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The Restless Dead (a Ghost riot quest)(ALWAYS RECRUITING)

Where would you prefer I put Events during updates?

  • At the beginning of the update

    Votes: 4 28.6%

  • At the end of the update

    Votes: 10 71.4%
  • Total voters
    14
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Interlude 1: The Child
  • Sidestory
    • Annie Sterling; 49 hours before death

    Mom said to me "Annie, I'm going to be in the other room for a few minutes; when the timer on the stove goes off please fetch me so I can drain the pasta."

    I said "Sure thing, mom!" as she ran off to get my big brothers out of whatever trouble they'd gotten themselves into. As my mom closed the door to the kitchen behind her, I resolved that I would be as helpful as possible.

    It wasn't long before I figured out that if mom wanted me to get her so that she could drain the pasta, she'd almost certainly be extra-happy if I were to drain the pasta for her.

    I waited a few minutes, eagerly watching the timer above the stove ticking down. As soon as it went beep, I reached for the long pot-handle sticking out from over the stove, and I tried to lift it over to the sink.

    The pot was heavy, but I figured I could make it.

    I was lifting up the pot to dump it in the sink, when I tried grabbing it from the bottom so I could shove it up better. My hand suddenly burned with pain, and I quickly retracted it as I began to scream out in pain. The pain only got worse when the pot fell on me, spilling its boiling contents all over me as I fell over, crying out for mom.

    Just before I blacked out, I could hear my mother's voice as she entered the kitchen, but I couldn't make out what she was saying.

    Annie Sterling; 5 minutes post-mortem

    When I woke up, I was in the hospital. Mom and Dad were both with me with tears in their eyes, looking down at me. I asked "Mom, dad, why are you crying?" but they didn't respond at all, almost like I wasn't there. I tried again, this time shouting as loudly as I could "MOM, DAD! I'M AWAKE!"

    Mom looked at Dad for a few seconds asking him "Did you hear something dear?"

    My dad replied "No, I don't think so."

    My frustration built up as I tried in vain to punch, kick and scratch at my parents, anything to get them to notice me, but my blows went right through them like I didn't even exist. After a few minutes, Mom and dad looked back down at the bed I'd been lying in and said "We'll miss you too Annie, see you at the funeral."

    It's only then that I looked back at where I'd been laying, and saw myself lying there, covered in bandges, the machines I was hooked up to all showing flatlines. I was vaguely aware of my parents leaving the room as it hit me that I was dead. And then a knight in shining armor floated through the wall.

    Annie Sterling; 18 hours post-mortem

    I followed Uncle Percy through the front door of my house, the thought occurring to me that now my big brothers could legitimately say they lived in a haunted house making me chuckle as I did so. Professor Walters was already waiting inside for us; apparently he could actually be seen if he wanted and could talk to people, meaning he'd be taking care of the actual talking.

    The professor nodded to Annie as she entered, saying "It is nice to have you here, Annie. Anyway, as these are your parents, it's your call how you'd like to communicate. Do you want to communicate via written text, or would you prefer I make myself visible and begin speaking to them out loud?"

    I thought about it for a few moments, before I replied "I think I'd prefer out loud and visible, please."

    Professor Walters just nodded, before saying "Certainly; I shall begin now."
     
  • Sidestory
    • I just write said:
    Annie Sterling; 49 hours before death

    Mom said to me "Annie, I'm going to be in the other room for a few minutes; when the timer on the stove goes off please fetch me so I can drain the pasta."

    I said "Sure thing, mom!" as she ran off to get my big brothers out of whatever trouble they'd gotten themselves into. As my mom closed the door to the kitchen behind her, I resolved that I would be as helpful as possible.

    It wasn't long before I figured out that if mom wanted me to get her so that she could drain the pasta, she'd almost certainly be extra-happy if I were to drain the pasta for her.

    I waited a few minutes, eagerly watching the timer above the stove ticking down. As soon as it went beep, I reached for the long pot-handle sticking out from over the stove, and I tried to lift it over to the sink.

    The pot was heavy, but I figured I could make it.

    I was lifting up the pot to dump it in the sink, when I tried grabbing it from the bottom so I could shove it up better. My hand suddenly burned with pain, and I quickly retracted it as I began to scream out in pain. The pain only got worse when the pot fell on me, spilling its boiling contents all over me as I fell over, crying out for mom.

    Just before I blacked out, I could hear my mother's voice as she entered the kitchen, but I couldn't make out what she was saying.

    Annie Sterling; 5 minutes post-mortem

    When I woke up, I was in the hospital. Mom and Dad were both with me with tears in their eyes, looking down at me. I asked "Mom, dad, why are you crying?" but they didn't respond at all, almost like I wasn't there. I tried again, this time shouting as loudly as I could "MOM, DAD! I'M AWAKE!"

    Mom looked at Dad for a few seconds asking him "Did you hear something dear?"

    My dad replied "No, I don't think so."

    My frustration built up as I tried in vain to punch, kick and scratch at my parents, anything to get them to notice me, but my blows went right through them like I didn't even exist. After a few minutes, Mom and dad looked back down at the bed I'd been lying in and said "We'll miss you too Annie, see you at the funeral."

    It's only then that I looked back at where I'd been laying, and saw myself lying there, covered in bandges, the machines I was hooked up to all showing flatlines. I was vaguely aware of my parents leaving the room as it hit me that I was dead. And then a knight in shining armor floated through the wall.

    Annie Sterling; 18 hours post-mortem

    I followed Uncle Percy through the front door of my house, the thought occurring to me that now my big brothers could legitimately say they lived in a haunted house making me chuckle as I did so. Professor Walters was already waiting inside for us; apparently he could actually be seen if he wanted and could talk to people, meaning he'd be taking care of the actual talking.

    The professor nodded to Annie as she entered, saying "It is nice to have you here, Annie. Anyway, as these are your parents, it's your call how you'd like to communicate. Do you want to communicate via written text, or would you prefer I make myself visible and begin speaking to them out loud?"

    I thought about it for a few moments, before I replied "I think I'd prefer out loud and visible, please."

    Professor Walters just nodded, before saying "Certainly; I shall begin now."
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Percivals pride: ALL OF MY HATE
    Honestly, from all the hits his pride are taking, at might die and come back as a seperate ghost.

    But yey, wonderfull side story and I feel that the player character and input is handelt pretty wel.
    Annie must have had a pretty traumatic experience, altough I think her brain went "I...wait...wut?" when the knight in full armour causily floated through the wall.
     
    We may want to move Annie to manifestation research so she can communicate to her parents on her own. I am a professor, not a diplomat.
     
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    Turn 5 Aggregated Votes & Rolls
  • Threadmarks
    • Ectoplasm Consumption

    Packaged
    @LinkOnScepter

    Cemetery
    @EternalStruggle

    Factory
    @Megaolix
    @ConfusedPotato
    @Strunkriidiisk
    @AnimalKrazed

    Clinic/Cafeteria
    @Lizard Knight
    @trekbook
    @argelbargel
    @SoixanteZio
    @Zaratustra
    @dunk1010
    Annie(NPC)(kid's got a sweet tooth, and RES is the only source of stuff with flavor around)
    Executive Decision
    Send message, facilitate conversation: 5
    Send message, don't facilitate conversation: 2
    Leave parents to their own devices: 0
    Action 1: Research/Recover Chickenstein Corpse
    PCs: @SoixanteZio @EternalStruggle @argelbargel @Lizard Knight
    NPCs: Annie
    Action 2: Tangibility Increases
    6 Ecto: @Megaolix @Strunkriidiisk (Annie | NPC)
    4 Ecto: @argelbargel
    1 Ecto: @AnimalKrazed
    9 Ecto: @EternalStruggle
    10 Ecto: @trekbook @Zaratustra @dunk1010 @ConfusedPotato
    7 Ecto: @Lizard Knight
    Action 3: Build Crafting Monocles with Refined Ectoplasm
    @trekbook
    Action 4: Monster Hunting/Snoopage
    @Strunkriidiisk
    @LinkOnScepter
    Action 5: Manifestation Points
    22 Ecto: @ConfusedPotato
    28 Ecto: @Zaratustra
    Action 6: Recruit NPC ghosts
    @Megaolix
    Action 7: Build Workshop from Refined Ectoplasm
    @dunk1010
    We Just Write threw 6 12-faced dice. Reason: Action 1: Dissect Chickenstein Total: 35
    11 11 4 4 2 2 4 4 2 2 12 12
    We Just Write threw 2 12-faced dice. Reason: Act 3: Build Crafting Monocles Total: 13
    10 10 3 3
    We Just Write threw 3 12-faced dice. Reason: Action 4: Monster Hunting Total: 17
    6 6 2 2 9 9
    We Just Write threw 3 12-faced dice. Reason: Action 5: Manifestation Points Total: 19
    5 5 9 9 5 5
    We Just Write threw 2 12-faced dice. Reason: Action 6: Recruit NPCs Total: 13
    8 8 5 5
    We Just Write threw 2 12-faced dice. Reason: Action 7: Build Workshop Total: 15
    9 9 6 6
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Megaolix said:
    So i guess my action went pretty well? 11 successes I believe?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    The random was 8 for the base plus one for the amount of participants. Your diplomacy is 6, So <8 is +1 (you need to have your skill +2) or <3 (below half your skill) for a +2.
    So With a 5 that is plus one.
    All in all, that is a 10. I have ovserved that most tasks are a 10 for a success. Not all of them, but most of them.
     
    Turn 5 Preview
  • Threadmarks
    • Just to assure you that this Quest is still active, here's a tidbit from the update.
    Action 1: Chickenstein Research
    Successes: 20
    Epic Success

    None of you are sure what the Chickenstein was running on, but it most definitely wasn't Ectoplasm. The four of you quickly managed to haul the corpse into a secluded alleyway, and with some effort began poking around inside of it to see how it worked. You are rewarded with more questions than answers, the only clue being an opaque pink crystal in what used to be the beast's brain cavity. You try to remove the crystal, only to find that it eats away at Ectoplasm that isn't currently 'charged' for a Manifestation, necessitating significant Ectoplasm expenditure in order to safely handle it.

    Given what the thing does to Ectoplasm, it's universally agreed to keep it in a safe place nowhere near any of the group's Haunts. In addition, given the item's properties, it quickly starts being referred to as a Null Crystal. Needless to say, it will be an interesting subject of research, if one that will require significant care in handling.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • What is it with chickenstein that gives us epic succeses. It is appereantly our lucky charm. More reason to make a throphy out of it.
     
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    (Canon Omake) Sean's Awakening
  • Apocrypha


    • (Sorry, I tried to find some sort of quick ghostly sound effect, but I couldn't.)

    Name: Sean Nelson

    Age of Death: 22

    Cause of Death: Hit by drunk driver.

    Self-Image: A young man with short brown hair, silver eyes and wearing a hooded cloak.

    Personality: On his own time, Sean is a quiet man, willing to spend hours in his own thoughts as he reads or watches Youtube videos of stage magicians. However, when around others, he wears the mask of an outgoing performer, amazing audiences with sleight of hand and amusing them with his performance banter.

    Life Story: Sean was an above average student, but his quiet, introverted nature often left him feeling ostracized by his peers. That changed during his high-school's talent show, where he showed the stage magic abilities that he'd been developing from a young age. This act raised him from "weird" to "eccentric," and he found he actually liked the art of performing under the right circumstances. He had dreams of becoming professional, even doing some part-time shows during collage. His dreams were cut short, however, by a drunken driver.

    Profession: Stage Magician

    Manifestations: Visual Presence 1. Kinetic Force 1, Save 2 (I'm allowed to do that, right?)

    Awakening​
    Sean's eyes snapped open as he tried to spin around, looking for the source of the roaring car noise that was the last thing he remembered. All he found, however, was a stifling blackness with only a strange buzzing noise to keep him company.

    "Am I blind?" he thought desperately as he felt a strange lurch, only to realize that he was now face-to-face with the floor... face-to-floor? No, that didn't sound right either... what was he doing he needed to figure this out now! "Help!" he cried, trying to push himself up, only to realize that his arms were going through the ground.

    What?

    Slowly, he tried to stand without the help of his hands, feeling himself floating upwards... upwards... through the darkness... and finding himself looking down at a bed with a person on it.

    Himself. Bloodied. Bandaged. Surrounded by doctors and nurses, all of whom were backing slowly away.

    Not believing what his eyes were telling him, Sean's eyes were drawn along the path of a few wires that stood out for some reason, and then he found the source of the buzzing: a flat-lining heart monitor.

    "He's gone," one of the doctors said sadly, not knowing that "he" was right there to hear them.

    "But I'm right here..." Sean said desperatly. "I'm... I'm here..."

    The doctors paid no mind to his denial, simply starting to clean up the supplies that had failed to save his life. That was when it hit Sean: he was dead. He was dead and gone and what was he going to do now and...

    'Exist,' a firm voice said in his mind. 'Cogito ergo sum: You think therefore you are. You're a ghost, but you're still here. There must be a reason, go find it rather than whining about it.'

    'Yes,' Sean thought, flipping himself upright and forcing his eyes from his own corpse. He'd been given some sort of second chance, and he was going to make the best of it. There must be other ghosts around somewhere, he'd go talk to them, maybe get some answers.

    Who knows, maybe they like magic tricks.

    EDIT: Fixed typo.
     
    Last edited:
  • Apocrypha
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