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Blue Ash (Dark Souls III/PMMM)

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Firelink Shrine 7: Companion and Creepiness
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    • You don't really get why Hawkwood is suddenly offering to help you, considering how all he seems to do is kill anything that vaguely resembles the mood when he's around. But he is offering to risk his life to help you... you think. He seems to expect you to give up pretty quickly, which, while somewhat understandable from the implication you've been given of the difficulty of your task, is still rather rude. Still though, him even offering to help in the first place is really nice of him. "Well, thank you. I'd be happy to have some help. The first guy, that Gundyr dude, was crazy, so I imagine there'll be others like that. I'm not sure if I could do it all alone."

    Hawkwood lets out a light chuckle before shaking his head and standing up. "You have a name, then?"

    "Sayaka Miki." you reply, to his visible confusion. Is there something wrong with your name? However, he just shrugs to himself and it seems to pass.

    "I'm Hawkwood, of the Abyss Watchers. Or was, at least. When you're ready, go and speak to the Fire Keeper. I have something I need to do before we set off." he says, idly cleaning dust off himself.

    "That being?" you ask, curious.

    He waves you off as he walks towards the shrine entrance.

    Guess it must be something personal? Well, you figure that since you don't see the Fire Keeper around, you may as well go and talk to the Handmaid. You find her sitting in the same chair in the dusty hallway. As she sits up and raises her head to look at you, it almost seems like a layer of dust seems to fall off her faded red cloak, as if she hadn't actually moved in so very long.

    "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ashen One." she says, a wide smirk across her face. "I am but a humble handmaiden of the shrine. Weapons, armor, trinkets, and spells... I've lots of little things to ease the burden of a weary traveler. And yes, I'm Undead, too, but not so charitable as to give my goods away. Ashen One, fetch souls, and bring them to me. As is thy wont, no?"

    She continues to stare at you while you're just left asking more questions than before. "I'm sorry," you say, confusion written across your face, "but souls? You want me to pay for things with people's souls?" There has to be some explanation for this, otherwise you might have just signed up to help a bunch of, what, soul traffickers?

    The smirk never leaving her face, she eyes you closely, as if staring right into you. It's pretty creepy, and is really making you feel uncomfortable. "I can tell you're not from around here. Allow me to explain." You feel a hint of relief that at least one person seems to have noticed your visible confusion for what it really was, although how she could tell so much so easily doesn't make her any less creepy...

    "Souls are the currency of this land. They are the essence of life, made manifest and given form as a material substance. The greater the being, the greater the soul, whether that be man, beast, or anything else. I offer services in return for these souls, although if thou seeks improvement, thou should seek out either the smith or the Fire Keeper. I only offer material goods in exchange, you see."

    Alright, so not literally souls. You let out a small sigh of relief, which earns a chortle from the old woman. "In fact, thou possesses some already. Did thou not slay the Iudex earlier, after all?"

    "How did you know that?"

    "I hear many things, child. Besides, it's not like that pathetic wretch that lounges around here feeling sorry for himself would have done it." There seems to be a pattern in terms of people's opinions on Hawkwood that you're picking up. Just how long has he been sitting around here for?

    "Souls are drawn to the core of one's being, although..." the Handmaid seems to be examining you deeply, as if confused about something, "I cannot seem to notice any on thy person, although I can tell there are some near. Perhaps a solidified soul able to remain separate is in thy possession?"

    "I didn't see any before when I picked up my things." you say, before a realization hits you. With a thought, your soul gem transforms from a ring and is in your hand. You notice that it remains the same ashen gray that it was before.

    As soon as the Handmaid sees it, she seems to almost gasp. "Oh, you poor thing." You get the feeling that she seems to understand just what she's looking at, although it would probably feel more comforting if that smirk would ever leave her face. "Hand it over to me, I'll be gentle with it." Reluctantly, you part with your soul gem, as you're pretty sure you could stop her from doing anything considering how absolutely ancient she is.

    She gives the soul gem a quick look over, nods to herself, and then hands it back. "Yes, it seems thy souls are stored separately from thy body. Be glad that I'm not like the Pygmy on his throne, or I would have many a question to ask." She chuckles to herself at this, before she continues. "Now, if thou concentrates, thou will know how many souls is in thy possession. Simply focus on the idea of value, and it should spring to mind."

    You do as she asks, and almost immediately the number'3,000' seems to pop in your head. "So I would have 3,000 souls?" you ask, unsure of whether you were correct in your assessment or not. Luckily, the Handmaid nods "Indeed, 3,000 souls to spend. Now, the question is, what is thou interested in purchasing?"

    Firelink Shrine Shop
    Consumables
    Repair Powder: 600 souls
    Purple Moss Clumps: 600 souls
    Firebombs: 100 souls
    Prism Stones: 10 souls
    Homeward Bones: 500 souls

    Key Items
    White Sign Soapstone: 500 souls
    Dried Finger: 500 souls
    Tower Key: 20,000 souls

    Equipment
    Dagger: 300 souls
    Shortsword: 600 souls
    Scimitar: 600 souls
    Halberd: 1,500 souls
    Sorcerer's Staff: 500 souls
    Talisman: 500 souls
    Torch: 300 souls
    Leather Shield: 500 souls
    Crimson Parma: 800 souls
    Warrior's Round Shield: 600 souls
    Large Leather Shield: 500 souls
    Chain Armor: 800 souls
    Chain Helm/Gauntlets/Leggings: 500 souls
    Wood Arrow: 5 souls
    Wood Bolt: 10 souls

    Spells/Miracles
    Soul Arrow: 2,000 souls
    Farron Dart: 1,000 souls
    Heal Aid: 500 souls

    Total Souls: 3,000​
    What, if anything, would you like to purchase?
    [] Write In
    Afterwards, you decide to...
    [] Go and find the Fire Keeper.
    -[] Get Hawkwood before you do.
    -[] Go and find her by yourself.
    [] See if you can find that Ludleth guy you heard mentioned earlier.
    [] Speak to the Handmaid about something
    -[] About what?
    [] Go and speak to Andre
    -[] About?
    Adhoc vote count started by RecurringExtra on Jun 19, 2019 at 11:42 PM, finished with 38 posts and 10 votes.
    • -[X] Go and find her by yourself.
      [X] What, if anything, would you like to purchase?
      [X] Go and find the Fire Keeper.
      -[X] Soul Arrow
      [X] Have Andre infuse the Fire Gem into your sword.
      -[X] Ask what the White Sign Soapstone is, and what you can use it for.
      -[X] Ask for a rough version of how Sorcery and Miracles Work. It wouldn't do to spend so much and then not be able to get started with them.
      [X] You also have some questions about her products.
      -[X] Sorcerer's Staff
      -[X] Ask what the tower key is for, that you'd need to spend so much for it. For that price, you're pretty sure you could buy a copy of everything else she's got.
      -[X] Ahh, this Soul Transposition... I make these swords out of magic when I need them. If I dispel this one and pull it back out, what would happen to the infusion? I'd hate to waste your work.
      -[X] Make sure to thank him for offering to do so, though. It's good to be polite.
      -[X] White Sign Soapstone
      [X] Don't infuse it, who knows how shoving a magical rock into a magical weapon will turn out?
      [X] Hawkwood looked like he had something he wanted to say to you, maybe you should go find out what it was?
      -[X] Large Leather Shield
      [X] Speak to the Shrine Handmaiden. She seems... odd, but you should at least give her a chance, right?
      -[X] Gratefully. Seeing as how fighting a giant monster with another giant monster inside it was the first step, you've surmised that there's going to be an awful lot more of that going on in the future. In that light, Hawkwood offering to help protect you is really nice of him.
      [X] Accept Hawkwood's Offer. You're not sure if you can trust him, but better you have somebody with you than go at it alone.
      [X] Andre told you to ask Ludleth for more information about Soul Transposition. Maybe he can give you information that'll get you closer to understanding your Nature.
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  • Threadmarks
    • Huh. There's a thought: Soul Arrow? Sayaka isn't exactly a magic savant (Mami is a rare level of raw skill though), but having a basis for how to mold magic might make it easier for her to work out her own methods. And it's a general ranged attack too.

    We might not even need a catalyst either considering a Soul Gem's nature of being a channel for Soul Magic already. Unless it's more of a Talisman. Might be both, but who knows right now.

    Other useful things might be White Soapstone, a shield since Sayaka can't make her own (yet), a torch (though that's probably for after we have a reason to get one), and... maybe armor? We'll want some cover for our soul gem eventually, but most everything else is... technically superficial.

    Do Dark Sorceries catalyze with Humanity or use it up? It seems like it could be a useful way to vent Grief/Humanity if the latter? It usually just kind of seems to be a thing that flavors while drawing from the same well of energy as everything else, but I can't tell if that's just game mechanics interfering or not.
     
    [X] What, if anything, would you like to purchase?
    -[X] Large Leather Shield
    -[X] Soul Arrow

    I agree with getting Soul Arrow to have a ranged attack and a more traditional magic attack, and maybe as something to practice magic with. Also agree with getting a shield, and checking against the wiki (for what that's worth) the Large Leather Shield seems good enough for learning how to use one. It's the only standard shield available, so it's big enough to get the hang of blocking with while providing room for a margin of error.

    That's 2500 souls, or 5/6 of the total. Not much point in saving up, but besides the soap stone there's not much I want that we could afford. I'd like some armor, but I'm not sure chain mail alone would provide enough protection to a magic girl to make it worth the expense, even if there's not much else to buy.

    Afterwards, you decide to...
    [X] Go and find the Fire Keeper.
    -[X] Go and find her by yourself.

    Sure, not really feeling the need to find Hawkwood first. Sayaka's a big girl, she can talk to new people on her own.
     
    [X] What, if anything, would you like to purchase?
    -[X] Large Leather Shield
    -[X] Soul Arrow

    [X] Go and find the Fire Keeper.
    -[X] Go and find her by yourself.
     
    [X] What, if anything, would you like to purchase?
    -[X] Sorcerer's Staff
    -[X] Soul Arrow
    -[X] White Sign Soapstone

    [X] You also have some questions about her products.
    -[X] Ask for a rough version of how Sorcery and Miracles Work. It wouldn't do to spend so much and then not be able to get started with them.
    -[X] Ask what the White Sign Soapstone is, and what you can use it for.
    -[X] Ask what the tower key is for, that you'd need to spend so much for it. For that price, you're pretty sure you could buy a copy of everything else she's got.

    [X] Go and find the Fire Keeper.
    -[X] Go and find her by yourself.

    I don't think we can use sorceries without a catalyst just yet. Maybe in the future, when we know what we're doing, but as far as baby's first sorcery we're probably better off sticking to the orthodox methods. Plus, the staff has a weapon art that lets us increase the strength of our spells that we should be able to get down with a little practice. Also, we've never used a shield before, and while they're handy we might be better served waiting until we get a good titanite one we can rely on before trying to figure out how to incorporate them into our fighting style, such as it is.

    Answering questions about how one goes about using her products is important if she wants to convince us to buy them, so she'll probably at least explain the basics. Asking how to use sorcery and miracles is important because it teaches us the basics of magic in this land, and we can extrapolate for all the other spells we'll pick up. Asking what the soapstone is is important because otherwise it just seems like fancy chalk, and its actual intended use is really important and we should get acquainted with the basics of the concept. Finally, asking what the tower key is for is natural, and she can't exactly not tell us at least what it unlocks and still expect us to buy it. We at least need to ask the questions, no matter what we're purchasing, because that information is going to be important.
     
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    Changing my vote.

    [X] What, if anything, would you like to purchase?
    -[X] Large Leather Shield
    -[X] Soul Arrow
    -[X] Sorcerer's Staff

    [X] You also have some questions about her products.
    -[X] Ask for a rough version of how Sorcery and Miracles Work. It wouldn't do to spend so much and then not be able to get started with them.
    -[X] Ask what the White Sign Soapstone is, and what you can use it for.
    -[X] Ask what the tower key is for, that you'd need to spend so much for it. For that price, you're pretty sure you could buy a copy of everything else she's got.

    @chocolote12's reasoning for the questions is good and makes a good point about the staff, though I disagree about the shield obviously. It's not the best shield, but it'll be more then good enough for everything we're going to encounter until we can get a better one, and learning to use it now while things are still relatively simple is much more sensible then trying to work it out once the going gets tough. We're just starting out, the time to practice with it is now.

    As for the soap stone, just can't fit it on the shopping list with everything else I want. Absolutely something to buy, but Hawkwood is already accompanying Sayaka so we can get away with putting it off for a bit. Plus it's only 500 souls, we can get that in no time.

    Afterwards, you decide to...
    [X] Go and find the Fire Keeper.
    -[X] Go and find her by yourself.
     
    RecurringExtra said:
    Vote closed.
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    Hey, just a suggestion, because I really want more participants in this quest, but have you considered posting your story posts at times with more traffic? (Like, 8:00 AM or 5:00 PM EST, for example, I think, though I'm not entirely sure; I know the website itself is hosted somewhere in Canada, for reference). It causes the thread to go to the top of the various lists it's included in at times when more people would be checking them, which serves as a form of advertising. It also means that more thread watchers are awake when the post is fresh off the presses, which also encourages participation.

    Sorry if that sounds weird, I just vaguely remembered somebody claiming that aiming for the busier hours on the site could increase viewership.
     
    Firelink Shrine 8: Sorceries, Miracles and Bonfires
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    • [X] What, if anything, would you like to purchase?
    -[x] Large Leather Shield
    -[X] Sorcerer's Staff
    -[X] Soul Arrow
    --[X] White Sign Soapstone (Gift)

    [X] You also have some questions about her products.
    -[X] Ask for a rough version of how Sorcery and Miracles Work. It wouldn't do to spend so much and then not be able to get started with them.
    -[X] Ask what the White Sign Soapstone is, and what you can use it for.
    -[X] Ask what the tower key is for, that you'd need to spend so much for it. For that price, you're pretty sure you could buy a copy of everything else she's got.

    Scattered all around the old woman are piles of things, from pieces of what look like chainmail to weird pieces of cloth that have bells attached to them, to a a rusty old key that's lying in the midst of everything. Most of it seems like either trash, or irrelevant for you, like the various bladed weapons here and there, which you have no need to purchase seeing as you can just make more for yourself. Eventually, you manage to settle on getting a shield made of hardened leather, before you spot what looks like a pile of scrolls and books, kept separate from much of the other stuff. "What're these?" you ask, curious.

    The old woman, turns to look at you, before speaking "Those are Sorceries, the arts of the soul, along with Miracles, the tales of the Gods."

    "Did you say sorceries?" you ask. Sorcery, as in magic? Would you be able to cast magic now? Well, you pretty much already can, considering you can summon swords out of nothing, so clearly it's not off the table by any means, but being able to use actual magic? Now that would be awesome.

    "Yes?" she says, sounding a bit confused as you reach over and pick up one of the scrolls. You find what looks to be an essay on 'soul arts' written on the scroll, and your enthusiasm begins to fade. It seems no matter the setting, magic always seems to require homework. "So how does this stuff work, exactly? Do I just read this and, bam, I can shoot lasers out of my hands?" you ask, as the old woman chuckles softly.

    "No, no, to cast either a sorcery or a miracle, one must utilize the appropriate catalyst, which, in the case of sorceries, would be a staff," She points over at what looks like a long stick leaning against the wall that you quickly realize is probably a staff of some kind "while miracles require either a talisman," she points to the weird thing made of cloth, "or a chime, which I'm afraid I don't have any for sale."

    "Sorceries," she continues, "are, as I said before, the arts of the soul. They are manifestations of the soul, brought about by one's will and intellect. Miracles are simply tales of the Gods, which allow for one to repeat the feats they performed long ago, when the Age of Fire had yet to wane."

    Well, on one hand you could wait and save what you have for later. On the other hand, you could cast actual magic. It's like the decision was made for you. You pick up the scroll and the staff, before you see what looks like a large chunk of chalk on the ground, which seems a bit out of place to you. The Handmaid motions for you hand over your Soul Gem, but you instead ask "What is that white... is that chalk?"

    The Handmaid raises an eye, before she seems to realize what you're talking about. "Oh! That would be the Soapstone. 'Tis used to be summoned to other worlds, to help assist others in need, and have thy pockets o'erflow with souls." Her smirk widens as she says the last part. "Indeed, if thou wishes, I'd be willing to offer it for free. Consider it a gift for thyself, an outsider who knowest not of the workings of these lands. I'm sure it shall aid thee well." She's barely even hiding her real motive behind this, you can almost see yen symbols in her eyes like this is a cartoon, but free stuff is free stuff, so you grab it too. You're going to need to find a way to carry all this around with you, you realize as you hold everything you just purchased.

    "Now, simply use thy will to grant unto me the souls in thy possession." You unfortunately don't miss the way she licks her lip after she says this, barely suppressing a shudder. What is with this lady?

    "How exactly do I go about that?" you ask after a moment of revulsion forces you to look away.

    "Do as before, but simply picture the concept of giving, and thou will be able to do so." She says, smirk still plastered on her face. Why does everything work so weird here? Closing your eyes, you once more do as she says.

    At first, nothing seems to happen, before suddenly a stream of what looks like white fog comes flowing out of your soul gem and into the woman's outstretched hand. The fog seems to clump together into a ball, before she crushes it in her hand. As she does, the fog flows into her body, before the whole clump is gone entirely. "My thanks, Ashen One." She says, leaning back in her chair. "Do you have any other questions, then?"

    "One more," you say, as the Handmaid raises an eyebrow, "what exactly is this key for that makes it so expensive?"

    "Ah yes. That would be the key that opens up the stairway leading to the Bell Tower behind the Shrine. The tower servers to awaken both Lords of Cinder and Unkindled, along with being the resting place for those Firekeepersr who came before."

    "Resting place? Do you mean grave?" Would you really go about tomb robbing? That feels wrong on so many levels...

    "In a sense, yes. But it's much more complicated than that." She says with a laugh. Both the complications and the weird laughing seem to be a trend around here, you're starting to realize.

    "So would anything be stopping me from just climbing up the side of the tower or something to get in?" you ask.

    "Well, I suppose not, beyond disappointing me greatly." You can't tell whether she means because what you would be doing would be wrong, or if she'd just be sad that she wouldn't be getting paid. You're starting to lean towards the latter.

    Business concluded, you head over to the Fire Keeper, who you find standing in the center of the room, standing over a mound of ash that seems different from the rest of the pile that makes up much of the floor space in the Shrine. She turns her head as you approach, and you see that she's holding the sword you pulled out of Gundyr in her hands.

    "Greetings Ashen One. Has thou come to awaken the bonfire?" she asks with a slight tilt of the head. Steeling yourself, you nod your head in affirmation. She hands you the sword, and motions you towards the pile of ash in the center of the room. "Produce the coiled sword at the bonfire. The mark of ash will guide thee to the land of the Lords. To Lothric, where the homes of the Lords converge."

    With a bit of hesitation, you try and gently place the sword into the ash, but the sword seems to be pushed back. Grunting with effort, you find yourself having to force it down all the way, until finally you manage to embed the sword deep into the ash. As you do, a fire bursts into existence before you, causing you to jump back in surprise, almost hitting the Fire Keeper, who seems to have not noticed your reaction. You're almost thankful for her seeming lack of sight.

    "What, didn't want to wait for me?" a voice calls out, which you quickly realize is Hawkwood, who seems to have just returned. Before you can respond, he lets out a light sigh and shakes his head "It's fine, I'm used to such displays." He approaches the bonfire, before dropping down in front of it, staring into the flame.

    "This really brings me back." he finally says after a few moments of silence. "Waking up here, staring at this flame is a sight burned into my memory now." He turns to look at you, not even trying to hide the seeming misery written across his face. As you sit down before the fire, he asks one simple question.

    "Are you ready?"

    [] Yes
    [] No
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Tried to get this done by 5 PM, but missed the deadline a bit. Also, updated the info sheet with how stats, and by extension combat, are going to work in the game, so take a look if you want to. After the nonsense that was the Gundyr fight I feel like something at least resembling an actual system may be for the best. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
     
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    RecurringExtra said:
    Tried to get this done by 5 PM, but missed the deadline a bit. Also, updated the info sheet with how stats, and by extension combat, are going to work in the game, so take a look if you want to. After the nonsense that was the Gundyr fight I feel like something at least resembling an actual system may be for the best. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
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    Where are we keeping our new purchases, perchance? The shield might be on our arm, but I don't think we have pockets.

    I'd ask if Hawkwood knew how to get started with sorceries, but I get the feeling people don't know that sort of thing unless they intend to make use of them, so we might have to wait until we meet the creepy turtle pilgrim.

    [X] Yes

    Let's get this adventure on the road. I look forward to seeing the differences between the technical map and any artistic flourishes which would be so easy to implement (and make more sense than some of the actual layouts of these places).
     
    RecurringExtra said:
    --[X] White Sign Soapstone (Gift)
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    This feels more like pity then charity, but free stuff is free stuff!
    chocolote12 said:
    Where are we keeping our new purchases, perchance? The shield might be on our arm, but I don't think we have pockets.
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    Only the soap stone would fit in a pocket anyway. Maybe we should find or buy some armor with extra belts to hold the staff.
    RecurringExtra said:
    Vigor: 20
    Attunement: 10
    Strength: 20
    Dexterity: 20
    Intelligence: 0
    Faith: 0
    Luck: 0

    Health: 20
    FP: 10
    Attunement Slots: 1
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    Huh. I was not expecting to need to level, but wow Sayaka really needs to get swol.

    [X] Yes

    Adventure awaits!
     
    chocolote12 said:
    Where are we keeping our new purchases, perchance? The shield might be on our arm, but I don't think we have pockets.
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    Sayaka does have pockets while she's not transformed, since she's technically still wearing her school uniform, but you most likely either want to ask Hawkwood or somebody else if they know of a way to transport everything around with them.
    chocolote12 said:
    I'd ask if Hawkwood knew how to get started with sorceries, but I get the feeling people don't know that sort of thing unless they intend to make use of them, so we might have to wait until we meet the creepy turtle pilgrim.
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    Being a member of the Abyss Watchers, Hawkwood wouldn't know much about sorcery himself. I assume either the Followers or some other unnamed part of the Undead Legion would specialize in their usage.

    chocolote12 said:
    Let's get this adventure on the road. I look forward to seeing the differences between the technical map and any artistic flourishes which would be so easy to implement (and make more sense than some of the actual layouts of these places).
    Click to expand...
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    While half the fun of Dark Souls III is the nonsensical world layout, I will be changing some things, but there will still be some areas that will be weirdly connected. It wouldn't be as fun to just take out all of the weirdness after all.
     
    Nottheunmaker said:
    This feels more like pity then charity, but free stuff is free stuff!
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    To be fair, it's more selfish greed than anything. An investment, really. The Handmaid seems to enjoy making a profit way too much.
    Nottheunmaker said:
    Huh. I was not expecting to need to level, but wow Sayaka really needs to get swol.
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    At first I was going to just have the stats be a blank slate, but then I remembered that magical girls get somewhat silly amounts of buffs. Plus, going to need a souls sink, otherwise you'll just end up buying 8 billion titanite shards; an experience I am intimately familiar with at this point.
     
    Well, I guess it makes sense if the casting stats aren't exactly what they say they are; it'd be a bit difficult to write somebody directly becoming so intelligent that their mental calculations can cause things to blow up, or so faithful that when they pray about the gods doing things they act out even the parts where they're throwing lightning bolts.

    Personally, I'm anticipating them being more like wellsprings of power that're just interacted with in those manners. 'Intelligence' is a connection to some primordial force that needs smooth and mathematical guidance, 'Faith' moves with fervor and force of will, that sort of thing.

    RecurringExtra said:
    Sayaka does have pockets while she's not transformed, since she's technically still wearing her school uniform, but you most likely either want to ask Hawkwood or somebody else if they know of a way to transport everything around with them.
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    Ah, we should probably get that done before we mess up our new stuff, then.

    [X] Yes
    -[X] Well, actually, hold up, you just got this fancy stuff and you need to stick it someplace; you're keeping the shield and the soapstone, you mean the casting stuff, seeing as how you can't figure out how to use it yet. Ask Hawkwood if Sorcerers normally just cart this all around, or if there's a more convenient manner of storing ungainly items, seeing as how everything else around here is so magical. If he's not sure maybe you could just ask the Firekeeper to hold onto the casting paraphernalia until you get back. She seems nice, and it's not like there's anybody around who'd take it from her.
    -[X] But after that, yeah, you're ready to go.

    Incidentally, Ludleth is just straight up sitting on a chair looking at all this. At any time, he might decide to chime in; it's not like we're whispering or anything.
     
    chocolote12 said:
    Well, I guess it makes sense if the casting stats aren't exactly what they say they are; it'd be a bit difficult to write somebody directly becoming so intelligent that their mental calculations can cause things to blow up, or so faithful that when they pray about the gods doing things they act out even the parts where they're throwing lightning bolts.

    Personally, I'm anticipating them being more like wellsprings of power that're just interacted with in those manners. 'Intelligence' is a connection to some primordial force that needs smooth and mathematical guidance, 'Faith' moves with fervor and force of will, that sort of thing.
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    Sorcery is weird, but it came from Seath, an albino dragon with no scales or legs, so is it really that surprising? As for faith, I always understood that it was much more straightforward. You literally need to believe that the stories of the gods doing things are so real that you're able to reproduce them to some degree, with the more detailed (and over the top) stories having higher faith requirements because you need to suspend your disbelief to an even higher degree with the wacky shit the Gods claimed to have gotten away.
    chocolote12 said:
    Incidentally, Ludleth is just straight up sitting on a chair looking at all this. At any time, he might decide to chime in; it's not like we're whispering or anything.
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    I missed Ludleth entirely my first few times in Firelink Shrine. It wasn't until I beat the Curse-Rotted Greatwood and wandered around trying to find somebody to give it to that I finally stumbled upon him. He just sits there silently, watching. It's no wonder he got exiled if he just sits around staring at people and listening in on their conversations.
     
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    RecurringExtra said:
    To be fair, it's more selfish greed than anything. An investment, really. The Handmaid seems to enjoy making a profit way too much.
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    Eh, I don't blame her. Everyone needs a hobby when they're waiting for the end of the world.
    At first I was going to just have the stats be a blank slate, but then I remembered that magical girls get somewhat silly amounts of buffs. Plus, going to need a souls sink, otherwise you'll just end up buying 8 billion titanite shards; an experience I am intimately familiar with at this point.
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    Speaking of buffs, where's Sayaka Magic Girl spells? They aren't listed. I get that they're 'innate' abilities, but shouldn't they be on the sheet? Or do we need to unlock something to see them? Do we need more eyes? I know Bloodborne is different, but they're by the same company, have a similar style and have the Moonlight Sword. Close enough for me.
     
    Nottheunmaker said:
    Eh, I don't blame her. Everyone needs a hobby when they're waiting for the end of the world.

    Speaking of buffs, where's Sayaka Magic Girl spells? They aren't listed. I get that they're 'innate' abilities, but shouldn't they be on the sheet? Or do we need to unlock something to see them? Do we need more eyes? I know Bloodborne is different, but they're by the same company, have a similar style and have the Moonlight Sword. Close enough for me.
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    Does Sayaka really have any magic besides healing and spawning swords? I'll add those two to the list in a bit, but I honestly can't think of any beyond them. We are thinking on the basest of planes. What we need, are more spells.
     
    RecurringExtra said:
    Does Sayaka really have any magic besides healing and spawning swords? I'll add those two to the list in a bit, but I honestly can't think of any beyond them. We are thinking on the basest of planes. What we need, are more spells.
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    No, but she's been Octavia now as well. Octavia who is the core of her Magic, so she should, if she tries anyway, probably have more of an idea of things she could pull off. Likely music and water related considering Octavia didn't do much with swords.

    Anyway, wow those stats. I'm both surprised and not, what does her magical girl magic cast from? I guess I could see it not caring about soul stats too. Not caring about Faith or Int or anything with what it does as its just her rather than something she's trying to learn to channel.

    To me the stats we're presented with in Dark Souls always struck me as being... not abstract, but rather facets of the soul (which in the case of the physical stats, is the soul reinforcing the body). Different arts and titanite infused weapons kind of work off of different parts of the soul and so if your soul was strong enough in those aspects then you could use them.

    Also I don't see a leveling cost anywhere. And what soul level are we? Our soul is... kind of weird. Its housed in a gem (or a cage if the gem is the soul) so might have more room to... stretch so to speak, it might still have Octavia inside it even if she's probably a bit crispy at this point, and magical girl buffs seem to be just that, buffs. Their magic naturally reinforces their bodies or something. *Shrug*
     
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    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    No, but she's been Octavia now as well. Octavia who is the core of her Magic, so she should, if she tries anyway, probably have more of an idea of things she could pull off. Likely music and water related considering Octavia didn't do much with swords.
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    Hm, that's a good point. Although the memories of being a wtich are more like a long blur with flashes of horrified clarity, which I (hopefully) didn't fail to get across earlier.
    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    Anyway, wow those stats. I'm both surprised and not, what does her magical girl magic cast from? I guess I could see it not caring about soul stats too. Not caring about Faith or Int or anything with what it does as its just her rather than something she's trying to learn to channel.

    To me the stats we're presented with in Dark Souls always struck me as being... not abstract, but rather facets of the soul (which in the case of the physical stats, is the soul reinforcing the body). Different arts and titanite infused weapons kind of work off of different parts of the soul and so if your soul was strong enough in those aspects then you could use them..
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    I think of it quite similarly, although it is still fairly abstract, seeing as you're shoving a bunch of numbers into a thing you can't see that makes you better at doing things.

    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    Also I don't see a leveling cost anywhere. And what soul level are we? Our soul is... kind of weird. Its housed in a gem (or a cage if the gem is the soul) so might have more room to... stretch so to speak, it might still have Octavia inside it even if she's probably a bit crispy at this point, and magical girl buffs seem to be just that, buffs. Their magic naturally reinforces their bodies or something. *Shrug*
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    Evidently, I didn't do as good a job as I'd hoped, seeing as I'd forgotten to include some pretty necessary stuff. Please do not look behind the curtain while I go and fix this. As for whether magical girl related magic would use intelligence, it does, but Sayaka never exactly was very talented in using her magic, seeing as she just kind of healed herself and hit things really hard. Custom sorceries will be a thing, if you wish to go down that route, similarly with miracles and pyromancy. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to write item descriptions for them. Do keep in mind that both are, in a sense, "soul arts" if you want to think of it like that.

    Edit: Stats page updated with level and leveling cost.
     
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    RecurringExtra said:
    Hm, that's a good point. Although the memories of being a wtich are more like a long blur with flashes of horrified clarity, which I (hopefully) didn't fail to get across earlier.


    As for whether magical girl related magic would use intelligence, it does, but Sayaka never exactly was very talented in using her magic, seeing as she just kind of healed herself and hit things really hard. Custom sorceries will be a thing, if you wish to go down that route, similarly with miracles and pyromancy. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to write item descriptions for them. Do keep in mind that both are, in a sense, "soul arts" if you want to think of it like that.
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    Its... hmm... I think Magical Girls don't really have Spells as such because they're basically using their own Miracles. Like I doubt Gwyn casts Lightning Spears, they're just something he does. Or did rather.

    Sayaka doesn't cast healing, she just heals.

    So for the Octavia thing she wouldn't really need to remember the memories, because her soul already knows the movements.

    On a similar note I think Sorcery might be Miracles flipped on their head. Like Miracles are the codified stories of things Heroes and Gods did in the past, instead flip it so that you're making the code to control the energy to do something first.

    Uhh... Miracles = Someone does something/something happens -> what happened is codified in story -> People learn story to copy thing. Sorcery = a Code is made to control energy -> It makes something happen -> People copy it to do the thing.

    Or something. I got the idea from Exalted where they have Essence which has two methods of shaping said Essence, broadly speaking. One is through Martial Arts charms where the character moves in certain ways that shape their Essence to do specific things and work in specific ways and the other is where the character shapes the essence directly to cause a change in either themself or the world around them.
     
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    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    Its... hmm... I think Magical Girls don't really have Spells as such because they're basically using their own Miracles. Like I doubt Gwyn casts Lightning Spears, they're just something he does. Or did rather.

    Sayaka doesn't cast healing, she just heals.

    So for the Octavia thing she wouldn't really need to remember the memories, because her soul already knows the movements.

    On a similar note I think Sorcery might be Miracles flipped on their head. Like Miracles are the codified stories of things Heroes and Gods did in the past, instead flip it so that you're making the code to control the energy to do something first.

    Uhh... Miracles = Someone does something/something happens -> what happened is codified in story -> People learn story to copy thing. Sorcery = a Code is made to control energy -> It makes something happen -> People copy it to do the thing.

    Or something. I got the idea from Exalted where they have Essence which has two methods of shaping said Essence, broadly speaking. One is through Marital Arts charms where the character moves in certain ways that shape their Essence to do specific things and work in specific ways and the other is where the character shapes the essence directly to cause a change in either themself or the world around them.
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    Those are some interesting points, I must say. The way I view it is that seeing as sorceries are the expression of souls, a magical girls more advanced abilities would operate in a similar way. Basically, since the magical girl's power is supposed to be an expression of their soul, intelligence is knowing how to navigate your way through the whole mess of a maze that is one's own self. But that kind of falls apart seeing as it's called intelligence, not wisdom or something similar, so them being related to miracles could arguably make more sense. Well, it looks like I may have to change a few things, but not sure as to what yet.

    Matching them with faith feels just as, if not more weird to me than intelligence, although I guess you could make the argument that they rely on faith in oneself, which is a point that now having been said, I absolutely hate but can't fully argue against. The idea that I'm going with is that advanced magical girl powers beyond healing, which generates corruption, and and summoning swords, you'd actually have to make/discover custom sorceries that would operate similarly, such as water related sorceries, seeing as ice sorceries are already a thing, although there are technically some water related miracles, I suppose. As for the Octavia part, well, those sorceries would have to come from somewhere after all.
     
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