farsickooc | test drive meme #2

SCENARIOS

01. Settling In

It's been a couple of days since you have arrived and once the fatigue from that multiversal travel has been fixed there is a town that you should probably get acquainted with. At least well enough that you don't get lost every time you venture away from the inn where you are likely staying for the time being.

Down the narrow streets to the south where most newcomers first enter Gazin, the tradespeople have set up their shops. Armourers, blacksmiths, bowyers and carpenters can all be found there, as well a few shady types who cannot pass up the advantage of ripping off an unsuspecting person.

Heading east, one can find the two apothecary shops, a bakery, a herbarium, seamstress and shoemaker. There is also a medical clinic set up and is equipped to care for anything up to moderate injuries.

The northern part of town is the district that most people tend to avoid. It's smelly and dark and trouble lurks in every corner. It's hard not to get an uneasiness that feels like someone is watching you. If asked, most civilians will explain why it is called The Devil's Mouth.

In the west district, it is bright and cheerful and generally happy. Music and celebration seem to happen twice daily, every day of the week with Saturday being the loudest. During that day, the marketplace comes to life with vendors selling their fresh food or wares. In the evening, there's typically a firework show and maybe a drunken fistfight or two that ends with more drinking and some laughter. Sometimes, but not often, trouble from the northern district trickles into the west. Those slow festivities but not for long.

02. Exploring

You have heard people talk about the places beyond Gazin and now you find yourself itching to get out and see them. Be it Vasari Forest or Roselake, you and your trusty legs (or horse) plan to be gone for a week or more. One must always be cautious of the dangers while travelling, however. Bandits and rogue soldiers often cannot pass up the chance to take what isn't theirs. There are also creatures and monsters hiding in wait to curiously check you out or worse, hunt you for their next human-shaped meal.

But, that's all part of the adventure! Take someone along with you and maybe some weapons, too. Make sure one is made of silver.

03. Quest

The Druid known as Bhalris has contracted you to head into the Oren Mountains to find and pass a message along to the dwarf known as Brazmas Steelbelly. What Bhalris doesn't exactly explain is where Brazmas can be found, only giving approximate directions to a certain landmark where a series of clues will be revealed that start an interesting, though perhaps frustrating adventure.

Pay attention to the white raven and other animals along the way. They may be there to help with your journey. How do you tell them apart from the other wildlife that may or may not be dangerous? You can't.

Good luck!

04. Celebration

Impromptu parties are quite the norm in Gazin and it doesn't matter what the occasion is or who it is for. There's music, plenty of drink, dancing and good times to be had.

Let loose and have some fun!

05. Wild Card!

Want something else? Feel free to choose your own adventure or mix and match to create something completely different!

NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I do want," she says with a laugh. "There's always something to learn no matter where you go. It's a difficult thing for such a public place to have any sort of proper threshold, not to mention warding properly. It's not much of a home."

She plops herself into a chair, working herself out of her boots and setting them to the side before finding a comfortable pair of slippers and a shawl for warmth. The dress' warmth helps as well but she's cold enough that in a few moments, she lights the fire.

"You should have some type of body, Bob," Arha says after watching the flames dance. "And I mean to make you one, if you like. What good is it being here when you can't even hold a cup of tea or enjoy it? I can tie it into your skull, I don't think the detail work will be that difficult. We'd just be sculpting from the energies around us. This place is almost like Nevernever."

Bob considers the offer of a body. "It could work," he replies, "it might take some tweaking since giving me a body would...technically be breaking my punishment rules, but I have a feeling that if anyone could find a work around for that mess it might be you."

"Given that it would be tied into the infrastructure of the spells holding you to the skull itself, I think if I overlay a network of spells with similar energy..." She went down the rabbit-hole of magical theory using the air as her chalkboard and illusionary magic as her chalk, she outlined her idea of making an overlay of his skull's enchantments and placing the ability to transfer to a larger container, which would be not quite a homunculus, for his new owner's needs. He wouldn't be able to transfer unless she said it was okay, which were conditions of inhabitation of other creatures set down as well. It was, with all conditions and restraints present, an extention of that ability.

"So, no rules broken. I keep a hold of your skull so nothing can happen to you and you get a body of sorts that comes with the same set of rules as your skull has about essence transferrence. Sound enough for a trial run? I'll have to set up my circle, of course."

Bob watches the work with an impressed expression. "It would work," he says after he double checks her math and general spell work. "As long as my skull stays safe I should be fine." He smiles as much as he can just being light and all. "All I need is the basic shape and I can do the rest."

"Good," she says with a nod. "And yes, we'll have to keep your skull safe." Arha reaches out to touch the skull again, her fingers brushing over the carvings thoughtfully. The magic of it tingles her fingertips and she closes her eyes for a moment or two. "I can ward it from anyone but us."

Bob sighs softly. The touch feels good it feels like it has been a very very long time since the Battle of Chicago and he'd missed being around others. "A wise choice," he replies softly.

"Good." The warding she lays on his skull is easy for her to do but it's complex as far as wardings go, after all, she has to tie it between the two of them - Bob's essence and her own. It takes a few hours, more so since she had to go out and purchase a few supplies and then lay out her circle with each of its inner points. Thankfully, she'd had them in her bag, each point of bronze triangle to make up the directions and elements. Once she has a house of her own, it'll be inlaid into the floor. For now, she anchors the skull to both of them. Any disturbance will bring warning to them and harm to anyone touching it. The further they take the skull, the more harm is done to them, though it will not kill them. She draws that line at murder, as she should. It doesn't mean, however, that she's not going to make it as painful as possible to anyone daring to move or steal Bob's skull.

The next, shaping the ectoplasm and energy from the magic all around them requires something more than just spells to be spoken, it requires ritual and nothing that belongs to her save her own body. She is not shy but settles into the centre of the circle with the elements surrounding her; air, fire, water, earth, and spirit, skyclad as the day she was born. Bob's skull is across from her as she prepares, quickly putting herself into a state of pure nothingness - no thought, no noise, her breathing easy, her eyes closed. Arha gives her first sacrifice of self, her blood, with a quick nip that hits the water, fire ignites, burning away the blood, a handful of earth crackles, Bob skull glows.

It takes through the night, her tight focus never ebbing, but slowly Bob's body comes together. Feet, hands, head, legs torso, all of it right, all of it ready for him to jump into when he was ready. When it was done, she was shivering and exhausted, perspiration dampening her curls as she let out a long breath without opening her eyes.

"Bob," she whispers, "it's done. You have permission to pass between your skull and the construct any time you wish."

There is a long pause before the room seems to sigh and orange sparkling light steams out of the skull and into the construct covering it and shaping it. Arms become more defined. the head changes shape and the skin takes on a pale color. Once the body itself is to the spirit's liking, clothes begin to cover it, first a shirt, socks and waist coat in bright red, then the rest of the suit in black covered that. Finally a tall pale man with white hair and a charming smile stands next to Arha and kneels touching her carefully. "Don't stand yet," he says his softly accented voice sounding louder now that it's coming out of an actual throat. "That was a heavy ritual you just did, let me help you. regain some energy...I am sorry but this is going to be a little cold...I am a creature of Winter., but there isn't much I can do about that." He places a hand on her shoulder and sinks some of his own energy into her. It should feel like a gentle chill but not uncomfortable.

"I'm not sure I can stand," she murmurs in a voice that's hoarse and thick with her own crisp accent. Her fingers brush his and she smiles. "I always enjoyed winter and sweaters, for that matter. That does feel better, thank you." It's a renewal of spirit, so to speak, a quiet revitalisation that leaves her sighing softly in relief.

She gives it a few moments before she opens her weary eyes to glance up at him, her cornflower blue eyes illuminated just a little by dawn's light streaming through the window. Her smile is luminous and there is such joy in it as she reaches out to cup his cheek very gently.

"Well," she says, a little awed, "look at you. Bob, why...you're perfect." He really is. Everything is as it should be, no mistakes, his suit is lovely, the waistcoat is detailed, and he looks very handsome, she thinks. And she can't stop smiling because she had very much sunk everything she had into the ritual, all the effort needed and a little more. She'd even gone to the trouble of working out a magical circulatory system that linked to a heart of sorts so that he could feel a semblance of living, not just spirit existing in ectoplasm and the like.

"I did make a few more alterations," she said in a soft voice. "I...I wanted to make sure you could feel things properly, not just control a body. It had to be right, you know."

test drive meme #2

Re: 001. Settling In

Re: 001. Settling In

Re: 001. Settling In

Re: 001. Settling In

Re: 001. Settling In

Re: 001. Settling In

Re: 001. Settling In

Re: 001. Settling In

Re: 001. Settling In