Does that include shiitake mushrooms? I'll help you for some of those. But... the elves are actually going to Inside direct, there's a concert I think they said? So if you offered them the same deal, they'd go for it and it'd be quicker." It might be quicker, but possibly not as safe; the horned man is a professional driver, unlike whoever the high elves have driving for them.
Lia smiles- the fact that the man suggested a better alternative for her proves that he's trustworthy in her mind. "I appreciate the offer, and the honesty. A faster route does seem like the best option for me, so I think I'll take your advice and ask the elves. But take these for your trouble anyway." A brief moment of concentration and a small bundle of shiitake mushrooms are grown from her hand. Usually she'd be more careful, but there's plenty of decay in this area to regain her strength, and she doesn't foresee having to fight for her life anytime soon.
Leaving the mushrooms with the horned man, Lia steps over to the elves, black dress trailing behind her. "Hello! The gentleman at the bar said that you might be heading to Inside- I was wondering if I could barter for passage, since I'm heading that way myself. I can grow any kind of mushroom, you see." Lia hasn't met a lot of elves, but she's inclined to like them- they tend to have an appreciation for flora that many others don't.
Englebrook
As the gnolls folds in on itself, Octavia leaps back in alarm. Upon realizing that it's not actually dangerous- at least at the moment- she peers curiously at the card on the ground.
-you know, you're the second person i've met with magical cards. a very interesting power to have-
She doesn't really understand how it works, since using tools is somewhat foreign to her. Becoming tools is more her area of expertise.
Khannie's plan receives a thumb's up. -let us know when you're ready to see the prisoner. i'm going to... rest here for a bit- The angel sits down heavily on the ground, assuming a meditative pose. Her power will slowly regenerate over time, but without an energy source it'll take a while. This village doesn't seem like the kind of place to have an electric grid she could plug into either.
horses can attack and eat me
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Destroyed Wizard's Tower Basement
The hobgoblin passes out as the symbiosis begins, half from exhaustion and half from not wanting to be conscious during the invasive procedure. She's out cold for several long minutes, possibly as much as an hour as her new friend attaches to her body. If she'd been awake, she would be incredibly disturbed by just how severe the process was, but that was a matter for another day when she finds a mirror and proper time to examine herself.
For now, the symbiote will find her dreaming when it attaches to her mind. She was reliving the disaster, processing the trauma in a relatively healthy way. More importantly, it means she is thankful when she wakes up and rubs her eyes. "...is it done?"
The hobgoblin passes out as the symbiosis begins, half from exhaustion and half from not wanting to be conscious during the invasive procedure. She's out cold for several long minutes, possibly as much as an hour as her new friend attaches to her body. If she'd been awake, she would be incredibly disturbed by just how severe the process was, but that was a matter for another day when she finds a mirror and proper time to examine herself.
For now, the symbiote will find her dreaming when it attaches to her mind. She was reliving the disaster, processing the trauma in a relatively healthy way. More importantly, it means she is thankful when she wakes up and rubs her eyes. "...is it done?"
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Halae
- Coffin-Bound Aged Poster
- Posts: 797
- Joined: Dec 24, 2022 11:35 pm
- Location: A chill white land
- Pronouns: She/Her
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Destroyed Wizard's Tower Basement]
It's done!, comes the response, echoing from deep inside Onisa, I've linked into your circulatory, endocrine, urinary, digestive, muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems. This allows me to both augment you and feed off the waste that humanoids generally produce; you'll find that while you need to eat a little more to account for my presence, you will no longer need to relieve yourself of waste. Should you receive an injury, I will work in all haste to repair it - though, unfortunately, fully replacing missing body parts can only be done using me as a prosthetic replacement.
Try moving about. You have the benefit of my muscular augments to your body, so despite the weight you should feel like you're wearing very little. Aside from the... ah, tatters that remain of your old outfit, which are all sitting on Onisa's body unnecessarily, over the chitinous armor that now coats her from the neck down (and she can already understand how to get the helmet to come up too). It's a fairly sleek fit, too, providing flexibility and protection in a well plated package, being both armored yet accentuating what curves she has. two elements of pure style exist as well, in the form of two lengths of fleshy webbing - one from the bottom of the helmet, currently in pieces around her neck, and the other from her waist, providing a stylish, if veiny, waist cape.
Should Onisa start attempting to move, she'll find that her movement is easier than she's ever dreamed of it being. More precise, with more force than ever before, and there's no lag between the symbiote's movements and Onisa's - the command to move comes from both of them, working in perfect harmony, with each automatically accounting for any errors in the others' movements. It'll feel like walking in a dream, and Onisa may well feel a deep desire to run around and test the limits of her new companion.
It helps that the armor thing is working as new legs for her, too.
It's done!, comes the response, echoing from deep inside Onisa, I've linked into your circulatory, endocrine, urinary, digestive, muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems. This allows me to both augment you and feed off the waste that humanoids generally produce; you'll find that while you need to eat a little more to account for my presence, you will no longer need to relieve yourself of waste. Should you receive an injury, I will work in all haste to repair it - though, unfortunately, fully replacing missing body parts can only be done using me as a prosthetic replacement.
Try moving about. You have the benefit of my muscular augments to your body, so despite the weight you should feel like you're wearing very little. Aside from the... ah, tatters that remain of your old outfit, which are all sitting on Onisa's body unnecessarily, over the chitinous armor that now coats her from the neck down (and she can already understand how to get the helmet to come up too). It's a fairly sleek fit, too, providing flexibility and protection in a well plated package, being both armored yet accentuating what curves she has. two elements of pure style exist as well, in the form of two lengths of fleshy webbing - one from the bottom of the helmet, currently in pieces around her neck, and the other from her waist, providing a stylish, if veiny, waist cape.
Should Onisa start attempting to move, she'll find that her movement is easier than she's ever dreamed of it being. More precise, with more force than ever before, and there's no lag between the symbiote's movements and Onisa's - the command to move comes from both of them, working in perfect harmony, with each automatically accounting for any errors in the others' movements. It'll feel like walking in a dream, and Onisa may well feel a deep desire to run around and test the limits of her new companion.
It helps that the armor thing is working as new legs for her, too.
Halae#9979 on Discord if you need me. I'm forgetful, so don't be afraid to ping me asking me to get to posting.
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Shadowcaller
- Poster from Beyond the Veil
- Posts: 2889
- Joined: Aug 02, 2022 6:29 am
- Location: Sweden
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Damundra Canyon]
The bartender regards them calmly and despite their reaction gives them an apologetic smile. "Well folks around here be a suspicious lot so if they knew an elf was here while they were sleeping, or worse when they woke up there wou' be a lot o' trouble. Probably fighting too." She shrugs.
"So i had ta send your elf away tha only way i knew how." She raises her finger. "But if you're going down there too I will give you the same warning I gave her, there's little lizardfolk down there. Nasty things. Come out every feastday when the folks are drinking to spread devilry. Been particularly nasty as o' late too." As she talks about them its the first time she's shown concern on her face.
It's likely only Thariza who hears this warning as Emily is already on her way out.
The guards at the front door are throwing her concerned glances. It looks like they almost want to stop her given the angry look on her face.
The bartender regards them calmly and despite their reaction gives them an apologetic smile. "Well folks around here be a suspicious lot so if they knew an elf was here while they were sleeping, or worse when they woke up there wou' be a lot o' trouble. Probably fighting too." She shrugs.
"So i had ta send your elf away tha only way i knew how." She raises her finger. "But if you're going down there too I will give you the same warning I gave her, there's little lizardfolk down there. Nasty things. Come out every feastday when the folks are drinking to spread devilry. Been particularly nasty as o' late too." As she talks about them its the first time she's shown concern on her face.
It's likely only Thariza who hears this warning as Emily is already on her way out.
The guards at the front door are throwing her concerned glances. It looks like they almost want to stop her given the angry look on her face.
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Earl of Purple
- Transcendent Soul Poster
- Posts: 2110
- Joined: Aug 01, 2022 3:59 pm
- Location: Amongst the Folk from the North
- Pronouns: He/Him
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
Outside the Delve of Dripping Dread
The woman's brain is entirely her own; there's nothing in there that shouldn't be. "I go to bed, fall asleep, and I wake up in the hall by my front door. I don't remember any dreams, or anything. I locked myself into my bedroom tonight, so I guess I unlocked that door at least? Uh... no, I don't have a headache. I'm a bit cold, though." She's only wearing her nightdress, and it's night time. It's chilly and she's not dressed for anything but being under a duvet in bed. "Uh... no, not really any new injuries... Oh, I've got a bruise on my leg, here. Pretty fresh, and... I've got a shoe stand by the door, I think I walked into it." She points the bruise out, halfway up her shin between ankle and knee.
Coaching Inn
The Quirk-y man nods and thanks Lia for the mushrooms, grabbing them and tucking them into his coat. He'll cook those for his supper, most likely.
The elves stop and stare at Lia as she approaches them. "Duuuude, she's a mushroom."
"No, you're high. Shuddup."
"Nah, dude, she's a mushroom. You're high, you shut up. Right! A ride to Inside, yeah? Radical. We're gonna go see Elvish Parsley, rock out to some classics. Nothin' Like a Houndoom, uh, Jailhouse Rave and Bite Me Baby One More Time." The talking elf nods vigorously as he explains.
"That last one's Deathkiss, moron. From their shit album."
"Anyway, yeah we can hit you up with a ride, man. Uh, shroom. That's... that's not offensive, is it? Dude, sorry if it is, man. I don't mean to be rude. Yeah, we'll give you a ride, no-pro-blame-oh. Agaric when we get there, yeah? Don't want to drive high. Higher." If the elves haven't put Lia off, anyway.
The woman's brain is entirely her own; there's nothing in there that shouldn't be. "I go to bed, fall asleep, and I wake up in the hall by my front door. I don't remember any dreams, or anything. I locked myself into my bedroom tonight, so I guess I unlocked that door at least? Uh... no, I don't have a headache. I'm a bit cold, though." She's only wearing her nightdress, and it's night time. It's chilly and she's not dressed for anything but being under a duvet in bed. "Uh... no, not really any new injuries... Oh, I've got a bruise on my leg, here. Pretty fresh, and... I've got a shoe stand by the door, I think I walked into it." She points the bruise out, halfway up her shin between ankle and knee.
Coaching Inn
The Quirk-y man nods and thanks Lia for the mushrooms, grabbing them and tucking them into his coat. He'll cook those for his supper, most likely.
The elves stop and stare at Lia as she approaches them. "Duuuude, she's a mushroom."
"No, you're high. Shuddup."
"Nah, dude, she's a mushroom. You're high, you shut up. Right! A ride to Inside, yeah? Radical. We're gonna go see Elvish Parsley, rock out to some classics. Nothin' Like a Houndoom, uh, Jailhouse Rave and Bite Me Baby One More Time." The talking elf nods vigorously as he explains.
"That last one's Deathkiss, moron. From their shit album."
"Anyway, yeah we can hit you up with a ride, man. Uh, shroom. That's... that's not offensive, is it? Dude, sorry if it is, man. I don't mean to be rude. Yeah, we'll give you a ride, no-pro-blame-oh. Agaric when we get there, yeah? Don't want to drive high. Higher." If the elves haven't put Lia off, anyway.
Avatar provided by Happyturtle. Still using it, after all these years.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Don't run now, my eggs are hatching.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[Ruined Observatory]
Should it come as any shocked that a servant of the Maiden of Journeys would have a hard time sitting still for long? It's a merciful thing, then, that night was already close when the ritual began. And with nightfall comes trouble.
The thing that flaps and flops its way out of the tower doesn't look like it should have been able to fit inside, squeezing out through a window many times smaller than its great black girth. Something like wings beat at the air, lifting it into the night sky though by all accounts the pathetic, broken looking appendages should be capable of no such feat.
It is as the first was; a shattered constellation given shape. Empty space somehow acting as a living thing. It wheels above our heroes, making a churning sound like ocean waves crashing inside a massive punch-bowl.
And speaking of punches, the thoughtful thing is rudely out of what might traditionally be considered punching range. Thankfully this also means that its aura of loss and forgetfulness hasn't washed over our heroes yet, either.
The thing doesn't attack, not right away, it simply wheels about overhead and occasionally blasting forth a doleful, wheezing honk.
Khannie glares at the creature as she lights her horn, a grid of black planes flickering through the ground near her and leaving neatly sectioned cubes of earth in their wake.
"Plan's gunna get slippery if this thing gets close. Remember we've gotta fill it up until it isn't," the unicorn says.
[Englebrook]
Khannie gives the angel and the knight a sympathetic look. "You guys both got clobbered way harder than I did. Just take a breather, okay? I can take care of the cleansing thingy on my own."
That said?
She'll canter off to talk with the villagers and gather some information. Not just whether or not anyone got bit (a few people did) but also when the gnolls showed up and which direction they came from. The information she receives will confirm what they heard before; it sounds like they all came from the direction of the old open pit mine not terribly distant from town.
No one has been there for a while.
Well, apparently a few of the more bravado filled villagers set off in that direction with some weapons but they didn't come back. Which isn't a great sign.
Khannie will do some simple corruption-purging on the bite wounds. It isn't healing magic for sure, but it's better than letting gnoll fever run its course to... whatever the end result is. Once THAT'S done she'll check in at the jail. This will provide Octavia and Blank a good ten minutes or so to catch their breath before Khannie returns, looking at least a little relieved.
"So my idea worked using the riftstone to draw the corruption out. Thing got a little bigger, though, which I'm gunna say isn't a great sign. Are you two ready? We should go check out that mine."
Should it come as any shocked that a servant of the Maiden of Journeys would have a hard time sitting still for long? It's a merciful thing, then, that night was already close when the ritual began. And with nightfall comes trouble.
The thing that flaps and flops its way out of the tower doesn't look like it should have been able to fit inside, squeezing out through a window many times smaller than its great black girth. Something like wings beat at the air, lifting it into the night sky though by all accounts the pathetic, broken looking appendages should be capable of no such feat.
It is as the first was; a shattered constellation given shape. Empty space somehow acting as a living thing. It wheels above our heroes, making a churning sound like ocean waves crashing inside a massive punch-bowl.
And speaking of punches, the thoughtful thing is rudely out of what might traditionally be considered punching range. Thankfully this also means that its aura of loss and forgetfulness hasn't washed over our heroes yet, either.
The thing doesn't attack, not right away, it simply wheels about overhead and occasionally blasting forth a doleful, wheezing honk.
Khannie glares at the creature as she lights her horn, a grid of black planes flickering through the ground near her and leaving neatly sectioned cubes of earth in their wake.
"Plan's gunna get slippery if this thing gets close. Remember we've gotta fill it up until it isn't," the unicorn says.
[Englebrook]
Khannie gives the angel and the knight a sympathetic look. "You guys both got clobbered way harder than I did. Just take a breather, okay? I can take care of the cleansing thingy on my own."
That said?
She'll canter off to talk with the villagers and gather some information. Not just whether or not anyone got bit (a few people did) but also when the gnolls showed up and which direction they came from. The information she receives will confirm what they heard before; it sounds like they all came from the direction of the old open pit mine not terribly distant from town.
No one has been there for a while.
Well, apparently a few of the more bravado filled villagers set off in that direction with some weapons but they didn't come back. Which isn't a great sign.
Khannie will do some simple corruption-purging on the bite wounds. It isn't healing magic for sure, but it's better than letting gnoll fever run its course to... whatever the end result is. Once THAT'S done she'll check in at the jail. This will provide Octavia and Blank a good ten minutes or so to catch their breath before Khannie returns, looking at least a little relieved.
"So my idea worked using the riftstone to draw the corruption out. Thing got a little bigger, though, which I'm gunna say isn't a great sign. Are you two ready? We should go check out that mine."
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[For Whom the Bell Gnolls]Rebonack wrote: ↑Feb 15, 2024 4:02 pm [For Whom the Bell Gnolls]
Ginger might want to get that bite looked at. Definitely not healthy.
But for now the immediate danger is past and she calls out to the occupants of the house.
"They came rolling in from the east," the woman up on the second floor calls out. "We've seen one or two over the past few days and killed them with a shovel. But a whole mob of them like that's a whole different story. Never seen one of those big ones, neither."
Definitely not a good sign, that.
"Jed thinks they might've crawled out of the Pit. Old open mine the way they came from. Got abandoned after the minors broke through into some sort of cavern that leads straight to hell. Started making folk see things and go crazy. But I ain't never heard of nothin' ever coming out of it 'cept bad dreams."
Technically it leads straight to the Abyss.
But random peasants probably aren't up to date on planar geography.
"Hell you look bad. You want a slice of shepherd's pie? I figure we owe you something for helping us out."
None of what Ginger hears is promising information. There was no reason to assume this was a purely one-off attack. It sounded like the encounters with these things might be worsening. Especially if these villagers are right about where they came from.
"You live near an open pit that just goes... straight to Hell? Nobody did anything about it?" Ginger is a little baffled by that. She frowns. "I think I'll need to check that out."
She seems ready to set off in a hurry, when the offer of food is swung her way. The gnoll pauses, giving them a thankful smile. "Thanks. You don't owe me anything, actually, but sure. Hard to decline food."
She is alarmingly hungry after all. So hungry. She needs to eat.
Bismark wrote:Silence, birb-wench.
Re: Outside: Grass touch place
[For Whom the Bell Gnolls]
"Well the Bumpasses tried collapsing part of the cliff onto it, but all the rock just fell into the hole and made it bigger," the woman in the window says. "Ain't nothing even came out before so no one thought twice about it. Now hang on, we need to move some furniture."
A bit of wood scraping against wood later and the woman emerges carrying a WHOLE meat pie with her, which she holds out to Ginger.
"Now don't you go refusing. Eat your pie and go show those varmints what's what."
Ginger will find that the simple, wholesome common food will do a real number on the fever that was already weakened by divine healing magic.
"Well the Bumpasses tried collapsing part of the cliff onto it, but all the rock just fell into the hole and made it bigger," the woman in the window says. "Ain't nothing even came out before so no one thought twice about it. Now hang on, we need to move some furniture."
A bit of wood scraping against wood later and the woman emerges carrying a WHOLE meat pie with her, which she holds out to Ginger.
"Now don't you go refusing. Eat your pie and go show those varmints what's what."
Ginger will find that the simple, wholesome common food will do a real number on the fever that was already weakened by divine healing magic.