Did they have cake and ice cream?

Brom 2010/06/05(Sat)15:50 No. 188326 ID: f98e0b
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"Aaron," quoth that wise king. "I grow weary upon my golden throne. What leisurely sport do you offer on this day?"

"My lord, we are out of leisurely sports," Aaron did say unto the king, and the king did wax wroth, saying, "Bullshit. There's got to be something to do around here. What kind of fucking palace is this."

>>188326
It looks like the sort of palace that is floating in the air with no floor.

You need to call in an architect and flesh that shit out.

:B

Well, there's always the old royal standby of booze, fine food, and bitches.

kill Aaron, as a vizier he is obviously plotting against you.

>>188326
I hear polo is fun. See if you can find some horses, or horse-like animals.

>>188331
Seconding renovation. Your palace will be pimped the fuck out.

How about tapping Queen Dahlia?
Alternatively? WAKE UP!

Break off the legs of the throne and use your crown to play ball.

Brom 2010/06/05(Sat)16:12 No. 188354 ID: f98e0b
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"Ok do we have any like cake or ice cream," the Emperor of Time did say, his words echoing like thunder off the golden, castellated halls of his palace.
And Aaron his vizier did say, "You ate it all, my wise king."
And Diometricus the Great, the Terrible, and the Glorious did say, "Fuck. Very well. I shall have a feast, I think. The fourth one today. You shall go out into the Kingdom and fetch me the finest mead in the kingdom for me to sate my thirst. You shall bring me the greatest beast in the kingdom for my spit and my meal. And you shall bring me the scullery maid, so I can bang her brains out when I am done with the feast. Maybe a floor too. I'm worried about getting off this throne, gonna be honest. If you don't I'll kill you, I think."

"It is done, O king," said Aaron, and began to say more when his voice was drowned out by a plaintive cry.
"Who weeps in the great halls of my palace?" the King did say. "For sadness is forbidden in my glorious kingdom."
"My king, I believe its source is from outside your kingdom," said Aaron.
"What?"
Someone outside your weird little dreamscape is crying, Dio.

...Oh bollocks. Split mind, half sleepwalking?

oh, you are dreaming. serious up, take control, and go check it out.

Spring out of bed and seek the source.

Brom 2010/06/05(Sat)16:25 No. 188362 ID: f98e0b
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Dio shakes half of himself awake.
Good morning, O King.
Shaddap, Vizier. Dio strains his ears. Someone is indeed crying in the next room over.

Which would be Jai's.

Put some pants on, go see what's wrong.

>>188362
Get some pants on and go check on her.

dress and roll out.

Summon pants. And a shirt.

>>188362
Use (Greater? Minor?) Glamor to recreate your royal garb from your dream, then burst into Jai's room all regal like.

"WHAT LADY DOTH CRY IN THE KINGDOM OF DIOMETRICUS? SURELY THIS IS AN AFFRONT TO THE GODS! AS LORD AND LEADER, I WILL RIGHT THIS WRONG!

So seriously, Jai, what's wrong."

>>188370
YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!! ham points ahoy!

>>188370
This seems like a bad idea, and by bad I mean it would just make us look petty.

>>188362
Ah, do anything you can to completely sober and rouse your mind, get yourself focused quickly and quietly. Pay attention to anything you hear while doing this, THEN we see if we go over or not.

After all, some things can be personal, so on the off chance it isn't something she'd want to have a friend catch, spend some time alerting yourself mentally, and hey, you'll be better equipped if you end up going over anyway.

Check on her, but be stealthy until you figure out what's wrong.

Bring it up in the morning when she's had time to regain her composure.

>>188362
Go see what's wrong. Chances are that she's upset about missing out on her chance with you.

Can you glamor a message over to Jai's side of the wall?

Ask if she's okay that way if so. Less intrusive.

Brom 2010/06/05(Sat)17:16 No. 188405 ID: f98e0b
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Dio throws on a robe and creeps out the door to outside Jai's room. The door's ajar. Jai's trying to be quiet on the other side, but he recognizes it as her. The lights are all out on the other side and she's not talking, just sort of sobbing.

>>188405
Burst into the room and announce that it is Goofy Time.

Open the door a little more, and ask "Jai? What's wrong?"

>>188405
Well, softly call out to her, ask her if she's okay.

If she does not bring it up herself in her response, follow up with asking if she could use a friend.

Knock on the door. Wait for a response.

>>188405
Go on then. Ask her what's wrong. You can speak through the crack right?

Brom 2010/06/05(Sat)17:36 No. 188421 ID: f98e0b
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Dio opens the door a little and calls out, quietly, "Jai? What's wrong?"

The crying abruptly stops. There's a silece for about thiry seconds, then he hears the rustling of bedsheets as she sits up. "Hey, Dio," she says, with forced cheer. Her voice is hoarse and strained. "'Sup?"
"Was that you?"
"Um. Maybe. Yeah."
"Need someone to talk to?"
"No. No. I mean, uh, I'm fine. Well, I mean, I'm not, ha, obviously. I mean. But. But there's a psychologist here so I'll just go see her in the morning so. Uh. Sorry to wake you up."

"at least let me give you a hug, can i do that?" go give her a hug then let her get back to sleep.

>>188421
"The most skilled psychologist is no match for a best friend, Jai."

>>188421
These psychologists are... well they don't really seem to 'get' a Vidder mindset, understand, maybe but still. Perhaps you just need someone to listen to you?

>>188421
Tell her that it's no problem and you're her friend. If she needs a shoulder to cry on and someone to listen to her then you're there for her.

Go in and sit at the side of the bed.
"Psychologist or no, I'm your friend. What's wrong?"

Brom 2010/06/05(Sat)19:54 No. 188507 ID: f98e0b
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"Oh," says Dio, opening the door a bit more. "Could I at least give you a hug?"
"I'm naked from the waist down, Dio."
"Ah," he says, retreating a bit. "Do you just want to, uh, talk from there?"
"I don't know if it's anything I should be telling you about..."
"Jai. The most skilled psychologist is no match for a best friend. And, um, no offense to Deve but she's not exactly a vidder expert. What's wrong?"

There's silence again for a few seconds. Then: "I'm your mentor and I should really not be saying this but I am afraid, Dio. Like scared as balls. I think maybe we're biting off way more than we can chew and we're all going to die. There."

>>188507
"Well, that makes two of us."

Say "Um... I guess we can still make a break for it. If you're sure we're in deep shit, we can probably talk the Qal into abandoning the fort and heading inland for reinforcements."

>>188507
"We'll be ok.
I know it's a dangerous situation, but for some reason I know we'll come out of this on top."
Send your dream buddy to help her sleep.

Also summon up some illusions of cute, adorable animals. If Jai doesn't want to talk about what's bothering her then we might at least be able to cheer her up so she can rest well and see that psychologist tomorrow.

"Jai, I know its scary, hell, I was terrified for at least an hour before I could finally collapse into sleep. However, Jai, between us we have an illusionist who fought a Dreamthing, and the most kickass and awesome enchanter i've ever had the pleasure of getting my ass kicked to the floor by. If anyone can do this, its us and the Qal, Jai.

Brom 2010/06/05(Sat)20:35 No. 188539 ID: f98e0b
File 127579532423.png - (42.06KB , 800x600 , 8.png )

"Jai. Okay, uh, look. It looks pretty shitty right now. I mean, I freaked out about it too for like an hour before I could get to bed. But these Qal really know what they're doing, and hey. Look at me. I killed a dreamthing, remember? I'm a badass."
She laughs, wetly. "The badassest."
"You know I am. And I'm talking to one of the most awesome, kickass enchanters I have ever had the pleasure of getting beat the shit out of by. We're going to be okay. Okay?"
Jai turns to look at him. "I- I mean, I hope so, um I mean I think so, but I still want to go home. I do." Dio nods. "I mean, anything can happen now, right? It's nothing held back. We're actually like in a war. That's, uh, never been something I've had to deal with. And I'd be more okay with it if it wasn't so soon. I mean-" she sits up. "Cyclopes live for a really long time. Like really really long. And I mean if anything happens, if it does... Spirits, Dio, I'm not ready. At all. I'm fucking eighteen. I have so much I still need to do. I have a paper that needs writing as soon as I get back. I want to go to Furlaia and see the Sarid Falls and maybe swim there for a bit and go to the Dream Plane and visit there for a while and maybe buy like a house in the Arcanopolis and one day raise some weird freaky one-eyed kids or something. And- promise you won't freak out."
"What?"
"Promise."
"Okay."
"I gotta get laid, Dio." He takes a step back. "No, not with you. I mean probably not. I mean- fuck. I just mean I haven't even done that yet. Does that sound petty? I don't care. I mean I was just thinking about Everett and I know it's stupid and we weren't going to go anywhere anyway but spirits. We are going to miss out on things. A lot of things. It's not fair. I don't think I can handle being a corpse with a hymen. I really can't deal with that. I can see the headstone now. Jai Etra Vostra. Here Lies the Chick who Didn't Get Any. I mean-" she starts tearing up again. "It's not fair. There's still so much we have to do..."

"I admit, I hadn't thought about that, on account of I don't think we're going to die."

And cutting her off
"And Jai, trust me, we aren't going to miss out on any of it. We are going to kick some demented animal ass just like we did before, and that was when we were off guard! And then *laugh slightly* were going to find you a nice strong Qal if thats what you want, and make that headstone "Jai Etra Vostra. Here Lies the Chick Who Used Force Magic on Death itself when it woke her up too early. Because thats the girl I've known all these years"

>>188544
Ah, and so you know my thinking on the wording, its less brovado he suddenly gained, then some confidence he should have and the importance to put a friend before your own fears.

Well if your alienation guide believes that you're both likely to die then you should just make not dying your main priority.

"Jai, we're Arcanopolis students out on an alienation, not some soldiers charging into battle to become heroes. We'll just get out of here if things become too hot to handle, simple as that."

>>188539
Ask why she's so sure she's gonna die.

I'd say you should be encouraging, but the fact is you are suffering similar doubts. Let her know you are frightened too. I think rather than talk to the psychologist you should have opened up to Jai, as she seems to be having similar problems. And a common frame of reference.

Step inside the door and sit down next to it (it's dark and she should be covered anyway). Then open up and share your own worries with her. You can be frightened miserable virgins together.

>>188621
Actually, you know what? That's risky advice. It's not unlikely that it'd just upset her more and she wouldn't tell you.

Besides, I suspect she's just experiencing the shock of realizing she's supposed to be a grown up now. Although she's already been on her own alienation, so I don't know. Maybe hers was too quick for the feeling to set in?

Since your both feeling vulnerable why don't you reminisce with her for a while. If there's some past victory you shared, bring it up now.

Brom 2010/06/05(Sat)23:30 No. 188670 ID: f98e0b
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"And we're not going to miss any of it," says Dio firmly. "You seem pretty conviced you're going to die all of a sudden. We'll be fine. If we have to bail we'll bail, simple as that."
Jai sniffs. "I don't know if I want to do that to the Qal. But at the same time I'm sort of freaking out over here."
"Yeah," Dio sighs, dropping the act for a second. "Me too. Want to be miserable, frightened virgins together for a while?"
She scoots over and pulls the covers up for a bit more coverage.

They spend the rest of the night talking about what they're worried about, and the horizon, and what's waiting on the other side.

Try and get SOME sleep, if only for an hour after sunup. You might need it.

>>188670
When you wake up you had better experiment with magic to try to turn something invisible. Try Blind by itself. Or maybe it's just a Major Glamour?

let's summon up that shifting dreamthing. make sure you get the star right this time.

I hope you're wearing pants.

Brom 2010/06/06(Sun)11:32 No. 189045 ID: f98e0b
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So they hold on.
And they keep on holding on throughout the next day and the day after and before they know it four days have gone by without activity. And the black mountains in the sky hang over them all, like a hammer lining up for the strike.

And so it comes to pass that dawn breaks over the fort on the fourth day, quietly.

Brom 2010/06/06(Sun)11:32 No. 189046 ID: f98e0b
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That’s not to say that they haven’t been keeping busy, of course. The commandant has been keeping his Qal drilling and on their toes almost incessantly. They’ve been patching up holes in the walls and defenses and scouting the area’s soil quality and grass coverage for potential pit traps/ambushes, and setting up contingency plans for a potential grass fire, which is a very real possibility in the dry seasons.
Jai is feeling better about the entire thing after their talk and seeing all the professional activity, and has been drowning her doubts in sparring sessions with Dio and fierce practice every morning. The younger Qal in the barracks like to hang around and watch, as much for the outstanding pyrotechnics displays as for the fact that her workout outfit looks like
this.

Choose Dio's New Spell Brom 2010/06/06(Sun)11:36 No. 189048 ID: f98e0b
File 127584941342.png - (341.84KB , 800x600 , 12.png )

Dio’s been practicing too, just as hard if not quite as nubile.
He’s added a new spell to his list in the form of:
((choose one))
Greater Summon Item: He’s been practicing pulling things out of his mind and has a stronger connection with his imagination. Dio can now summon significantly larger objects, as much as ten feet across, and his summoned weapons can be more elaborate or large and move faster.
Sleep: He can lock his opponents into their own dreams, forcing them into sleep. Any physical harm could easily wake them, but many of Dio’s illusionist powers are significantly more effective against sleeping enemies, and Sleep can eventually chain out into much more interesting abilities and combinations.

>>189047
OH

DIO

HUGELY HELPFUL THING WITH THAT SUMMON.

Can you summon durable blocks, like an anchored shield? If you can get alright at doing that, you could greatly enhance this fighting force, as you could create cover ON DEMAND, and any cover you make could be unsummoned so enemies can't use it.

Also practice making copies of each of the Qal (I assume you have been doing so at least somewhat), so you can throw up false images of reinforcement of flight to manipulate enemy movements.


..Cover on demand the enemy can't use, and being able to make it look like your forces are in different places than they actually are...
...Wow, illusionists are AWESOME for group combat.

>>189048
Both sound awesome. But I'm gonna go with Greater Summon Iteam, for making backstabs with ballistas and stuff.

Greater Summon Item.

Having Sleep chain into cool stuff later won't help if we get attacked tomorrow. Having a ten foot sword made of screaming faces will.

>>189048
Greater. Summoned. Item.

>>189048
Greater Summon Item.
Try it out by summoning a 10'x10'x10' crate of sticks of TNT, and having people light them and chuck them.
Blast out a gully around the fort to slow enemy advancement.

oh, and have you been making that summon diagram like i have been saying? a shifting dream thing against non-magic using creatures sounds hella useful. jut remember that line in the star this time and you will do fine.

Suggestion 2010/06/06(Sun)12:22 No. 189082 ID: 2eac65
File 127585212036.gif - (1.43MB , 383x222 , DIO_RoadRoller.gif )

Greater Summon Item is the better choice. Sleep is good for doing one specific thing, but object summoning opens up a world of possibilities.

For instance, this.

Sleep is cool and potentially useful, but those effects can easily be replicated by a blackjack, whereas summoning an item by mundane means would be a huge hassle.

...We could even summon a blackjack, complete with wielder, if we needed to.

Sleep
I'm always in favor of the synergy power. Besides, im pretty sure Sleep and Entomb is pretty much death. Although to be fair, I like both.

>>189048
I'm going to have to disagree with the general consensus here and go with Sleep. I'll agree that Greater Summon Item has more combat situation uses, but Sleep allows more overall options when dealing with enemies. Specifically if non-violence is ever a choice, or interrogation. Dio can't stab his way through all of his problems.

Sleep sounds like a very useful skill, but one of the main issues when Dio fights is that he doesn't have a good way to finish off opponents.

I say Greater Summon Item so Dio can summon giant spinning saw blades, nets made of chains, grappling hooks, tools or whatever else the situation calls for.

>>189048

I think summoning large complicated mechanical devices involves Improved Greater Summoning +1, or something equally crazy.

Sleep is a good choice.

I vote sleep, if only because it sounds like it will allow for more elegant solutions than a physical object could. Both sound nice though.

>>189144
>>189118
see
>>189098

There exist such things as nonlethal weapons. That fully invalidates your concerns. In addition to blackjacks, there are such things as nets and ropes, which could likely by summoned into an advantageous position.

And Greater Summon Item has out-of-combat use too. All sleep does in that regard is counter insomnia. Useful, sure, but much less so.

>>189121
Coup de Grace?

>>189148
No, none of those options make my concerns any less valid. All of your proposals require that Dio somehow be trained in the usage of each weapon effectively. They would also require that he somehow overpower his opponent in order to place them into submission.

Having a blackjack doesn't suddenly make another mage less of a threat, nor does it mean attempting to restrain a combat skilled enemy will be easy. You're overestimating the effectiveness of being able to summon weapons.

Sleep could effectively force an enemy into submission and avert combat altogether. Not only that, but my main interest in the ability is how well it would work in concert with others. If Dio can force an enemy into their own subconscious and then fiddle with it, there's no telling how helpful that could be.

Greater Summon Item is a great skill--if we could net both for Dio that'd be great. But my vote remains unchanged.

>>189048
Go for Greater Summon Item for now, but, at the very least, we should earmark Sleep for later.

I mean, seriously, Sleep + Entomb. They pass out and suffocate to death before they manage to wake up. It's not very useful while occupying a defensive position, though, it'd be more useful for sneaking into an occupied enemy base, making solitary guards pass out and then just die. Wouldn't attract attention. At all.

>>189153
I must agree... summoning is more versatile. We saw last chapter how sleep can be overcome.

Sleep, totally sleep.

Imagine if we linked it with Lesser Summon Item. That could potentially allow us to yank people's worst nightmares into existence or pull things out of deeper dreamspace.

Also, might I propose that you at some point begin looking into The Brown Note.

SUMMON ITEM MAN

GUESS WHAT

YOU CAN MAKE AUGHMYLIMB AN EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE COMBO THAT WAY BY HITTING PEOPLE WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE TO THEM THEIR OWN FUCKING ARM

>>189048
Sleep is handy, but the summoning is versatile as all fucking-get-out.

Suggestion 2010/06/06(Sun)18:40 No. 189344 ID: 620bfb
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We just need to get progressively better at item summoning to the exclusion of all other spells.

MAN, YOU MOTHERS, WE CAN MAKE PEOPLE GO NAP-NAP IF WE HIT 'EM HARD ENOUGH WITH A KICK-ASS WEAPON

GREATER SUMMON ITEM UP IN THIS BIZNASTY

>>189153
>>189153
>No, none of those options make my concerns any less valid. All of your proposals require that Dio somehow be trained in the usage of each weapon effectively. They would also require that he somehow overpower his opponent in order to place them into submission.
I suppose that's true. Nonetheless, they are a far more viable non-magical alternative than exists for greater item summoning. And seriously, it's not that hard to give a fellow a tap on the back of the head. No special training is needed.

>Having a blackjack doesn't suddenly make another mage less of a threat, nor does it mean attempting to restrain a combat skilled enemy will be easy.
Any decent mage will have defense against sleep too. And no restraint is necessary anyway, just a little bit of situational awareness.

>You're overestimating the effectiveness of being able to summon weapons.
I don't really think so, though based on your reaction I may have inadvertently overstated it. You, however, are overestimating the effectiveness of a sleep spell.

>Sleep could effectively force an enemy into submission and avert combat altogether.
If there is no defense against it and it is a magically impenetrable slumber, perhaps. I suspect that neither of those are the case.

>Not only that, but my main interest in the ability is how well it would work in concert with others. If Dio can force an enemy into their own subconscious and then fiddle with it, there's no telling how helpful that could be.
Based on how previous spells have worked, I suspect that sleep has domain merely over the impetus which causes an individual to fall, in the most literal sense, from wakeness to sleep. Not, in fact, control over the entire real of sleep and dream.

Being able to summon a ten across object is godlike. What's to stop us from dropping boulders on peoples heads? We could drop anvils on peoples, or the comical Monty Python 16 ton weight.

>>189489
If I had to take a half second guess, Brom would probably stop us from doing that ;) or some restriction built into either Dio's magical power, or the spell itself. Most of the time ultra powerful, easily abused spells are not going to stay that way long... unless we want the story of Dio, conjurer of heavy blocks.

>>189505
I suspect that the main limiting factor will be that killing people with giant fucking anvils will only rarely be in our best interests.

>>189510
This is probably true also, unless the pursuit of 1930's-50's style comedy is our best interest.

I mostly just wanted to comment that I really doubt either spell is going to be all powerful. I have my preference... and now ill leave democracy and Brom to this one before I post too much.

Sleep

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)16:47 No. 189982 ID: f98e0b
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Dio has learned Greater Summon Item, and has been summoning giant boulders, anvils, greatswords, and large, comical statues of feet for days. But that's not the most important thing he's been up to. He's learned a lot from when we first met him. He thinks he's ready to tackle what he failed at last time.

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)16:47 No. 189983 ID: f98e0b
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Dio has been practicing these runes for days. He has had time to construct a more sound circle than the hexagram he was working on back at the Arcanopolis, and more than enough runing chalk (since on the Arcane Plane, any chalk is runing chalk). He has checked, re-checked, and re-re-checked every line, and drawn the fourth segment of the Arboreal Star’s trunk with fierce precision. He’s studied Shifting Dreamthings and clarified his spellcasting syntax to better snare and command one, lit supportive incense, and drawn the rune extra-large on a specially treated stone block Jai helped him haul into his room.

He thinks he’s ready to try to summon another shifter.

>>189983
Go over it one last time to be extra super sure. Then call in Jai for back up and awestruck audience and summon that dreamthing.

don't tell jai you want her there for back up though, ask if she want's to watch you do it, would be cool.

Just be sure to summon something that WONT try to kill you.

>>189983
Ask yourself these questions:
Is the ritual the same on this plane?
Is It Different at all because the Destination is different for the summoning?
Are you wearing anything that might interact with the summoning ritual?

Did you warn the Qal that you were going to attempt to summon and bind a potentially dangerous creature inside their fort?
Did they say 'okay' ?

Also, you have to do the proper dance ritual as well. Magic rituals never work as well without the dance. Remember the patooti is absolutely essential to any dance ritual maneuver.

>>189993
Don't worry about the Qal. They don't know about cyclopes anyway.

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)17:25 No. 190002 ID: f98e0b
File 127595672994.png - (302.75KB , 800x600 , 15.png )

>>189993
It's not the same on this plane, but Dio's reconfigured what needs fixing in order to summon the dreamthing to Arcane rather than Material.
The Qal know of the summoning and have in fact encouraged it, needing all the help they can get.

Dio's not sure about letting Jai in. One of the things he's learned about dreamthings is that they dislike being surprised, harassed, or outnumbered during the minutes after the summoning, and any conditioning then may impact their behavior and character strongly. He's not sure how it will react to being faced by two mages as opposed to one shrimp. Plus, Spirits bless her but Jai kind of isn't the most subtle person.

>>190002
Have you considered that the inherent magical energies that permeate the Arcane plane may supercharge the ritual process like it supercharged yours and Jai's powers, resulting in you summoning something more potent than what you wanted? Or, even worse, empowering your summon to redonkulous levels.

well you are the one who studied the crap out of this so if you think jai staying out is a good idea then so be it. let's get this show on the road.

>>190002
Hmmm, might be best to leave her out of it then. But make sure you can get to her quickly if you need back up. Then lets get this magic show on the road. Summon ye dreamthing and bind it to your will.

>>190002
Lets do this. Summon away!

>>190002
Hm.... Dio, what do you know about the differences between a Dream thing that manifest on the physical versus material plane?

Beyond that.... DUDE, YOU CAN DROP AN ANVIL ON IT, WORST CASE SCENARIO. IF YOU CAN COMICALLY DISPOSE OF THIS IN CASE SHIT GOES SOUTH, NOTHING NEEDS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT.

FALLING ANVILS FROM THE SKY ALWAYS WIN.

ALWAYS.

Shake it

>>190004
That applies to Jai's magic because she uses the magic of this plane. Dio uses magic of a different plane, so that doesn't happen.

If you can, try to summon a dreamthing that actually wants to be summoned, and won't mind being a servant. Failing that, try for one willing to bargain with you in exchange for aiding it in the future. Even if we can bind it into service, we don't want a morale case.

Before the summoning, you'd best have a contingency for if it goes wrong. If you're able to maintain a spell during the summoning, I'd say perhaps you ought to place/summon something very heavy above the rune and then unsummon whatever's holding it up the very moment something goes wrong.

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)18:53 No. 190064 ID: f98e0b
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There’s no real doubt that loyalty is going to be enforced. The Arboreal Star’s function is bondage. His will is channeled through it, and his summon should be more than happy to obey him.
Dio pours his energy into the guiding lines of the circle. They flare with a blue glow at his touch. He feels the power there, in its timeless innate magic, and eagerly pours his own into its confines. The glow burns brighter, and he sits back, concentrating. A glowing nimbus begins to coalesce in the center of the circle.

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)18:53 No. 190065 ID: f98e0b
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It takes form slowly, as Dio wills it along, steam rising from it as he tethers it into reality with his spells and his circle.

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)18:54 No. 190067 ID: f98e0b
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“I am Diometricus Phrale Eregiorium,” says Dio. “Alien Mage of the Arcanopolis.”

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)18:54 No. 190068 ID: f98e0b
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“I have summoned you,” he says, “to serve me in the Arcanum.”

You know what would be funny? If we ended up with the same dreamthing twice. heh

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)18:55 No. 190070 ID: f98e0b
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The figure is silent.

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)18:55 No. 190071 ID: f98e0b
File 127596213087.png - (284.19KB , 800x600 , 21.png )

“Hold on a tick, I have a bit here, don’t I?” it says. “Right. Sorry. New at this. Hem. I am the Shifter called Gryphona, and I answer your Summons, Diometricus Phrale Eregiorium. I am your servant.”

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)18:55 No. 190072 ID: f98e0b
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“Now could you unsummon me for a moment so I can pack, m’lord? Only I’ve got a novel I was about to finish and I hate to leave it sitting.”

>>190071
heh, I like him already.

>>190072
She seems legit, let her go get her stuff.

>>190072
Hooooo boy, is that a Xom grin I see there?

>>190073
Pretty sure it's a her.

>>190073
More like HER.
The hat... its the Undertakeress!

...If that wouldn't potentially screw things up that sounds fine, eh?

>>190072
"Heh, I like you. No."

>>190072
"Heh, you've got style. I like that. Still no, though.
Give me the name of the book and I'll see about getting you a copy."

[edit posts guys, brom says on irc that if we unsummon we can call her back she is linked to dio now.]

Better yet. When you summon things, you pull them out of dreamspace, no? You could not only get a copy of the book, but HER copy of the book!

Best to have a good relationship with your summons even if they are being forced to serve you. I say let her pack.

don't see why not, after wards show her around the place and explain the situation. then let her meet the other people around here.

>>190072
Well sure. We can just summon her again right after, correct?

"By all means. I would not want your stay here to be an unpleasant one."

>>190092
I think we can summon -A- new one if he unsummon her. I don't think we can pick and choose who we get. So if we unsummon her, she's off the hook until she wins the unlucky lotto again.

>>190093
[get on irc, brom says she is mind-linked now. the circle isn't needed to summon her]

Unless it will mess up the summoning, let her/it get its book. Id hate to leave a novel unfinished!

>>190093
see
>>190086

>>190086
Really? Oh.

Well, if that's true then by all means go ahead and let her go get her stuff. Be a gracious host.

>>190072
Seems okay to me. Since you have her name, wouldn't that make it easier to get her specifically back?

Ask how long she would need.
Set up a time you'll summon her back.

Or, if things don't work that way, say you'll try and find her a copy of said book.

Also, you keep getting hot women around you. I'm jealous.

If she's linked, I see no problem. Dreamfolk are people too.

>>190072
"Of course! Nothing like a good book, after all."

Dirtbag 2010/06/07(Mon)19:38 No. 190123 ID: e3f578
File 12759647236.jpg - (40.59KB , 425x260 , metal_gear_awesome_meryls_butt.jpg )

Okay, but get a good look at her ass. It will be important later.

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)19:43 No. 190129 ID: f98e0b
File 127596498568.png - (211.06KB , 800x600 , 23.png )

She-er, It isn't any specific gender, it's a shifter. They can switch them on the fly. Perhaps this particular specimen prefers to be known as female rather than male, but it doesn't mean much in the long term. They're not people so much as creatures.
Okay, so she does have a nice ass, he'll admit, but she could just as easily not.
"What book is it?" asks Dio.
"Warriors of the Shifting Wastes 2," says Gryphona.
"That is a good one," says Dio. "Okay, go. How long do you need?"
"You're a doll," she says brightly. "Bring me back in five, yeah? Can I get you anything while I'm out?"
"Uh, no. I'm fine."
"Right. Back in five."
Dio unsummons her with a pop of air rushing into a vacuum, waits five minutes, then brings back a gray snake, with a top hat matching hers. It has a book clutched in its tail and a chocolate bar clenched in its coils.
"Okay," it says, mouth filled with chocolate. "Fo. Diometricuf- pfah." she swallows. "That's a long name. Can I call you Dee or something?"
"Dio," says Dio.
"Cheers," she says, leafing to the next page with her tail. "So this is the Acane Plane? Sort of tight here. Lke, pressure or something. This is my first time off the dream plane, gonna be honest. Bloody exciting, don't mind telling you. So Dio. What do you need from a shifter like me? Assistance? Espionage? Combat? Companionship? Butlering? Cute little doggy, follow you around?"

All of the above?

>>190126
What DID you want her for, anyways?

>>190129
"Assistance, espionage, combat. An army of animals with combat training is coming to assault this fort, and I really don't want to die. Thus, I have summoned you. It might also be nice if I found out who's sending them.

...what do you mean by 'companionship' anyway?"

>>190132
[companionship implies sex]
would say b, c and maybe later e.

also ask what pronoun it wants to be referred to by. does it like she he or it?

Assistance mostly, were here in a situation that could get dicy at about any moment in theory. So I need something between extreme firepower, stealth, and well... just being that your pretty cool

>>190129
Yes.

>>190129
Companionship? Don't you for one second get it in your hormonal, teenage mind that you have a being under your complete and utter control that could transform into anything you want to do anything you want. That would be a bad thing to think and you shouldn't do that.

>>190129
"You get to join my little squad of summoned dreamfolk in the upcoming battles. You get the suicide missions."

Don't actually say this

An extra pair of eyes and hands would be of significant assistance in this hostile place.

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)19:57 No. 190150 ID: f98e0b
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"All of the above, really," says Dio. "We're in a fort that is going to come under siege by an army of trained animals any day now, and I'm hoping you'll be able to help against them." He thinks for a moment. "Well, most of the above. What do you mean, 'companionship'?"

"You know, like a friend," says Gryphona. "Someone to talk to, or- What did you think- oh." She sticks her forked tongue out. "Well I didn't really mean it like that. I guess I would have sex with you if you told me to but we've just met and I don't really like you like that, no offense." She flips another page. "You hear urban legends about some weird perverted illusionist summoning a shifter then chaining them up and sating their lusts on them, etc. but that's mostly just in the realm of cheap bodice-rippers and pornos. Besides. You don't really strike me as the type." She turns the page. "When do I start?"

>>190129
"I accidentally a war. It's bad. Somebody trained the local fauna in how to competently wield weapons. Not just clubs and cudgels, but complicated equipment like crossbows.
Like my friend said, 'it's like coming home to see your dog sitting on the couch reading your newspaper'.
In worse news, they already razed the next Qal outpost to the ground, and we're pretty certain they're on the way here.

On the bright side? I didn't summon you for my ego, I'm not going to patronize you, and nobody here is going to disrespect you."

get in real close and exclaim "NOW!" and have fire erupt from everywhere. illusion fire, but still.

Still not buying the creature thing. Sounds like a people to me. As for when she should start, as soon as she can.

>>190150
>"You hear urban legends about some weird perverted illusionist summoning a shifter then chaining them up and sating their lusts on them... When do I start?"
:3

>>190150
"Think you could go on a scouting run once you finish that chapter? We just need to know if there's anything is one or two days out from here."

Now that we've got a dreamthing, we should work it into the group. Show it around the base, introduce it to the troops and Jai, and do a few tests to find out the extent of its abilities. It would be handy if it could masquerade as our shadow or something similarly easy to overlook.

>>190157
Seconding this, we need some recon.

"Sorry about the 'companionship' question, shit gets all sorts of confusing when you're growing up."

>>190150
"Sooner than later. The situation isn't critical yet, but it could be VERY soon. How quickly can you move, on your own? There is a fort nearby that I need you to look at for me. It may have been razed by shadow-monkeys."

"nah, im not the type, but ive dealt with enough crazy things I like to be sure to clarify statements. Also the pressure you feel is that there is stronger gravity here I think. Also, if you don't mind being a little shown off, I do need to figure out where we would find you most useful... and maybe gloat a little. Of course, you can finish the chapter first, im pretty sure your at a good part."

Brom 2010/06/07(Mon)20:53 No. 190216 ID: f98e0b
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"Sorry about the companionship thing," says Dio. "Shit gets confusing when you're growing up."
"You're telling me, guv," says Gryphona. "I just turned twenty myself. Glad to be out of there."
"Think you could go on a scouting run once you finish that chapter?" says Dio. "We just need to know if there's anything is one or two days out from here."
"'Course," says Gryphona. "I can just turn falcon or something and fly out there. You want me to go now?"
"I could show you around first," says Dio. "Introduce you to the other defenders of the fort."
"I'd like that," says Gryphona, fluttering up to Dio's shoulder and landing on it. She's a bird, now, still with the hat. "Let's go meet the team. I have a good feeling about where this servitude is gonna go. I like you, Dio. Well," she laughs, "I mean, I have to like you on account of your spells, don't I? Where to first?"

Tell her you glad you like him. You're first summon tried to kill you.

>>190216
I'd say we do introductions with the Commandant first, work our way around, and end with Jai such that we can spend the most time with her and they can get acquainted the best.

>>190219
That sounds about right.

let's just walk around and see who we meet.
also "well, i could also order you to tell me what you would think if i did not have any spells in place. orders are weird like that"

>>190216
"I'll introduce you to my old friend Jai first, since she's my alienage mentor so you're going to be working with her a lot.

I'm pretty sure the spells don't work that way, seeing as how the last one I summoned bragged about getting summoned and killing its summoners so it could get free rides to other planes, then tried to demonstrate the concept.
You've got style I can only hope to match; I hope to prove a worthy friend to you."

I like its hat.

Let's show Jai. It'll either be reassuring, or it won't be reassuring in such a way that reveals a problem we're better off knowing as soon as possible.

We can probably breeze through the other introductions. I imagine the Qal will just accept her presence so long as everyone's polite and they're confident Dio's in control.

>>190216
Commendant and Jai would probably be good places to start.

Brom 2010/06/08(Tue)18:57 No. 190669 ID: f98e0b
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Dio goes to show Gryphona around. As they walk she turns into a sleek black cat that lazily crawls up to his head.
"Well, I could always order you to tell me what you'd think of me if I wasn't controlling you," says Dio.
"I don't really know the answer to that," says Gryphona, licking a paw. "You'd have to unfetter me to find out. Which I'd have to recommend against, m'lord. Chances are I won't be happy about being pressed into service. Bugger. Why do cats do this, my tongue's all hairy now."

They find Jai up on the battlements, tapping out a text message and doing leglifts. She's got heavy iron boots with extra weights lashed to them for additional resistance. "'Sup, Dio," she says. "You work out with Pyramus, right? What's his favorite muscle of his?"
"I don't know if he has one," says Dio. "He was always talking about strengthening his Latissimus Dorsi, though."
"Hmm," says Jai. "Dear Pyramus, you have a smoking Latissimus Dorsi. Not much ring to it."
"Notice anything new?" says Dio.
"Your robe's more purple?" asks Jai, absentmindedly fiddling with her phone.

Quietly regret hooking the two of them up.

>>190669
She can see it, right? If not, make a stupid pun to draw her attention to the new shifter.

Glamor Jai's phone with something you know from years of experiance to spook Jai out... First prepare a shielding rune.

>>190669
'Huh, you could just text Pyramus you think he has a great ass, you know you've always wanted to be on the giving end of that comment, and I know he'd take it just fine.'

Advice, and a subtle bit of flirting. HOORAY.

have gryph turn into pyramus and say "sup", would probably startle jai a bunch, then she can change to whatever.

>>190669
Have her resume a vidderoid form, then use a glamor to play a "Party member acquired" riff.

Alternatively, have her assume the form of an attractive Waan man of about Jai's age to make a pass at her.

>>190679
>Alternatively, have her assume the form of an attractive Waan man of about Jai's age to make a pass at her.

:3c

>>190669
"I learned a new spell. GO! CAT MISSILE! For great justice!"

Toss Gryphona on her face. :3

Θ][Σ 2010/06/08(Tue)19:52 No. 190704 ID: f21281
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>>190669
The Latissimus Dorsi is the primary musculature of the back, Dio.

>>190692
See, this is a good plan. There should be more plans like this--wait, is she sitting on a ledge high off the ground? Because there is a difference between comic falling over and falling several stories to your death.

Uh, maybe just hold up Gryphona under her cat forelegs all cute like and say, "I got me a kitty."

So the summoning ritual also includes emotion-altering magic? That is distressing. This matter requires further deliberation.

>>190679
>Alternatively, have her assume the form of an attractive Waan man of about Jai's age to make a pass at her.
That's not something we can just "have" her do. It should be her choice.

>>190733
it's like pokemon, no pokemon WANTS to be caught but right after you do they are suddenly your best friend ever.

>>190679
Gryphona has joined the party!
*Cue fanfare*

Brom 2010/06/08(Tue)21:04 No. 190747 ID: f98e0b
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"You could always just complement his ass," says Dio.
"Nah," says Jai. "I like to think I'm a little more creative than that. I mean, it's a nice ass, but..." she shuts the phone. "Whatever. I should probably wait until we're not all about to get attacked by shadowmonkeys to test the waters anyway-"
"'Sup," says Gryphona.
"Holy ballsack why is Pyramus he-

Brom 2010/06/08(Tue)21:05 No. 190748 ID: f98e0b
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Wait. No. Pyramus doesn’t have a top hat. Is this yours?” asks Jai.
“Yep,” says Gryphona, stepping into her original form. “Gryphona the Shifter, at your disposal.”
“Welp, I won’t look a gift horse in the, uh…” says Jai, as Gryphona smiles her shark smile. “mouth. Are we sure we can trust it?”

>>190748
Given that she didnt try to kill us when we let her go for a bit so she could go get a book she was reading, I'd say she's good.

Also, do the party joining thing, just for kicks.

>>190748
"What's life without a bit of uncertainty? We'll be fine."

>>190748
Well you've got her bound and all, but she seems nice enough anyways. Certainly a fair bit better than the last one, as she hasn't tried to kill you yet.

Not to mention she has great taste in books.

of course! she has had several very good opportunities to kill me already, since none of them where taken i have full confidence.

"Oh, shes fine with people who recognize her existence, but when shes ignored, death machine. *insert melodrama* Your lucky to be alive, I had to hold her back with every fiber of my being"

Say "I'm confident I got everything right, but you can't really be totally sure, when it comes to minds."

Turn to Gryphona. "Hey, how'd you know what he looked like, anyway?"

>>190748
"Pretty sure. She's friendly enough, and hasn't tried to kill me yet."

Hey, can you communicate her when she's unsummoned?
Also, how much of a risk does she run you in terms of breaking the rules of the alienage?
Oh, you should also ask her what her culture thinks of being summoned like this, and if she had plans you're interrupting.

>>190748
"Well, yes. She literally cannot betray us. Still, I'd like to believe that if she wasn't bound to serve me, she'd still help out. After beating the tar out of me, perhaps."

>>190748
Yeah sure you can trust her. So long as the spells holding her loyalty are still in place. If those were to fail, oh boy. Things would get interesting fast.

>>190759
My guess would be something from the mind-linking let her know what Dio knows he looks like.

>>190750
... come to think of it.. Letting her go get her book gave her enough time to tell other dreamfolk that she'd been pressed into your service, Dio. You'd released her for it, too, so she wasn't in forced-loyalty mode either.

She could have someone else working to free her right this second. You told her your full name. She also recognized that she was somewhere in the Arcane Plane.

She can't lie to you, can she? Ask.

>>191108
no, just going home doesn't alter the links binding her to his service. it's a mind-link thing.

>>191108
0_o

I think it would be best if we asked her this.

Brom 2010/06/13(Sun)18:58 No. 193372 ID: f98e0b
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>>190802
"Well, yeah. She's literally bound to obey me," says Dio. "I don't think there's much to worry about loyalty-wise. I like to think that she'd help me out even without the spells. Would you?"
"No idea," says Gryphona.
"What were you going to do with her?" asks Jai.
"Use her for scouting," says Dio, looking up at the mountain. "What does your culture think about being summoned like this, by the way? Am I interrupting anything?"
"Not sure," says Gryphona. "I don't remember much. Spells, again. Dreamfolk don't have much of a culture, but they don't take all that well to summoning, to be honest. I probably resisted the summons pretty bitterly." She shrugs. "I'm okay now. Couldn't be cheerier. When am I going to check out the mountain thing? Am I going now?"
"You certainly seem eager to fly to your possible death," says Jai.
"The mawster's will must be carried out," says Gryphona, in a phony Igor impression.
"Cute," says Jai. "Did the commandant tell you to send her?"
"It," says Dio.
"Whatever," says Jai.

okay then, let's fly!

Id suggest checking with others to see if they have a recommendation of your shifters use, although scouting seems pretty solid.

I'd like to introduce her to everyone first, but they might be planning a sudden attack that we'd miss if we don't check now.

If we send her out now, she might die before the others learn anything about her.

I think it's best to finish introducing her and discuss strategy with the others.

>>193372
We should take her to meet the commandant right now, and then get to scouting. She can meet the others when she gets back.

Scouting seems a good plan as long as she's careful to avoid ambush. Tell her to play it cautious and focus on self preservation if things get tricky.

Brom 2010/06/13(Sun)19:50 No. 193387 ID: f98e0b
File 127648384970.png - (237.88KB , 800x600 , 31.png )

Dio introduces Gryphona to the commandant.
"I was thinking about sending Gryph to go and scout out our opposition," he explains. "A falcon or something could get in quickly and innocuously."
"With your permission, sir," says Gryphona, now a qal, delivering a rigid salute to the commandant.
"I like him," says the Commandant.
"Her," says Dio, then quickly, "Uh, It."
"Whatever," says the Commandant. "I proclaim it your Aide-de-camp and place it under your direct control. As you equal my rank you can do whatever you see fit with it, which includes scouting. We'd certainly appreciate the help."

>>193387
>Him
>Her
>It
Oh for spirit's sake, ask Gryphona to choose one for you and stick to it.

Then get flying, with instructions to be careful. Taking unnecessary risks and getting taken out won't do us any good.

>>193387
Yeah, just ask Gryphona what gender pronoun he/she/it would prefer us to use.

And on top of the orders of recon and 'be careful', maybe something like "if it looks like you're about to die or be similarly incapacitated, get out of there".

>>193389
pretty much agree with this, they now know about the shifting dreamthing, now time to get scouting info.

Noo it is better. Can she do color too or...?

We should choose something with good camo. We'll be a much less tempting target if we blend in with the sky.

It would be great if she could turn into a cloud or something. What are the limits of her shapeshifting? Can she turn into abstract things like clouds or shadows, or is she limited to animal-like forms?

Well, proceed, then. It beats having her sit around waiting for the attack.

Brom 2010/06/13(Sun)22:15 No. 193439 ID: f98e0b
File 127649253350.png - (434.46KB , 800x600 , 32.png )

>>193391
"Okay, I'm sending it- him- uh, are you a he or a she or what, Gryph?" asks Dio.
"Well, guv, I feel comfortable in a bra and my stomach gets butterflies whenever I see a good looking guy in his skivvies or a pair of shoes on sale (just my joke, guv, don't look like that), so I'd say I'm a lady," she says.
"Well, lady, would you scout out the mountains up there? See if you can find out what we're up against and if they're sending us this way?"
"'Course, m'lord. Back in a jiff."
Dio watches i-her turn into a small bird with a purple underbelly and flutter away toward the mountains.

It's just a summon, and if it were freed it's possible it would kill him in a heartbeat. So why is he so worried about her?

>So why is he so worried about her?

Because you're a great guy, Dio.

>>193439
It's only natural to be worried about the safety another living being. That's what makes us decent people.

>>193439
Guilt.

>>193439
Because you're a good person.
Be honest here, you want to get things to the point where she would be your friend and help you even if the spells weren't there.

Because she's obviously intelligent, reads books, speaks, and all that. If you cared enough to let her go back and get her novel, you'd naturally care enough to feel sad if she dies.

Still, shifters are very dangerous and hard to kill, and anything able to kill her will probably get noticed before it notices her, so she'll probably be fine.

Practice hitting things with steamrollers.

>>193443
That too. Forcibly taking an innocent being out of her home and altering her mind to obey your commands shouldn't be normal. That's why I said we should get someone who wanted to be summoned. I didn't mean "make her enjoy it whether she wants it or not".

Yeah you're a good person Dio, keep being a good person. It's a bit of a dick move to bind a living creature into servitude period, it's only natural to at least want them to live through it.

there's also the whole great ass thing if you don't want to take this too seriously Dio, even if she not have one if she wants to.

That and she sounds pretty cool as a person, reading the same book you like and shit. In fact, I can almost see her somehow getting free of her bounds and totally not going apeshit over you. it's bound to happen if life goes anyway according to a book, which it so does.

>>193439
She's quite a charming summon, with a nice small and a nice ass. And she's now bound to you like some sort of pet. Only naturally to be worried about it.

I don't think she is in much danger regardless, considering her shapeshifting capabilities. I think we can chalk your worries up to hormonal interest in yet another female walking into your life.

I mean, cmon, that comment about companionship is a dead giveaway. It probably doesn't help that this one was reading a book you like, and has cracked several jokes that make you chuckle.

I do have one problem though, and it's to do with dreaming. When dreaming it's impossible to read, I guess those rules don't really apply shifting dreamthings, but it seems on odd place to find a book, since most written publications should be gibberish in dreams.

Brom 2010/06/14(Mon)12:03 No. 193674 ID: f98e0b
File 127654222590.png - (285.08KB , 800x600 , 33.png )

>>193441
>>193442
>>193444
He thought he was a good person, but he's having doubts now.

It's not the hormones, either. Not when he's already got so many other distractions crowding his mind. Doing anything with Gryph just seems so bizarre. It's not even a she, really. Not a woman or a man. It's all sorts of things, chief among them being a shifter. A dangerous, alien creature from the Dream Planes with a myriad of forms, male, female, and everything in between. It also just happens to have a sweet hat and an eye for good literature.
Hmph. Dahlia's butt is cuter anyway.

He throws big heavy things at other things for a while (there's no way he could drop something on an enemy unless he was already at a higher elevation; it's chucking only, for now), but his heart's not really in it. Is there anything he should do or someone he should talk to, or should he just stew and wait for Gryphona's return?

Since you are already at it anyway, why not practice your sparring with Jai. Never hurts to train with a live opponent, as long as you aren't hurting each other.

>>193677
That, and you could chat with your parasite about this for a while, if you feel like it. Might provide an interesting perspective on these things.

>>193674
Practice combination with Jai. Like you summon a huge block of ice and she makes it vaporise it to superhot steam as quickly as she can. That should be able to mess up some basards pretty well. Or huge boulder turned into boulder shrapnel launched at the enemy.

Try summoning different things. Big and heavy objects have their uses, but they are limited. To exploit the true value of summoning, you should be able to make things like parachutes, hang gliders, wheeled boats, and giant springs (in that order).

>>193704
Other ideas:
-Bear traps and caltrops
-Walls of various useful substances for quick cover, sculpted for military use- consult with the qal regarding the details
-You can conjure large objects, but can you conjure large absence of objects? A pitfall or trench, for example? If so, can you do so just below the top of the ground, to leave them concealed?
-Can you summon swarms of small objects- a flurry of leaves or snowflakes, a blast of sand, that sort of thing?
-What about liquids?
-What temperature can you create things at? Can you manage red-hot metal?
-How large an item can you conjure in terms of surface area? In terms of volume? Mass? Attempt to maximize one characteristic at the expense of the others, as a test.

The point is, push your limits. Ask those around you for creative ideas; they'll have their own backgrounds to draw on to put useful spins on things.

Brom 2010/06/14(Mon)14:45 No. 193709 ID: f98e0b
File 127655190037.png - (77.21KB , 800x600 , 34.png )

>>193703
Dio and Jai practice with spellcasting combinations. The ice idea just ends up a puddle of hot water on the ground, but Jai easily shatters the boulder Dio sends up into the air, and they need to take cover under their cloaks from the shrapnel.
Then Dio suggests sparring, and Jai readily agrees. They use only nonlethal spells, of course, but their cloaks mean they can be a little more aggressive than usual.

As they bout, Dio converses with Thero.
What about, kid?
He's wondering about this whole Gryphona thing. Was summoning her okay?
Welp, I wouldn't know about that. As the dominant race of the Dream plane I can't get summoned against my will. Go me. Uh, as far as I know it kind of sucks, though. You pretty much have complete control over the chick. I'd imagine if she had her own free will she wouldn't want to go up with nine other people against an entire army. Dream denizens don't like getting tied down like that.
Dio was afraid of that.
Well hey, desperate times, I guess. Mages have been dipping into the Dream for summons for years, anyway. You guys are already pretty much Boogeymen for dreamthings as it is. Gryph's fairly young, though. She said she'd never been summoned. Maybe she actually respects you as a leader beyond your spells. I mean, I'm just hanging around 'cos I've got nothing better to do.
Think so?
No, not really. Sorry, kid.

Brom 2010/06/14(Mon)14:45 No. 193710 ID: f98e0b
File 127655192162.png - (328.69KB , 800x600 , 35.png )

“You’re actually getting better at dueling,” says Jai.
“Thanks,” says Dio. “Could you maybe get off me?”
“Not until you admit defeat,” says Jai. “and maybe say you’re a little bitch.”
“A punch to the stomach is not a valid dueling rule,” says Dio. “Jean-Luc would have penalized the shit out of you ow my lungs come on Jai I am not a little bitch.”
“There are no rules in open warfare, student of mine,” says Jai. “How does defeat feel? How does it feeeeel?”
“So round and soft, and so inviting,” says Dio, wiggling around. She flicks his ear. “Ow. I am a little bitch.”
“Bitch.”
“Whore.”
“Loser.”
“Guilty as charged.”
“The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem,” says Jai. “Oh, and you seemed sort of distracted.”
“I was talking to Thero,” says Dio. “I’m sort of having misgivings about controlling Gryphona.”
“Well, if she saves our lives I’m sure you’ll be able to forgive yourself,” says Jai. She squints up into the air. “Wonder when she’ll be back-“
Her voice is drowned out by a loud yell from the ramparts.

>>193710
Get up and check it out. And prepare the boulder summon, might be the enemy after all.

That must be her, go check it out.

Remember Dio, she may technically be a creature - an "it" - but she is still a person. And as such, the heart and personality of a woman. Having control over her doesn't make it ok to abuse it, and even as she will smile and agree happily to whatever you say there is still going to be the memory of what you did when you eventually free her.

The best you can do is treat her with kindness and respect, keep her safe and make sure when she goes home she doesn't take a painful memory with her. Arrange for her to get her own room, to start with.

Go check it out, but then try to pretend you aren't worried when you get there.

Brom 2010/06/14(Mon)22:57 No. 193918 ID: f98e0b
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Dio heads up to the ramparts, with a boulder ready to summon at his fingertips. The entire rest of the barracks is crowding the crenelations, looking out across the plains, toward the mountains.
"What's going on?" Dio asks, scanning the mountains with his eye. No bird fluttering toward him. No new fires lit out above.

"Gandrat ground level, mateling," calls Djip.
"Ffucking Planespeech, please, Djip," says Glover, the Armory Master/Blacksmith/Cook, drawing out the F as he seems to always do. He's one for swearing, Dio's found out.
Djip points out at a dark smudge on the horizon, moving closer. "Spirits. Is that what I think it is?" breathes Deve.

"It's a survivor," says the Commandant.

>>193918
A lone survivor. Perfect bait for a sniper. Be vary.

Retrieve him quickly if possible. Perhaps you could summon a sort of armored wagon which Jai could propel. That could quickly get you over to him and back, while providing protection on the trip.

>>193918
Have Jai go grab him and bring him back while the doctor gets prepped for triage and the cook go gets him some food and water.
Summoning Gryph back to you; she should have spotted this guy, so something is clearly wrong here. For example, she might have been captured, or he might have been released by enemies as bait for a trap.

>>193918
Glamor some stealth onto him before he gets killed by pursuers!

Make him invisible. Someone's gotta go help him, if you can make them invisible too that would be great.

>>193933
If there are pursuers, they've probably got their sights on him already. It would be better to camo Jai while she flies to rescue him, if we're going with that plan. Then again, since Dio can split his mind, he can do both at once, but that might make it a bit hard for Jai to find him.

>>193941
True invisibility is beyond us.

>>193918
Wait, that's a fresh wound.

Yea, call Gryph back.

Use illusion to give him some cover and then you and Jai use further illusionary cover to go and get him.

If you can you should summon real cover at a distance you should put a wall between him and any potential snipers.

DON'T call Gryph back! We told her to scout the mountain to find out what we're up against. She wouldn't report back if she just spotted some stragglers that wouldn't be able to penetrate our fortifications. There are probably no huge armies following right behind this guy.

We're better off waiting so that Gryph can bring back proper recon.

>>193918
Make yourself invisible and go out to get him. Make a duplicate illusion of him and include the guy in your invisibility, make your way back along with him and let the duplicate keep walking towards the fort. Make sure everyone knows this plan so they don't freak out if the duplicate is horribly killed.

Brom 2010/06/15(Tue)09:05 No. 194064 ID: f98e0b
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"Who is it?" says Deve, craning her neck.
"Spirits," says Euraeus. "It's Bendis. Bendis got out okay! Do we go meet him, or-"
"Waiwaitwait," says Dio, as Bendis gets closer. "That wound looks recent. Why would he still have the arrow in if he's a qal- Oh, shit." He realizes that Bendis isn't coming alone.

Dio doesn't know how to do invisibility.
What he can do is cover the survivor in camouflage, which he does as quickly as possible. He cries out a warning to get down, but he's not sure it carried across all that space. It doesn't matter. Bendis appears to get the idea and throws himself to the ground, remaining as still as he can.

Brom 2010/06/15(Tue)09:06 No. 194065 ID: f98e0b
File 127661801665.png - (344.18KB , 800x600 , 38.png )

And a few seconds later, the Kithik come into view, making the retrieval of the soldier a bit more complicated.
Two of them come loping out of the tall grass, carrying loaded crossbows, sniffing the air.
"Spirits," says the Commandant. "Armed Kithik. Just like you said."
"They're wearing clothes now," says Jai. "Were they doing that when we saw them before?"
"Well I mean there's only two of them," says Euraeus. "Why was Bendis running from just two of them? He's not the kind of guy who'd run."

only two that we can see. others could be hiding.

He had no weapons... and look at his clothes. It's likely that he had escaped and was trying to get back to civilization for quite some time, and only now got caught.

We need to get someone out there to take out the Kithik. Dio, can you cast Entomb on one of them?

Wait a second what the fuck is that shadow in the sky?

>>194065
"He's not running from two of them, he's running to warn us.
This is a trap; he's bait."

Recall Gryph. We might need her for this, and we need to make sure they didn't shoot her down.
Find out who is the best shot with an arrow, and have Jai establish a field that accelerates anything passing through it. Long-range sniping to pick off targets would probably be a significant help.

Oh, and disguise yourselves as Qal.

These could be chasers from a much larger group he's trying to escape.

Generate an illusion of the Qal standing up many, many yards away from where the real one is and try luring them closer to the fort.

They can still smell Bendis, especially since he's bleeding!

Put an illusion on one of the Kithiks of Bendis armed with a weapon and about to attack the other Kithik. Hopefully they'll shoot each other in the confusion.

>>194074
>shooting down Gryph
She's a shifter. Extremely hard to kill. I don't think we have to worry about her.

>>194077
Not kill, capture.
Regardless, did you notice that these are now dogs wearing suits and sunglasses that happen to be driving down the freeway talking about politics while about to pull-off a drive-by?
There's one or two metric fucktons of magic involved here, and that much magic is probably capable of making a shifter very, very dead.

I don't care if it's a trap. Run down and save him. Grab him and return to the fort as quickly as possible. If the Kithiks spot you before you can get to him, kill them.

Tis true, if this is to be a retrieval and not a just hide the guy sort of thing. You all need to gear up if your not, and Dio and Jai need to go out and be heros! or at least kick some ass.

>>194065
Take a page out of Dahlias playbook. Make yourself invisible and go slit their throats with a blade, a long one preferably.

While you're attacking them Jai flies out, grabs the injured qual and then flies back. Once he's back to saftey you slink away and get back into the fort.

It's time to get in there. If it's not going to tax the illusion to the breaking point, add in a distraction for the kithik. I like the idea of the wounded Qal popping up between them, it'll be a perfect distraction and maybe they'll hurt each other.

But maintaining the cover and getting there quick is priority. Get the wounded out of danger fast, then we can take down the kithik, or better yet, lead them around with illusions.

This is all too convenient, I'd have to guess this guy was a POW that they released as part of an ambush. Once the Qal is safe (or at least behind friendlies), we should set up an illusion that's an incredibly tempting target for them. If they tip their hand we can roast them, I don't doubt your ability to handle any number of these things, so long as you get the drop on them, and not the other way around.

Brom 2010/06/15(Tue)13:09 No. 194150 ID: f98e0b
File 127663259879.png - (239.68KB , 800x600 , 39.png )

"Who's the best shot?" asks Dio.

Deve jumps up and dashes inside to grab her crossbow. "I've got it," she calls over her shoulder. "Just...yeah, hold on." She dashes into the hotel and he can hear her tearing up the stairs.
"Deve's a triple star marksman," says the Commandant, proudly. "Best damn shooter on the border."
"Can she hit them from here?" asks Dio.
"Might want to get them in a bit closer," says the Commandant. "We don't exactly have the best equipment and I'm worried she could hit Bendis in the tall grass behind all his camouflage."

Dio sends up some distraction/bait for the kithik, glamoring a fake Bendis into reality who proceeds to stand up and hustle for the fort. The kithik chatter excitedly among each other and start firing at him, but they're more enthusiastic than accurate about it, and Dio weaves him around to avoid arrows. He's taxing his mind, keeping these two illusions up at this long range, and there's not a whole lot else he can fit at this point. He thinks perhaps he can split off the lesser glamor covering up Bendis and throw up one more illusion, if he concentrates hard, but it'll be dicey.

Don't. Don't do everything yourself Dio, just focus on maintaining your two spells. If it gets easier as they move closer and you think you can do it, then you can hide Deve.

>>194150
Remember to move fake-Bendis so that when they follow him, they won't trip over real-Bendis. Maybe have him dart to one side a meter or two.

Brom 2010/06/15(Tue)15:23 No. 194205 ID: f98e0b
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Dio swerves the fake Bendis out of the way of the real one hiding in the grass. The kithik start chasing after it...
...right as Deve reappears on the wall with one of the largest crossbows Dio's ever seen. She props it up against the parapet and stares down the complex sights, muttering to herself.
She pulls the trigger, and the bolt is released with a loud twang.

Brom 2010/06/15(Tue)15:26 No. 194207 ID: f98e0b
File 127664079273.png - (233.39KB , 800x600 , 41.png )

It arcs through the air with a grim inevitability, and sinks itself into one of the kithik, which drops instantly without a sound. The other one squeals and drops to the ground, obscuring itself in the grass.
"Intense satisfaction overriding natural guilt," says Deve, already cranking another bolt into place. She scans the horizon. "Shit. Can't get a good shot on the other one. Where is it?"

What's the range of Dio's direct effect spells? (entomb, blind, mind jolt, nerve lock)

>>194207
Drop the decoy and put a lesser glamor of a bright redgreen bullseye on where the other one dropped.

Drop the illusion of fake Bendis, light up the skin of the second one in her vision.

Have the illusion drop to the ground, too, then cancel it to free up some attention.

Head out there to rescue him. Bring Jai if she's up for it.

If there's lots more in hiding, all the more reason to hurry, before they eat Bendis.

>>194207
Hey Dio, see if you cant incapacitate the other one for interrigation.

>>194218
Yeah, seconding this, but send out an illusion of either yourself or someone here along another route to act as a decoy this time.

>>194207
Smoke it out! Drop the fake Bendis illusion and have an illusionary fire burst behind where it ducked so it escapes into view. Have it combine with the glamour hiding Bendis flames so it doesn't run that way, and making one big illusion is probably easier. Just make sure there's at least enough sense of approaching heat towards the creature for it to believe it is real.

Brom 2010/06/15(Tue)16:41 No. 194261 ID: f98e0b
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"Okay," says Dio. "I'm going in. Coming, Jai?"
"What kind of mentor would I be if I didn't support your crazy plans?" says Jai, launching herself up into the air.
Dio summons a duplicate just in case, and heads for where Bendis is hiding. Jai soars up above, relying on her robe and shield to protect her. "Don't see anything from up here," she calls. "Nothing but one dead kithik and Bendis. Where's the other one?"

>>194261
Ugh, can't we just flatten all the grass somehow? Like with a big rolling pin or with a blanket of arcane force?

>>194264

Summon a big scythe?

...

Is there any chance they have an illusionist

Stay low, get Bendis and get ready to throw up a smoke screen of illusions behind you. Count on Jai to provide covering fire.

>>194261
Set the grass on illusionary fire. With illusionary heat.

>>194270
If they do, this might not be Bendis at all.

>>194270
This has to be it. Try some fire. Fire solves everthing.

Brom 2010/06/15(Tue)19:16 No. 194310 ID: f98e0b
File 127665457481.png - (708.81KB , 800x600 , 43.png )

>>194264
"Jai, could you flatten the grass?" asks Dio, and then stumbles and falls on his ass as she sends down a flat wave of force that rolls across the plain and pancakes the grass onto the ground.Dio relaxes his mind and lets a blue nimbus of light spring up around his illusions. He recognizes the clump of grass he summoned to hide Bendis. The wounded Qal shifts under it.

>>194310
There. That clump of thick grass down-left of Bendis.

The fucker's got some kind of camo. Another illusionist on the field, perhaps? Nail him, and get Bendis out of here! (also more, better camo plz)

Everything hates bees.

We could summon up some bees and use some mental mindfuckery to make the Kithik think it's being attacked by a swarm of angry bees, making it run away.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees.

Yeah, definitely something strange going on down-left of your boy, there.

Frag it.

>>194310
That spot right there? Smash it with a boulder.

Brom 2010/06/15(Tue)19:54 No. 194344 ID: f98e0b
File 127665685113.png - (166.16KB , 800x600 , 44.png )

"There we are," says Dio, walking over to the other patch of tall grass and pulling a boulder out of his mind. He's poised to crush the kithik flat when a hoarse, hissing voice, like a thousand moths beating their wings in unison, cries out from the grass.

"Mercy! I beg you!"

"What." says Jai.

Don't lose your cool.

"Throw your weapon aside."

Well what the crap. Can you make something less... lethal to put on him so he can't get up? Like a ridiculously heavy tarp?

"both arms up to show you are unarmed." then have jai tie him up.

>>194344
I'm leaning to not sparing him, but...

Ask someone. Jai, preferebly.

>>194344
Holy shit, they can TALK!?

Well, then guess what? We capture this guy. No killing. Tell it to throw its weapon out of the grass and come out with its hands up.

>>194344
Turn it into a big cage and drop it.

>>194355
This.

Well shit, these animals are advancing pretty damn fast. Captoor eet.

Now, I'm not sure how much control you have over your summoned stuff. Would it be possible to have a cage, instead of a rock, perched over him? Like, without giving him a material chance to escape?

Because if so, we should do that.

>>194344
If he can actually talk and isn't just mimicing something he heard a Qal say when it was on the ropes, its invaluable for information..

Once its disarmed. Box up your captive and get its monkeybow away.

Maybe nobody's training these guys to use weapons or talk. Maybe you just discovered a new, intelligent species. That's an alienation grade accomplishment, right there.

Now we just need to stop them from killing us.

Bring the prisoner back to the fort, on the quick.