When Sammy checked another curiosity she had from her absence’s developments — the 13th Fanatic — she found it was the Crusader Brynn. Good ole Brynn! He had been the knight with Dax, Dart, and Bob when they went after the fleeing Merril to Caneboro. Agatha sent him far south as cover for a fairly unconfirmed presence in the fight that had eventually seen the inn burn down. Presumably, the Dominion had plenty of other things to deal with and never did investigate him, by all appearances...
2024-10-23 13:17:43 +0000 UTC
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Only a few things were left to finish up the changes review. [Comprehension: Accelerator] had changed to [Comprehension: Evolver]. She basically knew what it did, but she reviewed it anyway.
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Evolver: When you learn a level 10 or above custom spell, add 2 [Magineer] exp. This is flat exp that ignores gain enhancers/modifiers. You can gain only up to 30 exp per level this way.
2024-10-22 15:17:44 +0000 UTC
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With a laugh, Sammy quickly transported herself to a clear field in Heaven, and couldn’t activate her [Mirroring Duplicates: Strange Phantasm 1] ability fast enough.
The familiar form of the alabaster-pearl beauty flashed into existence, long tresses and stylish blue battle robes blowing in the wind as she looked upward at the sky. She was the very picture of sophistication, pride, and power in a deceptively delicate feminine package. Somehow, despite the rest, something was still ver...
2024-10-19 15:47:02 +0000 UTC
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Still smirking and shaking her head, Sammy checked out her new ‘bound item’ added from the slew of upgrades.
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Mystic Astrolabe
(Bound) Upon summoning this item, the planet and everything on it turn transparent to you, allowing you a 360-degree view of the stars. With a few seconds of observation and reference to the device, you can establish your exact ‘coordinates’ in reference to oth...
2024-10-18 14:58:22 +0000 UTC
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A quite new Special Trait was up in the continuing Review of the New.
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Multitask Magician
Utilizing ‘tertiary’ physical manipulation methods — such as supernatural telekinesis effects — is second nature to you, and you’ve become adept at effectively operating with additional hands or efficiently using alternate locomotion. If utilized on a long, multifaceted physical project requirin...
2024-10-16 15:15:09 +0000 UTC
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Sammy dug into her newest gains from the Challenge Room trip, starting from the ‘top’ of the original change list and working down. First up was the enhancement on [Magical Invention]:
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Runic Reinforcement: As a spell-like ability activation, you may reinforce an existing arcane spell or enchantment with a ‘core function’ rune. This improves the Effective Caster Level of the effect by 1...
2024-10-15 15:22:49 +0000 UTC
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Agatha ‘encouraged’ Samantha to get back on her throne and get to business. The former marchioness waited deliberately to watch her ascend and do so, nodding in satisfaction once Samantha sat down and spread her hands as if to say, ‘Here I am, happy now?’ At that point, Agatha strolled over to chat with Heavenpeak’s court bard, the Siren Calliope, who’d been providing an understated, somber tune as background music for quite a while.
Estara was the first to ‘poke in’ men...
2024-10-12 15:26:15 +0000 UTC
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Agatha patted Sammy’s shoulder comfortingly. “I’m sure you can use an old, grumpy woman here, bossing some underlings around so they don’t get lazy. Who wouldn’t want that, after all?”
It was meant entirely humorously. Sammy forced a smile. “Whatever it is that you desire here, it’s yours. Forever — or until the universe ends, anyway.”
The marchioness winced. “Please don’t spoil me. Or if you do, as a reward for service.”
2024-10-11 14:49:48 +0000 UTC
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As Sammy and Azure made their way back through the doorway of the Challenge Room, Sammy sought out that ‘feel of time’ in mainline reality, as she had the last time she’d been there. It seemed similar, perhaps a bit longer than before, which had been two days that passed.
Surprising after all that time in there, but instinct-wise, this seems correct. Plus, Ozra said as much.
As they walked back over the platform of the main room, Sammy hesitated before leaving this ...
2024-10-09 14:58:33 +0000 UTC
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Crow used what time he saved from the abort of the spell to run after the fleeing vine mass, into the screams blossoming from the tea room. “Get back here, you murderous fiend!” he called as he did. “Watch out, fools! Killer on the loose! Stand clear!”
Through it all, Jon Three had simply backed up almost into the wall, brandishing a nearby broom as a defensive weapon. “Wh-what do I do?!” He never got an answer to that.
The vines were exceptionally fast, already zippin...
2024-10-08 14:42:34 +0000 UTC
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In Mot Mekess, the last room of Marchioness Agatha’s life was a kind of private shrine/meditation area with a miniature enchanted fountain in the center, constantly flowing with water in a relaxing trickling ambiance. Like any other room of hers, the place was aesthetically pleasant. Here, some of the sharpness of the tea room’s grandeur was missing, replaced with tender understatement. The few paintings were of sunny nature scenes.
As largely any other morning, Agatha had begun it ...
2024-10-05 14:56:53 +0000 UTC
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Samantha once again came to with her face on the floor. The feminine, slightly distorted voice of the Director chimed in her head, clear resonant notes encapsulated in memory, the flow quickly instilling a headache. “Note: you have been rendered stunned and senseless due to temporary willpower exhaustion. This was not enforced, but due to the unavoidable ramifications of observer time alteration through the interface by your currently inferior intellect.”
<...
2024-10-04 14:45:28 +0000 UTC
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Crow was just about ready to travel in the morning — nonetheless, he was in the library of Mot Mekess again, trying to decide on the last of seven books Agatha had granted him to take with him as borrows. These weren’t coded books, just curiosities for easier reading when his eyes ached from decoding. It was a toss-up between Mysteries of the Frozen North and Legends of the Forgotten Isles.
He held the large tomes, one in each hand, and frowned.
She...
2024-10-02 14:39:36 +0000 UTC
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Sammy barked a bit of a laugh at the queen’s statement. “I guess so. To follow up, do you know if I can fix it all when things are over? The orchestration. If we win. Can I see my dad, then?”
The queen gestured with a hand out flat. “As I told you, choose your center carefully. Surely the wishes of the maestro’s soul will make music, but the song is only so long. I cannot tell you absolutely, however. Some things none of us can know, as the knowing would be the ultimat...
2024-10-01 15:00:36 +0000 UTC
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Azure stared. Swallowed. Panted. Light slowly returned, but showed nothing more than a white-silver void all around. No darkness. She lowered her spear, moving it out from the body of the phantom, and lay her head back, trying to collect herself. Briefly, she squeezed her eyes shut.
“You did this,” Azure accused, getting angrier by the syllable. “It was all bullshit. You ensorcelled me, tortured me. Why the fuck did you do this?! How could you be this cr...
2024-09-28 14:38:46 +0000 UTC
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The Mirror Monster wasn’t amused. Somehow, the world’s biggest sneer could be felt in the darkness. “Maintaining a sense of humor in this is exceptionally absurd, little blue bundle of rubbish.”
Azure painted a smirk on her face. “I’m not arguing. It’s nice how you’ve given me a term of endearment. If you win, will you keep it for me?”
“There is no ‘if.’ And no, you idiot. I haven’t decided if I’ll preserve you in some ...
2024-09-27 14:35:11 +0000 UTC
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Azure walked down echoing steps beyond even the territory of the molds and the snakes. She walked deep enough to be among a sea of dead roots and fallen things. She felt a cold that chilled her bones — still, she did not shiver. Unlike that light while too high and heavy in the sky, the cold of the dark was strangely alluring.
I’m supposed to be her sky, but I’ve never measured up to it. Not to house her light. She walks to the moon easily enough. Perhaps they facilitate each ...
2024-09-25 15:09:15 +0000 UTC
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Azure strongly considered diving. She could take a Slowfall potion right before hitting the tangle. But the timing didn’t look great when she spared a glance to take measure. They’d likely catch up to her while she was Slowfalling. At that point, it would be better to land on the tower and defend as she went down.
Instead of this, though, she reached into her dimensional pocket and called for whatever number she had of a certain potion.
One came to her hand. Shit! Should...
2024-09-24 15:19:54 +0000 UTC
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The sky's brightness, heat, and intensity only amplified as they continued. It touched the obsidian wall of the tower and gradually silvered it into a full mirror. Sammy had ignored that reflection for a while, but suddenly she looked at it again, and no longer saw the ‘old her’ at all. It was Samantha. The Goddess Samantha.
She smiled victoriously. Ha! Yeah, that’s right, you bitch! I’m who I want to be. My reflection is entirely under my&...
2024-09-22 14:54:06 +0000 UTC
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Sammy unleashed three spells on top of one another. The first was a contingency trigger to summon another autonomous protective shield — her other was technically still ‘out’ but it would not be doing much with a Cat Head using it as a chew toy and scratching post at once.
The other two were Fire Funnels, relatively narrow ‘spiral cones’ the size of a person. If they hit, they not only dealt wounds and knocked backward quite forcefully, but they did something like a c...
2024-09-21 14:58:14 +0000 UTC
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Sammy burst into action, determined not to waste one moment. Using her harness arms, she climbed upward hard and fast. “Waiting is pointless — charge past them! We’ll blow those fuckers out of our path!”
Azure followed, though she was sputtering in argument. “A-are you crazy?! We could retreat and lose them in the forest!”
“We didn’t see a single one down there. They likely don’t even go into it! If we run and they just wait here, what does that...
2024-09-20 15:03:24 +0000 UTC
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Travel for the dynamic burning duo was otherwise uneventful and a bit grueling, mostly for Azure who was far more prone to tiring. Nonetheless, she claimed to be completely on course, and Sammy stopped asking after the second snappy response on the subject. She did not want to stop and rest, that much was clear. Sammy was exasperated and proud all at once at that.
When Azure declared arrival at the target point, it only took an hour or so of searching to find their object ...
2024-09-18 14:57:40 +0000 UTC
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“Quite strange indeed,” Azure commented as she eyed the great towering monolith. “I think it’s there in any case, despite that we might worry it's an illusion.”
“Right,” Sammy agreed, nodding as she tapped a metal grapple finger on her chin. “Mind-bending but physical on some level. Regardless, I think it’s time to approach.”
“Don’t mind me. Just gulping audibly before I follow.”
Gradually upon approach, there was a kind of ‘filled s...
2024-09-17 15:18:22 +0000 UTC
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The party hurried off the streets of Caneboro, leaving the corpses of their enemies to rot. The giant, currently with the alias ‘Sailman’ of all things, offered to carry all four Follower corpses himself, and Estara quickly agreed. No one even complained, nor were insults thrown any further at the giant. In fact, every single thing Estara commanded was obeyed without so much as a peep of protest. Even Dart behaved himself.
This buff is too good to be true. A shame ...
2024-09-15 15:02:20 +0000 UTC
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Casting into the sort of slew of nothing-but-enemies wizards dreamed of dropping an AoE into, Big Nose — his face cast with spiteful glee — dropped a destructive AoE on the forces of Samantha. They had precious little time to even move in response, much less mount an attack. But it would’ve been so much worse if the cloud had still surrounded them.
I should’ve just distributed his attack on me instead of the trade. I should’ve-
Her thoughts were cu...
2024-09-14 15:16:30 +0000 UTC
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Estara could’ve dismissed one of the wounds dealt but knew she needed to let them handle it and save her valuable, no-action-required protection for later. She could distribute twice her [Priestess] levels plus one, in lots, on willing subjects, per day. She’d expended 7/17, and the minimum was 2 for involving 2 people. It would only get harder to deal with the less of it she had. There were designated wound bearers for the nastier possibilities, but she preferred avoiding such a thing.
2024-09-13 14:47:47 +0000 UTC
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A damage aura was something Estara feared dealing with. It put her in the precarious position of having no ‘safe’ option, as only being way over-leveled was going to give a caster the means to maintain AoE defense. Wound negations were almost always single-target, and why offensive spellcasters were a terror. Unless, of course, you had expendable subjects. Healing could be turned into AoE, but much less effectively.
Their white auras weren’t even defensive, she could tell. They we...
2024-09-11 15:00:11 +0000 UTC
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“Hand over your prisoner and we’ll go our separate ways!” a man from the other group called, apparently their leader. Next to him, a rather large fellow in a strange black suit of attire and hat was showing his teeth rather menacingly, punching one fist into an open hand over and over, likely as some show of intimidation. Oddly, his eyes were vibrant green, crystalline, and faintly glowing. “Otherwise, you’ll be turned into street smears. You’re outmatched here. Or do you not see ...
2024-09-10 15:17:16 +0000 UTC
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Jeeves was unsurprisingly quiet as he took time to consider the absolute Bomb Drop of news delivered. Ash felt new tears fall as she confessed what she had done. She was practically panting and began to feel almost feverish. Like some self-preservation within her was balking.
Somehow, despite how awful what she was saying made her feel about who she'd been, it was also a relief. There was no turning back, whatever the consequences. She’d done it. And she’d defied expediency… for o...
2024-09-08 14:41:39 +0000 UTC
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Dax wasn’t really sure Bast’s assumptions were true, but she got the sudden sense their souls knew one another. His pass at her felt like something written in stone. It certainly wasn’t the first time she’d rebuffed him.
Eerie. Caneboro had some things going for it. No one like this guy around, especially with Merril gone — Crow. Someone barely my brother anymore. Orswyth felt even weirder in the flesh. Geirkos is full of ancient gho...
2024-09-07 14:37:05 +0000 UTC
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