Got the day off from work tomorrow thanks to the holiday, so I'll be making a full update!
EDIT: And it's up!
EDIT: And it's up!
Zeroth
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Say "thanks," when they compliment you and smile. Watch more of what's going on around you instead of staying inside your head. If eye contact's hard, stare at her forehead.
17 days ago
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17 days ago
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Say "thanks," when they compliment you and smile. Watch more of what's going on around you instead of staying inside your head. If eye contact's hard, stare at her forehead.
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1 mo ago
@ColdAtlus: Cheems.
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2 mos ago
If commissioning an artist isn't possible, could look into using AI and then editing what it puts out. Lots of ppl are salty about AI art so maybe use a disclaimer, but it's an option.
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2 mos ago
1-liners become impossible if you actually write. What're your characters' 5 senses picking up? What emotions/thoughts do they have as they speak? What body language do they show? No bulli, just fact.
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2 mos ago
In the AI era, you can only get ghosted if you choose to be.
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Bio
On CST time, United States. Typically busy most of the week and do most posting/replying on weekends.
Most Recent Posts
@Coltshan Do you have any examples of the power ceiling in mind? Like, what would top-tier human beings in the setting be able to accomplish? Would they be able to use Qi/magic for things like elemental manipulation and such? And since Monsters and Beasts are mentioned, does this refer to supernatural/demonic/etc creatures?
Small clarification: Nibiria's webs were discarded into the compost. It was the plants that told her that Goh was approaching. Because she takes care of them, they warn her of danger in return. It's an extension of her heritage magic. It's very hard to sneak up on her within her domain, as a result, unless you can understand the plants speaking.
Right, in the first post where Goh approached her property, when he stopped and slowly stepped over "something" it wasn't meant to be the webs she'd discarded, but a separate one around the border of her property rather than right up in her yard. I was just assuming that, disliking people as much as she does and being protective of her secrets, that Nibiria would have some kind of security around---such as a "trip wire" web that she'd feel when someone stepped on it or brushed past it or whatever. It was my attempt at a small IC detail to continue foreshadowing Goh's "clearly not a regular old man" vibes as well as the attempted comic relief of said old man sneaking up on the paranoid recluse. Now that he's failed, however, he'll just have to find another way, lol!
Interesting. Those odd trip-wires---silk? Not fishing line or string---aren't the only means she has to detect those who cross her territory. Goh had never become familiar with magic, even in his homeland...at least, no more familiar with it than he might be with any enemy's weapon. No doubt they did it differently here as they seemed to do most other things. He glanced at the watering can in the woman's hand, and then at the plants around her.
"Yes, well," the old man joined her as she continued, ambling slowly by her side, "I just happened to think, I had not seen you out and about...lately." Actually, had he ever seen her out and about? It would make sense if Wormwood or Miss Mary were the ones bringing the reclusive woman groceries and other supplies. Goh had trouble recalling if he'd ever met her in the village itself before. Anytime he or the children had needed treatment, they'd always come here---which was why he knew about the tripwires and a few other little odd tidbits about the place. Even as an old man, he took pride in never falling for the same tricks twice.
"So I thought I'd invite you to see the hubbub for yourself. Mayhaps some of the odds and ends the travelers bring in would have use for your practice?" He closed his eyes and softly leaned over one of the plants they'd already passed by, taking in its deep herbal scent. But, in his own way, he watched for her reaction beneath his eyelids. "Or...maybe it'd be an opportunity for you to sell your own wares? It's a great shame, I think, that most folks outside our humble hamlet simply don't know there's a doctor of your caliber among us. Don't you agree?"
Potentially interested, but I have some questions. Would this story include any specific focus on things like Cultivation, Chi/Qi manipulation, or supernatural martial arts? Or is it meant to lean more towards something grounded and less over-the-top in its magical elements?
Damn, Zeroth straight up blasting out IC posts as OOC updates now.
Yeah I debated just going ahead with a "full" update but I'd like to see some more posts in IC. Although, does anyone want to chime in on how the pace has been thus far? Too slow, too fast, etc?
G O H
Interacting with: Eventually, Nibiria @Enkryption
Heading to Nibby's Cottage || Wandering || Neighborly Concern
As his students scampered down the village thoroughfare, Goh folded his fishing pole and used a familiar, slightly curved piece of wood from his belt to steady his walk. He didn't really have any limps or old injuries, but it helped when he got tired out...and, truth be told, it just felt proper for a man his age to have a "cane," after all. The little ones' parents and neighbors were no doubt among the various little groups that gathered around the market stalls, so as long as he kept a sharp ear out he had little fear that they'd get themselves into too much trouble. Even Eric had learned quite quickly that if he was going to commit some mischief, he'd best not let the elder find out about it.
But, Goh himself had little need at the moment. He did not often buy the fancy spices or unusual delicacies brought to market--he preferred the simplicity and ease of plain rice, meat, and home-grown vegetables to the wistful treats and cakes the children were so fond of. He could find someone in the village to repair his clothes easily enough, or do a passable job himself, and cared little for fashion. Thus, neither did bolts of colorful cloth or the pleasurable feel of far-away silks hold any interest for him. All in all, Market Day was really more about wandering, watching, and listening for him...and he noticed a few things here and there.
It looked like Boro, the librarian, had decided to bring his precious tomes outside. That was good---people really didn't appreciate how lucky they were to have such a collection, this far away from a major city! Goh had never even seen books growing up, and even if he had, he wouldn't have been allowed inside some place as grand as a library. Such things were reserved for---
Let's not remember these things.
It was enough to know that the library was a great boon, and that the people of Hearth should appreciate it more.
Goh continued wandering aimlessly. He also noticed the...scarecrow...with a wheelbarrow full of what he could only imagine were the creature's attempts at gardening. If critters like Wormwood struck Goh as odd, and that strange creature William sometimes talked about as suspicious, then the word he would use for the scarecrow was perhaps...unnerving. The old man folded his arms behind his back, letting his cane trail above the ground, and passed on.
Speaking of Wormwood, the little lizard-thing was splashing around on the riverbank, either playing or trying to catch his dinner. Goh started to head that way--before he saw the enormous figure of Ingrid rise up out of the water like one of the fabled monsters of his distant homeland. Had...had she fallen into the river? No, wait. She took her duties as village guard very seriously...perhaps she'd been waiting, the whole time, under the water's surface in case any shifty-eyed n'er'do'well tried to make off with the village's fish! Ah, poor Wormwood, then. But she probably wouldn't be too hard on him. Goh nodded to himself and continued his peaceful walk.
But of all the villagers he saw out and about, waving and exchanging pleasant greetings, there was another missing. Of course, it wasn't anything unusual for this particular person to be absent...and yet, a thought began to creep into Goh's hoary head.
When he'd first come to this village, the people had been rightly suspicious. He hadn't been quite so old, then, but old enough that it struck folks as unusual for a man like him to be out and about; alone, homeless, wandering...and, perhaps, dangerous. It had taken a great deal of time...and a large amount of money, which he'd never told anyone how he attained...to get himself settled here. And it had taken longer for the villagers to accept him. Now, though, if he could be permitted to pat himself on the back somewhat, he felt that the villagers had come to like him. He'd made an effort, to behave the way he thought an old man in a foreign land should, and to speak kindly to those around him. He'd spent a lot of time with the children he'd taken under his wing, of course, and gotten to know their parents, and every so often he shared excess spoils from his snare traps or his little root cellar with the neighbors.
Nothing that could really make up for his past, perhaps, but...a start.
And yet, despite being of far more importance to the community than he, he'd noticed that the local doctor--or at least, one of the two people in town capable of brewing healing draughts, and able to set bones and do other things besides alchemy--was treated by the villagers with much the same air Goh himself felt towards the scarecrow. Maybe he was simply an old fool putting his nose in where it didn't belong, but he couldn't help wondering about it. And, after all...if he was making the effort to behave as a kindly hearted, wise and gentle old man should, then shouldn't he make this effort as well?
Thus his wanderings took him down the southern road, still waving and exchanging a few pleasantries with the peddling carts still trickling into town. His "cane" saw more use by the time he passed what passed for a "lookout," Ingrid's usual place of business, but he still moved with remarkable ease for an old man. As he left the road and headed into the gentle, grassy pastures, he enjoyed the warmth of the sun sinking into his dark coat. A gentle breeze rustled the grass in waves around him. He spared a glance for the skies, marveling in their blue, curving vastness. A pang of regret pinched Goh's heart---why had it taken him so many years to appreciate peace like this, in such a humble place? He sighed, as he came to the edge of the forest, and a humble cottage set on its doorstep.
Goh stopped. He looked down at his feet, and followed...something...with his eyes. Then, picking up one foot very carefully and unusually high, he stepped over the...something...and with equal care brought his other foot along. As he continued towards the cottage, he took in a quiet breath through his nose, and then his weight shifted.
A sweeping, crescent shaped step. Not fast, not slow. The weight of the foot focused along the edge of the whole extremity, not in the front or in the heel. His mass, distributed evenly. Knees bending, just enough to blur the moment between the rise and fall of each step. His voluminous clothing, and the slight breeze, gave him the appearance of a spirit that floated above the ground, rather than walked on it. And thus was the sound of his coming silenced.
“I guess, he's out and about,” Nibiria says, fetching her can, and summoning a rain cloud inside it to produce water infinitely. Dragging on her pipe, she hummed merrily, as she watered her plants; listening to their appreciation for her attendance.As the woman rounded one row to begin on another, a puff from her pipe trailed behind her. Goh lifted a hand to wave it away without rustling the sleeve of his garments. Then, politely, he put the same hand over his mouth and coughed to announce his presence.
"Good morning, Doctor." He smiled at her without showing his teeth, folding his hands behind his back again. "Did you know? It's Market Day."
CONTINUE BIOMASS ACCUMULATION
Just to confirm though, how much Elwets are left to be eaten after the 20% mark? Or did we not actually start eating yet?
Lazash has currently only consumed blood, cooked skin, and uncooked scales, if I've been reading the post right. The cooked meat of the main body, legs/wings/etc has not been consumed.
As Gren collected himself after being tenderly doctored up by his fellow Runt, he took the hefty stone axe in hand and tried to use the same power he'd activated to kill the Tatzelwurm. The "magic," or whatever it was, had apparently made his strike against the creature stronger somehow, so would it do the same when chopping a tree?
Tungem Tree's defenses are too high! [Breakthrough]'s effectiveness decreases!
Again, that crackling red energy seemed to spread through Gren's arms, and as he brought the axe's stone head down it bit deeply into the wood---deeper than it would have normally, even given the Orc Runt's larger size and strength compared to his same generation. But now he was starting to feel extra tired, and his already numbed arm had more pins and needles as the shock from his own swing rattled his hands and wrists. He might be able to do that one more time before the strain was too much. This first blow sped up the process considerably, though, and it only took a few more swings to cut the branch off. It was around three feet long, and about four inches in diameter across the thickest part of its base.
While Gren continued looking for suitably sized branches, Vola began the drawn out process of attempting to field dress a creature she'd never encountered before with nothing more than a sharp rock and a bit of ingenuity. The end results were...mostly as expected? Probably a great deal messier than they had to be, but at least she hadn't ruptured anything that looked too important when cutting the beast open...
Mangled Tatzelwurm has been dismantled!
Some items have been damaged or are unusable.
Usable Items Acquired:
Tungem Branch x4 (Gren)
Tatzelwurm Fangs x2
Tatzelwurm Claws x2
Tatzelwurm Coilbone x1
Tatzelwurm Meat 10 lbs (16 lbs w/ blood, bones, organs, etc)
Tatzelwurm Eye x1
If Vola or Gren could start a fire somehow, they could try cooking and eating their catch with what seemed to be a decent chance of not poisoning themselves...unless they wanted to try it raw. Even without poison, who knew what procedures orcs might follow, if any, to clean or disinfect their food?
Also, if the two of them looked up at any point, they might notice a thin trail of smoke coming from somewhere else in the forest...had someone else already started a campfire, somewhere?
Lazash continued to use her [Creature Analysis] skill on the Elwet parts and her companions, finding out a little bit more each time since it seemed like the Skill itself built upon previous data over time. However, like with Grunthor, the additional information for each Runt was a little bit sparse, only giving her a vague description based on their physical attributes and state of their health. Considering that everyone except Grunthor had basically made it out of the fight unscathed, there wasn't much else for the skill to contribute. The information on the Elwets' organs was more confirmation that (save for the fact their flesh was extremely gamey and their livers apparently so high in concentrated iron that it ruined the taste) these creatures were, more or less, giant angry chickens. Although, given another tidbit of information about the males of the species...could it be possible that all of the Elwet they'd encountered thus far had been female?
While Akeno, Esfir, and Grunthor discussed what skills they'd obtained and what to do next, Lazash also took on the task of setting the dissected Elwet over the fire and breaking down her own bird--though she also took the head off of Grunthor's as well. Although she had fended for herself in several survival scenarios back home, the female Runt found that Esfir made the whole process look much easier and cleaner than it really was--if she were as old as she seemed to sound, that would imply the other ex-human had probably lived quite the self-sufficient lifestyle back on Earth.
Damaged Elwet has been partially dismantled (Head)!
Lightly Bloodied Elwet has been dismantled!
Some components have been damaged or are unusable.
Usable Items Acquired:
Elwet Feathers x4
Elwet Beak x1
Elwet Antlers x4
Elwet Talons x3
Cracked Gizzard Sparkstone x1
Gizzard Sparkstone x1
Elwet Meat, 15 lbs (24 lbs w/ bones, blood, organs, etc)
Esfir wanted to know what Lazash had learned from Auguz in their short-lived talk, while Grunthor wanted to make armor somehow. Could they even do that, given their current resources? Wood and cordage might be plentiful in the forest, but other than that they currently only really had access to feathers and...maybe bones? Would overgrown chicken bones make suitable armor? If any of them looked around, they would find that aside from the tall hardwoods and coniferous trees (which didn't have many branches within reach of Runty arms) the only other plantlife of note beyond scrubby grasses was a foul smelling bush that produced dark seed pods that looked like...well, like what the adult orcs would call grukh, or in plain language...feces.
It would take about an hour for the Elwets to cook thoroughly, given their large size. Though cutting them into pieces had helped, the fact that their small fire could only be fueled by already fallen and dry wood meant that its coals did not get very hot, and it was in the open air rather than some form of stove or on top of some kind of grill to contain the heat. The Runts might run out of things to do or talk about during that time...but maybe the wait would be worth it? By the time the juices bubbling up out of the Elwet pieces ran clear and the flesh had begun to brown and even char a little around the edges, the trail of smoke from their fire carried a pleasant scent like spicy barbeque...
Consumed: Elwet Blood
Consumed: Crackling Elwet Skin
Consumed: Elwet Scales
Current Ingestion: Elwet - 20%
Ingested Skill(s): Elwet - Further Progress Required.
You've discovered compatible Skill(s)!
Elwet:
- [Skewer]
- [???]
- [???]
Ingest Skill?
OR
Continue Biomass Accumulation?
Agar headed for the tree he'd sensed instead of the other Runt. They acted as if they didn't want to be discovered anyway, and had probably just killed some type of creature, so maybe this would prove the wiser choice in any case. Eager to find out just what it was his Skill had picked up, he clumsily, but effectively, started climbing the tree...
Then something big and blue came rolling down the trunk towards him!
A single goey, translucent sphere with eyespots tumbled into Agar, knocking them both off the tree! Luckily the runt didn't have too far to fall, and so aside from a painful thud he was okay---but the round thing bounced off his chest, before producing pseudopods like some kind of giant amoeba. It seemed to realize it was outnumbered and outmatched as it noticed Duram standing nearby, and started shuffling as fast as its slimey body could manage towards the nearest clump of bushes. However, thanks to whatever had caused those crackling and snapping sounds, the earth nearby had become as loose and uneven as freshly ploughed farmland. The creature was hindered as it tried to pick its way over the broken up patch, and it blurbled something unintelligible as Agar rose to his feet...
[[Character Action via PM, let me know if edits are needed]]
Ushnekh paid little heed to the other Runt headed towards the camp with a dead bird in tow. But upon reaching the camp's entrance, both were suddenly stopped by the broad palms of the two guards.
"Runts can't come back til they finish the hunt! Both of ya have a kill, from the looks of it, but it's gotta be good enough to pass!" they said, before roughly taking the two's prey from them. The other Runt alongside Ushnekh seemed like he was going to protest, but the guards just pushed him onto his skinny rear end. He grumbled as they looked the corpses over, and turned to smirk at Ushnekh.
"You tryin' to speedrun, too? Or didja just get lucky?" he asked, before giggling as those fiery eyes of his twinkled. As if he knew something Ushnekh didn't.
"Roit! Getcher bums over t' Auguz, Runts!" Their prizes were practically thrown back into their arms---which sent the dark haired Runt rolling backwards down the slope as an entire scaly chicken was hurled at him like a medicine ball.
When Ushnekh re-entered the camp proper, it wasn't hard to find the Head Warrior. He stood on a small platform right in the middle of the thoroughfare, made from a couple of barrels that propped up a few planks of wood. The hastily put together dais seemed to be solely for the purpose of making him stand out, as none of the other orcs seemed to be paying him much mind and he wasn't waving his arms or shouting or anything.
"Well well, ain't you a quick one! Good!" The dark-tinted orc hopped down and held out his hand for Ushnekh's kill. Then he lifted it close to his face and examined it with a long, drawn out hum. He looked at it, first with both eyes, then just his right as the left high squinted closed. Then he sniffed it, up and down the Tatzelwurm's length. Then he opened its mouth and peered inside. Then he turned the creature upside down and licked it somewhere that didn't seem sanitary. Finally, he nodded, and held the corpse aloft before grabbing Ushnekh by the nape of the neck and doing the same to him.
"ALL O' YOUSE, LISTEN UP! THIS HERE RUNT--" he turned his head and whispered "What's yer name?" and then upon receiving answer he turned back to the camp--"THIS HERE RUNT, USHNEKH, IS THE FIRST TO RETURN FROM THE HUNT!" He then set the smaller orc down, and turned in a slow circle so that the entire camp could see the body of Ushnekh's prey. "HE KILLED A TATZELWURM! THIS DAY, HE LEAVES THE BROOD PIT!" Several of the adult orcs cheered or pumped their fists, and many more gave the youngster an approving half-smile or a nod of respect. A few even looked contemplative, as if they were quite impressed with either the speed of his hunt or the beast he'd managed to bring down.
Auguz draped the Tatzelwurm around Ushnekh's shoulders, then clapped him on the back hard enough it almost knocked him down.
"Ya barely brought the thing back in one piece, Runt, but against a Tatzelwurm it's you or it! Now, for the rest o' the day ya can do whatever the hell ya feel like...but tomorrer mornin', you be at the Trainin' Circle before first light! And after that, we'll figure out some more duties for ya!" Auguz crossed his arms as he nodded. "But no more babyin'! Don't be goin' back to the Brood Pit---from now on, you find yer own food, yer own shelter, and whatever else! If somebody will trade ya for it, or ya take it in a fight, then more power to ya! Just be willin' to work if somebody's willin' t' give ya somethin' for it!"
With that, the Head Warrior hopped back up on the dais. It wasn't long until he noticed the other Runt huffing and puffing his way towards them, Elwet held high over his head. He wasn't grinning this time when he shot Ushnekh a look.
QUEST COMPLETED!
Quest: Find Something to Eat and Bring it Back Whole
- Kill a Creature
- Keep the Target in High Quality Condition
- Return to Camp Uninjured
LEVEL UP!
Choose ONE:
- Increase HP (Health)
- Increase MP (Magic)
- Increase SP (Stamina)
- Gain 1 Skill Rank Point
A New Quest is Available:
Quest Giver: Head Warrior Auguz
Quest Details: Fulfill Duties within the Tribe (0/2 Minimum)
- Be at the Training Circle before sunrise tomorrow morning
- Find your own food (1/3 meals provided for)
- Find your own shelter
- Accept an optional Quest from another Tribe Member
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