Anacromacia
"It's not gay, it's magecraft!"
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Plan Very Slight Investigations
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sorry boss, working evening shifts has me sleeping most of the day. 17:30 till midnight and that.
- Location
- 1
In my defense of limited activity, these things take time
half of which is repeatedly looking things up for lore justification for exceedingly minor details but that's neither here nor there
I can't find a single mention of a notable helmet anywhere in the silververse what do you have against head armors. some people have helmets but it's just mundane stuff.
I can't find a single mention of a notable helmet anywhere in the silververse what do you have against head armors. some people have helmets but it's just mundane stuff.
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Chapter 5 - Winded After A Long Day
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Winded After A Long Day
The Mapleton safehouse was a small crib that belonged to one of the upper members of the Gravesend Demons. A few select members were permitted to stay over If in need, and sometimes, Zane would rest there on long weekends or between staying over at his friends' places, or simply renting spots of his own.
It was a surprisingly clear, quiet, and secure place. There was a fence around the whole property to keep snoopy neighbors out and the doors could be barred up to offer some amount of protection against rival gangs breaking in, or delay the police attempting to conduct a raid. None of that ever happened, but that was the idea at least. And since it was meant to be a safe place for the members, one generally needed permission first to bring any guns or narcotics inside. There were no parties at the safe house, and it certainly wasn't a place for social discussion. People sort of lived there, just like that.
Before even pawning them off, a sporadic thought had come over Zane's mind. Maybe some of the items he'd robbed were magical? It'd make sense, given the Zuchezzis' apparent abilities. If he sold away an object with supernatural power in it for cheap, without checking, Zane would feel like a moron forever.
"Man, what a drag," he muttered, looking through the stuff. He'd already messed about with the cigarettes and checked the wallets. He was sure none of those were special. And that left those weird cards.
He slowly, carefully - wearing a pair of latex gloves in case they had some kind of kill mechanism on them - slipped one card out of its ziplock bag and then stared at it, moving it around in his palms.
It didn't particularly feel like anything. The card was perfectly black, although with a dark grayish outline of a figure in the center, which Zane was more or less unable to recognize as anything particular. It was smooth to the touch, like a durable plastic coating laid on top of several layers of firm cardboard or special, tough, folded paper. It'd probably wear down in a few months of constant holding, throwing, or general use, but for now, it looked pretty fresh and well-maintained. Possibly because it was kept in a small bag ever since one of those two assholes acquired it.
It did look pretty mysterious, though.
He noticed both of the cards had writing on them, slightly different, penned in an unfamiliar alphabet. It was like an entire script of blocks, some of them fully colored white, a few of them half-colored; a couple of them used simple block contours, while others were half-blocks. It was strange.
Zane slipped off a glove and touched the card, brushing his finger across it. He was hoping to maybe find some kind of writing in Braille, but something else occurred.
There was a sensation, like a bolt of electricity running from the card and into him. Zane almost dropped the card but ended up clutching it tightly instead.
The blank picture on the card transformed in a dizzying blur of gray and white ink, creating a sort of white artistic silhouette of two characters; a pair of winged figures floating in the air and smiling, wielding clubs or maces as weapons.
The unintelligible script began to resolve and shift, from silly and meaningless blocks into Cyrillic or Roman letters, and then into Norse runes and into then into kanji, and other, less familiar alphabets, slipping in and out of the human language spheres that Zane could recognize into ones that seemed positively ancient and forgotten, lapsing into hieroglyphs at one point. As it went on, the letters started to appear in more familiar and modern languages; German, French, English, Chinese, then English again.
The once unreadable gray-white alien runes finally resolved into something like a language with some amount of clarity. In Zane's eyes, the letters of the card blazed like fire.
"The fuck?" Was there any other reaction in that situation?
As soon as he was done reading all of that, another line appeared underneath.
---
Joe's plan won last time, resulting in Zane looking into the Cards much earlier than I'd planned for... Hmm...
You currently have 4.9 Ambrosia.
Select an initial ability for the Godcard: Boreads, Cardbearer.
[ ] Wind Push (Gradual) - A power of simple function and execution, and even simpler finesse.
The Cardbearer thrusts out their hand and creates a strong and sustained air current. The air current starts amassing at a designated spot within ten meters and line of sight of the Cardbearer and moves at a designated vector which may not be changed after being set, until dismissed or until the power wears off. The air current needs roughly three seconds to reach optimal levels in an enclosed space, or half as much in an open airy space, and then very slowly loses power until finally petering out five minutes later.
At its full power, the air current is strong enough to flip people over and send them flying back like ragdolls, and if placed correctly, it may even flip over cars. It has an effective range sufficient to act as a decent anti-personnel suppression tactic in a gunfight.
Only a single air current may exist at any given time. An air current may, however, be dismissed and replaced instantly with no cooldown as desired.
[ ] Anywhere But Here - At will, the Cardbearer designates a 'situation' they can perceive and comprehend as 'undesirable.' So long as the Cardbearer attempts to put distance between themselves and that situation, even in a metaphorical manner, they will receive boons of extreme bodily coordination, superhuman agility, superhuman speed, and slight precognition, sufficient to easily outrun and outthink any baseline human being on the planet regardless of their physical condition, and to more often than not escape pursuit by a group of trained baseline human beings. However, running towards an undesirable situation does not provide any boons, and in fact, can slightly impede the Cardbearer in certain situations by confusing their sense of movement and central nervous system, producing an effect similar to light enervation.
A situation can be undesignated, but no earlier than at least one hour since the last designation was issued. Only a single situation can be designated at any given time. Do note that any situation can be designated including, "safety." Such gambles, however, can be risky.
[ ] Defense of the Northwind - The Cardbearer maintains a toggleable "forcefield" of membranous, swirling air currents around themselves. This forcefield extends to a set distance of three centimeters from the Cardbearer's skin, becoming progressively stronger and denser inwards, and it actively pushes approaching objects out.
As a result of this effect, holding onto items of any sort becomes rather difficult while the forcefield is active. As a trade-off, however, the Cardbearer receives an appreciably powerful defense, becoming essentially immune to mundane blunt, cutting, and thrusting forces in melee combat, and receiving high resistance against low-caliber firearms. This effect is also helpful in mitigating fall or impact damage of any sort, letting a skilled freerunner or parkourist safely leap from the fourth story of a building.
While the forcefield is active, the Cardbearer is also lighter and more mobile; inertial forces affect them in a manner that's best described as "slightly selective," and they are treated as if weighing less overall, unless weight is desirable, in which case they weigh slightly more.
Also, the forcefield provides oxygen should it be, for whatever reason, unavailable. (It also happens to be highly flammable. Please, be cautious.)
[ ] Brother Mine [7 Ambrosia] - A rare and powerful ability, especially for one's first unlock.
The Cardbearer forms, at will, up to a single semi-sentient "wind clone" of themselves. The clone has the vast majority of the Cardbearer's memories, fundamental personality traits, intellect, and desires, with some differences. Most notably, it has almost no actual regard for its own survival and it regards the Cardbearer's well-being as being of high import to itself, following instructions and, without instructions, acting in a manner it believes would be beneficial to the Cardbearer or the people they care about. There is no chance of betrayal from a wind clone; should a mind-affecting or similar power try to work its course on them, the wind clone will pop instead.
A wind clone has the same essential "attributes" (physical, social, mental, spiritual,) of the Cardbearer, as well as the same skills, being essentially a perfect simulacrum of them made from wind. This material choice is the only essential difference on the physical level; rather than bleeding as humans do, if the wind clone's outer integrity is breached, it will start losing its pressurized air content, slowly losing strength and speed, until, finally, its integrity is so low that its shell outright simply dissipates. The wind clone has no vulnerable organs, noticeable or real sensation of fear (although it may pretend it has one if it believes it'll put others more at ease with its presence), adrenaline response to being hurt, sensation of pain, or similar physiological weaknesses, meaning it could likely survive being shot with a firearm several times and continue fighting relatively unimpeded for a short time afterwards.
As a final power, the wind clone is able to activate and use any of the Cardbearer's other powers associated with this particular Godcard. Also, should the Cardbearer use another Godcard, the wind clone will linger in reality, although it will begin decomposing at the rate of 1/5th of its pressurized air content per day.
In the next chapter, Zane will have a look at the other of the two Godcards he stole.
The Mapleton safehouse was a small crib that belonged to one of the upper members of the Gravesend Demons. A few select members were permitted to stay over If in need, and sometimes, Zane would rest there on long weekends or between staying over at his friends' places, or simply renting spots of his own.
It was a surprisingly clear, quiet, and secure place. There was a fence around the whole property to keep snoopy neighbors out and the doors could be barred up to offer some amount of protection against rival gangs breaking in, or delay the police attempting to conduct a raid. None of that ever happened, but that was the idea at least. And since it was meant to be a safe place for the members, one generally needed permission first to bring any guns or narcotics inside. There were no parties at the safe house, and it certainly wasn't a place for social discussion. People sort of lived there, just like that.
Before even pawning them off, a sporadic thought had come over Zane's mind. Maybe some of the items he'd robbed were magical? It'd make sense, given the Zuchezzis' apparent abilities. If he sold away an object with supernatural power in it for cheap, without checking, Zane would feel like a moron forever.
"Man, what a drag," he muttered, looking through the stuff. He'd already messed about with the cigarettes and checked the wallets. He was sure none of those were special. And that left those weird cards.
He slowly, carefully - wearing a pair of latex gloves in case they had some kind of kill mechanism on them - slipped one card out of its ziplock bag and then stared at it, moving it around in his palms.
It didn't particularly feel like anything. The card was perfectly black, although with a dark grayish outline of a figure in the center, which Zane was more or less unable to recognize as anything particular. It was smooth to the touch, like a durable plastic coating laid on top of several layers of firm cardboard or special, tough, folded paper. It'd probably wear down in a few months of constant holding, throwing, or general use, but for now, it looked pretty fresh and well-maintained. Possibly because it was kept in a small bag ever since one of those two assholes acquired it.
It did look pretty mysterious, though.
He noticed both of the cards had writing on them, slightly different, penned in an unfamiliar alphabet. It was like an entire script of blocks, some of them fully colored white, a few of them half-colored; a couple of them used simple block contours, while others were half-blocks. It was strange.
Zane slipped off a glove and touched the card, brushing his finger across it. He was hoping to maybe find some kind of writing in Braille, but something else occurred.
There was a sensation, like a bolt of electricity running from the card and into him. Zane almost dropped the card but ended up clutching it tightly instead.
The blank picture on the card transformed in a dizzying blur of gray and white ink, creating a sort of white artistic silhouette of two characters; a pair of winged figures floating in the air and smiling, wielding clubs or maces as weapons.
The unintelligible script began to resolve and shift, from silly and meaningless blocks into Cyrillic or Roman letters, and then into Norse runes and into then into kanji, and other, less familiar alphabets, slipping in and out of the human language spheres that Zane could recognize into ones that seemed positively ancient and forgotten, lapsing into hieroglyphs at one point. As it went on, the letters started to appear in more familiar and modern languages; German, French, English, Chinese, then English again.
The once unreadable gray-white alien runes finally resolved into something like a language with some amount of clarity. In Zane's eyes, the letters of the card blazed like fire.
Boreads, Demigods [Heroes] of North Wind
Godcard, Series A500/Z210
Wind, Freedom, Jovial, Duality, Brotherhood, Heroism
Medium Compatibility [35.5%]
Power Level [1]
"The fuck?" Was there any other reaction in that situation?
As soon as he was done reading all of that, another line appeared underneath.
---
Joe's plan won last time, resulting in Zane looking into the Cards much earlier than I'd planned for... Hmm...
You currently have 4.9 Ambrosia.
Select an initial ability for the Godcard: Boreads, Cardbearer.
[ ] Wind Push (Gradual) - A power of simple function and execution, and even simpler finesse.
The Cardbearer thrusts out their hand and creates a strong and sustained air current. The air current starts amassing at a designated spot within ten meters and line of sight of the Cardbearer and moves at a designated vector which may not be changed after being set, until dismissed or until the power wears off. The air current needs roughly three seconds to reach optimal levels in an enclosed space, or half as much in an open airy space, and then very slowly loses power until finally petering out five minutes later.
At its full power, the air current is strong enough to flip people over and send them flying back like ragdolls, and if placed correctly, it may even flip over cars. It has an effective range sufficient to act as a decent anti-personnel suppression tactic in a gunfight.
Only a single air current may exist at any given time. An air current may, however, be dismissed and replaced instantly with no cooldown as desired.
[ ] Anywhere But Here - At will, the Cardbearer designates a 'situation' they can perceive and comprehend as 'undesirable.' So long as the Cardbearer attempts to put distance between themselves and that situation, even in a metaphorical manner, they will receive boons of extreme bodily coordination, superhuman agility, superhuman speed, and slight precognition, sufficient to easily outrun and outthink any baseline human being on the planet regardless of their physical condition, and to more often than not escape pursuit by a group of trained baseline human beings. However, running towards an undesirable situation does not provide any boons, and in fact, can slightly impede the Cardbearer in certain situations by confusing their sense of movement and central nervous system, producing an effect similar to light enervation.
A situation can be undesignated, but no earlier than at least one hour since the last designation was issued. Only a single situation can be designated at any given time. Do note that any situation can be designated including, "safety." Such gambles, however, can be risky.
[ ] Defense of the Northwind - The Cardbearer maintains a toggleable "forcefield" of membranous, swirling air currents around themselves. This forcefield extends to a set distance of three centimeters from the Cardbearer's skin, becoming progressively stronger and denser inwards, and it actively pushes approaching objects out.
As a result of this effect, holding onto items of any sort becomes rather difficult while the forcefield is active. As a trade-off, however, the Cardbearer receives an appreciably powerful defense, becoming essentially immune to mundane blunt, cutting, and thrusting forces in melee combat, and receiving high resistance against low-caliber firearms. This effect is also helpful in mitigating fall or impact damage of any sort, letting a skilled freerunner or parkourist safely leap from the fourth story of a building.
While the forcefield is active, the Cardbearer is also lighter and more mobile; inertial forces affect them in a manner that's best described as "slightly selective," and they are treated as if weighing less overall, unless weight is desirable, in which case they weigh slightly more.
Also, the forcefield provides oxygen should it be, for whatever reason, unavailable. (It also happens to be highly flammable. Please, be cautious.)
[ ] Brother Mine [7 Ambrosia] - A rare and powerful ability, especially for one's first unlock.
The Cardbearer forms, at will, up to a single semi-sentient "wind clone" of themselves. The clone has the vast majority of the Cardbearer's memories, fundamental personality traits, intellect, and desires, with some differences. Most notably, it has almost no actual regard for its own survival and it regards the Cardbearer's well-being as being of high import to itself, following instructions and, without instructions, acting in a manner it believes would be beneficial to the Cardbearer or the people they care about. There is no chance of betrayal from a wind clone; should a mind-affecting or similar power try to work its course on them, the wind clone will pop instead.
A wind clone has the same essential "attributes" (physical, social, mental, spiritual,) of the Cardbearer, as well as the same skills, being essentially a perfect simulacrum of them made from wind. This material choice is the only essential difference on the physical level; rather than bleeding as humans do, if the wind clone's outer integrity is breached, it will start losing its pressurized air content, slowly losing strength and speed, until, finally, its integrity is so low that its shell outright simply dissipates. The wind clone has no vulnerable organs, noticeable or real sensation of fear (although it may pretend it has one if it believes it'll put others more at ease with its presence), adrenaline response to being hurt, sensation of pain, or similar physiological weaknesses, meaning it could likely survive being shot with a firearm several times and continue fighting relatively unimpeded for a short time afterwards.
As a final power, the wind clone is able to activate and use any of the Cardbearer's other powers associated with this particular Godcard. Also, should the Cardbearer use another Godcard, the wind clone will linger in reality, although it will begin decomposing at the rate of 1/5th of its pressurized air content per day.
In the next chapter, Zane will have a look at the other of the two Godcards he stole.
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[X] Defense of the Northwind.
Our boys a clos combat fighter, letting him live to that range and making his effectiveness in it higher is A good goal, so let's go with toggleable shield.
Our boys a clos combat fighter, letting him live to that range and making his effectiveness in it higher is A good goal, so let's go with toggleable shield.
Olivebirdy
mook.
[X] Anywhere But Here
DotNW is great for our build and for leveraging our strength, but Anywhere But Here is a Get Out of Jail Free card.
DotNW is great for our build and for leveraging our strength, but Anywhere But Here is a Get Out of Jail Free card.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
We're on vacation and interested in trying to live like a member of polite society. Anywhere but here is thematic for that route. That's going to be extremely difficult narratively speaking. I can see how Defense of the Northwind is thematic as a middle ground between defense and offense.
Maximum Offense: Wind Push(Gradual)
Middle Ground: Defense of the Northwind(It's also space/ocean/weird environment insurance)
Maximum Defense: Anywhere But Here
Potential: Brother Mine(With the next God Card Power you get, you have two combatants that can use it).
We also have the second godcard with whatever mental assault/fear/whatever powers it provides to consider. We either have to sit on it/Destroy it or find a wielder friendly to our interests.
Assuming we can find a suitable wielder for the other godcard, we should consider future party dynamics as well. If we form a new duo, how can we use our powers synergistically?
Maximum Offense: Wind Push(Gradual)
Middle Ground: Defense of the Northwind(It's also space/ocean/weird environment insurance)
Maximum Defense: Anywhere But Here
Potential: Brother Mine(With the next God Card Power you get, you have two combatants that can use it).
We also have the second godcard with whatever mental assault/fear/whatever powers it provides to consider. We either have to sit on it/Destroy it or find a wielder friendly to our interests.
Assuming we can find a suitable wielder for the other godcard, we should consider future party dynamics as well. If we form a new duo, how can we use our powers synergistically?
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
Some Birdsie stuff from the Games in Silver Discord.
- Olympus Dossier 001 - Black Card Information
[X] Defense of the Northwind.
The runaway ability is definitely useful, but useless for protecting anyone or anything, which is how I feel like Zane would use these powers.
Also, I'm wondering, are there cards and stuff for current day religions as well? Or is it only more ancient stuff? It'd be interesting to see someone with a Moses card, for example.
The runaway ability is definitely useful, but useless for protecting anyone or anything, which is how I feel like Zane would use these powers.
Also, I'm wondering, are there cards and stuff for current day religions as well? Or is it only more ancient stuff? It'd be interesting to see someone with a Moses card, for example.
Olivebirdy
mook.
We may be able to use both. It's a card, not a tattoo.
Guess not. Wonder if it's worth getting a full hand of cards, Jack of All Trades it. Breadth may be worth more than depth.
This is a wise move, but it's also the sort of choice that slows down quests. I just recently had a QM recommend I not make votes to find more info and then make the choice the original vote prompted, as doing that too much kills momentum and the quest.
This is a very good point.
I agree with this, tbh. We're not airy or beeezy, I'd say we're more Earth than Air. We are tied to our gang and want to be tied to our family and flower shop, so that rules out Freedom. We're honestly kind of a grouch, not Jovial. I'm not seeing how we can tie into Duality, maybe peace/war? We care for our gang buddies, so that's Brotherhood-- but we want to ditch them. And then there's Heroism, which we're iffy on at best. I can definitely see why our affinity is at 35.5%.
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- Location
- 1
[X] Anywhere but here
In addition to its ordinary uses, Anywhere But Here's Selective benefits depending on whether you're evading a situation may allow you to determine the bounds of, and whether you're making progress towards escaping, the situation. This makes it potentially a useful tool for finding new information; If the situation is 'not having accurate beliefs about magic', and you start walking towards a library which happens to contain only nonsense on the topic, depending on how this ability works you might not gain the superhuman agility when doing so.
It might also have the less-interesting judgement criteria of 'does Zane think he's trying to evade the situation', but even so, by picking broad and abstract enough situations to avoid- like 'Situations Zane would, after the fullest consideration he has managed recently, rather avoid', for instance- it becomes an effectively constant benefit in that case.
In addition to its ordinary uses, Anywhere But Here's Selective benefits depending on whether you're evading a situation may allow you to determine the bounds of, and whether you're making progress towards escaping, the situation. This makes it potentially a useful tool for finding new information; If the situation is 'not having accurate beliefs about magic', and you start walking towards a library which happens to contain only nonsense on the topic, depending on how this ability works you might not gain the superhuman agility when doing so.
It might also have the less-interesting judgement criteria of 'does Zane think he's trying to evade the situation', but even so, by picking broad and abstract enough situations to avoid- like 'Situations Zane would, after the fullest consideration he has managed recently, rather avoid', for instance- it becomes an effectively constant benefit in that case.
- Location
- The UK
[X] Anywhere but here
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
Candidates for our Second Godcard:
So if we use Gods of Dreams that means Hypnos is a candidate(Questionable Probability Hypnos is described as benevolent on wikipedia, Hypnos - Wikipedia)
Possibly Epiales(EPIALES - Greek God or Spirit of Nightmares, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiales)?
Ahriman is associated with Darkness and Evil(Ahriman - Wikipedia)
Any other candidates come to mind?
So if we use Gods of Dreams that means Hypnos is a candidate(Questionable Probability Hypnos is described as benevolent on wikipedia, Hypnos - Wikipedia)
Possibly Epiales(EPIALES - Greek God or Spirit of Nightmares, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiales)?
Ahriman is associated with Darkness and Evil(Ahriman - Wikipedia)
Any other candidates come to mind?
Gabbie
That One Writer
- Location
- Italy
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Azathoth. His dream makes Reality. ANd he's eldritch, thus terrifying...
- Location
- 1
is his dream traditionally a nightmare, though? Also, I think Azathoth's more about dreaming being real than putting people into dreams- if we're thinking of Lovecraftian entities that could put you into a nightmare, Tru'nembra seems like a better fit to me- But even that I wouldn't agree with. whatever they were using seems to have required line of sight- and was single-target- but Tru'nembra induced sleep and nightmare through song and sound, which wouldn't require line of sight and would be an area-of-effect thing.
Chapter 6 - The More You Fight
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
The More You Fight
And the line read out small details of his new power.
Its power surged within him, the connection to the Boreads blazing deep in his brain, neurons, and synapses like stars and stellar links, the chemicals that made up his thought like cosmic nebulae, spreading endlessly over the infinite sky, reaching into some dimension of higher enlightenment, to the very idea of the Gods on the card.
And it bestowed upon him, for now, a single gift for his lifetime's diligence, his pursuit of personal freedom, and minor occasional acts of heroism or joy-spreading. More was promised to come if he continued to align himself with the deities.
The gift was relatively simple. At his command, the winds of the north would fall in love with him and caress his body protectively, denser and denser inwards, in the hopes of aiding him in avoiding harm. It was an on-and-off state, no fine control but great power.
Almost on instinct, he tested it once, and there was a whistling stirring, as his skin exploded in reverse with the sudden air current, vacuuming up the breeze. Some of the items close to him fluttered at the sudden shift in air pressure as the winds snapped to his body, a few pages of a study book lain open on the desk turning on their own.
He moved a hand to his desk and found that it was repelled on approach. And the more he pushed, the deeper the shield was penetrated, and the more it protected him. It was quite literally impossible to brush his finger against the desk. He could manage to push almost into a millimeter's range, but even that was at the cost of straining every muscle in his body, and when he started moving and sliding his hand in the hopes of catching a grip, his fingers came away loosely, sliding off, like a bug hopelessly trying to balance on a surface of greasy oil. Oddly enough, it seemed like his feet stuck to the earth properly, but that seemed to be more of a feature than an error.
He canceled the power as he snapped out of his stupor, breathing in deeply.
"What the fuck was that?"
His connection to the Godcard remained even with the power off - a connection so deep and intrinsic that he knew exactly what to call it, even without being told.
A connection leading so deep into his mind, spreading its tendrils so thoroughly into his being, that he could understand every miniature aspect of the power involved. A connection so blastedly overwhelming that Zane couldn't help but consider how to increase his compatibility for more power. Acts of heroism using wind? It sounded relatively simple in principle, although he wasn't sure if he wanted to bother with something as elaborately stupid as that. Maybe he'd think more about it later.
Interestingly, it seemed that his power was different from the previous holder of the Godcard. That man's power had been pure offense and utility. Active manipulation of the winds, sufficient to effortlessly toss around human targets. And Zane's power came out defensive instead, almost to the point of crippling overspecialization, with some utility to control over his body's own movements, which ought to be helpful when playing basketball if nothing else.
He knew with confidence that in his defensive mode, he could take a bullet to the face and only have a small bruise to show for it the next day. It was like he could summon a full-body suit of kevlar with some caveats, as well as a few minor bonuses.
At that point, Zane eyed the other Card with deep curiosity. For around a minute, he contemplated leaving it, but then he learned as much as he remembered a fact intrinsic to the Cards - if he forged a connection with a Godcard, its previous owner would lose theirs. Until he touched both, the Zuchezzis would have their powers. It'd be prudent to do that, even if he decided to never use the Cards again, in order to avoid future reprisal.
Spike's words lingered in his mind, as he considered. Whatever the other Godcard was, it possessed some kind of terrible power - something unlike the ambivalent Boreads. A weapon of torture as much as defeat. He breathed in and resolved himself to go through with it, for his own safety.
With much less hesitation, he popped the ziplock bag open and then brushed a hand against the card. The calibration felt a touch slower than before, and Zane could feel his link to the Boreads vanishing as the new one plugged into his soul.
---
There have been quite a few interesting posts and theories, both in the thread and on Discord since the last chapter. Your Current Ambrosia is 5.8. If sufficient work is put in, you may be able to afford the special option below during this phase. However, beware of going into debt - that'd be very unpleasant for you.
Select an initial ability for the Godcard: Phobos, Cardbearer.
[ ] Phobia - As the Cardbearer either participates in or witnesses (directly or indirectly) an ongoing battle with serious stakes (not necessarily lethal stakes), he slowly builds up a nebulous illusion charge, up to a hard limit which is unlikely to be ever reached unless a world war was declared. The definition of 'witness' here is broad; in the right situation, simply hanging out in the vicinity of an illegal wrestling ring and being aware of its existence because someone told you about it can be sufficient. Watching recordings of a recent skirmish in the Middle East might not.
Accumulated illusion charge, unsurprisingly, can be used to create illusionary objects and creatures. None of the costs for using the illusion charge are precise or exact; the Card user decides how much he wishes to spend, and the quantity of illusion charge expended makes for a better creation. All illusions meant to induce fear or appear intimidating are vastly cheaper in cost, and then even cheaper if they are created in the middle of an ongoing battle or conflict scenario. The options themselves are nearly as vast as the Cardbearer's own imagination and, with enough charge, can become infectious (for example, an illusionary shadow hoplite stabs a person with a spear, and that person now has an illusionary wound that produces illusionary pain, quite possibly leading to unconsciousness.) Everyone can perceive the illusions.
[ ] Skittering Soldiers - This power's strength lies in simplicity.
At will, the Cardbearer creates a large focal point (a sphere ten meters in diameter) anywhere he can see, even through a live camera feed (this power can be used to discern what does and doesn't count.) As soon as a focal point is created, it draws in all insects and small animals within a quarter-kilometer's range. If there are people or unaffected animals or creatures within the focal point, they are seen as an "obstruction" and will be attacked relentlessly until they leave. The Cardbearer can instantly and with no cooldowns or delays, remove and place a focal point anywhere else, such as making it follow a given target endlessly through Manhattan. Yes, this can be used to flood your annoying neighbor's apartment in order to truly destroy his weekend.
None of the immediate improvements to this power are esoteric. Most of them involve straightforward increases to range and focal point numbers, or better control over the focal points, such as limiting how many insects are drawn into any single one in order to avoid confusing one's armies.
[ ] Glare of Ares - A relatively simplistic ability. The Cardbearer meets the eyes of a living target and forces them to look back. If the target isn't literally blind, their mind is promptly displaced into an illusionary hellscape out of their worst nightmares, and then some, where they are relentlessly tortured and subjected to constant mockery, humiliation, pain, and their innermost fears. From an outside perspective, it often appears as if the victim were to fall over and have a seizure or heart attack, while other times, it simply looks like the victim passes out from shock. The power works until canceled although if a target has incredibly resilient, almost superhuman, willpower, he can slip out of it on his own after spending a few seconds in the illusion. One second in the real world is ten minutes within the illusionary world. An extended session can swiftly accumulate to completely break someone's mind.
After the power is canceled on someone, for every second (externally) they spent in the illusion, the power may not be used for five seconds. This makes it slightly less viable in group combat.
The content of the illusions may not be customized, but it's always going to be horrific for the perceiver. The content is within the upper margins of the worst imaginable experience for them. The only way to emerge fully sane is to not be phased by inhuman torture.
If this option is taken, Zane will connect the dots and realize this was the power used on Spike.
[ ] Arms of Terror [7 Ambrosia] - At will, the Cardbearer summons one of the following armaments of terror:
The Sword - A sword of pure shadow with a glossy sheen of amaranthine hue, like subtle violet light. It comes with a scabbard of starless midnight, and when unsheathed, it produces a vivid echoing hiss, which causes the hairs on the back of men to stand up.
The Sword of Terror is completely indestructible and sharper than reality, able to cut effortlessly through wood (as if cutting through air,) and easily through steel (as if cutting through wood.) For its wielder, it acts in some regards like an illusionary object, physically weightless, but to an enemy, it's completely real. Using this property with some training, it's possible to completely bypass armor (acting illusionary for solid objects,) in order to cut directly at the victim underneath (acting real for living creatures,) although this isn't usually necessary against purely mortal targets given the sword's absurd sharpness and cutting power. Further tricks and techniques can be learned. Victims observing the sword feel confoundment and fear - as a result, they will instinctively shy and look away, providing good opportunities against untrained opponents.
The Shield - A fine hoplite's shield, oily and black in color, with a blazing white conflagration in the center, shaped into a livery of a bull's skull with sharp teeth set in white rows like needles, and eyes that glow like fire. When summoned, it comes strapped to the arm with firm leather colored in dark green.
Aside from being completely indestructible and greatly mitigating most impact forces (the Shield can perfectly defend against high-caliber anti-material rifles and partially defend against a tank gun), the Shield amplifies any sound that its wielder creates when banging other metal objects (particularly, the Sword,) against it and endows them with the supernatural fear of Phobos himself. This can be used in order to focus the sound into narrow cones of sonic destruction, bursting the eardrums of victims, stunning them, and simultaneously traumatizing them mentally. It can also be released in a more indiscriminate manner, omnidirectional, striking deep terror and panic into the people around the wielder and confusing them because of the loud noise. When the Sword is struck against the Shield, the effects of the banging are doubled. Anyone forced to look at the Shield will feel immense discomfort and rapidly accumulating fear, but also a mounting desire to continue staring as if observing some grim execution.
The Armor - A chestplate, helmet, bracers, greaves, shinguards, and face-covering helmet in the shape of a dead man's skull, all the color of the darkest pitch and cold to the touch like a gravestone at night.
Aside from being completely indestructible and greatly mitigating most impact forces (the Armor can perfectly defend against medium-caliber sniper rifles and partially defend against high-caliber anti-material rifles), the Armor strikes a deep fear into any onlookers and manipulates their perceptions subtly, transforming the bearer into a nightmare praetorian. The reality of the situation seems to be exaggerated to the bearer's enemy; wounds appear deeper, more painful, and more grave; the bearer moves faster and more gracefully, striking with ruthless disregard for the survival of his enemies, with powerful blows that seem to strike at the very core of the being. He seems to feel no pain or fear himself, and one's allies appear to be bending in terror, on the verge of running away and routing. It gives the situation a tense chord of immediacy, as if the bearer's opponent was slightly drunk and overtaken by complete fear in the middle of combat.
The Javelin - A weapon that's strangely out of theme with the rest of the set, and yet, the Cardbearer feels that it has a reason for being a part of it. Rather than being a physical object, the Javelin is a bolt of jagged "solid" lightning. It is dark bluish and purple with hues of white at night, but transforming yellow and white in daylight. It can be held safely by its wielder but will spark and hurt anyone else who touches it, burning and electrifying simultaneously.
When thrown, the Javelin homes in on its intended victim, capable of arcing over or around cover, and it strikes at the speed of light, virtually unavoidable, transforming into an actual bolt of lightning in the middle of its flight. It deals a similar amount of aggravating burn damage, often sufficing to kill most uninsulated people in a single throw. And strangely enough, it seems to produce no loud sound; there is no accompanying thunder to its throw. Its sight, however, strikes an electrifying fear of God into men who perceive it, but of a different kind than most of the weapons in this set; its particular effects aim to daunt and strike fear into the bearer's equals, rather than lessers - although mortals fear it still, they do not fear it any more than supernatural lightning. However, other Cardbearers, magical creatures, or similar constructs will find that, even with supernatural willpower or "immunity" to fear, their mind is battered with visions of their certain defeat in the afterflashes of the lightning, terrifying them deeply.
All Terror weapons smell faintly of musk and blood.
Until Arms of Terror reaches Level 4, Improvements to this power do not actually improve it, but simply allow for more armaments to be summoned at the same time.
And the line read out small details of his new power.
Its power surged within him, the connection to the Boreads blazing deep in his brain, neurons, and synapses like stars and stellar links, the chemicals that made up his thought like cosmic nebulae, spreading endlessly over the infinite sky, reaching into some dimension of higher enlightenment, to the very idea of the Gods on the card.
And it bestowed upon him, for now, a single gift for his lifetime's diligence, his pursuit of personal freedom, and minor occasional acts of heroism or joy-spreading. More was promised to come if he continued to align himself with the deities.
The gift was relatively simple. At his command, the winds of the north would fall in love with him and caress his body protectively, denser and denser inwards, in the hopes of aiding him in avoiding harm. It was an on-and-off state, no fine control but great power.
Almost on instinct, he tested it once, and there was a whistling stirring, as his skin exploded in reverse with the sudden air current, vacuuming up the breeze. Some of the items close to him fluttered at the sudden shift in air pressure as the winds snapped to his body, a few pages of a study book lain open on the desk turning on their own.
He moved a hand to his desk and found that it was repelled on approach. And the more he pushed, the deeper the shield was penetrated, and the more it protected him. It was quite literally impossible to brush his finger against the desk. He could manage to push almost into a millimeter's range, but even that was at the cost of straining every muscle in his body, and when he started moving and sliding his hand in the hopes of catching a grip, his fingers came away loosely, sliding off, like a bug hopelessly trying to balance on a surface of greasy oil. Oddly enough, it seemed like his feet stuck to the earth properly, but that seemed to be more of a feature than an error.
He canceled the power as he snapped out of his stupor, breathing in deeply.
"What the fuck was that?"
His connection to the Godcard remained even with the power off - a connection so deep and intrinsic that he knew exactly what to call it, even without being told.
A connection leading so deep into his mind, spreading its tendrils so thoroughly into his being, that he could understand every miniature aspect of the power involved. A connection so blastedly overwhelming that Zane couldn't help but consider how to increase his compatibility for more power. Acts of heroism using wind? It sounded relatively simple in principle, although he wasn't sure if he wanted to bother with something as elaborately stupid as that. Maybe he'd think more about it later.
Interestingly, it seemed that his power was different from the previous holder of the Godcard. That man's power had been pure offense and utility. Active manipulation of the winds, sufficient to effortlessly toss around human targets. And Zane's power came out defensive instead, almost to the point of crippling overspecialization, with some utility to control over his body's own movements, which ought to be helpful when playing basketball if nothing else.
He knew with confidence that in his defensive mode, he could take a bullet to the face and only have a small bruise to show for it the next day. It was like he could summon a full-body suit of kevlar with some caveats, as well as a few minor bonuses.
At that point, Zane eyed the other Card with deep curiosity. For around a minute, he contemplated leaving it, but then he learned as much as he remembered a fact intrinsic to the Cards - if he forged a connection with a Godcard, its previous owner would lose theirs. Until he touched both, the Zuchezzis would have their powers. It'd be prudent to do that, even if he decided to never use the Cards again, in order to avoid future reprisal.
Spike's words lingered in his mind, as he considered. Whatever the other Godcard was, it possessed some kind of terrible power - something unlike the ambivalent Boreads. A weapon of torture as much as defeat. He breathed in and resolved himself to go through with it, for his own safety.
With much less hesitation, he popped the ziplock bag open and then brushed a hand against the card. The calibration felt a touch slower than before, and Zane could feel his link to the Boreads vanishing as the new one plugged into his soul.
Phobos, God [Personifications] of Fear
Godcard, Series A460/Z110
Fear, Combat, War, Domination
Medium Compatibility [12.5%]
Power Level [1]
---
There have been quite a few interesting posts and theories, both in the thread and on Discord since the last chapter. Your Current Ambrosia is 5.8. If sufficient work is put in, you may be able to afford the special option below during this phase. However, beware of going into debt - that'd be very unpleasant for you.
Select an initial ability for the Godcard: Phobos, Cardbearer.
[ ] Phobia - As the Cardbearer either participates in or witnesses (directly or indirectly) an ongoing battle with serious stakes (not necessarily lethal stakes), he slowly builds up a nebulous illusion charge, up to a hard limit which is unlikely to be ever reached unless a world war was declared. The definition of 'witness' here is broad; in the right situation, simply hanging out in the vicinity of an illegal wrestling ring and being aware of its existence because someone told you about it can be sufficient. Watching recordings of a recent skirmish in the Middle East might not.
Accumulated illusion charge, unsurprisingly, can be used to create illusionary objects and creatures. None of the costs for using the illusion charge are precise or exact; the Card user decides how much he wishes to spend, and the quantity of illusion charge expended makes for a better creation. All illusions meant to induce fear or appear intimidating are vastly cheaper in cost, and then even cheaper if they are created in the middle of an ongoing battle or conflict scenario. The options themselves are nearly as vast as the Cardbearer's own imagination and, with enough charge, can become infectious (for example, an illusionary shadow hoplite stabs a person with a spear, and that person now has an illusionary wound that produces illusionary pain, quite possibly leading to unconsciousness.) Everyone can perceive the illusions.
[ ] Skittering Soldiers - This power's strength lies in simplicity.
At will, the Cardbearer creates a large focal point (a sphere ten meters in diameter) anywhere he can see, even through a live camera feed (this power can be used to discern what does and doesn't count.) As soon as a focal point is created, it draws in all insects and small animals within a quarter-kilometer's range. If there are people or unaffected animals or creatures within the focal point, they are seen as an "obstruction" and will be attacked relentlessly until they leave. The Cardbearer can instantly and with no cooldowns or delays, remove and place a focal point anywhere else, such as making it follow a given target endlessly through Manhattan. Yes, this can be used to flood your annoying neighbor's apartment in order to truly destroy his weekend.
None of the immediate improvements to this power are esoteric. Most of them involve straightforward increases to range and focal point numbers, or better control over the focal points, such as limiting how many insects are drawn into any single one in order to avoid confusing one's armies.
[ ] Glare of Ares - A relatively simplistic ability. The Cardbearer meets the eyes of a living target and forces them to look back. If the target isn't literally blind, their mind is promptly displaced into an illusionary hellscape out of their worst nightmares, and then some, where they are relentlessly tortured and subjected to constant mockery, humiliation, pain, and their innermost fears. From an outside perspective, it often appears as if the victim were to fall over and have a seizure or heart attack, while other times, it simply looks like the victim passes out from shock. The power works until canceled although if a target has incredibly resilient, almost superhuman, willpower, he can slip out of it on his own after spending a few seconds in the illusion. One second in the real world is ten minutes within the illusionary world. An extended session can swiftly accumulate to completely break someone's mind.
After the power is canceled on someone, for every second (externally) they spent in the illusion, the power may not be used for five seconds. This makes it slightly less viable in group combat.
The content of the illusions may not be customized, but it's always going to be horrific for the perceiver. The content is within the upper margins of the worst imaginable experience for them. The only way to emerge fully sane is to not be phased by inhuman torture.
If this option is taken, Zane will connect the dots and realize this was the power used on Spike.
[ ] Arms of Terror [7 Ambrosia] - At will, the Cardbearer summons one of the following armaments of terror:
The Sword - A sword of pure shadow with a glossy sheen of amaranthine hue, like subtle violet light. It comes with a scabbard of starless midnight, and when unsheathed, it produces a vivid echoing hiss, which causes the hairs on the back of men to stand up.
The Sword of Terror is completely indestructible and sharper than reality, able to cut effortlessly through wood (as if cutting through air,) and easily through steel (as if cutting through wood.) For its wielder, it acts in some regards like an illusionary object, physically weightless, but to an enemy, it's completely real. Using this property with some training, it's possible to completely bypass armor (acting illusionary for solid objects,) in order to cut directly at the victim underneath (acting real for living creatures,) although this isn't usually necessary against purely mortal targets given the sword's absurd sharpness and cutting power. Further tricks and techniques can be learned. Victims observing the sword feel confoundment and fear - as a result, they will instinctively shy and look away, providing good opportunities against untrained opponents.
The Shield - A fine hoplite's shield, oily and black in color, with a blazing white conflagration in the center, shaped into a livery of a bull's skull with sharp teeth set in white rows like needles, and eyes that glow like fire. When summoned, it comes strapped to the arm with firm leather colored in dark green.
Aside from being completely indestructible and greatly mitigating most impact forces (the Shield can perfectly defend against high-caliber anti-material rifles and partially defend against a tank gun), the Shield amplifies any sound that its wielder creates when banging other metal objects (particularly, the Sword,) against it and endows them with the supernatural fear of Phobos himself. This can be used in order to focus the sound into narrow cones of sonic destruction, bursting the eardrums of victims, stunning them, and simultaneously traumatizing them mentally. It can also be released in a more indiscriminate manner, omnidirectional, striking deep terror and panic into the people around the wielder and confusing them because of the loud noise. When the Sword is struck against the Shield, the effects of the banging are doubled. Anyone forced to look at the Shield will feel immense discomfort and rapidly accumulating fear, but also a mounting desire to continue staring as if observing some grim execution.
The Armor - A chestplate, helmet, bracers, greaves, shinguards, and face-covering helmet in the shape of a dead man's skull, all the color of the darkest pitch and cold to the touch like a gravestone at night.
Aside from being completely indestructible and greatly mitigating most impact forces (the Armor can perfectly defend against medium-caliber sniper rifles and partially defend against high-caliber anti-material rifles), the Armor strikes a deep fear into any onlookers and manipulates their perceptions subtly, transforming the bearer into a nightmare praetorian. The reality of the situation seems to be exaggerated to the bearer's enemy; wounds appear deeper, more painful, and more grave; the bearer moves faster and more gracefully, striking with ruthless disregard for the survival of his enemies, with powerful blows that seem to strike at the very core of the being. He seems to feel no pain or fear himself, and one's allies appear to be bending in terror, on the verge of running away and routing. It gives the situation a tense chord of immediacy, as if the bearer's opponent was slightly drunk and overtaken by complete fear in the middle of combat.
The Javelin - A weapon that's strangely out of theme with the rest of the set, and yet, the Cardbearer feels that it has a reason for being a part of it. Rather than being a physical object, the Javelin is a bolt of jagged "solid" lightning. It is dark bluish and purple with hues of white at night, but transforming yellow and white in daylight. It can be held safely by its wielder but will spark and hurt anyone else who touches it, burning and electrifying simultaneously.
When thrown, the Javelin homes in on its intended victim, capable of arcing over or around cover, and it strikes at the speed of light, virtually unavoidable, transforming into an actual bolt of lightning in the middle of its flight. It deals a similar amount of aggravating burn damage, often sufficing to kill most uninsulated people in a single throw. And strangely enough, it seems to produce no loud sound; there is no accompanying thunder to its throw. Its sight, however, strikes an electrifying fear of God into men who perceive it, but of a different kind than most of the weapons in this set; its particular effects aim to daunt and strike fear into the bearer's equals, rather than lessers - although mortals fear it still, they do not fear it any more than supernatural lightning. However, other Cardbearers, magical creatures, or similar constructs will find that, even with supernatural willpower or "immunity" to fear, their mind is battered with visions of their certain defeat in the afterflashes of the lightning, terrifying them deeply.
All Terror weapons smell faintly of musk and blood.
Until Arms of Terror reaches Level 4, Improvements to this power do not actually improve it, but simply allow for more armaments to be summoned at the same time.
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Olivebirdy
mook.
Way I see it, we have a card for battle already. Defense of the Northwind is already perfect for us as an excellent unarmed fighter. That means that if we want to switch to a different card, it should be for utility, to give us more options.
[X] Phobia
While building up charge is going to be a pain, it's the most versatile option.
I'm also interested in Skittering Soldiers as a way of forcing an enemy out of a fortified location and into close combat with us. Skittering Soldiers also doesn't incentivise Zane to go looking for the trouble he's trying to stay out of.
[X] Phobia
While building up charge is going to be a pain, it's the most versatile option.
I'm also interested in Skittering Soldiers as a way of forcing an enemy out of a fortified location and into close combat with us. Skittering Soldiers also doesn't incentivise Zane to go looking for the trouble he's trying to stay out of.
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