>>41073536

The golem surges with power, suddenly towering over you, and lashes out with a shapeless arm, heatless white fire wavering wildly from it.

“Protege!” you shout. The keyword activates your chainmail, igniting it into glorious white light.

The arm slashes down at you like a bolt of lightning, but you dodge – its fast enough that it clips your shoulder, but you only feel warmth from the impact, and you rip away before any of the hungry tendrils on the golem’s limb can do anything more than skitter over the surface of your armor.

You come up at the side of the creature, but it flows like water, reforming to face you once more.

That was actually a bad decision on his part.

Rowan, all alight with glory, leaps into the air and surges forward with a powerful beat of her wings, swooping her blade low. “Down!” she bellows, slicing at the thing’s back-arteries with her angel sword.

The ley lines sever with a snapping pop, like powerlines getting downed. The golem lashes backward at your sister, but she flutters into the sky out of range like a sparrow.

The ley lines begin reconnecting, but not before the landwell golem loses some of its stature. Reeber and his fake-summon hellhound buddies come charging in to take advantage, butting their horns into the thing’s legs and tearing through, leaving the arcane being momentarily separated entirely from the living energy of the earth.

Xan darts in, claws slashing at the entitiy’s reforming limbs. “Have at the well!” she calls back to you.

“That’s the plan,” you say, sprinting around the distracted golem thing to rush at the well.

You feel a massive wave of power from behind you when the golem finally manages to reconnect with the ground – it disappears into the earth like a bolt of lightning, flows through the ground, and zaps back from the ground into the well just before you.

>>41073547

The well suddenly explodes again with a million tendrils, but you step into the air and leap over the top of their lunging attack and cartwheel into the air right over top the well. (-2 PP: 25) You lash out with your shadows, ignoring the searing pain of the million little jelly-fish tendrils, and stab at the landwell in the golem’s heart. (+5 Stress: 30; -2 HP: 29/34; -5 PP 20/41)

The energy sprite convulses into the landwell, screeches with pain as everything goes red.

And then it explodes.

You fly backward, smash into the rocky ground. Something hits you on the head, and that’s where things get hazy.

--

“Is she dead?”

That’s Xan.

“Probably not,” Rowan replies.

A rouge tongue starts lapping at your face.

That’s Reeber.

You sit up, dazed and a little dizzy. The whole clearing of stone is bathed in an unearthly red glow. You feel overflowing with power, and a lot of it just waves off of you in the form of fire, but you’ll figure that out later.

Your shadow feels... singed? It’s not acute or even a strong pain, but it’s pain unlike anything you’ve experienced before, and you’re not sure you like it. (+2 Stress: 32)

Still. You definitely won. You have a vauge awareness of the forest and the mountains around you, more than can be explained. And then there’s the well. You feel something writing inside of it – almost inside of you. It kind of tickles in the most bizarre way possible.

>Check for wings.
>That was different.
>Whatever I’m paying you guys, double it.
>I’m not dead, that would be stupid.
>Did you see that? It was all, whishow, skitishhkkhhrr, and then we were all like, swoop shwew tssk.
>My shadow hurts.
>I think that thing’s... still alive?
>Other (?)

>>41073589

Landwell claiming means powers and powers. Pick one.

-Infernus-
Infernal Frenzy
>When you’re close to losing control, power of terrible proportions floods your body, lending you incredible strength. (When Stress is greater than 70, your strength is doubled)
Hastened Regeneration
>Nothing can keep you down. You heal faster than ever before, recovering from wounds even in the midst of combat. (Turn 4 PP into 1 HP per combat round)
Strength of Will
>You may expend power to increase strength, converting magical power into pure physical might.

-Verwelken-
Translucency
>You can allow light to pass through you for a short period of time, making you transparent. (1 PP/ sec when moving, 0.5 PP/second when still)
Displacement
>When no one’s looking at you, you can stop being where you are and be somewhere else instead – provided that it’s close by. You don’t necessarily know where you’ll show up ahead of time, though. (4 PP cost)
Ephemeral Eye
>You can quicken your reflexes beyond what they are already, going into a heightened state in which you can act faster than the speed of thought. (8 PP, give significant bonus to reflexes for a couple seconds)

>>41073604

Unnatural Charm
>Influence others’ perceptions of you, and gain some insight as to how to manipulate them into doing what you want. (Activated power, uses PP)
Sap Strength
>Sap physical strength from the target, greatly hindering physical abilities. (Moderate cost, close range, debuff)
Cloud Thought
>Confuse target, making coherent thought much more difficult than usual and temporarily limiting cognitive skills. (Moderate cost, medium range, debuff)

Also pick one of these.

-Mix-

Stepping of the Mind
>Let your mind’s eye freely wander about your current location, disconnected from your body in a form of astral projection. (Cost: 2 PP activation, slow PP drain while active)
Shadowing Hex
>Speak sweet commands the shadow of another, turning against its host. The shadow in question becomes animate, actively fighting against its caster. Strong light limits the effects of the curse, but does not remove it. (Cost: 8 PP)
Incite Rage
>Drabble up unthinking range in nearby hearts, blinding minds and inciting violence . (Cost: 5 PP, +5 Stress)
Taste Fear
>You can now taste terror just as much as you can feel it. You are able to track by feelings of fear just as well as you can blood. (Passive)
Shadowflame
>Convert your normal fire to shadowflame, which generates heat by consuming power instead of oxygen. Light will quell or extinguish the flames. (Drains PP as long as shadowflames burn, increasing drawin with size of flames. Shadowflames extinguish when Sierra wills them to, or when she leaves the area.)

>>41073589
>I'm not dead, that would be stupid.
>Whatever I'm paying you guys, double it.
>I think that thing's... still alive?

>>41073589
>That was different.
>My shadow hurts.


>>41073604
>>41073636
>Displacement
This one is fucking perfect for Sierra. Almost every time she's bloodraged, or just gotten really close, it's been because she was trapped. Tweedy, the condapedes, the pool, all of those could have been fixed by porting the fuck away.
>Shadowing Hex
Because it's cool.

>>41073636
Unnatural Charm
>Influence others’ perceptions of you, and gain some insight as to how to manipulate them into doing what you want. (Activated power, uses PP)

>>41073604
>>41073636
Translucency

Shadowflame

>>41073636

-Mix-
Incite Rage
>Drabble up unthinking range in nearby hearts, blinding minds and inciting violence . (Cost: 5 PP, +5 Stress)

>>41073536
I READ YOUR TWEET AS PM NOT AM, THIS IS EVEN BETTER FUCK YEAH!
>Check for wings.
>I think that thing’s... still alive?
>Did you see that? It was all, whishow, skitishhkkhhrr, and then we were all like, swoop shwew tssk.

>>41073604
Hastened Regeneration
Stepping of the Mind

>>41073589
>You feel something writing inside of it – almost inside of you. It kind of tickles in the most bizarre way possible.
It's just like one of Baron's chinese cartoons.

>>41073589
>Check for wings.

>>41073604
>Displacement
>>When no one’s looking at you, you can stop being where you are and be somewhere else instead – provided that it’s close by. You don’t necessarily know where you’ll show up ahead of time, though. (4 PP cost)
Can that be timed such that, when we're dealing with a single person, we can vanish right when they blink? Because that sounds awesome.

>Stepping of the Mind
>>Let your mind’s eye freely wander about your current location, disconnected from your body in a form of astral projection. (Cost: 2 PP activation, slow PP drain while active)
Sierra has a real problem with going into places seriously lacking any intel ahead of time. This would help resolve that problem.

>>41073589
>Check for wings.
>Whatever I’m paying you guys, double it.
>I’m not dead, that would be stupid.
>My shadow hurts.

>>41073604
Unnatural Charm

Taste Fear

I REALLY want to taste our enemy's fear.

>>41073808
Probably would require a high roll to time it right. Or just bring shadows up around Sierra like a shell so they can't see her.

Regardless, it will almost certainly lead to better teleportation abilities later. It's the start of that aspect of the VE tree.

>>41073838
Right, that was my vote, to be clear. It looks fucking rad.

>>41073604
>>41073636
Unnatural Charm
Taste Fear

>>41073636
>Cloud Thought
This could be really dangerous and super useful. We should get this so hard. Our fights tend to be sort of quick, so in addition to doing almost jedi mind trick sort of things, it will be a huge boon in just about every fight.
Seriously, it will be the first thing we cast in just about every fucking combat.

>Shadowing Hex
Because it is fucking terrifying.

>>41073636
>Shadowflame
Displacement

>tfw people underestimating translucency
It's probably the single best power available. Not only does it give Sierra a daylight stealth option, it also combos insanely well with all the VE powers that only work when she's unseen. Speed boost while it's on, can use Displacement in "plain sight" if we invis, can do all kinds of shit.

>>41073923
I am wary of all the belph powers. They sound awesome when we see them here in the power selection, but then when we get them it turns out that they aren't that good. We've had people literally catch our psionic belph attacks before and crush them in their hands. It seems like they never do anything at all unless we get a super high roll with them and if we're banking on super high rolls then we may as well just go for the kill.

>>41073604
>>41073636
Unnatural Charm
>Influence others’ perceptions of you, and gain some insight as to how to manipulate them into doing what you want. (Activated power, uses PP)

Because we're starting to dabble into politics.

>>41073604
Translucency
>>41073636
Stepping of the Mind

>>41073604
>>41073636
>Displacement
>Stepping of the Mind

>>41073636
>Unnatural Charm
>Incite Rage

>Get Displacement
>Start doing the Batman thing where we disappear the second the person we're talking to turns their back on us
>Constantly say "I am the night" to bug Rowan.

>>41073604
>>41073636

Unnatural Charm
>Influence others’ perceptions of you, and gain some insight as to how to manipulate them into doing what you want. (Activated power, uses PP)

Shadowing Hex
>Speak sweet commands the shadow of another, turning against its host. The shadow in question becomes animate, actively fighting against its caster. Strong light limits the effects of the curse, but does not remove it. (Cost: 8 PP)

I'm a bit worried about our focus on Not-Infernus stuff. Don't get me wrong, sneaking around and doing Verwelken shit is super radical (also tubular) but still.

Looks like mind stepping and charm won the day.

If your favorite didn't get picked, don't worry. There are more wells in your future.

>>41074149
check for wings.

>>41074149
NOW TIME TO CHECK WINGS WHICH WE'LL NEVER EVER EVER HAVE

>>41074149
If we get shadowflame can we still create normal flame if we want to or are our flames permanently shadowflame?

>>41074147
Makes sense that people aren't voting for it, though. Look at the infernus stuff available.

>Infernal Frenzy
Only benefits us in a situation we want to avoid. Stress hitting 70+ is a mark of us doing poorly.

>Hastened Regeneration
Pointless. It's a more PP efficient to use abilities that dodge avoid or block attacks in the first place. Taking damage also means more stress. Preventing damage means less stress.

>Strength of Will
Purely limited to lifting shit. If we want more damage, apply Hellfire or Stain of Sin. It's far easier to block physical damage than corruption damage.

>>41074310
>Purely limited to lifting shit.
Actually, Languid confirmed in the .ask that strength of will can also be used to enhance jump height and distance, giving greater mobility.

Wings when?

>>41074389
Last landwell of the trip.

>>41074358
Have we ever actually been in a situation where we needed to jump better but couldn't?

I mean, that's really besides the point. The verwelken powers are by far better to invest in if you're going for mobility. And wings if we ever get them are better for getting vertical except in some niche scenarios where it's too cramped to fly but it's also impossible to climb.

>>41074416
Right there. When we infiltrated the warehouse. I dunno several other times.

Languid incorporates it into the story so we don't always vote for it. It makes it more natural.

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12 KB PNG

>>41074397
Good joke.

>>41074310
>purely limited to lifting shit

And you know, dealing more damage. Stain of sin doesn't even boost damage, it just changes damage type.

It's not like we're suddenly going to stop acumulating stress or taking damage either.

I think the VE powers are cooler too, but IF powers aren't even close to useless.

>>41074416
But with Aether Step we can now jump off imaginary surfaces so we we can do rapid change in direction whilst either jumping or flying. It allows for a greater ability to react to incoming attacks.

“I’m not dead, that would be stupid,” you say. You pat your back, hoping to find new limbs ripping through your chainmail.

Wait. What would have happened if you got wings and the chainmail was in the way? (-1 Sanity: 95)

“You appeared as if dead,” Xanissil says, breaking your line of thought.

“Appearances can be deceiving,” Rowan replies. She offers you a hand up, which you take. Your claws don’t really pose a threat to the immutable aegis of angel power coating her.

“Whatever I’m paying you guys,” you say, dusting yourself off, “double it.”

Xan perks up. “Double respect and friendship?”

Ro snorts. “No, she’s talking money. The joke is she’s not paying you anything,” she says.

“You can have double respect and friendship anytime,” you tell Xanissil.

Xan sneers at you. “Thy condescension is unbridled and full of free-giving,” she says in a haughty voice.

“Meh!” you retort. You turn your attention to the previously hostile landwell. It now floats as a shifting red orb, black in the center. “I think that thing’s kind of... still alive, maybe?” you say. “What the hell do you think it is?”

“Maybe an overgrown sprite?” says Rowan. “I’ve never heard of anything like this.”

“Well, it’s good nobody just stumbled onto it and died,” you say. “Or maybe they did, and people just thought they had heart attacks?”

Xan has another idea. “Mortals likely passed through its form with no effect. It reacted to your presence, specifically,” she says. “Perhaps it sensed the power in your blood to chain wells to your essence. We must consult Moriah – she knows much on these matters.”

“Are you good to head back?” Ro asks.

You feel sore, especially your shadowy parts. “My shadow hurts,” you say.

“You’re good to head back,” she says.

And you are.

Back at camp, you regale the whole tale for Mori and Vik, with help from others, you guess. Reeber rests his head in your lap as you talk, happy just to listen to your voice.

“It is a forest sprite,” Moriah determines.

>>41074589

“They’re attracted to life magic.”

“If that’s so, why aren’t all the wells I’ve come across sprite-infested?” you ask.

“It might have taken years for a sprite to settle in and latch to the landwell like that so it could tap into the ley lines,” says Moriah.

Vikrama jumps into the conversation. “And all your wells so far used to belong to your dad,” she says. “I bet he cleared everything out when he came to town.”

“Sprites don’t pop up just anywhere, either,” Rowan explains. “They’re a forest thing, mostly. Muir woods would be the only likely place, so maybe it’s not too crazy that one didn’t settle in over the past few years.”

“How do I get rid of it, then? I don’t want it mucking about,” you say.

“Maybe you don’t have to,” Moriah says. “It’s power comes from the landwell you control. You control the power.”

“So I control it,” you say. “You know, if it’s latched onto that landwell, and all my landwells are linked, you think I can like, move it around or summon it and stuff?”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” says Moriah. “It’s magic.”

Vikrama’s just soaking in all this talk like a sponge. “We should experiment and find out,” she says. “You can add weird energy golem thing to your deck of summons!”

You like the sound of that. “Yeah...” you say.

It’ll probably take some time to figure out, but nothing worth doing is easy, usually. Unless it is.

After a lot of talking and hotdogs, you go to sleep, hoping for wings in the morning.

There are no wings in the morning, unfortunately, but the black, ossified flesh on your limbs has crept further up, leaving you with a lot more boney skin than soft.

-Day Plans-
>Stick around the forest for a day or two and search for more wells. Maybe you can figure out how to control the sprite in your well.
>Keep on trucking. You can teleport back here anytime now you have a well here, and there’ll be more wells where you’re going.
>Other (?)

>>41074564
>it just changes damage type.
>just
It changes it to corruption damage, which is incredibly powerful because it ignores the damage resistance inherent in all things. Sierra can SoS her hand and gently push it through a block of steel like it's made of butter. Lots of things resist physical damage. Not many things resist corruption. Even fewer resist both.

>>41074597
>Stick around the forest for a day or two and search for more wells. Maybe you can figure out how to control the sprite in your well.

>>41074597
>>Stick around the forest for a day or two and search for more wells. Maybe you can figure out how to control the sprite in your well.

>>41074597
>Keep on trucking. You can teleport back here anytime now you have a well here, and there’ll be more wells where you’re going.

>>41074597
>Stick around the forest for a day or two and search for more wells. Maybe you can figure out how to control the sprite in your well.

>>41074597
>Stick around the forest for a day or two and search for more wells. Maybe you can figure out how to control the sprite in your well.
We got like three more places here to search. We are getting the maximum landwells possible out of this trip.

>>41074602
And how exactly would dealing a higher amount of this unresistable damage not be a good thing?

>>41074597
>Stick around the forest for a day or two and search for more wells. Maybe you can figure out how to control the sprite in your well.

>>41074597
>Stick around the forest for a day or two and search for more wells. Maybe you can figure out how to control the sprite in your well.

>>41074589
>Wait. What would have happened if you got wings and the chainmail was in the way? (-1 Sanity: 95)
We should ask Ro about a preemptive glamour which will keep us from accidentally shredding any new limbs/our clothing if we gain new limbs.

>>41074149
Well well well, seems like our future is WELL planned

>>41074310
It's not AMAZING but that's mostly because Infernus tree isn't as far upgraded as Verwelken.

Hey LANGUID, give us a peek at one or two Infernus abilities that are equal tier to current Verwelken. I bet that would encourage people.

>>41074659
It is a good thing, you're just overestimating how much of a good thing it is. Look at Strength of Will in terms of what it provides compared to other options. If the choice was between SoW or nothing, SoW would be the pick 100% of the time. That's not the choice, though. It's SoW or a dozen other things, and SoW just doesn't bring as much to the table.

>>41074785
Actually, we've progressed deeper into the infernus tree than the verwelken tree. Just go and look at the charsheet and count the powers if you don't believe me. You can even exclude the stuff like claws and digitigrade feet.

>>41074859
>Actually, we've progressed deeper into the infernus tree than the verwelken tree.

Whaaat? I thought for sure we'd be at least a tier or two into Verwelken over Infernus. Geeze

Roll some dice for landwell hunting.

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>41074938
Maybe Sniffer can find some more for us.
That's what I'm calling the sprite

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>41074938

Rolled 28 (1d100)

>>41074938

>>41074952
Bretty gud

And it does feed off of landwell magic so it should be pretty good at finding landwells.

So Anons, How many different dice systems do you have to keep track of?

>>41074918
>Whaaat? I thought for sure we'd be at least a tier or two into Verwelken over Infernus. Geeze
Not even close. We've way favored Infernus. But Belph is also in a distant third. We have clear tiers of favoritism.

>>41075002
Verwelken is on it's way to catching up. But we clearly favor Infernus when we were just starting out. We needed the raw power.

>>41075002
And that's not even counting the blood magic. It's far more of an [IN] thing than [VE] or [BE].

>>41075026
You can't count schools of learned magic towards our development. Greater Ball of Illuminating Light isn't going to affect our development in any way.

We should convince everyone to deglamour.

>>41075075
We're probably too casual about deglamouring as it is.

>>41074999
A bunch.

>>41075049
If it was druidism or enchanting or electromancy or some other shit, I'd agree with you, but Zeshic actually might affect things. Some of Sierra's intuitive [IN] abilities are Zeshic spells. They're already intermingled.

>>41074999
8

We got Unnatural Charm, right? I'd like to give it a whirl, see how it works.

>>41075162
>I want to use the emotional manipulation power on our friends.
I have no idea why people voted for this. We're in the woods with our friends. It's going to be useless unless we run into some people in the middle of nowhere.

I guess Languid could write us getting pulled over and UCing the cop away, but that'd feel kinda cheesy.

>>41075101
Nah. I mean out here during the day it's reasonable to stay glamoured up because this is a national park. But in the van, or at night, I think it would go a long way for everyone being more comfortable and getting closer.

Plus I love seeing Vik nerd out.

>>41075122
That's the thing, I feel like you have to treat it just like those other schools, at least as far as it affecting our development goes. I think only the "abilities" we choose will affect how we develop.

>>41074999
6

>>41075200
>I have no idea why people voted for this.
Because they had the knee-jerk reaction of 'SIERRA IS AN AWKWARD WEIRDO, LET'S FINALLY BE SOCIAL,' I assume, totally failing to realize that Sierra being a socially-awkward dork is one of her most endearing characteristics, and the fact that we'll likely literally never use it.

But whatever. We have it now.

>>41075200
It's not about usefulness but interestingness.

>>41075295
Nah, more for getting us out of sticky situations that we can't fight our way out of. Like with Satt. Or if we run into Law enforcement. Or negotiating with Halthing nobles. etc, etc

>>41075075
>>41075227
Unless I missed something, the only one still glamored up is Moriah, who will need further convincing to reveal herself to Vik.

>>41075331
>use the demon mind magic on the demon hunter
I think that might not be one of the situations where we want to use it.

>>41075343
talking about just as a standard for the trip. We only did when we went for the landwell. I assumed xan and Ro reglamoured upon returning to camp.

>>41075200
>I have no idea why people voted for this. We're in the woods with our friends.
Because it will be useful later. When we're not in the woods.

>>41075263
Remember when we learned how to Hellbolt? That was Isaac helping us with some basic forms for pyromancy. We unlocked that as a result of regular learning, not a level up and not a landwell. Didn't even go and vote for a round of power picks. Hellbolt then went on to branch into more fire shit in power picks. All of Sierra's fire powers are the exact same thing that someone'd get for starting out in pyromancy.

>>41075331
Pretty sure that throwing magic of any kind at Satt would be a bad idea.

>>41075350
You get the idea. Helps with dealing with normals a bunch.

>>41075049
How about... great balls of fire?

>>41075380
That just sped our advancement. It's something we would have developed given a little more time.

>>41075343
I'm thinking she's keeping her spooky demon secret for father (as well).

>>41075414
I wanna try and convince her. Or at least bring it up.

>>41075419
Damn right you do. Vik's reaction is something to kill for.

Also it would be good if Moriah could relax for reals around Vik too.

>>41075450
Yea

You figure you’ll stay around Sierra National Forest for a day or two. There’s plenty of places to snag wells, and you definitely want to take some time to figure out the whole sprite situation.

You take the others and wind up driving quite a lot, with hikes and lots and lots of sunscreen – not that the sun’s that bad up here in the mountains, especially with a conveniently overcast weather front. Reeber eats more than his fare share of wildlife, as do you, and you gain a lot of ground on the sprite front.

>Sprite thing: Summon your sprite/golem thing, so long as you’re on controlled territory. Free to summon at the well. Cost of one landwell charge anywhere in that well’s territory. Cost of one landwell charge to transfer the sprite to another landwell.

You also claim landwells, one in a secluded spot in kind of a public spot in Nelder grove, the other right above Rancheria Falls by Huntington Lake. The Tamarak mountain thing would take too much time to explore, so you decide with the girls to shelf that one for the time being.

At Ro’s insistence for people to swim around in the icy lake, you stop nearby in a secret, kind of out of view spot. Luckily nobody’s out boating or whatever – you’re not even sure that’s legal – but it does give you a chance to play around with some of your newish powers, while Rowan tries to coax people into the frigid water.

>>41075525

Xan, though, has already swam so far away she's almost out of sight. She disappears under the water with a small splash, likely in pursuit of fish.

You sigh and focus on yourself. You feel there’s something off, but you can’t quite put a finger on it. Every time you get close to figuring it out, the harsh daylight breaks your concentration. With the sun setting, you figure you’ll be able to figure it out when night comes.

>Unleash your summons (the non-flammable ones) and let them roam free.
>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.
>Practice doing sprite stuff with Vik. She’s surprisingly intuitive about all this magic business.
>Try to needle Moriah about revealing her demonishness.
>Do some Kethgi. All this landwell claiming is overwhelming your system.
>Kick back in the shade somewhere with Reeber and take a power nap till everybody gets bored and you can leave.
>Other (?)

-Nelder Grove Gains-

-Pick a Summon to Upgrade
>Tiger
>Hounds
>Monster
>Crabby

New Ability: Displacement

-Rancheria Falls Gains-

-New Summon- (Rancheria Falls)
>Ashwight: Super-fast shadow-surfing bloodsucker with darkness-claws, which unfortunately turns to ash in daylight. You didn’t really get a good look at it before the ash thing happened, but Mori recognized it.

New Trait: (???)

>>41075525
>not that the sun’s that bad up here in the mountains, especially with a conveniently overcast weather front
Oh look, Sierra claims a well and the land instantly starts getting less sunny.

She's subconsciously darking up the place.

>>41075548
>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.
>Mention to Ro you've had something nagging you but can't put your... claw(ed finger) on it.
>Try to needle Moriah about revealing her demonishness. Seriously, Vik's super cool with this stuff.

Summon Upgrade
>Hounds

Three royals. Imagine!

>>41075548
>Monster
Let's see how badass we can make that little bastard.

>New Trait: (???)
WINGS?

>>41075548
>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.

-Pick a Summon to Upgrade
>Crabby

>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.

>Monster

>>41075548
>Practice doing sprite stuff with Vik. She's surprisingly intuitive about all this magic business.

>Monster

>>41075548
>Crabby


>New Ability: Displacement
Fuckin' sweet.

>-New Summon- (Rancheria Falls)
>>Ashwight: Super-fast shadow-surfing bloodsucker with darkness-claws, which unfortunately turns to ash in daylight. You didn’t really get a good look at it before the ash thing happened, but Mori recognized it.
Also sweet.

>New Trait: (???)
OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT
not wings

>>41075548
>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.
>Tiger

>>41075548
>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.
>Do some Kethgi. All this landwell claiming is overwhelming your system.
Gotta break that phobia somehow.

>Monster

>>41075601
Baby bat wings

>>41075548
>Dip our toe in the water
>Make a scene about how awful it is
>Do a Jesus trot over the surface using SotA and then run back onto land
>Do some Kethgi. All this landwell claiming is overwhelming your system.

>>41075548
>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.

>>41075548
>>41075688
Also:
>Crabby

>>41075548
>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.
>Do the jesus thing like >>41075687 suggested
>Go jokingly ask Vik if she wants to help us figure out how to turn water into wine

>Tiger

>>41075548
>Join Ro in splashing around in the water, a little.

>Monster

>inb4 the new trait is our shadow growing teeth
I actually kinda want that more than wings

>>41075548
>Practice doing sprite stuff with Vik. She’s surprisingly intuitive about all this magic business.

>>41075548
>>Do some Kethgi. All this landwell claiming is overwhelming your system.

>>41075759
That sounds pretty damn cool. I personally favour cool ornamentation like that Belph halo.

>>41075759
So we become Alucard?

>>41075676
>Baby bat wings
Agreed. Tiny wings that aren't good for much other than flapping and looking adorable as fuck yet. They'll grow with future wells.

I wonder if the Field of Rust has other wells in the general area.

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>>41075787

So, are we in agreement that Harvey was right and wings aren't gonna happen until we least expect them to?

>>41075840
I guess...

I wonder if Vik can use the belph shield charm. It might be handy for her to be able to defend herself a little.

Oh wait.

We just got a 3 more wells, so that means we can precharge 3 more points worth of summons, right? So we can keep Monster, Tiger, and Ashwight all charged?

>>41075840
What does some demonbane know about wings!?

Oh... Right...

>>41075828
MY SIDES

You get out of your funk and head down the dusty slope to the water’s edge.

“Sierra knows what’s up,” says Rowan, wading out a few yards from shore, up to her neck in the emerald-clear water.

“Geronimo!” you shout, launching yourself over the water.

VIkrama gawks from the shore, and amazement fills Ro’s face.

Except instead of actually going into the water, you land on your feet a couple inches above the surface, and tip toe out a few steps until you’re almost in front of Rowan, and then you turn tail and high-tail it back to shore before you lose your nerve.

Rowan splashes angrily at your back, catching the tips of your tail spines. “Lame!”

“I honestly don’t know what I was expecting,” says Vikrama, as you come back to her side.

You snicker to yourself and plant yourself firmly on the shore, just enough so you can toe the water with a claw.
Moriah makes a quiet but amused sound from her rocky perch further up the slope, then goes back to writing or drawing in her sketchbook thing.

“You want to help me figure out how to turn water into wine next?” you ask Vik.

“Out of all the things you can do, that’s not one of them, darling,” Vikrama replies, cradling something small and papery in her hands. “Know your limits.”

>>41076219
>“Out of all the things you can do, that’s not one of them, darling,”
Nah, I'm pretty sure we just add some grapes and stuff to it and wait a while.

>>41076219

“Screw limits, I’m ultimate power,” you say. You crane your neck so you can see what she’s doing.

“Behold, the anima!” she says, allowing you a look. In her hands, she has a little paper crane. Except the crane is flapping its wings and looking this way and that?

“Cool. Can it fly?”

“Of course not, it’s origami, not a real bird,” she says, focusing her attention on her abomination.

>What if you made it out of birds instead of paper? Meat anima.
>Is this going to be your signature spell? Like. Animated things? You could pull Mickey Mouse’s broom apocalypse.
>Huh. That’s a neat trick. All I can do is shock people and set stuff on fire with the power of my thoughts.
>Is that thing like... aware?
>Steal her origami creature for closer inspection.
>Other (?)

[Monster is chosen.]

>>41076303
>Is this going to be your signature spell? Like. Animated things? You could pull Mickey Mouse’s broom apocalypse.

>>41076303
>What if you made it out of birds instead of paper? Meat anima.
>Is this going to be your signature spell? Like. Animated things? You could pull Mickey Mouse’s broom apocalypse.
>Huh. That’s a neat trick. All I can do is shock people and set stuff on fire with the power of my thoughts.
>Is that thing like... aware?

>>41076303
I'm so tempted to Corrupting Hex it just to be an asshole.
>Gawk at paper burd
>Is that thing like... aware?

>>41076303
>>Is this going to be your signature spell? Like. Animated things? You could pull Mickey Mouse’s broom apocalypse.
>Is that thing like... aware?

>>41076303
>Is that thing like... aware?

>>41076303
>What if you made it out of birds instead of paper? Meat anima.

>>41076303
>Is that thing like... aware?
>Is this going to be signature spell? Like. Animated things? You could pull Mickey Mouse's broom apocalypse.

>>41076303
>Cool crane.
>What if you made one of those strings of paper people cutouts? Could they line dance?
>...
>...
>...how long's Xan been underwater?

>>41076303
>Is this going to be your signature spell? Like. Animated things? You could pull Mickey Mouse’s broom apocalypse.

>>41076303
>>What if you made it out of birds instead of paper? Meat anima.
>>Is this going to be your signature spell? Like. Animated things? You could pull Mickey Mouse’s broom apocalypse.
We should definitely have Vik help us scare the piss out outta Baron upon our return

>>41076303
>Have you tried animating a plant? They're, like, proto-paper and stuff.

I get the feeling that Vik would quickly become really bullshit if she had hax blood.

>inb4 Vik gets paper origami wings from the landwell boon if we find one

>>41076303
What's gonna happen to Monster?

Also could we let our summons roam a bit? Let them stretch their legs?

>>41076635
Goes from Imp to Incubus.

>>41076645
Oh dear

>>41076635
Maybe like a Gargoyle?

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40 KB JPG

>>41076804
Will he have a voice?

>>41076903
Will he have Monsters voice?

It's just gonna be a slightly bigger, meaner imp.

>>41076920
I'm thinking it'll be at least the size of a child.

>>41076948
I hope not. We use the thing for spying and recon. Bigger isn't necessarily better. The best thing that could happen is for it to get some kind of invisibility or incorporate our shadows into it somehow. But that's probably not going to happen, so I'd settle for faster.

Or, hell, maybe it'll learn how to 'rocket' propel itself with fire bursts.

>>41076948
That would be awful. It would lose all of its spotting utility, then.

>>41076982
>>41077015
Ashwight is perfect for spying. I want Monster to actually be useful beyond "go look at shit from a distance" Think of his namesake

>>41076804

“Is this going to be the thing you do?” you ask, gesturing to the bird. “Like. You know, animated things.”

“I like it, so maybe,” she says. “I’d like to try out more schools of magic before specializing my whole life into paper cranes.”

Your thoughts are elsewhere, though. “Can you make it so that if cut that crane in half, it regrows into two cranes? And then the apocalypse?”

“Sure. It’s just a flick of the wrist,” Vikrama says, laughing.

The little crane looks up at you and flaps its little tiny wings. So. Cool. You stick a claw in its little face, allowing it to peck at your nail. “It’s like it’s aware,” you say. “That’d be a crappy life existence.”

“It’s merely doing an impression of me, darling,” says Vikrama. “I animate things with a little bit of myself. Think of it like software on a computer, except instead of software, it’s magic, and instead of a computer, it’s anything I want.”

“Anything?” you ask. “Like. Could you animate a dead bird into a live bird?”

“I think... it’s easier with things that aren’t already alive,” she says, tossing the crane up so that it can glide back down into her palm. “Or that were once alive. Paper’s easy to imprint on. I think it’s because it’s meant to receive ideas and information – or that’s what Moriah told me.”

“Aw. So I guess you can Borya can’t team up and make redwoods start stomping around ent style,” you say. Although you suspect he’s actually capable of that on his own.

“Trees should stay where they grew up,” Vikrama says.

Moriah pipes up from the back. “Trees don’t like moving.”

“The Moriah has spoken,” you intone ominously. You turn your attention to gaze out at the water. “How long’s Xan been - ”

Xanissil bursts out from below the depths like a shark, a bloodied fish thrashing in her teeth. Reeber swims out to meet her, hungry eyes on the fish.

“Yeah! Teach those fish their place!” you cheer.

Vik offers a golf clap, while down in the water, Ro strains to see what’s going on.

>>41077066

And... while nobody's around, you figure you know some guys who'd enjoy it, too.

You let your summons out so they can enjoy being material in the scenic wonders of the wild. Crabby basks in the sun nearby, content with doing nothing, while the hounds leap into the water and Monster hangs out in the trees.

This park’s not half bad.

--

Many, many hours later, it’s the night, and Moriah’s at the wheel, with you riding shotgun. Everybody else is dead asleep in the back. It’s a long drive back from the mountains to the Pacific, but you will drive the windy bends of scenic highway 1, or you will die trying.

Luckily you got your sleep on already, and Moriah is somehow immune to fatigue.

The off-kilter feeling you have is still kind of inexplicable, and the darkness actually didn’t help. There’s too many people around you, crowding in your thoughts. You’ll figure it out when you have a minute alone – maybe when you wind up stopping for the night. It’s nearing midnight, and nobody can drive forever, even if they want to.

You stretch a little, finding that even with your feet up on the dashboard and with your seat leaned back, you don’t have enough room.

Moriah’s eyes shine like glass in the dark, reflecting the lights on the empty road stretching off forever. She’s in a thoughtful state, and you sense a kind of underlining tension in her. It isn’t exactly a good feeling, and it’s kind of unsettling you. (+1 Stress: 11)

>I can drive for a bit, if you want.
>You’re stressing out about something.
>Three landwells in a couple days. Not bad, huh?
>If Vikrama wasn’t so super vanilla, she’d get stupidly powerful real fast.
>I’m having a blast with all this. Thanks for coming along and all that.
>Maybe just leave her to her thoughts. She gets like this sometimes.
>Practice listening to your landmaster senses.
>Try to figure out this weird feeling of yours.
>Other (?)

>>41077107
>>You’re stressing out about something.
Moriahs problems then ours.

I suspect this whole "not enough room this" is us growing another part. We did just get three landwells in 2 days.

>>41077107
>You’re stressing out about something.
>I can drive for a bit, if you want.

>>41077107
>You’re stressing out about something.

>Try to figure out this weird feeling of yours.

>>41077107
>>I can drive for a bit, if you want.
>>Three landwells in a couple days. Not bad, huh?
Get her talking
>>If Vikrama wasn’t so super vanilla, she’d get stupidly powerful real fast.
>>I’m having a blast with all this. Thanks for coming along and all that.
then segue into
>>You’re stressing out about something.

>>41077107
>I can drive for a bit, if you want.

>>41077107
>>You’re stressing out about something.

>>41077107
>"You know what I like about the dark? The shadows everywhere...they remember things to. Sometimes, they even tell me. It's nice, standing someplace at night, and knowing earlier that day a family was going on a casual hike. They didn't know that, at that tim, I was slaughtering a deer only a few hundred yards away.

>>41077107
Offer to drive then bring u something small and inconsequential to start a conversation. Then move into what has been bothering her. Then if things are okay ask what was up when she showed up all bloodied up.

>>41077159
Or maybe growing taller? Maybe we'll end up Ranthix tall! But not as muscly

>>41077107
>Maybe just leave her to her thoughts. She gets like this sometimes.
>Practice listening to your landmaster senses.
>Try to figure out this weird feeling of yours.

>>41077159
>I suspect this whole "not enough room this" is us growing another part
It is wings.

Tiny useless head wings.

>>41077368
>wanting to be Ranthix-tall as a girl
No. We want to be badass, not huge.

>>41077107
Hey Languid. Have some American landscape Beauty for roadtrip inspiration. http://imgur.com/a/NP5hC#7

“I can drive for a bit, if you want,” you say.

“No. I’m fine,” she says.

“You sure?” you ask.

“Ignore what I’m feeling,” she tells you, seeing through your clever ruse.

“Little hard for me to ignore you stressing out.”

“I have faith in your ability to try,” she says flatly.

>Whatever, I guess. (Leave her be.)
>Well, if you want to talk about anything – you know, literally anything, talk to me, got it?
>This is about you showing up all beat up and stuff a couple days back, isn’t it.
>You did actually want to come along, right?
>You don’t have to get all passive aggressive at me. I’m just trying to look out for you.
>I’m not trying to pry into your business or anything. Friends just ask friends about stuff, sometimes.
>Other (?)

>>41077618
>Well, if you want to talk about anything – you know, literally anything, talk to me, got it?

>>41077618
>>Well, if you want to talk about anything – you know, literally anything, talk to me, got it?
Then leave it at that.

>>41077618
>I’m not trying to pry into your business or anything. Friends just ask friends about stuff, sometimes
>Well, if you want to talk about anything – you know, literally anything, talk to me, got it?

>>41077618
>Whatever, I guess. (Leave her be.)

>>41077618
>Well, if you want to talk about anything – you know, literally anything, talk to me, got it?

>>41077618
>This is about you showing up all beat up and stuff a couple days back, isn’t it.

>>41077618
>"And yet, not in my ability to be a good friend. Seriously, what's up? Boy troubles?"

>>41077618
>Whatever, I guess. (Leave her be.)

>>41077618
>>If you say so. (Leave her be.)

>>41077618
>This is about you showing up all beat up and stuff a couple days back, isn’t it.

>>41077618
>This is about you showing up all beat up and stuff a couple days back, isn’t it.
>It's okay to talk about stuff with me, you know? I may be the Imperiate to rule them all but I'm still you friend. Let me help you, Mori.
>Don't make me tickle you with my shadow.

>>41077107
>I can drive for a bit, if you want.
>>You’re stressing out about something.

“Well, if you want to talk about anything – you know, literally anything, talk to me, got it?” you say, your voice quiet, but firm. “Like, even if it’s trouble with boys or drugs or I don’t even know.”

“It’s nothing like that,” she replies, her voice barely audible, even for you.

You’re unsure if she’s trying to hint something to you, or if you should just leave her be. But you didn’t get this far by not acting. “Is it about that time I saw you all beat up?” you ask, glancing back to make sure everybody’s firmly asleep.

Moriah seems to come to a decision. “We need to stop,” she says. And with the words, you can feel a tangle of her emotions creek out from their prison within her. Anger and sadness and... fear?

You have no idea how to take her words, and that’s kind of not something you’re used to. (+4 Stress: 15)

>Fine, whatever. Sorry I asked. Just... I’m here, so don’t forget it.
>You’re kind of freaking me out right now.
>Are you talking something about the trip?
>Stop what? I’m not a freaking mind reader.
>Geeze. Where’s this all coming from?
>Stop what? Stop trying to get wings? Stop talking?
>I'm the one Imperiate to rule them all. Stopping anything's not really an option for me.
>I suck with this secrecy and guessing stuff, Mori. You know that. Can’t you just... say stuff I understand?
>Other (?)

[I need to go, unfortunately. Thread tomorrow at a similar time, I think. I'll twitter when I know.]

>>41078152
>Fine, whatever. Sorry I asked. Just... I’m here, so don’t forget it.
>But keeping this to yourself is going to snap you in half some day.

I bet it's like her mom's ghost or something!

Also I'm inclined to ask if Mr .Crowther hits her just to lure her to tell the actual problem but that'd be super bad, right?

Also thanks for running, matey arrrr

Wolfgang is secretly an abusive werewolf brother calling it now.

>>41078152
>Fine, whatever. Sorry I asked. Just... I’m here, so don’t forget it.

>>41078152
>Fine, whatever. Sorry I asked. Just... I’m here, so don’t forget it.

>>41078152
>>I suck with this secrecy and guessing stuff, Mori. You know that. Can’t you just... say stuff I understand?

>>41078213
I don't think accusing her father of beating her would be a good idea

>>41078152
>Sure just pull over on the left.

>>41078152
>You’re kind of freaking me out right now.

>>41078152
>I suck with this secrecy and guessing stuff, Mori. You know that. Can’t you just... say stuff I understand?

>>41078152
>Other (?)
I know what it's like to have done stuff that you aren't proud of.

>>41078152
>>Fine, whatever. Sorry I asked. Just... I’m here, so don’t forget it.

>>41078152
>Stop what? I’m not a freaking mind reader.
>I suck with this secrecy and guessing stuff, Mori. You know that. Can’t you just... say stuff I understand?

The punchline, of course, is that she means the vehicle needs to stop because she has to pee or something equally mundane.

I actually think she just means that we need to stop the vehicle. Just not sure for what reason.

>>41078238
what if actually werewolf?

>>41078396
Thats why I voted >>41078263

>>41078401
Moriah confirmed for Manbearpig

Can't wait to see the updated shit in the paste and the updated charpic.
Hopefully lawnman remembers to add the magic items to the list up at the top.

>>41078263
voting this.

>People think we offended her
>It's actually a chupacabra dead in the street

>>41078263
I can second this. Bit late tho.

>>41078578
Vote to have her pull the car over. If it's Sierra being stupid she'll just sigh.

If it's serious she'll pull over. problem solved.

>>41078263
I'll vote for this too.

>>41078242
>>41078246
>>41078259
>>41078266
>>41078269
>>41078284
>>41078282
>>41078284
>>41078323

She said “We need to stop,”

As in We collectively. Not Sierra stop.

We.

So she's probably talking about the car guys.

>>41079208
Somethings wrong with the car? Is it the check engine light?

>>41079221
>>41079208
She probably needs to do something important. Go vent off some death energy or some shit.

>>41079221
That the one that looks like a submarine? Or the one that looks like an angry little man?

>>41079244
Or the ghost is about to merc her.. for ghost reasons.. or we forgot Xan. She's lonely and she has realized that we did not double the amount of friendship and respect we pay her.

>>41079573
submarine

>>41079573
Now im just imagining that she and her brother get gold star stickers from Sierra and Ranthix.

>>41078152
>Stop what? I’m not a freaking mind reader.
>You’re kind of freaking me out right now.

>>41079208
Or we need to stop with the trip or stop hunting landwells or stop being friends or stop BEING or I DON'T KNOW SOMETHING MORE HORRIBLE MAYBE.

>>41075828
Fuck. You.

>>41079244
Or take one. A shit.

>>41078263
Seconding.

This makes sense. If she needs to 'vent' we would TOTALLY understand.

>>41078152
The lawn cometh?

>>41085670
I-is

Did the lawn win?

>>41085670
>>41087024
Are you two seriously going to keep bumping this until next session? It's pointless, Languid always starts a new thread. You're just making it so that there will be 2 up at once.

>>41087052
I actually didn't see the next thread tomorrow thing and just thought he'd fallen asleep

fuck