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>>31332736
For your use in this glorious new webm age, SM.

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Recent Events Summary:

Fang - having picked up on a few tells - deduced that the Black Lady was in fact Melody. Both of them revealed their true feelings, good and bad. Ultimately, they reconciled, and rediscovered something they had believed lost.

Later, you met with Auriel. Hecate agreed to take her to see Donovan within his dream, though things between them aren't particularly peachy. While they were gone, you had a strange conversation with Adavan, in which he implied that Hecate's goals might not align with your own. You also learned that Hecate can hear any nearby telepathic speech, reguardless of if it was directed only at particular persons or not.

Auriel informed you that while Charmeine is stuck in her position as a moderate influence within the Ring City, the more enigmatic Raphael wants to speak with you the following morning. In the meantime, you're going to see Fang and cook up some airship-related trouble for Kan-Abar's forces.

Duke Vellik was also meeting with Fang; he apparently wanted to retrieve a few undisclosed items from a secret cashe outside Evinbrook. You broke into and pocketed the Bolt, one of Kelvere's airships, which created quite a distraction. After leaving an illusory army behind to fool the demon lord, you're gliding back to rendezvous with the duke on the other side of the river.

It's about 3 in the morning. After today, there are 3 days until the attack.

>>31332756
I call sorcery upon this shit. What the fuck is webm and where did it come from?

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>>31332756

It's...it's beautiful...

Damn I love webm

Too bad there's no sound allowed for 4chan

--------
--------

Ability Tree

GREEN abilities have been unlocked and learned.

BLUE abilties are unlocked, but are not yet purchased.

RED abilities are revealed, but locked due to prerequisites.

UNDERLINED abilities are active-use, as opposed to passive. Not all active abilities require mana.

All Revealed Ability Descriptions:

http://pastebin.com/xaDQ0HAy

Books the Main Character has read:

http://pastebin.com/dAXR00gP

Character Sheet including learned abilities and other important information:

http://pastebin.com/64VcuCVk

>>31332789
Its the future anon.

welcome

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Current Statistics:

HP: 74/81
Mana: 71/76
EXP: 14

Shards of Order and Chaos:

(Retribution) - Normal
(Maker) - Normal
(Silence) - Strong
(Peace) - Normal
(Breeze) - Normal
(Hammer) - Strong
(Ardor) - Normal
{Resolve} - Strong
{Humanity} - Resonant

--Summoned--

Wisp - 1 mana to order

--Automatons--

Vita (Shade)

--Equipment--

Utility belt with purse

--Inventory--

Aurora Water Gem (pocket)
Shade (pocket)

--Teleport Anchor--

Evinbrook Basin - on the highlands just west of the Tairns

--Current Location--

Kelvere - Outside Evinbrook

---------
---------

Known Mana Pools:

Jacob's Field - entrance to Hecate's tomb - Spirit
Jacob's Field - Hecate's Chamber - Spirit
Palthair Mines - Magnock's Lair - Spirit
Archon - Spirit District - Spirit
Archon - Shadow District - Shadow
Archon - Earth District - Earth
Archon - Water Distric - Water
Haven - Shadow
Abbotsford - Shadow
Aurora - Water
Va'ad - South Generator - Earth
Va'ad - North Generator - Earth
Arland - Dryfeld - Water
Kan-Abar - Royal Gardens - Earth

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zM0zSXLOEA

You unleash an Army of Darkness.

>mana: 71/76

A field of dozens of monsters explode like fireworks from your body. Some of them are almost exact replicas of you; others are twisted versions, creatures of wings and tentacles and fangs without discernible form or function. A gust of shadow follows in their wake, and they create a noise that competes against the howl of the skysever.

A handful of them take off for the Painted Sword, as if reading your intent. Others dive straight for the ground. A few of the mirages nip and bite at the heels of the falling men still alive. You make your escape from the storm of destruction as the illusions promote a chaos that's all their own.

>you've taken 12 damage from the skysever
>you've healed 5 damage with Hydra (HP: 74/81)

As you leave the circle of destruction, some of the Wind follows you, needling and slashing at your backside, but you weather the attacks. Your illusions are hacked at by the Winds, but their shadowy substance merely swirls and reforms once more, carried on by the power of your spell.

A beam of shadow erupts from the ground, concentrated mana poured fourth by the demon lord, strong enough to punch a hole in the skysever's enclosing wall. It slices through several of your illusions like a sword, forcing them to dissipate. The beam even takes out a soldier, cutting him neatly in half. You doubt the demon cares.

The beams continue to hack and slash through your illusory army while you make a quiet escape. That should probably keep them distracted for a bit.

One airship down!

>con't

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Gliding is slow going, but it's also very quiet. You land briefly to get rid of the skysever, and then continue a slow, hopping glide over the hills and across the river. About a half-hour later, you see Vellik and a few men gathered near the woods. Among them is Janus Miller. Vellik is sitting atop a wooden cart covered by a tarp.

Your Wisp is tucked under one of the wheels of the cart. Is slips through the tall grass as you approach, and gives you an impression.

You see a vision of armor piled in the cart - various pieces and plates, with no real order or pattern. They aren't sets, either, but odds and ends, as if taken from a hundred different suits of metal. Bracers, gauntlets, shields, helmets, boots, a few chestplates.

And then, something under the armor. It's a long wooden chest, locked tight with Lightning magic, and layered over with straw.

You announce your prescence by not hiding yourself. Vellik turns as you near. "Good work, Shadow. How on earth did you do that?"

>answer honestly
>"What's in the cart?"
>"What's in that chest?"
>avoid the question, ask Janus what he's doing here
>some other strategy

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hey guys remember pic related? im not really sure but maybe we should try repairing our shards with the assistance of a mana pool again.

>>31332855
<A secret for a secret, Vellik.>

>>31332897
seconding

>>31332855
oh and obviously don't ask whats in the chest, because that isn't what we saw- it's what our wisp snooped out and is being hidden by the various odds and ends of armor

>>31332855
this >>31332897

>>31332897
Well I'll be damned. I completely forgot about that.`

So how are we going to go through the process of giving Vellik his Bolt back?

>>31332897
This

>>31332973
<Hold still, you have something behind your ear>
*unpocket*

>>31332973
<here>

unpocket

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>>31333006
Seconded.
Though we'd best do it in a location that he's prepped for it, or even make it part of the 'a secret for a secret' thing.

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>>31333006
please this

>>31332973
We should get something for it

"I'll trade you a secret for a secret," you say.

"Well, I'm mildly curious."

"Or an airship."

"You have my attention," the duke says. "But what am I keeping from you that you want to know?"

Janus Miller leans back on one leg. "Do you people always speak in riddles? Shit, that's annoying."

What do you say?

>"What's in the cart?"
>"What's in the chest?"
>"You can have your airship back, but I want the chest."
>write-in

>>31333006
Yup. That's the one. That's how it's going down.

>>31333006
This

>>31333006

This is pretty amazing. Remind me when that moment is coming up (if it's not immediately)

>>31333058
>write-in
We can "cleverly" bypass all of those silly options by simply asking...
"What's the thing you really came here for?"

>>31333058
>"What's in the chest?"

>>31333058
>>"What's in the cart?"
>>"What's in the chest?"
>>"You can have your airship back, but I want the chest."

>>31333099
That IS what this whole "whats in the chest" thing is about. Let's just ask that.

>>31333099
Sure, I'll support this

>>31333103
>>31333111
but guiz
the chest is hidden
we could only know about it if we spied on him because wisp
he'll know we spied on him

Well, I mean YOU really, because I would ne'er spy on my husbando.

>>31333058
>What's in the Chest?

>>31333127
Yes, but as
>>31332933
Said, our wisp discovered the chest, not us, we'll reveal more then we know, and SM has said numerous times that he doesn't put out the best option.

>>31333058
This:
>>31333099

>>31333131
and?

He knows we probably kept tabs on him.

It isn't like he wouldn't have done the same to us.

>>31333131
Isn't the chest in a cart next to us?
Can't we just say we used SHADOW MAGIC to notice it?

>>31333173
It's beneath hay and then hidden with a layer of armor bits, and a tarp which the Duke is sitting on.

The most we could say is that we sense some lightning magic from it, we wouldn't know per se that it's from a chest because it's covered up.

>>31333171
That's assuming
>>31333173
We could, or we could use that if he decides to not answer our question honestly.

Vote 1:
>trade airship for mystery box

Vote 2:
>"So, what did you really come here for?"

Vote 3:
>"What's in the chest?"

>>31333245
2

>>31333245
2

>>31333245
1

>>31333245
I don't really care which

>>31333245
2

>>31333245
2

>>31333245
3

>>31333245
3

>>31333245
>"So, what did you really come here for?"

>>31333316
Anon, pls. Link, number, no spaces no nonsense.

>>31333245
2

>>31333245
2

>>31333245

2 wins

writin

>>31333342
Sorry, most quests i read only use that method for contentious votes.

>>31333391
This is SQ

So what's the plan for getting the minimum 180 xp needed for Order Immateria?

consume the sigil and energy containers like spaghetti and very intense meatballs

>>31333245
Also, if he dodges the question, let's dodge right back.

>>31333454
Of course.

"So," you say, "now that we're not sitting in front of the Archmage. What did you really come here for?"

Vellik clears his throat. "Armor for my men. Most of it's enchanted; even one piece could be enough to save their lives. Minor things, protections, a bit of magic in a swing of their sword. Better than nothing. I also brought something I'd been studying for a time. A little edge for the upcoming battle."

"Well, let's get moving," Janus says. "I don't want my backside shoved up in the open any longer than necessary."

You begin to follow the line of the forest south. You walk alongside the wagon.

What do you do?

>privately press Vellik for more details
>silently guard them the rest of the way
>some other strategy

>>31333491
>silently guard them the rest of the way

>>31333491

<I assume that you will enlighten me on the contents of your magically locked chest in private...>

>>31333508
Supporting this.

>>31333491
>silently guard them the rest of the way

>>31333508
Yes. Tell him you'll show if a magic trick if he does.

>>31333508
Why can't you guys just let my husbando have his secret? He'll reveal it in time when he feels its appropriate anyways!

>>31333491
>silently guard them the rest of the way

>Ask the Duke where a nice place for his airship would be.

>>31333491
>>privately press Vellik for more details

>>31333508
>>31333515
>>31333522
...That still shows him we spied on him.

Anons, we have a much simpler question to ask than that, one he just gave us!

>>31333491
"So, this thing you've been studying for some time, how much of an edge do you think it will provide you in the upcoming battle?"

>>31333508
This.

>>31333508
This

>>31333508
vetoing

>>31333563

I thought that we just didn't want to openly push the matter... something that Vellik didn't want Janus to know...

All I want from him is for him to work with Steward on dynamos. He has too many secrets to try and pick at each one.

>>31333508
seconding

>>31333491
"There is lightning in that chest, Vellik.:

>>31333588
>>31333536
You don't have to samefag for your husbando

>>31333595
Then just remove the quotations, mix up the latter point with an additional "in secret" and go with that. It still stands that he'll know we spied on him if we ask about the chest directly, whether or not we do it in mindspeak.

>>31333508
If we don't want him to know we've spied on him say:
>I assume that you will enlighten me on the subject you're studying in private.
instead.

>>31333508

Thirding.

Tell him we're delivering him a fully functional airship and we appreciate honesty.

>>31333630
>>31333595
we have telepathy

>>31333640
This

Do we really give a shit if Vellik knows we spied? We have every fucking reason to not trust him. The only thing we know is that he has a chest, not what is in it or where it was.

Rolled 6, 6, 2 + 2 = 16

>>31333640
This

>>31333508
This.

What did we ever do with the Moonsong shards we were collecting?

>>31333640
This.

>>31333663

Turned them into Hammer.

>>31333656
yeah

>>31333659
BQ?

>>31333663
Please finish the archives before joining a quest Vellik Husbandoer

>>31333663
The moonsong was one of the Shards of Erebus. We reforged it with the Humanity Shard.

>>31333675
>>31333656
I was agreeing with you here

>>31333675
He is not me!
There can only be one, after all.

>>31333656
Vellik is the most trustworthy out of all of our allies! I'd say he rivals even Abby-Sabby in our trust in him. Or at least my trust in him.

>>31333675
I have finished the archives. I just forgot what we did with them.

>>31333695
You are allowed to husbando, just be in character with your voting.

Seriously.

>>31333698
Pretty important thing to miss

>>31333698
We collected them all, but reforged the moonsong as the Hammer.

>>31333695

You guys are forgetting that mortals like Yi Fang and Duke Vellik are going to fight us tooth and nail for control of Venia, right?

They want to us to succeed in this current battle, but that doesn't mean they won't be working against us in the future

>>31333698
Then read them again.

>>31333747
Do we even care about controlling Venia?

>>31333731
Not that anon but I think Shadow DOES care about whether or not someone thinks he's spied on him. For reasons like; >>31333747

>>31333747
same goes for the elemental lords, we need to be the one that secures hegemony after this conflict.

>>31333747
Quit it with the shadowruns.

Fang is already out of the game, vellik can be cowed by us owning his country and by our massive military might.

>>31333757
He who controls Venia is the one who directs whether or not the Justice of Venia is True Justice or just the fake kind you get in McDonalds' Kids Meals.

>>31333747
The only temporary ally here is The Ringed City.

Vellik knows it is in his best interest to ally with us because we want the same thing.

>>31333804
Do we? Or have you just been Vellisized?

>>31333757
We care more about WHO is controlling it. We don't want the wrong people with the majority of power.

>>31333804

Vellik will do and say what he thinks he should to get the best result. At this point he should expect us to be more than wary around him.

Just ask yourself, what would Fang do?

>>31333824
Then who should control it?

Melody's made it very clear that she hates rulership. Abby will have her hands full with Archon, and Fang's done with this shit. Vellik still has to rebuild Kelvere and Obis, if he survives, will have to rebuild Kan-Abar.

>>31333849

Who says one person should control everything?

You hoist yourself up on the wagon, standing on the cover over one of the wheels as it trundles forward. Vellik keeps a firm grip on the reigns of the two horses pulling his load. Janus and his men are fanned out in front; a few are running the length of the forest, while others are scouting the hills ahead.

<I assume,> you say to Vellik, <you'll tell me what kind of an edge you're talking about?>

"I don't trust Janus as far as I can throw him," Vellik mutters. "He's an effective man, but he's a thief at heart. Maybe not as bad as someone like Damian Vonnegut, but certainly a wild card. He'll try to palm something before this battle is over, mark my words." He looks at you. "You probably know about the chest. I've got three empty dynamo shells in there, Shadow. How did you think I'd be powering my future expanded navy?"

You're a bit speechless.

>con't

>>31333845
In this situation Fang would delay telling us anything about his secret weapon unless we offered him some major service for it or he felt driven to because of Abigails' puppy eyed begging.

>>31333822
>>31333845
Vellik is shit tier compared to most of our allies.

he holds pretty much no power at all.

We can literally MAKE allies that are as strong as him.

Just then, you crest another rise. You feel a tingle of magic - Lightning, and Wind. Spread before you, tucked around a long arm of the forest, is a wide encampment. "Oh," Vellik says, "we passed the cloaking barrier. They widened it a bit."

Janus and a few of his men are up ahead, exchanging words with a picket. The encampment itself is substantial; not as large as any of Kan-Abar's forces, but not small by any means.

It's broken into three main sections. One flies the Kelvere flag, and the tents are all a very dark brown-green pattern. The next section over is smaller, and flies the Arland flag. Most of the tents there are a forest green. The third part of the encampment is smallest, and much less strictly organized than the other two. The tents are a patchwork of colors, and they have no flag. You assume that must be Janus and his mercenaries.

"Lord Harvan Flint arrived late yesterday," Vellik says. "This is the staging ground for the river crossing. The Black Lady's forces are gathering north of the forest. We've had a constant stream of messengers."

"...I bet," you say. "Seeing this...the battle is going to happen."

Vellik nods. "It'll make our fights at Evinbrook look like children's war games. Well, if you can...ah...give me my airship, I'd appreciate it. It would certainly prove a morale boost for the men to have the Bolt under our control once more."

>write-in

>>31333876

THREE? GOD DAMN

>>31333881

You were saying about shit-tier allies?

>>31333876
Tell him we can make charge all three of those if he gives us one.

>>31333876
>I've got three empty dynamo shells in there, Shadow. How did you think I'd be powering my future expanded navy?"
We have to get him to let Steward examine one of them.

>>31333876
>three empty dynamo shells in there
Vellik, oh Vellik.

And we know just the robots to fill those cores.

>>31333901
<Hold still, you have something behind your ear>
*unpocket*

>>31333901
Tell him it'll cost him a dynamo shell

>>31333901
<Did you find those empty Dynamos, or have you discovered how to recreate them?>

This is very important, you guys. We need to know if he has the secret of airship travel.

>>31333901
Give em his ship so we can steal more of them.

We should give at least one to Steward to study

>>31333901
these
>>31333904
>>31333929

>>31333901
We demand info on the dynamo shells.

And possibly one for study.
We can go nick another airship to trade for the thing if he really wants it...

>>31333921
Oh right,

THIIIIIS

>>31333901

Give him the airship.

<Mind if you let Steward examine those Dynamos a bit? We would like to figure out how to make more of them. Cooperation in this matter will be extremely beneficial to you.>

Lets not let slip the fact that we can power them ourselves just yet.

>>31333901
<So how were you planning to charge those dynamo shells.>
>initiate shit-eating grin

>>31333921
YES

>>31333904
>>31333919
>>31333929
these

>>31333979
>>31333974
Either of these or a mix, both are pretty good.

>>31333921
this has to happen at some point.

>>31333921

Just make sure we don't crush anyone in the process.

Are we strong enough to lift this airship?

>>31334012

We have done so before. And that was a long time ago while HEAVILY injured,

>>31334009
Well, obviously. I mean we've got to be self aware enough to not unpocket DROP it on someone, right?

Let's just hope they didn't have any tracking magic on the airship.

>>31334039

It was powered down. But Vellik should be smart enough to try and root out anything like that asap. And we are in a cloaking field apparently.

Vote 1:
>trade airship for dynamo

Vote 2:
>give airship, tell him you'll charge them all with power if he gives you one

---------
---------

>>31334012

With great effort, you could lift it. Speed reduced to a crawl, and you couldn't do anything else while you had it hefted.

>>31334073
1

>>31334073
1

>>31334073
1

>>31334073
2

>>31334073
we stronk

>>31334073
2

>>31334073
2

>>31334073
Hm. Could Sandalphon lift an airship, too?

>>31334073
2

>>31334073
2

>>31334073
2

Maybe we could get Hecate to charge one of the shells... have a Spirit core not just all shadow...

>>31334073
2

>>31334073
1

>>31334073
1

>>31334095
>>31334102
>>31334109
>>31334118
>>31334123
>>31334127
>>31334138
you guys really wanna let him know we're Erebus?

What does he think we are? Human? Or was this back when we told people we were a sentient elemental?

>>31334073

cutting off votes

>>31334148
You don't need to be Erebus to charge a dynamo, just a strong elemental.

And he already knows we're a strong shadow elemental.

>>31334148

Charging dynamos does not equate to an elemental lord.

>>31334141

Dynamos can be used for more than just ships. They are basically a nuclear reactor.

And what he does with his cores isn't really our problem.

>>31334148

We can just say we need to use our airship or get help from Steward/Fang/Lady.

>>31334190
The elemental Lords were the only one to ever charge dynamo shells

>>31334194
But the fact that we can charge them means that we are and Elemental Lord.

Vellik isn't dumb, he can put 2 and 2 together.

>>31334185
We were a blob of shadow when we met him.

>>31334204
We don't have to tell him HOW we're doing it.

>>31334204
And as far as Vellik knows, we're the closest thing to an Elemental Lord around

>>31334227
he isn't stupid

>>31334287
Neither is Fang, but he thought we were the new Shadow elord and not Erebus.

>>31334185
please go read the archives before participating.

>>31334287
And he isn't so stupid as to assume we're an elemental lord when we've only done two things similar to Erebus.

Alternatively, this can all be solved by including him in our inner circle. Though that involves... trust.

>>31334307
same shit, still and elemental lord

>>31334307

He assumed we could be Erebus. But didn't have proof and wouldn't make the massive leap in logic that this shadow that is dicking around with humans is THE Erebus.

>>31334332
>He already knows we're an elemental
>He already knows we're bullshit strong and it's not slowing down
I really don't see what you're getting so worked up about.

>>31334332
It's not the same shit at all you wanker, the differences between "Oh shit you're Erebus!" And "Oh, a new shadow elemental lord, that's peachy!" are like the SUN and MOON motherfucker.

>>31334353
Vellik does not want the Elemental Lords to return. period.

>>31334369
Then he's already guaranteed disappointment on that front and will have to deal with the reality of it.

Hey guys.

Duke Vellik is a... descendent of Raijins followers, right?

The elemental fought with and drove Hecate into a corner, which she is still peeved about.

Do you think she'll go after Vellik?

>>31334369

Doesn't matter what he wants, it's already happening. 2/8

I think no matter what, it would be almost impossible for anyone to assume we are Erebus, no matter how much power we throw around. We are nothing like Erebus. Didn't Auriel laugh at us when we first presented the idea to her? And that was AFTER we had consumed a Dynamo and caused an Eclipse.

>>31334369

Exactly.

Vellik doesn't care whether we're just a strong Elemental or Erebus himself or just the new Shadow Lord.

We're a powerful entity with our own agenda and to a smart tactician like Vellik, this would be seen as a possible threat. You fuckers are crazy if you think Vellik is just going to lay down and let the new Elemental Lords start new empires on "his" Venia.

Why the fuck do you think he's trying to stop Hyperion's resummoning?

>>31334423
But we're doing none of those things, we're actually choosing to help his navy come along by offering to charge his dynamos so what you say he thinks we'll want and what we're actually doing right here don't match up in the slightest.

>>31334423
I can't wait until we have to annihilate him, to be honest.
Him and that fucking book.

>>31334455

My point is giving Vellik the equivalent of three magical nuclear reactors for free may not be a good long term strategy, anon.

>>31334480
book?

>>31334423

Well, most people don't really like Hyperion methinks. But you're definitely right in the sense that he doesn't want any more big fish swimming around.

>>31334410
Vellik strikes me as a modern-day Lucifer. He may be born of Lightning, but he will throw in with whoever he thinks will give him the best results.

And I dunno if Hecate would be assmad at him. She was able to stifle her rage against Auriel for a bit. Vellik also has no problem with the other elements, so that probably gets em some points.

>>31334480
Book first, that way Vellik can watch it suffer. As it made us suffer.

>>31334489
Naw man, it's fine. It's like building a friendship and protecting him from Hecates' inevitable wrath and shit.

>>31334489
2

we're keeping one

>>31334489

Worst comes to worst, we can just eat them. I bet Shadow Dynamos are tasty.

You glance behind you, making sure an open space is free. "How far past that barrier are we?"

"Oh, a hundred yards now?"

"And it goes up?"

"Far up."

"Hey," you say. "Hold still." You reach forward.

"What? What is it?"

"Something behind your ear." You reach around his head, pull your hand back, and unPocket the airship.

>mana: 70/76

With a roar of displaced air, the Bolt appears behind you in all its glory. It settles into the ground a good foot, throwing up a cloud of dust and mud around its underbelly.

"...well..." Vellik chuckles. "Now that's a magic trick."

"Here's another," you say. "I know how to charge dynamo shells with magic. Shadow magic, to be precise. I'll charge yours for you."

Vellik inhales. "...of course. I needed an elemental. The Shadow element is plenty useful."

"In exchange," you say, "I want to keep one."

Vellik's jaw clenches. He looks back at the cart, then looks forward. You can see the thought churning in his head.

"...you have a deal."

"Excellent."

---------
---------

A short time later, you're in Vellik's tent. The bolt is once again manned and airborne, now patrolling the boarder of the forest after making contact with the nearby Imperial ships.

>con't

>>31334495
He is nowhere near as bad as lucy.

Lucy was selfish, Vellik cares about his people.

For a Duke, Vellik's tent is spartan, and strictly functional. His sole luxury is a wooden chair positioned at a desk, and a standing basin for washing his face and shaving.

He kneels down to the trunk. You feel him channel a complex series of small sigils, all of pure Lightning. A wave of purple-gold magic crackles over the wood, and it clicks open. Inside, packed in straw, are three crystal spheres. Empty dynamos.

"...amazing."

"Quite," Vellik says. "The dwarves ruled the Timorian Deep. Va'ad was the heart of their empire, but they had outposts throughout those tunnels. I discovered one when I was young, and found these there, along with the armor you saw before." He lifts the three spheres to you. You decide to tuck them safely into your Pocket - just in case. He tilts his head. "...that's quite some trick."

"Very useful," you agree. "Well, I'll work on these and come back later."

You leave Vellik's tent. The sky is just starting to turn a lighter shade of blue. It'll be some time before the sun rises.

You think back to when you first charged a dynamo. That one was set inside the Nemesis back when it was the Cirrus, an ancient Xylian airship. It was primed for ignition, but after you Artifacted the ship itself, the complex engine fused to the dynamo, permanently integrating it into its structure. You won't be able to use that same method again. You'll need a strong source of magic.

What do you do?

>go talk to Steward
>head for a Shadow mana pool
>some other strategy

>>31334515
or steal them for the Nemesis

>>31334547
>Go talk to Steward and bring him to a shadow mana pool.

>>31334547
>>go talk to Steward
>>head for a Shadow mana pool
Take Steward to a Shadow manapool

>>31334547
>go talk to Steward
He might be able to give us a clue, or at the least might want to watch us charge one.

>>31334547
>go talk to Steward

Let him know we've got a Dynamo to reverse-engineer for him. Then we can head to the Mana pool. maybe he can even come along, see if the charging process gives him ideas.

>>31334547
>go talk to Steward

We may need to pay a visit to his city for some of the tools required to power these bad boys.

>>31334558

This. Best if we have the best living? expert with us as we attempt to charge them.

>>31334547
>Ask Steward if he would like to observe the charging of two dynamo cores
>head for a Shadow mana pool if he doesn't propose a better alternative

>>31334547
>go talk to Steward
To see if he has a dynamo ignition station.

Also;
>It'll be some time before the sun rises.

Remember that meeting with the Dude angel that's hanging with Joey in the morning! He wanted to talk with us.

>>31334547
>go talk to Steward

>>31334594
Good point.

guys

GUYS

I KNOW HOW TO MAKE A DYNAMO SHELL

>>31334661
well spit it out

>>31334661
Please, do share.

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>>31334661

Yes, well?

>>31334661
Is it rainbows? I bet it is...

>>31334661
THEY'RE MADE OF PEOPLE!!!

>>31334691

I bet Erebus would be the kind of person to say something like, "They are essentially the same thing."

>>31334547
FUCKING GO STEAL THE OTHER AIRSHIP RIGHT NOW

THE RAMMING ONE.

>Charging a dynamo requires you make it in the structure of a soul
What contains souls? Bodies do.
What are bodies made of? Order.

It's probably adamantium that's been infused with hunks from the order layer around the core.

>>31334691
Or it's people.

>>31334716
We need to get on this.

>>31334661
It's people. Dynamo shell is made out of people. They're making our dynamos out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for dynamos. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!

>>31334716
Yes. I don't like letting that thing wander the skies when ramming was what fucked up the Nemesis last time.

You decide that you need an expert, and the only expert more expert then Vellik, is Steward.

The closest mana pool is in Haven. You fly there, giving the hidden encampment a wide berth before activating your Supersonic speeds. The place is rapidly transforming - Steward's robots have constructed a sort of steel warehouse-like structure abutting the central fortress, which you assume is their embassy. There isn't any more wood, no more log outposts - it's all stone and metal. Carved into the face of the bluff where the wreck of the Noiralev used to be is the opening to a wide mineshaft.

In a handful of minutes, you're back in Arland, and you quickly locate Steward. You relate to him what you've found, and how you originally charged the Nemesis's main engine.

"I do not have a similar apparatus," Steward tells you. "I will analyze the Nemesis in detail at a later time. I surmise that your assumption that a Shadow mana pool would be of assistance is correct. Can you transport us to Haven?"

"Definitely. Let's go."

One manaport later, you're standing near the Shadow mana pool at the center of the fortress. The room is as you remember - square, made of grey stone. The containment equipment dominates the space, forming a latticed dome over the solid black mana pool.

"...so, what now?" you say.

"Attempt to utilize the mana pool as a stable source of magical power," Steward says.

Hmm. Alright. Let's see...

What do you do?

>describe actions

Rolled 36

>>31334716
>>31334734
The Kanian forces are on high alert. We'll probably be caught.

Trusting Yi Fang, trusting Vellik...

Honestly, this quest has some really gullible people.

>>31334766
Gather up some mana and start spinning it. Maybe add in some power from our shards.

>>31334783
Haha! Jokes on them, they're trusting US!

>>31334766
SPIN ON

>>31334767
We can get the patrolling ones.

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>>31334674
>>31334678
>>31334685
>>31334689
Okay, so the Dwarves were all Earth Magic nuts associated with staying close to and UNDER the earth, tunnels, underground cities, you name it, they were under it. Say, close to a certain Nether Core enshrouded in Order enough to study it.

Steward has a distinct point which he never really expanded upon in the conception of Dynamo shells, when he said they were DENSER than anything else, it was steel-adamantium, but maintained denser properties than either all while mimicking the formation of a soul; spinning chaos all within an ordered shell of ordered' gravity densified dynamo casing!

AND THE HINT WAS RIGHT IN THE FUCKING EARTH TREE ALL ALONG.

>>31334766
>describe actions

... Lets go talk to Hecate.

>>31334766
Can we talk with Maker, see if he remembers anything?

>>31334766
Repeat what we did back in the Cirrus, spinning the mana, etc. Only now we'll use the mana pool as a source, a tap of mana that can be opened for a continuous flow.

>>31334766
gimme a sec

gotta go dig through the archives

>>31334766
Well, what happened last time was that we tried spinning the mana in concentric circles going in various directions, but it tore itself apart, so lets try that again, but inside the shell this time.

>>31334800
>>31334817
Maybe combining these two? Except we don't have enough for Gravity Sphere...

>>31334827
We don't need to use it now, since we already have a shell.

>>31334766
gotta go archive digging

>>31334800
>AND THE HINT WAS RIGHT IN THE FUCKING EARTH TREE ALL ALONG.
Damn SM u sneaky bastard.

>>31334766
Draw power from the pool.

Enthrust it into the shell, all the while spinning and accelerating it into a maelstrom of whirling energies. Maybe throw in some pure ORDER as well for a order/chaos annihilation dynamo.

But I bet it'll take XP to make it.

>>31334824
>>31334817
>Repeat what we did back in the Cirrus, spinning the mana, etc. Only now we'll use the mana pool as a source, a tap of mana that can be opened for a continuous flow.
>Well, what happened last time was that we tried spinning the mana in concentric circles going in various directions, but it tore itself apart, so lets try that again, but inside the shell this time.

>>31334800
oooh, that might work. Gravity is so strong inside a functioning dynamo that all the power is held inside. It'd also be why it keeps spinning: it's in orbit around the center of the Dynamo.

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>>31334766
Clockwise spin of energy, layers of cores, maintain control of our chakra, etc.

>>31334766
Same thing we did in thread 68 part II
>Pump in thick mana
>Spin clockwise first
>Layers like a soul

The problem is that we don't have the "wires". So I think that we'll need to plug ourself into the manapool and use our body as the wires.

Prepare for constant healing spells.

>>31334824

The airship had those wires that were used to place specific mana rotations at specific places/depths in the shell.

Should we adamantize our self before we try this? We might need to use our arms as a proxy for those wires.

>>31334909
Let's do this.

>>31334884
>>31334800
Damn, I'm impressed anons.

>>31334766
Spin in the energy in a clockwise direction. Layers of cores spinning multiple directions, like a soul.
We should latch onto the dynamo, at least during the formative stages, just so we can make sure the power is being channeled to the correct places.

Channeling huge gouts of power to the WRONG places would be worse than not having any power at all.

>>31334909
>>31334914
And remember the wires!

>Spin in the energy in a clockwise direction for one. The diagram we saw back in the palace showed that.

>the energy was spun together in layers, right? cores within cores...

>We saw lines leading outward on the diagram and when we latched onto the shadow dynamo of the Noraleiv there were veins of mana that led out of it as well. We need to have the energy to go along those lines to power the ship.

>We also managed to spin the energy TOO fast while augmenting the Noiralev, which led to the dynamo fracturing, so there's obviously a speed at which we reach optimal energy generation and at which we should stop pushing energy into it.

>I remember I said something forever ago about mimicking the structures of souls when we spin the energy to try to construct a dynamo, and SM seemed to respond positively to that.

>So maybe try that?

this is what i pulled from the thread where we did it before

God I hope we don't fuck this up and end up owing Vellik two dynamos.

>>31334932

So.

1) Pour in moderate amount of power.
2) Maintain clockwise direction for rotation.
3) Attempt to layer core.
4) Stabilize growing cores with wires of Shadow power.

The trick seems to be moderating our mana flow - start slowly and let Steward chime in for additional hints and tips as we move forward.

Guys, I had a crazy thought. Many of the mechanics in this universe are roughly similar to our own. What if Cores are just Generators? Generators create energy by moving a conductor through a magnetic field. What if the super dense material is a magic field? Or if they use the ambient magic in the world itself as some sort of massive field?

>>31334932
this got us +22 bonus points to our roll

>>31334959
please stop with the assumptions.

down that way lies rainbows

>>31334800
Maybe we should ask Steward if he's had any luck trying to make dynamo casings really dense with Gravity magic?

Though it sounds easy when I put it like that.

In my mind I imagine a machine using shadow(order) power to maintain the materials for the shell in a specific place while heavy amounts of earth magic sheer/compress the material of the shells into a dynamo casing, but it sounds complex that way.

Ya know what? This problem reminds me of a nail. We just so happen to have a HAMMER!

<I'm an elemental lord,> you say. <This is within my power.> You glance at the core. Wires leading to and away from the shell grab your attention. You try to recall the diagram. In on the left, out on the right. In on the left. <Flint, grab the wires on the right of each bundle!> Your gaze follows them to shaped nodes on the outer shell of the core - nodes that those wires would fit in perfectly. <Put them in those slots, there, and there!>

Flint grabs the right side of each bundle, and hooks them in. You take the left side...and you push your mana into the dynamo. It filters into the core, water along a channel. Black ooze - pure Shadow mana - fills the inside. Unlike other mana you've seen, it doesn't dissipate, or discharge. The core holds it steady.

Now...a soul. The structure of a soul. It should be like that...as if everyone has a little dynamo inside of them. Clockwise first - that was on the diagram. You spin the mana, pushing on it with your will. And just like that, it begins to turn - slowly at first, as if you're moving pudding with your fingers, and then faster, faster, until it's spinning of its own accord, and it begins to take off, faster, faster!

Lights flare on the inside of the core - dark purple. Readouts spit numbers and graphs at you too fast for you to follow. Flint braces himself against the metal as the ship continues to tilt. You're past 45 degrees. "Oh Light. Oh Light. Shit. Shit!"

<Keep it together, Flint!> He just nods at you.

What next? The engine is still silent. Layers - you need layers! But how can you get mana inside the mana that's already spinning?

>>31335000
stop

>>31335001
The wires - they can feed the mana in. You grasp the wires and push harder. They seem to sink into the shell itself. The tips penetrate the outside of the glowing sphere, and then through the rotating shell. As you do so, steel levers snap down from the engine housing, arranging themselves around the dynamo in a complex and repetitive fashion. You've got to bend out of the way as they clatter into place around you. Flint ducks around the outside edge of the engine, bracing himself.

You push mana into the dynamo, and begin to spin it.

ruuoooobuuuuuuuuuUURRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAEEEHHHHHHH

-WA-BOOOM-

The sound of gathering energy is punctuated by an explosion of shadow. Crackling purple light ripples out of the core, and passes into the metal. It flares up and into the prongs leading from the engine and to the surrounding systems. You push your mana again, and the explosion shudders again. The energy travels farther, but dies once more.

You put everything you've got into it, and a third and final explosion blasts into the engine. Lights and sparking energy zips up and through the wires, and then the engine shudders, grates, and churns forward. Pistons mash up and down. Panels glow with dark energy. The outer core of the engine begins to rotate counterclockwise, and the countering motion seems to create a sort of friction from the dynamo, drawing forward more energy into the engine.

The airship shudders. And then it begins to fall. Flint lifts off the ground, then hits the steel a moment later. "We're falling!!"

<I noticed!>

"SHADOW!" Auriel's voice comes screaming in over the loudspeakers. "I'VE GOT POWER, BUT I NEED A MAJOR BOOST, NOW! THE SKYSEVER IS ABOUT TO RIP THROUGH THE WINDOWS UP HERE!!"

Flint is rolling across the room, dazed. His arm catches on a pipe, and he clings to it for dear life.

What do you do?
this is from when we did it.

>>31335001
Damn man you don't need to Copy Paste the whole darn post! Specifics, specifics!

>>31335036
Didn't want to miss any important details, this is serious business.

>>31334981
Energy can't come from no-where. We know for sure that the Core's aren't a portal to the big one. And the circular motions of the Cores are high similar to actual generators. We also know that these cores generate magical fields of their own.

You know, we still have to roll for charging.

And we have sub-optimal equipment now.

And we have to succeed in charging 2 of them. If we fail and break one, we'll have to charge ours to give to Vellik.

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"Ok," you say. "Here goes."

Steward's chestplate opens. A strange dish-like object projects from his center. It flips and clicks open with a flurry of other detector apparatuses. "I am prepared to observe."

You step into the mana pool, holding one of the dynamos above you. The mana from the pool fills you.

Isn't this Order, this pool? Isn't mana, magic power, a form of chaos? How is it that you can use both? You're not sure.

After all this time, you don't really understand the fundamental nature of what you're using, or what you're doing. And it still bothers you.

But you can't worry about that right now.

You gather power from the pool. It wells up in you, to a point - you can only hold so much. How to get it inside? The wires...you can make your limbs like that. Four tentacles grow from your body, and each one grips the shell, holding it in needle-like claws. The tips of your fingers seem to be sucked into the shell, almost. Plugged in.

You take the power of the pool push it into the sphere, condense it inside the crystal boundaries. A small orb of shadow flickers to life inside of it. You focus, and push harder, spinning it clockwise. It begins to churn. The crystal glows a soft purple.

>mana: 0/76
>mana:76/76

You take more mana, and build another layer, this time spinning it in the opposite direction. You think about how spinning objects are able to stay their course - arrows, wheels. The extra motion, counter-intuitively, lends it stability. Now there are two churning layers, spinning in opposite directions. The crystal's color deepens to a bright violet.

>mana: 0/76
>mana: 76/76

>con't

>>31335063
you are linking fantasy and real worlds, that is an assumption.

You make another layer, pushing harder. It's a strain, now. It feels like you have to keep a constant grip on it, keep a constant hold, a regular pressure. As if you've put your hands on a wall, and you're shoving forward harder and harder.

>mana: 0/76
>mana: 76/76

You build a forth layer. It's the hardest yet. You grit your teeth. The crystal is swimming with power, but it's contained. The shell glows black with Order.

>mana: 0/76
>mana: 76/76

You keep pushing. But the wall doesn't move.

You let go, just slightly. Immediately, the outermost layer begins to fall apart. You shove your will back against it, and it reforms, spinning. You feel a tiredness creep up on you, but you could probably stick here for a while. You don't want to kill the thing...you've seen a Dynamo crack before.

<Steward!> you say. <Can you sense anything? How do I get it to stick? If I let up, it just starts breaking apart!>

Steward worries along the outside of the pool. You don't think you've ever seen him in a panick, before, but he can't seem to find the right spot to observe from. Or maybe he's just trying to get as much data as possible. <It is lacking something!> he says. <Some vitality, some energy! Another component!>

What do you do?

>write-in

>>31335063
>Energy can't come from no-where.

Chaos perpetuates and increases itself. Without Order to contain it, it will expand without limit. This state of affairs eventually led to the Elementomachy.

>>31335106
>use maker

>>31335106
Give it EXP?

>>31335106
Give it something that all Elemental Lords have. Give it EXP.

>>31335106
Give it EXP maybe?

>>31335106
Can we channel Humanity? If not, how about earth/water/spirit. Some sort of Chaos.

>>31335088
>Isn't this Order, this pool? Isn't mana, magic power, a form of chaos? How is it that you can use both? You're not sure.
I already know! Order is for directing and manipulating all other things! That's why we can use both. However, for the subject at hand...

>>31335106
Give it a little bit of XP.

>>31335125
>>31335136
>>31335141
Is EXP even a tangible substance?

>>31335106
Resolve? Xp?

Think about Abby?

If dynamos are made of PEOPLE, then maybe we should use Humanity for this.

>>31335106
Give it some Chaotic energy

>>31335106
Do only humans have souls?

>>31335159
>>31335155
I think humanity may be a good bet. It is, after all, CHAOS!

>steel levers snap down from the engine housing, arranging themselves around the dynamo in a complex and repetitive fashion.

Anyone else think it needs a brace of some kind to stabilize that last wall while it forms?

We could try to adamantize our self and become that brace.

>>31335106
I wonder if we could do Shadow+Water+Spirit+Earth. That would be cool, but I don't want to break this thing...

>>31335158
Yeah. Shadow feels it as raw, untapped power.

>>31335106
Can we try using Maker? Or Peace maybe?

>>31335125
>>31335141
>>31335158

And a little fragment of outselves to keep the mana ordered and contained.

>>31335185
I'll second adamantizing ourselves to give us some more stability, as we're currently trying to hold onto a lot around us while the dynamo spins the extra weight should do us some good.

Maybe even ask Steward to make us Heavier.

>>31335185
I really like this idea.

>>31335106
Let it explode. This is bullshit

>>31335106
Use the power of love and friendship!

Use ALL of it so we return as Erebus

I don't think it's XP guys, weren't the dwarves able to make dynamos? Where would they get the XP from? It's something else.

Guys, whatever it is that we use to stabilize it has to be something that Dwarves would be able to get their hands on. Dwarves wouldn't have fragments of Erebus around to do this. If we think of XP as life force, then they'd have that. Go with XP.

>>31335221
The dwarves made the shells. Elemental Lords were needed to charge them.

>>31335221
They made the dynamo shells, they needed Elemental Lords to charge the dynamos themselves.

>>31335106

the spark of life???

hmm, we seem to need some form of alternator for it; something to put the energy back into itself...

>>31335221

Dwarves made the cores, lords charged them with power. I bet Hecate has done this before.

We really should have gone to ask Hecate about this first.

>>31335245
Why didn't we ask her?

You grasp a small portion of untapped power, the kind you generate when you Consume, the kind that allows you to push your potential to greater heights. You drive it into the Dynamo.

>EXP: 13

It snaps off your fingers like a black spark. The Dynamo vibrates in your hands so hard your claws go numb. There's a sound like a hundred bells clanging together, and the black spark bounces back and flies into you again.

>EXP: 14

"What was that?!" Steward calls. His normally even tone sounds half-shouted. But then, the sound of the dynamo is filling the room - it would be hard to hear him if he didn't.

<My own energy!>

"It..." Steward pauses. "It wasn't the right kind! Something else! Something...!"

What do you do?

>strategy

>>31335256
Draw on the power of Humanity and feed it into the dynamo.

>>31335256
Humanity. We need to add pure Chaos to the mixture.

>>31335256
>Wasn't the right kind

Alright, so we're on the right track here. What else do we have that is unique to power a dynamo?

>>31335256
HUMANITY

AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD BEFORE WE DO THAT-

MAKE SURE WE ADAMANTIZE OURSELVES

>>31335113
Energy, at least as we've observed so far, doesn't just spontaneously increase on its own. The mana that Shadow is channeling right at this instant is dissipating. There seems to be some sort of principle of pressure that roughly equalizes the net magic. Mana pools are linked to the Core. Furthermore real-world generators gather energy by moving conductors through a field; they don't just create energy. Magical fields exist: we've seen them intensify the effect of similar magic, and similar magic like-wise acts as a conductor, giving the energy in these Cores to move or act. What the opposing concentric forces suggest is that the fields keep each other in check perpetually, as they gather latent energy and focus it into specific channels.

>>31335281
Erebus did it before without chaos, so obviously we don't need to.

>>31335256
LET IT EXPLODE FAGGOT

No dynamos for us.

>>31335256
Alright, Order is the shell, Mana is inside, what if it needs something inside the Mana, in the core of core, maybe energy from the Nether?

>>31335277
>>31335281
>>31335292


Nonono, it's not humanity. Remember, Erebus made Shadow Dynamos before, and that was when he was pure Order. adding Humanity to it would probably blow the whole thing. add Resolve.

>>31335299
That's true.

Wait, do we know if Erebus ever made his own dynamos before?

>>31335321
Yes, because Shadow Dynamos other than the one on the Nemesis exist.

>>31335307
Nether Energy?

...That's it!

NETHER ENERGY IS SOMETHING ALL ELEMENTALS HAD ACCESS TO WITH THEIR OWN CREATIONS

Bet you fuckers regret not getting the summoning tree now!

>>31335321
We ate one the first time we Eclipsed, remember?

>>31335256
Not humanity.
>>31335316
How would that even work?

>>31335316

This guy is right.

We need to add pure ORDER to the outside layer - we should try to use Resolve.

>>31335337
CALL FORTH WISPBRO! Or maybe a Ghost.

>>31335337
...So now what? talk to Hecate?

>>31335321

Shadow dynamos exist, so yes. But that assumption that Erebus never used order to make them might be entirely wrong.

Dynamos are like souls right? Those are a shell or order housing chaos. Right now the dynamo is a shell with only order spinning inside it.

>>31335256
Pocket it.

>>31335337
You're joking, right?