[Actions 2+3 - I Ask Forgiveness, Not Permission.]
Kit felt time slow as that club came down on him. There were a lot of things he could do in this moment, but right now, his mind tilted towards... forbidden writings.
Narrators were mighty beings, but their power came from their limits. When the Narrative Force imbues one, it enforces laws upon them... And dearly punishes those who would break them.
[[ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU WISH TO PROCEED?]]
It was hardly a "warning," no, this was a SCREAM from the abyss telling him to back off. There was no "Yes" or "No," only "I would like to go hide in my bed from the boogeyman."
And still he persisted.
"Alyssa... It's me, remember?"
That wasn't the Yard Warden's name by any means. Why was he spouting this nonsense?
"We... Went to the same high school? H-How's your girlfriend doing?"
Memories fragmented and crystallized as Kit attempted a Literary Sin... Modifying an OC. The Formation Soldier now known as Jets was clean - His Narrative was copy-pasted across the masses, a background character with an open-ended reality. But the Warden made certain to fill his creations with life and history - With enough personal flair they all had an established role in his literary universe. To corrupt one was unthinkable, an act that would tear at a Narrator's connection... But. Here Kit was. He needed a man (or woman) on the inside, a Plot Hook of sorts that knew the corridors and rooms of Ex Machina.
He coughed up a pitch-black lump of ink. And he kept going.
"It's me, Kit - You know me, I'm just lazy! I never meant to start those worlds, and let them sit - I just haven't had the motivation! Get me out of here. I don't care what happens to the others except The Collector, I cut a deal with him, just... For old times sake?"
One last line to seal his self-betrayal - And even then it wasn't certain to work. Merely attempting this kind of thing would scar him, regardless of success. But he had to try.
"Remember when you broke your leg climbing the apple tree in my backyard? My arms just ache thinking about carrying you all that way..." the wolf laughs, before coughing up a larger blob of The Narrative's pure, concentrated hatred, and looking up at the Yard Warden who was swinging on him.
"I'm happy you got where you wanted to be, Alyssa."
[TL;DR: Two actions, the Moderately Wounded health status, and Broken (Cannot be healed, 5 turns), all to try to convert a Yard Warden.]
>Well, I can't make heads or tails of this. my first thought is to hand it off to someone competent, like Steffan, but...
So my second thought is to remove the Alchemiters projector and attach the data-cable- or equivalent- feeding into it to my Formation Computater and save the file to the disk. Then, I throw darts at a list of file types until I get the right file type with Player Powers, and convert the holoprojector-or-whatnot into a file the Formation Computater can at least render. And Then, I send a message to Heaven that I've discovered a machine that can generate... or maybe just amplify?... Player Power around it, and start uploading the schematic through the Router.
>Hey, here's a... weird question. Souls produce Mana, right?
I mean, they've got to, yeah? The Lightmantle can do it and I've used magic, and this is the Soul Orb.
But clearly, souls don't produce Mana all the time. for a lot of technologically-focused species or civilizations, there isn't a point. Of course, those species don't encounter mana much unless they branch out, anyway- A lot of magical reactions only work in high-Mana environments or at specific thresholds, Steffan said so that one time he wanted to turn Frovens into Mana.
...change of plans, time to turn Frovens into Mana. I was going somewhere else with this about ramping up soul-based Mana production, but the amount of energy in the mass of a couple Frovens is obviously a way better use of my time, if I can copy Steffans design.
Uh, let's see, it had... a Lead block in a cylinder made of Lead, I think... probably lubricated?... Wait, no, it was a block of Mana Crystal to absorb the produced Mana... there was some kind of electricity-powered reaction which made Mana as a Byproduct... Or, no, the reaction was inside a block of material inside a block of Mana Crystal, on a circular track, and it was spinning so the Mana, comparatively motionless or at least not adjusting direction, would hit the Mana Crystal and be absorbed... I guess there must've been a thin hole in the Mana Crystal for wires to power the reaction... and I also place a Mana-siphoning Formation around each of the rail tracks to take the Mana from the Mana Crystals and pour it into my non-alchemical Mana Generation Formations so the Crystals don't get past capacity. I think that should work? (((The above description was created from memory to simulate Sdieve's actual position. Looking it up, the original design was a container of lead, containing the reaction chamber and a separate block of Mana Crystal, with Mana Crystals being slotted in and out periodically, and 'six pages of differential equations to show the required tolerances' which are implied to be moreso necessary for it to work for more then a few hours, rather then for it to work at all. Additionally, I suspect the reason the crystals were slotted in and out was that Transferring Mana would leave a residue which could prevent or influence the reaction-the shift from a block of crystal behind to solid crystal around the reaction might stop that, or it might not. Overall, the creation should Probably work, but maybe not reliably or for very long. And Sdieve forgot to actually make an auto-alchemizer, fusion reactor, deconstruction table, or pool of liquid death, so the construct doesn't have any electricity to power it. I'd fix that, but I only noticed it because I was going over it repeatedly to explain the differences, and Sdieve doesn't have the original for comparison or enough things to beat himself up over lately. I mean, making Player/Godmodder locks worked out great, the dimension thing seems to be fine, the weak lock thing was so blatantly a long shot I can't imagine Sdieve expecting success, and the Generator thing has potential. So yeah, I'm letting an action intentionally be sort-of a failure.)))
>I read a bit from the Encyclopedia of Magical Structures. who knows, maybe it'll be useful?
E> Drone continues work. Back at full health, the Lightmantle releases its excess Mana into the air within the base, supplementing Mana generation.
After a bit of messing with it, you successfully remove the Alchemiter's projector and get it linked up to your computer through some sort of vague technological fiddling. Firing the schematics for what you've found through the Formation Computer to Heaven and informing them of what precisely happened, you don't have to wait long for a response. To summarize it briefly, it's one of surprise and excitement, and upon getting the Grist resources this will likely be alchemized near immediately.
You attempt to create a... Froven Mana Generator, I think? Although it should essentially make Frovens into mana, it doesn't have power or a consistent source of Frovens to use it with, and it seems to be missing several important components - including what seems to be a pool of liquid death, deconstruction table, or fusion reactor. Without those, it's... pretty much just a techologically-advanced sculpture.
Reading from the Encyclopedia of Magical Structures, you come across something along the lines of an altar that seems to be capable of channeling blood magic - or using physical health to power more macabre spells and the like. I'm not sure if you have any use for this, but... it's there.
(x1)(Wand of Contradictions) The Paradoxical Dragon raises it's wand and removes the "er" from all enemies, turning the Ranger into the Rang, quickly dissapating if it doesn't act soon to counter it, the Fey Wanderer into the Fey Wand and the Gloom Stalker into a Gloom Stalk.
(x1) Picking up the Fey Wand, he stores the "er"s into a quickly crafted Bag to store them for later before blasting the Fey Wand at the Gloom Stalk, expending all the magical charges of the Fey Wand in turning the dark slip of grass the Gloom Stalk is into cinders. With Magical Capability thus removed, the Fey Wand is promptly tossed into a meteoric Woodchipper before the "er"s explode out of the bag back to their respective owners.
(x1) The Dragon quickly spread their wings over Winkin's Doggos, protecting them with his body to prevent their deaths when the Ranger makes her Move.
(Orders) The Hospital upticks it's Create Item Charge as well as that of its previous turns as the full charge would be the one used to create Bonsai World Tree whose main purpose is to exist Outside of the Soul Orb and Grow...for later potential
The Drone continues waiting for the pounding waters to destroy the Loot Box while reading a magazine or something.
Although the Fey Wand and the Gloom Stalk are unable to counteract their "er"s being taken away, the Rang says "er" in their stunned state before realizing that's precisely what they need! They attach the er back onto their name, re-becoming the Ranger!
You then obliterate the Fey Wand and deal 100 damage to the Gloom Stalk in the process before it re-becomes the Gloom Stalker.
Spending an action, you protect the Huskies from future attacks by putting yourself in the way!
Winkins scoffs at the Gloom's ability, drawing fire to itself?
Well then! Ice would mean that it be repelled by its distracting state as ice is simply the opposite element! With that thought out, Winkins easily makes a rolls up a ice boulder that then shatters to reveal a massive ice mallet!
With a well aimed toss, mallet spins its way to the Gloom Stalker, only to be violently pushed back once it got far too close! Once again flinging the hammer towards another... calculated direction which was evident when the mattle bashes itself into the Fey's face.
Done with the first attack, Winkins eye his dogs with worry before giving in to the decision. Calling the attention of Snow with a sign for him to unleash his Snowstorm, Winkins saunters his way to the dog while fiddling with a megaphone in hand. As the Glacier Husky was about to bark up his Snowstorm, Winkins drops a tri-pod with a specialized megaphone attached to it in front of the dog. This in turn, amplified the Bark to cover the whole field and turning the Snowstorm into an AoE attack that pelts the PGs in snow.
The wide spread of the Snowstorm also makes for great cover as Winkins called his dogs to retreat back to the Campfire area where Aurora can use the Field Hospital to aid in healing her brothers but leaving them out of the fight... For now.
The Fey Wanderer is dead, so the ice hammer bounces right off the wall of the circular arena and back into the Gloom Stalker to deal 150 damage! You command the Glacier Huskies retreat after Snow unleashes an amplified snowstorm with your help, dealing 220 damage to the Gloom Stalker and hitting it with Frostbite - and forcing the Ranger to put on a winter coat as a free action.
Well, I'm in a bit of a conundrum. So, the Ranger's having my HP swapped with one of their lackies, aren't they? This is a bit of an issue... I can't really dodge or block out of this, I feel like... but what if I made it so that my HP didn't matter really in the first place?
Just real quick, I'm going to use my Hunter's Longbow- I quickly fire off arrows into the forest before my vital energy gets sapped! I was actually aiming fairly carefully- I managed to kill enough giant rats and assorted blights lurking in the shadows of the forest to quickly level up, taking a level in Wizard. I manifest myself a Level 9 spell scroll- this should be just what I need, when it becomes clear what's written on the scroll! I quickly read from the scroll, allowing the world-shaking conjuration magic to bring itself from the Weave into the world...
"I Wish to cast Clone!"
My mystical clone immediately (thanks to the instant summoning of the Wish) starts growing within a hidden sarcophagus I've placed earlier in the forest- with that underway, it's time for these rangers to get a bit more than they can chew from this sort of healing they'd expect. I wish I coulda had a more magical solution, but that was my one spell scroll I can get right now. I bring up my Sniper's Crossbow to my chin, loaded with explosives, acids, thermite, and the like to make sure whatever's on the receiving end of its bolt- me, in this case- gets dead.
"See ya, suckers!"
Using my big toe, I press on the trigger, releasing the bolt. Hopefully, this body doesn't survive, and ideally, neither should the Fey Wanderer.
Now, getting that Clone up and running is going to be another issue entirely...
- snip -
You use the Sniper's Crossbow to end your... uh, your life? Are you sure? The - the Fey Wanderer is dead, so I dunno if you're gonna really need to off yourself, even with the help of a clone. Maybe don't do that.
That being said, you now have a Clone in development somewhere in Woodgrave. This won't come into play for a while, hopefully, but... err, it's there!
Action 1 + 3 CP + Texter's Rifle: While the Ranger is busy meddling with Ninjatwist and the Fey Wanderer's health values, I take aim at her own battle display representation and shoot the l out from her "Player Actions". She's still got three actions... but they don't come cheap any more. If she wants to keep using her Payer Actions, she's going to have to fork over some CP.
-----
Action 2 + Rainbow Reloader: Unsure what exactly this weapon's various color modes do, I perform some highly scientific experiments by shooting the Gloom Stalker with some red ones on the left side of their body and some orange ones on the right side of their body.
-----
Action 3: I throw a boomerang past the Ranger. While she's checking to see when it's coming back, I throw an anvil up in the air over her head. While she's checking to see when it'll come down, I throw a time bomb at her feet. While she's checking to see when it'll explode, I throw a paper airplane at her. While she's checking to see whether it's going to hit her or not... she blows up, because there were Explosive Runes written on the paper.
The Ranger, tired out from having to counter so many actions, can't come up with a good counter for Payer Actions! While this is in effect, each of her actions will cost 1 CP to use! Charging CP, thankfully, does not cost CP, but... that's probably not a good thing for you guys.
You fire a red and orange shot at the Gloom Stalker! As you're able to tell through the powers of reasonably logical deduction, the red one does extra damage [15, to be precise] and the orange one seems to refresh the burning effect on the Gloom Stalker! This totals up to 215 damage and the burning effect not going down this turn.
1 damage to the Ranger! Overwhelmed and not expecting the explosion, she takes the hit!
Xorm picked up the Build-A-Tank box and considered another Alchemy...
[Action 1: You See, Ivan...]
Alchemize Tank Turret && Helicopter Blades == Tankcopter Turrets Eight tank barrels, each one fully functional, arranged in the 8 cardinal directions. Capable of being spun so fast a tank can achieve liftoff. Who thought this was a good idea?
[Actions 2, 3: Reserved for Sidedop] [[Kit, are you alright over there? Action economy over here's been taking a half-brick to the temple...]] [[Yeah, I'm... Kinda starting a good-sized prison riot right now, sorry!]] [[This is something I'd inquire more to later. But I think I'll forgo this talk if you ignore Ranyeh.]] [[...Fine. Now gimme a second I have a few guards to trounce.]]
Tank Turret && Helicoper Blades == Tankcopter Turrets [LVL 3 Weapon]
Definitely not a good idea. At all. How do you even aim this thing?
- Splits an attack among all entities in the room, including allies. Adds 100 Attack in the process.
You have more than enough Grist, so alchemizing this is no issue at all.
-=+=-
End of Turn Battle -
Slated Cliffs -
The Lightmantle attempts to produce Mana, and successfully produces 5 as it concentrates it into a usable form! 15 more Mana is generated from various contraptions as well.
The Talc Snail eats Talc! It's inventory is full, so it doesn't store any.
In the real world, the Construction Drone continues its project.
Woodgrave - Elsewhere -
Having retreated to the Campfire from the Arena, the Glacier Huskies take a breather as Aurora restores 170 HP to Snow, with the help of the hospital. The hospital continues its charge!
The Arena -
The Akimbo Sniper, Jake and Murai all focus down their fire on the Gloom Stalker, finishing it off! The Ranger, realizing that she's alone and aren't necessarily in the best spot, looks around and tries to think about what they might be able to do, considering that several of their actions have been taken up by countering and they are seriously wounded...
And then they have it. Spending 14 CP and their last action for the turn, they quickly call out to the surrounding area before the trees, roots, and very grass seems to come alive! You all find yourselves actively fighting against the nature surrounding this stone arena as it all begins to fight back against you - Until the Ranger is defeated, everything and everyone in the Arena will take 400 damage per turn if they don't go out of their way to counter it using an action!
The remains of the Gloom Stalker and Fey Wanderer coalesce into 1000 Build Grist, 100 Bismuth, and 50 Cerium!
The Lodestar -
Not much actually happens here, considering that Xorm just alchemized something and nobody else really did much.
General/Miscellaneous -
OOC: Sorry this update took... forever. I'll be trying to get back into the swing of things from here, but college kinda swept me off my feet for a while and I just didn't have the time to keep updating the game. We'll see if actually having the will to do this and kinda understanding the flow of how school works helps.
Also, I'll probably spend some time making next update a bit more streamlined - moving the inventories to somewhere not in between the EoTB and where all the stats are, trimming down the EoTB to archive some inactive zones, and... yeah. Again, my apologies for not updating in forever and here's hoping that we can get this game off the ground again.
As always, let me know if I missed things in the update and I'll do my best to fix them soon.
Itinerary - [AG] - Destroy the Godmodder! [AG/N] - Increase Player Power by destroying the Power Anchors! [N] - Find your own goals! [PG] - Stop the AG effort to increase Player Power! [PG] - Reconvene with the Godmodder somewhere a bit more PG Biased...?
Player List - Player Power set to 200.
General Inventory / Key Items:
- The Alchemiter: allows for alchemy wherever and whenever! Required Grist for Upgrade to [LVL 5] -
5,800/12,000 Build Grist, 680/960 Gallium, 200/480 Bismuth, 60/480 Cerium
Ninjatwist - 8/8 Inventory Slots used. [LVL 3 Weapon]Hunter's Longbow - A longbow made of sturdy oak, complete with plenty of fletched arrows made of the same tree.
- Adds 15 damage per action, or 30 per action if more than one action is used in the attack. [LVL 3 Weapon]Sniper's Crossbow - A crossbow made of heavy, but durable materials. Has a scope attached to it, allowing for clearer shots.
- Adds 15 damage per action used in an attack, which is increased to 30 additional damage for your first action in a turn using it. [LVL 3 Weapon]Avoiding Spear - A spear designed around maneuverability and the ability to dodge.
- Along with adding 15 damage per action using it, grants a 30% chance to give Evade (reduces damage taken per attack by 10, 1 turn). [LVL 1 Weapon]Crossbow - A fairly simple wooden crossbow. Effective and easy to fire!
- Deals an additional 4 damage per action used. [LVL 1 Weapon]Periodic Wand - A wand with a really, really small version of the Periodic Table wrapped around its side lengthwise.
- Adds 3 damage per action to attacks. Also has a 20% chance to trigger Chemical Reaction (3 damage to another enemy) once a turn.
[LVL 3 Armor]Trickster's Tailed Coat - A coat that seems to be an optical illusion in itself. Seems to make some attacks hit a bit less, at least!
- Grants a 40% chance to deduct 60 damage from the total dealt by an attack. [LVL 3 Armor]Warlock's Timepiece - A small timepiece that seems to glow with malevolent energy.
- Grants a 30% chance for your attacks to chain off to another enemy, dealing 25% (Up to 75) of the attack's damage to them. [LVL 3 Armor]Distinguished Stovepipe - A charming top hat that fits immaculately with the rest of your outfit.
- When you're attacked, the hat has a 30% chance of inflicting Confusion (30% chance to miss attacks) on the foe that hit you.
Paradox - 8/8 Inventory Slots used. [LVL 4 Weapon] Wand of Contradictions - A slender wand made of dark oak. Flecks of green scales hint at the nature of the wand.
- When used as a part of an attack, deals 40 extra damage per action to the target's Max HP. Also has a 10% chance to double the damage dealt. [LVL 3 Weapon]+1 Broadsword - Seems to be a mildly enchanted broadsword, with nothing more to it. Still cool, though.
- Adds 25 damage to an attack and negates up to a 15% chance of dodging. [LVL 2 Weapon]Paradoxic Wand - A wand with the power to create and control previously unknown paradoxes.
- Deals an additional 10 damage to the Max Health of a creature, due to mind-breaking paradoxes implanted within. [LVL 2 Weapon]Pinpoint Needles - Two needles with weak-point sensing tech inside, allowing them to be incredibly precise with their aim.
- Deals an additional 10 damage per action, with a 10% chance to double all damage dealt in the attack. [LVL 2 Weapon] Chipped Pickaxe - An iron pickaxe with a small chip in it. Seems effective at what it does.
- Adds 20 damage per action to an attack used to break down walls and other structures.
[LVL 3 Armor]Destiny Scarf - A dark-blue scarf with several bright teal markings across its surface.
- Grants 10% dodge chance and deducts 10 damage from attacks that go through. [LVL 3 Armor] Draconic Plate - A cloak of green dragon scales that seems to blend in with the forested background.
- Grants 5% dodge chance and automatically deducts 20 damage from attacks that hit.
[LVL 1 Armor] Lucky Ribbon - A green ribbon... simple enough, honestly. It does blend in with the scales, though.
- Grants a 5% dodge chance to the player wearing it per attack.
Sdieve - 7/8 Inventory Slots used. [LVL 3 Weapon]+1 Broadsword - Seems to be a mildly enchanted broadsword, with nothing more to it. Still cool, though.
- Adds 25 damage to an attack and negates up to a 15% chance of dodging. [LVL 3 Weapon]Formation Computator [Cooldown: 0/2] - A far more capable computer, running the latest in calculation technologies!
- Usable to add roughly 50 damage per action or a weaker status effect to an attack using formations. Has a cooldown of 2 turns. [LVL 2 Weapon]Chipped Pickaxe - An iron pickaxe with a small chip in it. Seems effective at what it does.
- Adds 20 damage per action to an attack used to break down walls and other structures. [LVL 1 Weapon]Formation Calculator [Cooldown: 0/3] - A lightweight laptop with programs on it for creating and designing formations.
- Usable to add roughly 10 damage and an average chance of a status effect to a formation per action. Has a cooldown of 3 turns.
[LVL 1 Consumable]Encyclopedia of Magical Structures [1/3 Uses] - A purple leather-bound book filled with magic. Perhaps this has some info?
- Two functions here: Either can be used to learn for lore [0 charges used] or can create an example for 1 charge. Examples have varying effects.
[LVL 2 Passive]Heaven Comms Router - A small device, capable of being carried in a pocket. It works!
- Enables communications with Heaven, or what remains of it. From there, who knows what you can do?
- Backup Alchemiter
- Weak Godmodder Lock
- $140
Shin Kicker (Plague) - 8/8 Inventory Slots used. [LVL 3 Weapon]Thunder Mirror - A mirror rimmed with magically infused copper. Seems to hold back immense levels of sound.
- Adds 10 damage to an attack action, along with a 30% chance for Paralyzed (cannot switch squares) for 1 turn. [LVL 3 Weapon]Sylphic Shovel - A lightweight shovel with a white and blue color scheme. Contains the power of the winds.
- Adds 20 Damage per action to an attack, with a 10% chance of dealing Airbound (cannot change squares) for one turn. [LVL 2 Weapon] Adjustable Shovel - A shovel split into two halves of a blade, seemingly creating an adjustable width and length of the tool.
- Adds 10 damage per action to an attack, with a 50% chance of dealing Buried (cannot switch zones) for one turn. [LVL 2 Weapon] Laser Slugger - A metallic bat with a laser gun duct-taped onto the handle.
- When used as a part of an attack, deals 10 extra damage per action with a 15% chance of inflicting Stunned (Misses actions) for 1 turn.
[LVL 3 Armor]Lifetime Extender - A secondary golden timepiece, seeming to run a bit slower than time itself...
- Increases Max HP by 40 when worn. [LVL 1 Armor]Golden Watch - A golden watch. If you look closely, it seems to always be exactly on time, no matter what.
- When hit, has a 20% chance to give Slowed (-10% Attack Damage) on the attacker in return.
[LVL 1 Consumable]Health Amplifier [4/4 Uses] - A mix between radio and medical kits, boosting the signal of one's vitals to restore their health.
- When used, restores 30 HP to anything on the field.
Splashcat - 8/8 Inventory Slots used. [LVL 3 Weapon]Lodestone Sword - A sword composed of some sort of magnetic stone, infused with mercury in the process.
- Adds 30 damage per action to its attack, but subtracts 2/3rds of that amount from another. [LVL 3 Weapon]Reactionary Bat - A bat that seems to react to the slightest touch of anything upon its wooden surface.
- When attacks are countered, allows the user to take up to 40 of the countered damage and sends it back at the original attacker as an action. This damage is still able to be countered. [LVL 3 Weapon]Texter's Rifle - A black and white rifle-typewriter thing. Uses the power of wordplay to deal damage to opponents.
- Deals anywhere from 15-25 extra damage per Action, now dependent on quality wordplay! This can include puns. [LVL 3 Weapon]Particle Wand - A wand that looks more like a baton than anything, seeming to direct the very particles around it.
- Adds 20 damage per action to an attack, along with a 10% cumulative chance per action of a minor negative status effect being inflicted. [LVL 3 Weapon]Sylphic Shovel - A lightweight shovel with a white and blue color scheme. Contains the power of the winds.
- Adds 20 Damage per action to an attack, with a 10% chance of dealing Airbound (cannot change squares) for one turn. [LVL 3 Weapon]Rainbow Reloader - A multicolored pistol, using the same return-shot system as the Returning Shot.
- Can use Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, or Purple shots. Effects vary depending on color.
[LVL 3 Armor]Warded Dress - A nice dress, but seems somewhat stiff when given a second glance. Still very magic, lightning, and bulletproof.
- Deducts 20 damage from the total you take per attack. Rather nice effects, too!
[LVL 2 Consumable]Capcharoid Camera [3/5 Uses] - Prints out Homestuck-styled Capchalouge Cards for anything it takes a picture of.
- Can be used as an action to easily determine how to alchemize something! Does not tell the level, though.
ecneserP ehT - 1/8 Inventory Slots used. [LVL 2 Armor]Formation Badge - A small badge with the same coloration and everything as the uniform of a Formation Soldier.
- Takes 10 damage off every attack launched at you, along with showing loyalty to the PG side.
Winkins - 2/8 Inventory Slots used. [LVL 3 Weapon]Hunter's Longbow - A longbow made of sturdy oak, complete with plenty of fletched arrows made of the same tree.
- Adds 15 damage per action, or 30 per action if more than one action is used in the attack. [LVL 2 Weapon]Chemist's Wand - A wand that looks a bit like a really narrow beaker, but closed off. An unknown liquid sloshes inside.
- Adds 8 damage to attacks utilizing it, along with a 20% chance of Chemical Confliction (10 damage to another enemy) occurring.
Xorm - 4/8 Inventory Slots used. [LVL 3 Weapon]Octuple Barreled Shotgun - It's taken on a standard revolver design, but with 8 slots for shotgun shells. The barrel still unhinges.
- Adds 25 damage per Action to an attack. Still rather simple, but effective...
[LVL 4 Armor]Timer Badge - A Formation Badge combined with clocks and plenty of statistical processing units.
- Takes 40 damage off of every attack thrown at you. Additionally, shows loyalty to the PG side, and... - [lllll] 1/5- Self Upgrade - Upgrades this item's statistics by a small amount. 0/3 upgrades achieved. [LVL 1 Armor]Reactive Shield [20/20 Shields] - A shield that builds up deflection energy over time, compressed into a small trinket on your form.
- Builds up 2 HP of shield per turn. When you're hit, the damage is first taken from the shield and then your health bar. Caps at 20 Shields.
[LVL 3 Consumable] Volcanium Tank Deployer - 1/1 Use - A small box inexplicably filled with all the parts needed to build a volcanium tank.
- When used, creates a Volcanium Tank. Said tank has 300 HP and 50 Attack, with its attacks inflicting a small Burning effect.
[AG] Ninjatwist_ - 1000/1000 HP - 12 CP [AG] Paradox - 1000/1000 HP - 4 CP [N] Sdieve - 4500/1000 HP - 24 CP - Has 1 Attack Shield! [AG] Splashcat - 896/1000 HP - 33 CP [PG] ecneserP ehT - 1000/1000 HP - 3 CP [N] Winkins - 1000/1000 HP - 2 CP [PG] Xorm - 534/1000 HP - 11 CP
Godmodder HP - 69/70
Field Effect: RADIO ZONE! (Lasts as long as Radio!Xorm is alive!)
- All entities that choose a frequency have a 50/50 chance to dodge attacks!
- This effect can be negated if the attacker has a frequency exactly double or half of the defender's.
- Frequencies for both you and your entities can be chosen as a free action once a turn.
Current Players - None!
[N] Radio!Xorm - 130/130 HP, 30 Attack (Frequency 0) [N - Radio!Xorm]Radio Towers (x3) - 180/180 HP, Radio Zone Broadcast [ON] [N - Radio!Xorm] Wicked Witch of the Wavelength - 300/300 HP, 25 HP Regen per turn, 10x5 Attack + Weakened (-5 Attack) for two turns. Also inflicts Weakened when hit. This can stack! (Frequency 1)
Current Players - None!
[N - Winkins] Talc Snail - 360/360 HP, 60 Attack, 140 Talc Eaten (Inventory: 60/60 Talc)
- Eats all available Talc, converting half of it to stats and gaining 3 HP and .5 Attack per Talc converted. Stores the other half in its inventory.
[RS] Forcefield Projector - -1000/-1000 Shields, heals for -100 HP every turn! Protects the entire zone.
Current Players - Sdieve
Current Mana Reserve - 0 [N - Sdieve] Lesser Player Lock - 10,000/10,000 HP, can be broken with 1 Player Action, keeping things from entering or leaving! [N - Sdieve] Lightmantle - 180/180 HP, 40 Attack
[N - Sdieve] Mana Wellspring - 50/50 HP, Generates 10 Mana per turn! [N - Sdieve] Mana Generator - 60/60 HP, gathers 5 Mana a turn!
Current Players - Splashcat, Winkins, Ninjatwist, Paradox
Nature's Wrath - All AG, N, and RS players and entities take 400 damage per turn! [AG - Ninjatwist_] Akimbo Sniper - 600/800 HP, 120x2 Attack
[N] Multifunctional Snares x2 - Deals 100 damage to any entity coming or exiting from/to the east!
[PG] The Ranger - 2/5 HP, 3 Payer Actions [Costs 1 CP to use], 20 CP [300 Player Power]
Current Players - None! [N - Winkins] Iceberg - 250/450 HP, 10 Defense, Frost Breath [Deals 60 damage and inflicts Frost (Can only move 1 zone away) for two turns.], [ll] 1/2 - Ice Wall - Summons a 3x3 square of ice under Iceberg, potentially blocking exits or movement options! The block has 100 HP. [N - Winkins] Aurora - 180/380 HP, Aurora Pulse [Heals 50 HP across multiple entities!] [N - Winkins] Icicle - 100/300 HP, Icicle Spears x2 [Deals 50 damage and inflicts Frost (Can only move 1 zone away) for two turns.] [N - Winkins] Snow - 220/250 HP, 30 Attack [lll] 0/3 - Snowstorm: Deals 120 Damage and inflicts Frostbite (-20 Attack) for two turns! Dogpile: Deals (80*Huskies Involved) damage. Requires 2+ Huskies to function!
[AG - Paradox] Outpost Hospital - 400/400 HP, Adds 120 points of healing to Player or Entity Heal Actions! [lllll] 2/5 - Produce Item: Makes 1 LVL 3 Alchemy!
Current Players - None
[N] Fisher - 700/700 HP, 40 Attack [lll] 3/3 - Fish Up: Obtains 1d4 fish. What a peculiar entity.
[AG - Paradox] Exploratory Drone - 250/250 HP, 25 Attack, has 1 Attack Shield, Stealthed [lll] 3/3 - Stealth Drive: Grants Stealthed to the Drone, causing grounded traps not to trigger and the drone to be the last entity attacked!
[N - Sdieve] Player Projection Formation - 100/100 HP, Allows for Player Projection. Protect at all costs! [N - Sdieve] Mana Generators x7 - 60/60 HP, Gathers 5 Mana a turn! (x7)
ecneserP ehT, inexplicably, turns into a snail. This snail is named S. Mail, because why not. Also he's a postman.
S. Mail manifests in the Main Hallway of the Lodestar, looks around, and constructs a Shoebox Gunner. (That's a shoebox with a gun, not someone who guns shoeboxes.)
>< I... wait...... oh. right. I have to actually change the Frovens into... why didn't I...
...Y'know what, I've been awake long enough. I'm going to sleep, the other half of me can deal with this. {{{this is partially an explanation for anything I misremember due to the hiatus. naturally, Sdieve proceeds to wake up the other half of his brain and go to sleep.}}}
ᐳ...What was I working on before I woke me up? some kind of... spinning... thing? Let's see... so I was trying to make a mana generator and I forgot half the components.
You'd think I would be surprised at that, but I'm not. Does this thing even work? I think there was supposed to be Lead involved somehow...
...Wait, but I don't even have any lead, do I? and I can't just magic it up, it's magic-opaque... I guess I should try the alchemiter. I preview:
Froven && Hunk Of Lead
ᐳ< Create a second Mana Generation Formation in the Soul Orb using the 50 Mana I thiiink it should have? it matches the bookkeeping my other half was doing, but not the update. But the update says 0, and there is generation going on there...?
ᐳ Next... hm... I should probably participate in events outside this cave (and not including the Drone in the real world) eventually, but... I don't want to die again. obviously. And my encounter with the Roper earlier suggests I'm... really bad at not almost dying. so... hm... I use the Formation Computater to design a variant of the Player Projection formation which I can move around, locked to my projection, so I can build it, send it out of the cave, and then use it to do things without dying. Maybe using the Lightmantle to carry it...?
ᐳ Let's see, what computer stuff did I do... alright. I send a message to... Audien, asking if he or anyone'd like to trade for any Attack Shields, Redirectors, Mirrors etcetera in exchange for no more than one action. If so, I expend up to 5 CP as appropriate to give whichever player it is said shields/redirectors/mirrors, and ask in exchange for 1 action to be spent upgrading my Constructor Drone in the Encampment's HP and construction equally, making sure to clarify that if doing this would cost them any more than one action, then we can figure something else out.
If nobody needs Attack Shields/Blockers/Deflectors/Mirrors/Redirectors(...), I guess I store 1 CP.
EᐳThe Lightmantle should keep making Mana, I guess. Also, I donate 200 Cerium and 40 Bismuth to the Alchemiter Upgrade progress, I don't know how much of what's there already is from me but I vaguely recall I wanted to at least provide my share of the progress to any alchemiter upgrades without footing the whole bill.
CP: 25-(0 to 6) Grist: 12,220+1000 Talc: 2035
Galium: 1170 ______Bismuth: 280+100-40
Cerium: 330+50-200
Items: Encyclopedia of Magical Structures [1/3]
Formation Calculator [3/3 Chargeup]
Heaven Comms Router
Broadsword +1 (damaged)
Formation Computater [1->2->0/2 Chargeup]
Alchemiter (Backup)
Assets:
0->0 Mana(Real)
30->50?->0? Mana (Orb)
Drone, P.Assistance, P.Projection Formations(Real)
Mana Generation Formations x7 (Real) (req.5 Turns or 50 Mana to emplace.)
Dimensional Defense Formation x0.25 (Real) (req. 8 turns, 280 Mana to emplace.)
Lightmantle, Mana Wellspring (Orb)
Mana Generation Formation x1->2? (Orb. costs 50 Mana.)
Lesser Player Lock(Defending Orb Assets)
Weak Godmodder Lock
CP:5
Build:9290
Lv 1:1625
Lv 2:980
Lv 3:460
Lv 4:200
(x1)(Paradoxic wand) The dragon defends himself with the aid of one of his lesser wands, turning the vitality of the nature that is attacking them into disease, rot and decay.
(x1)(+1 Broadsword) With a might swing of the wings and the +1 Broadsword for luck as to aid in his mental visual is action, he pushes and cuts through the disease, rot and decay to the Ranger, sickening her with well. Disease, rot and decay.
(x1) Finally, with a hop, skip and a Giant Ram Horn from nowhere, the dragon blows the Ranger hopefully into one of the multifunctional snares right to the…right?? of her.
EXCLUSIVITY passed with 118,073 votes and 77% of total votes.
Halls are Decked.
Gifts are Placed.
Lists are Re-Written.
In Crowd, Out Crowd.
Naughty and Nice.
Hycei St. Kazam is Shunned. The Bouncers approach.
New Calmness permeates the Disco.
[1x]
The thing about screams is that they are exceptionally prone to appearing out of nowhere.
Suddenly and without warning altogether, a person slams into the Arena at such extreme speeds that it's impossible to tell whether they fell from very, very high up, or simply manifested out of the ether. The sheer force of their descent(?) is such that a sizable crater forms, sending dust and debris every which way.
[2x] Also notable is the fact that upon hitting the ground, they bounce.
There's really no other word for it- as soon as they make their impact on the Arena, they're launched up in the air again. "WhoahwoahwoooAAHHHH!" they continue to yell, pinwheeling their arms about as if they could somehow magically counteract the inevitable effects of gravity. Too busy reeling through the air, they completely fail to notice that they're aimed smack dab for the Ranger- and collide they do, crushing the Ranger with the same pwung sound that a dodgeball makes when it hits someone smack-dab in the face.
The stranger does not bounce again after hitting the Ranger, instead choosing to lie there on their back, staring up at the sky.
Then they begin to sob overdramatically. "NOOOOOOoohoohoohohoohohoohoohhhhoooooooooooo! WHY? WHY, CRUEL WORLD??? HAVE THE DODGEBOWL GODS FORSAKEN ME, THEIR MOST LOYAL CHAMPION??? Boooohooohooohooohooooooooo..."
...Who the hell is this person? For that matter, what are they fucking talking about?
Action 1 + Action 2 + Texter's Rifle + Rainbow Reloader: I shoot the Ranger with the Rainbow Reloader set to green. Then, before my shot hits, I shoot the second O out of the word "shoot". Now I shot the Ranger. Already. It's too late to do anything about it.
Action 3 + Particle Wand: I conjure a chunk of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane on top of the Ranger. By the time she's finished figuring out how to pronounce its name, it's already exploded.
[[On one hand, I am EXTREMELY hyped about the fact that we're back. On the other hand, now I have to actually finish that side-dop action. Although, fun fact, I always thought "y'know, I should finish that even if I don't expect an update.]]
[[In any case, welcome back.]]
[[Old side-dop post's been updated, sorry I'm a bit rusty~]]
Hey, as a quick update and an attempt to get my own stuff together for this game, I have revamped the inventory system that this game runs on! The inventory for you all will no longer be found in the post, but rather at the same spreadsheet that the maps are in. This lets me update more quickly and should hopefully help everyone avoid searching through everyone else's inventory just to find their stuff.
Additionally, this new and improved inventory is fully updated [with some minor clarifications and balance tweaks to items], may have unintentionally duplicated a few items because I'm picking this back up after way too long, and perhaps most importantly to you all, tracks Grist totals effectively! With this in place, you all will no longer need to track your own Grist - although you can if you like, it is no longer a requirement.
If you'd like to see the new inventory, you can find it here.
[Actions 2+3 - I Ask Forgiveness, Not Permission.]
Kit felt time slow as that club came down on him. There were a lot of things he could do in this moment, but right now, his mind tilted towards... forbidden writings.
Narrators were mighty beings, but their power came from their limits. When the Narrative Force imbues one, it enforces laws upon them... And dearly punishes those who would break them.
[[ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU WISH TO PROCEED?]]
It was hardly a "warning," no, this was a SCREAM from the abyss telling him to back off. There was no "Yes" or "No," only "I would like to go hide in my bed from the boogeyman."
And still he persisted.
"Alyssa... It's me, remember?"
That wasn't the Yard Warden's name by any means. Why was he spouting this nonsense?
"We... Went to the same high school? H-How's your girlfriend doing?"
Memories fragmented and crystallized as Kit attempted a Literary Sin... Modifying an OC. The Formation Soldier now known as Jets was clean - His Narrative was copy-pasted across the masses, a background character with an open-ended reality. But the Warden made certain to fill his creations with life and history - With enough personal flair they all had an established role in his literary universe. To corrupt one was unthinkable, an act that would tear at a Narrator's connection... But. Here Kit was. He needed a man (or woman) on the inside, a Plot Hook of sorts that knew the corridors and rooms of Ex Machina.
He coughed up a pitch-black lump of ink. And he kept going.
"It's me, Kit - You know me, I'm just lazy! I never meant to start those worlds, and let them sit - I just haven't had the motivation! Get me out of here. I don't care what happens to the others except The Collector, I cut a deal with him, just... For old times sake?"
One last line to seal his self-betrayal - And even then it wasn't certain to work. Merely attempting this kind of thing would scar him, regardless of success. But he had to try.
"Remember when you broke your leg climbing the apple tree in my backyard? My arms just ache thinking about carrying you all that way..." the wolf laughs, before coughing up a larger blob of The Narrative's pure, concentrated hatred, and looking up at the Yard Warden who was swinging on him.
"I'm happy you got where you wanted to be, Alyssa."
[TL;DR: Two actions, the Moderately Wounded health status, and Broken (Cannot be healed, 5 turns), all to try to convert a Yard Warden.]
The Warden - Alyssa? Whatever or whoever she - them - by whatever remains of Heaven, this is confusing... I dunno if this worked or not, but that Warden definitely seems confused by your actions regardless, and there's... a hint of sympathy behind her (yeah, I'm just gonna roll with her) eyes. Whatever you did just then, despite causing you a lot of pain and heavily hindering your narrative power, seems to have gotten through to her and potentially modified an OC... somehow. I didn't even know that was possible.
Meanwhile, the battle around you rages on. The Yard Warden - Alyssa - she pauses for a moment before she stops and just... looks at you. She seems stunned for a moment, but then just shakes her head at you, sighs a little, and moves on with a look that says that they'll come back later. Well, the good news is that you aren't being hit with a club anymore, and... your attack - defense - whatever the heck that just was - seems to have worked.
Regardless, though, the Narrative Prisoners and the Yard Wardens continue. 2 more are shackled, and though about half of them are trying to figure out a way to leave and therefore not attacking at the moment, several more attack the Yard Wardens, dealing about 6000 more damage to both of them. This is... not looking good for the prison's warden, or... you, for that matter. You look seriously hurt, Kit... so be careful, please?
-=+=-
Ex Machina Prison - Prison Yard [N?] KitRougard - Moderately Wounded [Action Power halved], Broken [Can't be healed, 5 turns left]
[N?] Narrative Prisoners x12 - 10,000/10,000 HP, 2000 Attack, x14
Narrative Prisoners x3 - 5000/10,000 HP, 2000200 Attack, Shackled (5 turns left). [N??] The Collector - I have no idea what's going on with this guy. Supposedly sells stuff?
[EX - Elite] Yard Warden - 14,000/20,000 HP, Imprison (Deals 5000 damage and inflicts Shackled for 5 turns.) [N - KitRougard?] Alyssa, Yard Warden - 9000/20,000 HP, Imprison (Deals 5000 damage and inflicts Shackled for 5 turns.)
Kit sighed. Honestly, he shouldn't have even tried, but there was momentum from the past that made it inevitable. He was weak, and his plan was dumb, and-
[[Kit, stop wallowing and cough up a few actions!]]
[[Seitously, that was stupid but knowing you, you had to commit. So now you have to commit.]]
[[It's probably something you'll have to nurse, but-]]
[[Give her reasons to flip.]]
[[And do it in one action, for my sanity.]] [[Uggggggggh fine]]
Kit stood up, stretching out the deep ache in his bones. The price he paid was already cashed out, continuing wouldn't harm him much more.
"Alyssa! Wait... Is this... Really what you wanted?" He said, thinking about the truth he was drawing from. Honestly, Alyssa was a great friend, and she was probably actually fighting for literary beings' rights in court right now. She'd never...
"I thought you wanted to keep us out of places like this? I have a laptop, but most of the others just..."
He looked at the Shackled prisoners, shuddering because of the fact he had stumbled. He should have just blocked the shot, redirected it, done the warden in, but...
Writing stories and ending them were two different monsters.
"If we lock them up, aren't we as bad as they're supposed to be? Ending a story without a resolution? Sure, some of them, uh... Shouldn't continue. But most of us just have focus issues, or find something important to focus on, or..."
"What I'm trying to say, Alyssa, is... I never thought I'd see you here, fighting for "justice" instead of redefining it."
"I'm trying to redefine it. What about you?"
Every word that slipped from his lips burned him, corruptive truths as he superimposed his old friend more firmly over this Yard Warden. More than likely they HAD joined out of a sense of justice, and a few had a vague sense of dissatisfaction with their job - All part of their hand-sculpted character given to them by The Warden. The closer this one was to that, the better off he'd be - But worst case, he would distract this one long enough that the other prisoners would be able to take down their opponent. Best case... Probably wasn't going to happen.
I look up from my self-destructive gambit to take out the Gloom Stalker, pointing the Sniper's Crossbow in a much less lethal direction. In retrospect, that woulda been a headache and a half, so I'm glad the Gloom Stalker got taken out before I could execute my ploy.
As for the current matters, the forest is looking a lot more animate and hostile now than it was previously, so it looks like I'll have to do something about it, even more so if I want to save the Akimbo Sniper!
With that in mind, I use two of my actions to axe-kick a bare section of ground, a section of which begins to crumble around me, the fracture marked by fissures of energy. I tap the Akimbo Sniper on the shoulder to come with me if he wants to escape the wrath of nature, and assuming he does, we both board the rising platform of earth, free from the writhing plant life around me! The ground rises enough until it's a good degree off the ground, continuing to levitate in the air. It should come back to the ground sometime next turn, but that's enough time for the Akimbo Sniper and I to take this turn in safety.
Now that we're both away from the angry plant life, I use my third action to equip my Sniper's Crossbow while the Akimbo Sniper takes his shots. We should have a bit of a height advantage from this perch, which I want to use to my advantage- I look down the scope of my crossbow down at the Ranger, lead a bit, account for my height advantage, and look for a predictable spot of movement. At the right moment, I squeeze the trigger of my crossbow, sending the bolt flying true at the Ranger! Let's see how they react to this...
Inventory:
- Sniper's Crossbow[Lvl.3] (+15 damage per action used, increased to +30 damage for the first action in a turn using it)
- Avoiding Spear[Lvl.3] (+15 damage per action used, 30% chance to grant Evade (reduces damage taken per attack by 10, 1 turn) upon use)
- Hunter's Longbow[Lvl.3] (+15 damage per action used, increased to +30 damage used if more than one action is used)
- Periodic Wand [Lvl.1] (Gift from Splashcat, +3 damage per action, 20% chance to proc Chemical Reaction, dealing 2 additional damage)
- Distinguished Stovepipe[Lvl.3] (30% chance to inflict Confusion (30% miss chance) to foes that attack you)
- Trickster's Tailed Coat[Lvl.3] (40% chance to deduct 60 damage from the total dealt by an attack)
- Warlock's Timepiece[Lvl.3] (30% chance for your attacks to chain off to another enemy, dealing 25% (Up to 75) of the attack's damage to them)
ecneserP ehT, inexplicably, turns into a snail. This snail is named S. Mail, because why not. Also he's a postman.
S. Mail manifests in the Main Hallway of the Lodestar, looks around, and constructs a Shoebox Gunner. (That's a shoebox with a gun, not someone who guns shoeboxes.)
... Alright, guess it's a snail postman now. This is reflected in the EoTB and the game's document.
Regardless, you do that, constructing a small Shoebox Gunner! It looks inconspicuous at first glance, but then you realize the barrel of a sniper rifle peeking out through one of the box handles. This shouldn't be spatially possible, but here we are. Based off where you've spawned in, I'd assume that you're still playing on the Pro-Godmodder side, but let me know if I'm wrong.
>< I... wait...... oh. right. I have to actually change the Frovens into... why didn't I...
...Y'know what, I've been awake long enough. I'm going to sleep, the other half of me can deal with this. {{{this is partially an explanation for anything I misremember due to the hiatus. naturally, Sdieve proceeds to wake up the other half of his brain and go to sleep.}}}
ᐳ...What was I working on before I woke me up? some kind of... spinning... thing? Let's see... so I was trying to make a mana generator and I forgot half the components.
You'd think I would be surprised at that, but I'm not. Does this thing even work? I think there was supposed to be Lead involved somehow...
...Wait, but I don't even have any lead, do I? and I can't just magic it up, it's magic-opaque... I guess I should try the alchemiter. I preview:
Froven && Hunk Of Lead
ᐳ< Create a second Mana Generation Formation in the Soul Orb using the 50 Mana I thiiink it should have? it matches the bookkeeping my other half was doing, but not the update. But the update says 0, and there is generation going on there...?
ᐳ Next... hm... I should probably participate in events outside this cave (and not including the Drone in the real world) eventually, but... I don't want to die again. obviously. And my encounter with the Roper earlier suggests I'm... really bad at not almost dying. so... hm... I use the Formation Computater to design a variant of the Player Projection formation which I can move around, locked to my projection, so I can build it, send it out of the cave, and then use it to do things without dying. Maybe using the Lightmantle to carry it...?
ᐳ Let's see, what computer stuff did I do... alright. I send a message to... Audien, asking if he or anyone'd like to trade for any Attack Shields, Redirectors, Mirrors etcetera in exchange for no more than one action. If so, I expend up to 5 CP as appropriate to give whichever player it is said shields/redirectors/mirrors, and ask in exchange for 1 action to be spent upgrading my Constructor Drone in the Encampment's HP and construction equally, making sure to clarify that if doing this would cost them any more than one action, then we can figure something else out.
If nobody needs Attack Shields/Blockers/Deflectors/Mirrors/Redirectors(...), I guess I store 1 CP.
EᐳThe Lightmantle should keep making Mana, I guess. Also, I donate 200 Cerium and 40 Bismuth to the Alchemiter Upgrade progress, I don't know how much of what's there already is from me but I vaguely recall I wanted to at least provide my share of the progress to any alchemiter upgrades without footing the whole bill.
Froven && Hunk of Lead = Lead Froven Deployer [LVL 1 Consumable]
Deploys a Lead Froven, which works practically the same as a regular Froven. The only difference is that it's made of lead instead of... well, whatever a Froven's normally made out of.
Creating a second Mana Generation Formation still requires an action.
You begin figuring out a second Player Projection formation using your computer, and semi-succeed. Although definitely immobile at the moment, your efforts leave you staring back at a secondary you... with some obvious problems. It's HP is pitiful when compared to another player's, and there also appears to be a noticeable latency between your actions and the actual effects taking effect. Although you probably won't die through it, it's probably gonna require a bit more CP to get functioning to the level you want, or that it'd be all that helpful.
You reach out to the real world players, and ask for the exchange as stated! However, you get a bit of a different response than you were expecting... Audien: Uh... although we could probably use the Attack Shields, I don't think that's gonna take only an action.
Audien: We don't know where your encampment even is, and the Godmodder's demanding most of our attention as is.
Audien: Sending almost anyone off on a sidequest right now is risky at best, to be honest... ... Well, sounds like he's open to negotiations, at least?
The Lightmantle will do as you ask! Cerium and Bismuth donated!
CP:5
Build:9290
Lv 1:1625
Lv 2:980
Lv 3:460
Lv 4:200
(x1)(Paradoxic wand) The dragon defends himself with the aid of one of his lesser wands, turning the vitality of the nature that is attacking them into disease, rot and decay.
(x1)(+1 Broadsword) With a might swing of the wings and the +1 Broadsword for luck as to aid in his mental visual is action, he pushes and cuts through the disease, rot and decay to the Ranger, sickening her with well. Disease, rot and decay.
(x1) Finally, with a hop, skip and a Giant Ram Horn from nowhere, the dragon blows the Ranger hopefully into one of the multifunctional snares right to the…right?? of her.
The Ranger counteracts it, mentally moving a tree branch into the way to take the hit! Though you didn't hit your intended target, the damage per turn from the field effect goes down slightly due to the damage to the room!
Though the giant ram horn succeeds in pushing the Ranger to the right, it does not succeed in pushing her up as the vines and grass grow to provide her grip and stop the backwards momentum. The Ranger: "You're not gonna kill me that easily, though you might try!"
The Ranger: "I've fought off worse than you before!"
EXCLUSIVITY passed with 118,073 votes and 77% of total votes.
Halls are Decked.
Gifts are Placed.
Lists are Re-Written.
In Crowd, Out Crowd.
Naughty and Nice.
Hycei St. Kazam is Shunned. The Bouncers approach.
New Calmness permeates the Disco.
[1x]
The thing about screams is that they are exceptionally prone to appearing out of nowhere.
Suddenly and without warning altogether, a person slams into the Arena at such extreme speeds that it's impossible to tell whether they fell from very, very high up, or simply manifested out of the ether. The sheer force of their descent(?) is such that a sizable crater forms, sending dust and debris every which way.
[2x] Also notable is the fact that upon hitting the ground, they bounce.
There's really no other word for it- as soon as they make their impact on the Arena, they're launched up in the air again. "WhoahwoahwoooAAHHHH!" they continue to yell, pinwheeling their arms about as if they could somehow magically counteract the inevitable effects of gravity. Too busy reeling through the air, they completely fail to notice that they're aimed smack dab for the Ranger- and collide they do, crushing the Ranger with the same pwung sound that a dodgeball makes when it hits someone smack-dab in the face.
The stranger does not bounce again after hitting the Ranger, instead choosing to lie there on their back, staring up at the sky.
Then they begin to sob overdramatically. "NOOOOOOoohoohoohohoohohoohoohhhhoooooooooooo! WHY? WHY, CRUEL WORLD??? HAVE THE DODGEBOWL GODS FORSAKEN ME, THEIR MOST LOYAL CHAMPION??? Boooohooohooohooohooooooooo..."
...Who the hell is this person? For that matter, what are they fucking talking about?
You slam into the arena at massive velocities, miraculously not taking damage from this and instead damaging the arena! The damage over time that it deals is further lessened, though you wouldn't really know that as you spring right back up into the air and careen down towards the Ranger - who casually sidesteps the very obvious, screaming projectile, leaving you to once again slam into the floor. The Ranger - "Given your lack of subtlety, they probably have forsaken you."
The Ranger - "Now then, how about you continue laying there and let the nature overtake you?"
The Ranger - "Given the...situation I'm dealing with, that'd be quite helpful."
Action 1 + Action 2 + Texter's Rifle + Rainbow Reloader: I shoot the Ranger with the Rainbow Reloader set to green. Then, before my shot hits, I shoot the second O out of the word "shoot". Now I shot the Ranger. Already. It's too late to do anything about it.
Action 3 + Particle Wand: I conjure a chunk of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane on top of the Ranger. By the time she's finished figuring out how to pronounce its name, it's already exploded.
The Ranger may have been shot, but she isn't the Ranger anymore - instead, she uses the o from the attack and is briefly the Rangero, causing the attack to be mistargeted! After pulling it back out of her name, the Ranger throws the o to the ground and simply lets it be consumed by the wrathful nature surrounding her.
The Ranger - "Now then - it may have been some time, but..." She steps forward, causing the area behind her to explode dramatically as the explosive hits and leaving her unscathed. The Ranger - "You've already hit me with through causing your opponent to get overwhelmed or distracted. That won't work again."
I look up from my self-destructive gambit to take out the Gloom Stalker, pointing the Sniper's Crossbow in a much less lethal direction. In retrospect, that woulda been a headache and a half, so I'm glad the Gloom Stalker got taken out before I could execute my ploy.
As for the current matters, the forest is looking a lot more animate and hostile now than it was previously, so it looks like I'll have to do something about it, even more so if I want to save the Akimbo Sniper!
With that in mind, I use two of my actions to axe-kick a bare section of ground, a section of which begins to crumble around me, the fracture marked by fissures of energy. I tap the Akimbo Sniper on the shoulder to come with me if he wants to escape the wrath of nature, and assuming he does, we both board the rising platform of earth, free from the writhing plant life around me! The ground rises enough until it's a good degree off the ground, continuing to levitate in the air. It should come back to the ground sometime next turn, but that's enough time for the Akimbo Sniper and I to take this turn in safety.
Now that we're both away from the angry plant life, I use my third action to equip my Sniper's Crossbow while the Akimbo Sniper takes his shots. We should have a bit of a height advantage from this perch, which I want to use to my advantage- I look down the scope of my crossbow down at the Ranger, lead a bit, account for my height advantage, and look for a predictable spot of movement. At the right moment, I squeeze the trigger of my crossbow, sending the bolt flying true at the Ranger! Let's see how they react to this...
You protect yourself and the Akimbo Sniper from taking damage from the animated nature around the area, at least for this turn! Though your new height lets you get a shot beyond all the grass and vines and stuff, the Ranger sees you trying this and engages in a complex series of evasive maneuvers, making it nearly impossible for you to land the shot you want! As you fire, it ends up being a grazing miss as it leaves a gash in a nearby vine - though it was certainly close!
-=+=-
End of Turn Battle -
Slated Cliffs -
The Talc Snail repeats its growth, gaining 60 more HP and 10 more attack!
The Mana Formation equipment and the Lightmantle generate Mana, generating a collective 20 and putting the total at 70! My book-keeping was a bit behind on that, so thanks for the reminder.
Woodgrave - Elsewhere -
Iceberg and Snow build up their charges, while Aurora heals Icicle for 170 HP with help from the Hospital! The Hospital builds up it's charge as well, getting ever-so-slightly closer to forming another item.
That weird Neutral entity by the lake decides to actually produce fish! I have no idea what the point of it is.
The Arena -
The Akimbo Sniper and the Resistance Defender don't have much to attack with a reasonable HP value right now, so they hold their turns and prepare for anything to actually attack!
Jake and Murai note the oncoming terrain, and act to protect themselves, the Resistance Defender, Winkins, Hycei, and Splashcat from harm this turn from it! The Multifunctional Snares are consumed by the nature, being rendered useless as they sink beneath the soil...
The Ranger, having been significantly more reasonable with their defenses this turn, has a couple of actions to burn! Spending 2 CP to use her remaining 2 actions, along with 3 more CP, (one got burned countering), she launches a series of attacks against all 5 AG/N players in the room! Disappearing with a burst of wind, she appears unpredictably around each one of you, aiming to hand a hit with a bow, a scimitar, or even getting a hand from the wild nature in the room to fight back!
[ @Splashcat@Ninjatwist_@Winkins@King_Fuffy@paradoxdragon ]
The Lodestar -
Not much happens! Jets, Ranyeh, and almost everything simply remain on standby for the moment, though Ranyeh does increment her passives and the Watchdog Portal makes another Watchdog. In the same vein, that Banneret increments its War Cry charge, though not much is gonna come of it this turn.
General/Miscellaneous -
In Tonnere Ridge, the Exploratory Drone awaits orders! It's just kinda there right now.
In Sdieve's Encampment, the construction drone awaits orders! 35 Mana is generated as well.
Itinerary - [AG] - Destroy the Godmodder! [AG/N] - Increase Player Power by destroying the Power Anchors! [N] - Find your own goals! [PG] - Stop the AG effort to increase Player Power! [PG] - Reconvene with the Godmodder somewhere a bit more PG Biased...?
Player Power set to 200.
Current Players - [AG] Ninjatwist_ - 1000/1000 HP - 12 CP - Incoming: 200 Damage! [AG] Paradox - 1000/1000 HP - 5 CP - Incoming: 200 Damage! [N] Sdieve - 4500/1000 HP - 24 CP - Has 1 Attack Shield! [AG] Splashcat - 896/1000 HP - 33 CP - Incoming: 200 Damage! [PG] S. Mail - 1000/1000 HP - 3 CP [N] Winkins - 1000/1000 HP - 2 CP - Incoming: 200 Damage! [PG] Xorm - 534/1000 HP - 11 CP [AG? I think?] Hycei St. Kazam - 1000/1000 HP - 0 CP - Incoming: 200 Damage!
Godmodder HP - 69/70
Field Effect: RADIO ZONE! (Lasts as long as Radio!Xorm is alive!)
- All entities that choose a frequency have a 50/50 chance to dodge attacks!
- This effect can be negated if the attacker has a frequency exactly double or half of the defender's.
- Frequencies for both you and your entities can be chosen as a free action once a turn.
Current Players - None!
[N] Radio!Xorm - 130/130 HP, 30 Attack (Frequency 0) [N - Radio!Xorm]Radio Towers (x3) - 180/180 HP, Radio Zone Broadcast [ON] [N - Radio!Xorm] Wicked Witch of the Wavelength - 300/300 HP, 25 HP Regen per turn, 10x5 Attack + Weakened (-5 Attack) for two turns. Also inflicts Weakened when hit. This can stack! (Frequency 1)
Current Players - None!
[N - Winkins] Talc Snail - 420/420 HP, 70 Attack (Inventory: 60/60 Talc)
- Eats all available Talc, converting half of it to stats and gaining 3 HP and .5 Attack per Talc converted. Stores the other half in its inventory.
[RS] Forcefield Projector - -1000/-1000 Shields, heals for -100 HP every turn! Protects the entire zone.
Current Players - Sdieve
Current Mana Reserve - 70 [N - Sdieve] Lesser Player Lock - 10,000/10,000 HP, can be broken with 1 Player Action, keeping things from entering or leaving! [N - Sdieve] Lightmantle - 180/180 HP, 40 Attack [N - Sdieve] Player Projection Formation - 100/100 HP, Immobile, allows for acting without being in the area... sort of.
[N - Sdieve] Mana Wellspring - 50/50 HP, Generates 10 Mana per turn! [N - Sdieve] Mana Generator - 60/60 HP, gathers 5 Mana a turn!
Current Players - Splashcat, Winkins, Ninjatwist, Paradox
Nature's Wrath - All AG, N, and RS players and entities take 330 damage per turn! [AG - Ninjatwist_] Akimbo Sniper - 600/800 HP, 120x2 Attack
[PG] The Ranger - 2/5 HP, 3 Payer Actions [Costs 1 CP to use], 15 CP [300 Player Power]
Current Players - None! [N - Winkins] Iceberg - 250/450 HP, 10 Defense, Frost Breath [Deals 60 damage and inflicts Frost (Can only move 1 zone away) for two turns.], [ll] 2/2 - Ice Wall - Summons a 3x3 square of ice under Iceberg, potentially blocking exits or movement options! The block has 100 HP. [N - Winkins] Aurora - 180/380 HP, Aurora Pulse [Heals 50 HP across multiple entities!] [N - Winkins] Icicle - 270/300 HP, Icicle Spears x2 [Deals 50 damage and inflicts Frost (Can only move 1 zone away) for two turns.] [N - Winkins] Snow - 220/250 HP, 30 Attack [lll] 1/3 - Snowstorm: Deals 120 Damage and inflicts Frostbite (-20 Attack) for two turns! Dogpile: Deals (80*Huskies Involved) damage. Requires 2+ Huskies to function!
[AG - Paradox] Outpost Hospital - 400/400 HP, Adds 120 points of healing to Player or Entity Heal Actions! [lllll] 3/5 - Produce Item: Makes 1 LVL 3 Alchemy!
Current Players - None
[N] Fisher - 700/700 HP, 40 Attack [lll] 0/3 - Fish Up: Obtains 1d4 fish. What a peculiar entity. Current Fish: 3
[AG - Paradox] Exploratory Drone - 250/250 HP, 25 Attack, has 1 Attack Shield, Stealthed [lll] 3/3 - Stealth Drive: Grants Stealthed to the Drone, causing grounded traps not to trigger and the drone to be the last entity attacked!
[N - Sdieve] Player Projection Formation - 100/100 HP, Allows for Player Projection. Protect at all costs! [N - Sdieve] Mana Generators x7 - 60/60 HP, Gathers 5 Mana a turn! (x7)
(x2)(Wand of Contradictions)(Plus 1 Broadsword) The Ranger attempts to pummel, slice, shoot and otherwise harm the dragon, but he simply refuses to be there. Literally. Everywhere the Ranger attempts to strike, he defines himself to be not with the aid of the Wand.
And therefore, when she finishes, when he swings the Plus 1 Broadsword right beside her, he reverses the equation: where he is, the Ranger cannot be. And so what he strikes, cannot be.
(x1)(Pinpoint Needles) The dragon continues shooting stray environmental features that get too close and animate for comfort to defend himself this turn.
The Hospital continues churning as it continues building a seed
The drone reads the EoTB in its newspaper and then turns over for the opinion piece. This contains a message. which reveals it should probably go open the Loot Box and maybe actually shoot it with its pitiful but still somewhat significant guns that it has while the water pounds down on it.
S. Mail looks around and quickly realizes there's nothing here for him to engage. Hmm. It's probably fine to continue upgrading the Shoebox Gunner, then.
S. Mail crawls inside the shoebox. The barrel of the gun contained within extends... and extends... and extends... before suddenly retracting as S. Mail hops back out. Then, the shoebox grows three legs and begins swiveling around.
The intent of this is to upgrade the Shoebox Gunner into the Orbital Shoebox Gunner - at the cost of some of its stats, it is now able to target anything, even things in different areas, with a precision strike. If that's too powerful for a simple action, it just gets extra range - we'll finish upgrading that range later on. If that's not powerful ENOUGH for a simple action, it also gets a small Attack upgrade.
The Orbital Shoebox Gunner aims for and fires on the Akimbo Sniper.
(If it's not too much trouble, could you modify Hycei's listing to include their full name, Hycei St. Kazam? Also, yes, Hycei is AG.)
[1x] Surprisingly, Hycei doesn't falter. In fact, they do the exact opposite. They sniffle derisively at the Ranger. I mean, they've prostrated themselves on the ground in shame, so it kind of loses its luster, but still. "Who are you? What qualifies you to look down upon THE TRUE AND POWERFUL CHAMPION?!?!?!?" Hycei pulls themself off the ground (with some difficulty, given the wild nature currently in effect), brushing themself off. Upon closer inspection, Hycei is a strange sight indeed- they have a wild, multicolored hairdo, like the plumage of an exotic bird, and a long, worn trenchcoat that seems to flutter asymptotically of whether there's wind or not. What's more, their movement itself is disjointed and strange, like some sort of fourth-dimensional shadow puppet being projected onto this world from a higher plane.
"Insolence! I'll have you know I am HYCEI ST. KAZAM, THE GREATEST WIZARD OF ALL TIME!" Hycei strikes a pose. A sudden, inky darkness envelops the Arena. "HAHAHAHAHAHAH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! HAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Thunder cracks and lightning booms, the wizard wreathed in a dark, forbidden electricity, their pitch-black eyes gazing upon the Ranger with malice...
Oh. Nevermind, actually, none of that happens. Hycei just poses, laughing maniacally, and looks... kind of stupid?
Then they throw out a hand, and the Ranger's attack smacks into it.
Hycei blinks. "Oh." They look down at the attack, held in both hands like a freshly caught dodgeball, before looking back up at the Ranger. They grin. "Oh, I caught it!" they cheer. "...Actually, according to the rules, that means you're-"
[2x]
"-OUT!"
The Ranger's gust of wind is turned against them a hundredfold, BLASTING them out of the arena and slamming them HARD against the Leaky Log Dam, completely totalling it!
[FREE?]
If possible, Hycei will claim the Thunder Mirror, Laser Slugger, and Lifetime Extender for their own inventory.
ᐳ< ...Should've known it wouldn't be that easy... alright, how can we work around this... I really don't want to cost them more than an action. I'm not worth that much. So, what can they do with just one action... I ask "Can you create an entity matching this schematic, but at your player power level, with one action? and then leave it to run away from the battlefield, presumably?", attaching a schematic of the Constructor Drone plus the parts that aren't in the schematic but which I added like... what was it... the wifi hotspot and player-powered mana source. If they confirm, I send them attack shields/redirectors/whatever as appropriate and have the created drone run away from the battlefield, but Not towards my other real-world drone- I want to be sure it's not being followed first, and honestly considering their player power level it probably wouldn't cost much for the second drone to start from scratch.
and that's all for this a-Ah, wait, actually, you said I should try to be creative with my attack SBRD(...) applications to keep them from being affected by Repetitiveness, right? so uh- my attack shields and blockers take the form of... weightless fake imitations of me, so- mostly generic human teens- that stand next to or on the thing they're shielding, and shapeshift with biomanipulation into different forms when they have to take an attack, like I did with the tumor and long fingernail and stuff early on, and then shatter into shards after being destroyed. they're not sentient, they only do those two things. My attack redirectors, um... eh, let's say theyyyyy are also copies of me, but instead of biomanipulation they jump ahead to the incoming attack and hug it, and then they suplex the attack... heh, as if I could actually suplex something, but these things are fakes so sure- oh, and then they hit their heads and shatter into shards... and the deflectors pick up the thing they're defending and move it out of the way, then shatter into shards because they died from the exhaustion of lifting something heavier than a lapto-
um. anyway. those are hopefully creative enough that the curse of repetitiveness is assuaged for now.
ᐳ Durability can be handled later... Maybe I can alchemize a ball for it to sit in, or something. and I do have a fair amount of charges... but right now, the next problem is moving it. hm... It'll probably be a mana hog, but the most reliable way to move it around without destabilising anything would probably be to bend space. I use the Formation Calculator to design and construct a formation that'll distort space around the Player Projection Formation, so the Projection formation itself will be completely motionless despite practically moving. And... It'll need to power itself, so I paste one of the mana generation formations- the designs I set up in the real world that cost mana, but no physical action, to expand- into the design- I don't know how much Mana it'll take before it generates enough for upkeep, but at least it won't take more actions this way.
ᐳ The latency is a problem too... hm... Time travel should work to solve that, right?... like, Players in the previous war tried time travel and usually got stopped by the Temporal Guardian protecting the timeline or something, because they could cause time paradoxes- but if I just send my actions-through-the-array far enough back in time that the array processes them at the same time that I send them to eliminate latency, that should be temporally safe, right? the output won't precede the input or the reason for the input, so... wait, the Computater is still on cooldown. I guess I can't do that yet... Nevermind. I alchemize and deploy a Lead Froven, I guess.
ᐳ well, since I have a chunk of Lead, what's next... I don't know how I'm supposed to combine that into what I already made, and both of the computers are on cooldown... uh, well, I more or less remember Steffan's automatic alchemy setup, it was, like... a bunch of motors and things that did the whole alchemy process whenever someone pressed a button... and did a bunch of other things, but I think those were to... discount the alchemy somehow? not relevant for T0 alchemies, which I assume Frovens still are, so, uh- I build something that does about the same things for Frovens using a bunch of very simple directional-kinetic-field formations which activate when charged with Mana. is the Lightmantle able to run that? wait wait wait what was that going on with, uh, Kit? -that looks bad. and famili-uh. he has a laptop, though! That's good, uh, I've been sending attack shields through those someh-ah right, it was the. the cursive P rune, wasn't it. I uh- so guessing things like code and stuff has worked before, so I try to send some kind of message which'll display an image on the laptop screen- a discord message after changing my avatar accordingly, an email- whatever works, and give Kit an attack shield in the form of a nearly-invisible barrier of warped light. hopefully it won't be needed, but... moderate wounds and their halved action power sound like they'll be dangerous. {{{if I've misremembered/misunderstood and Kit's stuff is supposed to be not-obvious-to-every-player-via-terminal, or this action is generally awkward or inconvenient, the original action here- the one now small and struckthrough- happens instead. the bit about it looking familiar is Sdieve noticing that, like Sdieve, Kit after the fact has assessed a plan as having been dumb, with particular similarity to the Roper case where Sdieve 'almost' died.}}}
Eᐳ the Real-world drone is working on the Dimensional Defense Formation, remember?.. according to my bookkeeping it should also be taking up all the spare Mana, though I guess it's just as likely I'm wrong.
the Lightmantle makes more mana.
CP: 25-? Grist: 13,220-50 Talc: 2035-30
Galium: 1170 ____Bismuth: 340
Cerium: 180
(I'm pretty sure these grist totals are correct? It looks like you accounted for the Grist I spent starting from my total the round before you started tracking, but not for the Grist I'd gained during the update before you started tracking.
Items: Encyclopedia of Magical Structures [1/3]
Formation Calculator [3->0/3 Chargeup]
Heaven Comms Router
Broadsword +1 (damaged)
Formation Computater [0->1/2 Chargeup]
Alchemiter (Backup)
Lead Froven.
Assets:
0->0 Mana(Real)
70->20->40 Mana (Orb)
Drone, P.Assistance, P.Projection Formations(Real)
Mana Generation Formations x7 (Real) (req.5 Turns or 50 Mana to emplace.)
Dimensional Defense Formation x0.375->0.5 (Real) (req. 8 turns, 280 Mana to emplace.)
Lightmantle, Mana Wellspring, Player Disjoint Platform (Orb)
Mana Generation Formation x1 (Orb. costs 50 Mana(and an action?...).)
Lesser Player Lock(Defending Orb Assets)
Weak Godmodder Lock
As good of a perch as this floating hunk of earth is, it can't stay floating forever, and I trust that the Akimbo Sniper can fend for himself against the wrath of the surrounding shrubbery without any other effective targets. I've got my own incoming damage to handle...
I start wielding my Avoiding Spear against the incoming natural material- I can't pierce it very effectively, but I swing my spear in wide arcs as if it were a quarterstaff, hoping that the head of the spear fends off the writhing vines and branches. While I'm trying to fend off the nature surrounding me, I notice the Ranger aiming a shot or scimitar swing at me! I can't let that do, so I put my spear in front of me a position to deflect the attack, then run forward and use my spear as a means to pole vault over the Ranger and land behind her once my block connects!
Once I'm in position, I swing my spear forward, trying to drive the Ranger back and box her into my last space. If she tries ducking out of the way, I'll swing the head of the Avoiding Spear in that direction to cut off her escape. My goal is to lead her back into my the crater left by my levitating mote of earth, which I try to direct with my spear! Once she's right under, I shove my spear in a great arc to try forcing her into the pit, just in time for the mote of earth to drop and crush the Ranger underneath! If I play my cards right, rocks fall, she dies... or at least I get some damage on her before she climbs back out.
Inventory:
- Sniper's Crossbow[Lvl.3] (+15 damage per action used, increased to +30 damage for the first action in a turn using it)
- Avoiding Spear[Lvl.3] (+15 damage per action used, 30% chance to grant Evade (reduces damage taken per attack by 10, 1 turn) upon use)
- Hunter's Longbow[Lvl.3] (+15 damage per action used, increased to +30 damage used if more than one action is used)
- Periodic Wand [Lvl.1] (Gift from Splashcat, +3 damage per action, 20% chance to proc Chemical Reaction, dealing 2 additional damage)
- Distinguished Stovepipe[Lvl.3] (30% chance to inflict Confusion (30% miss chance) to foes that attack you)
- Trickster's Tailed Coat[Lvl.3] (40% chance to deduct 60 damage from the total dealt by an attack)
- Warlock's Timepiece[Lvl.3] (30% chance for your attacks to chain off to another enemy, dealing 25% (Up to 75) of the attack's damage to them)
Kit sighed. Honestly, he shouldn't have even tried, but there was momentum from the past that made it inevitable. He was weak, and his plan was dumb, and-
[[Kit, stop wallowing and cough up a few actions!]]
[[Seitously, that was stupid but knowing you, you had to commit. So now you have to commit.]]
[[It's probably something you'll have to nurse, but-]]
[[Give her reasons to flip.]]
[[And do it in one action, for my sanity.]] [[Uggggggggh fine]]
Kit stood up, stretching out the deep ache in his bones. The price he paid was already cashed out, continuing wouldn't harm him much more.
"Alyssa! Wait... Is this... Really what you wanted?" He said, thinking about the truth he was drawing from. Honestly, Alyssa was a great friend, and she was probably actually fighting for literary beings' rights in court right now. She'd never...
"I thought you wanted to keep us out of places like this? I have a laptop, but most of the others just..."
He looked at the Shackled prisoners, shuddering because of the fact he had stumbled. He should have just blocked the shot, redirected it, done the warden in, but...
Writing stories and ending them were two different monsters.
"If we lock them up, aren't we as bad as they're supposed to be? Ending a story without a resolution? Sure, some of them, uh... Shouldn't continue. But most of us just have focus issues, or find something important to focus on, or..."
"What I'm trying to say, Alyssa, is... I never thought I'd see you here, fighting for "justice" instead of redefining it."
"I'm trying to redefine it. What about you?"
Every word that slipped from his lips burned him, corruptive truths as he superimposed his old friend more firmly over this Yard Warden. More than likely they HAD joined out of a sense of justice, and a few had a vague sense of dissatisfaction with their job - All part of their hand-sculpted character given to them by The Warden. The closer this one was to that, the better off he'd be - But worst case, he would distract this one long enough that the other prisoners would be able to take down their opponent. Best case... Probably wasn't going to happen.
Alyssa looks at you, and... you sense your truth and what actually was written in by the warden of this place combine and merge, creating something new. Twirling a baton that was what shackled the others in the first place, she seems to consider her options a bit. Eventually, though, she responds. Alyssa - "I should honestly be throwing you in a max-security cell for this, but here we are. You really are a bit of an idiot, you know." Alyssa - "He gave you a chance, and this is what you do with it? Try to start a revolution, at the risk of your own life?..."
Alyssa - "Fine. I won't stop you or your revolution, but I'm not going to help you. Just leave me out of it."
ᐳ well, since I have a chunk of Lead, what's next... I don't know how I'm supposed to combine that into what I already made, and both of the computers are on cooldown... uh, well, I more or less remember Steffan's automatic alchemy setup, it was, like... a bunch of motors and things that did the whole alchemy process whenever someone pressed a button... and did a bunch of other things, but I think those were to... discount the alchemy somehow? not relevant for T0 alchemies, which I assume Frovens still are, so, uh- I build something that does about the same things for Frovens using a bunch of very simple directional-kinetic-field formations which activate when charged with Mana. is the Lightmantle able to run that? wait wait wait what was that going on with, uh, Kit? -that looks bad. and famili-uh. he has a laptop, though! That's good, uh, I've been sending attack shields through those someh-ah right, it was the. the cursive P rune, wasn't it. I uh- so guessing things like code and stuff has worked before, so I try to send some kind of message which'll display an image on the laptop screen- a discord message after changing my avatar accordingly, an email- whatever works, and give Kit an attack shield in the form of a nearly-invisible barrier of warped light. hopefully it won't be needed, but... moderate wounds and their halved action power sound like they'll be dangerous. {{{if I've misremembered/misunderstood and Kit's stuff is supposed to be not-obvious-to-every-player-via-terminal, or this action is generally awkward or inconvenient, the original action here- the one now small and struckthrough- happens instead. the bit about it looking familiar is Sdieve noticing that, like Sdieve, Kit after the fact has assessed a plan as having been dumb, with particular similarity to the Roper case where Sdieve 'almost' died.}}}
From across time and space, Kit gains an Attack Shield. Still not sure how you're doing that but I guess that happened.
-=+=-
Right, lets slightly reorganize things here. Since we now have a non-participant faction on top of this, I'm renaming the factions. Kit's will be known as Anti Ex Machina, using an [A-EX] tag exclusive to this sidequest. Neutral stays the same, along with Ex Machina's.
Anyways, the narrative prisoners focus their attacks and manage to down the other Yard Warden, maintaining their current status in the EoTB. The Collector seems to watch with some interest, and Alyssa, though not helping, also won't hinder you anymore. The Prison Yard's conflict is over, but... you're still seriously hurt. Beyond that, the doors back into the prison are currently shut and presumably locked, and with one Yard Warden KO'd and the other staying neutral, finding a way through even with unshackled creativity might be tough.
-=+=-
Ex Machina Prison - Prison Yard [A-EX] KitRougard - 1 Attack Shield, Moderately Wounded [Action Power halved], Broken [Can't be healed, 5 turns left] [A-EX] Narrative Prisoners x12 - 10,000/10,000 HP, 2000 Attack
Narrative Prisoners x3 - 5000/10,000 HP, 2000200 Attack, Shackled (5 turns left). [N] The Collector - I have no idea what's going on with this guy. Supposedly sells stuff?
[N - KitRougard?] Alyssa, Yard Warden - 9000/20,000 HP, Imprison (Deals 5000 damage and inflicts Shackled for 5 turns.)
