Deedeequest or The Wonders of Mundus: Be Careful Who You Pretend To Be - A Genderous Isekai Quest

[Talia B]

When we pulled into Viacruz in need of R&R
We set out to crawl through every alehouse, tavern, bar,
We had high expectations for their hospitality
But found too late just what they feared from our murderhobo creed

And we're all! Banned from Viacruz, each one!
Banned from Viacruz for having a lil' fun!
We spent a jolly shore leave for just three days or four
But Viacruz don't want us anymore!

Our wizard's tastes were simple but his methods were complex
He had a dozen partners, each a different kith and sex
The royal guard were on the way, he had no second chance
So he flew up through a Phase Door safe and whole save for his pants!

And we're all! Banned from Viacruz, each one!
Banned from Viacruz for having a lil' fun!
We spent a jolly shore leave for just three days or four
But Viacruz don't want us anymore!

Our Berzerker was second to none at putting down the brew
She outdrank seven Orcish barbs and a Flammite Alchy too,
Our Zerker mind you didn't win though she outdrank almost all,
Then woke up in a warstrider, crashed into the castle turret's wall

And we're all! Banned from Viacruz, each one!
Banned from Viacruz for having a lil' fun!
We spent a jolly shore leave for just three days or four
But Viacruz don't want us anymore!

Our Oathsworn in shining armor was drugged with something green
Got dragged into an alley where she suffered things obscene,
Our Cleric cured and blessed her so she's none the worse for wear,
But she somehow taught the Ionicsreich's crown princess how to swear!

And we're all! Banned from Viacruz, each one!
Banned from Viacruz for having a lil' fun!
We spent a jolly shore leave for just three days or four
But Viacruz don't want us anymore!

Our Rogue snuck down a back alley to a Flammite's potion hut,
To buy a dodgy Phanta philtre guaranteed to send the drinker into rut,
They came home with an empty Armor slot and an oddly cheerful heart,
And a painful way of walking with their feet a yard apart.

And we're! Banned from Viacruz, each one!
Banned from Viacruz for having a lil' fun!
We spent a jolly shore leave for just three days or four
But Viacruz don't want us anymore!

---

Fabulous prizes (such as Tension points) await those who expand on these lyrics.

Working on an update, this one to contain player choices.

 

[Talia B]

Due to a recent emergency that I don't want to elaborate on, I will be focusing my efforts on The Wonders of Mundus towards the rewrite and the associated games rather than continuing Book III, for the moment. Once I've caught up in revisions this will change.

If you would like to directly support more Wonders of Mundus stuff, consider patronizing me at https://www.patreon.com/taliaellib.

Thank you all for your support so far.

 

[Talia B]

Taking this out of hiatus and back into actual play, by gusts and gales!

How do we solve a problem like this elf?

[] [Elf Stalker] Confront her in the street (a test of Empathy with great potential risk and reward).
[] [Elf Stalker] Confront her at the inn (a safer test of Empathy less likely to be useful).
[] [Elf Stalker] Turnabout is fair play: track her and find out her deal (a dangerous test of Stealth that could grant new and useful information).

What should we ask these bakers at Vespers?
[] [Bakers] (Write-In).

Knock on wood, I update Wednesdays, starting in October.

 

[Talia B]

Scheduled vote count started by Talia B on Sep 22, 2024 at 9:07 PM, finished with 10 posts and 7 votes.

[elfstalker] [bakers]

• Total voters in this category

  7

  ---

  4 people have voted

  [X] [Elf Stalker] Turnabout is fair play: track her and find out her deal (a dangerous test of Stealth that could grant new and useful information).

  • F0lkL0re
  • DrunkenGrognard
  • Solarstream
  • Fabricati

  2 people have voted

  [X] [Elf Stalker] Confront her in the street (a test of Empathy with great potential risk and reward).

  • Mandy Dragonfly
  • GrayGriffin

  1 people have voted

  [X] [Elf Stalker] Confront her at the inn (a safer test of Empathy less likely to be useful).

  • Walker

• Total voters in this category

  1

  ---

  1 people have voted

  [X] [Bakers] Hm. On the one hand, it's hard to see how the bakers benefit from this mess-- even given that they're probably one of the ways coin flows into and out of the village (mostly into) they do gangbusters in travel season and that would be interrupted by some jackass seizing the land for the real estate and travel restrictions.

  • Fabricati

  1 people have voted

  [X] [Bakers] And they're probably more aware of that than anyone else, so we hardly need remind them.

  • Fabricati

  1 people have voted

  [X] [Bakers] So we're less interested in the bakers who are ahead, and more interested in the bakers who are behind...

  • Fabricati

 

[Talia B]

may this pass without my aid;
if my aid is needed, may it only be my comfort;
if it needs more than my comfort, may it not need pills and draughts;
if it need pills and draughts, may it not need me to cut;
if I need to cut, may it need be shallow;
if it need be deep, may I need take but little;
if I need take much, may they swiftly recover;
if they recover but slowly, may they be whole after;
if they are not whole after, let them live without pain;
if they must die, let them die without pain.
White cat, you of the jar, I vow to you if you grant me this, this shall not be the day we fail to save a life and soul.

 

[Talia B]

I finish my flagon - what the locals call a "small beer," less an alcoholic drink and more a method of disinfecting the water - and sigh before I look to Sekhmet.

"I'm tired of my stalker getting the drop on me. Sekhmet, I'm going to ask you for a favor - please hear me out."

Sekhmet frowns, ears twitching, but nods.

"I want you to stalk her right back," I say. "Find out where she's staying, who she's working for, if she's a threat or - or not," and my throat is suddenly dry. "This needs to stop."

"Is that wise?" Alesha asks. "The situation is already tense, and if Sekhmet is caught snooping..."

"She's not being asked to kick her ass," Ace points out. "She's being asked to keep tabs on someone who, uh, has already thrown around a name that could ID Deedee IR- that is, on the other side of the screen to any user who cares. If I were hiring a PI to figure out who doxed me you'd call it self defense; how is this different?"

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Alesha says, grimacing into her bread.

"Bitch maybe," Ace replies, without malice.

Sekhmet exhales a deep breath. "As a purely practical matter, if I'm caught, how deep in shit am I?" she asks.

"You're an inquisitorial agent of the Crown," Sio says. "Investigating someone interfering with our investigation, even. Unless you threaten her, injure her, or steal from her, you'll come out smelling of roses, not a tannery."

Sekhmet grimaces. "Man, when you say 'you'll be fine because you're a cop' THAT'S what gives me second thoughts."

"I could put a scrying spell on you. Summon Lesser Bodycam," Hikaru says, utterly deadpan.

Sekh snorts. "I think I trust myself between Deedee asking and my hot rogue class features. Hell, she might even talk to me without it becoming a thing. She could be having a really bad month. Real talk, I hope she's just having a really bad month."

"And that's why I need you to do this," I say. "I hope so too. But until we learn otherwise we have to assume the worst - so I'm not defenseless with the worst ganks me."

"Which we can't fuckin afford with the village at stake," Sekhmet says. She taps her sendjewel. "I'll give you an earring when I've got news."

Alesha slices herself a piece of cheese. "I'll meet you later as well," she says. "I have business I need to get done at the manor today, I can loop back in with you when you interview the baker's daughter."

Hikaru blanches. "Gnomon help me, I'm not used to having to turn teenagers down."

"Not used to being a mentor or having apprentices, then?" Sio murmurs.

"None so brazen, and I... usually look much older," he replies. "Make no mistake, I will break her heart if needed. I'd just like help making it painless for her."

Sio takes his hand and squeezes, then withdraws it just as quickly when Hikaru grunts his thanks. I look away and take a deep breath.

Ah, I find myself thinking - finding myself smiling at. I wonder if Sio realizes why she did that.

---

As usual, thanks to @FoxHana for Ace-wrangling and @NekoIncardine for prereading.

To be continued, probably with more rolls as needed.

 

[Talia B]

I'm updating the character sheet for Our Heroes to reflect the optional rules in Tools of the Trade. Most significantly, this includes the optional rule where characters gain Proficiency Points per level as well as Skill Points, for what I'm calling "Perks" on her character sheet.

Using this optional system, with the skills she has and with the "prior life" bonuses for Wonders of Mundus campaigns specifically, this means that Deedee has... uh... 10 Skill Points unallocated.

I am opening up what she'll do with those extra points to a plan vote.

Please pick from the following skills, spending a maximum of 10 points.

[] Combination Attack, 6 - Once per round, Deedee may delay her turn in order to attack in concert with an ally, granting +2 to the Accuracy of both attacks.

[] Discreet Aura, 3 - Deedee may cloak her presence by muting her Aura, allowing her to use Aura (instead of Dexterity) for Stealth rolls.
[] Discretion, 3 - Deedee may shape her area of effect spells to exclude allies, subtracting -3 from her chance to hit allies with friendly fire.

[] Iron Defense, 4 - Deedee becomes harder to injure with physical attacks, subtracting an additional 4 damage from all physical attacks.
[] Iron Defense, Lv 2, 6 - As above, but she gains 6 defense instead of 4.

[] Polearm User, 6 - Deedee learns how to fight with staves, spears and glaives, giving her melee attacks four meters of reach.
[] Provoke, 4 - As a support action, Deedee may taunt an opponent; if she succeeds on an opposed Aura roll, her target must attack her at the next available opportunity or else lose 2 Valor.

[] Proficiency, 2 - Gain any Proficiency you do not have, granting a +2 bonus when it's relevant.
[] Proficiency, improve to Lv 2, 1 - Improve a Proficiency you already have, gaining a total +3 bonus.
[] Proficiency, new and improved to Lv 2, 3 - Gain any Proficiency you do not have, granting a total +3 bonus when it's relevant.

[] Quick To Act, Lv 2, 2 - Deedee's initiative improves by another point, for a total +3 bonus.

[] Recharge, 5 - Deedee may spend a Support action and half the Stamina cost of a persistent or ongoing effect she cast in order to refresh it's duration.
[] Resistant, 4 - Deedee becomes resistant to magical attack, reducing damage from such attacks by an additional -4.
[] Resistant, Lv 2, 6 - As above, but her Resistance is increased by 6 instead of 4.
[] Resolute Aura, 5 - Deedee gains an OVERDRIVE that grants her +1 to Aura rolls for the rest of the scene.

[] Spirit Sight, 5 - Deedee can see the unseen, granting her the ability to sense the Aura of places, people and things and a chance to defeat invisibility effects with an Aura roll.
[] Strength of Will, 5 - Deedee gains an OVERDRIVE that grants her +1 to Muscle rolls for the rest of the scene.

 

[Talia B]

We spend some time getting better bags and bandoliers from the tanners, a short excursion - the place stinks of the bubbling toxins they use to treat the leather, some of which are taken straight from our privies; little wonder they're on the downriver edge of town by order of not only the lord or the Contessa but the Queen.

Sekhmet finds their opportunity and slips away, leaving Hikaru, Sio, Ace and I to approach the bakery and young Teresa Robledas. We don't even have to enter to know she's waiting for us - we see a faint glow outside before we see her; at first I think it's a candle, but when I approach, it's too thin for that. She sits at the outdoor table, bundled up in a cloak, expectantly.

Hikaru sighs as he approaches with a raised hand. "We're here, though depending on why, I might need to disappoint you."

Teresa averts her eyes. "I'm sorry, I knew I was presuming too much," she begins.

"You don't need to apologize," Hikaru murmurs quickly; Sio exchanges a look with him before sitting down, with Hikaru joining her a minute later.

"I just -" Teresa bites her lip and grasps for the right words. "- you're clearly learned and powerful, if you can fight monsters and scry for murderers with your powers, so I just thought -"

"Wait, what?" Ace says, eyebrows through the roof.

Hikaru blinks at me and then at Sio before turning to young Teresa.

"Abuela Agata says she can't risk teaching me because it's too dangerous but you know dangerous magic, you'd know how to make it safe," Teresa babbles, desperation and despair sneaking into her tone of voice.

Hikaru holds up his hand. "Teresa," he says. "I fear I may have misjudged - you, and the situation. What did you mean to ask me?"

She takes a deep breath and looks him in the eye.

"I - can call fire," she says, exhaling it like it was lodged in her throat. "And I want to learn how to do useful things with it."

Sio slumps a little in her bench seat, placing a hand to cover her rolled eyes and a faint smile. I'm pretty sure my hand is over my mouth too; my face is likely making an incredible journey.

Ace is not as circumspect and barks a single laugh. "Girls can't resist his magical staff, huh?" she says sotto voce; I almost don't catch it.

Apparently Hikaru also caught it: he responds, "Do not." And then, to Teresa, he asks: "Does the family have a history of unfortunate sorcery, or is your grandmother just being cautious?"

"Uncle Deet is a Koboldt, and lights his forge with his breath," she says, a little bitterness in his voice. "He never started fires he couldn't put out."

"This is very important," Hikaru says. "Did your grandmother forbid you to learn, or did she refuse to teach you? These are very different things; she may have wanted to teach you but felt she could not, not safely."

Teresa thinks very hard for a moment, before saying, "She... never said I couldn't, just that she wouldn't," she says, finally.

"Do you have a spare rushlight?" Hikaru asks.

She nods.

"Then I think I can teach you a little control," Hikaru says with a smile.

---

May I have two Mysticism rolls, TN 21. (One is for Deedee, the other for Hikaru.)

Poll closes this Sunday at 6:00 Pacific, hopefully along with another threadmarked post.

 

[Talia B]

Hikaru takes out a wand and, curiously, seems to be tracing something invisible with it rather than using it for spellcasting. Teresa watches, focusing intently on this lesson.

For that matter, Sio, Ace and I are also very curious about how this is going to go, what he's going to say. I'm not sure I know enough of the ingame lore about how magic works to be able to try what Hikaru's attempting.

"My texts on elementary evocation teaches that a spell is Breath given an Aura and Anima, if only for a second, shaped by the Psyche," he says. "That is, you exhale to burn spiritual energy which you then, through your will and ritual, shape into the effect you want. In your case, shaping it into a flame, for a moment."

I think I followed that explanation, mostly. But for a moment Teresa looks completely lost.

"For example," Hikaru says.

He flicks the wrist of his wand hand and says the word "Lux." The tiny red crystal at its end starts to glow with a soft, warm light; sunlight in miniature.

"Exhaling, saying the spell word, to power the spell with Breath," he explains. "A flick of the wrist, channeling through it and the wand, shaping where I cast the spell, and putting the power safely in the wand instead of my fingertip in case I miscast. And my choice of incantation, 'lux' - 'light' - to help me concentrate, to shape and limit the effect to mere light, rather than say a blinding searing ray of light."

Teresa blinks, then vigorously nods her understanding. "You're telling the magic it's just light you want with the spell words."

"The magic and myself," Hikaru confirms. "Now, take out your spare rushlight; tonight that's your wand."

Teresa hums an affirmative, drawing from a purse a thin braid not much thicker than just a candle's wick, made of a single river reed dipped in tallow.

Ace is flicking her eyes between mentor and student - taking notes herself? - while Sio has been watching like it will be on her test.

As have I, it seems.

"Use the spell word - the incantation - 'rushlight,'" Hikaru advises. "While you say it, flick your wrist, pouring the power you use to call flame to the tip of the light. You want that tip and only the tip to catch fire, and you want that fire to only be enough to light the rushlight. Do you understand?"

"Yes, magus," Teresa says.

"I will stand by to snuff the spell if it goes out of control," Hikaru says. "I'll count down from three; on zero, cast. Three - two - one -"

Teresa whipped her rushlight up like she was cracking a whip and shouted, "Rushlight!"

For an instant, a fist-sized fireball flashes into existence at the tip of her rushlight, but in less than a second it shrinks to a candleflame and stays that small, shedding soft light.

Teresa allows herself to exhale again. Sio is the first to sincerely applaud; soon we find we're following suit.

"Well done," Hikaru says, smiling. Then without skipping a beat, "what did you do wrong?"

Another breath, then: "I shouted when I could have spoken and my gesture was too forceful; both added more power."

"That's exactly right," Hikaru says. "If you are ever in a fight where you need that power you know where to get it, but Flamma willing, you'll only need to light reeds and ovens."

He licks his forefinger and thumb, and snuffs out the rushlight.

"Again," he commands.

---

We had just stepped into the courtyard of the Barrel of White Inn for a late supper, all in high spirits, when we heard Sekhmet's voice.

"Sup," they say. "Mission accomplished."

I'm not sure how they slipped into our formation unnoticed but am able to stop myself from jumping at the reveal.

"Christ, Sekhmet, a little warning?" I say, cheerfully.

"Speaking of a little warning," they say.

I stop. The others follow suit.

"I don't think Elf and Company are going to be a problem, but she... they wanted the chance to tell you why themselves and I think they deserve it," Sekhmet says. "They're at the Barrel. Probably want to buy you the first round."

I grimace. "If you're sure," I say, unable to stop my ears from flattening down over my hair.

"And how are you sure, exactly?" Ace says, jabbing a hand at my currently feline roommate.

"Trust me," they plead, with a thumbs up.

I look at my roommate of nine years on Earth and a month on Mundus, then I nod.

"Of course," I sigh, and steel myself as I enter.

This late, most of the other patrons of the inn are in bed, rather than at the tavern; if we were much later we'd have been locked out. Which means that the elf in conquistador's armor is not hard to find, though she averts her eyes from me when she sees me cast a glance her way.

What I did not expect is who else is with her, at a table long enough for her party and mine. The pixie rogue Piper Maris, for one thing, is blissing out at the flavor of the lamb and chickpea stew she's eating, while a great purple and green Koboldt says something that makes Alesha - already at the table - laugh. At the center of the table is a redheaded human in a dark grey Exorcist longcoat and a great scarlet scarf, the customary brace of pistols conspicuously absent from his belt (likely under the care of the innkeeper). A black and red tricorn hat conceals his expression; still, there is something distressingly familiar about his appearance that I can't quite place.

I take a deep breath and sit opposite the human stranger, with Sekhmet taking the seat to my left facing the elf and Ace close to my right glaring at her.

"Sekhmet tells me you have something you need to tell me," I say to the elf woman. "For now, let's address each other by username. I don't know who else is listening."

The elf grits her teeth, but the man in the tricorn nods. "That makes complete sense as a security thing," he says, and I've heard that voice, only just deep enough to be baritone and just a little nasal. "Not all of our handles suit us, of course, we'll have to figure something out later."

"If I knew I was gonna go by this name I wouldn't have rolled up this," Elfgirl mutters, rapping her breastplate with the knuckles of her gauntlet.

I feel as though something icy has just dropped down into the pit of my stomach.

"...Maybe I should have started by asking for your Earthside name," I say to the person piloting a female Elf warrior.

That person takes a deep breath, frowning, trying not to grimace at me with their answer.

"Maybe you should have," they echo. "It's Kevin. Kevin fucking Moon."

I hissed in my next breath. Sekhmet, for their part, sighs.

"Oh gods," I managed after a second. "Shit, Kev, I'm sorry."

"I fucking knew it was you," he snarls, slamming a mailed fist on the table, grimacing at the way it makes part of him bounce. "You really didn't recognize me?"

"In her defense, your hair's grown out a whole lot," Sekhmet drawls. "Ears, too. Singing contralto didn't help either."

"Don't fucking remind me," Kevin says, turning away so it's harder for me to see the actual fear on his face.

I drag my hand down my face. "His twisting tails, you've been going through it the other way round..." I mutter.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kevin says, trying to hold back the snarl.

The man in the exorcist coat clears his throat into a fist over his lips, and Kevin slumps back into his chair, rolling violet eyes.

"I take it that you'd prefer Deedee these days for reasons other than, uh, pure infosec?" he says.

"Please," I say, maybe too quickly.

He takes in a long, shuddery breath, eyes closed, nodding. "Ah," he says. "That... that makes more sense having met you again, and with - you can forgive Kevin, I hope?"

"If he'll forgive me," I say, flicking my eyes and ears at him for a second.

He looks more tired than anything when he nods and offers his hand. I can't say I blame him as I shake it.

"I uh," the exorcist says, and I realize he's grasping for the words. "I confess, I've been looking for you all, under the names I was given... and remember, from the other side of the screen. Which means I owe Piper, Talon and - and Kevin their Guild fee, and the hope they'll, uh, stick around."

"Please, I carried your pansy ass through your first post-Truckening dungeon, I'm not leaving till you've manned up enough," Kevin says, cracking the first genuine smile I've seen on the elfgirl chassis since I met its pilot.

"Yeah, you're a great teammate and you know where the best taverns are, I'm sticking around," Piper adds, as she peels an orange.

"From the sound of things, you and Leesh need to swap notes anyway," the Koboldt - Talon, apparently - says. "Maybe pick up a fifth and sixth if you can, though."

"Great. Great, thank you, I - I appreciate it," the exorcist says.

And then he raises the brim of his hat, and locks his eyes to mine.

"And J - and you -" he bites his lip. "Deedee, you do recognize me, don't you?"

I blink, and then realize that I do.

"...Ralph?" I ask.

His hand over his tears is confirmation enough. As his party turns to stare at him, I find myself taking Ralph's other hand in mine.

---

With thanks to @Fabricati and @FoxHana for prereading.

New vote tomorrow, once the old vote concludes.

Enjoy. Discuss.

It's good to be back.

 

[Talia B]

Scheduled vote count started by Talia B on Oct 19, 2024 at 7:23 PM, finished with 28 posts and 6 votes.

thatonemontypythonsketch swordandshield failuretoplanisplanningtofail

• Total voters in this category

  3

  ---

  1 people have voted

  [X] Combination Attack, 6 - Once per round, Deedee may delay her turn in order to attack in concert with an ally, granting +2 to the Accuracy of both attacks.

  • Qoheleth

  1 people have voted

  [X] Iron Defense, 4 - Deedee becomes harder to injure with physical attacks, subtracting an additional 4 damage from all physical attacks.
  [X] Resistant, Lv 2, 6 - As above, but her Resistance is increased by 6 instead of 4.

  • Mandy Dragonfly

  1 people have voted

  [X] Combination Attack, 6 - Once per round, Deedee may delay her turn in order to attack in concert with an ally, granting +2 to the Accuracy of both attacks.
  [X] Iron Defense, 4 - Deedee becomes harder to injure with physical attacks, subtracting an additional 4 damage from all physical attacks.

  • Nerdorama

• Total voters in this category

  1

  ---

  1 people have voted

  [X] PLAN THAT ONE MONTY PYTHON SKETCH
  - [X] Spirit Sight, 5 - Deedee can see the unseen, granting her the ability to sense the Aura of places, people and things and a chance to defeat invisibility effects with an Aura roll.
  - [X] Discreet Aura, 3 - Deedee may cloak her presence by muting her Aura, allowing her to use Aura (instead of Dexterity) for Stealth rolls.

  • NekoIncardine

• Total voters in this category

  1

  ---

  1 people have voted

  [X] Plan: Sword and Shield
  -[X] Combination Attack, 6 - Once per round, Deedee may delay her turn in order to attack in concert with an ally, granting +2 to the Accuracy of both attacks.
  -[X] Iron Defense, 4 - Deedee becomes harder to injure with physical attacks, subtracting an additional 4 damage from all physical attacks.

  • Solarstream

• Total voters in this category

  1

  ---

  1 people have voted

  [X] Plan Failure To Plan Is Planning To Fail
  -- [X] Combination Attack, 6 - Once per round, Deedee may delay her turn in order to attack in concert with an ally, granting +2 to the Accuracy of both attacks.
  -- [X] Resistant, 4.

  • Fabricati

Twisting thundering tails.

A vast majority of you voted for Combination Attack, and the majority is split evenly between a buff to Defense and one to Resistance.

Looking at the sheet and knowing which stats will improve, I'm breaking the tie by buffing Resistance.

New ballot soon.