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3:10 to Chandara (A Pokémon AU Quest)

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[x] External, Internal: Locking the movement of one thing to the movement of something else

[x] External: Animation of inanimate objects

One rock, at Sufficient Velocity.
 
Ooh, we can enhance our team?
This sounds promising. And pokemon physics are incredibly permissive. Yes.

[x] External, Internal: Sense enhancement/obstruction
and:
[x] External, Internal: Changing the visual appearance of something to look like you, Yimi, or Hanan
[x] External, Internal: Energy barriers

Cause invisible barriers. Protect, you got nothing on this.
 
[x] External, Internal: Locking the movement of one thing to the movement of something else
(Variation on the current levitation sequences. One-directional link.)

[x] Senses





Oh I am slain! said:
I'm glad to be updating again too! :)

At first thought, a trained archer with a good bow and arrow. No one on Squad Twenty qualifies, though.

Alternatively, Hanan throwing a small rock, boosted by an Earth gem. Or her dropping something from high up, if you only need downwards velocity.


Y'all will get a chance to acquire the other short-term ones if you continue spending time on runic magic throughout the mission.

Barring any big changes though, the long-term options are one-time options at the moment. I.e. Silas isn't going to have access to the other long-term options any time soon.

I've balanced all the options to be similarly viable. So if there's any option that doesn't seem as powerful, rest assured. Overall, I'd suggest simply choosing based on the playstyle you'd prefer. ^_^
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What are the upwards limits, if any, of the motion-locking, , abd can we lock thing to the products of pokemon moves?
 
Let's say...vote closes in 5 hours. ^_^

As it is, looks like the short-term project is the movement-lock sequences, and the long-term project is the energy barrier sequences. With the inclusion of Nathaniel Wolff's vote, each of those options is leading by two.

Vote Tally
##### NetTally 1.7.3.2
[x] External, Internal: Locking the movement of one thing to the movement of something else
No. of Votes: 4
EvilPorygon
Nathaniel Wolff
Skewfiend
veekie

[x] External, Internal: Energy barriers
No. of Votes: 4
EvilPorygon
Nathaniel Wolff
RedV
Tsume817

[x] External, Internal: Changing the visual appearance of something to look like you, Yimi, or Hanan
No. of Votes: 2
EvilPorygon
RedV

[x] External, Internal: Sense enhancement/obstruction
No. of Votes: 2
RedV
Skewfiend

[x] Internal: Telepathic projection to any single target
No. of Votes: 1
Tsume817

[x] External: Animation of inanimate objects
No. of Votes: 1
veekie

Total No. of Voters: 6

Skewfiend said:
What are the upwards limits, if any, of the motion-locking, , abd can we lock thing to the products of pokemon moves?
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What do you mean by "upwards limits"? Speed? Distance? They'll have to test it a bit, but OOC I can say that they wouldn't have found any limits to speed yet. Distance at activation seems to be limited by visual contact. A third limit is that both the inscribed-on object and the linked-to object have some hazy requirement of being visually-distinguishable, mostly convex, fairly solid objects.

Same limits apply to products of Pokemon moves. So a rock thrown by Hanan can serve as a linked-to object as long as it stays whole, while a Sand Attack wouldn't serve as a linked-to object. Edge cases can get tricky, and need more experimentation.
 
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Can we bind it to our barriers? That sounds interesting.

I'm not sure if an energy barrier is solid enough, but it is roughly convex.
 
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Oh I am slain! said:
Once they've completed the project after another one or two research & discussion sessions, feel free to try these out. ^_^
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We can probably generalise to the second one at least. Do impacts seem more or less normal for a body of that speed?

If so, it probably will.

At a guess, I'd say that the runic spell sets the object to be at rest according to the object's frame of reference, but that it is still subject to forces.

Hence a large bound object would move through the air slower than the smaller object it is bound to, due to an increased drag coefficient, and bound objects would collide with things in their way, ratter than ploughing through indiscriminately.

Edit: and scary things happen if we bind stuff to something on the end of a staff. The ends of staves can move alarmingly fast, over a decent range, so we could 'wield' boulders with a good amount of flexibility.
 
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9: All's quiet on the borders
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    • Results of previous vote:

    Short-term:
    [x] External, Internal: Locking the movement of one thing to the movement of something else

    Long-term:
    [x] External, Internal: Energy barriers

    Both projects will be finished after another two or three research sessions. Anyway, this update covers the latter two parts for Silas's actions during the second day while Hanan flies. :)


    354 AE, Dus IV, Week II
    Day II, Early Afternoon

    [+++] Discuss teamwork for combat

    Character, conflict resolution, and martial skills are the tests for Ace recruitment.

    You and Yimi passed psychic inspection for the first, and with months of studying, blazed through the conflict resolution test cases. (Yimi still can't believe that they accepted your "merciless pranking" answer as an acceptable means of eliciting compliance.)

    Though, unusually, the martial test had been waived.

    ...You now suspect that the two of you were recruited more for potential than for practical skills. Soon after arriving in Pteros, you learned how useless you were in battles.

    The Pteros Ace combat doctrine calls for five areas of expertise: Attack, defense, non-lethal incapacitation, movement, and strategy.

    Your skills--invisibility, limited levitation, and telepathic communication with Yimi--don't match up with any of the first four.

    Same goes for Yimi. However, he does have more versatile telepathy and telekinesis--he can project thoughts to any target, and slowly levitate objects in any direction. He also has some additional attacking capability using Hidden Power, though that doesn't hit harder than a punch at the moment. And he can float around at will. So for Yimi, it's just a matter of practice to develop viable capabilities for the first four areas.

    All that pales in comparison to Hanan. You've seen her dominate in spars, sometimes even eking out wins against mid-level Aces. She explains that she already had powerful Earth manipulation and Sound options for the first three areas--attack, defense, non-lethal incapacitation--then her past year as an Ace trainee has improved all five areas with strategy lessons and Air manipulation training.

    Meanwhile, during breaks, Hanan has been working on Bug and Sound attacks, while Yimi has been further practising his telepathic skills.

    So yup, you're the most useless squad member for combat. You hope to change this when you finally complete the two runic projects in the upcoming days. Hanan's earnest reassurances haven't been alleviating your worries. ("Do not fret! Some people simply are not meant for physical combat.")

    For now, the three of you agree on this: In the event of a battle, Hanan takes the lead in command and combat. Yimi hides, coordinates the squad, and takes occasional potshots. Anddddd...you hide.

    Vote (Part I): How do you (Silas) feel about this combat arrangement?

    (Can choose more than one.)

    [x] Accepting - Sure, it's not like you expected much else at this point.
    [x] Anticipating - You look forward to improving your combat capabilities.
    [x] Ashamed - You're supposed to be an elite Pteros Ace now, yet you can't contribute in combat.
    [x] Disappointed - You're not happy with being useless during combat, yet you aren't angry either.
    [x] Frustrated - Damn it, you feel so useless!
    [x] Grateful - It's great that your squadmates can cover for your combat weakness!
    [x] Restless - You'll find a way to contribute during battles anyway.
    [x] Write-in.


    [+++++] Continue reading the Quartermaster-gifted scrolls on Armakia

    ---

    ...The history of Armakia is central to the history of the Pelagion continent. When the first waves of humans and modern pokemon washed ashore, they found Pelagion to be bountiful, beautiful, and occupied...

    ...After years of wandering, they finally found one exception: a massive mountain range running down the middle of Pelagion. A layer of ice and permafrost blanketed the entire mountain range; blizzards were a weekly reality throughout the region; and a certain overwhelming pressure permeated the land, causing extreme fatigue and metaphysically limiting all flight and teleportation to a sliver of a user's capabilities. Kyurem's Veil, the locals called it. Other regions bear similar effects from their deities' influences, but this one was by far the most inhospitable.

    So of course, the first waves of humans and modern pokemon chose to make this mountain range their home...

    ---

    ...At one of the highest peaks, the Tentpole of the Sky monastery was constructed in Armakia's early days. Visitors say that a stay there is a transcendent experience. Though, detractors claim that for anyone who leaves, it's all downhill from there...

    ---

    ...thus, Armakia was the first to urbanize and the first to form a single political entity for an entire region. But even today, Armakia's entire population is estimated at a mere half million, by far the least populated region of its size...

    ---

    ...on her command, the earthen golem smote the prefect's house. And the people celebrated. Then the crystal golem smote the banking house. And the people celebrated. Then the metal golem smote the drinking house. The young woman and her squiggly companions were never seen in Sky City again...

    ---

    As residents are sure to remind you, Armakia has never been conquered by outsiders during all this time despite the many periods of unrest that have taken place throughout Pelagion's history. Though, some would say that is because no one sane would want to conquer Armakia...

    ---

    ...WHOSE BRIGHT IDEA WAS IT TO MIX GOGOAT BUTTER, TEA, AND SALT TOGETHER? IT TASTES LIKE SHIT. EVEN SHITTIER THAN THE SMELLY DRIED FISH. EVEN SHITTIER THAN THE YEARS-OLD BARLEY DOUGH. EVEN...

    ---

    ...the thermoregulation problem. Some relied on their body's homeothermic or bradymetabolic processes, while others have nearly speciated into ice-natured versions of their cousins in warmer climes...

    ---

    You're now halfway done reading through the Quartermaster-gifted scrolls. You've been skimming through sections to read the ones that you think would be most relevant to the mission. There's lots of info you skipped past that may be worth reading at some point, but you believe you now know enough to not be an idiot.

    Some sections have provided useful knowledge. Others...not quite as much. You read all of it out loud for Yimi to follow along, though his memory isn't anything like yours. Hanan seems to listen in occasionally, but quickly loses interest in the historical and cultural passages.

    Hanan flies onward.





    354 AE, Dus IV, Week II
    Day II, Early Evening

    This is it. You and Yimi gawk past the dunes, at the snowy foothills and the hazy clouds behind. These delineate the borders between the Great Desert and Armakia. You believe you're looking at Armakia's famous mountains at first, before Hanan explains that these are merely the bordering foothills. You've never seen peaks this high where you grew up in the eastern coastal towns.

    Yimi is quiet as he stares at the snow and the peaks. His eye is figuratively opened as wide as it can be. You know that he has wanted to travel ever since you met him six years ago, but he never had as much free range as he wished. Your mouth turns upwards into a happy grin at the knowledge that your job as an Ace will provide the funds and the reasons to travel throughout the continent.

    Quite a few border towns line the Armakian border, taking advantage of the snowmelt streams and well-worn trade routes. Most of these towns are nominally under Chandaran administration, but in practice, few laws are enforced out here. One of the largest border towns, Tenduk, is the only one with a Teleport Center. It's the destination for the prisoner escort mission, starting all the way from the Armakian capital.

    Hanan chose an isolated spot away from the towns and roads for the camp tonight. She'll need her rest. Tomorrow morning, she will be punching through Kyurem's Veil to take the three of you into the heart of Armakia, shortening the usual land journey from three weeks to two days. Even here in the sun-warmed desert dunes, leagues away from the snow-covered foothills, you can feel a low thrumming in the air that signals deity-level energies at work.

    As you set up camp, you decide on what to do during the remaining two or so hours of light.

    Vote (Part II): Silas's actions for the evening

    Note:
    1. This will be decided by approval voting. Pick as many votes as you would find acceptable. Time will be allocated proportionally to the top two votes.
    2. A reasonable minimum will automatically be included for those last four actions colored in green; if any of those wins, additional time will be spent on it.

    [x] Continue reading the Quartermaster-gifted scrolls on Armakia
    [x] Discuss and train runic magic
    [x] Discuss and train other occult magic
    [x] Discuss the mission more
    [x] Discuss teamwork for combat
    [x] Discuss teamwork for social encounters
    [x] Casually chat with squadmates

    [x] Stay alert for emergencies
    [x] Set up the camp's comfort
    [x] Set up the camp's security
    [x] Rest


    Other QM Notes:

    1. Feel free to make suggestions for Silas (or the QM) with a [!] at the start of the line.
    2. Or, ask questions that Silas would know the answer to in-character with a [?] at the start of the question.

    Cheers! :)

     
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    • Oh I am slain! said:
    ...on her command, the earthen golem smote the prefect's house. And the people celebrated. Then the crystal golem smote the banking house. And the people celebrated. Then the metal golem smote the drinking house. The young woman and her squiggly companions were never seen in Sky City again...
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    The three Regi, and a woman accompanied by Unown? Curious.

    [x] Anticipating - You look forward to improving your combat capabilities.

    [x] Casually chat with squadmates
    [x] Discuss and train runic magic
    [x] Discuss and train other occult magic
     
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    [x] Anticipating - You look forward to improving your combat capabilities.
    Blood Knight Ho...

    [x] Casually chat with squadmates
    SOCIAL LINKS!

    [x] Discuss and train runic magic
    More training.

    [x] Set up the camp's security
     
    [x] Restless - You'll find a way to contribute during battles anyway.
    [x] Discuss the mission more
    [x] Discuss teamwork for combat

    [x] Set up the camp's security
     
    Hmm. I'll close the vote in 24 hours, presuming there are a few more votes.

    As it is now, Silas would be a mix of Anticipating (2/3) and Restless (1/3)--this part doesn't need a single winning vote.

    His plans for the evening would be two out of <Chat, Runic Magic, Extra camp security>, decided by roll, since those three are tied at 2 votes each.

    Vote Tally : 3:10 to Chandara (A Pokémon AU Quest) | Page 8 | Sufficient Velocity
    ##### NetTally 1.7.3.2
    [x] Anticipating - You look forward to improving your combat capabilities.
    No. of Votes: 2
    EvilPorygon
    Nathaniel Wolff

    [x] Restless - You'll find a way to contribute during battles anyway.
    No. of Votes: 1
    veekie

    ---

    [x] Casually chat with squadmates
    No. of Votes: 2
    EvilPorygon
    Nathaniel Wolff

    [x] Discuss and train runic magic
    No. of Votes: 2
    EvilPorygon
    Nathaniel Wolff

    [x] Set up the camp's security
    No. of Votes: 2
    Nathaniel Wolff
    veekie

    [x] Discuss and train other occult magic
    No. of Votes: 1
    EvilPorygon

    [x] Discuss the mission more
    No. of Votes: 1
    veekie

    [x] Discuss teamwork for combat
    No. of Votes: 1
    veekie

    Total No. of Voters: 3

    EvilPorygon said:
    The three Regi, and a woman accompanied by Unown? Curious.
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    Confirmed.
    Nathaniel Wolff said:
    Blood Knight Ho...
    Click to expand...
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    Ha, yes, that's the direction indicated by the three votes thus far.
     
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    Oh I am slain! said:
    ...WHOSE BRIGHT IDEA WAS IT TO MIX GOGOAT BUTTER, TEA, AND SALT TOGETHER? IT TASTES LIKE SHIT. EVEN SHITTIER THAN THE SMELLY DRIED FISH. EVEN SHITTIER THAN THE YEARS-OLD BARLEY DOUGH. EVEN...
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    :D

    I have no time or mental energy to devote to forming strong opinions on this right now due to exam crunch, but I'm with youse all in spirit.
     
    Vote closes in 3 hours.

    Skewfiend said:
    I have no time or mental energy to devote to forming strong opinions on this right now due to exam crunch, but I'm with youse all in spirit.
    Click to expand...
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    That's fine! I'll look forward to when you're active again. :)

    (Yeah, you've probably noticed in your own quests that it's often difficult to figure out if people aren't voting due to low update quality, confusion or lack of interest in the particular vote at hand, or some other completely different reason.

    In terms of quest logistics and getting enough player feedback, I'd guess that this quest would go most smoothly with 5-6 votes each time. 3 votes is essentially the minimum it needs to keep running for each update, since that's enough to break most vote ties and signal player interest.)
     
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    Ok, so it's gonna be:

    Silas's reaction to being assigned to hide during combat:

    2/3: [x] Anticipating - You look forward to improving your combat capabilities.
    1/3: [x] Restless - You'll find a way to contribute during battles anyway.

    (I.e. Silas will be tempted to join in the battle even if he's not fully prepared yet, but he will try to focus on improving his combat capabilities first.)

    Extra actions at the camp tonight:

    [x] Discuss and train runic magic
    [x] Set up the camp's security
    Oh I am slain! threw 1 100-faced dice. Reason: Research progress Total: 67
    67 67
     
    10: A deep breath
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    • -



    354 AE, Kyt IV, Week II
    Day II, Evening


    Setting up camp is a simple affair.

    For the camp's location, Hanan chooses one of the grey shale hills amidst the dunes. She flattens the leeward side of it into a wide platform for the camp.

    Yimi unrolls bundles of linen from Hanan's saddle packs and lays them out as mats and blankets.

    Meanwhile, you take care of the most important task: food!

    There are fewer dietary needs to worry about than in other squads. One of the older squads has a lairon who needs to bring literal tons of iron supplements everywhere he goes; another squad requisitions several dozen electric gems on every trip for its joltik member.

    Neither you nor Hanan are particularly picky eaters, though Hanan does need very hefty servings. You unlatch the apricorn labelled for tonight to release the next day's food supplies: three tan cloth bags of cooked half-dried lentils, potatoes, and flatbread. Most of it is for Hanan.

    Now extracted, the food is heavy enough such that you barely can lift it. ...Ok, your lack of athleticism might be involved, too. Years of scholarly pursuits have kept you as a thin stalk with less strength than many peers. Maybe someday you'll figure out a runic sequence to increase your strength.

    As for Yimi's diet, his energy recharges on its own over time, and he doesn't need to eat. An autotroph of sorts, as the Waterfall philosophers would say. You're not quite sure how he would eat even if he so desired, let alone enjoy it. He has no mouth, no sense of taste, no sense of smell. At that depressing thought, you almost send him your usual consolatory message about the many magnificent tastes that he'll never experience first-hand, but then you think better of it. Whenever you bring up the topic, he usually responds with shitty jokes about the benefits of not needing to eat.

    Regardless, Yimi's diet makes the logistics simpler. You remember the Ace recruiters joked that Yimi was already a top prospect on the mere merit of not needing food. But now you wonder if they were somewhat serious. Hanan's food intake must cost a fortune, and she is only mid-sized for a dragon among the Aces.

    You proceed to warm tonight's portion with palm-sized Obnubian heat rocks from the supplies. The aromas of the savory spices soon begin to waft through camp. Near the edge of the makeshift platform that Hanan made for the camp, you set up the condenser to collect water for the morning.


    You and Hanan take turns nibbling on dinner as your squad sets up extra security for the camp. Following from one of your ideas, you ask Hanan to form dozens of human-sized boulders. One by one for each boulder, you get Yimi to use telekinesis to hold the boulder slightly above ground, at varying heights and distances around the camp's location on the rocky hill. Then, you inscribe and activate invisibility and levitation sequences on each boulder.

    The three of you chat a bit as you work, but Hanan mostly stays silent like usual. You don't quite begrudge her quietness. You're becoming accustomed to it.

    Your spirits are high as you finish setting up the boulders. Yay, you're being useful! Sorta. The camp is far from local towns and trade routes, so the defenses might have been a waste of time. It took nearly an hour to set up. But with practice, the squad could maybe get that down to just a few minutes.

    It feels nice to be doing something, and it's good telekinesis practice for Yimi too. Hanan gives the two of you approving nods before heading to the side of the camp for an early rest. Yimi also lays down--you'll be waking him after midnight to take the second watch.


    You spend the remaining daylight hours squinting at the notes from your two runic projects, then testing various symbols to see which ones create the most noticeable effects.

    You're still making slow progress on replicating the gleaming barrier walls that could be made by runic mages in the stories. You've been able to will a layer of runic energy into formation, but you haven't yet figured out a runic sequence to make that layer do anything besides fluoresce a light blue glow.

    On the other hand...your other project is mostly working! One of the sequences you test seems to successfully lock your movement to objects that your mind is focused on. But in your tired state, you are not sure which specific sequence you had been using. In retrospect, you probably shouldn't have been testing this sequence by tossing a pebble into the air. You hadn't stopped the sequence fast enough as the pebble fell back down. The flattened shale ground was a learning experience.

    After sunset, the rest of the night is a simple affair. You can see a fair distance in these moonlit dunes, and nothing appears to be amiss. To ward away the chilliness, you gather the heat rocks together and wrap yourself in linens next to the pile. Winds roll down from the mountains, probably due to the temperature differences. You spend an hour or two musing about runic sequences for controlling temperature, or even the weather. Travel can get quite dangerous in Armakia, or even the desert at night, if without a heat rock.

    As the night continues on, you turn to pondering about your squad and your future. Your thoughts don't go far, since you're becoming sleepier and sleepier. But you do wonder: Was it the correct choice to join the Aces? After all, you and Yimi could have travelled anyway, and tried to live off the land. You could have acquired resources in other ways to search for more knowledge about yourselves.

    Eh, you decided that you can't quite know if this was the correct choice yet. Your mind turns to other important questions, like "How many feebas could you take in a fight?" Twelve, you decide. Twelve.

    After you wake Yimi for his watch--which covers the remainder of the night--you immediately lay down in your linen cocoon and doze off.


    354 AE, Kyt IV, Week II
    Day III, Early Morning


    A little after sunrise, Yimi rolls you over to wake you. You shiver a bit as your face meets the morning chilliness.

    "What's up?" you mumble as you roll back over and try to cover your face.

    But you become alert when you notice that Yimi looks slightly agitated. You quickly get up. Yimi leads you to the side of the camp, where Hanan is gazing intently around the dunes.

    After Yimi woke her up a minutes ago, she had noticed meandering lines of disturbed sand on the eastern side of the camp's location on the hill. They look as if several people had walked up to the very edge of camp, then left. But the tracks are covered up enough such that the wind has already made them faint.

    Yimi explains that he hadn't seen anything amiss during the night. You hadn't either. The night winds could have masked the sound of quiet intruders, though. Hanan looks away and gives a deep sigh.

    She says, "We are not near any trade routes or towns, so there should not have been many people around here. But they left without disturbing us, and we have a mission to do."

    Yimi, on the other hand, frowns and responds, *Suspicious, eh? We'll be passing through this region on our way back, so we might as well spend a few hours to investigate this.*

    "I think we should carry on. I am well-rested and ready to fly through Kyurem's Veil."

    Yimi raises a metaphorical eyebrow. *A delay of a few hours should be fine. Aren't you curious why someone would approach our camp at night, then sneak away?*

    Personally, you think that Yimi is also a bit indignant that he didn't notice these intruders. But both have good points. Your squad hasn't established a leader for non-combat decisions yet, so your voiced opinion would have the weight to swing the decision either way.

    Vote: What say you?

    [x] Investigate!
    [x] Ignore it and head into Armakia!
    [x] (Write-in.)

     
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