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

Sib · Mar 19, 2020

[X] Party's course of action
-[X] Evacuate now with whatever you managed to pack up (individual mobility rolls and luck rolls for 5 team's average score (4 difficulty already subtracted due to the mount yet again salvaged last round. Lucifina is immune to failure due to the flight capacity; in case of her insufficient roll, the score will be dropped out of the average)

Genesys · Mar 19, 2020

[X] Party's course of action
-[X] Evacuate now with whatever you managed to pack up (individual mobility rolls and luck rolls for 5 team's average score (4 difficulty already subtracted due to the mount yet again salvaged last round. Lucifina is immune to failure due to the flight capacity; in case of her insufficient roll, the score will be dropped out of the average)
Trying to get the tent's probably not worth it at the current DC, so pull out yeah.

uiopion · Mar 19, 2020

Huh basically no one is packing much mobility. Regardless, we're fairly likely to meet the average (99.9%) . If we had failed the horse, still would have been reasonable successful 1

[X] Party's course of action
-[X] Evacuate now with whatever you managed to pack up (individual mobility rolls and luck rolls for 5 team's average score (4 difficulty already subtracted due to the mount yet again salvaged last round. Lucifina is immune to failure due to the flight capacity; in case of her insufficient roll, the score will be dropped out of the average)

For reference, fighting on for that last tent is 34.6% with the same assumptions as last time 2

Varano · Mar 19, 2020

[X] Party's course of action
-[X] Evacuate now with whatever you managed to pack up (individual mobility rolls and luck rolls for 5 team's average score (4 difficulty already subtracted due to the mount yet again salvaged last round. Lucifina is immune to failure due to the flight capacity; in case of her insufficient roll, the score will be dropped out of the average)

Varder · Mar 19, 2020

uiopion said:
Huh basically no one is packing much mobility

Why? Lucy is at +2, Ulren +1, Seph +4, Karl -1, two +0s and lastly -1. We've decent mobility among the group.

Btw, @Teloch do you plan to update char sheet? Or is it still up-to-date?

Teloch · Mar 19, 2020

Varder said:
Btw, @Teloch do you plan to update char sheet? Or is it still up-to-date?

'tis be updated after the next one, which would be rather big, btw.

Raptor580 · Mar 19, 2020

[X] Party's course of action
-[X] Evacuate now with whatever you managed to pack up (individual mobility rolls and luck rolls for 5 team's average score (4 difficulty already subtracted due to the mount yet again salvaged last round. Lucifina is immune to failure due to the flight capacity; in case of her insufficient roll, the score will be dropped out of the average)

uiopion · Mar 19, 2020

Varder said:
Why? Lucy is at +2, Ulren +1, Seph +4, Karl -1, two +0s and lastly -1. We've decent mobility among the group.

Btw, @Teloch do you plan to update char sheet? Or is it still up-to-date?

Well, it's literally the lowest across the entire group with the exception of CHA (due to Jory packing a -8) with a total of 8 including our +2 conditional. Next lowest is STR totaling 13.

veekie · Mar 19, 2020

[X] Party's course of action
-[X] Evacuate now with whatever you managed to pack up (individual mobility rolls and luck rolls for 5 team's average score (4 difficulty already subtracted due to the mount yet again salvaged last round. Lucifina is immune to failure due to the flight capacity; in case of her insufficient roll, the score will be dropped out of the average)

EternalObserver · Mar 19, 2020

[X] Party's course of action
-[X] Evacuate now with whatever you managed to pack up (individual mobility rolls and luck rolls for 5 team's average score (4 difficulty already subtracted due to the mount yet again salvaged last round. Lucifina is immune to failure due to the flight capacity; in case of her insufficient roll, the score will be dropped out of the average)

Teloch · Mar 20, 2020

Alrighty then, all the regulars are done, so it is high time to roll.

(7+16+24+0+11+9+14)/7 = 11 (tail down)

Seems like no one dies for now, and the gods of random are quite helpful in furnishing updates with details. Karl gonna have a hard time (oof) and Isaac... eeeh, you'll see.

Varder · Mar 20, 2020

Seph carry us.

Teloch · Mar 20, 2020

A'ight den, starting to draft.
Also, I've added a fresh poll just for amusement. Don't shy away from discussing characters if you are so inclined, though.

Teloch · Mar 22, 2020

The sight of a titanic essence made out of otherwordly flame who was splitting onto the lesser apparitions, whose very first action was to charge in your direction, provided Amalia's argument with enough weight for everyone to take it as an order. While the Ulren and Karl attempted to make the last push before disengaging, Jory and the rest of the support crew prepared the rucksacks for taking and hoisted the cargo onto the mount, which was all too eager to make a run for its equine life. The speed with which Amalia wrapped up the baggage, Sephorah grabbed her share of the loot, and Karl ignited fresh torches for the rest of the groupmates indicated that no one was willing to take any additional risks, and certainly not for something as trivial as a tent.

The retreat kicked off as a bit chaotic due to the persistence of the waves of voidlings, the ever-present darkness barely scattered by individual torches, and the sudden emergence of the thin watery tide under your feet. Jory, Amalia, and Sephorah were the first ones to take the helm, leading out your poor scared horse and illuminating the path forward. Ulren, swinging his glaive at the stubbornly advancing monstrosities, waited out until you, Karl, And Isaac would grab your shares of the bearings and make some distance. A bit after, he started off as well, outrunning and rotating positions with Sephorah in order to counter the threats emerging from the flanks of the ensued column that was moving as far as possible from the blazing emanation.

And those threats were plenty indeed. Clouds of fog, spawning the spirits of those who died during the last day of now-spectral settlement, purposefully obstructing your way out, lest Karl's waning pyromancy dispersed them. New debris constructs were growing scarce the more distance you made from the epicenter of this demonic debauchery. However, this little boon was compensated by the vanguard of the cyan-blazing confluxes shortening the gap and their "mother entity" starting in your direction as well, crawling on its gigantic "hands." The horse-ish bone golems were also trying to slow down the advance of your group via attempts at charging, which you could only counter by yelling out the expected assault directions to Ulren, so he was able to position his glaive precisely enough to turn around the mass and inertia of the undead against them. Regardless, the progress of your group in absolute measurements was obstructed by the anomaly's conscious will to thwart your escape, as if it (or they) saw you as the perpetrators of the slaughter that imprinted all the wickedness of that tragic event into both Limbus and overworld. But even though there were no apparent signs of approaching salvation, your group pushed forth, whipped up by the unspoken fear of being reached by the living titanic blaze.

At one moment, the crisis spiked as you sensed Karl's soul spark falling behind the group. After a second's fracture of consideration, despite the inherent fear of jeopardizing yourself in exchange for investigating the cause of the crisis, you turned back only to see in the dim light of your torch the mage on the ground. Although, it would be more precise to say he was waist-deep in the water that should not have been there in the first place, not even mentioning being deep enough to engulf a lower half of a grown-up man. With no thinking, you pulled Karl by the sparse clothes he managed to pull on himself upon the rough awakening. Not without the help of your wings that gave you some reverse propulsion, you dragged him off the "pit" just in time before what seemed like a dozen pale humanoid hands emerged from the tide and swing in an attempt to pull their prey-to-be under the black surface. The tired and injured, even from before this misfortunate event, Karl could no longer keep up with the rest.

"Someone help! Karl is down!" You yelled out at the peak of your lungs' capacities, simultaneously trying to drag the man away from the expanding tide that nearly engulfed him and the approaching line of the cyan-flame entities. Your strengths were insufficient to drag him alone, and your arcane powers haven't replenished enough for at least a single anti-aspect burst. The crisis, however, was averted by Isaac, who was running just a bit ahead of you and was the first one to hear your call, and by Sephorah, who - still as wild-eyed as during the fight - rushed in to resolve the situation. Both of them grabbed faltered Karl from your hands and then dragged him with such speed that you could not offer your shoulder even if you wanted to, which led you to switch the flank keeper's role with Sephorah.

Yet, in a matter a painfully long minute of desperate run, your surroundings began to change, gaining the strokes of moonlight reflected from Baudur - the faint sign of hope everyone craved for. At this same time, the multiple murmurs and whispers which never stopped in your head merged into a choir of furious roar. But you and everyone else heeded not to it - the deep-rooted instinct of survival pushed you away from the cursed zone in the same manner animals would run for cover away from the approaching storm; you were already too scared to be paralyzed, shocked, or chained down by exhaustion. In the last-ditch effort, you all sprinted up a sloping hill, continuing to run for a bit even after conquering the height. When you amassed in a group yet again, still holding to a few of the torches that survived the wild chase, you mustered enough courage to look back.

About two hundred steps behind you, down in the valley which you fled, you could only see a massive cloud of impenetrable darkness. It was distinguishable even in the limited nightly illumination, occupying almost the entire hollow of the valley, and reaching up into the skies higher than any tower or a spire you ever saw. As you all stared back and tried to recover breaths, the anomaly's foggy reach that was closest to you flared up in the cyan flames that chased you. The fire failed to breach the perimeter of darkness, but in a couple of seconds of their dispersion against the invisible wall left a lasting impression as a parting gift. You were not the only one to be taken aback by this final burst.

Your group continued to stare back for a few more moments before showing the first signs of recovery from the shock. The first one to react was Sephorah - she aimed down her sword like some walking wand and slowly slumped on her knees, still hyperventilating and shivering like a lonely leaf on a tree harassed by the autumn winds. Her eyes - wide and ridden of any glimmer of thought - stared in the anomaly's general direction, but trained on something far away. Someone - most likely, Jory - produced the sounds of profused vomiting somewhere behind you. Ulren fell down on his butt like a caricaturish bear from the parable book that he read to you long ago; he sighed loudly, shook his head tiredly to no one in particular, and then turned his face towards you. Unlike everyone else, he looked more tired than disheveled, to which you wordlessly replied with a barely noticeable grin of relief and blinked your eyes for a long moment. You opened your eyes but did not turn back when Amalia's deft, if a bit shaky, hands tied up your long hair with the silky blue ribbon which she gifted you, and then wrapped around your belly from behind your back.

"Seems like we ought to celebrate or survival through the first real ordeal," she spoke into your ear with the shivering voice, to which you reacted via putting your hands at hers and squeezing them in comforting confirmation.

In the meanwhile, Ulren turned his face in the opposite direction - towards Sephorah. He slowly put his hand on her shoulder and attempted to shook her up a little. The first attempt failed to distract her, so he repeated the gesture, finally making her face him slowly. She held her stare on him for a couple of moments, before her eyes regained the spark of comprehension, after which she, without a single word, stood up, turned around, and began her march in a vague direction away from the cursed valley. One by one, the rest of your party members followed her example. And so did you, after stealing the last glance at the murk which nearly costed your lives, and then savoring the so satisfyingly normal hoots of the nocturnal birds.
____________________

"It is one of the many Turanian legends madame Morinth shared with me," Amalia was pacing around the gently-glowing campfire, fiddling with the tastiest (in her opinion) remaining rations and a small pot of herbal brew. It felt a bit wild to have her finally break the spontaneous spell of silence your group experienced today, with less than forty words being exchanged during the entire day after your escape from the void's subsidiary in the physical realm.

"It tells about three siblings - the children of the first great Turanian Khan, back in the days when scores of settlers from Yrsengard were colonizing Pheotor, and the Pherinian Empire was far from the time of its conception."

You were sitting near the bonfire left to Ulren, with his hand on your left shoulder, and with your palms still aching from yesterday's over-exertion, which you stretch forward to receive a meat wrap from the arms of the ex-maid.

"Different retellings of this story feature various names of these brothers, but what matters is that they all were unlike each other. The oldest one was a governor so great, that many thought that the Khan would pass on his rule to him, even though his martial mettle was not particularly prominent, and his heart was a bit too soft. The middle brother was, on the contrary: bold, firm, masterful with a spear, and a bow both in a saddle and on foot, even though generally brash and foolhardy. The youngest brother wasn't either a fierce warrior nor a prodigious administrator of his hold. Still, he was known for his wit and acumen, capable of finding plots within plots and turning them to own advantage."

Amalia trailed her way towards Sephorah, who was sitting to the right of Ulren, just like you covered with a blanket, sitting while embracing her legs bent in knees, and staring blankly into the fire, still not fully recovered from the previous night's events. She got a little better, evidently from but a short window of idleness before taking a cup of brew from Amalia's hands. Sephorah weakly nodded in gratitude before your group's dedicated maid continued her story.

"The siblings got along nicely despite their differences, and so did their holds, prospering from the mutually-beneficial interactions and labor divisions. This balance continued even after the sudden death of their father, who did not have a chance to announce the inheritor of the Khan title. So, for some time, the Blugd-Tur's heartland was ruled by these three princes, who choose not to plunge the lands in the chaos of a power struggle. But. just like all of the good things, it did not last forever."

Your fellow storyteller made a beeline around frantically-smoking Karl (who barely let off his pipe from his hands the entire day) towards Isaac, who was sitting on the ground, leaning with his back against Softie. It seemed particularly peculiar that the horse appeared to recover from the stress much faster than any of you. In any case, Amalia handed Isaac a small bundle of unshelled nuts, most of which he stretched to equine's mug. The animal indeed indulged, putting a faint grin on Amalia's face before she continued the story.

"During one of the joint hunts which they occasionally had, all three of them ventured deeper into the heartland in search of a better game. But despite their hopes, it seemed like all the animals and birds abandoned the land in their thread. With no intent on wasting their time for nothing, they pushed even further towards a beautiful meadow in the distance. They did not encounter any game even then, but what they did see made them forget about the hunt altogether: on that flowery glade with a tiny pond, they met a woman so beautiful that they lost all their words for a moment. But she wasn't just a mere mortal, as she presented herself as the keeper spirit of Tzuh-Aran river and the entire Blugd-Tur valley. Even though she honored her guests, she demanded a yearly sacrifice of grain, fish, and goat meat as compensation for invading her grounds that day and renewable recognition of her dominion over the land their holds were standing on. The brothers' trio agreed, and she let them go back safely. But..."

Amalia gently shook Jory's shoulder to no avail: the lad had spent half of the day in a catatonic state. Even now, closer to the nighttime, he wasn't significantly better, shaking nervously and mumbling something under his nose from time to time. She repeated her attempt, but Jory did not indicate any will to receive her treatment, which left Amalia to nothing else but turn around and proceed to hand Ulren another dried meat wrap.

"The spirit's words fell on deaf ears in the sense that all three of them saw her not as the keeper of their realm but as a key to the domain. Despite being already married, having concubines, or both, the brothers fell for the spirit, marveling her as a prize for the one most worthy. Since then, their brotherhood and their respective settlements were doomed to fall to the divisive ambition. Their relations have changed after that day, and all three of them knew too well the reason why. Bitter rivalry followed soon after, with the three holds diminishing and harassing each other.

The tragedy culminated when, after years of destructive rivalry, the oldest brother attempted to gather his siblings at his village and, purposedly, to strike a truth. The youngest brother, seeing the development, accepted the invitation with the intent to never follow on the promise to arrive, simultaneously feeding the middle brother thorough the bribed agents the assumption that the eldest sibling is planning a trap. When the time of gathering came, the youngest sibling did not arrive, and the middle one decided it the prime chance to struck down his older brother in his own walls before the supposed trap of the latter would close on him. The slaughter spread from the longhouse to the rest of the town, which was subsequently burned to the ground with all of its inhabitants."

Amalia paused to approach Karl with a jar of brew in her hands, but he dismissively waved at her without even looking. With a mixture of confusion and disappointment on her frowning face, she turned around and sat in between loudly chomping Ulren and intently listening Sephorah.

"But short was middle brother's triumph: the agents of his younger sibling poisoned him during the feast he threw in his hold upon arriving from the treacherous raid. Seeing no more competition, the youngest sibling attempted to return to the guardian spirit of Blugd-Tur. Still, she never even appeared before him, much less than, out of the inevitability, accept the advances the man, which he hoped she would. The retribution came to the youngest sibling soon enough. With no trade and production partnership from the eldest brother's village and no defensive assistance from the warriors of the middle brother's militias, his youngest brother's hold was already struggling to stand and survive through winters. But then, after the unruly warriors and hunters of the middle brother's hold turned into bandits raiding the settlements, and the rainless spring and autumn ruined the last of the crops, the youngest brother's village finally rebelled against their failing ruler. He was captured, beaten, had his limbs broken, tied up to a lump of rock, and ultimately drowned in the river."

While sitting, Amalia wrapped hands around herself, to preserve the warmth, to just cheer oneself up, or to achieve both goals.

"Yet, the story does not end there. For breaking the equilibrium and committing atrocities, souls of the brothers were cursed either by the Blugd-Tur spirit or by the weight of their sins. The oldest sibling was cursed to relive his hold and everyone who depended on him being burned as ghosts again and again as a payback for his inability to abstain from pride and passions. The middle one, in retribution of his treachery and bloodthirstiness, was cursed to hunt in the skies of Blugd-Tur for as long as Eldhaetaed mountains stand, never able to satiate the agonizing hunger. And the youngest one was cursed to ever lie in the bed of Tzuh-Aran, cursed to only spawn poison and malevolent fiends, as he did in life."

With that, she sighed out, "I... do not claim that this legend has the truthful foundation, but what we've been through the last night... I don't have that many explanations to it."

"You have a propensity for sharing these tidbits of lore with a quite dramatic delay, Brant." Karl suddenly spoke out on a heightened tone, "A crazed homicidal stray mother first and now this? Ever thought if we would even be around to hear out your another story?"

A moment of silence ensued. All the pairs of eyes except Jory's and Softie's aimed at Karl, who, noticing this, made a dramatically long inhale of the smoke from the pipe. You sensed Mia's invisible presence nearby Karl. They were possibly studying the man's uncharacteristic outburst. You exchanged looks with Sephorah and then trained your eyes on Amalia, who covered her mouth in shock.

"Oh, shut up, Norskov," Ulren broke the awkward moment, "We all feel like skїt right now, but spitting it behind others' collars won't make it any better."

Yet another escalation took place, but not from the direction everyone was expecting: Jory began to giggle with no apparent reason, and then broke out in a laugh of a lunatic.

"There won't be another story!" he screamed out, "A dozen dead at the mansion, an entire Beilford slaughtered, and now..." Jory broke in into another fit of raving laughter, "And now, we have all the bloody demons from half the damned netherworld creeping up on us while we freaking sleep!"

Jory legitimately outshone Karl's rant burst with his meltdown fit.

"You'll see - even if we made to Tevon-whatever-it-shaggin'-called-dirt hole, we wouldn't be safe. WE. WON'T. BE. SAFE!" While everyone was staring at him, Jory did not burst into the third feat of manic laughter. On the contrary - his voice normalized somewhat, but his words did not.

"It!" he pointed his twitching finger at you with the wild eyes and messed up breathing rhythm. "Even if whoever or whatever chases us won't finish us all off; this thing will not leave us be. It will pull and wretch and toy with our very souls! This... this..." he broke down after this, falling on his bum and starting to sob without tears. "There will be no return. No return." he whimpered weakly.

Dumbstruck, you looked to the right. Sephorah was as speechless as you were, Amalia's face was rapidly changing under the pressure of the swiftly rising and poorly concealed anger, and Ulren's facial expression could only be described as a mix of plentiful surprise and disgust as if he has just witnessed the most titanic pile of elasmorish manure in his entire lifetime.

You found yourself in a new - and mightily unpleasant - situation...

[] Let Ulren deal with this... problem.
[] Perhaps, Amalia would manage to instill some sense.
[] Take the personal responsibility for defusing the situation...
-[] in a polite way (hard persuasion check (24), normal CHA check (15))
-[] in an impolite way (normal intimidation check (20), hard CHA check (18))
-[] in a performative way (very hard CHA check (21))
[] write-in

Teloch · Mar 22, 2020

~~Gotta brush up the colors in a half an hour. Sorry~~

done
In any case, voting's open. The next update gonna be the last one in the third chapter, JFYI.
Also, I somewhat updated the character sheets, but it seems like I will have to generally re-hash the information posts because of the ever-changing manner of the way SV displays bb code.
Oh, and don't forget the poll - I kind of interested in the feedback regarding the characters, since the next chapter will be rather rich on them.

Varder · Mar 22, 2020

[] Take the personal responsibility for defusing the situation...
-[] in a performative way (very hard CHA check (21))

Currently leaning towards this, but still thinking. Of all personal checks, this is the easiest one mechanically speaking. Narratively, though, I'd prefer this vote: -[] in a polite way (hard persuasion check (24), normal CHA check (15)). Decisions, decisions.

As for the characters, I still don't trust Amalia, Karl has had very little screentime besides an occasional comment several latest updates. I enjoy how Ulren and Seph play off of each other, even though I like Seph just a bit more.

uiopion · Mar 22, 2020

For reference 24% / 22.75% / 50%

Performative seems a weird way to go narratively despite the better odds.

Teloch · Mar 22, 2020

uiopion said:
For reference 24% / 22.75% / 50%

Performative seems a weird way to go narratively despite the better odds.

By performative i mean to "fight fire with fire". Aka to put up a show which would make him forget about own meltdown.

Raptor580 · Mar 22, 2020

Well cant say im fully surprised that he finally broke was bound to happen at one point though i didnt think he would outright go after us but then again hes not right in the head as of this moment. And as for which decision it should definitely come from us but as for what that i cant say for certain though if i was to go by how our character would react at this point after everything shes been through i would say this.

Now hear me out on this i know we are the sweet and kind angel that we are but after our home being attacked forcing us to leave getting attacked by a tree monster then having practically hell on earth happen before us with the very real chance of dying or someone else dying and then having him call us practically a monster right after and blaming it all on us essentially, i think at this point it would be appropriate for her to snap back at this.

[x] Take the personal responsibility for defusing the situation...
-[x] in an impolite way (normal intimidation check (20), hard CHA check (18))

Varder · Mar 23, 2020

[x] Take the personal responsibility for defusing the situation...
-[X] in a polite way (hard persuasion check (24), normal CHA check (15)).

Fuck it, unflappable angel lady is a go!

veekie · Mar 23, 2020

[X] Take the personal responsibility for defusing the situation...
-[X] in a performative way (very hard CHA check (21))

Several pigs worth of ham

EternalObserver · Mar 23, 2020

[X] Take the personal responsibility for defusing the situation...
-[X] in a polite way (hard persuasion check (24), normal CHA check (15)).

Had to flip a coin for this.

Teloch · Mar 23, 2020

I would like to do the rollin' tomorrow, so make sure you have voted if you are planning to.

Varano · Mar 23, 2020

[X] Take the personal responsibility for defusing the situation...
-[X] in a polite way (hard persuasion check (24), normal CHA check (15)).

quichwe10 · Mar 23, 2020

[x] Take the personal responsibility for defusing the situation...
-[X] in a polite way (hard persuasion check (24), normal CHA check (15)).

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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(Discrete Mokona)

Tired Cultist

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eYe Gaze baCk

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Tired Cultist

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Tired Cultist

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Tired Cultist

eYe Gaze baCk

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