[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands.
This one seems the most approachable, which is important for a teacher.
[X] (Body) spindly, elegant, a frame with many exposed gears in brass and silver.
[X] (Body) jagged and mathematical. A dazzling array of colors in a dizzyingly complex fractal arrangement.
But the aesthetic.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
1st choice of body: The crystals layed about the body may be cool aesthetically, but obvious weakness of a golem much. 2nd choice is boring, but no obvious weakness also should be able to socialize easily since it looks human. 3rd is too robotic looking to be sociable, maybe detrimental. 4th is...what? like that one triangle dude from regular show, The laser disk episode. 5th. Fire. Lots of fire and dementor like negatives to socials.
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
I've got an idea for a surname for our mystery professor. Pygmalion. After the creator of Galatea. Feels apropos to call an intelligent automaton that.
[x] (Body) fabric draped over something solid. Surprisingly warm, with the faintest indication of movement within.
[x] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands.
[x] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
[X] (Body) jagged and mathematical. A dazzling array of colors in a dizzyingly complex fractal arrangement.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
I'm a sucker for perfect math having to live in an imperfect world.
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
This quest looks interesting so far! I'm excited to see where you take this.
[X] (Body) spindly, elegant, a frame with many exposed gears in brass and silver.
[X] (Body) jagged and mathematical. A dazzling array of colors in a dizzyingly complex fractal arrangement.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
[] (Body) chrome metal with gems studded from place to place -- one in the center of your chest, one on each hand, and many others. 0
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands. 6
[] (Body) spindly, elegant, a frame with many exposed gears in brass and silver. 4
[] (Body) jagged and mathematical. A dazzling array of colors in a dizzyingly complex fractal arrangement. 4
[] (Body) fabric draped over something solid. Surprisingly warm, with the faintest indication of movement within. 3
[] (Action) You'll wait here. It might be a little awkward, given that the wizard is grieving and Minerva clearly isn't doing much better, but you'd like to see what they do next. 0
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right? 12
[] (Action) You'll start looking around. Finally getting out of this room and stretching your legs a bit would make for a nice change of pace. 0
[] (Action) You'll leave. If they aren't keeping you put, you have no reason to stay. Sure, you lack information on where you are or what you ought to do, but you'll figure something out. 0
[] (Action) Write-in 0
So, the fourth question in the first post -- the one about what Hogwarts means to you -- was responsible for determining what options you'd have for your body. Legacy would've been more focused on golems and other traditional magical automata, Stability would've been organic stuff, and Mystery would've been more mystical and incorporeal. Innovation gave you more robotic and technologically-inspired choices.
In this vote, the "chrome and gems" option was a fusion between Legacy and Innovation while the "fabric" option was a mix of Innovation and Mystery. The "clockwork" and "mathematics" choices were each pure Innovation, and the winning vote took influence from Stability.
Overall, your choices so far have started leaning you more towards passivity than where you started, but not enough to start affecting your temperament. Your (Action) this turn helped reinforce the "Compassionate" component of it, and you haven't really had an opportunity to experiment or create much yet, with the exception of trying to use the wand you acquired.
I unfortunately don't have an update ready this time. I do, however, have a need for someone to roll 2d6 as a Gumption test to see how your attempt at comforting goes. The minimum threshold's at 10, with a bonus effect if you hit 13, so you'll have to roll at least 5 and 8 respectively for each degree of success.
Why couldn't you have been eased into the sundry ordeals of the living? Getting chucked into the fray without a chance to acclimate is harrowing to say the least. Still, what must be done now is clear, if far from simple.
You approach the diminutive wizard and crouch down. He's so incredibly short that you'd only reach eye-level when prone, but you feel the effort should be made regardless.
{Rolling 2d6+5 (Gumption) against a threshold of 10/13. 5+5 = 10, low pass.}
Your lack of experience in comforting the grieving is obvious to you, and it's unlikely anything you can come up with would accurately encapsulate your intentions. But if your words won't suffice, why not borrow some from a more appropriate source?
"I may never have met Albus, but I'm sure he was a fine man. When he comforted others who had suffered, what would he say?"
"...Albus was very experienced with the deaths of friends and allies. He believed deeply that while life may end, the essence of a person lives on in those they loved," he says with a sniffle.
"In that case, I have no doubt that you and those others surviving him will do his memory justice."
He cries more deeply at that, and you withdraw, fearing you may have overstepped. You are left waiting awkwardly with an aloof Minerva as the man slowly calms.
Your concerns prove unfounded when, shortly after the tears stop altogether, the man looks to you with a wavering smile.
"I only now realize I've yet to introduce myself. I'm Filius Flitwick. It really is a pleasure to meet you, despite recent events being set on spoiling the experience."
"The pleasure is mine, and I'm grateful to have someone's name at my disposal," you reply, grinning slightly.
"I really would love to sit down and have a nice, long chat with you about so very many things, but under the circumstances..." he turns to look at Minerva, who has remained still this entire time.
"Minerva, what was it that brought you here to start with?"
She finally breaks her sojourn, turning towards Flitwick. It takes a moment for her to respond.
"...Until a little while ago, I was in my office planning for the upcoming semester. Albus has... had a system for alerting me in the event he's indisposed, so that I could take up his duties without delay. I took its activation to mean that the headmaster had... something unforeseen occur during his holiday, and sought him out. Following the tether linking Hogwarts to him lead me here."
She turns to you and sighs in frustration.
"I am sorry. In any other situation I wouldn't have been so rash as to attack you unprovoked, but finding what appeared to be the site of a dark ritual where I was expecting the headmaster was... upsetting."
Your response?
[] (Respond) Accept her apology blithely.
[X] (Respond) Accept her apology, but chastise her recklessness. Someone could've been hurt!
[] (Respond) Reject her apology.
[] (Respond) Write-in
"While the spellwork used to create them was dark, the soul trap isn't," Filius says, turning to you. "In fact, while your body itself may be of, er, less-than-optimal construction, there is no sign whatsoever of damage to your soul. We can't be sure of it without invasive -- and, of course, quite dark -- examinations, but by all reasonable measures you are thoroughly shipshape. Quite an achievement, given that, as far as I'm aware, you're the first functional soul trap to walk upon Britain's soil."
Minerva frowns at that. "Do you have any idea who could have created them?"
"No, unfortunately. Dark wizards and witches seldom leave a maker's mark with which to identify their work."
Do you want to help identify the dark mage? If so, how?
[X] (Help) Yes
-[X] Write-in: Volunteer yourself for an inspection, visual, magical, or however else they deem necessary.
[] (Help) No
Your traits have been updated.
I'm expecting the votes to be pretty one-sided this time unless there're a bunch of write-ins, but surprises are always welcome. It's much easier for me to write Flitwick than McGonagall, and I had to rewrite her dialogue here a few times before it came out reasonably close to how I think she should sound.
The traits describing your body and soul are the two most readily changeable traits you're likely to get. That doesn't mean it'll be easy to improve, but you can turn the malus to a bonus with enough dedication.
