Heimurn Chronicles (No, SV, you're a young valkyrie in the middle of a bizarre and dangerous journey)

Teloch · Aug 16, 2017

your team of lunatics so far

Lucifina (aka you, aka Lu, aka Lucy, aka Sparkling, aka Gosling)

Race: the new nameless humanoid species
Gender: Female
Age: biological - around 21 in human years; actual(?) - almost half a year (?).
Background: protege of a natural science scholar, unknown origins
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):
"Follow the white cat" - you have a moody guiding spirit at your side who can boost your spirit aspect advancement should you get on its better side (+1 spirit arcane charge point after passing hard charisma attribute check (18)), expect its occasional interference.

"No one is an island" - you get 1 + n bonus to all social influence skills and CHA rolls when applied to teammates, where n is the number of steps of the target's affection tier beyond neutral (applies to both positive and negative affection dimensions). Additionally, get +3 to the mentioned bonuses if Amalia is around and can provide quick advice. Passive effect: unearth more insights on followers.

"It's in my blood" - you get a permanent +1 bonus to Intelligence and +1 to arcane skill. Actions that train arcane aspects have a 1/6 chance to double the yields unless the base earning equals or exceeds one full level. You are more prone to magic-related actions and thoughts. You might find it harder to resist the allure of magic in some situations.

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	9		9	4
Constitution	16		16	11
Mobility	10	(+2 cond.)	10 (12 cond.)	5 (7 cond.)
Perception	11		11	6
Coordination	14		14	9
Micromotorics	13		13	8
Intellect	18(+1/3)		18	13
Wisdom	17		17	12
Charisma	20		20	15
Luck	4		4	4
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Dice bonus
Melee combat	1	4		5
Ranged combat	2			2
Arcane skill	7	7	(+1 cnd.day)	14 (15 cnd.day)
Defense	3	4	1 (+2 cnd.w.)	8 (10 cnd.w.)
Objects usage	2			2
Mounted combat	3			3
Willpower	7	1		8
Balance	2		(+2 cnd.w.)	2 (4 cnd.w.)
Sneaking	3			3
Reconnaissance	5	1		6
Persuasion	10	2		12
Intimidation	6			6
Haggle	7			7
Performance	8			8
Seduction	8			8
Geography lore	7	2		9
Nature lore	7	1		8
Arcane lore	7	5		12
Social and cultural lore	9	2		11
Craft lore	7	2		9
Lingual lore	9			9
Daily craft	6	2		8
Pharma and treatment	7	3		10
Weaponsmithing	4			4
Armorsmithing	6			6
Tailoring	7	2		9
Art	7			7
Artificery	6	1		7
Burglary	5			5
Huntsmanship	4			4
Alchemy	7			7
Sorcery	7			7

Flight and wing-related traits

Wings skill level	13
Flight mastery level	advanced
Normal speed	above average, can forcefully accelerate to considerably fast
Maximum range	considerably far, anywhere up to twenty-eight kilometers.
Maximum height	considerably high (up to 250 meters)
Maximum extra lifting weight	low (10 kg)
Balance	above average, withstands weather and can try to regain without landing
Launching surfaces	solid grounds
Air feats	diving, gliding, hovering, thrusting, basic aerial spellcasting
Land feats	dodge extra propulsion, posing, enhanced balance, enhanced surface acceleration, shielding with wings

#1) Thaumaturgy level 7 (6/7 to level 8):

You can sense the activity of the entropic aspects within ~1000 meters radius, and unusual concentration/malfunction of other aspects within ~200 meters radius.
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to constitution
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to wisdom
You regain mental strengths a little bit faster during the daytime.
Using thaumaturgy during the daytime requires less mental and physical effort.,
You can allegedly see prophetic dreams
You can temporarily nullify magic in ~30 meters radius or in a 45 meters-long 30' cone a few times a day, or emit an anti-magic field up to ~15 meters radius a few times a day.
you can temporarily amplify the aspects power around you once a day
you can temporarily amplify or suppress the aspects power of a target up to two times a day
You can try to scan surrounding areas for traces of planar breaching with very high odds to succeed and sense the short residue of extraplanar entities.
You can conjure light on the basic level (sparks, flashes, rays)
You can shape light on the basic level (flash explosions, molding into orbs, luminal barriers, luminal domes, wedges of solidified light, sparks strike)
You passively gain +1 to arcane skill when exposed to the sun but also get -1 to arcane skill at night AND in dark places.

#2) Spirit level 7:

You are able of an advanced Nether-realm vision
You can assess the memory traces of objects and entities via nether-realm vision and tactile contact
You can sense soul sparks in ~75 meters radius
You can sense the sparks of the living, undead, minor spiritual beings, bound spirits, phantasms, genius loci, and some other spirits
You can sense concentrations of the Limbus energies, the thickness of the barrier, and traces of spirits from the material plane
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to perception
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to wisdom
You can scan the target's soul characteristics and receive advanced-depth results
You can try to smite a spirit
You can try to disperse a spirit
You can try to temporarily bind or scare off a singular lesser spiritual being
You can communicate with discovered spiritual beings

#3) ~Open affinity slot~

Your journal, a comfortable set of clothes, a plain dress, a custom-made set of lightened composite armor, an arming sword ("Holly"), a high-quality rondel ("Mercy"), a decorative blue ribbon, a silver necktie with a bounded spirit, superb leather harness.

Capable of crudely repairing clothes, making basic tailoring items like belts and patches, and producing low-effort/cost items like stuffed toys. Capable of applying first aid to prevent bleeding. Knows how to make and disinfect bandageware.

Ulren Kyres (aka Ren, aka Mountain boy)

Race: Bhiroth
Gender: Male
Age: 68
Background: mercenary, former soldier, outcast
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):
"Not on my watch, not again" - shields Lucy from considerable harm in combat situations at own expense.

"I promise you that" - when in the same group as Lucifina, will make the second set of saving rolls to avoid critical health conditions.

"Odd kind of friendship" - when Ulren and Sephorah are fighting crowd-controllable enemies (not giants, flying creatures, etc.) in the same team, the one who makes the lowest total offensive or defensive score out of two can reroll that offensive or defensive roll set (only the highest score counts).

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	21	+1	22	17
Constitution	21	+1	22	17
Mobility	14	-1	13	8
Perception	12		12	7
Coordination	15		15	10
Micromotorics	13		13	8
Intellect	14		14	9
Wisdom	18		18	13
Charisma	9		9	4
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	9	9		18
Ranged combat	5	5		10
Arcane skill	6			6
Defense	10	10		20
Objects usage	6	3		9
Mounted combat	8			8
Willpower	6		-3	3
Balance	7			7
Sneaking	4		-5	-1
Reconnaissance	5	4		9
Persuasion	4			4
Intimidation	9			9
Haggle	3			3
Performance	3			3
Seduction	5			5
Geography lore	6	5		11
Nature lore	6	3		9
Arcane lore	6			6
Social and cultural lore	5			5
Craft lore	6	6		12
Lingual lore	5			5
Daily craft	6	4		10
Pharma and treatment	5	2		7
Weaponsmithing	6	6		12
Armorsmithing	6	6		12
Tailoring	3			3
Art	4			4
Artificery	5	7		12
Burglary	4			4
Huntsmanship	5	2		7
Alchemy	6			6
Sorcery	6			6

Unknown, but he demonstrated feats of great balance, stability, and hardiness. Perhaps, he might have an undiscovered arcane aspect bound.

A very worn half-plate armor set, worn set of clothes, a glaive, mechanical mace with spare heads, heater shield, hand crossbow, one quiver of bolts, enchanted amulet (+1 STR +1 CON - MOB)

Semi-proficient in the daily craft. Adept in smithing (martial-level weapons and armor). Proficient in artificiery (lesser contraptions). Expert in picking/maintaining war gear, and capable of minor mechanical upgrades of such. Knows the basics of hunting and skinning.

Sephorah of house Terphor (aka Seph, aka Sephie, aka Princess)

Race: Daeva
Gender: Female
Age: Adult
Background: Rosaline's agent, former slave, voluntary expatriate.
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):

"Odd kind of friendship" - when Ulren and Sephorah are fighting crowd-controllable enemies (not giants, flying creatures, etc.) in the same team, the one who makes the lowest total offensive or defensive score out of two can reroll that offensive or defensive roll set (only the highest score counts).

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	15		15	10
Constitution	15		15	10
Mobility	16		16	11
Perception	14		14	9
Coordination	18		18	13
Micromotorics	12		12	7
Intellect	14		14	9
Wisdom	12		12	7
Charisma	18		18	13
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	7	6	1	14
Ranged combat	4			4
Arcane skill	4			4
Defense	6	5	2	13
Objects usage	4	5		9
Mounted combat	7			7
Willpower	4			4
Balance	8	8		16
Sneaking	7	8		15
Reconnaissance	4	4		8
Persuasion	6	5		11
Intimidation	7			7
Haggle	6	2		8
Performance	6	7		13
Seduction	8	7		15
Geography lore	4			4
Nature lore	4			4
Arcane lore	4			4
Social and cultural lore	5	6		11
Craft lore	3			3
Lingual lore	5			5
Daily craft	3	2		5
Pharma and treatment	4			4
Weaponsmithing	4			4
Armorsmithing	4			4
Tailoring	5			5
Art	5			5
Artificery	3			3
Burglary	4	6		10
Huntsmanship	6			6
Alchemy	4			4
Sorcery	4			4

Unknown if any. No signs of her having seeds of arcane aspects bound so far.

A set of clothes and undergarments, a superb set of compositive medium armor (manticore materials), a superb leather harness for bags and tools, a qualitative longsword "Ember", a parrying dagger, a quiver of tossing knives, a kit with burglar's tools.

You suspect she's incapable of legal manual labor aside from the bare basics of daily routines.

Karl Norskov (aka Mage, aka 'that' mage)

Race: Human (unknown heritage)
Gender: Male
Age: appears to be in the late thirties to early forties
Background: elementalist mage, major arcane enthusiast, disowned son of a noble family.
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):

"Old habits die hard" - when making an offensive arcane skill roll in combat and getting less or equal to four, reroll it (only the highest score counts). This perk also applies to combat rounds where Karl makes an arcane skill roll only for the defensive score.

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	11		11	6
Constitution	11		11	6
Mobility	11		11	6
Perception	13		13	8
Coordination	10		10	5
Micromotorics	16		16	11
Intellect	20		20	15
Wisdom	16		16	11
Charisma	14		14	9
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	1			1
Ranged combat	4			4
Arcane skill	8	9		17
Defense	1	2		3
Objects usage	5	5		10
Mounted combat	2			2
Willpower	7	6	-2	11
Balance	1			1
Sneaking	2			2
Reconnaissance	6			6
Persuation	7			7
Intimidation	2			2
Haggle	5	1		6
Performance	6			6
Seduction	3			3
Geography lore	7			7
Nature lore	7			7
Arcane lore	7	9		16
Social and cultural lore	8	5		13
Craft lore	8			8
Lingual lore	8	7		15
Daily craft	8			8
Pharma and treatment	9			9
Weaponsmithing	7			7
Armorsmithing	7			7
Tailorng	8			8
Art	6			6
Artificery	8			8
Burglary	7			7
Huntsmanship	3			3
Alchemy	9			9
Sorcery	8	3		11

#1) Conflagration and radiation level 7:

You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to strength.
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to intellect.
Your casting in dry weather or nearby fire sources amplifies pyromancy.
You can regain mental strengths faster near the heat sources.
You can sense and read the heat sources in a vast area.
You can channel the arcane powers to temporarily amplify own physical strength.
Your spellcasting uses both mental and physical strengths or the varying proportions of such.
You can temporarily infuse objects (including tools and weapons) with pyromancy powers.
You can conjure heat on the intermediate level (sufficient to melt iron)
You can suppress and channel heat on the intermediate level (rays, waves, charges, orbs, tactile)
You passively gain +1 to arcane skill for every 3 points of STR above 10. This trait also applies -1 penalty to arcane skill for every 2 points of STR below 10. Does not apply in the case of arcane self-empowerment.

A worn set of travel clothes, a backpack, a grimoire (or a diary), an old pocket chornometer with a chain, an intricate smoking pipe

None you know about

Amalia Brant (aka Lia)

Race: Human (Eastlander)
Gender: Female
Age: Young adult
Background: Former maidservant
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):
"Shipper on deck" - +3 To all social skill rolls against the companions with positive affection levels (neutrality affection level excluded). If previously gossiped with about other characters that she knows, can provide a one-time boost of +3 to all types of social interaction skill rolls to the requester.

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	12		12	7
Constitution	15		15	10
Mobility	11		11	6
Perception	16		16	11
Coordination	12		12	7
Micromotorics	18		18	13
Intellect	12		12	7
Wisdom	20		20	15
Charisma	11		11	6
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	2			2
Ranged combat	7	3		10
Arcane skill	5			5
Defense	4	1		5
Objects usage	7	3		10
Mounted combat	4			4
Willpower	8	3		11
Balance	2			2
Sneaking	4			4
Reconnaissance	7			7
Persuasion	5			5
Intimidation	4			4
Haggle	5	4		9
Performance	6			6
Seduction	3			3
Geography lore	8	2		10
Nature lore	8			8
Arcane lore	8			8
Social and cultural lore	6	2		8
Craft lore	8	3		11
Lingual lore	6			6
Daily craft	8	10		18
Pharma and treatment	7			7
Weaponsmithing	6			6
Armorsmithing	6			6
Tailoring	5	9		14
Art	7	3		10
Artificery	8			8
Burglary	7			7
Huntsmanship	7			7
Alchemy	7			7
Sorcery	6			6

Uknown if any

Leather camisole of fair quality, compositive crossbow, a quiver of bolts, a bag of small tools, a rucksack, a set of road clothes, a plain cloak, a knife, a belt water bag.

Master of daily craft and inventory management. Fairly good cook (specializes in fried snacks) and knows how to correctly ration different foods. Good tailor, capable of qualitative repair of clothes and production of professional effort/materials goods like suits and dresses. Her designs lean towards practicality rather than fanciness.

Isaac

Race: Human (unknown heritage)
Gender: Male
Age: Young adult
Background: Healer apprentice
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):
"We are of one blood" - Any non-hostile actions towards animals or beast folk have +4 bonus to attributes or skill rolls. Can use WIS instead of CHA for interactions with animals and beast folk (aka empathetic approach).

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	13		13	8
Constitution	15		15	10
Mobility	12		12	7
Perception	14		14	9
Coordination	10		10	5
Micromotorics	17		17	12
Intellect	15		15	10
Wisdom	14		14	9
Charisma	7		7	2
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	2		-5	-3
Ranged combat	5		-5	0
Arcane skill	6	6		12
Defense	4	1		5
Objects usage	6		-5	1
Mounted combat	3		-7	-4
Willpower	5	7		12
Balance	2			2
Sneaking	2			2
Reconnaissance	5			5
Persuasion	1			1
Intimidation	3			3
Haggle	1			1
Performance	2			2
Seduction	1			1
Geography lore	5			5
Nature lore	5	2		7
Arcane lore	5	5		10
Social and cultural lore	3			3
Craft lore	6			6
Lingual lore	3			3
Daily craft	6	3		9
Pharma and treatment	6	7		13
Weaponsmithing	6			6
Armorsmithing	7			7
Tailoring	5			5
Art	4			4
Artificery	7			7
Burglary	7			7
Huntsmanship	3			3
Alchemy	6			6
Sorcery	5			5

#1) Body level 5:

You can sense breathing and blood pulse of living entities in ~100 meters radius.
You gain the permanent +1 bonus to constitution.
You gain the permanent +1 bonus to charisma
You can scan the detailed physiological state of a target in many details including sicknesses, inflammations, as well as the state of physical integrity.
You can make an attempt for a minuscule boost of the physical performance of oneself or a target at the cost of own mental strengths.
You can accelerate the metabolism (and so, often times, the recovery from ailments or traumas) of living creatures at the cost of own mental and physical strengths.
You can try to numb the minor pain of a target living creature at the cost of both mental and physical strengths or share it with yourself with the low transference loss ratio

A robe with a hood, a bag with bandages and medications, an old iron amulet, a belt with tincures

Good at applying and synthesizing remedies. Capable of providing first and complex medical aid. Has some skills in inventory management.

Jorgen Ostgard (aka Jory, aka Craven)

Race: Human (Lyflander?)
Gender: Male
Age: Young adult
Background: Alchemist assistant
Status: Healthy


Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	11		11	6
Constitution	11		11	6
Mobility	12		12	7
Perception	18		18	13
Coordination	12		12	7
Micromotorics	15		15	10
Intellect	16		16	11
Wisdom	13		13	8
Charisma	9		9	4
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	2			2
Ranged combat	6	1		7
Arcane skill	5			5
Defense	2			2
Objects usage	6	4		10
Mounted combat	3			3
Willpower	6			6
Balance	2			2
Sneaking	5	4		9
Reconnaissance	7	5		12
Persuation	2			2
Intimidation	1			1
Haggle	3			3
Performance	2			2
Seduction	1			1
Geography lore	6			6
Nature lore	6	4		10
Arcane lore	6	3		9
Social and cultural lore	4			4
Craft lore	5	6		11
Lingual lore	4			4
Daily craft	5	3		8
Pharma and treatment	6			6
Weaponsmithing	5			5
Armorsmithing	5			5
Tailoring	5			5
Art	3			3
Artificery	6			6
Burglary	7			7
Huntsmanship	6			6
Alchemy	6	6		12
Sorcery	6			6

Unknown if any

A robe with a hood, a traveling cane, a bag with small instruments, a belt with glasses, a rucksack

Good at synthesizing remedies or other compounds from both organic and inorganic ingredients. Fairly good at understanding how chemistry works and has an eye for experimentation. Capable of locating and recognizing substances. Has basic skills in inventory management and knows a thing or two about craftworks.

General condition: High morale, everyone's healthy, two weeks worth of food supplies, sufficiently-budgeted, low on alchemic reagents.
Money: 1081 Talers
Food: 82 food units (9 full days of sustenance on Bloom 28)
Food consumption: 8.5 food units per day

Lucifina - 1
Ulren - 2
Sephorah - 1.5
Karl - 1
Amalia - 1
Isaac -1
Jory - 1
Mount(s) - n/a (pasturing season)

Medication: 5 medicine units
Alchemy stash: 4 reagent units, 5 blank alchemical basis compounds (crafting boosters & subsidizes)

Free stash space: up to 130 kg

1 Incindiary bomb (great)
1 Regeneration potion (superb)
1 Regeneration potion (weak)
1 Stimulator/painkiller potion (weak)
1 Potion of momentum (Temp: +3 STR +3 SPD +3 COOR - 1 INT - 1 WIS - 1 CHA) (standard)

A bundle of books from Dalgaard's library, Yvie's ulchaar (Morinth's parcel)

Mounts: 1 workhorse (Softie)
Team's reputation:
Kheree hunters (Tevon-Talab militia) - CELEBRATED
The Lyf Kingdom (Lyflanders) - WELCOMED
Eastern Freelanders (Baathorians) - CELEBRATED
Central Freelanders (Tevons) - UNKNOWN
Western Freelanders (Ertanghalians) - UNKNOWN
Nyth-Rhathon (Bhiroths) - UNKNOWN?
Olfadir (Westlanders) - UNKNOWN?

Ship-o-meter

Lucifina

Ulren

Sephorah

Karl

Amalia

Isaac

Jorgen

Lucifina

X

Devotion (96)

Comradery (82)

Amiability (12)

Friendship (70)

Sympathy (44)

Neutrality (10)

Ulren

Devotion (96)

X

Friendship (58)

Amiability (13)

Sympathy (38)

Amiability (20)

Neutrality (4)

Sephorah

Comradery (82)

Friendship (58)

X

Suspicion (-11)

Sympathy (34)

Amiability (16)

Neutrality (0)

Karl

Amiability (12)

Amiability (13)

Suspicion (-11)

X

Neutrality (9)

Amiability (13)

Amiability (14)

Amalia

Friendship (70)

Sympathy (38)

Sympathy (34)

Neutrality (9)

X

Sympathy (47)

Sympathy (32)

Isaac

Sympathy (44)

Amiability (20)

Amiability (16)

Amiability (13)

Sympathy (47)

X

Friendship (51)

Jorgen

Neutrality (10)

Neutrality (4)

Neutrality (0)

Amiability (14)

Sympathy (32)

Friendship (51)

X

Tier	Relative numeric scale	Description
Devotion	91 to 100	You would likely self-sacrifice for each other if necessary
Comradery	71 to 90	You are deeply loyal to each other
Friendship	51 to 70	You have each other's trust
Sympathy	31 to 50	You have common interests, views, or simply find each other nice
Amiability	11 to 30	You are polite and good-willing toward each other
Neutrality	-10 to 10	You are strangers or largely indifferent towards each other
Suspicion	-11 to -30	You question each other's views and values
Distaste	-31 to -50	You avoid and distrust each other, but remain rational
Intolerance	-51 to -70	You dislike and disrespect each other
Scorn	-71 to -90	You avert and loathe each other, even if irrationally
Hatred	-91 to -100	You are at each other's throats

Teloch · May 16, 2018

Since only @Lazy Minx and @Enthusiast#117 voted on the next regular side story, they determined the POV.
It will come next later this week.

Mother Nyx · May 16, 2018

Thank. <3

Mother Nyx · May 16, 2018

Teloch said:
Another Ulren but of cute looks, of the opposite gender and different race, with a bad@$$ hawk, and very conservative views on diversity.

I am sold.

[X] Scarlet might be a better fit. Even if flawed, she might have the right qualities for the task.

Teloch · May 16, 2018

Lazy Minx said:
I am sold.

It would be ridiculous if in the resulted party of crazies Big U would be the only male.
... I can almost start feel pity for him

Mother Nyx · May 16, 2018

Teloch said:
It would be ridiculous if in the resulted party of crazies Big U would be the only male.
... I can almost start feel pity for him

Lmao, he seems like such an awkward duck in social situations as it is. Let's make it harder for him.

angelofwhim · May 16, 2018

[X] Scarlet might be a better fit. Even if flawed, she might have the right qualities for the task.

I am scammed.

Teloch · May 21, 2018

Winter frost bites your ashen blue face and lashes your limbs. You never imagined that people can live in such cold places, and you barely fathom how can life exist even further to the North. Here, far away from your arid homeland and it's splendorous megacity of Bael, you can only shiver and fend off the chill with the wine gifted to you by the person whom you suspected to be in league with your former pursuer. You catch a random notion of how things tend to go strange whenever that winged girl is involved. You thought that the brute that chased you all the way here decided not to pursue you because he came across the much more exotic 'haul', which he could turn in for a better coin, but you never expected him to be a friend of a local highborn who actually sheltered this outlandish creature for the allegedly noble purposes. At least the girl - Lucifina - didn't show any signs of being mistreated or groomed into one of the slave roles that you assumed to be her destination. You made an assumption about the circumstances surrounding the pursuer and the girl for the second time and, just as the first one, it proved wrong. This encounter, however, went on better terms than the previous one. But enough of this thought for now! You need to get to the shelter and to see what kind of a message that crafty scholar wrote you on the back of the label tied to the bottle.

Wrapping tighter into the recently retrieved cloak that Ulren 'borrowed' to prevent Lucifina from freezing during the incident on the frozen moat, you head through the cobblestone-layered streets, observing the dualistic but nevertheless familiar scene of your 'fellow' refugees hurdling together in hopes of not freezing in the wake of the night while the celebrant echoes of merriment are audible from behind the light-lit windows above them. Ironic. Almost six years ago you - the younger, naїve, and at the time innocent version of yourself - left your family and your homeland - the obsidian city of Bael and its many slopes and gardens. You hoped to flee the reality of the drastic inequality between the squabbing aristocratic families, perpetually plotting and scheming sorcerers lodge, aspiring (if not a tad bit desperate) social climbers from the middle-class houses, and everyone at the bottom, trying to make the ends meet. You fled from the promise of being softly forced to live the life your house determined for you, continuing it's 'trade' and thus raising its prestige along with your many siblings. You fled into the unknown, driven by the dream of making a life for yourself - not let the society to dictate. This dream died along the way after you found yourself enslaved and forced to lead the life akin to the one you fled from, but in much, much worse conditions and with even fewer liberties. Then, after years of servitude, a moment of emancipation followed by the hope for a fresh beginning crushed by the circumstances, the self-forgetting thrill of vengeance continued with the desperate months of pursuit, you found yourself in the painfully alike situation to which you started from - destitute and nameless, in a place divided on sybaritic tops, protecting the favourable status-quo, and the countless lows, left behind to be washed away by the storms of life.

Many of your more conservative Daeva kinsmen believe in a deity called Maat - the primordial mother of the night sky, chaos, fates, possibilities, and new life. It is believed that she bestows newborns to their earthly mothers by writing the life-poems of the former. You have never been a religious person, especially in relation to the official cult of your people, but the thought of Maat writing your life-poem as a tragicomedy sounded like a rather fitting explanation. You might have even complimented the subtle but devastating irony this b!tch mastered, should it only be not your life serving as a canvas.

Struggling against the fastly growing swarm of thoughts and memories that you disturbed with your broodings, you make your way to a tavern which became your (very) temporal headquarters. Like a phantom you enter its hall, not stopping to take your place at a table or to nestle yourself at the bar counter. You move through the hall to the staff quarters, ignoring the musicians playing something akin to the local variation of the "Mountaineer's Song". As you pass the local mascot - the dummy of a big black warg standing on its back legs and holding an empty bottle, from which it presumably 'drinks' with the front ones - you sense all the wary, curious, and even lustful gazes of the local drunkards, shady types having their 'business meetings', shitty husbands hiding from their miserable wives, and unbearded lads hoping to get their chance at pinching, or even slapping a barmaid or two, boasting of how manly they are after this type of 'heroics'. Among all these stares, you see the bartender and the owner of this place registering your arrival with a slight nod. You nod in return and like a ghost slip from the hall to a room that, judging by the smell, is the place where the tavern personnel keep their VIP patrons (translates as "too rich and influential to toss their dead-drunk mugs in the gutter outside") overnight. Not a room you would like to spend a night in, but the one the owner agreed to give you out of charge after you came in search for any job but ended up pacifying a local debaucher (translates as "placing a few bruises, breaking a hand in an elbow, and crushing whatever was hidden under the belt") who'd been harassing the tavern wenches and scaring off customers.

With a light sigh, you close the doors, concealing yourself in an intimate atmosphere created by a stained mattress, a single wall locker, and the persistent alcoholic hazes left by the previous person who had to spend a night in this booth. With a forceful shake you take off those old boots of yours - the footwear you grew to love (because the substitutes are hardly available) and hate (because you had to modify them according to the difference in feet anatomy between Daevas and Landers, which still resulted in tiring and somewhat painful usage). Your feet hurt, your belly is almost empty, you have no coin or a decent way to get it, but at least your raid yielded some results, even if unexpectable. As you place the bottle Dalgaard gifted you with at the floor, you reach to the label that accompanied it before you hid it in the pocket. Predictably, you found a message written on its back side. Surprisingly, it was written in clean, nigh-perfect Old Kathran weave - the language of your people. Amused, you tilt your head slightly and read to it.

"Dear Sephorah. Of all people, you must know about the limitations of different classes and why I am not in the position to communicate with you openly, even if I might understand the circumstances that led you to this point and share some of your views on societies issues. However, now knowing about your role in bringing my guests to me in one piece, I would like to extend my gratitude by offering you a prospect beneficial to us both.

You are already informed about the peculiarities of my recent protegee - something that may draw the unwanted attention of third parties. After seeing you personally and hearing about your 'skillset', I'm offering you a job of keeping others from breaking through my windows as well as carrying out other errands that involve information procurement and handling.

There is a tavern in Kirhol called "The Heimar's Rest". If the prospect that I am offering you strikes your fancy, pay it a visit and order some Ignesse's brandy. The owner will know what to do"

After about twenty seconds of considerations and analyzing, you lips curve in a smile - something that hadn't happened to you for months until this day, and you come up with three conclusions: this Rose has thorns indeed, it appears that the issues of the empty stomach and barely usable footwear would soon fade, and if Maat exists, she definitely prefer to write multi-chaptered romances over novels, as your own story is on the verge of breaking into a new chapter. For better or worse? Time will tell.

Teloch · May 21, 2018

I assume the voting time is out for now, which means the

veekie said:
Plan Gifts For All!

wins. Lucy will soon be able to annoy the new person bearing the silly name Lodric (or, maybe, vice-versa), and I need you to roll five d20 rolls: three for charisma, one for perception, and one for tailoring respectively.

Spear · May 21, 2018

Well, here we go!

Edit: I got a whammy ;-;

Sirapthy · May 21, 2018

Rolling for tailoring

Edit: The Dice gods are cruel today.

Teloch · May 21, 2018

Damn, the rolling sessions in this thread are most amusing.
Waiting for two more charisma rolls and one perception roll

Zaealix · May 21, 2018

Screw it, let's risk it for a biscuit!
Edit: accidentally rolled that second die, hopefully it will count?

Teloch · May 21, 2018

10+1 (CHA I), 10+9 (CHA II), 10+15 (CHA III), 1+X (PER), 6+3 (Tailoring)

One roll left :3

Yanez · May 21, 2018

Rolling for perception...

Edit: Love the crazy discrepancy in results!

Teloch · May 21, 2018

CHA: 11 (Very easy), 19 (Hard), 25 (Epic)
PER: 18 (Hard)
Tailoring: 9 (Elementary)

Most of these rolls were to determine the 'sauce'; one of them was actually impactful. And you actually passed it

Now, I can start writing, trying not to make another ~6k words sheet.

PS: media share!

Mother Nyx · May 21, 2018

Thank the goddess we have those +10's on Charisma, lmao.

Teloch · May 21, 2018

Lazy Minx said:
Thank the goddess we have those +10's on Charisma, lmao.

Well, that's what attributes and skills are for: to subdue the wild RNG

Still, that 11 score isn't that good.

Mother Nyx · May 27, 2018

I hope that scheming you're doing is the good kind.

Teloch · May 28, 2018

Actually, I've already planned out the next update and began to write it. Takes some time tho as I'm acclimating to the new remote job I've got that features shifts from 14:00 to 23:00. Feels somewhat odd for a number of reasons.

Also, thinking of how to avoid writing a 6k words bed sheet.

Teloch · Jun 5, 2018

Again had the template erased. Bruh.
I feel like starting using google docs for writing.

Teloch · Jun 11, 2018

So, my boss is being a lil bit distracted, I'm kinda not entirely slacking my job right now while going for the third attempt at writing the next update, there is like 2270 words written and it is ~38% of what I plan to put in, and my playlist is haunted with this

Really, I'm starting to envy those who manage to compress their updates in <2k words format

Teloch · Jun 13, 2018

Oof.
Second scene - V
Sittin at 4k
One interlude and one scene ahead.
Sorry for keeping you wait >__< ETA 1-2 days

Mother Nyx · Jun 13, 2018

I await the update with bated breath.

Teloch · Jun 13, 2018

Lazy Minx said:
I await the update with bated breath.

A tiiiiny spoiler: some dialogs and earlier choices.

Teloch · Jun 19, 2018

6k >__<

About 2-3 landscape paragraphs and one short dialog left (aka 1000 more at tops)

If not around this midnight by UTC, then around next midday by the very same UTC

Heimurn Chronicles (No, SV, you're a young valkyrie in the middle of a bizarre and dangerous journey)

Who is the bae? (Yes, we know that it's Lucy, but still - who's your favorite character)

Ulren, because he's a big bro I never had

Sephorah, because of the floor-chair-face dance

Karl, because smug

Amalia, because a cinnamon roll determinator

Isaac, because kuudere

Jory, becuase...

Rosaline, because I miss her

Mia (the ghost cat), because smug^2

Dunno - I need more party members

Dunno - I want more character interactions

Dunno - Where are the shipping battles, QM?

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