Oooh, I almost missed this. For shame, @7734.

And for the record, I thought your last attempt was off to a decent start. Not as good as the Spacebattles incarnation, admittedly, but still.

...though I will comment that you do have a bit of a propensity for "Well, that would have been great to know five minutes ago!" moments.

I was seriously thinking about going up and taping some shoulders from my SB run, but I'm not actually sure if any of them are over here too. Round II, though... Yeah, family trouble killed that one in the bud, I'm afraid.

And as for your last point, my standing questing model is that if you knew what you did now you wouldn't do what you did then because minimizing opportunity cost is not always the right answer. Found that out the hard way with my last quest.

Anyway, if you want to pull some tag magic and get whatever's left of the old gang together again, go ahead. This one's going to have some stiff differences though, mostly because I have campaign notes now.
 
Campaign notes are useful. Also, I was referring more to your habit of dropping worldbuilding bits that the characters should have known and would have informed the voters' plans had we been aware.

(Also, I, at minimum, was part of the SB crew. Although, like Veekie, not one of the movers and shakers really.)
 
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[x] Male: You're a dude. Kinda obvious.
[x] Weathered: You might be young in years, but you used what you've got there to get a hell of a lot of experience. Cracked hands, weathered lips, and the dark nut look only the sun can give you set off a determination of form that proves no matter what gender you are you will survive.
[x] Hiking: You've seen a lot of the world from your own two feet, and you'll see more of it that way than any flyboy or executive. There's something primal about nature, and the wisdom of the woods is all you need to finish a puzzle or thought exercise.
[x] Yes:
- [x] Lucky
[x]: Fish
 
[X] Female: You're a chick. How'd you get mistaken for a guy
[X] Slim: You're not strong, but you can move like greased lightning. Men, the pool is your friend and so are the women. Women, you're short on curves, but what you got are those long, fine lines no model in the world can get.
[X] Hiking: You've seen a lot of the world from your own two feet, and you'll see more of it that way than any flyboy or executive. There's something primal about nature, and the wisdom of the woods is all you need to finish a puzzle or thought exercise.
[X] No: Your given name will be used.
[X]: Deer
 
Jesus, the compromise vote here! See me write up options that complex again, erg.

Anyway, votes closed and I'm gonna start writing.
 
Part Two: Deals in Red Coin
Patting yourself down, you tried to remember what had happened before the man with five arms shoved the needle in your arm and you kissed reality goodbye. Hair, check. Arms, check. Legs, check. Torso, check. There was something you were missing, though. Something really important.

Feeling the draft in the stone room you had been locked in, you were seriously tempted to hit yourself in the head. You were naked. A quick and gentle check confirmed that they hadn't tried raping you. Of course, that wasn't outside the realm of possibility for later though. Kept on a raised dais run round with razor wire and stone stakes, you quickly did the mental math that ended with the thought that a running jump was a fool's gamble. Taking the time to stand, you walked the perimeter of your open-air cell and frowned. The dias was about eight and a half paces wide at the diameter, and you knew you had a long stride- call it thirty inches. So, if you were willing to play fast and loose with the napkin math, make it twenty one feet wide.

Now, you were a smart girl who did math for fun. More importantly, right now you were a smart girl whom was also bored out of her skull. Seeing as decimals are horrible for napkin math, make pi twenty-two sevenths as per the Babylonians. Twenty one feet times twenty two, call it… four sixty two. Now divide by seven. Big number, so let's frac it. Does it divide by two? Yeah, but that's ugly. Three? Yeah, into one fifty four. That breaks into two, so seventy seven. That breaks into seven and eleven, so huzzah! Now, cancel the divide by seven with the seven you factored out, and the answer was three times two times eleven!

Which was sixty six. 66.

You weren't willing to call that a good sign.

"Is she awake yet, Brother Martillius?" a smooth voice asked pleasantly.

"We believe so, Brother Baptiste. Unfortunately, we must maintain the wards or the First Stage will be wasted. If we still had the Serheim chapter, then we could find out in person."

"It is always about those damn fools! We lose one chapter fifteen years ago and it's bitch and moan oh no we lost our brethren! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I will not have my work tainted by those morons! How did they fuck up basic wardings to corral the two most common summons in our order so bad they all fucking died?!"

Well, you weren't a psych student, but that sounded like a textbook case of division in the ranks. More importantly, you had names to work with; Baptiste and Martillius. Now, though, was an excellent opportunity to work on getting some confusion and flailing going.

"I'd rather you not." A distinctly male voice said, behind you and slightly to your right. "I've already done the legwork in making sure that this attempt to summon ol' flashlights and niter is going to fizzle like a wet firework, and pull the rest of me in instead."

Spinning around, you looked, but there was nobody there.

"As I was saying, just sit down and look like the anesthesia is still wearing off. In about a minute those lightly-retarded cultists are going to come in here, fire up my summons, and you can figure out who you're sharing ritual space with."

"Who are you?" You asked, flicking your head around back and forth. "Or, more specifically, what do you want?"

The voice laughed lightly, and sounded slightly pleased. "Good questions, little lamb. Very good questions. The first would be a breach of contract, but I can tell you the second: I want to win, and these little shits called me to a football game expecting a nice little badminton match. Counterpoint- what do you want?"

The answer came to you quickly, almost too quickly. "Revenge. They attacked my home, killed my fellows, and are using me for things I neither know nor consent to."

"What would you do, then, to get revenge?"

You smiled faintly. It was not a happy smile. "They destroyed my livelihood foot and branch. I figure I can do the same."

Now that laugh boomed. "Then I'll offer you a deal, littlest shield-maiden! I'll give you the tools needed to turn this laughingstock of a ritual into a ruin, and in return you agree to carry my banner for a short while elsewhere!"

At this, your ears perk up and you sit down carefully. "What kind of tools, then? I'll tell you now, I need to know what my options are."

"A real merchant are you, then!" the voice cried. "My first boon, a power derived from myself or my family. My second, a weapon of might to break apart this cage. My third and last, an armor to preserve you so you might take my standard and carry if for the full term of service. Now, listen close, because I will only say this once."

"My first boon, the power, can be one of three choices. The first is the power of wolves, of eternal warmth and fierce strength. You will be given strength in great amounts, the ability to understand nature as you never have before, and as payment for it all the never-ending hunger. The second is the power of death, of knowing the fine line between life and unlife and some rudimentary control over it. You will be given sight to know how the life is in a person or beast, the ability to move the inherent death in a person, and as payment your beauty shall be halved now and forevermore. Finally, you could take my powers; the power of the shapeshifter. You will be able to change your form as if water, and also speak to the fires within. However, you will need to serve me twice as long, and I cannot guarantee that in the second half of your service you will live."

"My second boon, the weapon, is again one of three. The first is simple, the Dane's Axe. It will never break, dull, or fail you in battle, but against magery such as this it will be weaker than any of the others. My second is a Greatsword of the Flames. Unlike the Dane's Axe, it will hew through magecraft and wizardry without thought or heed, but in construction it is not nearly as sturdy as its companions. My last choice is the Heartswood Staff- a balance between magical potency and physical resilience. Be warned, though, it is and always has been a tool of war; and furthermore it also is no answer to every situation- it can only amplify what you yourself can do with magic. As little as that might be now, though, I am certain that with tutoring it will increase."

"Lastly, your armor. My final boon may not be the greatest, but it will be the most-used. Your options are, however, more limited. My first option is the Scarlet Hood, which may be used to conceal yourself or reveal your presence. Be warned, though, that in combat it is no great shield or protection from harm. The second choice is the Varangian Hauberk, made of fine Dwarven ringmail. While it will protect you from most anything meaning harm, I do not doubt it will be noticeable nor will you want to leave it unaugmented. Lastly, I can give you the Mantle of Warmth, a set of Master's Robes atuned to fire. Much like the Scarlet Hood, it is useless against blade or maul, but against magework it is a device without peer."

Off in the distance, you heard a cultist yell. "Soon, we will begin the ritual!"

The voice laughed, and you could almost feel it's smile. "So, what do you choose?"


First Boon
[] Power of the Wolf
[] Power of the Death
[] Power of the Change

Second Boon
[] Dane's Axe
[] Greatsword of the Flames
[] Heartwood Staff

Third Boon
[] Scarlet Hood
[] Varangian Hauberk
[] Mantle of Warmth

Who are you speaking to? (Bonus, write-in only, no penalties if incorrect. Hint: Not Mab.)
[] (write-in)
 
[X] Power of the Change
[X] Heartwood Staff
[X] Varangian Hauberk

Wolf = Fenrir
Death = Hel
Change = Loki
Since Fenrir, Hel and Jormungandr are not very urbane types.

[X] Loki
 
I see I've been beaten to the exceedingly obvious (to anyone vaguely conversant with Norse myth). The question then becomes, "Which version of Loki is this?" There's at least three - pre-Baldr, post-Baldr, and Uthgar-Loki.

Vote will be forthcoming once I've had time to ponder.
 
[X] Power of the Change
[X] Heartwood Staff
[X] Varangian Hauberk

[x] Loki
 
[X] Power of the Wolf
[X] Dane's Axe
[X] Mantle of Warmth

Unspeakable might, unbreakable weapon, and defense against magic until we can crush it.

Also got a feeling we're talking to
[X] Surtr
 
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Okay, so. Of the three faces of Loki that I know, pre- and post-Baldr Loki are, to my understanding, the same...instance, I guess? The difference being that pre-Baldr, Loki's jokes, while mean, generally served to prove a point or point out a significant flaw (Like, oh, say, the fact that just because mistletoe is a small plant doesn't make it harmless), and post-Baldr is where he gets downright nasty. I think it was also around that time that the Aesir took action against his monstrous children, which probably had something to do with it as well. Uthgar-Loki i know of but don't know the details of. I do know that Uthgar-Loki plays the role that...I want to say Thor?...does in the main sagas. The entire Uthgar cycle is like some kind of AU fanfiction of the Sagas.

I'm going to guess, based frankly mostly on his demeanor, that he's pre-Baldr Loki, but I don't really know how to represent that in a name. In any case, I think it's safe to refer to him as either Loki Lie-Smith or Loki Silvertongue, as those are both names that refer to his skill with wordsmithing, and apply regardless of his position in the (main) cycle.

Anyways. Important things:
The Power of the Wolf - reference to Fenris (or the Fenris Wolf), Loki's son and one of his monstrous children. Prophecied to set off Ragnarok, so of course the Aesir as a whole chained him to a fucking rock, thus ensuring he had incentive when he finally breaks free.
The Power of Death - Hel was born with one half of her body beautiful and the other half dead and decaying. I worry that the cost of the boon will be mirroring her in appearance, much like Fenris' price is to mirror him in temprament.
The Power of Change - Loki's shapeshifting and Fire nature are actually (for Loki, at any rate) immense skill at the form of magecraft called Seidr - Women's magic. While in Norse cultures a man would be looked down on (or reviled) in most cases for using Seidr, well...it's called 'women's magic' for a reason. Loki had to learn his trade from ....whatsisname. Leader of the fire demons of Muspellheim... and lose the gifts of his birth form (the ice affinity of the Jotunn).

The weapons of might are fairly straightforward, all things considered.

The Armors - the Hood, in addition to being useful for skulking about unnoticed, could be used to increase our presence, be it on a battlefield or in council. Of course, that's a bit of a two-edged sword, since that presence comes from 'being more visible,' and will also make us more of a target for whatever form of attack is appropriate to the venue.

The Hauberk is, again, fairly straightforward. Loki's advice to get something else to wear (and more than one form of protection) is good advice. As is the warning that we'll stand out wearing it.

The Mantle is the classic mage's robe. Presumably we can wear armor under it once we acquire some.
 
Yeah... @Ferretshock takes the cake in the "who are we talking to" category, and I'm gonna throw it out right now that you guys have that bonus locked down solid. Good work, guys. @Cornix Argentus, honorable mention for pulling Surtr out of that hat, @Night_stalker, honorable mention for figuring out that the summoning circle here was originally for satanic purposes (presumably why chose Lucifer)
 
[X] Power of Change
[X] Heartwood Staff
[X] Mantle of Warmth


If we're going Mage build, let's go full Mage. The Mantle is at least Discreet, compared to the Haubrek. The Power of Change is worth it, and the Heartwood Staff may only be an amplifier and a weapon of war, but it's also a great big stick of wood. We've already demonstrated wondrous potential at beating the shit out of dudes with abbot of wood, having a Magical bit of wood to smack people with seems even better.

Avoid the Hauberk, people. It stands out too much, and is not able to defend against Everything. Merely any physical harm. And there are far, far worse things than physical harm in this world.
 
[X] Power of the Wolf
[X] Heartwood Staff
[X] Scarlet Hood

Stealth Feed-Kill Build. Time to go running around as that crazy person that comes out of nowhere to whack people over the head!

Gods tend to mess around with their servants too much, and I don't want to stay under their employ for more time than necessary.
 
Didn't think it was Loki, Lucifier was the 2nd one that came to mind.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellll...

I'm giving you credit for being close because you are technically correct- the circle (and ritual) is designed to summon Lucfer Shai'tan, NOT Loki, God of Fire. Thing is, diffrent cultist septs hold different things to be pure/impure, and this one puts fire as impure. Now, seeing as Lucifer's ritual requires pure things, unpure things, light, and a little of this, that, and destruction, they decided to double down and use the same fire twice. This resulted in fucking up the ritual, but not enough to royally screw the pooch (read: boom) and they got Loki instead.

If that didn't make sense, think of it this way: the cultists tried to call international and used the wrong country code, which got them Norway when they were aiming for Italy. Same phone number, but a screwup in the front end ruined the whole thing.

If we're going Mage build, let's go full Mage. The Mantle is at least Discreet, compared to the Haubrek. The Power of Change is worth it, and the Heartwood Staff may only be an amplifier and a weapon of war, but it's also a great big stick of wood. We've already demonstrated wondrous potential at beating the shit out of dudes with abbot of wood, having a Magical bit of wood to smack people with seems even better.

Avoid the Hauberk, people. It stands out too much, and is not able to defend against Everything. Merely any physical harm. And there are far, far worse things than physical harm in this world.


Hauberks are suprisingly not conspicuous for one, and for two there's a reason Loki described it as "Dwarven-wrought" because in Norse mytholgy that meant it was a-ok for one of the Æsir or Vanir to wear- in other words, literally god-tier equipment. Secondly, don't over-estimate the power of a mage build. None of the items actually grant magic power- they only amplify whatever's there.
 
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