I think we're ready for another timeskip. We've had some random discussion, come up with a way to overcome our only immediate problem (people finding us), and come up with a whole slew of new things to try and learn. I don't think waiting longer will bring us anything.

You really should consider a tripcode DM. We won't have to worry about impersonation faggots that way...

>>8055342

Gogogo Timeskip w/ inbuilt stop for significant events!

>>8055347
Who would impersonate me?

>>8055342
This. Since the elders are going to bring the immigrants one by one, we'll know what days to expect them and can have someone stay on watch to give us warning so we can hide until it's time to present ourselves.

Unusually brief opening.

Also, see Cold Lightsabre in last thread,
>>8055223

rolled 4, 3, 5 = 12

>>8055342
>>8055355
>Writing Timeskip

>>8055347
I have one, but I don't use it unless it's truly necessary.

So what are the rules?

>>8055372
Um, in case you haven't noticed, we sometimes get a troll, and he puts on your name.

>>8055372
Needs moar 3d6 stealth roll.

So i think the general consensus is to start trying to develop more advanced cold spells? So far we have:

Raining down large ice comets
Raining down small razor sharp ice shards
Try to get a very small and focused sword like area of super intense cold
Ice armor or barrier

Anything else?

rolled 4, 4, 2 = 10

>>8055372
No stealth roll. Again.

>>8055380
There was nothing to say, really. Cold Lightsaber added.

>>8055372
Hilarious.

But yeah, impersonation isn't really a significant problem in a quest being run seriously. People who want to fuck with things will just imagebomb, generally; no one is willing to put in the effort required to be more subtle and tricky about it.

>>8055402

No stealth roll was the joke.

I'm glad I deceived one fool, though: >>8055393

>>8055239

it really depends on you definition of stream i would call the numbers you gave me a small river to me a creek is anything under a meter in width and average depth. if you want just give em a value measured in cumecs(cubic meters/s) 1.0 is small river in dry country up to 3-4 in wet country.

>>8055397
We still need ice scrying. General weather control, making and messing about with blizzards and such, would be excellent as well.

rolled 4, 4, 4 = 12

>>8055425
2-3, I would say.

>>8055422
*sniff* There's no need to call me a fool. I'm just gullible is all.

>>8055402
Awesome. Cold lightsaber and timeskip.

WHAT ARE THE RULES

>>8055461
RULE NUMBER ONE: THERE ARE NO RULES!

>>8055474
THEN WHAT IS THE POINT?

Ok, now, this is getting a little ridiculous. I hate to sound like one of those nofunallowed.jpg sagefags, but do you really need to post three threads a day? Don't you have a job, or school, or something?

I'm not pissed about the quest itself, but seeing this thread on the front page CONSTANTLY gets a little annoying.

rolled 2, 1, 5 = 8

>>8055492
This is the second thread today. I run this quest on fridays and weekends only.

>>8055474
RULE NUMBER THREE: THERE IS NO RULE NUMBER TWO!

>>8055492

>>8055492
Well... the game just runs that long that multiple threads are needed... :/

I would rate magic priority

1st ice scrying/ice armor
2nd icesabre
3rd ice comets/needlestorm

>>8055492
then you should
>hide thread.
And a polite sage to honor your intentions

oh i should point out that the reason im doing this is to try and figure out how much we can expect to industralise using this creek or small river,
also what kind of rainfall does the area receive from the sounds of it (forrest swamp nearby muddy track) irrigation is pointless unless we hit a period of dry weather and will only contribute to increased soil salinity.

>>8055513
Agreed. I vote Ice Scrying for permanent 1st Slot.

>>8055513
I think we might need to switch 2 and 3. We might have to start dealing with either nations armies if word about us gets out. Having a impressive display of power will give us more to bargain with, and might prevent us and the town from being killed outright.

>>8055492
Not everyone is as into heedlessly marching for page 10 as Undead Monstrosity.

>>8055513
I still think we should begin dabbling in fire magic. If we ever head north, we're going to need an edge against the locals.

Also, points of common ground wouldn't hurt.
New thing to work on: learning more about the culture of Frost Giants from our god-friend.

>>8055541

Problem is that we're terrible at fire magic. We are a frost giant after all. Fire magic is like death if we fuck it up.

>>8055500
>I run this quest on fridays and weekends only.

Then, either these threads last several days, or somebody else is posting them.

Polite sage.

>>8055541
Fire magic doesn't mix with us... at all.

>>8055541
I don't think we can work fire since we're ice-attuned.

The better path might be an ice-denial spell. A counterspell of some type. Make them lose their access to frost powers.

>>8055569
Yes, and all the more reason to begin dabbling in it. I'm not suggesting we douse ourself in lamp oil and come aflame. I'm not even suggesting putting it above 1, 2, or 3 on the magic priority chart. I'm just suggesting that, despite our handicap, being able to light our sword on fire will be helpful should we ever venture north. Because up there EVERYTHING is ice-oriented. Ice magic won't do shit against other ice beings.

>>8055571

I would recommend going to

http://www.4chan.org/tools/

and getting the 4chan firefox extension if you want to not see this thread. It has thread hiding built in and other features...

>>8055617
The thing is we don't just rely on ice magic, we are also a frost giant with huge strength. If we don't want to be so reliant on ice magic, we can improve our existing earth magic a bit. But fire would be a bad choice.

>>8055617

The problem is we may not be capable of fire magic. It may be intrinsically against our nature or something. We do not want to find this out by having a spell blow up in our face. I would agree that fire is useful though. Perhaps we can ask our god dude about it?

>>8055678
sounds like a plan to me.
Maybe after we master all the other traditional elements it'll click somewhat.

things may be immune to cold, but really pointy ice or alot of really heavy ice should still kill things.

>>8055709
...or an axe, or thrown boulders.

We are a giant. Not every enemy needs to be put down with magic.

>>8055663

Agree with this; our strength should be as powerful a weapon as our magic.

Should we have a timeskip now? Oh also what kind of alcohol exactly are we producing? Can we experiment with freezing it gently and filtering out the water, for a stronger brew?

>>8055781

Timeskip is already in progress.

rolled 1, 6, 6 = 13

It has been another month. A nice, thin flurry has been falling for the past few days, leaving the ground covered in a short layer of powdery, glittering snow. Now, more than ever, the villagers are appreciating their new houses, with their actual insulation and non-crumbling walls. Your fake granary and a short escape tunnel are complete, as is the barely-noticeable door set into the palisade that allows you to slip out quickly and quietly.

Your magical skills have increased markedly, giving you the ability to direct your scrying in a limited way, and see through the ice much more clearly. You have refined your ice-summoning to the point where you can create solid armor and weapons for yourself, and keep them in peak condition with your aura. Shaping the aura into a 'sword' of sorts was not as difficult as you thought, though condensing it into a specific shape is taxing on the mind. With a little help from the book of Weather Magic, you've figured out how to create ice storms, but until you're more proficient, they will remain small and mostly ineffectual. As Lark has taught you of charms, you've been attempting to cast something that will prevent you from leaving tracks, but have had little luck so far.

While learning the language of the Frost Giants from Hretmar, you've been asking about the culture and the ways of those beings, hoping to gain enough knowledge to give you some sort of edge. They were once a great civilization, but now are little more than marauding raiders, their minds clouded with rage and stupidity. Reasoning with them is now mostly impossible, but they can be swayed by their own greed, if enough riches exist to sate them.

>>8055832
Do these guys have a yule-tide analog?
If so, we need to we tell these guys about christmas

rolled 6, 3, 5 = 14

>>8055832
The forge has been doubled in size, and is now equipped with a water-powered bellows to give the smiths a break. The inn is complete, holding enough decent rooms to serve whoever comes by, as well as combination bar and restaurant that will probably remain mostly unused for a while. With all the time you have, you've been practicing with your axe and shortsword, enhancing your combat skills with the aid of the infantryman. The self-styled archers and swordsmen are getting much better, taught by the adventurer Jaek, whose simple nature puts people at ease. Jerith sticks close by you, teaching you and learning from you on occasion, and providing assistance with his telekinesis.

Hunting and various construction jobs, such as road-making, occupy the majority of your time, but you make it a point to practice magic as much as possible. Hretmar dislikes fire, and is heavily against you trying to learn it, but it may not even be possible for anyone to teach it to you anyway. Jerith's lighter spell, the very simplest of things, is beyond even your formidable skills. The patterns and the state of mind fire requires of its wielder do not sit well with you. They set off the same kind of feeling as the Demon evokes in you, though much softer and easier to ignore.

At the end of the month, Bem returns with some migrants, all of them refugees of sorts from nearby towns, where food is scarce and shelter hard to come by. There are eight of them, three of them children. Three are farmers, one is a carpenter and the last is an old scholar, feeble but by no means useless. He is older than anyone else in the town, a well-learned man who was once a professor in a city center of learning. Though he doesn't seem to be magically atuned, his knowledge in many areas is vast.

In the safety of the granary, you discuss the new arrivals with the twins. Your opinion carries quite a lot of weight, so whatever you decide will probably happen.

>>8055832

Maybe it's time to send Bem into towns and get a few of the immigrants back. We can hide in the empty granary and watch them.

rolled 4, 2, 4 = 10

>>8055842
They celebrate the last harvest and the end of winter. They have no mid-winter holiday or anything resembling Christmas.

>>8055882

The end of winter, how is it celebrated here?

>>8055844
Provided they can be talked past their immediate panic response about the local mascot (Maya), I see less than no reason to reject them. Hell, a potential librarian is nothing but good news, I'm not sure if we had a carpenter at all, and more farmers couldn't hurt.

That said, if you ain't down with blue, we ain't down with you.

>>8055844
I like the sound of these guys. If they can accept us, we should let them stay.

>>8055844

Though new to the quest:
I am reminded of a device called a Heat Pump.
It does not generate much heat itself, rather it transfers heat from one place to another.

It may be possible for us to learn a spell that does not require us to generate the fire ourselves, but rather transfer enough heat from around us to a single point creating fire.

>>8055844
Scholar can hopefully teach and work the library.
Carpentry is a good asset since wood is our main material.
Farmers are okay, but are we hurting for farmers? Were our current fields under-staffed?

rolled 3, 1, 4 = 8

>>8055908
With a day of feasting, storytelling, and plays. Various old creation myths are a large part of the stories, linking with the world 'beginning anew' as the sun returns.

>>8055925
Or, take the heat from a fire mage's spell and redirect it back at him or his allies. I like it!

>>8055844

The scholar, he sounds like someone who would please Hretmar. Maybe we can consult him regarding them. Not to mention Jerith, as well.

We'll reveal ourselves last; don't want to give ourselves away before they're ready and committed.

OK, so that's a big N-O on the fire magic. Good to know. Hretmir has been awesome and if he's against us learning fire shit. I am too.
Strength and Swordsgaintesship it is.

one day, without warning, we pop out from behind the grainery and do this(pic).

then, we start laughing, and the elders pop out from behind a different building and start applauding. then they proceed to tell them how we are a friendly person who was polymorphed into this form unwillingly, and make as much use of it as we can towards helping the village.

>>8055925
I like it. An ice spell that could create fire as a by product.
Drain the heat from near ourselves and force it somewhere else, thereby creating ice weapons/armor/whatever, while damaging ice dudes.

rolled 4, 2, 4 = 10

>>8055925
Intriguing. You'll see about it.

>>8055933
There are six fields, and another is planned. You can handle them no problem, but if you split your time between farming and other projects, it will get more difficult for the humans to keep up.

>>8055946
Hretmar likes the scholar, which you expected. A keeper of knowledge is always a welcome addition. As for the others, he is mostly indifferent, but he doesn't wish to see the children turned away.

>>8055941

Indeed; redirection, transfer, and gathering of heat should require a somewhat 'cold' mindset as well.

Heat Engines themselves require a 'cold sink' to be effective.
It is just as plausible to make an engine that uses a spot of intense cold in a world of ambient heat as a power source.
All that is required is a gradient.

>>8055977
Um, don't take this the wrong way, but that sounds like a very, very bad idea.

>>8055987
Use our Earth Magic to summon pure sodium. Then mix it with our Ice Magic.

>>8056011

Sodium metal will cause ice to explode as it reacts to form hydrogen and sodium hydroxide.

>>8055991

The heat sink idea is intriguing. Used in a gentle form, it could be utilised even as room heating, as we move heat into houses by draining it from outside them.

As for the immigrants, well... what do the twins think? or the elders?

>>8056030
Sounds good!

>>8056030

But we already can make ice explode, and pretty effectively too... it's called ice grenades, isn't it?

>>8056033
With enchantment, we could set up a permanently heated zone for our people, while the heat is taken from outside, making an area of extreme cold. We could have a freezing-death-moat!

rolled 1, 5, 6 = 12

>>8056033
The twins would prefer to interrogate them first, but are optimistic about it. They seem eager enough to find a home. The elders are wary, but willing to accept them if you are. Sahl warns against going too fast too quickly, noting the extreme pace of change in the town. Jerith is ready to let them in, because they don't look particularly healthy, especially the children and the old man. He should get to healing them if they need it.

>>8056049
>>8056030

I mention the explosion because it will occur on contact; not very advantageous for us.
There are more clever uses for sodium metal in anycase, if we can produce it.

>>8056011

Hell, if you're going to go pure sodium...you might as well do pure potassium instead. Potassium has a much higher reactivity than pure sodium does. So it'll be stronger.

>>8056067
How available is potassium, soil-wise?

>>8056058

That's a good point. How do the villagers feel about all this change...I know that all of it has been beneficial for them....but if they start to get doubts about it during a timeskip or something we should pause there and figure it out.

>>8056052

This reminds me of another principle we may find useful for our cold magic:
With sufficiently low temperature, the atmosphere becomes liquid.

Liquid oxygen is highly corrosive, and can cause large explosions in contact with any fuel.
Liquid nitrogen, you've likely heard of.
(Liquid air being a mix of the two.)

Solid carbon dioxide may be useful as well. (Dry Ice.)
Perhaps an improvement on our water ice, and can also cause gas explosions and suffocation.

>>8056011
>>8056030
pansies. sodium isn't nearly powerful enough. we need potassium at least, with a preferance for rubidium, or cesium if we need a VERY big explosion.

>>8056058
Then let the twins ask them whatever questions they have. But ask them not to be too harsh; we don't want to scare them off.

>>8056085

Potassium is highly present in any plant life and wood ashes.
It should be all over. Especially where ash has merged into the soil.

There's always Lithium, too.

rolled 4, 1, 5 = 10

>>8056091
It's difficult to anticipate where you're going to focus next. You are, in essence, building Rome in a day. There is only so much the average villager can take in before their head starts to spin. That said, one of the best ways to exasperate this problem is by funneling in a whole bunch of people no one knows. In an insular community such as this, that can make everyone feel like they're no longer welcome in their own home.

>>8056085

On earth sodium makes about 2.6% by weight vs 1.5% for potassium. Also note that since potassium is much higher reactivity, it also has a higher resistance to breaking down into its pure form than sodium. Though both are kinda tough to do tbh...

rolled 2, 1, 3 = 6

>>8056106
Acknowledged.

>>8056112

Hmm perhaps after this group. We hold off more immigration after a while. You're right in that we cannot grow more than like 8-10% a year through immigration without people starting to dislike the new immigrant minority.

>>8056112
So wait. First they want new people, then they don't. Jeeze, what's up with that?

>>8056100
Wow. I'm glad you joined the quest. Can we do any of this at the moment?

>>8056110
lithium is sodium's anemic little sister. at least sodium combusts in water, lithium just sizzles.
>>8056143
immigration policies are always a pain.

rolled 4, 6, 5 = 15

>>8056143
>People
>Logical, rational
>lol

Anyway, a larger population is needed to support all of these improvements you're making. Your construction rate is far outpacing the birthrate, you know.

>>8056163
Fertility Magic!

People are rational, you know. Emotions each serve a logical purpose. People just have some processing errors sometimes.

>>8056163
Yeah yeah yeah. Well, we may have to slow down on the new stuff. Wait a few years. Let some of the children grow, and new ones be born.

Maintain surveillance on the ones that the twins were a bit concerned about. We really, REALLY don't need to miss anything vital at this point in time.

Also, only go as fast as the villages feel comfortable with. Keep our ear to the ground and take the advice of the elders as far as keeping everyone happy is concerned.

If we spend more time doing manual labor for the citizenry they are more likely to appreciate us. Not that there's much needing to be done by now, other than chop firewood.

rolled 5, 5, 5 = 15

The twins take the migrants to the inn, where they can warm up. With a pane of ice at your fingertips, you focus your mind, visualizing the patterns that allow you to see through your medium of choice. The inn has several green glass windows, all covered with a thin layer of frost. If you can tune it just right...

It is one of the most draining feelings you've ever felt, but it works. You're seeing directly through the ice, looking into the inn as if you were standing right there. It requires a ridiculous amount of concentration, but just knowing that it is possible to control the ability like that is a blessing. You back off before you lose too much of your strength, elated at your little triumph.

The twins have a long talk with the new arrivals, remembering to keep it non-confrontational and as friendly as possible. They report back to you, saying that the children are obviously no threat, the scholar is weak but has an incredibly sharp mind, and the farmers and carpenter seem like nothing more than what they are; peasants. Jerith detected no charms, curses, or illusions cast on them, though he is not very skilled in 'scanning', so he might have missed something. The elders are taking them on a little tour, and at the end, they will meet the 'spirit of the town', unless you decide against it.

>>8056233
Oh god... stage fright now... performance anxiety...

>>8056100
>Solid carbon dioxide may be useful as well. (Dry Ice.)
>Perhaps an improvement on our water ice, and can also cause gas explosions and suffocation.

We learned how to create dry ice ages ago, it just takes lot of effort.

>>8056233
Let everything proceed as it should. We'll make our appearance and hope we don't scare them to death.

rolled 6, 2, 5 = 13

>>8056276
Do you want to remain at the granary or meet them somewhere else? It's supposed to be your hideout, after all.

>>8056276

Well, they'll eventually have to meet us. But make sure the entire village is around when it happens. You know, just to show that we're okay, there's humans around and we haven't eaten them, etc...

>>8056291
Well, I dunno. I guess we should exit the granary while they're not looking and be ready to show up when Lark calls for us. We're supposed to be a northern spirit; let's try to come from the direction of the fields.

>>8056291
Definitely not in the granary. Maybe out near the fields?

>>8056291

Somewhere else. Maybe the town hall!

>>8056298

A VICIOUS CIRCLE WE HAVE BUILT, CONSTRUCTED FROM OUR SHAME AND GUILT.

rolled 5, 2, 4 = 11

The tour comes to an end at the storehouse near the fields, where nearly the entire town has gathered to welcome the new people. As Sahl makes a short speech about prosperity and perseverance, you approach, as sneakily as you can. At the close of Sahl's remarks, Lark snaps his fingers, producing a bright blue flash.

“I would like you to meet the patron spirit of our little village,” he says, stretching out his arms toward you, “Maya, of the North.”

Everyone turns.

The children stare, awestruck. The farmers and the carpenter cringe in terror. The old man looks up, directly into your face, and smiles.

Good thing you weren't wearing your armor.

>>8056387
>The old man looks up, directly into your face, and smiles.

I have a feeling that we are either really, really like this guy or really, really hate him. Here's hoping for the former!

Let's say hello.

>>8056387

It's probably not good form to tower over visitors. Perhaps we should sit down? Make ourselves comfortable, and make them more at ease as well.

'Good day, people. Lark here is exaggerating, of course, calling me a 'patron spirit' - I'm a part of the village like everyone else here.'

Then give a nice smile. Be nice.

rolled 1, 3, 4 = 8

>>8056407
“Don't be afraid,” Lark reassures them, stepping lightly over the snow-covered ground, “She's quite harmless. The finest magic in the world binds her to this land.”

He motions to you, and you wave.

“Hello.”

The carpenter drops to his knees, mouthing litanies. The children and the farmers don't move a muscle.

The old man grins. “Hello yourself.”

>>8056407
He has a giant fetish.

>>8056428
>The old man grins. “Hello yourself".

Oh yes, I'm going to like this guy. Let's sit down and ask them if they have any questions.

>>8056440

I hope not...

>>8056454

Yeah, let's get them talking first. The old man seems to know something, doesn't he!

>>8056493
He knows about the rewards!

D:

>>8056500

No, he probably just has a really good view up our skirt.

I mean, come the fuck on, we're 14 feet tall. We\re probably showin' the whole town alot of underpants action.

rolled 4, 4, 1 = 9

You give the new people a smile and sit down, cross-legged, while Lark tries to encourage the shocked peasants to return to reality.

The old man walks closer, tapping his walking staff on the ground as his feet crunch on powdered snow.

“I am Sir Vasian of the College of New Aarmour. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” He raises his hand in a gesture of greeting. “If you would pardon my frankness, you are of the World's Peak, are you not? A Giant of the frozen wastes?”

>>8056529
We have work overalls iirc.
That's what DM meant by good thing we aren't wearing our armor.

rolled 5, 6, 3 = 14

>>8056529
You're wearing your work clothes. Overalls.

>>8056500

That might be true. But we could probably mince him with two fingers, so that's not as much of a problem as it sounds.

'So, does anyone have any questions? Or can you really not stand the sight of me?'

>>8056535

'The same. Well - there is a long story behind this. But let's leave it at that first. Tell me, sir, what prompted you to come here?'

>>8056535
In body, but not in mind.

>>8056554

Well damn. uh, maybe he's just happy to be in a town protected by an Ice Giant?

I want to like the old dude.

>>8056535
"Oh hohohoho, no no no. Why, a Frost Giant would never be accepted here in Perin! No, I'm a spirit of the North [insert exaggerated wink here]."

>>8056597
I'm with this. If he wants to talk to us about reality, that can be done later, around people unlikely to panic because of it.

>>8056535
'Close but not quite.'

rolled 4, 6, 2 = 12

>>8056584
>>8056586
He shrugs. "All I am looking for is a place to live out the rest of my years. I am not in the best of shape you see," he brushes a few snowflakes off of his robe, "And there is no longer anything for me in the city of my birth."

The farmers are coming out of it now. You can see Jerith a ways behind them, his hands glowing a faint crimson. Good boy.

"I have journeyed for many days, searching for a town such as this. A small, quiet place where I may do some good while, if you'll pardon the phrase, dying without incident. I never dreamed I would find one like you in the same place."

>>8056597
I like this one

>>8056535

"This body is. However, my mind came from elsewhere. Probably a place on another plane altogether. I've been helping these people ever since I stumbled into their village."

rolled 4, 6, 3 = 13

>>8056597
If you want Jerith to do some memory tweeking later, this could work.

>>8056652
Smile. "Well, this town is small, but I think you may find it more interesting than merely quiet. There is no shortage of good to be done, though."

>>8056652
"Well, you are all certainly welcome here, if you can abide my presence."

>>8056681
negatory on that, captain.

>>8056652

'Well... I'm not sure if my presence might interrupt your... life plans.'

Turn to the others and ask if they are all right.

>>8056681
Nah. The idea was to make it obvious that, yes, we are a Frost Giant but that we'd prefer if it stay under wraps. We would have brought it up later anyway, most likely.

>>8056698

What why not? It'll make things easier if they can't accept our presence and it would lessen the shock for them. Then after they get used to us and see what kind of person we are then we can tell them the full truth...

>>8056681
I think we're friendly sarcasm-ing the smart old man, He shouldn't believe it

>>8056723
I just don't think it will be necessary.

TIMESKIP

rolled 3, 1, 6 = 10

“Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure,” he shakes his head, laughing quietly to himself, “There are wonders here that exist only on the plantations, and the greatest of them, at that. Plenty of work to be done.”

You smile back at him, remaining as pleasant as you can, "Well, you are certainly welcome here, if my presence doesn't interrupt your... life plans."

The others are inching forward now. The children are staying behind the old man, and the carpenter is still whispering quietly to himself.

“They'll be all right in a bit,” says Vasian, “They are simple folk, with no knowledge of the more- exotic, I suppose you could say.”

He turns, waving his hand in front of the farmer's faces. They don't blink.

“Well. I would very much like to hear your story, if you would tell it to me. Of course, I am aware of the rumors,” he grins, “But I am not so naive as to believe them without cause.”

rolled 2, 3, 4 = 9

>>8056759
Tell him everything?

>>8056789
TIMESKIP
...
IN REVERSE

>>8056761
"Well, as much as I'd like to tell you, now is perhaps not the best time. Why not hear it over dinner?"

Skip to dinner, tell him about what's happened.

Tell him everything. He seems like a pretty cool dude, and absolutely perfect for tending the library and teaching folk.

I feel a bit bad about discarding the ruse the elders helped out with, but I think honesty is the best policy with the old man.

>>8056807
+1

-_- can't believe i forgot this quest was today

>>8056807

Indeed! Storytime over a feast in honor our new neighbors!

give the old dude the full scoop. he can handle it. the peasants will get used to our presence in time. namely, when they realize they can shit inside a warm building in the middle of a blizzard. that'll cheer em right the fuck up.

rolled 1, 3, 6 = 10

You explain that it's not the best time at the moment, and invite him and the others to hear your tale over dinner. He agrees graciously, and stands by the carpenter, remarking to him on how nice Frost Giants have been getting recently, while you depart.

At sunset, the entire town gathers around a roaring fire, feasting while you tell the story of your life in this world so far. Your appearance, in a body not your own, in a wilderness not of your world, without friends and without a home. Your journey to the South, following the winding stream to the border, where you were fired upon, and defended yourself. The Forest of Dreams, where you ate your fill, made camp, and observed the tiny town you now reside in.

From the first meeting, to the contract, to the long list of things you have done for the people you protect and serve, slaying Demons and beasts of great weight to feed them and bring them all the things that they may want or need. You finish with a brief bit on your plans, to expand, bring in a solid workforce, bring back ancient knowledge from the fortress of Giants, and secure your freedom from bounties, adventurers, and the army. To become a noble, the better to serve this tiny settlement.

The old man applauds. He calls it a fine tale, easily worthy of a book or two. The other newcomers are not so enthusiastic, but the children are warming up to you, especially after some of the other kids told them about how you give rides. Sahl smooths things over a little, saying that at this time, they would probably all be cold, malnourished, and without hope, were it not for the Frost Giant who everyone else seems to want to hunt for no good reason.

rolled 18 = 18

>He calls it a fine tale, easily worthy of a book or two.

That doesn't sound like he's taking us seriously. Sense motive.

rolled 1, 5, 4 = 10

>>8057000
He's amused, but quite serious. Whether he believes every word you've said is debatable. He seems to be aware that lying would be fairly pointless.

So we just told random outsiders that we're an entity from another dimension inside a giant's body?

I think we need to put a few more ranks into INT. Let's not broadcast who we are. Ever.

>>8057028
Well, again, let's ask if they have any questions. And then answer any questions they may pose, to the best of our ability.

>>8057028
>:/

Still... Something about this guy is setting off my Shifty radar... Maybe I just don't like that he's smart...

>>8057043
Hey, if you didn't want us to tell them you should have spoken up.

>>8057028
Suggestion: we keep an eye on him, but not too closely. I have a feeling we can trust this guy, but you never know. "fly casually" as it were.

>>8057069

Voting this.

rolled 3, 4, 3 = 10

>>8057058
>>8057069
Noted.

>>8057055
The children want to know if you do, in fact, give rides. The carpenter wants to know if you worship the forces of good or evil. The farmers would be pleased if you told them what you think of the war and the draft. The old man simply sits quietly, waiting for his turn.

we do give rides. we worship a force of neutrality and knowledge, but lean more towards good. we hope the draft does not hit the town again, as we want everyone to continue living good lives.

>>8057121
Yes we give rides, but only if both parents approve. We worship neither good nor evil; we have been in contact with a neutral god, but we do not worship him. We have tried to act good after our initial mishap with the sentry tower. War is bad, as is the draft, and the sooner both end the better. Though since we're in it, we might as will win.

>>8057159
Wraps up on a nice populist note. I like it.

rolled 5, 2, 1 = 8

>>8057144
The kids are excited, the carpenter is satisfied with your answer but still extremely suspicious, and the farmers all think that's a reasonable thing to think.

The old man asks if you can do magic, and if you would mind doing a demonstration if you can.

>>8057159
*might as well win.

rolled 6, 4, 2 = 12

>>8057159
A respectable position on the war. The farmers approve.

>>8057182
Cast nothing aggressive!

>>8057182
ohshi-

"Why would you assume I know magic?"

>>8057182
Yes. Yes we can. Let's show them some of our ice magic. No need to let on that we've been practicing outside our sphere. Try to make an ice sculpture.

>>8057182
Okay, sure. Demonstration. Whip up an ice cube or something. Or an ice statue of him, if we can manage detail work.

>>8057182
we make a large armchair out of solid ice. make cryptic joke about frozen thrones.

>>8055925
>>8055993
>>8056033

I know I am late to the party, but I love that you guys are thinking with thermodynamics. Phase changes will be our best friends if we go this route. Pro-tip: condensing a working fluid will generate heat and expanding it will absorb heat. You can use it for heating OR cooling depending on what you want.

>>8057028

Maybe it would be a good idea to speak more in depth with the old man about what he knows. An exchange of ideas and theory would be a good point for getting a better feel for his motives and finding about his past. Maybe a more in depth tour of the Library with him is in order? We already have effectively shared our secrets with the newcomers, maybe he might return the gesture?

>>8057223
Haha, I sort of second this...

Hard mode: Create a tree made of ice. Put as much detail into it as possible.

>>8057209

Agreed. very simple Ice tricks. no aggressive stuff. We are a frost giant after all. They will expect us to be attuned to ice.

>>8057182
Lets do us some magic!

>>8057233

we will make a penguin out of ice!

>>8057248

Anyone else getting the image of Maya making a balloon animal out of ice? Because nothing says family friendly like a tube shaped wiener dog.

rolled 2, 4, 3 = 9

>>8057202
"No particular reason. You just seem like the type to be attuned. As do they." He points to Jerith and Lark. He's perceptive, if nothing else. Perhaps too perceptive.

>>8057209
>>8057213
>>8057223
>>8057229
You summon all of the focus you can muster, blocking out every distraction. The light of the fire disappears beneath your sight as you close your eyes, shutting out the world. You can feel the cold flowing through your hands, leaping at the touch of your mind. You bend symbols with dextrous fingers, shaping patterns of lines and abstract constructions with practiced ease.

Your eyes snap open. The ring's runic face bursts with bluish light.

The snow in front of you swirls up in a whirling mass, compacting into a sphere and exploding into fragments of ice that halt in mid-air, lengthening and twisting into clear, cool rods of solid water. They converge, connecting to each other and snapping together, forming the things that you see in your mind.

An ornate, detailed throne set between two pine trees, with a crude, but recognizable fascimile of the scholar sitting on the icy seat, clothed in a tunic and shining armor. It takes a remarkable amount of strength just to stay on your feet.

rolled 3, 4, 3 = 10

>>8057335
The old man's eyes widen, and he claps loudly, laughing with good humor.

"Perfect! Perfect! I knew you could do it. I could see it in your eyes. But I didn't expect something so... so... artful. Masterful, Maya. Truly wonderful."

>>8057335
Laugh. "Magic is like art, you know."

>>8057335
> He's perceptive, if nothing else. Perhaps too perceptive.

SHIFTY RADAR.
SHIF. TY. RA. DAR.

>>8057386
I know what you mean. It would suck to have him betray us. I do so hate killing kindly old men.

>>8057386

Add sense motive at random times during the day on this guy for the next 2 months!!!! No, just kidding. But in actuality is there any way to get some discreet info on this guy's thought/state?

>>8057415
Three words: Viking Santa Claus

>>8057408
My only hope is that this is actually some kind of avatar of Hretmar. Or potentially disciple.

Should we ask him flat out if he venerates Hretmar?

rolled 5, 3, 5 = 13

>>8057378
"True. Very true." He grins at you, giving you a little salute. "I'm quite impressed."

>>8057445
That and Jerith.

>>8057456
Now it's time to bid them goodbye and take a subtle nap somewhere before we show weakness. Can't let him find out that we were pushing our limitations there.

>>8057471

Agreed. We've shocked the immigrants enough.

>>8057453

I say we ask the new guys general stuff about them. The town they came from, what deities they worship, if they have any interesting stories. We would get more personal info about the old guy while making it look like we just want to know about the rest of them as well.

>>8057471
No, let him think that this is something incredibly taxing. If her *is* going to betray us or something, it would be better that he underestimates us. Though I really hope he doesn't betray us.

>>8057471
If he's a spy, I'd rather he have a low opinion of us for reporting back.

"Yes, show knows magic. But it's nothing that can harm, and she tires easily. She has no warior's heart."

Watch, the old man'll turn out to be an agent of the crown or the local lord, investigating the strange area they can no longer scry accurately. How interesting that those Frost Giant rumors died out in this area...

>>8057453

Highly doubt it. Our god is a god of frost giants and not a very well known one at that. It would be quite a coincidence for a human to worship him and come into contact with us in this way...

rolled 12 = 12

Sorry I'm late! I rolled for cereal.

rolled 6, 5, 4 = 15

>>8057471
>>8057510
>>8057514
>>8057518
>>8057524
Consensus?

rolled 3, 6, 4 = 13

>>8057552
My writing skill is just about at the limit for tonight. There will be more tomorrow, of course.

>>8057543
But he's a scholar, and Hretmar is a god of knowledge. There's a potential tie that way.

>>8057552
Looks like Frosted Flakes.

>>8057562
Voting let him see us tired on our feet for a bit. Then nap. But, now I'm not comfortable with going to sleep with this guy around...

>>8057514

sounds good to me.

rolled 20 = 20

>>8057593
Looks promising ;)

Leaving now would give him an ACURATE idea of our power, not an underestimation. That being said, with as astute an observer as he's been up until this point, chances are he already knows we're dead beat right now.

Look over to Lark/Jerith, what does it look like they make of the incredibly astute old man?

Also, if we retire early, check with VSC on the old man.

>>8057514
this

>>8057593

Still doubt it. That is a very tenuous tie. Like I said our god has essentially been inactive for quite a long time. I find it a lot more likely that he either is just a scholar (people can study w/out having to worship a god for knowledge, right?) or he worships some kind of human knowledge god. Hell, he might worship a human god of something else for all we know. Just cause a guy is smart/well-learned does not mean he holds knowledge as the highest thing in his heart...

>>8057675
Well, it doesn't mean he holds horse-riding and corn-shucking close to his heart. You don't get that smart and scholarly as an aside. If it was his job, and he wanted to do it as best he couldm he probably would have sought a related patron.

>>8057724

I agree that he doesn't hold something like cornshucking as his highest goal, but we could imagine a scenario where he holds power as highest or perhaps money.

I can see a guy valuing knowledge as a means to an end and not in and of itself...

>>8057774
>but we could imagine a scenario where he holds power as highest or perhaps money.

That's my problem right now... -_-;;
Shifty Radar. That context didn't help alleviate that worry...

>>8057514
the big question along this vein is directed at everyone not the old man and it should not directly be said so bluntly:
"How long have you known wise old man?"

like I said earlier, keep an eye on him, but fly casual.

thus, my vote for >>8057514

rolled 4, 6, 3 = 13

>>8057622
>>8057625
You stick around for a little while, making polite conversation with the newcomers. It's plainly obvious that they're still uncomfortable, but you'd expect nothing less.

The farmers come from a village far South, and the carpenter and his three children are from the West. Only the carpenter is religious in any way, worshipping a good and holy god who is known for binding evil forces into stone. The farmers have seen a Demon of the Deep like you have, though they were not among those that brought it down. One of their militiamen speared it through the center eye with a polearm, though he lost his life in the process.

The carpenter trusted in Leine from a very early age, and when his village was attacked by bandits when he was twelve, he called upon the god to save his parents from them. When he opened his eyes, there were a dozen reddish pillars standing at the entrance to the village, in place of the bandits. He says they seem to sing when you are close, a pleasant melody that lightens the heart.

Vasian was a professor for most of his life, teaching all manner of things at a college in a large city. He has never worshiped a single god, but rather a pantheon composed of several higher beings that are said to support the proliferation of science and its discoveries. He has written several books, all of them with the assistance of his deities. They speak to him occasionally, telling him various bits of information that may or may not be helpful.

>>8057865

Well, looks like our speculation is a bust both ways...

rolled 4, 1, 5 = 10

>>8057820
The farmers, the carpenter and his kids, and the scholar all come from different regions. All of them know each other roughly the same.

>>8057865

I'm feeling better about this now.

>>8057865
direct him towards library. ask his opinion on what sort of books we should add. mention we have funds to do so.

>>8057865
Well then, lets finish up dinner and then head to bed.

rolled 5, 2, 2 = 9

>>8057896
He is eager to see your collection of books, but it is late, and there is little light. His old eyes do not see as well as yours in the darkness. It can wait till morning.

>>8057923

guess it's time to settle in. TIME SKIP ACTION till the morning.

>>8057948
Or until... whenever, really. If the old guy isn't going to stab us in the back anytime soon, we can move on with life and just mention any talks with him in passing.

rolled 1, 5, 2 = 8

>>8057905
>>8057948
The next story post will be the last tonight, ending with you going to sleep. Is there anything you would like to speak to Hretmar about, besides the old man?

>>8058007

Will this heat pump idea work? Tell him about it at least. It's probably a new idea for him or something so at least he won't be bored...

>>8058007
Perhaps mention our success with the ice scrying?

Vasian is on a mission from his gods. They work towards the proliferation of science and knowledge. All of a sudden, a fuckhuge amount of scientific know-how entered the world and was put into practice.
Naturally, they're curious, so they sent their boy Vasian to check this shit out. That's why he was so pleased to meet us. He already had an idea of what he'd encounter here.

>>8058007
A stupid, silly little question for far future reference. If we are eventually going to go on long-distance trips (the theoretical visit-the-lord and pilgrimage to the frost giant ice-slab library), we'll probably want or even need a mount. What, if anything, do (or did) frost giants ride, and does is occur naturally around here? Is there a local substitute that would work?

Honestly, we've had the ear of Viking Santa Claus and never asked how to get ourselves a pony. You make me think you don't really want to be the little girl, /tg/.

>>8058023

If we could get an effective magic heat pump working, that would be incredibly useful in battle and to improve the town. Can you say centralized heating and cooling? Definitely bring it up with our favorite Viking Santa Claus

>>8058064
Do you honestly think any creature big enough to bear our weight will be able to more faster than we can?

>>8058049
Nobody else thought of this. Hell it was practically spelled out and I didnt even catch on to it.

>>8058116

It would have to be very significantly faster/better to make up for the loss of stealth

>>8058049

You fucking broke the code! Ten points to you.

Giants don't need mounts. Any companions (perhaps we should begin studying a "Protection from cold" spell for adventurer companions?) we take will need them though.

>>8058117

I want to believe that this is the case, but I have the feeling he is just an awesome old professor from some college touring the world before he dies...wait. Ok, that doesn't make much sense either. Touche, anonymous, touche.

>>8058138
>>8058182
Solution: Ice dragons.

>>8058116
Honestly? Not likely. There is always the possibility of there being some kind of impossible lolmagic creature out there, and at the very least a beast of burden could prove useful if we're transporting something sufficiently huge (for instance, frost giant artifacts). It could even be a simple matter of "let's not walk ourselves to exhaustion everyday" moreso than a speed increase.

I dunno. I did say it was silly and stupid.

>>8058200
!!!!!!!
((Note to self for tomorrow's threads:
1. Research Ice Dragons
2. Research Tales /Legends/Accounts of Dragons being tamed))

rolled 5, 5, 3 = 13

You finish the meal, trying to keep your eyes open. The elders take the new people into the Hall to discuss sleeping arrangements, and you can hear the scholar telling them jovially that he prefers to sleep around books. You figure the others will be put up in the inn until they can move into one of the extra houses.

The path to the cavern is an easy one to tread, and you lower yourself down the wall with swift, quiet movements, dropping soundlessly to the floor and resting your head against your rocky pillow, whispering the incantation that brings you contact. You pull the soft white light with straining arms, bringing it to you.

You speak with the god for as long as you can, asking him about the newcomers and their thoughts, especially those of the scholar. He says he was watching everything with great amusement, and he especially enjoyed your impromptu sculpting. The farmers, carpenter, and children were fearful at first but came around by the end, put at ease by your friendly personality and the pleasantness with which everyone speaks to you. Vasian is hard to read, even for a god. He is always thinking of something, always deep in thought. His mind jumps from point to point like a jackrabbit, never staying in the same place for long. He is much like the twins, but with a brain so finely tuned that he could out-think five of them, were he so inclined. It is a shame he is so old, for a mind like that only comes around so often.

rolled 6, 1, 4 = 11

>>8058234
On the magic front, Hretmar is impressed with your success in scrying, and gives you a few tips on how to visualize the world in a different way, to shorten the distance your sight must travel. The heat pump idea is a strange one, but it might work, if you believe it can work. If the magic of cold removes energy from an object, then perhaps the same magic might put it back, into another. That's treading dangerously close to the sphere of fire, but it might still be possible. Finally, he has made some progress with the shrinking spell, but there are still some kinks to work out. Your strength and endurance would probably decrease much more than you'd think, and you would probably suffer from a bit of disorientation while your mind got used to your body being human-size again, for example.

In the blasted North, there are creatures of all kinds, many of them far larger than you. The Frost Giants normally move fast enough to have no need of mounts, but when they do use them, they favor an animal called an Envid, a six-limbed monstrosity that can leap great distances, and resembles a jumping spider. Its eighteen eyes can sense the slightest bit of heat can any direction, and its gaping jaws can scoop up an animal the size of a polar bear and crush its bones like they were twigs.

Oh hey! Would our god of knowledge have any preliminary information on illusion/invisibility magic?

rolled 4, 1, 3 = 8

>>8058222
'impossible lolmagic creatures' are a staple of fantasy. You've fought an animal that lives in the planet's mantle, for god's sake.

>>8058234
Slightly more comfortable with the scholar now, but it's still a negative number.
>>8058242
Aaaaaaaaand, I no longer wanna go north.

Thanks SPDM, see ya tomorrow! Or, later today as is the case with me now.

rolled 5, 1, 5 = 11

>>8058251
The Frost Giants don't use it, but he knows a little. Enough to make you appear a foot shorter, or made of metal.

rolled 4, 1, 6 = 11

>>8058279
No problem.

Has this been archived?

>>8058242
Eh, seems like getting one of them would be an adventure in and of itself. I say we stil to traveling on foot.

>>8058264
That's what I'm saying.

Those envids sound awesome.Maybe in a few years of game time we'll add druidy animal befriending magic to make the training process go smoother.

>>8058314


Did someone say jumping spider companion? Cus, I think I heard someone say jumping spider companion.

Archiv'd

>>8058308

This makes the most sense and probably should be the course of action. However, ignoring things like practicality and feasibility, I like the idea of a jumping spider mount for heavy lifting purposes. If we can train it not to eat our friends that is. Or us.

>>8058353
*sees thread summary on archive*
For the record I do not think he's necessarily smarter than me!

>If we can train it not to eat our friends that is. Or us.

And therein lies the difficulty.

>>8058393

And the fun!
In all seriousness though, I agree with you. It would be more trouble than it is worth. I just have a soft spot in my heart for jumping spiders. They are intelligent AND cute. Well, cute in the sense that they are tiny, fuzzy and harmless to me. I mean look at these guys. They are spiders that manage to have 'dawww factor. Although, we might get lucky and the Envid may be of wolf-like intelligence (not sure if that is really lucky per say), and thus trainable.

>>8058640
Yeah, I get what you're saying. And apparently they ARE trainable, seeing as how the Frost Giants DO sometimes tame and ride them. It's just that we don't know how to tame them, which means we'd probably have to trade for one from the Frost Giants, and that's a pain in the ass, and then....

So yeah, for something like this where we probably want stealth anyway, it's more trouble than it's worth. Now, if we ever enlist, having such a creature would be very helpful.

>>8058667

We could always try raising one from an egg with our viking Santa Claus' help. Just saying. But for stealth and speed, I agree that we are our own best means of transport.

In my mind, this would be more of a packmule that happens to have the added bonus of being able to eat our enemies. We can carry quite a bit, but it probably can carry more. Combined, we can carry WAY more. The efficiency in transporting goods/materials may offset the pain of training/rearing the bugger.