ConfusedPotato
Unverified Verifier
- Location
- Australia
[3] Headband
[5] Match
[1] Studying
[2] Crown
[4] Magic
[5] Match
[1] Studying
[2] Crown
[4] Magic
Consumption
- Thread starter Alivaril
- Start date
- Original
Archeo Lumiere
The Prince's Archivist
- Location
- Lumiose City, Kalos
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
Confused potato is confused, the image vote is locked, Match won.
- Location
- United States
[X] Call out to them and say hello.
-[X] You're more than a little bit lost.
-[X] Ask how far away the closest settlement is.
-[X] They mentioned a magic detector. Can you look at it? You haven't heard of portable versions before, assuming one of them isn't a Scout.
-[X] You have some dirt elemental friends who might be able to help. They're not very smart, but you might be able to train them to retrieve underground objects? Or something like that.
Well I'll add those last two things in. It can't hurt. Plus I want to see our curiosity unleashed.
-[X] You're more than a little bit lost.
-[X] Ask how far away the closest settlement is.
-[X] They mentioned a magic detector. Can you look at it? You haven't heard of portable versions before, assuming one of them isn't a Scout.
-[X] You have some dirt elemental friends who might be able to help. They're not very smart, but you might be able to train them to retrieve underground objects? Or something like that.
Well I'll add those last two things in. It can't hurt. Plus I want to see our curiosity unleashed.
matacusa
Hi!
- Location
- Home
[X] Call out to them and say hello.
-[X] You're more than a little bit lost.
-[X] Ask how far away the closest settlement is.
-[X] They mentioned a magic detector. Can you look at it? You haven't heard of portable versions before.
-[X] You have some dirt elemental friends who might be able to help. They're not very smart, but you might be able to train them to retrieve underground objects? Or something like that.
-[X] You're more than a little bit lost.
-[X] Ask how far away the closest settlement is.
-[X] They mentioned a magic detector. Can you look at it? You haven't heard of portable versions before.
-[X] You have some dirt elemental friends who might be able to help. They're not very smart, but you might be able to train them to retrieve underground objects? Or something like that.
Chapter 1.1: Dimensionally Challenged
- Location
- A single human dimension
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Winner: Match
[X] Call out to them and say hello.
"Hello?"
You pause as the echoes returned by the tower sound significantly different from what you'd meant to say.
...Ooookay then? So, I guess my voicebox has a filter now. Totally going to need to see a mage about all this later; I don't think I had a language Talent before, did I? An artifact, then?
"Hello, feminine voice which we nonetheless can't see the source of," Eugene calls back.
Oops?
You lean forward and eye the closest set of branches. Although the ground is a distressingly long way away, you're pretty sure there are more than enough stable handholds to effectively remove the chance of falling.
"Um, I'm - I'm in the tower? Please give me a minute, I'll climb down."
You tuck your dress up, rather wishing you'd worn something else when you'd gotten up this morning. It had seemed like a good idea at the time; you'd worn your other clothes on previous days and they were still a little damp. After making sure they aren't in too much danger of snagging on a passing branch, you place your stone elemental on the back of your neck and start working your way downward.
Making your way down without ripping your clothes takes a great bit longer than expected, but fortunately, Eugene and his partner seem content to wait. You make a mental note to change into something more practical before you're next torn from one dimension and deposited somewhere else.
...Wait, what?
You stop on one of the lower branches and try to figure out where that thought came from. Ideas which don't have a good explanation are supposedly one of the easiest ways to tell you're being affected by a compulsion or illusion. If it doesn't fit, don't permit.
Admittedly, an illusion might not even be harmful in this case. You're pretty sure some diplomats use especially detailed ones to help compensate for where their own knowledge of local language and customs might be lacking. Of course, you're pretty sure you would've noticed the long rituals necessary to put one of those on you, and—focus, Melia!
Your ability to sense mana in yourself is still rudimentary at best, but you have to at least try. You start searching your body unusual mana, vaguely noticing the two travelers hurrying toward you as you do so.
It doesn't take very long for you to find something which clearly doesn't belong: a network of magical threads permeating the center of your chest, inside where your mana reserves are stored and where your body generates new mana. None of them seem to be doing anything apart from holding themselves in place, although you do notice a cord leading downward. Eventually, it splits in half to travel down both legs, and from there, vanishes out the bottoms of your feet. Your senses aren't refined enough to distinguish between the cord and environmental mana, so you can't figure out what it's doing past that point.
You turn your attention back to your reserves and try to figure out if the threads are doing anything harmful. Some of them are sitting inside your mana, while the other parts are in the empty space formerly occupied by mana you've already spent. Although it's difficult for you to actually know what you're looking at, the threads inside your unused mana reserves feel slightly smoother than those outside. Sturdier. The difference is minimal, but you have the feeling it'll get more pronounced as time goes on.
My anchor. When it leaves, so will I.
You frown.
Hello, mysterious thoughts which sound like me yet clearly aren't. Explain.
No answer is forthcoming. You hadn't really been expecting one, but an explanation would've been nice. Still, what little information it's given you doesn't paint a particularly promising picture. If you need an anchor to keep yourself from 'leaving,' that implies there's some sort of an effect trying to take you somewhere else. Despite that fact, you don't feel like anything is pulling in either direction. Until you actually looked, you felt normal, if a little exhausted and jittery. And what about the mention of being in a completely different dimension? You'd thought that was flat-out impossible.
Plus, where did the extra mana come from? You're pretty sure the threads are made out of more of it than you actually spent on getting here. Did tearing reality apart yield energy instead of costing it? How come you suddenly need to be anchored to the ground when you've never needed one before? How did you make the anchor in the first place? What happens when it breaks? Do you just get transported somewhere else and make a new one, do you need to be careful to have full mana reserves so you can make a new one, why can't you feel any sort of translation spell, how does it all work?
"Hey, you okay?"
You reluctantly turn your attention back to the outside world. You have so many questions, yet you don't think anyone here is going to be capable of answering them.
Eugene is holding out both arms, apparently offering to help you the rest of the way down. You're happy to accept and are even happier when he doesn't hold you for longer than absolutely necessary.
-[X] You're more than a little bit lost.
"Sorry, I was thinking. I'm fine. Um, would you mind telling you who you are? I'm Melia Foster."
You shift to more comfortable footing while Eugene glances back at his partner. She shrugs.
"Eugene Favre. The beautiful lady who will probably kill me in my sleep one day is—"
"—Perfectly capable of introducing herself," she interrupts. "Ines Favre. What are you doing here, sweetie?"
I'm not a candy.
You do your utmost to keep the flash of resentment from affecting your words and body. It's not like she meant anything by it.
-[X] Ask how far away the closest settlement is.
"I'm trying to figure out where 'here' is. Even lambs would have a hard time getting as lost as I am right now. So, um, would you be so kind as to tell me where and how far away the closest settlement is?"
Eugene hesitates before waving back the way they came. "About an hour thataway? I think you had a pretty good spot to wait for your protector, though. Where is he?"
Ines jabs one elbow into Eugene's side.
"Or she," he adds quickly.
In a completely different dimension, apparently.
"I honestly have no clue. But, um, I'm not sure it'll be a good idea to actually wait there for him. Maybe take shelter in there if I can take care of myself, but..."
You shrug helplessly. Eugene exchanges another unreadable look with his wife.
"Sooooooooooooooooooooo," Eugene drawls, dragging the word out long past the point where it should've been given a merciful death. "Are you sure you don't want to wait for your guardian?"
You blink several times in quick succession. 'Guardian' felt like the same word as the earlier 'protector,' but somehow more accurate?
Weird.
You pick your words carefully to avoid lying. "The last I saw of him, we were on a ship. I just got up and suddenly I'm in the woods. I think it's safe to say waiting for him is not a good idea."
Eugene quickly inhales through his teeth while Ines winces. You're not sure how to interpret their reactions.
"Listen, it's been nice meeting you, but we should really get you back to civilization. This isn't the sort of place you want to try camping in."
Did I say something wrong?
Ines unknowingly helps you relax by leaning forward and stage-whispering to Eugene. "That little hole-in-the-ground counts?"
"Yes, dear."
"We really are out in the sticks, aren't we?"
Eugene turns and raises one eyebrow. "How is this any different from the last six months of our lives?"
"The beer is worse."
"...Fair enough," Eugene concedes, turning back to you. "In all seriousness, it isn't safe here. I can think of half a dozen predators who could gobble you up in one bite."
Ines snorts. "Don't exaggerate when we're dealing with monsters, dear. No, they could give her a mortal injury with one big bite. Eating her would actually take quite a bit longer."
Eugene leans back again. "I don't think you're helping."
"Better she have realistic expectations than think giant snakes are going to show up. So, Miss..." Ines stops, wincing. "Sorry. Terrible with names. What was yours again?"
-[X] You have some dirt elemental friends who might be able to help. They're not very smart, but you might be able to train them to retrieve underground objects? Or something like that.
You carefully retrieve your stone elemental before answering, holding him in both palms. Both Ines and Eugene immediately freeze and stare at it.
"Melia," you repeat. "And you don't have to escort me straight back. I heard something about digging and your hatred of it? Well, I'm friends with some dirt and stone elementals who might be able to do it for you. Well, no, I'm sure they could help, we'd just have to get what we want across. They're not very smart."
You choose to omit the part where illegality was mentioned. You didn't actually outright say you'd be their accomplice—and plus, you've been taught that something is only really illegal if the relevant laws are enforced. Otherwise, it's just feel-good writing from a bunch of people who never had to do any real work.
It takes a while for Eugene to tear his gaze away from the tiny elemental and actually answer you.
"By the time we'd finish any search, it'd already be past the point where you could make it back to the village. But, uh, I'm not actually sure that's a good place for a mage to settle down for a while. Do you just want to come with us? I think we could lend you some proper traveling clothes for the next two-three days. There's a guildhall there in case you want to contact your guardian."
You hesitate and gnaw on your lower lip. You still feel like you're much calmer than you should be, but as long as that lasts, you intend to take full advantage of it.
"One moment, please."
You step back, lean against the tree behind you, and close your eyes. Your anchor looks about the same as it did when you last checked on it. If you keep your mana reserves about 3/4s empty until further notice, it might last...
Despite the severe lack of information on how you'd actually determine its lifetime, an answer still manages to float to the top of your mind.
Five days. Longer if there's mana shielding it.
You hiss through your teeth and try to figure out what you actually want. Having your numerous questions answered, that's obvious. Getting a message home to tell them you're fine would be nice, but likely quite difficult. Artificially making an elemental remains on your list of long-term dreams, emphasis on 'long-term.'
You still want to become a real mage instead of someone who merely has a Talent, but if you aren't simply brought home when the anchor breaks, you won't really be able to attend any sort of school any time soon. Making sure you're always absorbing as much mana as you safely can will be difficult—if this dimension is anything like your home, people seldom settle in areas with high levels of mana—but it's by no means impossible.
Finding a way to actively repair your anchor would be nice, but that goes right back to needing to become a proper mage. You can barely control your own mana right now, let alone cast any spells. Of course, if your mana is 'shielding' the anchor, that implies there's something it needs to be shielded from. Spells don't just deteriorate on their own; people used to think that, but it's long since been proved their environment and other factors are responsible. You expect the same will hold true for your anchor.
Actually making friends will be difficult if you keep getting abducted by an effect you don't understand, which you're really not happy about. So, you suppose you should settle on that as an eternal goal: figure out what factors affect the lifespan of your anchor.
Summoning more elementals from home would be a good idea if you're always pulled through tears in reality; your two air elementals came with you, so if you can get them to cooperate, you should be able to bring any other summons along as well. Bringing them to higher-mana areas or feeding them solid mana should help them get stronger, and the more powerful they are, the better their ability to keep you safe. Right now, they're only good for distractions or, in the case of fire elementals, intimidating animals and carnivorous plants.
For shorter-term goals, you should probably get more supplies so you're better prepared the next time you're pulled from reality. You don't even have any rations on you.
While you're not sure if this still holds true in a different dimension, you've heard prices tend to rise depending on the population of the area. Assuming your currency is accepted—you'd be very surprised if it isn't—it might be cheaper to stock up in the village instead of the town Ines and Eugene mentioned.
You squeeze your forehead and wish you had a clearly superior path to follow. Your life was a lot simpler a week ago.
[] Agree to go with Ines and Eugene.
-[] Although, if you could maximize the time spent sightseeing, exploring, treasure-hunting, etc., that would be nice.
[] Travel to the village.
[] Thank them for their offer, but you should be fine on your own. You have elementals to look out for you.
-[] Explore the area you're currently in, including the tower. You'd like to determine if you were just randomly dropped here or if there was a reason.
[] Ask more questions.
-[] They mentioned a guild? You're assuming it's for mages; what sort of things do they do?
-[] Do they have any advice for someone who just ended up in a different dimension and has no idea how, why, or what she should do next?
-[] Just ask whatever comes to mind without worrying about secrecy or concealment.
-[] Write-in
[] Write-in
[X] Call out to them and say hello.
"Hello?"
You pause as the echoes returned by the tower sound significantly different from what you'd meant to say.
...Ooookay then? So, I guess my voicebox has a filter now. Totally going to need to see a mage about all this later; I don't think I had a language Talent before, did I? An artifact, then?
"Hello, feminine voice which we nonetheless can't see the source of," Eugene calls back.
Oops?
You lean forward and eye the closest set of branches. Although the ground is a distressingly long way away, you're pretty sure there are more than enough stable handholds to effectively remove the chance of falling.
"Um, I'm - I'm in the tower? Please give me a minute, I'll climb down."
You tuck your dress up, rather wishing you'd worn something else when you'd gotten up this morning. It had seemed like a good idea at the time; you'd worn your other clothes on previous days and they were still a little damp. After making sure they aren't in too much danger of snagging on a passing branch, you place your stone elemental on the back of your neck and start working your way downward.
Making your way down without ripping your clothes takes a great bit longer than expected, but fortunately, Eugene and his partner seem content to wait. You make a mental note to change into something more practical before you're next torn from one dimension and deposited somewhere else.
...Wait, what?
You stop on one of the lower branches and try to figure out where that thought came from. Ideas which don't have a good explanation are supposedly one of the easiest ways to tell you're being affected by a compulsion or illusion. If it doesn't fit, don't permit.
Admittedly, an illusion might not even be harmful in this case. You're pretty sure some diplomats use especially detailed ones to help compensate for where their own knowledge of local language and customs might be lacking. Of course, you're pretty sure you would've noticed the long rituals necessary to put one of those on you, and—focus, Melia!
Your ability to sense mana in yourself is still rudimentary at best, but you have to at least try. You start searching your body unusual mana, vaguely noticing the two travelers hurrying toward you as you do so.
It doesn't take very long for you to find something which clearly doesn't belong: a network of magical threads permeating the center of your chest, inside where your mana reserves are stored and where your body generates new mana. None of them seem to be doing anything apart from holding themselves in place, although you do notice a cord leading downward. Eventually, it splits in half to travel down both legs, and from there, vanishes out the bottoms of your feet. Your senses aren't refined enough to distinguish between the cord and environmental mana, so you can't figure out what it's doing past that point.
You turn your attention back to your reserves and try to figure out if the threads are doing anything harmful. Some of them are sitting inside your mana, while the other parts are in the empty space formerly occupied by mana you've already spent. Although it's difficult for you to actually know what you're looking at, the threads inside your unused mana reserves feel slightly smoother than those outside. Sturdier. The difference is minimal, but you have the feeling it'll get more pronounced as time goes on.
My anchor. When it leaves, so will I.
You frown.
Hello, mysterious thoughts which sound like me yet clearly aren't. Explain.
No answer is forthcoming. You hadn't really been expecting one, but an explanation would've been nice. Still, what little information it's given you doesn't paint a particularly promising picture. If you need an anchor to keep yourself from 'leaving,' that implies there's some sort of an effect trying to take you somewhere else. Despite that fact, you don't feel like anything is pulling in either direction. Until you actually looked, you felt normal, if a little exhausted and jittery. And what about the mention of being in a completely different dimension? You'd thought that was flat-out impossible.
Plus, where did the extra mana come from? You're pretty sure the threads are made out of more of it than you actually spent on getting here. Did tearing reality apart yield energy instead of costing it? How come you suddenly need to be anchored to the ground when you've never needed one before? How did you make the anchor in the first place? What happens when it breaks? Do you just get transported somewhere else and make a new one, do you need to be careful to have full mana reserves so you can make a new one, why can't you feel any sort of translation spell, how does it all work?
"Hey, you okay?"
You reluctantly turn your attention back to the outside world. You have so many questions, yet you don't think anyone here is going to be capable of answering them.
Eugene is holding out both arms, apparently offering to help you the rest of the way down. You're happy to accept and are even happier when he doesn't hold you for longer than absolutely necessary.
-[X] You're more than a little bit lost.
"Sorry, I was thinking. I'm fine. Um, would you mind telling you who you are? I'm Melia Foster."
You shift to more comfortable footing while Eugene glances back at his partner. She shrugs.
"Eugene Favre. The beautiful lady who will probably kill me in my sleep one day is—"
"—Perfectly capable of introducing herself," she interrupts. "Ines Favre. What are you doing here, sweetie?"
I'm not a candy.
You do your utmost to keep the flash of resentment from affecting your words and body. It's not like she meant anything by it.
-[X] Ask how far away the closest settlement is.
"I'm trying to figure out where 'here' is. Even lambs would have a hard time getting as lost as I am right now. So, um, would you be so kind as to tell me where and how far away the closest settlement is?"
Eugene hesitates before waving back the way they came. "About an hour thataway? I think you had a pretty good spot to wait for your protector, though. Where is he?"
Ines jabs one elbow into Eugene's side.
"Or she," he adds quickly.
In a completely different dimension, apparently.
"I honestly have no clue. But, um, I'm not sure it'll be a good idea to actually wait there for him. Maybe take shelter in there if I can take care of myself, but..."
You shrug helplessly. Eugene exchanges another unreadable look with his wife.
"Sooooooooooooooooooooo," Eugene drawls, dragging the word out long past the point where it should've been given a merciful death. "Are you sure you don't want to wait for your guardian?"
You blink several times in quick succession. 'Guardian' felt like the same word as the earlier 'protector,' but somehow more accurate?
Weird.
You pick your words carefully to avoid lying. "The last I saw of him, we were on a ship. I just got up and suddenly I'm in the woods. I think it's safe to say waiting for him is not a good idea."
Eugene quickly inhales through his teeth while Ines winces. You're not sure how to interpret their reactions.
"Listen, it's been nice meeting you, but we should really get you back to civilization. This isn't the sort of place you want to try camping in."
Did I say something wrong?
Ines unknowingly helps you relax by leaning forward and stage-whispering to Eugene. "That little hole-in-the-ground counts?"
"Yes, dear."
"We really are out in the sticks, aren't we?"
Eugene turns and raises one eyebrow. "How is this any different from the last six months of our lives?"
"The beer is worse."
"...Fair enough," Eugene concedes, turning back to you. "In all seriousness, it isn't safe here. I can think of half a dozen predators who could gobble you up in one bite."
Ines snorts. "Don't exaggerate when we're dealing with monsters, dear. No, they could give her a mortal injury with one big bite. Eating her would actually take quite a bit longer."
Eugene leans back again. "I don't think you're helping."
"Better she have realistic expectations than think giant snakes are going to show up. So, Miss..." Ines stops, wincing. "Sorry. Terrible with names. What was yours again?"
-[X] You have some dirt elemental friends who might be able to help. They're not very smart, but you might be able to train them to retrieve underground objects? Or something like that.
You carefully retrieve your stone elemental before answering, holding him in both palms. Both Ines and Eugene immediately freeze and stare at it.
"Melia," you repeat. "And you don't have to escort me straight back. I heard something about digging and your hatred of it? Well, I'm friends with some dirt and stone elementals who might be able to do it for you. Well, no, I'm sure they could help, we'd just have to get what we want across. They're not very smart."
You choose to omit the part where illegality was mentioned. You didn't actually outright say you'd be their accomplice—and plus, you've been taught that something is only really illegal if the relevant laws are enforced. Otherwise, it's just feel-good writing from a bunch of people who never had to do any real work.
It takes a while for Eugene to tear his gaze away from the tiny elemental and actually answer you.
"By the time we'd finish any search, it'd already be past the point where you could make it back to the village. But, uh, I'm not actually sure that's a good place for a mage to settle down for a while. Do you just want to come with us? I think we could lend you some proper traveling clothes for the next two-three days. There's a guildhall there in case you want to contact your guardian."
You hesitate and gnaw on your lower lip. You still feel like you're much calmer than you should be, but as long as that lasts, you intend to take full advantage of it.
"One moment, please."
You step back, lean against the tree behind you, and close your eyes. Your anchor looks about the same as it did when you last checked on it. If you keep your mana reserves about 3/4s empty until further notice, it might last...
Despite the severe lack of information on how you'd actually determine its lifetime, an answer still manages to float to the top of your mind.
Five days. Longer if there's mana shielding it.
You hiss through your teeth and try to figure out what you actually want. Having your numerous questions answered, that's obvious. Getting a message home to tell them you're fine would be nice, but likely quite difficult. Artificially making an elemental remains on your list of long-term dreams, emphasis on 'long-term.'
You still want to become a real mage instead of someone who merely has a Talent, but if you aren't simply brought home when the anchor breaks, you won't really be able to attend any sort of school any time soon. Making sure you're always absorbing as much mana as you safely can will be difficult—if this dimension is anything like your home, people seldom settle in areas with high levels of mana—but it's by no means impossible.
Finding a way to actively repair your anchor would be nice, but that goes right back to needing to become a proper mage. You can barely control your own mana right now, let alone cast any spells. Of course, if your mana is 'shielding' the anchor, that implies there's something it needs to be shielded from. Spells don't just deteriorate on their own; people used to think that, but it's long since been proved their environment and other factors are responsible. You expect the same will hold true for your anchor.
Actually making friends will be difficult if you keep getting abducted by an effect you don't understand, which you're really not happy about. So, you suppose you should settle on that as an eternal goal: figure out what factors affect the lifespan of your anchor.
Summoning more elementals from home would be a good idea if you're always pulled through tears in reality; your two air elementals came with you, so if you can get them to cooperate, you should be able to bring any other summons along as well. Bringing them to higher-mana areas or feeding them solid mana should help them get stronger, and the more powerful they are, the better their ability to keep you safe. Right now, they're only good for distractions or, in the case of fire elementals, intimidating animals and carnivorous plants.
For shorter-term goals, you should probably get more supplies so you're better prepared the next time you're pulled from reality. You don't even have any rations on you.
While you're not sure if this still holds true in a different dimension, you've heard prices tend to rise depending on the population of the area. Assuming your currency is accepted—you'd be very surprised if it isn't—it might be cheaper to stock up in the village instead of the town Ines and Eugene mentioned.
You squeeze your forehead and wish you had a clearly superior path to follow. Your life was a lot simpler a week ago.
[] Agree to go with Ines and Eugene.
-[] Although, if you could maximize the time spent sightseeing, exploring, treasure-hunting, etc., that would be nice.
[] Travel to the village.
[] Thank them for their offer, but you should be fine on your own. You have elementals to look out for you.
-[] Explore the area you're currently in, including the tower. You'd like to determine if you were just randomly dropped here or if there was a reason.
[] Ask more questions.
-[] They mentioned a guild? You're assuming it's for mages; what sort of things do they do?
-[] Do they have any advice for someone who just ended up in a different dimension and has no idea how, why, or what she should do next?
-[] Just ask whatever comes to mind without worrying about secrecy or concealment.
-[] Write-in
[] Write-in
Voting will be locked for 30 minutes after this goes up.
(Unlocked now. Note to self: provide clearer base options for a while.)
(Unlocked now. Note to self: provide clearer base options for a while.)
Last edited:
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Vebyast
Nascent Transhuman
...Well, that's interesting.
I've seen effects like this before, so this timing:
Shit, we're going to need a Schedule, aren't we? If someone invites us to a party, or there's a battle scheduled or something, we're going to have to spend multiple hops carefully shortening or lengthening each hop so we're in the right place at the right time.
I wonder what our targeting parameters are going to be. I can't imagine we'll get full-plane selection like Jade did. But on the other hand, always landing back at the tower or the camp or the snowy wasteland would be kind of obnoxious. Hopefully we'll get something in between.
I've seen effects like this before, so this timing:
Is interesting. Five days is long enough that we can settle down and relax. I've seen versions of this on six-hour cycles, or even shorter, and in those the poor protagonist typically ends up crippled in short order due to stress and sleep deprivation. On the other hand, this means that we're going to be on-planet only one-nth of the time, where n in the number of dimensions we'll be bouncing between, and that means that we're probably going to be spending often several weeks at a time off-planet. That's going to be really inconvenient.
Shit, we're going to need a Schedule, aren't we? If someone invites us to a party, or there's a battle scheduled or something, we're going to have to spend multiple hops carefully shortening or lengthening each hop so we're in the right place at the right time.
I wonder what our targeting parameters are going to be. I can't imagine we'll get full-plane selection like Jade did. But on the other hand, always landing back at the tower or the camp or the snowy wasteland would be kind of obnoxious. Hopefully we'll get something in between.
- Location
- A single human dimension
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Define "help with." Help carry? Help make? Because even the weakest can slowly help with the latter if provided with a single substance to make it out of. Carrying would require much more powerful elementals.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
I was meaning make it more comfortable to wear. I am guessing that we have no experience wearing heavy armor.
- Location
- A single human dimension
- Pronouns
- She/Her
They can move their element around to change its shape, but they don't have any idea of how to properly design armor. Even communicating what you want would be difficult without an example set of armor for them to imitate.
You wore some old armor once, from one of the villagers who used to be a soldier of some kind. The specifics are a bit of a forbidden topic. The experience was enough to convince you that heavy armor is evil.
- Location
- Bowling Green
[X] Ask more questions.
-[X] They mentioned a guild? You're assuming it's for mages; what sort of things do they do?
-[X] Do they have any advice for someone who just ended up in a different dimension and has no idea how, why, or what she should do next?
-[X] Just ask whatever comes to mind without worrying about secrecy or concealment.
-[X] They mentioned a guild? You're assuming it's for mages; what sort of things do they do?
-[X] Do they have any advice for someone who just ended up in a different dimension and has no idea how, why, or what she should do next?
-[X] Just ask whatever comes to mind without worrying about secrecy or concealment.
- Location
- A single human dimension
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hokay, might've had too overwhelming of a vote too early on. Feedback would be appreciated.
Anyway, base options in a nutshell based on Melia's analysis. Might include such pros/cons summaries in base votes for a while; I'm a little spoiled when it comes to player analysis.
Won't do all the work for you, but should probably at least make it easier until you get to know Consumption better.
Town ("Agree to go"): Probably the safest (non-questions) option in terms of personal safety. A town with a guild means educated people, some of whom might be willing to help you or answer questions. Might be able to pick up some miscellaneous (buried) magic objects along the way, if you wander across any. Probably wouldn't require you to summon as many elementals, which means less mana spent and a higher anchor lifespan. However, you'd also spend multiple days on traveling. Also, social.
Blanket decline: Greater focus on exploring this area, specifically. Likely higher risk and fewer chances to be taught, but also easier to find places with high concentrations of mana. Would involve training your elementals to help you survive in the wilderness and possibly search for buried treasure.
Village: Picking up basic supplies. May be able to learn about the local area from those who live there. Could reassess from there. Initially tied for safest, could get more dangerous depending on what you decide to do.
Asking more questions: Isn't this obvious? EDIT: Also, not mutually exclusive with the other options.
Anyway, base options in a nutshell based on Melia's analysis. Might include such pros/cons summaries in base votes for a while; I'm a little spoiled when it comes to player analysis.
Won't do all the work for you, but should probably at least make it easier until you get to know Consumption better.Town ("Agree to go"): Probably the safest (non-questions) option in terms of personal safety. A town with a guild means educated people, some of whom might be willing to help you or answer questions. Might be able to pick up some miscellaneous (buried) magic objects along the way, if you wander across any. Probably wouldn't require you to summon as many elementals, which means less mana spent and a higher anchor lifespan. However, you'd also spend multiple days on traveling. Also, social.
Blanket decline: Greater focus on exploring this area, specifically. Likely higher risk and fewer chances to be taught, but also easier to find places with high concentrations of mana. Would involve training your elementals to help you survive in the wilderness and possibly search for buried treasure.
Village: Picking up basic supplies. May be able to learn about the local area from those who live there. Could reassess from there. Initially tied for safest, could get more dangerous depending on what you decide to do.
Asking more questions: Isn't this obvious?
EDIT: Also, not mutually exclusive with the other options.
Last edited:
- Location
- United States
[] Thank them for their offer, but you should be fine on your own. You have elementals to look out for you.
-[] Explore the area you're currently in, including the tower. You'd like to determine if you were just randomly dropped here or if there was a reason.
This looks tempting because of the mana growth thing. A chance for learning takes the boat for me though.
[X] Agree to go with Ines and Eugene.
-[X] Although, if you could maximize the time spent sightseeing, exploring, treasure-hunting, etc., that would be nice.
-[] Explore the area you're currently in, including the tower. You'd like to determine if you were just randomly dropped here or if there was a reason.
This looks tempting because of the mana growth thing. A chance for learning takes the boat for me though.
[X] Agree to go with Ines and Eugene.
-[X] Although, if you could maximize the time spent sightseeing, exploring, treasure-hunting, etc., that would be nice.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Agree to go with Ines and Eugene.
-[X] Although, if you could maximize the time spent sightseeing, exploring, treasure-hunting, etc., that would be nice.
This seems like the best option for now based on the fact we can get people to teach us, and we need to know the basics ASAP.
-[X] Although, if you could maximize the time spent sightseeing, exploring, treasure-hunting, etc., that would be nice.
This seems like the best option for now based on the fact we can get people to teach us, and we need to know the basics ASAP.
- Location
- A single human dimension
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'd hold off on worrying too much until you get to know the mechanics of your 'hops better. Seriously, that'd be a pain for everyone involved.
The Froggy Ninja
The Blade Will Never Die
So I think that what we should do is get an item to stabilize our anchor for us. That way we can use more mana without giving up our time in any specific verse. I wonder if this'll be a cyclical multicross of if it'll be unique every time which would be annoying if our stay in any given verse is measured in days since we won't be able to make any deals or get some schooling to catch up or anything. Also as a side note why did an apparently under educated village girl know the powers of 2 up to at least nine off the top of her head? I sure didn't know that at sixteen and I actually went to school. What kind of elementals can there be? Like, is it just the classic four or could we run into some other ones? Can we actually meet and contract elementals not from our universe or are we stuck with our current pack that'll get stronger over time?
- Location
- A single human dimension
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Multiplying by two is a helluva lot easier than any other number save for one. Doubling... honestly doesn't seem like a tricky concept? I had up to 128 down by the time I was six, before I even knew what the multiplication and division symbols meant.In other words, chalk it up to differing standards?
1: Stone and dirt are separate elemental types. So, while they may not obey the periodic table (and Melia doesn't know what that is), there are plenty more.
2: You should be able to summon elementals from other universes after befriending them.
Last edited:
I'm favoring the town with a side of ask more questions. We do need resources, but the most important thing is to gain a semblance of control over our powers. That would be best achieved with some time in town.
The Froggy Ninja
The Blade Will Never Die
Cool. I wonder if we'll have to go out of our way to find order and logic elementals because those guys are great. I mean they can be annoying if they just go around turning everything into uniform blocks of atoms arranged in sheets by weight but if they actually have something resembling a brain and morals they're really useful for magic and knowledge.
- Location
- A single human dimension
- Pronouns
- She/Her
*blinks*
As far as you know, those don't exist. Off the top of your head, you know about water, fire, dirt, stone, wood, metal, air, light, and maybe shadow. You're pretty sure there are others, too, but none made out of such concepts.
Archeo Lumiere
The Prince's Archivist
- Location
- Lumiose City, Kalos
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
Have we ever tried anything with high quality gold, silver, platinum, or diamonds?