As in, specializations of base stats that you can more easily write about: If we'd break the cap on Intelligence because we randomly decided to grind nothing else, rather than become more intelligent than is humanly possible, and thus humanly write-able, it'd go into enhancing a skill instead?
So, as you know, each stat does a number of things, because you designed it that way. What I'm suggesting is that further points only go into a specific application of the stat that go above and beyond peak human, so we can roll truly ludicrous numbers of dice when doing very specific things without being an alien being that has that kind of capability all the time, because being absurdly skilled at one thing and turning that into awesomeness by overcoming its apparent applicable limits is also very shounen?
Athleticism – Any kind of physical fighting, feats of strength, dexterity, etc. Charm – Interacting with people. Wits – Knowledge of any academic/magical subject, and spellcasting.
So Wits could go into even more encyclopedic knowledge of certain topics, or we could go full mage and just go even further in our mastery of magic; to use a hyperbolic example, the round table had to come from somewhere, yes?
And rather than getting better with interacting with people, Charm could... turn into talking to things other than people? Animals? The undead? Conceptual talking?
So it's a stat that's less like a stat and more like a skill with a rank?
A flat stat cap does seem to be a little discouraging, so maybe if your reason for it was that you didn't want to write the sort of character that was that smart or charming... ?
Sorry, I just wanted to be rainbow-laser Mordred of hyperdoom that shoots death-beams out of his flute, and I don't think I can pull that off with a measly "Literally one of the best humans in existence" rating in Charm and Wits...
The advanced stats sound really interesting, I'll think about them.
Also I think my intent got lost when I edited down my last post - the idea that Mordred's charm/wits will never eclipse peak human is an idea I need to rid myself of, because it's seriously fucking with how I'm scaling stats. If you guys do go the idol route, you'll probably have to start intentionally nerfing your performances so you don't literally melt peoples' minds.
And wits points will probably go towards magic theory so that you can't put your superbrain to work on building a dyson sphere or something - I don't want to be mixing magic and science too much.
Also I really like the pictures you've been picking out for characters. Anna's is very fitting, and Gala does look like the one girl who'd be friendly, and Bone is cool, but the purrty one is my one tru fav :3
Forgot to respond to this but thanks! I spend a lot of time looking for pictures because I feel like they need to be perfect. Gemma was particularly difficult, but I'm happy with what I decided on.
I've always liked high CHA characters better than high PHYS, or WIS characters so I'd be game for the change, and the ridiculousness of us being the biggest most popular thing slice sliced bread, while the knights wonder where the fuck did Mordred disappear, and is up to while hearing us sing on the radio or at a concert
[X] Ask about Bone.
-[X] Ask about the city, you suppose. Its state, magically speaking. His business, and his store. It's a good topic, and you've gotten the impression (from your imparted memories) that he gets a lot of idiots passing by who don't have a clue what they're doing. How is that handled, by the way?
[X] Answer questions about yourself... carefully.
I'd like to learn about the person who lived here before us. If she is one of the Knights, why did he call her a delinquent? Besides, if we are giving the man a close edition of our own backstory, it's only natural to ask about his own.
With our luck, regardless of her Knightly status, we will probably end up going to the same school with her. It'd be good to know someone in this city.
[X] Ask about Bone
-[X] What lead to you taking up this business?
--[X] Ask about granddaughter
[X] Answer questions about yourself...carefully.
As for stats... I prefer charm-based chars over wit-oriented ones, but have no strong feelings either way.
[X] Ask about Bone.
-[X] Ask about the city, you suppose. Its state, magically speaking. His business, and his store. It's a good topic, and you've gotten the impression (from your imparted memories) that he gets a lot of idiots passing by who don't have a clue what they're doing. How is that handled, by the way?
[X] Answer questions about yourself... carefully.
edit: also, i just realized something...don't know if meta is not allowed or not, but there's an enemy in the codex called the King of Bones, right? and here this guy is named Bone. who knows magic. i mean, we know nothing about this "King of Bones" guy, but im still getting preemptive warning vibes about this. should we investigate this?
[X] Ask about Bone.
-[X] Ask about the city, you suppose. Its state, magically speaking. His business, and his store. It's a good topic, and you've gotten the impression (from your imparted memories) that he gets a lot of idiots passing by who don't have a clue what they're doing. How is that handled, by the way?
[X] Answer questions about yourself... carefully.
edit: also, i just realized something...don't know if meta is not allowed or not, but there's an enemy in the codex called the King of Bones, right? and here this guy is named Bone. who knows magic. i mean, we know nothing about this "King of Bones" guy, but im still getting preemptive warning vibes about this. should we investigate this?
But honestly, nah I think Mordred would have picked up on that... that is unless things have changed so much with his former enemies/allies that they are unrecognizable.
But honestly, nah I think Mordred would have picked up on that... that is unless things have changed so much with his former enemies/allies that they are unrecognizable.
Heh, maybe. Still would be interesting if that really was him, though, considering that he's on the "forces of darkness" list...
maybe the King of Bones has a similar spell to what Mordred has? Since Gally said that we could potentially trick Gemma with our version of Right of Kings, maybe the Bone guy's is a more powerful version of that? Considering our Wit is our highest stat, at least...
[X] Ask about Bone.
-[X] Ask about the city, you suppose. Its state, magically speaking. His business, and his store. It's a good topic, and you've gotten the impression (from your imparted memories) that he gets a lot of idiots passing by who don't have a clue what they're doing. How is that handled, by the way?
-[X] Ask about granddaughter
[X] Answer questions about yourself... carefully.
In more open ended questions like this, I'm less strict about suggestions getting a majority vote. If it's thrown out there and doesn't contradict the majority vote, I'll throw it in there.
In more open ended questions like this, I'm less strict about suggestions getting a majority vote. If it's thrown out there and doesn't contradict the majority vote, I'll throw it in there.
"Okay," you say, taking a careful sip of water. "Humor me then. How do you like living here?"
Bone gives the question a moment of thought. "It's a nice enough city, I suppose," he says. "Clean. Safe, if you stick the right parts of it. There's sights if you're travelling and jobs if you're looking to settle down. I've lived in better. I've lived in worse. There's a great burger joint a few blocks from here, and you can't ask for much more than that." He moves over to a nearby counter as he talks and procures a pipe and a small bag of tobacco from inside, then retakes his seat.
"Wow," you say with a small chuckle. "Clearly you've got experience at talking without saying anything."
That gets a laugh from him. "You own a shop as a long as I have, you get good at small talk," he says. Then he shrugs. "City itself, got lots of old buildings. History. And that's nice. But the real attraction is the people."
"The people."
"Sure. You seem to know your shit, so I'm guessing you know about the Walls-Between-Worlds." He gives you a knowing look as he packs the pipe.
You shrug. "I've…heard of them." Been through them too, but you're not about to tell Bone that. What would a down on his luck teenage drifter have been doing travelling the multiverse?
If Bone notices you're withholding something, he doesn't show it. "Walls are awful thin around here," he says. "Some people say it's the history, others say ley lines. Met one guy who swore that whoever designed the city built an enchantment into the architecture, a homing beacon for the other side. Reason doesn't matter, though. The results do."
"There's a lot of magic here," you say. You can feel it in the air, now that he mentions it. Camelot was like that too, but the energy here is a bit less dense, a bit more volatile. Like a wisp an electric current brushing against your skin, promising action and adventure to anyone brave enough to look. On the street, you had assumed you were just imagining things.
Bone nods. "We get our fair share of mystic ruckus. Course, that attracts the pretenders as much as the real thing."
"Pretenders?"
Bone gives you a funny look that vanishes as soon as you notice it. "People who think the got the gift when they don't. Most of the time its more sad than anything, but the persistent ones can get on your nerves." Bone strikes a match and lights his pipe in a single smooth motion. "But money is money is money." He takes a long drag and then sets his gaze on you. "So how about you? Got any family?"
You settle back in your chair. Truthful, but not too truthful. You can do that. "A Mother. An Aunt. We don't really get along."
"Can't imagine you'd be here if you did," Bone says. The pipe smoke seeps out of his mouth as he talks and floats slowly up into the air before dissipating. "See that too often, in our world. It's a shame. Parents should get along with their kids."
"You seem to love your granddaughter," you say.
Bone chuckles. "Yeah, well, I do. Kid's a handful…too much of her mom in her." A pause. "Too much of me. I can stop her from making her mom's mistakes, and mine, but I can't stop her from making her own."
You nod. What can you really say to that? Your family was hardly a shining example of open communication and goodwill, even before you put your Mother's Queendom to the sword.
"Anyway," Bone says, taking another drag, "Most kids that come through here couldn't string together a ritual with half as many moving parts as yours. You don't teach that kind of shit to yourself."
You consider dodging the implied question, but you doubt Bone would be fooled. Cryptic non-answer it is then. "A friend of my Mother. She didn't have the gift."
"But he did?" Bone asks.
You just smile. If only he knew. "Owning a reagent shop isn't exactly common, nowadays," you say instead. "I'm sure there's a story behind that."
Bone just smiles. If only you knew, you suppose. It's a little annoying – you're used to being the smug, cryptic one – but turnabout is fair play.
"I'm guessing that means we're done with the questions," you say, rising to your feet and doing your best to hide the fact that your legs are practically shaking with the need for sleep. "I'm going to bed. Wake me up when it's time for that job."
Bone nods but makes no move to follow you. You walk back down the hall, into your borrowed bedroom, and lock the door behind you.
You're desperate to just lay down and shut your eyes, but you have work you need to do first. You got lucky on the corner, running into Gemma instead of one of the more gung-ho Knights. The next time you happen across one, they're liable to force a fight – which is why you need to make sure that your next meeting happens on your terms, rather than theirs.
You draw out a circle on the floor in front of you, then mark the cardinal directions with the appropriate runes. The mercury, the stone, the pixie dust and rose petals – you mix them and place them and mumble the words under your breath, Old words with Old power behind them.
One of the things you didn't tell Bone was that your "Mother's friend" hadn't taught you everything you know about magic. This particular ritual was a creation of your Aunt's, and it still has one or two too many invocations to dark and terrible gods to make you entirely comfortable. But you've used it before with no ill effects, and you certainly won't ever forget the time Morgana became the belle of the Camelot Christmas ball under the name "Not Morgana Le Fay."
Yeah, that one gets worse every time you remember it.
"Mordred, Mordred, Mordred," you murmur as you light one candle. "Morgan, Morgan, Morgan. Three times it is said and so it shall be." And then you blow the match out and sigh.
Done. You don't feel any different, but then again you never do. The candles you have lit will burn until intentionally put out, and as long as they burn no man, woman, or extradimensional other will be able to recognize you as Mordred Pendragon. The only way to break the spell is to put out the candles or to have someone see you activate your Heraldry while the spell is going. There are ways it could be improved (Morgana did mention something about a remote canceler) but for now, this will do nicely. For now, you're safe.
…
It feels like you've only been asleep for ten minutes when Bone's knocking wakes you up. In retrospect it's probably a good thing he decides to get you up early, because it gives you time to embrace the wonders of a hot shower. Annabelle's memories told you it was aces, but nothing could've prepared you for the convenient majesty of steam hot water falling from the sky at the turn of a handle.
As glorious as a hot shower may be however, duty calls, and you re-dress yourself in the only pair of clothes you own before heading downstairs. Bone leads you to an old, weathered pickup truck, and a moment later the two of you are rolling through the pre-dawn streets.
"You don't meet your contact in the store?" You ask.
Bone shakes his head. "I make a habit of not bringing any unknown magic bullshit into my home," he says. "It's worked out so far. I have a better place."
It's a little sketchy that you don't know where he's taking you, but your instincts tell you Bone isn't trying to fuck you over. So you stay quiet and watch the city speed by outside the window.
Finally the two of you arrive at a run-down warehouse, Bone pulling up outside the door and putting the car in park. You hop out and inspect the area for a moment before determining there's nothing for you to worry about.
Bone walks inside, apparently similarly unconcerned, and you follow him. The warehouse is appropriately dark and musty, filled with shelves and shelves of cardboard boxes that have long been forgotten, but in the center of it stands two people, a boy and a girl. They look about your age, and the boy hold in his hands an ornately carved wooden box, about the size of a basketball. The box hums with faint, unearthly power.
There's a moment of tense silence, and then the girl speaks.
"Who the fuck is this guy?" She asks, pointing to you. "Bone, what the hell?"
Bone chuckles and claps you on the shoulder. "Terri, meet Morgan," he says. "Morgan, this is my granddaughter you've heard so much about. And her…sidekick, Robin."
"Her partner," Robin corrects, crossing his arm.
"Her partner," Bone says, waving his hand dismissively. "Either way. Morgan's here to help me check out whatever little treasure you're bringing me."
"You don't trust me," Terri says. Her voice practically drips with annoyance.
Bone shakes his head. "Course I do. But I got a reputation to maintain, and reputation doesn't give a shit about trust. You asked me to play middle-man cause you don't like talking to the Court. That's smart. Keep being smart and let me do my thing, will you?"
Terri and Robin exchange a glance, and then a shrug. "Just…tell him to keep his hands off it," Terri says. Robin turns to her and positions the box so that she can fiddle with a few locks built into the wood itself. You and Bone draw closer, and as you do you feel the unearthly hum grow in power and intensity.
Terri manages to work the lid off the box, and you peer inside to see a golden, metal ball carved with minuscule symbols. Two of them, to be precise, alternating in a seemingly random manner.
You recognize it. An Architect "enchantment matrix." Again, the unearthly hum grows stronger. But…
Bone grunts. "Looks legit to me," he says out of the corner of his mouth. "Don't have much experience in this branch of sorcery though. Any thoughts?"
You have some. But something is bothering you. You close your eyes and focus on the hum for a moment before realizing that what you felt upon entering the warehouse hasn't actually grown stronger – it's been joined by another, almost identical hum. The power the matrix emits is subtly different from the power of the box.
"The box is magic," you say, more to yourself than Bone. "It's…it's like a…blanket. Covering up what's inside."
"That's how we could tell the ball was inside," Robin says. "I'm pretty good at picking up stuff like that, so I could sense it without even opening the box, once I got close enough."
You frown. "You didn't open the box before now?"
"No time. We just finished checking it for booby traps. It looks a little…smaller than I expected."
"Where did you steal this from?" You ask, noticing that your voice has taken on just the smallest edge of panic. "Who did you steal this from?"
Terri shrugs. "Some old Countess off in France. She's got a whole treasury of shit. We've nabbed stuff from there a couple times before. Like taking candy from a baby."
"Oh," you mutter. "Oh, shit."
You recognize the ball. Or more accurately, you recognize the box. You've seen it before, a thousand thousand years ago, sitting by the side of your dearest Aunt.
Quicker than she can react, you grab the lid out of Terri's hands and shove it back on the box. "This is a trap."
"We're not scared of the Countess," Robin says, looking at you with a mixture of confusion and pride. "We can take her, if she's coming."
"One, no, you can't," you say, rubbing your temples. "Two, she's not coming for you. The people she stole this from are."
"Who?" Bone asks. While Terri and Robin are still struggling to figure out exactly what you're doing, he's deadly focused.
"Architects."
"Name don't mean anything to me."
You crack your knuckles. "Well, count yourself lucky." You can feel the ripples in the air now, and you think the others can too. Terri and Robin are turning around in slow, awkward circles, trying to locate the source of the disturbance, but Bone has his eyes locked on you.
You ignore him, because you know what's about to happen.
1) In maybe two minutes, an Architect Seeker is going to teleport into the room directly on top of the box.
2) It is going to attempt to kill everyone present and reclaim the matrix.
3) A seeker is capable of fighting you to a standstill, and will cut through mortal sorcerers like wet tissue paper. That doesn't mean, however, that they can't hurt it.
4) Now that the matrix is back in the box, you might be able to hide from the Seeker. If you can avoid its other methods of tracking.
Whether you plan to fight or run, you need a plan.
[] Plan?
Codex Unlocked: Architect Seeker
The elite operatives of the Architects, Seekers are living Enchantment Matrices designed to recover stolen artifacts, track targets, and eliminate unwanted variables. They are inhumanly fast and strong and cannot be distracted or tired.
Seeker AI prioritizes high value targets in fights. They will use simple bludgeoning and cutting weapons when in close range combat, but will switch to powerful aoe spells if engaging targets at range.
Seekers are capable of turning invisible and tracking targets by scent or magical signature.
That means we are going to be in trouble the moment Terry decides to come back home and lodge there, doesn't it?
Interesting. Now, if an Architect sorcerer teleports on top of the thing... can we stuff the magic ball some place where it'd hurt itself really bad while doing so?
First though is that I don't want to fight it, that way lies revealing our identity. Not after we worked hard to conceal it, pls and thank you.
I guess we could pretend to run away, transform behind nearest crate, and then come back... but I still don't want to fight this thing.
- Simplest thing to do would be leave the matrix and run. Seeker can't kill anyone if no one is present. Maybe the box is nice enough to be its own reward?
- To keep the matrix we need to flee while concealing our scent and magical signature.
A truck might help, maybe? Get in and drive, but that's just the mundane side covered, maybe.
- If we're going to fight we should aim for an ambush.
Spread out enough that AOE won't hit more than one person. Hope there's nothing important inside.
@Gally, we've got magical rituals which seem to be different than spells, which are more like things we power ourselves. What are the properties of a magical circle, and can they be used to interdict the transportation?
Interesting. Now, if an Architect sorcerer teleports on top of the thing... can we stuff the magic ball some place where it'd hurt itself really bad while doing so?
Pretty big, but the shelves narrow down your space to operate. They're big/heavy enough that the Seeker can't just run right through them, though he could blast them down.
@Gally, we've got magical rituals which seem to be different than spells, which are more like things we power ourselves. What are the properties of a magical circle, and can they be used to interdict the transportation?
Architect Seekers are made of metal but they have squishy wiring inside. If you can get past their armor you could shoot one to death, if you emptied a clip or two into them.
The armor is significantly more difficult - Caledfwlch could do it fairly easily, without it you MIGHT be able to pry it off with your bare hands but Bone/Terri/Robin are gonna be super freaked if you do that.
How much time does a Seeker need to cast teleport? How precise is his teleporting 'on top' of the ball/box?
If we climb a 9 storey building and place the box on a really flimsy surface (or push really hard once the pursuit arrives), would it cause the Seeker to drop down upon teleportation, and would the fall kill it?
What if you drop the box on top of one of the high-voltage power lines? Their bodies are metal - but is there something vulnerable inside that can get electrocuted?
Moving it shouldn't be too difficult, as long as you don't run into the Knights while it's being moved.
Well, the warehouse is filled with shelves. You could try placing the box beneath one and pushing them over when the Seeker teleports in.
Pretty big, but the shelves narrow down your space to operate. They're big/heavy enough that the Seeker can't just run right through them, though he could blast them down.
A magic circle is really just a focus area. It's possible to use one to cut off teleports, but it takes more time than you've got.
Architect Seekers are made of metal but they have squishy wiring inside. If you can get past their armor you could shoot one to death, if you emptied a clip or two into them.
The armor is significantly more difficult - Caledfwlch could do it fairly easily, without it you MIGHT be able to pry it off with your bare hands but Bone/Terri/Robin are gonna be super freaked if you do that.
No major objections, no. But we were hired for a job (which we get to keep if we do particularly well), and there is no telling what the too-self-confident-for-their-own-good kids would do. They are too young and too dumb to understand what they are playing with without seeing it with their own eyes. They even thought they could take on Aunt Morgana, for crying out loud!
