I had in mind cystic fibrosis, although some of the usual symptoms may have been distorted by magical healing (and Theophyllus Valens' growing immunity to magical healing).
Theophyllus Valens is more-or-less immune to magical healing, but alchemy and divine blessings are slightly different. Possibly different enough to bypass his immunity. However, he wouldn't get the benefit of an item blessed by a god unless he was a devout worshipper of that god.
Alchemy tends to be less powerful than either magical enchantments or divine blessings, but it has two benefits: 1) It doesn't need a constant supply of magical energy to keep it active; 2) Alchemically-created items can be used by anyone.
Why do our trinkets work then? Didn't we ask for a god's blessing to enchant our necklace? We had a choice between a number of gods, some of which we would not have a chance to worship.
Jesus, that is rough. Was our bloodline cursed long ago, or just bad luck?
What about making a deal with the Gardening Teacher and make medicines?
Or, apply a type of ritualistic magic? If there is a cantrip that manipulates time just so we can move faster, then certainly there is ritualistic magic that can help?
Also, what if we use tattoos on our body to apply ritualistic magic, or does ritualistic magic only work on objects that were never alive?
Why do our trinkets work then? Didn't we ask for a god's blessing to enchant our necklace? We had a choice between a number of gods, some of which we would not have a chance to worship.
They're alchemical items, not blessed items. Remember, alchemy in this setting is a sort of hybrid discipline, partway between science, magic and religion.
Because alchemical items only require the tiniest, most imperceptible amount of a god's power, most gods are willing to grant that power in exchange for just a single act of worship and forget about it from then on. (Whereas blessed items require a continuous and quite substantial investment of a god's power, which is why they don't make them useable by non-worshippers.)
There isn't a "Gardening Teacher". There is a Gardening Club, but all of the members are your fellow students and none of them are experts in making medicines.
Or, apply a type of ritualistic magic? If there is a cantrip that manipulates time just so we can move faster, then certainly there is ritualistic magic that can help?
Ritual magic via tattoos would certainly work, but you'd have to be very confident in your own abilities before trying it. Otherwise, it could be extremely dangerous.
What if we go back in the ruin and enact some type of ritualistuc contract with the ancient deity?
We can ask for three favors, in exchange for his revival.
We can ask him to find and kill the Lady that made us.
We can ask for some type of power
And we can ask for a powerful blessing that doesn't require worship that would help our character's father.
Hrm. IDK about that whole 'dealing with potentially evil God' bit...
But I do know we had a homework assignment to create an illusion, sustain via an arcane circle and bring it to class.
I...Think it'd be like the Textbook lesson, only we need to craft our own illusion ahead of time.
...
Part of me wonders if we'd have the skill to rig up a illusionary copy of one of the squadmates, or better yet, have one for each of us and try to swap places with our own clones so as to confuse people.
Once again, I've run into the usual problem I have with including puzzles in my quests: a great many people are smarter than me, so if I come up with a puzzle they can usually solve it in much less time than it took me to come up with it. Heh. Only 12 or 13 minutes after I posted it, this time.
I am currently rading through the quest and encountered your riddle. Sorry to disappoint, but solved it in a few seconds(I am a student of mathematics in the middle of the tests season, so I do a lot of math right now). If I may say, the main problem in mathematical riddles like that is that it just easily translates to equastion, which is either easily solved, or hard but boring most of the time(though personally, I do enjoy solving a good, not overly complicated trigo equation)
If you want to do such riddles, try to make sure you have several equstion in it, and they are jumbled between lines of the riddle(somewhat like a logic riddle).
Also, if you have trouble making riddles, there are tons in the internet.
What if we go back in the ruin and enact some type of ritualistuc contract with the ancient deity?
We can ask for three favors, in exchange for his revival.
We can ask him to find and kill the Lady that made us.
We can ask for some type of power
And we can ask for a powerful blessing that doesn't require worship that would help our character's father.
Garanhedd offered each of you and your teammates one boon in exchange for reviving him from undeath. I doubt that he would be happy with you altering the terms of the deal. Also, I doubt that Dorian's teammates would be happy with him taking all the rewards for himself.
Also, why would you waste a wish on killing Madam Zyn, the lady who made you? Yes, she might turn out to be a threat in future, but you don't know that for sure. There are several other more pressing threats you might want to deal with first.
Hrm. IDK about that whole 'dealing with potentially evil God' bit...
But I do know we had a homework assignment to create an illusion, sustain via an arcane circle and bring it to class.
I...Think it'd be like the Textbook lesson, only we need to craft our own illusion ahead of time.
...
Part of me wonders if we'd have the skill to rig up a illusionary copy of one of the squadmates, or better yet, have one for each of us and try to swap places with our own clones so as to confuse people.
Technically, yes. However, getting one might prove quite difficult.
In this setting, a familiar is not just an animal: rather, a familiar is a bound spirit wearing the form of an animal. Having a familiar is something that witches are known for (in this setting, witchcraft involves gaining power by making deals with spirits), but not wizards (who learn how to master their own capacity for using magical energy).
I am currently rading through the quest and encountered your riddle. Sorry to disappoint, but solved it in a few seconds(I am a student of mathematics in the middle of the tests season, so I do a lot of math right now). If I may say, the main problem in mathematical riddles like that is that it just easily translates to equastion, which is either easily solved, or hard but boring most of the time(though personally, I do enjoy solving a good, not overly complicated trigo equation)
Thank you, but I'd rather not include any riddles which can be solved simply by googling the answer. I do have a few ideas for other riddles which I plan to include in this quest later on. We'll see what happens.
Anyway, I hope to update this quest later on today. Look forward to that!
I've been in a destructive/restructive mood lately, so I still wanna find a reason to rebuild Garanhedd and just set him loose to wreck anything we don't like XD
I've been in a destructive/restructive mood lately, so I still wanna find a reason to rebuild Garanhedd and just set him loose to wreck anything we don't like XD
'Oh, there have been times when I've thought… even if Garanhedd destroyed the city and killed most of the people within, as long as he got rid of "my dear papa", it would be worth it,' Simony replies, lowering his head and fixing Philander with gimlet eyes. 'But it's not time for that yet. That's last-minute stuff. For now, I still have other options available to me. What do you think, my dear brother?'
Phil shakes himself, as though waking from an unpleasant dream. 'I suppose… I agree with you,' he says slowly. 'I want to accept Garanhedd's offer, but… the price may be too high, in the end. Even if it would solve a lot of problems right now.'
Giving Simony your most disapproving glare, you ask, 'Why did you desecrate the tomb?'
He looks surprised and offended that you would even ask that question. 'Why? Does it matter?' With a frantic staccato rattle of laughter, he continues, 'I don't know, I'm sure you've already judged and condemned me for it. Why don't you tell me why?'
'Teenagers do stupid things,' Philander suggests.
'Yeah, I'd agree with that,' says Simony. 'That's certainly a reason.'
'You and the other members of the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club were trying to impress each other; you ended up inciting your friends to worse and worse acts of destruction. And vice versa,' Venta says shrewdly.
'Maybe. It's entirely possible,' the older boy agrees. 'Maybe I'm just a bad person.' He sneers and shakes his head. 'Or maybe it's how I deal with my curse.'
'You're cursed? How are you cursed?' asks Isolia, looking concerned.
'We all are, me and my siblings. We've all got the same kind of nominative determinism going on: Hubris always overreached himself; Envy was envious; Acedia is languid and dull; Ferocity is easily-angered; Indulgence eats too much, sleeps too much, and so on. And as for you, dear brother–'
'It's not true! I haven't done anything!' Philander declares, looking to you for help. 'It's not like I've even got a girlfriend!'
'Well, you are only eleven. I wouldn't expect you to have given in to your urges just yet,' Simony says mockingly. He pauses, sighs heavily, and continues, 'And then there's me. It's difficult to be guilty of selling ecclesiastical privileges or offices if you're not a priest, so my curse expresses itself in other ways. Some part of me yearns to defile that which is sacred, to smash their icons and piss in their holy water. To tear up a remarkably well-preserved ancient tomb dedicated to the Forgotten God and turn it into a silly game for children to play. And when I've done those things… it makes me feel really good.' He looks rather embarrassed to have admitted that. 'Anyway, does that answer your question, kiddo?'
'Better than I would have liked,' you reply. 'What about Garanhedd, the entity imprisoned within the tomb? Isn't it dangerous to leave him lying around like that, now you've disabled the automatic defences which would have roused his guards? Anyone could come along and release him, at any time, unless you've kept it a secret.'
'Oh yes.' He nods. 'Only the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club knows about the tomb. And anyone who's ever tried to join the club. And anyone else they might have told about it. Other than that, it's top secret.'
'So… what you're saying is: anyone could decide to resurrect Garanhedd at any time, for any reason, and there would be nothing to stop them,' you say impatiently.
Simony grins. 'Pretty much. Wouldn't that be hilarious?'
'I think your definition of "hilarious" differs from mine,' you say, as diplomatically as you can.
'What about the kobolds? Where did they come from?' asks Isolia.
'Somewhere up there,' says Simony, with a careless gesture at the nearby hills rising up over the city of Tyrepheum. 'I mean, I can't remember exactly where we got them from, but do you really think we'd have bothered to fetch them from some faraway place? Nah, they're pretty close to home. If they had any initiative, they could get out and walk it.'
'But don't you think it was cruel to kidnap them from their homes?' Isolia presses him.
'That's the way of the world. Everything you do is stepping on someone else's toes. Want to catch a fish and eat for a day? Too bad the fish god is gonna be very angry with you for that. Want a place of your own, a farm and a few cattle? Too bad the spirits of the land already own it and they don't want you there. If you want to survive in this lousy world, you've got to be prepared to fight for every scrap, every inch, and sometimes you've got to be very cruel.' His grin becomes increasingly feral, showing too many teeth. 'Aren't you glad of this education I'm giving you, little lady? Maybe you should thank me.'
'You're a creep, Sim!' Phil angrily declares, interposing himself in between his brother and a rather disturbed-looking Isolia. 'Leave her alone!'
Simony holds up his hands in what he probably means to be a disarming gesture. 'Whoa, whoa, I didn't mean any harm. No need to be like that.' He turns to you. 'Anyway, I'll take that cloak pin now, if you please. Don't worry, I'll tell everyone that you're a member of the club in good standing, with full access to our lounge, the shop, and various other perks. Drop by every now and then, maybe someone will have a little job for you, hmm?'
Somewhat reluctantly, but seeing no alternative, you hand over the sextant-shaped cloak pin.
'Pleasure doing business with you,' he says. 'I'll see you back at the school.'
'Um, you're not going to escort us back there?' asks Venta, looking worried.
'Follow me if you want. Otherwise… well, do you need me to hold your hand every step of the way? Nah, you'll be fine.' He rolls his shoulders, stretches, and says, 'I'd best be off.' Then, without further ado, he walks briskly away, back to the city.
Before you start to follow him, you say to your teammates, 'Hypothetically, if we were to revive Garanhedd the giant, what boon would you want?'
'I'd tell him, "kill my dad,"' says Phil. 'But I'd probably need to give him some more specific instructions than that, just to make sure that no one else got killed in the process. Don't think I'd ever forgive myself if my sisters got killed as well.'
'I think that… I would like something which could instantly teleport me out of danger,' says Isolia. 'Just in case. Even if it was only single-use, that'd be something.'
'I'm not sure that there's anything I particularly want, not at that price,' says Venta. 'But if I had to choose… perhaps I could ask for an unspecified favour to be granted at a later date? Then, if necessary, I could use it to prevent him from destroying the city, or at least to give us enough time to evacuate.'
You consider it long and carefully. With his divine power, you're fairly sure that Garanhedd could restore your father to full health. Curing the underlying problem would be more difficult, perhaps impossible, but he should be able to give your father at least another decade of vigour and physical wellbeing before he starts to deteriorate again. Ten long happy years, at least. He'd have time to spend with his wife, time to see his son grow up, and time enough to do everything he regretted he'd never be able to do before he died. You could give him that.
On the other hand, you'd be releasing an ancient evil from his timeless prison. Apparently, Garanhedd was once a cruel and rapacious tyrant. If you released him, he might go on to do terrible things, for which you would be responsible.
What do you decide to do? (Choose one of the two main options, then any number of sub-options)
[] Resurrect Garanhedd
-[] Dorian will ask him to restore his father, Theophyllus Valens, to full health. (It won't get rid of his genetic condition, so his health will eventually deteriorate, but probably not within the lifetime of this quest.)
-[] Philander will ask him to kill his father, Cinna Bidwell, giving precise instructions so that no one else will be harmed.
-[] Isolia will ask him to give her a means of instantly escaping from dangerous situations. (He will give her a single-use item which can be used to teleport to a specific point.)
-[] Venta will ask him for an unspecified favour to be granted at a later date.
[] Do not resurrect Garanhedd.
-[] In fact, you should probably report the ravaged tomb to someone in authority. (Note: Picking this option will annoy the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club and they won't allow you to join.)
--[] Swing by the local temple of the Forgotten God on your way home. Report it to them.
--[] Report it to Green Flame.
--[] Report it to the headmaster, Opernus Prentigold.
--[] Report it to someone else (write in).
OR
-[] Keep your mouth shut. Enjoy the benefits of being a member of the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club.
He sounds like long-term bad idea. And Philander's father says everything there is to say about taking the short-cut. They don't exist without a reason...
Now, here's the important question.
Do we tell someone?
I'm kind of for it, especially given the way being a part of the club, ESPECIALLY if Simony runs it, seems like it's going to be agreeing to be complicit in destroying holy sites.
That's...That's the sort of thing that likely gives the Demons even more of a foothold.
But, who to tell?
I don't trust Green to be the right person for a second. She's a sledgehammer only vaguely less quiet then putting Garanhedd together would be.
Opernus...I realize he's a jerk. I'm not sure his reaction or if he'd care enough to do something about it. He might, if only in self-interest...But that's the catch. Arcane traditions, in my experience, have a tendancy to not be fond of the Gods, and this guy certainly seems like he'd not be keen on restoring the tomb anymore then he had to in order to ensure it was protected. He might even think himself able to match the long-dead Garanhedd, and if he's RIGHT then that changes much.
...
I'd actually want to go to the Alchemist teacher about this, I think. Because if I recall correctly:
1. He's FATHER So-and-so. In other words, he's likely a priest, and can truly understand what was wrought.
2. Even if I'm wrong about the first point, Alchemy by it's very nature demands at least knowledge of the Gods. So he's the most sure-fire person we can talk to if we want an authority on matters Divine.
[] Resurrect Garanhedd
-[] Dorian will ask him to restore his father, Theophyllus Valens, to full health. (It won't get rid of his genetic condition, so his health will eventually deteriorate, but probably not within the lifetime of this quest.)
-[] Philander will ask him to kill his father, Cinna Bidwell, giving precise instructions so that no one else will be harmed.
-[] Isolia will ask him to give her a means of instantly escaping from dangerous situations. (He will give her an single-use item which can be used to teleport to a specific point.)
-[] Venta will ask him for an unspecified favour to be granted at a later date.
Not going to lie, I am extremely reluctant to put down this plan. I am kinda scared that this is just some form of test we don't know of. I just find it difficult to understand that a tome that contains an ancient tyrannical god is kind of under the radar.
I am also afraid of how he will complete our favors.
Then I consider the shit a barley novice wizard like Dorian has to deal with in the first month. To be honest, the biggest motivation of this vote is Cinna's death. I want him gone before he can touch us.
[X] Do not resurrect Garanhedd.
-[] In fact, you should probably report the ravaged tomb to someone in authority. (Note: Picking this option will annoy the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club and they won't allow you to join.)
--[] Swing by the local temple of the Forgotten God on your way home. Report it to them.
--[] Report it to Green Flame.
--[] Report it to the headmaster, Opernus Prentigold.
--[] Report it to someone else (write in).
OR
-[] Keep your mouth shut. Enjoy the benefits of being a member of the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club.
-[X] Tell Emerijk Kunrath (Male, Master Alchemist)
I'm also tempted to just wait a month and then send anonymous letters to a few temples. However, I seriously doubt that Simony is as lax in security as he claims. This is his emergency flip the table backup option. It might be that only our group and him know about it.
[X] Resurrect Garanhedd
-[X] Dorian will ask him to restore his father, Theophyllus Valens, to full health. (It won't get rid of his genetic condition, so his health will eventually deteriorate, but probably not within the lifetime of this quest.)
-[X] Philander will ask him to kill his father, Cinna Bidwell, giving precise instructions so that no one else will be harmed.
-[X] Isolia will ask him to give her a means of instantly escaping from dangerous situations. (He will give her an single-use item which can be used to teleport to a specific point.)
-[X] Venta will ask him for an unspecified favour to be granted at a later date.
Admittedly writing in requests would be nice, but I'm up for this XD
Blegh, instantly solving all of those plot threads would be kinda lame. Plus I bet they'd get super malicious genie'd so solving those problems causes more problems.
Is he? I don't remember writing that. (On the other hand, the fact that he is an alchemist means that he has to stay on good terms with most of the gods, so if you're going to report the desecration of the tomb to someone, he's probably a good choice.)
However, I seriously doubt that Simony is as lax in security as he claims. This is his emergency flip the table backup option. It might be that only our group and him know about it.
EDIT: So far, it seems that the majority of voters are very much in favour of not resurrecting Garanhedd. I'm going to leave the vote open, for now. We'll see if that changes.
Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on Jul 15, 2020 at 5:43 AM, finished with 7 posts and 6 votes.
-[X] Dorian will ask him to restore his father, Theophyllus Valens, to full health. (It won't get rid of his genetic condition, so his health will eventually deteriorate, but probably not within the lifetime of this quest.)
-[X] Isolia will ask him to give her a means of instantly escaping from dangerous situations. (He will give her an single-use item which can be used to teleport to a specific point.)
However, I seriously doubt that Simony is as lax in security as he claims. This is his emergency flip the table backup option. It might be that only our group and him know about it.
Garanhedd said the only previous intruders were the Archeologists' Club. He seems to make a distinction between them and us prospective members, so it is plausible that no one else had been there since then.
I wonder why we were told about it then. Because of Phil?
[x] Do not resurrect Garanhedd.
-[x] Keep your mouth shut. Enjoy the benefits of being a member of the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club.
[x] Do not resurrect Garanhedd.
-[x] Keep your mouth shut. Enjoy the benefits of being a member of the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club.
Definitely not in favor of resurrecting Garanhedd, but I think we should give Simony a bit of credit. He probably didn't show this place to many people.
Keeping him in our favor will help cooperation against Phil's awful dad.
I am still in favor of helping the kobolds at some point.
That's my guess now. While I'm not going to assume Simony is willing to be an ally, this may be as much of a test of our trustworthiness as as our ability.
[x] Do not resurrect Garanhedd.
-[x] Keep your mouth shut. Enjoy the benefits of being a member of the Explorers and Archaeologists' Club.
I'd also like to help the kobolds, but we'll have to be capable enough to protect ourselves on a hike though th wilderness.
