Nalthar 2023/10/29(Sun)19:39 No. 1075902 ID: 0b594e
File 169863359632.gif - (401.08KB , 1000x800 , from-camp-to-obelisk.gif )

Martah rushes over to the crate, and looks down at the little bold who has curled up into a ball. He motions over the hunter, who gently but quickly scoops her up. The two resume their rush to the stricken master.

Martah: *gra-hack* "You can hear the wurm? This is important, what exactly did it say?"
She shudders and manages to answer.
Odd Bold: "I, uh, it didn't make any sense! Something about 'error, vessel compromised' and 'prepare for emergency exodus, stay within portal boundaries'.
Murdoc: "That sounds like the nonsense Donvan's always going on about."

The three arrive at the obelisk, which is now leaning over and sparking. Donvan is pacing and muttering to himself, the other apprentice is slumped on the ground clutching her head. The master scrivener is lying on the ground, his skinny chest gently rising with shallow breaths. Martah approaches him and examines his brain with a shaper's sight.
Martah: (Okay, he's getting enough oxygen. It looks like he's suffered a shock of some kind. I haven't much experience on brains, so any advice would be appreciated, spirits.)

Make loud noises and bang on metallic objects, that'll sort 'em!

>>1075902
"Stay within portal boundaries" means everyone needs to get close to the wurm!

>what to do about passed-out bold
Slap him awake. Not too hard.

>>1075902
Brain's intact? Little jolt to the ol adrenal glands should get em movin again so long as the tickers also good

Nothing will awaken him but true love's kiss

Nalthar 2023/11/07(Tue)16:12 No. 1076735 ID: de5cb4
File 169940234230.gif - (202.83KB , 1000x800 , reviving-the-master.gif )

> True love's kiss> True love's kiss
Martah: (I... can't.)

> Adrenal jolt
Martah: (Easy enough.)
He concentrates on the scrivener's adrenal glands, willing them to flood the bloodstream. The master begins to stir.

> Slap him
> Loud noise
Martah: (You know what? Yeah I'm gonna do that.)
The shaper gently helps the master sit up, then he slaps his hands to either side of the old bold's head and starts shaking him. "*Gra-ack* Fix your problems old man!" he screams in the master's face.

Meanwhile Murdoc and Donvan are bickering in the background.
Donvan: "It is not my fault this time, I was relegated to... a support role."
Murdoc's response is interrupted as another pulse comes from above.
Donvan: "Ach, if I could only make out that damn voice! I'm sure it's talking about that portal."
Odd Bold: "It said 'Preparing link to nearest designated safe world. Error, no safe worlds found, preparing link to closest match. One minute to portal activation.' She looks up at the two, "That's a good thing, right?"

>>1076735
It means we have one minute to gather folks towards the pillar, whoever wants to be transported to an unknown world along with their giant wurm friend.

>>1076735

Is your world unsafe? If so, everyone grab what you can and gather around the obelisk! If not, book it away from the obelisk, before you get portalled somewhere even less safe! Why is a giant wyrm activating portals?! What 'vessel' is that thing talking about?? Vessel like pottery, or vessel like a ship? You're not anywhere near the ocean! Oh, if only you hadn't broken that pot last week!

>>1076735
Gather the bolds, and boldly go where no bold has gone before.

Alright, time for some major improvements to this living situation! Rather, lack thereof.

1/4 Nalthar 2023/11/15(Wed)21:34 No. 1077395 ID: de5cb4
File 170011288554.jpg - (359.87KB , 1000x800 , one minute reactions.jpg )

Donvan starts pacing again and muttering about ancient secrets. He stops and throws up his hands in frustration.
Donvan: "A minute?! And where will the portal be? This? This is what the ancient's magic is like?!"

Murdoc takes a few steps toward the camp then stops, slamming a fist into her thigh in frustration.
Murdoc: "We need to get everyone here, but there's no time. You!" she points at the little bold, who jumps, startled. "Tell that thing to wait!"

Enigma: "Yes ma'am, right away! But, um, how?"

Martah drops the dazed scrivener onto the dusty ground and staggers to his feet. He stares up at the descending wurm, feeling the first flicker of hope in a long time.
Martah: (We're... getting out?)

Another pulse fizzles through them, and even before Enigma translates they know what it means...

2/4 Nalthar 2023/11/15(Wed)21:35 No. 1077396 ID: de5cb4
File 170011291238.jpg - (404.06KB , 1000x800 , explosion.jpg )

"Portal Activating"

4/4 Nalthar 2023/11/15(Wed)21:36 No. 1077398 ID: de5cb4
File 170011301598.jpg - (595.01KB , 1000x800 , a new world.jpg )

So now Martah and everyone he knows find themselves high above a mountain valley. The panorama is magnificent, but the angle and speed it's viewed from keep them from really appreciating it.

What should Martah be doing in a situation like this?

Stop falling, duh.

Fall in a cool way

Flap your wings.

Yeah, stop falling. That's a good idea.

Order the Wyrm to slow your descent.

Flap arms really hard

Maybe grab onto the pillar?

>>1077398
Emergency fleshwarp yourself some bat wings to glide?

>>1077442
Forget anything as complex as wings just try and spread skin out in a crude parachute, we're under a serious time limit here

SKELECOPTERS

THIBBBBBBBBB

Cloak parachute?

>>1077459
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KHDUBzlZLXE

But also, uh, try to talk to the wyrm? Tell Enigma to talk to the wyrm? Aim for a giant pile of hay?

Nalthar 2023/11/21(Tue)12:15 No. 1077771 ID: de5cb4
File 170059773462.jpg - (311.29KB , 1000x800 , rat to bat.jpg )

> Wings
> Hey! Hey, stop falling.
Martah: (AAAAA, right, yes, wings, right, OK, I can do this.)

> Skelecopter
Martah: (Oh, like with a WAIT THERES NO TIME!)

Martah lets the wind whip off his tabard as he concentrates. Skin stretches between his arms and torso, forming a pair of crude wings. Balancing on the rushing air currents he manages to hold roughly in place.

Looking around, Martah takes stock of the situation. A mile wide portal has dumped the entire camp into the sky, maybe five miles up? The wurm is close behind, about a 100 yards up. Martah's group, as well as the shattered remains of the obelisk, are some hundred yards or so apart from the rest of the camp, directly in the path of the wurm.

> Order the Wurm to slow your descent
Martah: (Right.) He glances up at the immense face. (How are we doing this?)

You need to flap towards Martah and collect Enigma for translation, then flap towards the Wurm, then get Enigma to yell for help in Wurm, all before you hit the ground in roughly a minute.

If you think that'd take too long just flap towards the Wurm and flail in distress.

Would "Oh god please help they're all going to die" suffice?

>>1077778
Yes, we'll need Enigma to translate a request.

>>1077778
support

1/2 Nalthar 2023/11/26(Sun)19:20 No. 1078093 ID: de5cb4
File 170105521149.jpg - (207.52KB , 1000x800 , catching enigma.jpg )

Martah swoops over to Enigma, who is falling backwards staring up in a daze. He tries to grab her arm but accidentally crashes into her, sending them into a tumble. Martah manages to get back into a steady position with Enigma clinging awkwardly to his furry chest.

Martah: *Hack* "Are you alright?" He has to shout to be heard over the air rushing past them. "We need to communicate with that thing!"

Enigma: "I-I, Mister Martah I don't know how!" She shivers against him. "I really want to help but I just can't!"

Martah: "That's Okay! Just hold on and I'll take a look at your brain real quick!"

Enigma: "Wha- ?"

2/2 Nalthar 2023/11/26(Sun)19:21 No. 1078094 ID: de5cb4
File 170105526394.jpg - (955.68KB , 1000x800 , brain scan.jpg )

Martah: (Alright lets take a look.)

Enigma: (What the heck? This feels really weird!)

Martah: (Yeah, sorry, we just don't have much time. I'm just going to try and observe what happens when you next hear the wurm. Luckily it looks like your brain is very similar to ours so I should be able to... Wait there's, did you know you have some metal spikes in your head?)

Enigma: (Oh, um, yes. I was in an... accident.)

Martah: (Uuuuh, well okay, moving on. Sorry if I start rambling, I'm trying not to think about, you know, what might happen in a few minutes. Oh and there are a bunch of spirits hanging around so don't worry if you hear some other voices. Now, do you think-)

Wurm: {FOUR MILES TO IMPACT}

Martah: (Ah! There, around those metal bits! I don't know what they are, but your brain lit up when the wurm spoke just now. Okay concentrate and I'll try to direct your thoughts back through the device.)

What should Enigma say?

UNSAFE VELOCITY DETECTED REQUEST CORRECTION

SUMMON COMFY PILLOWS

EQUIP PARACHUTES ON ALL PERSONNEL

PLEASE

>>1078097
Seems fine.

Units cannot take fall damage! Directive 1 currently violated!
Emergency Override: "F***ING PARACHUTES, NOW!"

All of the above, plus “ow, there are spikes in my brain.”

>>1078097
Seems appropriate.

Nalthar 2023/11/28(Tue)21:31 No. 1078256 ID: de5cb4
File 170123587181.jpg - (155.55KB , 1000x800 , a visual representation of telepathic communicatio.jpg )

Enigma: (Whoa, voices! So you're spirits, huh? Well don't worry, I've got this! This guy talks like one of those robots from back home, lets try this:)

Enigma: (Unsafe velocity detected, request correction!)

Wurm: {PASSENGER; REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGED. GRAVITATIONAL DAMPENERS COMING ONLINE.}

A wave of visual distortion washes out from the wurm. The titan and the cloud of debris begin to slow their fall.

Enigma: (That's great! Now can you get us down to the ground?)

Wurm: {DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OFFLINE; EMERGENCY PROTOCOL IN EFFECT. HOLDING PATTERN ESTABLISHED; PORTAL STABILIZATION IN 4 MINUTES.}

Enigma: (Well that sounds promising. You're doing a great job, uh, what's your name big guy?)

Wurm: {THIS VESSEL IS DESIGNATED... ERROR
THIS VESSEL IS DESIGNATED... ERROR
THIS VESSEL IS DESIGNATED...
THIS VESSEL... THIS VESSEL... I... I am...
Who am I?)

Error!

Null`); DROP TABLE Entities;--

Jormun.

What happens when the portal stabilizes? Does it close? Well, we can get down to the ground by turning the dampeners off and on repeatedly. Or... lowering their power output?

He probably is a robot! In fact he probably is a flying ship! That's what a vessel is, right? He's so cool!

Jormun seems to be a suitable name.

1/3 Nalthar 2023/12/05(Tue)18:03 No. 1078745 ID: de5cb4
File 170182819675.jpg - (274.92KB , 1000x800 , sad backstory.jpg )

Enigma: (You're an... Error?)

Wurm: (I do not know. I remember... stars. Traveling between stars and carrying people within myself.)

Enigma: (So are you some kind of machine?)

Wurm: (yes, but... I did not used to think like this. I was asleep for a very long time, somewhere cold and dark. Longer than a vessel is supposed to be in storage. I think many of my systems have degraded. I think... I'm not supposed to be thinking at all. A lot of data is missing, even my name.)

Enigma: (Where I came from there were machine workers, and they would get in a lot of trouble for thinking. But I think you're safe here, these rat guys don't have any machines that I've seen.)

(And its okay if you don't have a name, I don't have one either.)

Wurm: (Hmm, I think I would like a name though.)

Enigma: (Well how about... Jormun? It's the name of a shipping crate company. Maybe it's silly, but finding one of their boxes in an alley, it always made me feel safe knowing I would have somewhere sturdy to sleep for the night.)

Wurm: (Jormun... yes, it sounds right. I am Jormun!) The wurm lets out a joyful keen that rattles Enigma's bones.

Enigma: (G-glad you like it, big guy! Um, about that 'portal stabilization'?)

Jormun: (Ah, yes it should be powered up. Brace yourselves!)
{PORTAL STABILIZATION IN 3}

2/3 Nalthar 2023/12/05(Tue)18:04 No. 1078746 ID: de5cb4
File 170182825241.jpg - (308.50KB , 1000x800 , split jaw.jpg )

{2}

3/3 Nalthar 2023/12/05(Tue)18:05 No. 1078747 ID: de5cb4
File 170182832002.jpg - (337.95KB , 1000x800 , portal stabilized.jpg )

{1}

A beam of brilliant emerald energy shoots from Jormun's maw, roiling the air in front of them and sending bolds tumbling away. Martah holds Enigma close as they dizzyingly spin. On the ground below the energy wave resolves into a second portal. Martah has a brief, disorienting view through it of the wurm from behind, before he blacks out.

He comes around to find himself in a small tent, oddly feeling as though he is still falling.

Jormun: (Oh good, you're finally awake.)

We were trying to cross the border, eh.

Step outside. Did the whole village get placed in an infinite loop between two portals so nothing ever hits the ground?

>>1078747
Well, that was a ride. Might be time to get something to eat.

What's going on?

Check your own brain for any unexpected spikes of metal.