You flip open the Codex in your free hand. The verdant pages flip themselves until a water-stained page comes to rest. Between the crinkles you can see the outlines of darting fish on the page. According to the codex, you've either found a spring of mountain fish or a very, very nasty Trapdoor Devourer.

Victory to the brave, you suppose.

> You've got your spear for a reason. Go fishing.
> Dive in and see what's in store for you.
> Fire a blade from Dawning Zephyr to soften up any resistance first.
> Consult with one of your spirits.
> Write-in

–-

You are Osyki, journeyman Totemist and first line of defense for your village against the rabid Behemoths wandering the land. Your master, the previous Totemist, fell in a battle against a terrible Behemoth, leaving the duty of defending your settlement to you. After an incredible breakthrough you have set out to gather materials for a uniquely powerful totem, one which promises to make defending your home ever easier.

[[Previous Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=totem

Plot Summary: http://pastebin.com/dqBSNUTM

The Cast Thus Far / Binder's Log: http://pastebin.com/VsJpEUx3

Ask: ask.fm/DiarcaEXE

Wiki in progess: http://totemistquest.pbworks.com

Quest Twitter: @TotemistQuest]]

>>44791658
>Fire a blade from Dawning Zephyr to soften up any resistance first.

Hey you might want to early archive. There has been deliberate misarchiving the past couple days.

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Aww yeah
> Consult with one of your spirits.

>>44791701

[[Thanks for the heads up, anon. We're all set.]]

>>44791713

[[ But which one?]]

>>44791658
>Fire a blade from Dawning Zephyr to soften up any resistance first.
Just like dynamite fishing. I wonder if we will ever run into one of those mimic monsters. We often hear about them.

>>44791740
Amal, Thane, Boand or heck maybe even the Rock Turtle, maybe let him see his pack roam for a while so he can see for himself that they're doing fine, might backfire on us if he gets salty

>>44791658
> You've got your spear for a reason. Go fishing.

>>44791780
>might backfire on us if he gets salty
Whats he going to do? Not talk to us any more?

>>44791658
> Fire a blade from Dawning Zephyr to soften up any resistance first.
We don't actually have many hunting-type bindings, do we? Only Raptor + Bow, which only works with warm-blooded creatures, I think.

>>44791856
Ykree and bow would work wouldnt it?

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You plant your spear in the soft dirt surrounding the lake. Dawning Zephyr sings a hymn in the chord of discordant, breathy screams as you draw it free from its scabbard, the very air around it beginning to seethe and split as you spin it once in your grasp.

You draw your sword arm across your chest. For a moment, you can feel the Skyscythe Drake's coils wrapped around you. Shimmering scales ripple past your mind's eye. A thin, utterly black pupil set into merciless eyes of predator gold.

You swing and the wind cries out in terror. A blade of rippling air erupts from the tip of your sword, slamming into the lake with a muffled -thump-. A fine spray of mist immediately geysers upward. With the strength of Cordia backing your arms the crescent of screaming air momentarily splits the lake neatly in two. You can see your quarry for a moment by the iridescent gleam of scales exposed too suddenly to the harsh daylight.

Other things in the lake are revealed, too: the hooked tendrils of predatory boulderfish, the blue-brown gleam of lakebed seaweed, and for a moment the faintest hint of something glowing.

The water collapses inward again, the lakes surging its borders from the violent disturbance. Shell-shocked fish float to the surface, stunned and gasping for air, and you waste no time spearing them and setting them aside on a flattened stone nearby.

> Dive in and investigate the source of that glow.
> Hunt a few more springfish. You want a glut of materials.
> Set to work scaling what you've already gathered first.
> Consult with one of your spirits.
> Write-in

>>44792014
> Dive in and investigate the source of that glow.

>>44792014
>> Set to work scaling what you've already gathered first.

>>44792014
How big is a boulder fish?

>>44792014
>> Dive in and investigate the source of that glow.

>>44792014
>Dive in and investigate the source of that glow.
The fish arent going to go anywhere.

>>44792076

ALRUANE'S CODEX: Boulderfish

"Mountain-dwelling predatory icthyoids. Boulderfish are primarily carnivorous predators dwelling in high-altitude reservoirs or underground caverns. The most distinctive feature of these creatures is the pair of hooked tendrils sprouting from either side of their mouths. These tendrils are dual-purposed: they aid in hunting where the Boulderfish uses them to spear and ensnare prey, and they assist in mobility. The barbs of a Boulderfish tendrils are hollow. When compressed, the barbs secrete a highly reactive fluid capable of boring through solid stone. The creature's common appellation, then, comes from its habit of making its home within large underground boulders. Boulderfish commonly grow to between one and two feet long from snout to tail."

>>44792014
>Hunt a few more springfish. You want a glut of materials.
If we dive in, I'm entirely sure when we come back up, we'll find that all the fish are gone, from the mountain scavengers.

>>44792171
Neat.

>>44792014
> Set to work scaling what you've already gathered first.

>>44792171
So they're a cross between catfish and jellyfish, only much much worse. Neat. We should send Quinn up to hunt one of these once he's properly initiated, I think it would be a good totem for his fighting style.

That glow in the lakebed is reminiscent of something. You can't put your finger quite on what it is, but you've seen that color fill the air before. You glance back to where the fish are quietly baking in the sun, some of them still gasping for air. Worst case scenario, you need to grab a few more from the water. You're deep enough in the Ikrins that the only scavenger you're really worried about it a flight of birds. You place a ring of stones around your catch to keep them from flopping back to freedom in the lake, then lay your bag over them. Your pack will smell like fish for a few days, but hopefully you'll keep them from being snatched up.

You shed your boots and your bow by your pack, then return to the water's edge. A false rain still plummets quietly into the water, though not even the bravest fish currently wants to come to the surface to investigate. You take a deep breath, release it, then breathe in again and dive into the lake.

The water is somewhat murky given the recent disturbance, but even through the swirling clouds of silt you can make out a faint glow below you. You keep close to the surface as you swim out past the shoreline, dipping up every so often to take another breath. When you're confident that you're nearly directly above the strange luminescence you steal one more lungful of air and spiral into the depths.
(cont.)

>>44792490

Fish scatter as you make your approach. It's difficult to swim dextrously with your spear and your sword weighing you down, but sinking is of little difficulty to you. You finally settle to a stop on the silty lakebed. Your feet sink deep into the sand as you come to rest.

You kneel down and scrape the mud away until the source of the light reveals itself. A shimmering crystal is lodged in the lakebed. It's clearly a rough thing, uncut and covered with muck, but from deep within its facets a cyan glow radiates outward. It reminds you nothing so much as your first focus—the glow is nearly identical to the Elder Turtle's horn. You tug at the crystal but it seems to be lodged firm.

> Curious, but ultimately you don't feel like drowning today. Return to the surface.
> You can't leave this here. Yank it free of the lakebed.
> You can approach this intelligently. Use you spear to pry it free.
> Write-in

>>44792511
> Curious, but ultimately you don't feel like drowning today. Return to the surface.
I'm guessing this is probably a similar elemental node to what was in the mine. Diarca hinted that proximity to that node was what caused the Rock Turtles to mutate, so if this thing is of the same glow it's probably related. That, or it's just the very tip of the horn of a behemoth-sized Rock Turtle that's sleeping below the lake. Hopefully it's not that.

>>44792511
> You can approach this intelligently. Use you spear to pry it free.

>>44792511
>> Write-in
Amal, can you guess what this is? Maybe call Boand as well. Didn't the ykree gives some underwater breathing thing? or was it a floating thing?

>>44792511
>> You can approach this intelligently. Use you spear to pry it free.

>>44792511
Use our strength enhancing binding and pull it out

>>44792511
>You can approach this intelligently. Use you spear to pry it free.
Its probably worth getting whatever it is.

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>>44792548
>that node was what caused the Rock Turtles to mutate
>yfw fish that can cast electricity.
>yfw Osiky jumped into a lake with electric boulderfishs

>>44792511
>You can approach this intelligently. Use you spear to pry it free.
Totem reagent, yes?

>>44792651
Or maybe we could use it with a spirit like that elemental earth with cordia

>>44792668
>double lightning rock tortoise

>>44792698
Lightning Drake

Feeling it best not to lay your bare hands on a potentially electrified crystal you consider your alternatives. You swing Modi's spear around as quickly as the crushing depths around you will allow, planting its head in the muck beside the gem. It's difficult to dig in your heels without traction, and the blade of your weapon isn't exactly suited to the task, but you manage to shove the weapon's point far enough into the lakebed silt that it should be positioned below the sparkling crystal.

You square your shoulders, feeling Cordia's might surge down your arms, and push down on the end of your spear.

The crystal shudders. Your arms strain, and you can feel the air in your lungs beginning to burn in protest, but slowly the embedded rock begins to slip upward. As it moves there is a surge of light from within it. A numbing cloud of sparks swims in the water around the gem, forcing you to retreat as it settles back into the ooze, albeit not quite so firmly. You can feel your skin tingling from the latent charge in the water.

You have no choice but to dislodge your spear and return to the surface. Sucking in a greedy gasp, you reconsider.

You don't presently have the tools on you to survive an electric shock at the bottom of a lake. You'll need to reconsider and return. Unless...

> You should have all the tools you need. Another binding will make short work of this. (Which?)
> You can enlist the aid of a nearby spirit. (The Emperor / The Cloud Shepherds / Write-in)
> No. You will need return later. You have what you came for.
> Write-in

>>44793160
> No. You will need return later. You have what you came for.
Don't get greedy. Osyki's got enough on his plate already, let's not get sidetracked with this crystal.

>>44793160
> Write-in
Could we Use one of Cordia's bindings to just seel it into a mud ball, and pull it up?
Barring that, just make a net.

>>44793160
> You should have all the tools you need. Another binding will make short work of this. (Which?)
Blessing of the elder turtle

>>44793160
Its a pity we dont have a chair with us. We could use the golem things to pull it out. Maybe we could make one out of twigs?

>>44793160
> No. You will need return later. You have what you came for.

>>44793268
Let's try this. The forcefield should protect us.

>>44793251
Her mask could potentially let us just raise it out of the water on a pillar of earth.

>>44793322
Or it could wind up zapping us even worse, since it's a forcefield made of electricity.

>>44793348
I like this plan.

>>44793348
That could work. Stonesinging it up out of the water would be viable, though not good for our corruption level.

>>44793160
here's the spreadsheet again: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nclxsghdlRE4di7cLT5UkRZhlhOSyXcDqxqvVzsVg6c/edit?usp=sharing

One thing we will want is the Fisherman's Wrap

>>44793368
Wouldnt we be getting corrupted anyway seeing as we are already using the gloves

>>44793417
>>doc

How have we not combined more stuff with the buckler yet...?

>>44793483
Mostly due to a fighting style based more around mobility than tanking hits. Having a shield hasn't been a big priority for Osyki. Though considering how often he gets badly wounded fighting, it really should be.

>>44793160
>> No. You will need return later. You have what you came for.

>>44793517
Well, compared to a full shield, a buckler is all about dextrous defense. Next time we go on a binding spree, I know what Im trying.
That and Emperors Crown things.

>>44793348
Backing this

>>44793432
As far as I am aware/remember, it's only when we channel earth energy ourself (often done cordia's assistance) that we get corruption, cordia's binding being a focus, but not necessarily the source.
Kind of like a lamp pluged in to a wall, the power is used there, but it's not where it comes from

Making your way back to shore is a much more arduous process than swimming out. The added weight of your spear and the way your muscles bunch and relax at random intervals from the lingering electricity nearly sends you under a few times. You haul yourself onto the shore, thankful that the majority of your clothing is a binding and therefore incapable of being too waterlogged. Once the last of the lakewater has seeped from your trousers you set about considering a plan.

You have a number of tools that could potentially aid you in dredging the crystal from the lakebed, all with their drawbacks. A shield of some sort could protect you from the shock, though getting the crystal out of the lake would still be tricky. You could remotely raise the crystal, but that lacks the accuracy of a hands-on approach.

You weigh the options and decide a lack of electrocution wins out over a lot of time wasted. You strip Cordia from your cloak in a flash of emerald light, thankful for the heavy mantle's warmth around you as the sun dries your sodden hair.

You pull the mask out of your pack and press the sealed earth sphere to it. The Litany of Unity melds the two into the twinned crystals of Stonesinger's Visage. You inhale deeply, channeling as much spiritual presence as you can into your lungs while resisting the urge to cough up any remaining lakewater.

You start slowly. A hum sends the dirt around you spiraling into crazed fractalline patterns, a rising pitch that slowly spreads beneath the waters of the lake before you. You've never been much of a singer. The lake roils and splashes before you as the power of your voice echoes out into the water, suffusing the lake with a faint green glow.

> Roll 1d100 to raise the crystal from the lake!

>>44793417
I think the obvious choice would be binding our rock turtle to an amulet.

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>44794075

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>44794075

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>44794075

>>44794082
Doesn't that let us shoot little balls of lightning or was that something else?

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>44794075
If this fails, then Amal + Stonesingers Visage should do it.

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>44794075
rollin

>>44794130
That's Elder Turtle+bracelet.

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The intonations of your voice echo powerfully into the lake before you. Ripples shudder spontaneously at the surface of the water where the spiritual disruption is enough to displace the water. You drone a level, hollow tune—not a dirge, but a stable address. Your tone shifts steadily upward as you keep your pitch and key level. At your forehead and the hollow of your throat the Visage glows emerald. An impossible circle of tessellated triangles etches itself into the dirt at your feet as you call upon the earth itself to deliver your prize to you.

>71

The lake bubbles and ripples at your command. You can feel the lakebed below oozing upward, a silty pustule rising from the undisturbed floor bearing a sparkling pearl within. The composition of the fine sand makes it difficult to coerce and command, but you persist for long minutes, song unbroken. You take your breaths where you can quickly in the spaces between flat notes.

Eventually the water in the midst of the lake bulges. A small nodule of lake sand crowns the surface of the water, a volatile cyan glow barely concealed within it. You tie the song off with another bar, commanding the earth with a sense of leaden finality. When your voice finally goes still the tiny island begins to slowly disintegrate.

Wasting no time you utilize your boots and leap across the surface of the lake. The sand nearly recedes entirely into the lake as you touch down atop it, but you have plenty of time to pluck the fist-sized crystal from the dirt and backflip back to shore before it dissolves entirely.

The crystal buzzes faintly against your skin. You can feel the energies barely contained within it, even through the Bollide Bracers.

> [[Obtained Potent Lightning Crystal.]]

> That's enough for one trip into the mountains. Scale your fish and head for home.
> You're not quite done yet. Make camp here and explore a little further.
> Consult with one of your spirits. (Which?)
> Write-in

>>44794075
why not doublebind cordia and amal into mask, it should help it greatly

>>44794416
> That's enough for one trip into the mountains. Scale your fish and head for home.

>>44794416
> That's enough for one trip into the mountains. Scale your fish and head for home.

>>44794416
> Consult with one of your spirits. Amal -What is Crystal?

>>44794416
> That's enough for one trip into the mountains. Scale your fish and head for home.

>>44794416
> Consult with one of your spirits.
Amal and Cordia -- is this what I think it is, and is it something I can mess with?

>>44794416
>> You're not quite done yet. Make camp here and explore a little further.
A cave devourer would make a great focus if we could find one

>>44794416
> That's enough for one trip into the mountains. Scale your fish and head for home
We can consult and research when we get back home

You wrap the buzzing crystal in cloth and stow it in an unoccupied pocket of your bag. The fish themselves are a little crushed by the weight of your travelling pack, but the scales you're looking for are just fine. You set to work peeling rows of shimmering scales from the sides of springfish with your razor-edged ritual knife. You pocket a few more odds and ends for your trouble while you're at it.

> [[Exotic material obtained: Springfish Shimmerscales.]]

> [[Exotic material obtained: Boulderfish Borefluid.]]

> [[Exotic material obtained: Springwater Cloudweed.]]

The sun is high overhead at this point, teetering toward its descent to the far end of the horizon. You haul your pack onto your shoulder and turn to head home. No sense overextending yourself. Not every trip needs to end in some grand-spanning adventure off the ends of the map.

Just most of them.

Cloudwalker's Stride propels you through the low-lying valleys surrounding the mountains. The last of the mists have burned away from the peaks, now, and the sun shines past the meager clouds this crisp autumn afternoon has to offer. As you go, you consult with Amal and Cordia.

“Most interesting,” Amal comments as he flies to keep pace beside you. “It appears to be trapped. Something related to the structure of this crystal has snared raw energy in solid form. It's not pure elemental, per-se, not like an anomaly of any sort, but the energy trapped within may well be.”

Cordia nods. She's perched on a cloud of swirling malachite chips, studying the crystal in her grasp intently. “I've seen crystals like this deep beneath the earth,” she says. One jade nail taps gently at the apex of the gem. “I've never seen one charged like this, though. They're usually hollow inside. I didn't realize they had such potential. Theoretically, we could harness the uncharged crystals.”
(cont.)

>>44795065

“Assuming Grisoch's miners could reach that depth,” Amal chimes in. “Osyki hardly has the time to be scrabbling in the dirt for reagents.”

Cordia nods. “We'll see.” You can see the careful stone mask of her face twitch ever so slightly in annoyance. “You could harness this sort of energy for all kinds of things. Conducted appropriately...”

The two of them theorize back and forth all the way back to the village.

You arrive on the Grisoch side of the mountains mid-afternoon. Long shadows already stretch from the Ikrins toward your village as you descend the slope toward it. The Slayers at the gates don't bother winching the archway open for you. You give them a half-salute as you vault overhead.

> Return to the workshop. You have more totems to build.
> Head out to the practice field. You haven't done any experimenting yet today.
> Check in with your apprentices.
> Spend some time meditating.
> Write-in

>>44795086
> Return to the workshop. You have more totems to build.
Hopefully we'll get something viable out of it, this time.

>>44795086
>Return to the workshop. You have more totems to build.
Time for science!

>>44795086
So it’s a sort of battery?

Would it (or something made from it) make a good binding for the Turtle? Is it even stable enough to let us work it?

>>44795086
>> Check in with your apprentices.
We still need two more ingredients for the manifold totem, I think? Maybe we can send them to get one and get the other ourselves.

>>44795086
> Return to the workshop. You have more totems to build.

>>44795086
> Head out to the practice field. You haven't done any experimenting yet today.
Bind turtle to the crystal

>>44795086
> Return to the workshop. You have more totems to build.
Let's see if our luck is better this time.

>>44795086
> Return to the workshop. You have more totems to build.
Could we work in some use of that thing we found in Ayren's notes last time, about figuring out the nature of spirits,so we could use it to better bind stuff?

>>44795350
Lets just turn it into a magic nuke

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[[ Okay folks. As announced on Twitter my prior obligations call to me. We will continue the thread when I return, or if it isn't on the board still, I'll start a part 2 thread. Apologies for the abrupt departure--feel free to spitball totem ideas and plan for the rest of the day while I'm out. I'll read over your consensus and work with it upon my return.]]

>>44795482
No problem. See you later, Diarca.

Let's get this ball rolling. We still need to check on how Tryd is doing on his trip to the general and we still need to hear back from the moon people about the road. Those are two big fat time limits that we have to work against. Other than that we can split our time between three things.
1) Beefing up the village defenses
2) Hunting a behemoth
3) Experimenting with spirits

I'm in favor of 2, 1, 3 in descending order of importance.

>>44795723
I'd prefer to work on 1, first, because enshrining Cordia would likely have some benefits for the village's defenses but would also unlock another drawer. The behemoth token that Ayren used might be in there, which would mean that hunting a behemoth of our own wouldn't be necessary. In fact, I'd rather put behemoth hunting off until after we hear back from Pointsmar and Eluneia. In the even that the token isn't in the next drawer, which is admittedly somewhat likely, I'd want to have backup when going against an ancient god-beast. Saeri and Tybald would be welcome company on such a hunt.

>>44795482
Thanks for running!
>>44795723
we can't check on tryd unless we send someone else after him, recalling him would reset his progress. Everything else I agree with.

>>44795864
This is also my priority -- working on our best lead for the behemoth token and enhancing the village's defenses is a great use of our time. Additionally, I'd think that Ayren would put the vital spark necessary for the induction of new Totemists in the 'proxy for Ayren's teaching' drawers rather than anywhere else.

Furthermore, with the upcoming events of Eluneia and Pointsmar, Osyki has more demands on his time that would take him away from the village. With the worries about elemental corruption, settling Cordia into a village guardian is an excellent use of time and resources. (Yes, Cordia is not the cause, but her bindings are still an access to the elemental earth corruption that our other bindings are not.)

>>44797931
You know, it occurs to me that Grisoch could wind up being kind of unique in how much the average citizen interacts with spirits. Pointsmar's got the Iron General and the occasional spirit that works in the arcology farms, but the majority of the populace don't interact with them. Eluneia has worship of the Silver Lady, but she's a distant figure. We've got Amal and Tryd flitting about on errands for us, Boand coming up through the river to talk to people, and if everything goes well Cordia will be a guardian spirit. The local Land Guardian even shows up sometimes, and not just when bad shit is going down.There are children in Grisoch that have had more interaction with spirits than many people will their entire lives, and that's leaving aside the child we're actually training to be a Totemist. We might be out in the boonies, but we're kind of cosmopolitan in a weird way.

Maybe we should make a totem to help the villages kids, like some sort of learning aid or even an entertainment totem.

>>44795723
We could figure out how to enshrine a guardian spirit?

I'd like to test some dualbind combinations,
amal with siren being one

If the energy trapped within the crystal is an anomaly, the same kind we used to ascend Corthia into her earth-enhanced state, I'd be pretty keen to experiment with doing the same kind of bind with another one of our more salient spirits, maybe the sky dragon.

>>44798680
Yeah, but the last time we did that we got elemental cancer. Let's talk to Zahn about it before we try it again. Though Diarca said that sort of spirit enhancement wasn't something anyone had really studied, so maybe even Zahn wouldn't know.

Binding ideas
Amal+mask for knowledge vision
Emperor crown+chair for something that probably synergizes pretty well.

>>44798680
No, amal was saying the energy inside of the crystal might be pure elemental not an anomaly.

>>44798976
Key+Amal for unlocking information
Mirror+Crystal scale for what is likely a good combo
Lantern+Gluttony for probably something weird.
Lantern+Stalker for a darkness lamp

>>44799328
All these sound good to me too.
I'll Add:
Emperor's Crown+mask, Its horns, theyre supposed to go on the head anyway.
Siren's Heart + Amulet And same +Rope.
Glimmering Eye+ Cloak and Same +Buckler
Raptor+ Buckler and +Knife
So many other things. We'll definitely not get to them all, which I why im not too eager to go hunting more random creatures to bind. We've barely scratched the surface of what we can do with what we have, and we also can doual bind and hone them now.

I just want to try new exotic items like dice, cards, seeds etc for binding.

>>44799642
Preferentially, I do like expanding our repertoire of bindings beyond those primarily useful for combat; however, I'd want the items to be directed toward a more practical bent, things that are useful for Osyki's general life and activities so he (i.e. we) will use them instead of things like Spirit Fruit Cordia where, since there's a punishing limitation to its use, we're unlikely to resort to using it.

As an example, Stonesinger's Visage is a non-combat binding, but we reach for it whenever a situation comes up (like in this thread) where it'll be useful. However, a binding like Gorgon Lantern, it is not particularly useful.

That being said, items of chance and fortune are just begging to be bound to our new and improved knowledge spirit. I doubt the divinations will reveal enough for us to be completely satisfied (especially since we picked Knowledge both times instead of Foresight), but they should be interesting at the very least.

>>44799642
We should see what happens when we bind things to a backpack/satchel
l

>>44799642
Dicking around with other kinds of clothing would be interesting, too.

Ties, underwear, that's pretty much all I can think of actually. I don't know much about clothes.

>>44799642
What ever you do do not bind the ykree or any other form of lizard to the dice. Trust me on this, you don't want lizard dice.

>>44802575
I second this

Bump

>>44795864
Second.

>>44802575
I still want to try out more consumable bindings.

>>44806409
Seconded.

I don't understand how AToW players can do this for days at a time.

>>44811046
Guys in different timezones probably.

>>44811074
I understand how it's feasible, I just don't know how they stand doing it for every thread.

>>44811046
atow?

[[And no one even busted out the summoning circle? You must be beginning to trust me.

Who's around? We ready to keep rolling?]]

>>44812028
I'm here

>>44812028
I am hear. But I imagine it is pretty late elsewhere.

>>44812028
present, 10 am here

Rolled 44, 79 = 123 (2d100)

>>44812028
>Who's around? We ready to keep rolling?]]
Ready to keep rolling.

>>44812028
READY TO LURK BOSS!

>>44812028
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT BABY

[[Good enough for me. Looks like the previous vote went to some totemcraft. Writan'.]]

>>44812028
I'm here

>>44812028
Here!

>>44812057
Pretty early here actually.

Though you still lack some key components to create your [[Panoptic Phantasm Mandala]], your trip to the mountains yielded more than enough exotic material to get some work done on restoring the village's waning defenses. You open the workshop door with your shoulder. As you heft the bag of your spoils onto the table, Terra looks up from the glass of milk she's chugging. Her Salamander is curled around her neck like a scaled scarf.

“You're covered in dirt,” she points out with all the social graces a young child typically brings to muster.

You glance down at yourself. The lakebed muck has indeed coated you up to your waist. Your arms are painted to the elbows in the same gritty black-green substance. You... probably ought to scrub off at least a little before you settle in to work. Stripping off the Bollide wrappings and brushing yourself off at the door sheds the worst of the dirt, but you'll need a bath later on today lest that fine-grained texture become permanently entrenched in your unmentionables.

“It's not always glamorous work,” you remind her as you settle down at the workbench. “Sometimes you get dirty.”

“I know,” she says with a look of undeniable excitement. “I can't wait.” A sly smile curls her lips as she goes to refill her mug from the bag at the counter.

“Who's the milk from?” The few wooly cows your village keeps are a treasured commodity.

“One of the farmers thought we could use it. Sanxon. Quinn fixed his shed.”

“Glad he's making himself useful,” you say with a nod.

> Roll 1d100+5 for totemcraft!

> [[A great success will increase your knowledge of totemcraft!]]

Rolled 93 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>44812223

Rolled 52 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>44812223

Rolled 5 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>44812223

Rolling, Lets hope for a breakthrough

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>44812223

>>44812234
neat

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>>44812234

Rolled 75 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>44812223

>>44812234
Bueno

We could probably create a totem to assist our miners with that borefluid we got from those fish.

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>>44812234
The Dice gods are with you friend.
>>44812245
They were not with me unfortunatly.

>>44812310
I think the plan was to make those defense totems we FUBAR'd yesterday.

After that, i believe Osyki's Prorities should be
-Enshiring a Guardian Spirit
-Reasearching the local Behemoths
- Taking a bath
- Upgrading another Spirit (Thane?) .

>>44812402
I'd rather hone Cordia.

>>44812402
We really haven't actually seen much of what thane can do when you look at the bindings. I think if we were going to upgrade things we should probably start with the weaker ones. Definitely tryd since he was looking to be more useful.

>>44812444
Tryd is busy right now though. But I agree, a lot of our foci haven't been experimented on enough.

>>44812444
>>44812488
Honestly, I think maybe we should cannibalize some of our foci like the ykree and the raptor. They're pretty much useless at this point, feed them to the emperor cobra or something.

>>44812419
>>44812444

The way I see it, Cordia is a known Entitiy, Increasing her power will make her earth magic stronger, Not a bad idea, seeing as we plan to make her our guardian spirit.

We may also want to try to upgrade one of our more feral bindings. The sentient ones may not wish to risk there spirits in the upgrading process. Upgraded Cloudwalker Stride would be pretty Great.

>>44812548
Seems a bit mean when we can power them up. Also when we said we didn't want to do that to that old totemist guy. After all we could always stick them in puppets if we couldn't find anything else they are useful in, get us some back up.
Snake spirits in a rope is something we should probably try.

>>44812597
I mean, if they were sentient spirits it might be mean, but they're not much different than regular animals.

>>44812619
Still somethings spirit. Feeding somethings soul to something is a bit different to going out and hunting for dinner.

>>44812619
>>44812636

Do you want the 1st totemist pissed off at us?
Cause casually throwing away the lives of spirits is how we get locked out of the awesome power amplifying forge.

>>44812688
Its not even needed when we can just use that power amplifying forge to amplify things power.

>>44812717
The hall carries a risk and takes time.

>>44812748
Better to take risks and get better stuff than try something unknown that will piss off a very powerful and knowledgeable spirit that we we want to be on good terms with.

>>44812777
What makes you think it'd piss him off?

>98

Some time and distance on your previous totem-craft catastrophe seems to have done wonders for your concentration. You set to work with a clear mind. Combined with the revelations received from the major breakthrough, your work lives up to the standard Ayren would expect from you.

> [[Village Totems Upgraded: Superior Beastward Totems.]]

> [[Village Totems Upgraded: Superior Veil Totems.]]

> [[Village Totems Upgraded: Superior Lightstep Totems.]]

> [[Great success! Your knowledge of totemcraft has increased.]]

As the sun dips low on the horizon you lean back in your chair. Half a dozen perfectly crafted totems gleam and shimmer on the workbench surface.

“Wow!” Terra leans past you, snatching a Veil totem from the countertop. She giggles in delight as her fingers appear to bend and warp around the tiny shrine. “These are so pretty.”

“They keep us safe, to boot.” You tousle her hair. “And now, I think, a bath is in order.”

Terra nods. “You smell like dirty water.”

You sigh. “Thanks, kid.”

She nods at you obliviously.

You discard your totems and bindings by the door. Trudging down the road in little more than your tunic, as always, makes you feel a little naked.

The bathhouse doors leak steam into the early evening air. It looks like you beat the rush.

–-

The vast pool of the bathhouse does wonders to relax your muscles. You scrub the dirt as best you can from your limbs, watching with fascination as the cleansing totems gather the silt into tight balls and shunt them from the water.

–-

You emerge some time later feeling rejuvenated.

> Spend some time with your apprentices.
> Consult with one of your spirits. (Which?)
> Research local behemoths.
> Check in with one of the villagers. (Which?)
> Write-in

>>44812806
Safer not to risk it anyway.

>>44812818
> Research local behemoths.

>>44812818
>Research local behemoths.
Something we should be doing anyway.

>>44812818
>> Check in with one of the villagers. (Which?)
the smith

>>44812818
>Research information regarding enshrining guardian spirits.

>>44812818
> Research local behemoths.

>>44812818
Consult the library and Amal for how to go about enshrining a Guardian Spirit.

>>44812818
>> Research local behemoths.

>>44812818
>> Spend some time with your apprentices.
> Check in with one of the villagers. (Which?)

It's going to be Quinn's job to deal with the people while we are out having adventures. Lets find a villager who needs a weird variety of totems or something specialized and have him deal with it. See if he and Terra can come up with anything to fix the problems that are non-standard. But mostly take Quinn because he is actually an adult.

>>44812818
> Research local behemoths
> Spend some time with your apprentices

Can we do both? Research the behemoths with Terra?

File: summoning Darcia.png (437 KB, 800x800)

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You wondered why we didn't put the circle up, we where waiting for this moment.

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The warmth of the hearth in the workshop is a welcome respite from the biting evening air. Quinn has returned in your absence. He gives you a half-hearted wave from the workbench where he sits slumped.

“Long day?”

“Mayhews had me putting in the foundations for a deck,” he mutters through his folded arms.

You put your hand to your forehead. “That's where you were all day?”

“Can't say no to that man,” he retorts. “You know that look.”

You do. When the Elder tells you to do something with that thousand-yard stare, you don't ask questions. You clap Quinn on the back as you pass.

“Don't forget to eat,” you tell him. “I'll be in the library if you need me.”

He nods, though his head does not rise from the cradle of his arms. “Right.”

You find Terra on her tiptoes, reaching for one of the larger volumes on the third shelf. You scoop her up so she can reach the book.

“Of Flame and Ash,” you read off of the book's spine. “What, you've finished with the Almanac?”

She shakes her head, crimson tresses flung messily to and fro. “I wanna learn more about him.” She taps her Salamander's head. One coal-black eye slides open and regards the two of you.

“Stick to the early chapters,” you tell her. “Some of the Efriti are a little... developed for a kid your age.”

She stares at you uncomprehending, but nods her assent anyway. With Salamander in tow she curls up on one of the oversized cushions in the far corner, arranging a nest of blankets just so.

Ayren's shelves of codices and manuals loom before you, bristling with knowledge. You have two names and a limited time frame before you need to eat. Two behemoths roam the lands nearby, bringing calamity and sorrow in their wake.

> Research the Tyrant Wyrm.
> Research Allmother Mud.

>>44813727
>>44813677
Like fuckin' clockwork

>>44813727
> Research the Tyrant Wyrm.
Ooh, saucy spirit compendiums.

>>44813727
> Research Allmother Mud.

>>44813727
>> Research Allmother Mud.

>>44813727
>Research Allmother Mud.
On the one hand we'd get a bonus from modi against the wyrm, on the other, this one sounds like more fun.

>>44813727
>> Research Allmother Mud.

>>44813727
> Research the Tyrant Wyrm.
Another earth focus seems like a bad idea

>>44813727
> Research Allmother Mud.
Eh, if we get pieces of the behemoths body, those would make seriously powerful fertility totems, right?

>>44813899
Why? It doesn't affect our elemental corruption.

>>44813727
> Allmother Mud, Her foci will be able to replace Cordia's as Osyki's Earth Focus.

>>44813899
Remember soon our Cordia will become the villiage Guardian, which means we'll be out of our Earth trump card if we need it.

>>44813944
Yeah, but binding a behemoth is going to be a pretty daunting task. Diarca's said that it takes rare ingredients and specialized rituals, we won't be able to do it with just a Feral Binding. I'm also not sure if we can both bind its spirit and harvest its essence token for use in initiation. Admittedly, we've got two behemoths moving in, so if that's the case it's not the end of the world, but I really don't want to fight any more ancient god-monsters than we have to.

File: d2ef66f988dd0ef7a83e69bd6(...).jpg (398 KB, 1000x417)

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“ALRUANE'S CODEX: ALL-MOTHER MUD, LEWE ENVERVAL, THE TERRIBLE PROGENITOR, THE GENESIS CRAWLER

[[This page of the codex is largely blank. No detailed taxonomies or sketches flutter across the page.]]

The creature or phenomenon known as the Allmother Mud has never been accurately reported or sighted by any surviving accounts. Record of the event's passing is only known by the aftermath left in its path.

The phenomenon only surfaces in the months immediately preceding and following the vernal and autumnal equinox once every seven years. Traces of the Allmother Mud's awakening can be noted in increased insect and scavenger activity in the surrounding lands and flooding of rivers and ground-fed springs.

The Allmother Mud does not appear to feed on any known substance, organic or otherwise. The flattened, soup-like destruction left in its wake can be sifted for the remnants of the civilization or biome that once existed in its path. The hallmarks of the Allmother Mud's visit are as follows:

1) Complete devastation of all natural environs. Mountains ground to powder, forests reduced to broken marshes, cities turned to desolate charnel yards.
2) An outpouring of unusually rich loam and soil alongside an excess of moisture, commonly creating a peat bog or mud lake in otherwise featurless regions.
3) A sharp upward spike in the activity of unnatural creatures and apex predators.
4) Sightings of heretofore unknown entities in various stages of infant, juvenile, and adolescent development.
(cont.)

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>>44814416

[[The pages here are spattered with a thick brown goop.]]

The Court of Earth, when questioned, has refuted all association with the phenomenon known as Allmother Mud. Some inquiries have been rebuffed altogether, while others directed to the Verdant Court. Historical records and traces of the Allmother Mud's passage stretch back to time immemorial.

Observations from afar have been complicated by the bank of thick, greasy fog which seems to accompany the Allmother Mud as it makes its aimless trek across the earth. No physical description of the Genesis Crawler has been presently recorded.”

Known Species descended from Allmother Mud sightings:

Astral Parasites
Lowland Devourers
Fleshhook Rings
Sibaric Powlers
Rashamov
…

[[The list continues on for some fourteen pages.]]

> Continue researching Allmother Mud.
> That's enough for now. Look into the Tyrant Wyrm.

>>44814439
> That's enough for now. Look into the Tyrant Wyrm.
what the fug

>>44814439
>> That's enough for now. Look into the Tyrant Wyrm.
> Continue researching Allmother Mud.

>>44814439
> That's enough for now. Look into the Tyrant Wyrm.
This shit seems a bit above our pay grade.

>>44814467
Behemoths are above our pay grade.

>>44814416
>>44814439
Fffffffffuck. I guess behemoths are monster gods.

>>44814416
>>44814439

... This mother is fucking terrifying. Now I'm thinking we're gonna need Modi's Dragon lust if we can hope to kill a behemoth.

> That's enough for now. Look into the Tyrant Wyrm.

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>>44814491
This was the image Darcia used in the one shot with Ayren when he was equiped for war, isn't that right?

>>44814439
> Continue researching Allmother Mud.
...yes. Yesyesyes. Horrible for the environment, and thus we never want to have it anywhere near the village/forest/Mountains/swamp. But think of the feral bindings possibilities it brings!

And also the armies we'll need to defend the any settlements nearby wherever we hunt this behemoth from the endless monster hordes, yeah.

>>44814538
Can you imagine Modi's right now? he's watching us reading on Behemoths, his murder boner must be off the scales

>>44814491
I thought that was made pretty clear by now.

>>44814439
> That's enough for now. Look into the Tyrant Wyrm.
An increase in the activity of unnatural creatures and apex predators, that sounds familiar.

>>44813944
Isn't boand kind of the village guardian already though?

>>44814723
She's the guardian of the river, which happens to flow through the village. That gives her a connection to the village, but the parts of it that are on land aren't in her domain. Cordia would handle the earth of the village, Boand would handle the water. It would make for a nice image, two female spirits watching over the village together.

>>44814723
Look, I like Bonand, But at the end of the day, she's the forest spirit, not one of ours.

Even if she wasn't, her ablities don't exactly lend themselves to being a defensive guardian. She's a diplomancer not a Warrior. your know?

>>44814766
Boand x Cordia when?

>>44814788
Also she aint got no legs.

>>44814828
She can grow them when she wants to walk on land. She just usually doesn't want to walk on land. It probably makes her weaker to be out of the water, or something like that.

>>44814865
Not something you look for in a guardian when you live out of the water.

>>44814877
Agreed. I'm just saying, she can interact with the parts of the village away from the water. It would still be better to have Cordia handling them, though. It's also aesthetically pleasing. The earth spirit guarding the walls and ensuring the safety of the people while the water spirit gathers information to make sure they're never surprised.

>>44814542
Yep. If we plan on looking for one of those behemoth sparks or whatever they were called we should look for its heart that Ayren took.

>>44814569
That reminds me, if were going to fight a behemoth, were going to do it right, as with our first battle against that rock turtle, we will fight it on our terms, on our battlefield, and preferably with us dropping something large and heavy on it. Think we could fill a barrel with burning peat and drop it on that mud? If its prefered terrain is a swamp bog or more, its likely that there will be flammable gas and moss in large quantities. Get it burning hot and deep enough and I will never truly go out. Add good ventilation and it'll be an infero

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“ALRUANE'S CODEX: TERRIBLUS REX, THE TYRANT WYRM, KONINGDRAAK STAAR, THE INSATIABLE MAW.

The entity known as the Tyrant Wyrm is a singularly unique Saurian of unrivaled spiritual potency. Physically the beast closely resembles Saurian Kings with powerful hind legs, jaws capable of crushing a Rock Turtle shell, and a thick, dextrous tail. The Tyrant exceeds all known upper growth limits for ordinary Saurians, however, standing nearly 120 meters tall at the shoulder and twice that in length from snout to tail. The ordinarily stunted arms of a Saurian King are well developed on the Tyrant Wyrm's frame, sporting scything claws meant for evisceration and decapitation.

The Tyrant Wyrm is an insatiable engine of continual consumption, regularly devouring its body weight in meat and vegetation daily. Such unreasonable dietary needs are typically met by hunting similarly enormous prey. In the past, the Tyrant Wyrm has been observed to devour even wholly immaterial beings such as spirits and elementals with unabated eagerness. Ecosystems regularly fail in the presence of the Tyrant Wyrm as prey, predators, and spirits of the land alike are shoveled into its gaping maw.

The most terrifying aspect by far of the Wyrm's power is the sheer overwhelming pressure of its spiritual aura. Lesser creatures frequently die of terror in the presence of the Wyrm as its very existence snuffs their vital essence. The Wyrm is capable of directing this overwhelming spiritual force when necessary. Woe to those caught by the Tyrant's gaze, for even titans have buckled at the knee when fixed with the Wyrm's dread stare. Supernatural assaults are difficult to muster in the face of this hurricane of ephemeral force, akin to firing a longbow into a windstorm.
(cont.)

This is a total aside, but we really should bind amal to a mask. He'll probably become a HUD that displays relevant information about whatever we are looking at.

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>>44815127

This is the Tyrant Wyrm's primary mode of hunting—to overwhelm and annihilate prey and competitors with its oppressive aura before messily devouring their remains.

Four recorded attempts to hunt and slay the Tyrant Wyrm have failed in recent record, though the oft-repeated account of King Iscorak's sacrifice did divert the beast's course.

The Tyrant Wyrm has recently been spotted in the sun-blighted plains of Asalaria.”

Quinn knocks on the door. You jump in your chair, hand reaching instinctively for your spear before you realize where you are.

“Come eat!” he calls through the door.

> That's enough research for now.
> Look further into one of the Behemoths. (Tyrant Wyrm / Allmother Mud)
> Look into Guardian Spirits.
> Write-in

>>44815138
> Look into Guardian Spirits.
Bring the book to the table to eat

>>44815138
> Look into Guardian Spirits.

>>44815138
We'll eat, Then Look into the Guardian Spirits. No need to study on an empty stomach. But Damn, Behemoths are no fucking joke.

>>44815138
>Look into Guardian Spirits.
Well that wasnt worrying.

Who else is in favor of putting off the behemoth hunt?

>>44815138
So guys, we should be able to kill it shadow of the colossus style.

Get on its back or upper spine and apply modi spear with extreme prejudice

>>44815138
> That's enough research for now.
Isn't "sun-blighted" a term that the moon worshipers use? Maybe King Iscorak is from Eluneia. We should see if they know anything about fighting it.

>>44815197
Would you rather leave them loose?

>>44815155
Yeah this

>>44815204
>yfw it uses its aura to wrath of the gods us

>>44815197
We just need Zahns help making something badass enough to put up a fight.

>>44815204
The problem is its crushing aura. The closer we get the more difficult it will be to fight. Coming in contact with it to climb it could make us die outright.

>>44815214
I'd rather Osyki stay alive and keep protecting the village.
Pretty sure he can't take down beings that take down mountains or are 120 meters tall.

>>44815214
If they're not coming toward the regions around the village, then let's not invite more disasters to horribly injure us more, yeah?

>>44815245
>>44815204
Also, I'm pretty sure that despite its colossal size it's still going to be pretty nimble.
And it said its arms are fully developed so it could probably shake us off.

>>44815254
Whats the plan if they happen to move anywhere remotely near the village?
>>44815261
Unfortunately it is Osyki's job to deal with them.

>>44815261
They are. That's why these two are the ones we're researching. Ayren's notes indicated that with the Basilisk Wyrm dead there was a risk they might move into the freed-up territory. They might not come, that's only a possibility, but it's one that's serious enough that we need to consider countermeasures.

>>44815288
When they start moving towards the village we take them down with as much help as we can get from our allies.
Until then we strengthen our relationships with those allies, bolster the villages defense, and improve our arsenal.

>>44815254
If we don't do it then we'll be the last totemist in our village. Quit being a pussy.

>>44815318
You know these are the local ones right? They are probably going to try and move into the basilisk's old stomping grounds and we cant have that. We cant even let them go near the mountain range because if we dont protect that we will probably get fucked over from being mole guys knight.

>>44815384
Fair enough I guess.
We still need to get much stronger though, and we can't pull this off alone.

Alraune’s Codex has info on everything in the region, right? I suggest looking up our own spirits, especially Cordia.

>>44815127
Man, if we killed this thing our spear would be SO HYPE.

>>44815652
Modi would be very happy, yeah. Dragon? Check. Greedy and gluttonous? Check. Arrogant? Triple fucking check. Kill the Tyrant Wyrm and Modi should have enough gratitude to never argue with us again.

>>44815687
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pusZXECS0mM
Modi, after we tell him that we want to hunt a behemoth.

You give Quinn a non-committal assent through the door. Putting aside Alurane's Codex for the moment you scour Ayren shelves for your next quarry: the Drawer sealed by the requirement “Enshrine a Guardian Spirit”. The tall, dusty shelves are quickly stripped bare as you pull volume after volume.

Though it comes with the danger of succumbing to a coughing fit you pore over the dusty tomes. Ayren was a meticulous notekeeper—surely we would have written down the process to open each drawer somewhere. You wonder idly about the mystical-sounding Gates of Mu before turning to your research once more.

When next you look up the moon has risen over the Ikrin Range in the distance. The door opens, and Terra brings you a piping hot bowl of stew.

“Thanks, little one.” You pat her head appreciatively before accepting your meal. “Got lost in the books.”

Her smile could melt a glacier. “I do it too,” she whispers conspiratorially. “Sometimes Quinn hides my books until I'm done with dinner.”

“And I'll start doing it to you, too!” he calls from the other room. Terra lets out a small squeak of surprise, then smiles guiltily at you.

“Off you go,” you tell her. “Go help with the washing.”
(cont.)

>>44816081

You spend a few hours entrenched in Ayren's books. Your research yields a few potential fruits, though important links are still missing.

> Enshrining a spirit as a Guardian requires the approval of the present Land Guardian.

> A specially constructed vessel must be prepared to enshrine a guardian spirit.

> A guardian spirit's shrine must be maintained regularly to avoid spiritual corrosion.

> The Guardian's domain gains traits over time related to the spirit enshrined to protect it.

> Enshrinement is an irreversible process. Once a spirit is enshrined its makeup changes fundamentally to become one with its domain.

You're lacking the instructions to construct such a vessel, of course, and Sylvia's approval besides. You pull the Sealed Earth Sphere from your pocket, turning it over in your fingers.

> Ask Cordia's opinion of the process.
> Sleep can wait. Research the vessel itself.
> You've been sitting still for too long. Take a walk.
> Finish your meal with your apprentices.
> Write-in

>>44816095
> Ask Cordia's opinion of the process.
Always ask your spirits before you make changes to their fundamental makeup, unless they're too non-sapient to talk to.

>>44816095
> Finish your meal with your apprentices.
> Ask Cordia's opinion of the process.
We can do both at the same time. Furthermore, as totemists, they'll have the greater part of working with Cordia if she's to become a Guardian Spirit.

>>44816095
> Ask Cordia's opinion of the process.
> Sleep can wait. Research the vessel itself.

>>44816095
>> Ask Cordia's opinion of the process.


>>44816081
>I do it too,” she whispers conspiratorially
Terra is extra cute today.

>>44816095
>> Finish your meal with your apprentices.

>>44816095
> Sleep can wait. Research the vessel itself.
> Ask Cordia's opinion of the process.
> Finish your meal with your apprentices.

>>44816168
Aurora needs to step up her game, or Terra might take her place as best little sister. Though that's partially our fault for not interacting with Aurora as often these days. We should visit her and play some the next time we have free time.

>>44816227
We should make some cool totems for the raising home.

>>44816095
> Ask Cordia's opinion of the process.

>>44816227
I’d love to teach our sister some magic, too bad totemistic stuff is forbidden,

>>44816095
>> Ask Cordia's opinion of the process.

>>44816287
Well, we can teach her to make totems, it's binding that's forbidden (and even then consensual bindings like familiars or the Celestial Binding appear to be okay. Not that I think we should teach children to make Celestial Bindings). It might be possible to make a spin-off school of magic based around just the craftsmanship aspects that we could teach more freely. Pointsmar has primitive magitech, so they must have a fairly wide base of crafters capable of working with spiritual objects, that proves it's possible.

>>44816409
Pointsmar is run by a very powerful spirit.

>>44816409
Smart man. Make sunday school for children so they can learn some totemcraft.

>>44816485
Sure, he probably serves as a power source for a lot of what is made there. We've seen from our own totems that invoking a spirit is often part of the crafting process. But I doubt he's directly involved in the production of every single totem in the Forge. He's a spirit of industry, he'd be all for creating infrastructure to take care of that for him. I'd expect that Pointsmar has trained craftsmen who while not nearly of the potency needed to be full-fledged magic users can still produce talismans and useful materials.

>>44816543
Adding on top of that, we could help each make contract with a spirit like Terra. I'm sure that'd come useful throughout their lives. I see no harm in doing that beside it costing us some time.

>>44816593
They wouldn't be using any totems anyway seeing as they arent totemists.
What magic stuff do they even have beyond the thing moving the city and partnerships with spirits?

>>44816645
And yet Terra and Quinn can make totems without being totemists.

>>44816645
That's what I mean. The giant machine that moves the city, mines ore in vast quantities and draws power from the core of the earth to fuel it all. Given that such a thing is not nearly possible with the level of technology Pointsmar has demonstrated (and would be quite difficult even with modern day tech), I assume that a fair bit of its components are magical in nature. And it's a huge machine, it's going to need to maintain and at times replace those magical components, so it needs both people who can produce them and people who know how to work with them.

>>44816625
I think it could be seen as trivializing the whole spirit contract business by some. Which could be bad and disrespectful to certain courts.

>>44816659
Im sorry I must have missed when the people in Pointsmar were trained by a totemist to make totems.
>>44816706
I think that was directly created by Iron man and his metal drone things.

>>44816732
The only thing we know of that's really exclusive to totemists is is binding spirits. Nothing tells us that knowledge of totems and how to make them is limited in any way.

>>44816732
I thought we were talking about training children from the nursery in totemcraft?
>>44816714
I suppose, but in exchange we'd have people who aren't reliant on totemist to protect themselves.

>>44816756
Minor spirits like the salamander and Amal aren't really enough to protect anyone.
I will admit they could be immensely useful in all sorts of situations, but not sure if it's worth the risks of angering other spirits or something.

>>44816749
Except for how no one else has them.
>>44816756
I was wondering what magic things they have in pointsmar that weren't directly made by the guy in charge. Plus people can protect themselves by poking holes in stuff with something sharp.

>>44816787
What about defensive totems?
>>44816825
>Except for how no one else has them.
Because there are no totemists to teach the craft.
We could do it right now, could actually give the job to our apprentices, since they'd improve their totemcraft as well while teaching.

>>44816825
>Except for how no one else has them.
We don't know that.
Also, they could have different names in different places.

>>44816825
We've seen other people with magic, such as the Eluneians. We've also gotten word of god from Diarca that other magic systems than totemistry exist. It's not implausible to think that crafting minor magical items is something those magic systems can do. Maybe not as easily as totemistry, but I wouldn't assume we have the only way to craft.

>>44816876
Totems we could teach for sure, I was talking about making pacts with minor spirits not being a good idea.

>>44816899
Yes, I concede that point. Too much risk for no reliable reward.

>>44816886
Those wouldnt be totems though. Not really. Plus they have weird god magic we dont understand.
It doesnt help that we are already teaching most of the people in the village with the ability to make totems already.

It's been stated the you need some spirit mojo to create totems, so we couldn't exactly teach it to anyone.

>>44816983
everyone*

>>44816943
I was using "totem" as shorthand for "minor magical item". I didn't mean that it was literally produced via totemistry. I apologize for the confusion.

>>44816983
True. When I originally proposed it I was thinking of a major long-term project, not something to do right now. But other people jumped on the idea of having a whole village of magic-users and got carried away.

>>44816983
Pretty sure our sister doesn't have it, which is why we chose Terra as our apprentice.

Plus, we know from the flashfoward that she learns Saeri style magic anyways.

Reminder that our waifu's eyes are going to explode and we still haven't worked out why.

>>44817075
Doesn't help that we keep spending time chit-chatting when we have actual work we should be doing.

File: My eyes.gif (1.73 MB, 400x225)

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>>44817075

>>44817024
Not many people, just me.
And I forgot that you need aptitude to even craft totems in the first place.

>>44817075
Whos our waifu at the moment? It seems to flip flop between a few, although Boand a bestest

First things first. You cannot in good conscience begin spending your time researching a permanent position for one of your spirits without asking her if she would be willing to take the job. You enclose the sealed earth sphere in your fist as you walk with your (now tepid) stew into the main room. Quinn and Terra watch curiously as Cordia whirls into being beside you, malachite chips and jade dust condensing in a self-contained vortex until the feminine outline emerges.

Cordia glances around as you settle down at the table. “Good evening,” she says with a demure smile. “It's been a few days. Did you need another back rub?”

You do your level best to ignore the looks of curiosity Quinn pins you with. “We'll call a rain check on that,” you mutter. “I wanted to ask you about a proposition I've been researching.”

“By all means.” She settles down at the bench beside you. The weight of her stone body causes the wood to creak ponderously.

You outline in brief for her the requirement of the Drawer and your idea to enshrine her as Grisoch's guardian spirit. Quinn and Terra both draw closer as you explain the potential implications of binding her permanently to the village itself to grow alongside the community and act as its protector.

“It would be a permanent arrangement,” you tell her. “Once you've been enshrined, you and I wouldn't be able to travel together anymore. You would remain here with the people. Potentially forever.”

She purses her lips, leaning forward at the table. “And therein lies my only objection to the proposal.”

You motion for her to continue with your stew spoon.
(cont.)

>>44817075
Maybe Ayren left something on that in his notes?
Amal could help us here.

>>44817174
He's referring to Elana and how the seals on her eyes are loosening. We've got no indication that it's harmful to her, though.

>>44817182

“I'm honored that you would consider me for the position, Osyki. I know how much your people mean to you. How the safety of this place drives you. It does my heart good to know that you would entrust that sacred duty to me.”

“But...” you prompt her.

“But,” she echoes, “I... well, I enjoy traveling with you. Seeing amazing new lands, fighting monstrous foes—it's all very much like the legends I loved when I was just a girl.” A tinge of black creeps over the green in her cheeks. “It sounds silly when I say it out loud, of course. I'll abide by your decision, however you make it.”

She turns to face you, propping her chin on her hand. “I wouldn't like to know that you've come to harm whilst I was busy here,” she admits quietly. “You've given me so much. You saved my life twice-over. I'll thank you however I can.”

Quinn coughs into his hand, breaking the silence that follows that declaration. Cordia turns away from you again, staring out the window.

> I'd like you to stay and protect those I cherish.
> I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.
> I need some time to think.
> Write-in

>>44817207
>> I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.

>>44817207
> I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.

>>44817207
Wouldn't it be possible for Osyki and Cordia to make a Celestial Binding after she becomes a Guardian Spirit? Akin to what we have with Boand?

>>44817207
> I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.

>>44817207
>I'd like you to stay and protect those I cherish.
I mean, the only other candidate would be thane, and although he'd be great for hiding the village from enemies, I'm not sure we can trust him.

>>44817207
>[x] I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.

>>44817207
> Write-in
"I expected you might say something like that. But given that we'd already discussed making you a guardian spirit, I didn't want to just take the option away without telling you. In truth, though, I'm glad you'll stay journeying with me. Call me selfish, but I enjoy knowing you're watching my back."

>>44817258
I guess the drake could also be a candidate, though he's not very friendly.

>>44817313
We need him to take us places.

>>44817207
> I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.
I'm glad to have you with me.

>>44817207
> I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.
Cordia is too perfect for this position to give up, she's a defensive spirit, she's amicable, caring, and decently strong,

>>44817207

> I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.

Welp, we'll have to find another spirit then. maybe Tryd after we give him a power boost?

>>44817258
Does it have to be a sapient spirit? We could enshrine one of our beasts if we managed to impart on it what was expected. Train it like a guard dog, then bind it to the village.

>>44817361
Not sure that'd work as well.
>>44817354
Not sure we want a fire spirit as the guardian, it did say the village would start taking on its traits.

>>44817239
Is such a thing possible?

>>44817402
We need to plonk something in there.

>>44817459
Well, we either convince Cordia, go with a half assed spirit, or find a new one.

>>44817207
> I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.

>>44817482
All its got to do is protect the place. An animal could do that.

>>44817482
I personally consider Cordia far too good to give up.

>>44817354
Aside from Tryd not having the personality to be a defender of all the people of Grisoch, I doubt he's all that interested in the opportunity. If he got enough of a power boost to gain some real staying power in Osyki's arsenal, he'd probably just want to burn stuff. Bad guys, mostly.

>>44817207
>I'll find another for the position. I'll honor your wishes.
Maybe she'll change her mind and want to settle down in the future. For now, though, there's no need to push her into such a final occupation.

>>44817482
We need to find a new benevolent one for the job

>>44817573
We should get a big rock tortoise to do it. How are you going to hurt rock tortoise village?

>>44817239
Actually, could we use Boand herself?
She's already pretty much immobile, and with the channel her domain directly includes the town. If she were the Guardian, she could defend both the town and forest at once.

>>44817524
It's going to be a permanent fixture in the village, and affect it on several levels, it should preferably be intelligent, benevolent and at least moderately powerful and its traits should also be considered since the village is going to adapt to them.

>>44817619
No, we just got her that nice vacation home near Eluneia. She wouldn't want to settle down right now.

>>44817619
Doubt she would enjoy being permanently bound to something on land.

>>44817619
We'd have to stuff her in a vessel as well as fully binding her, which would probably prevent her from functioning as the lake spirit. And probably piss off Sylvia.

>>44817629
Maybe we should try honeing an animal to see if that makes them smarter.

>>44817679
I'd rather just bind something strong from the get go.
Like an avatar of protection or something.

Honestly, we don't have a great alternative to Cordia. She's the best option for the position, hits all the targets, connects all the dots, except that she doesn't want to do it.

>>44817619
I'm not sure exactly if it would just add the village to her list of domains or limit her to it completely. She's become a lot stronger lately though so she'd be a good choice.

>>44817700
>I'd rather just bind something strong from the get go.
The Drake, The Wurm and the Deep Siren are our strongest foci.
Modi and the Avatar or Hunger are too dangerous for the job.

>>44817700
Going to have fun finding one of those.
>>44817732
I think we should just use an animal. Tons of protection spirits are animals.

>>44817732
I would rather keep her too. Her bindings are great.

>>44817749
Probably just limit her since she wouldnt be able to leave it. Probably make her way weaker too seeing as she wouldnt have access to her water.

>>44817207
Lets use the mysterious void elemental, what could possibly go wrong?

>>44817756
I reckon we should get a rock tortoise. The one we have is powerful as fuck and having something that defensive would probably be a help if the place got attacked.

>>44817802
The village.

>>44817700
We need to talk to Sylvia about it first. Get her permission and maybe even a recommendation for a spirit who'd make a good guardian.

>>44817802
It would probably break our contract with him to reunite him with himself.

>>44817821
It could be a good idea to get some suggestions from her.

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84 KB JPG

>>44817756
>Modi as Guardian

>>44817893
FIRE AND DEATH
NO MAN CAN BREAK THIS TOWN

>>44817893
Pretty sure we can't really mess with his focus.

>>44817661
Nothing said the shrine needs to be on land.

>>44817924
Be very awkward to maintain a shrine in a river.

So, when we go after the behemoths, we should definitely get help from the iron general and the hawk dude from Elunia.

You put a hand on Cordia's shoulder. You're always surprised by how warm she is—like sunbaked stone or warm coastal sand. She glances down at you, eyes tracing your arm to rest on your face.

“I asked you because I wanted to take your opinion into account. If you're not willing to accept the job, I'll find another for it.”

She sighs. Her mouth curves into a smile, but it's a rueful one. “Thank you. I know that it's selfish. I could do a lot of good here. I'm just not ready for that quite yet. Not while there's so much left to be done.” She tucks a stand of jade hair behind one ear, leaning into your touch.

“You'd be great for the job, Cordia,” Quinn says with a shrug. “But I don't know how Osyki would manage without you.”

Terra nods fervently. “You're super strong. You gotta keep him safe.”

Cordia giggles into her hand, nodding to Terra. “That's the plan.” She glances sideways at you and her cheeks darken again. “That's the plan,” she repeats quietly to herself.

The four of you spend some time together as the moon rises into the sky overhead. Eventually you allow Cordia to return to her home within the Sealed Earth Sphere.

“It was a good thought,” Quinn tells you. “We'll figure out a substitute.”

You nod. “Maybe.” You can't think of a better spirit for the job right now.
(cont.)

Honestly, Thane could be a pretty good guardian for the village, he'd pretty much ensure no would attack it.

>>44817700

I think the game plan should be to wait it out and see if we bind anything a bit more applicable to being the guardian. Right now I suppose we can focus on another drawer. or we could turn our focus onto Elana's condition.

>>44817915
We totally could.

It's just a really, horrifically, catastrophically bad idea to do so. Like, the worst idea.

>>44818055

Quinn starts, cocking his head to one side. You watch as he crossdes the room, throwing the window open to the cool night air.

“What are you doing? You'll let all the warm out!” Terra shrieks.

“Quiet! Cirr's sending a message,” he hisses. After a moment he turns to you. “The General sends his regards, Osyki.”

You feel your eyebrows shoot upward. “They made the trip already? Cirr's faster than I thought.”

“Tryd's not really a heavy load,” he says with a shrug. “The General wants to know if you have a moment to speak.”

“What, now?” you glance around at the messy living space that doubles as your workroom.

Quinn nods.

> Very well. I'll confer with him.
> Give me a moment to prepare.
> Not right now. Have him send along a message with Tryd.
> You speak to him. We'll be neighbors soon, so you should know him.
> Write-in

>>44818055
Has Cordia waifued Osyki?

>>44818007
We need to assemble a proper party to fight either of those crazy-ass motherfuckers. No half measures.

>>44818080
>> Very well. I'll confer with him.

>>44818080
> Give me a moment to prepare.

>>44818080
>> Very well. I'll confer with him.
What if we went and found another of those bone wardens and used them?

>>44818080
> Give me a moment to prepare.
>Deck yourself in full diplomacy set.

>>44818080
>> Very well. I'll confer with him.
If it is a visual connection, move somewhere either outside or somewhere tidy and nondescript in the house. Maybe in front of a bookshelf?

>>44818083
Let's see: He's a very kind and charming young man who rescued her from a horrible state of existence, offered her purpose, brings her with him on amazing adventures, is always considerate of her feelings, and shared a bath with her once. Yeah, sounds like the right situation for her to start husbandoing him.

>>44818080
>Write-in

"Very well, We'll speak to him. This is good training for one of our other responsibilities, diplomacy. Just try not to embarrass yourself too much in front of our new neighbors."

>>44818083
>>44818199

Osyki has inadvertantly gained the eye of a lot of women, both spiritual and human. So far, we've played it that he only really has eyes for Elena though. (Because she is best girl)

>>44818199
Well shit.