Sorry, Your Time-Traveling Privileges Have Been Revoked

[Raiseth]

[X] Tell Evie to give Al-Khidr a stimulant injection.
-[X] When Al-Khidr wakes up, tell him to heal thyself.

A very important addition.

 

[xa na xa]

[x] Tell Evie to give Al-Khidr a stimulant injection.
[x] Search the throne room.
-[x] Start examining the throne room for secret compartments and/or passages. Tapping is the domain of sound, you don't need to do it manually.

 

[Chandagnac]

All right, I've been thinking about how I want to do this.

I'm going on holiday for a couple of weeks, starting tomorrow, and I don't have time to update this quest before I leave. Also, I'm assuming that you guys don't want to spend the next few months (real time, not in-game) searching Vault Six from top to bottom. So, after I come back, how about I write a short summary of how you got Al-Khidr back on his feet, and then skip to the final confrontation with Lothangrim? Does that sound okay?

Please let me know what you think. See you when I get back.

 

[baud]

Personally, I prefer the dungeon mix of puzzles and choices with short-term consequences to the more "open-world" (so to speak) parts of the quest so I don't mind spending more time here. On the other hand, I've caught up the quest just a few weeks ago (thanks Nevill btw), if the rest of the posters consider they've spent enough time here and want to move forward I don't mind.

 

[Raiseth]

Please let me know what you think. See you when I get back.

Click to shrink...

Honestly, I'm here for hot, hot action.

You do what you think is best, I don't have any preferences one way or another.

 

[Nevill]

I am getting used to this freeform puzzle-adventure style, but I also understand the need to go forward.

For the last few scenes we are being presented with a room, and are given the task to complete a certain objective however we see fit, without explaining the first thing about how it works. The chessboard, the C-board, and now the throneroom. While a classic approach of "click on everything" would eventually see us through, it does not mesh well with the "one update in a few days" schedule.

I have linked to the "Questionably Soteriological" quest before, and although you didn't much like it, I think the system it used has a lot of merit. Basically, the QM took suggestion as they came, and replied with small snippets of dialogue and/or narration depicting the results of the players' attempts to interact with the scene. Those snippets are much less taxing than full-time updates, and provide a great deal of interactivity as once an idea gets rejected, people go for a new one, until the solution is found - which then gets the full update.

I think the switch from this reactive approach towards more traditional full updates was what eventually made the quest go on hiatus.

Depends on what you wanted from this, really. You presented a situation where there is no clear way forward. Was it meant to be something you wanted the players to guess (with possibly different outcomes depending on how right they are, or how quickly they arrive to a solution), or was it just a convenient stopping point?

 

[Chandagnac]

Depends on what you wanted from this, really. You presented a situation where there is no clear way forward. Was it meant to be something you wanted the players to guess (with possibly different outcomes depending on how right they are, or how quickly they arrive to a solution), or was it just a convenient stopping point?

Click to shrink...

There are times when I don't appreciate the full extent of what Frida's psychic powers can do. Or I just don't remember.

When you said that Frida should be able to use her sonic powers to map out any secret passages nearby, I realised that, 'Yup, that's right." So, I've basically had to scrap what I'd planned to do next. Oh well. Never mind, eh?

So yeah, either I could scramble to come up with a new puzzle/challenge or we could just move on to the exciting final confrontation with Lothangrim. I favour the latter option, but I wanted your input.

Ready to move on, hmm?

 

[Nevill]

Sure.

So, I've basically had to scrap what I'd planned to do next.

Click to shrink...

...what did you have in mind, though? If we didn't have the powers, I mean.

 

[baud]

Sure.

...what did you have in mind, though? If we didn't have the powers, I mean.

Click to shrink...

It could be cool. If you don't want to reuse it in another dungeon, of course .

 

[Chandagnac]

...what did you have in mind, though? If we didn't have the powers, I mean.

Click to shrink...

Basically a maze. Several different directions to choose from, but some of them would lead you into traps, or dead ends, or battles with large groups of zombies. Frida's powers allow her to neatly circumvent all of that, though.

The 'puzzle' would be to try to second-guess Lothangrim's attempts to hide his phylactery. Do you think he'd hide it as far underground as possible? Up near the attic? On the north side of Vault Six? To the south? Or somewhere else? (And so on.) Then, you'd have to catch up with Lothangrim before he could put such a large horde of undead in your way that you'd be forced to flee.

Something like that.

 

[Chandagnac]

So... it's been more than five months, but I want to continue this quest. I still think I could get it finished fairly soon, within the next twenty or so updates, but I've been telling myself that since the very beginning, so... more fool me, heh.

I've even got some ideas for a sequel. In my mind, the 'Hedge Maze', 'Tinpot Princess' and 'School of Sorcery' quests all take place in the same fictional setting. I lump them all together as the 'Gift of the Gods' series. Well, this 'Time Travel' quest and its sequel would together form the 'Phantom Hourglass' series. Yeah, I've been thinking about this a lot, mulling it over in my mind.

EDIT: I've been informed that "Phantom Hourglass" is the name of a game in the Legend of Zelda series. I've never played it, but I suppose that the name must have stuck in my memory and inspired this poem. So... I probably shouldn't use it as a title for one of my collective works: it would be quite confusing for Zelda fans if I did.

I even wrote this poem about it:

The Phantom Hourglass
Hanging over us, a phantom hourglass
Measures each moment, second by second,
Dividing our lives into motes of time.

Falling like rain, each tumbling sand grain is
A world in itself, unknowably vast
And yet infinitesimally small.

There's nothing else but the phantom hourglass:
Its polished curves contain the universe;
Its sands trickle onwards, into darkness,
And no one knows when or where it all ends.

Click to shrink...

Heh, I have a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, but poetry was never my speciality. Let me know what you think.

Also... watch this space! I'll be back!

 

[Raiseth]

I... think that the last line has one syllable too many? Though I'm honestly not sure, English isn't my first language and Literature isn't my specialty.

Very glad to hear this quest will continue, though. We still didn't loot the main villain's corpse for goodies, and that needs to be rectified.

 

[Nevill]

Welcome back!

Well, semi-back. Hopefully we'll see more of you soon.

I think the small-scale episodic stories work the best with your style of GMing. You'll want to expand on them anyway, and they end up just the right size. So another story with a similar structure would be right up my alley.

Not quite sure how it would be connected to "Time Travel" besides the same setting. Does setting even account for much when it includes an infinitely large Multiverse with a miriad worlds?

Don't have much experience with poetry myself, but I like the rhythm and rhyme of the first two verses. They have a mesmerizing quality to it, like a pendulum swinging. The structure of the last verse baffles me a little though... is it supposed to rhyme, or not?

 

[Lealope]

While I can't comment on your poetry because all of my attempts have been cringeworthy at best, I'm very glad to see you back.

 

[Chandagnac]

I'm going to write my replies to the above comments in a separate post. Here's an update:

*

Intermission​

'Give him the injection,' you say, giving Evie a nod. 'It can't hurt.'

The elf woman pauses, appearing to consider what you just said. 'That is to say, it's unlikely to hurt him any more than he already is,' she agrees. She fetches the needle and stimulant solution out of one of her belt pouches, kneels on the floor next to Al-Khidr, and proceeds to inject him.

Nothing happens for a moment or two. You turn to Glitch, saying to him, 'Play some decent music for a change, why don't you?'

'ALL RIGHT,' he says, rolling his arms in a robotic shrug. 'WHAT DO YOU W–'

He is interrupted by a pained gasp. Al-Khidr's eyes snap open. His body convulses, arching backward, doing even greater damage to a body already bruised and battered by Lothangrim's telekinetic assault. 'Arghhh,' he groans. 'Arghhhhhhh…'

Dropping to a crouch, you transfix him with a determined gaze. 'Heal yourself,' you urge him. 'Come on, you're the only one who can.'

He blinks. You hope that's a sign of acquiescence. Another pause. Then, his body visibly relaxes, he utters a heavy sigh, and his wounds – those which are visible to you, at least – begin to heal over. Where his skin was bruised black or scraped red raw, the abnormal colour slowly fades away, restored to a healthy golden-brown hue.

'It would appear that… I have survived,' he says, struggling to speak. 'Thank you for that… all of you… my friends.'

'No problem,' you say, giving him a thumbs-up. 'We're a team, we work together. All for one!'

'ALL FOR ONE WHAT?' asks Glitch.

You shoot an exasperated glance at him. 'Never heard of The Three Musketeers, Mister "I had access to the whole of the internet", hmm?'

'WELL, MAYBE. THEY SOUND VAGUELY FAMILIAR.'

'Never mind. You were probably too busy watching pornography and humorous cat videos. You can't be expected to know everything about classic literature as well,' you say.

'OH! I REMEMBER – THERE WAS A VIDEO ENTITLED "THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF THE THREE MUSKETEERS" – THAT'S WHERE I'VE HEARD OF THEM BEFORE!'

'I don't want to know,' you say hastily. 'In fact, I think we'd all be better off not knowing.'

Spoiler: Notes

Ugh, I can't believe I googled that. The things I do for my writing…

Fortunately, Garrar provides a welcome distraction: he comes running back to you, proclaiming, 'I've found a secret door behind the throne!

'Excellent work!' you give him effusive praise, glad to be able to change the subject. 'Have you managed to open it yet?'

'Yeah, there was a button disguised as part of a wall ornament,' he says.

'I'll take a look,' you say. 'Al-Khidr, stay here and rest for a while. Evie, stay with him. Garrar and Glitch, you're with me.'

Heading over to the newly discovered secret passage, you gaze through the aperture at what lies beyond: passages to the left and right; in the centre, flights of stairs going up and down.

'Looks like another maze, of sorts,' says Garrar with the air of a connoisseur. 'While we're exploring all these different directions, trying to find out where he went, Lothangrim will be building up his army and setting traps for us. Trust me, I know how this works.'

'I SUPPOSE THESE MUST ORIGINALLY HAVE BEEN MAINTENANCE TUNNELS AND SO ON,' says Glitch, looking around dubiously. 'ALTHOUGH… I'M NOT SURE WHY THE VAULTS NEEDED TO BE SO LARGE. YOU COULD FIT THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF DUNG VILLAGE INTO THIS PLACE AND STILL HAVE ROOM FOR THEM TO PROCREATE.'

'Layers of redundancy, probably,' you say. 'The designers were trying to build something that would survive the apocalypse. Anyway, it doesn't matter now.'

'Got any ideas for how we could quickly track down our foe?' asks Garrar, refusing to be distracted.

You nod. 'I think my psionic powers are well-suited to that. I can use echolocation to quickly map out this place. After that weird constantly-shifting maze we explored earlier, this is basically "easy mode" for me.'

Actually, thinking back to the Maze in the middle of Terminus's Bowels, you wonder about some of the peculiar locations you found there within. Like, what was the Place of Doors all about, really? Were the Chronarchs trying to make a special point? Or was it exactly what it seemed to be? A very superficial experience, which only emphasized to you that being in possession of godlike powers doesn't make someone especially clever or subtle.

You remember some of the doors you entered: 'Pity Me'; 'Chasing the Dragon'; 'Peace'; 'Sir, I Exist'; 'It's All About Me'; 'World-Destroying Time'; 'The Land of Take What You Want'; and 'Opposite Courage'. It's almost like they have a solid presence in your mind, as if you could open them up any time you want to – but why would you want to? Is there any benefit to doing so?

Spoiler: Notes

Since I last updated, I've played through Disco Elysium by ZA/UM. Wow, what a game! So hardcore!

There are a lot of things I enjoyed about the game's story and I will probably end up plagiarising homaging it in this quest and its eventual sequel. In fact, considering how often this quest has been compared to Planescape: Torment (one of my other favourite games), I'm tempted to go all in and have my next quest begin with the main character waking up in a hotel room with no memory and needing to piece together what's going on by talking with various NPCs. But never mind that.

Disco Elysium's Thought Cabinet made me wish I'd given Frida something similar. Maybe after she went through the Place of Doors she could hold each of the doors in her mind, one at a time, and get certain bonuses and/or penalties by doing so. For example, 'It's All About Me' might give her big bonuses to dice rolls when working alone, but corresponding penalties when working together in a team. And it would take a couple of hours to shift from one mindset to another, so it would require a certain amount of planning.

So yeah, that's what I'm planning on doing. I'll write up the bonuses/penalties for each of the 'doors' Frida has access to in a separate Informational post, like I did with the demons' specialty drinks.

Or I could not do that, if you think it would make this quest too complicated. I dunno, let me know what you think.

Well, never mind that now. There's an evil villain you need to track down and slaughter!

In order to use echolocation to map out this entire complex and find Lothangrim's secret lair where he's hidden his phylactery, you're going to need to push your psionic powers further than you ever have before. You're pretty sure it can be done and that you're capable of doing it, but can you do it quickly enough? Might you need a little extra help?

You toy with the vials of liquid emotion you bought from the Pandemonium bar. Would this be a good time to use them?

Please roll a Mastery of Sound check: 2d6+13

Spoiler: Notes

It's not really possible to fail this check – the plot needs to keep moving – but if you roll a low score it means that Lothangrim will have more time to gather minions, set up traps, and prepare to escape again.

So yeah, it's best to roll high.

 

[Chandagnac]

I... think that the last line has one syllable too many? Though I'm honestly not sure, English isn't my first language and Literature isn't my specialty.

Click to shrink...

Um, I don't think so. Ten syllables, just like all the other lines. But thank you for making me go back and check. (I discovered that Line 4 had one too few syllables, Line 5 had one too many, so I moved a word from one to the other.)

Welcome back!

Well, semi-back. Hopefully we'll see more of you soon.

I think the small-scale episodic stories work the best with your style of GMing. You'll want to expand on them anyway, and they end up just the right size. So another story with a similar structure would be right up my alley.

Click to shrink...

I'm very glad to see you back.

Click to shrink...

Thank you. It's good to see you again.

Don't have much experience with poetry myself, but I like the rhythm and rhyme of the first two verses. They have a mesmerizing quality to it, like a pendulum swinging. The structure of the last verse baffles me a little though... is it supposed to rhyme, or not?

Click to shrink...

They're all half-rhymes. According to a GCSE textbook I read, the use of half-rhymes in Wilfred Owen's poems is "unsettling", so I'm hoping that the same holds true for my poem as well.

Each line within the poem has its own internal half-rhymes, or at least some assonance:
Line 1: "Hang" and "phan"; "us" and "glass
Line 2: "e" sounds in "meas" and "sec"
Line 3: repeated "i" sounds in "dividing", "lives" and "time"

Line 4: "ing" and "ing", "rain" and "grain"
Lines 5 and 6: "vast" has the same "a" sound as in line 4's "sand", repeated "i" sounds in "in", "itself" and "infinit", "small" has the same "all" sound as line 4's "fall"

Line 7: half-rhyme of "else" and "glass"
Line 8: half-rhyme of "curves" and "universe" (also, half-rhymes with "glass")
Line 9: "i" sounds in "trickle" and "into", half-rhyme of "onwards" and "darkness" (also, half-rhymes with "glass" and "universe")
Line 10: "e" sounds in "when" and "ends" (also half-rhymes with "glass", "universe", and "onwards")

So yeah, it's a pattern of similar sounds that don't quite rhyme. I know it's not a masterpiece – the fact that none of you seemed very sure about it showed me that and more, heh – and I might still revise it, but I had fun putting it together.

Not quite sure how it would be connected to "Time Travel" besides the same setting. Does setting even account for much when it includes an infinitely large Multiverse with a miriad worlds?

Click to shrink...

The connection would be some of the characters: I plan for Frida and some of her friends to appear as NPCs.

 

[baud]

Welcome Back!

Regarding the use of bottle emotions, we got those:

Envy x1, Hatred x1, Hope x2, Loneliness x2, Longing x1, Malaise x2, Spite x1

Click to shrink...

(their effects)

We could use Hope, which give us another die with -2 malus (which would average to a +1.5 bonus, if my maths are right). We should be able to use one of envy or hatred, with the object being the phylactery, since mapping the lair will help us get/destroy the phylactery. I think a bottle of envy would be better here, since it give us a bigger bonus than Hope (on average) and I feel like Hatred is better used in a fight/when we can punch things with our music.

 

[Raiseth]

'I SUPPOSE THESE MUST ORIGINALLY HAVE BEEN MAINTENANCE TUNNELS AND SO ON,' says Garrar, looking around dubiously. 'ALTHOUGH… I'M NOT SURE WHY THE VAULTS NEEDED TO BE SO LARGE. YOU COULD FIT THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF DUNG VILLAGE INTO THIS PLACE AND STILL HAVE ROOM FOR THEM TO PROCREATE.'

Click to shrink...

Typo.

We should be able to use one of envy or hatred, with the object being the phylactery, since mapping the lair will help us get/destroy the phylactery. I think a bottle of envy would be better here, since it give us a bigger bonus than Hope (on average) and I feel like Hatred is better used in a fight/when we can punch things with our music.

Click to shrink...

I'm all for this plan. Frida being suddenly overcome by great envy for not having her own phylactery and not being an undead abomination sounds like great character dev- I mean, predicament, yeah, totally.

 

[Raiseth]

Okay, so.

[X] Drink Envy
-[X] Target: Phylactery

I'm going to throw one die, and someone will throw another, I guess.

Edit: oh-ho.

Raiseth threw 1 6-faced dice. Reason: Musical Mistress Misadventures Total: 5

 

[xa na xa]

Best quest be back!

It makes me happy you sound like found new inspiration @Chandagnac.

Now let's roll some dice:

xa na xa threw 1 6-faced dice. Total: 1

 

[Nevill]

Or I could not do that, if you think it would make this quest too complicated. I dunno, let me know what you think.

Click to shrink...

Needs some limits on how often it can be changed, otherwise it will be gamed for free skill points, and might as well be automated.

[x] Drink Envy
-[x] Target: Phylactery

It's too amusing to pass by. Must have my preciousss.

 

[Chandagnac]

Typo.

Click to shrink...

Oops, sorry.

Best quest be back!

It makes me happy you sound like found new inspiration @Chandagnac.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, it's good to be back.

Needs some limits on how often it can be changed, otherwise it will be gamed for free skill points, and might as well be automated.

[x] Drink Envy
-[x] Target: Phylactery

It's too amusing to pass by. Must have my preciousss.

Click to shrink...

I'm thinking that once you've selected a particular 'mindset' it will be locked in for at least a couple of hours.

*

Target Acquired​

In order to use echolocation to map out this entire complex and find Lothangrim's secret lair where he's hidden his phylactery, you're going to need to push your psionic powers further than you ever have before. You're pretty sure it can be done and that you're capable of doing it, but can you do it quickly enough? Might you need a little extra help?

You toy with the vials of liquid emotion you bought from the Pandemonium bar. Would this be a good time to use them?

Click to shrink...

Gulping down a vial of Envy, you focus on using echolocation to psionically explore the whole of Vault Six, hoping to pinpoint exactly where the evil necromancer hid his phylactery. You feel overwhelming jealousy coursing through your veins: you envy Lothangrim his immortality and his ability to reconstitute each time his physical body is destroyed. That's what you'll take from him. By the time you're done, you'll have erased him from existence.

It takes some time for you to map out the warren of passageways and tunnels, searching systematically for a place where Lothangrim could have gone to ground: you thoroughly scan each area, making a mental note of everything you feel along the way; then, when you're confident that you know everything about what's in that part of the Vault, you feel able to eliminate it from your enquiries, narrowing the search.

You find a few things which concern you. For instance, in shambling droves coming in from outside the Vault, a vast horde of undead creatures is heading towards you. It would appear that your enemy is intent on revenge for his most recent defeat.

Too slow. They won't get here in time to make a difference. At least, you hope not.

At last, after what seems like a worryingly long time but might only have been a few minutes, you find what you've been looking for. Up several flights of stairs, on the top floor, high above everything else, you discover the necromancer's time machine. Using echolocation, you only get a vague sense of its shape: an enormous contraption which merges old-fashioned clockwork, levers and outsized gear wheels with mystical paraphernalia. You feel the outlines of arcane runes, carved bones, and misshapen metal grotesques. It puts you in mind of a heavy metal album cover.

This time machine brought Lothangrim to Terminus in his search for godhood. You are convinced that he would keep his phylactery somewhere nearby, so that if he had the opportunity he could make a quick getaway and take it with him. It'd be no use to him if it got left behind when he travelled through time or into another dimension. Would it even work as an anchor for his soul if it were separated from him by such an immense gulf?

You feel the presence of numerous guardians: undead monstrosities crafted by the necromancer. Some huge and lumbering, some small and nimble, and some studded with blades and armour plates. Formidable opponents, but no match for you and your fellow time travellers, unless they're even more powerful than they appear to be. However, Al-Khidr is still recovering from his injuries, Glitch is a complete mess (but you're fairly sure that his horrifying appearance is just cosmetic and he hasn't suffered much damage really), and you're not sure how much help Garrar will be in a battle against super-powered zombies. Yes, he's a very strong, experienced fighter, but he's only human. On the other hand, Evie is basically an army in her own right.

But you can't let yourself get distracted by Lothangrim's minions, of which he has a seemingly endless number. Your goal is to find his phylactery. You're sure that it must be somewhere near his time machine, but where exactly? Alas, the only way to find out is to get up there and take a look. You've reached the limits of what you can achieve with just echolocation.

'I know where to go next,' you say, gathering your companions. 'This is what we'll do…'

How do you want to go about this?
[] Frontal assault!
-[] Frida will play some inspirational music.
--[] Glitch will accompany her.
---[] You will hit Lothangrim's elite undead guardians as hard as possible and destroy them before they can mount much of a resistance.
----[] After they're all properly re-deaded, you'll have a window of opportunity to find and destroy Lothangrim's phylactery.

[] The stealthy option
-[] Sneak onto the top floor.
--[] Sneak past Lothangrim's elite undead guardians.
---[] Attempt to locate and destroy the phylactery without being spotted.

[] Combined arms!
-[] Some of your companions will attack Lothangrim's elite undead guardians head on while others will attempt to sneak in and destroy the phylactery.
--[] Who will be part of the assault team? (Write in*)
---[] And who will be part of the stealthy team? (Write in*)
*Assign these characters to either team: Frida, Al-Khidr, Evie, Garrar, and Glitch.

[] Do something else (write in).

All right, let's get ready for Boss Fight 2: Electric Boogaloo!

 

[Raiseth]

One question: how long will our Envy last? I mean, could we realistically apply bonuses to our rolls for Stealth and whatnot to steal the phylactery, or will the drink's effect end by the start of the next update?

 

[Nevill]

For instance, in shambling droves coming in from outside the Vault, a vast horde of undead creatures heading towards you.

Click to shrink...

"is heading", perhaps?

They won't get here in time to make a difference. At least, you hope not.

Click to shrink...

Formidable opponents, but no match for you and your fellow time travellers. Well, you hope not.

Click to shrink...

That's a lot of hopes we are pinning our success on. Did we swallow a potion of uncertainty by accident?

I am thinking Frida and Al-Khidr for stealth (the scholar is wounded and unfit for combat), while Evie, Garrar and Glitch do the fighting. Mostly Evie does the fighting; the GG team are with her primarily because they wouldn't be of much help on a team prioritizing stealth.

 

[Chandagnac]

One question: how long will our Envy last? I mean, could we realistically apply bonuses to our rolls for Stealth and whatnot to steal the phylactery, or will the drink's effect end by the start of the next update?

Click to shrink...

It won't last long enough to have any effect by the time you reach the top floor where Lothangrim is hiding out. By then, you'll need to take another potion.

"is heading", perhaps?

Click to shrink...

That's a lot of hopes we are pinning our success on. Did we swallow a potion of uncertainty by accident?

Click to shrink...

Well, I never said I wasn't a hack writer.

I am thinking Frida and Al-Khidr for stealth (the scholar is wounded and unfit for combat), while Evie, Garrar and Glitch do the fighting. Mostly Evie does the fighting; the GG team are there because they aren't very stealthy.

Click to shrink...

Also, some of Al-Khidr's mystical abilities will probably be useful for moving stealthily and/or locating hidden objects.