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Always go full Asphodel imo
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Jan 14, 2021 23:43
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The archer was not a threat, her arrows were unintimidating, and her will broken. She may tell the tale of what she encountered, but you do not fear that in the moment. You have business to attend to first. Who could this Kael be, that so many of them would risk their lives just to delay for their arrival? You were sure they were the leader of this foolish hunting expedition, and thus needed to be made an example of. You held no fear in your heartless chest, as you pried the axe from your chest, tossing it to the side to cleave through the still shallowly wimpering broken softskin. Your aim is off, and you take off only a broken leg, rather than silencing them permanently. That doesn't matter much. You are moving again, in the direction the softskins had gone. Their trails are easy to follow, they made no effort to cover their tracks - they hadn't the time you suppose. You feel disgusted even by these little marks of theirs within the woods. The slight bit of root that had been kicked and lost the barest hint of its outer layer angered you. The softskins had left too many marks on your home as it was. You move through the trees with a grace, clearing the trail of the softskins as you stepped down, leaving no trail of your own, as if you touched nothing at all. And then they come into view, the three softskin moving quickly back along their path. You lack the time to hide your presence, and instead come face to face with your foes, two of whom start at your presence. The third however...  Kael Ich, The Braggart "Aha, the foul beast has shown himself! You shall die, insignificant monster, and I shall have revenge upon you for your transgressions! You have chosen the wrong day to..." He is loud, and distracted by his own speech. You.... You do not care to listen to him. You rush forward and throw a palm downward towards one of his companions, squishing it like a bug, its maul's handle crunching alongside its owners bones.. Kael seems taken aback by this sudden movement, and chokes on his words, "FOUL BLACKGUA-" you move your arm without lifting it from the squished man, smacking into the loud softskin with your forearm. But despite his predisposition to talk instead of action, he raises the flat of his blade. His parry sends him skidding backwards, but he stays standing, "Bah! Blackguard, foul demon, I shall slay you not just for revenge, but as recompense for your rude-" He's not just talking this time, he rushes forward with his sword, the spear of the other man stabbing at your back distracting you just enough to let Kael duck past your swiping left arm. But not distracting you enough to keep you from kicking Kael swiftly - he once again positions his blade between the two of you just before the moment of impact, but this time you do not simply send him backwards. He flies diagonally upwards, into a tree, with a slam. Another dead. You turn to face the spearman, and his legs shake in fear. He falls to the ground on his knees his hands coming together as he closes his eyes, "Please please I beg you I wi-" You cut him off by grabbing him tightly, and crushing him in your hand. He does not speak again. "VILLAIN!" You hear a roar that alerts you to a man you thought dead. His movements are near silent as he rushes towards you, his sword flickering with light, "BY THE MIGHT OF MY HOLY BLADE, AND BY THE STRENGTH OF MY ELDERS I!" He runs towards you, each word he speaks makes the light more blinding, his blade crackling with energy. "KAEL, SON OF KAEL, SHALL SMI-" You throw the body of his companion at him, the bloody chunks of goopy body cover the man. His free arm reaches to wipe his eyes, but you do not give him the chance. A palm strike from your right arm strikes him on his off-hand side, and sends him flying into the forest. You do not assume his death this time. You pursue. You can hear him sputter a, "Father, forgive me for this sacrifice. FINAL RITES!" And see him raising his sword to stab himself. Except... his sword has shattered entirely, and he seems to only realize this after placing the remnant all the way to his chest. He doesn't have time to ponder what that means, before your massive hand crushes him into the ground. Once. Twice. You step on him to make good and sure he was dead. The hunting party is extinguished, and Kael lies dead. A small slate falls from his mushed up body, but you cannot read what it says - you do not know how to read. What is your next move? A. Absorb Kael's remains while they are still fresh, for maximum nourishment. B. Check for the Warg and pups before absorbing. C. Return with the body to your home, to absorb in safety. D. B+C E. Carry Kael to the edge of the forest, to leave as a warning. E is the only option that does not absorb the body. What are your short term plans to destroy more softskins? You are feeling very strong after slaughtering a near dozen of them. The wound on your chest still stings, but it is far from crippling. F. I'll rest and wait for another foolish adventurer to try to hunt in my woods. G. I'll rest until my wounds are healed, and then stalk the woods in search of prey. H. G, but I don't rest beyond what it takes me to absorb the body. I. I head to the village, directly, knowing it is full of adventurers. J. I'll rest until my wounds are healed, and then return to where the archer last saw me. K. J, with no rest. Kael Info Slate: Son of a noble knight and the daughter of a barbarian chief slain by the knight in combat, Kael was born to two worlds. He was ever pushed towards violence, but drawn also to the light of the world, and found his prayers answered by the most holy in his youth. His countless victories include holding the bridge of Wasten, rescuing orphans from the cult of Soket, and the grand victory of pulling the holy sword of Yaln from its eternal rest. C Rank.
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Jan 15, 2021 04:58
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DG
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Jan 15, 2021 05:40
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dh
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Jan 15, 2021 07:19
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AH
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Jan 15, 2021 08:50
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D, G
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Jan 15, 2021 08:53
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DJ seems like the best idea to me
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Jan 15, 2021 09:23
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D G
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Jan 15, 2021 13:02
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BH
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Jan 15, 2021 13:25
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AJ
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Jan 15, 2021 15:29
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Before you make use of the bountiful harvest you just reaped, you have something more important to do. You came here not to kill these softskins - though that was a goal as well - but to protect an innocent mother and her children. You turn towards where you 'felt' the children first - they were small, vulnerable, and afraid. Your walk is more gentle now, you have no need to rush and panic them, as you make your way through the treeline, towards the hidden hollow. It takes you some time to find the correct tree, your Aspect no longer warning you to immediate danger, but with time you hear the whimpering of pups, and as you sloooowly bend down, you can finally spot them under a tree. One of them appears to be covered in fresh blood, but as you offer your hand down, it runs towards you as quickly as the others. You cannot speak to these beautiful creatures, but they come to you without fear. Indeed, as you press your massive hand to the ground - a single finger larger than any of these pups - with palm up, they climb onto it without issue. It's only as the bloodied warg-pup licks at the blood-and-guts still decorating your barky exterior that your vision fades for a second. ---------------- You are much smaller, and much more scared. You see your parents, your massive father, diving at a predator with an oddly long claw. You hear your mother's howl, her urgency as she hurries you along. You do not listen. You run towards your father to help. Your sisters and brother are not pups - you have been hunting for weeks now, eating meat and growing strong. And then your father comes towards you. Or rather, his head. It flies through the air, and the iron scent of his blood covers all of your senses. You do not see an arrow flying towards you, until your mother has already lifted you into her mouth, her leg pierced by a weapon meant for you. The predators laugh at you. They are enjoying themselves. Your family flees together, even as you are forced to smell the scent of your dead father, upon every inch of your being. You were not strong enough. ------------------ The Aspect upon the back of your being burns softly as you connect with the young pup so deeply. You realize without surprise shown what you have just born witness to. You are impossibly gentle with your huge hands, as the left comes to meet right, and you cup the pups within those massive hands, allowing them all to feast on the entrails of their tormentors as you go. Your walk takes you back past the dead bodies, and you lower yourself to your knee, and stretch out your hands to allow the pups to see what came of their tormentors. You don't know how they feel about it, but you want them to know that you have taken revenge for them. "Your foes." You know they cannot speak to you. You know they likely cannot understand you. But your voice, that speaks with the rumbling power of the woods, but also the gentle soothing sound of the winds. It comforts you if nothing else, as you return yourself to standing. The mother is found shortly after, hobbling with one of her legs pierced by an arrow - an arrow you saw earlier. Matted, bloody fur indicates that she likely has more wounds than that. You are by no means a healer, however. All you can do, as the large warg-mother looks up at you, is to lower yourself and offer out her children. One by one they jump out of your hands, and run towards their wounded mother. You allow them their reunion, remaining a silent guardian of the group for the moment, as they yipe and growl at each other. The Warg-Mother looks at you, and you see a darkness in her eyes as she stares at you. You realize as she walks forward that she has chosen something drastic, after confirming the safety of her children. She lowers her head, and her eyes shut. You reach out towards her, and you understand exactly what she means by this. Your hand touches down on her... and then moves down towards her leg. You snap the shaft of the arrow within her with a slight bit of difficulty, but cannot pull it out with your massive fingers. You will not kill the Warg, even as she offers herself to you as nutrients. Your Compassion will not allow you to. You wave her off with her family. There is nothing to be gained here from staying, not for them or you. The pups run around your legs excitedly for a moment, before they scamper off with their limping mother. With luck, such wounds will heal, by the blessing of the Everbloom. Even if they do not, you enjoy the scene of the family together for the moment. Kael's body lies exactly where it fell when you crushed him. He is remarkably intact for how many times you hit him - your blows that could turn a dwarf to paste 'merely' turned this man into a broken mess of bones poking through wherever they could find. He still is recognizable. You can still feel the force of his life from the body, though it's weaker than it was before. And then you step onto him. Your legs begin to merge with the ground, as you take root over the body. Your eyes close involuntarily, as you root upon your meal. Your first 'rooting' was done under the supervision of the Elder Yew, and Packtender Pili, and was the body of a tainted Eland, whose large form helped you as a sapling to grow large. You arrived on the scene after the Packtender had already silenced the Eland, but you remember vividly the memories it had, the pain it was suffering in its last moments, and how the release of the pixie was a blessing. This rooting is not like that. ------------- You feel pain, you feel anger, and anguish. You are suffering, you are being made fun of, you are humiliated, and you are scared. You see yourself from the softskin's eyes, you witness your battle again. You feel the pride as you block a blow, and then the crack as your body slams into a tree. You feel holy energy coursing your body, mending your wounds as they happen, but they do not make this hurt any less. You feel regret. You raise your blade to end your life, and take this monster with you - at least then you might be remembered as a hero, no? And the sense of futility as you are squished. Your life flashes before your eyes. You are younger now. Sixteen. You have just been accepted to the Harthwell Knights Academy, a school for training the next generation of warriors. Out of thousands of applicants you were the one accepted. You're celebrating with your best friend, and suddenly you hear his words, "Sam, I'm telling you - you're about to go to one of the few places in the world where you can reinvent yourself. Do you really wanna be Sam, son of the village guardsman of Podunksville? You could be anyone - they don't care about your nationality, your birth place, you could claim to be a Prince and no one on staff would say poo poo! Well, maybe not a Prince. But you could be a proper noble. Son of a Knight, following his dad's footsteps? Oh man, and then we can add in some details about your mom, I dunno, maybe she's a barbarian warrior your dad bested and married? Think of how cool that is - a noble paladin-to-be, fighting with the savage darkside of his parentage." Your friend is scolding you seriously, but you're nervous - you are aiming to be a knight after all. Would lying be proper? You fidget awkwardly - you've always been quiet growing up, a follower more than a leader. But now this is your chance... "Wouldn't that just make people scared of me? I don't want people to be afraid... I'm going to learn to be a hero!" A roll of his eyes, your friend squashes your declaration with a moment, then whispers in your ear, "You know, chicks dig a guy with a dark mysterious secret. You'll look super badass. They'll be throwing themselves at you - a knight of good peerage, wrestling to be a hero despite the rage of his mother's people in his heart? You'll be drowning." He didn't need to say anymore than that, you feel heat rising through your body, and you're suddenly very excited. "Y-...you said your brother can handle the tattoos?" ---------------------- You are - fortunately or unfortunately, suddenly jerked out of your reverie by a sensation of impending dread. When you open your eyes, you are once again seeing out of eyes not your own. But your eyes don't matter in the least. What matters is your nose. You can smell softskins, hunters, coming through the woods. Your nose picks up a single scent you already know - the same scent as on your arrow, embedded in your leg. You also smell another familiar scent, of blood, and death, and wood, only hundreds of feet from this large group of softskins. ----------------------- You do not have time to dwell on the birth of 'Kael' from 'Sam' - the archer who escaped has returned, and she has brought with her many more softskins. You reach into the depth of the lifeforce you drew from Kael, and you feel the welling of a new skill within you. You can feel the softskin's memories echo inside of you, and your body begins to move on its own, as you emulate the poses of his swordsmanship. Except... you have no sword to use. quote:You have gained 'Swordsmanship' from absorbing Kael's essence. You are going to run into these unknown enemies unless you run. Even if you do, you may simply attract them further into the forest. A. Stand and fight. B. CHARGE! It worked last time! C. Retreat to set up an ambush. D. Retreat, and try to use my magic to learn more about them. I'll do another post to explain Rooting later, if it's desired.
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Jan 22, 2021 06:34
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D
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Jan 22, 2021 06:44
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C
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Jan 22, 2021 07:14
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C sounds good.
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Jan 22, 2021 13:52
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C
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Jan 22, 2021 15:21
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D. Learn how they may be defeated.
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Jan 22, 2021 18:05
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D What are we up against? This group won't run into our limbs.
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Jan 23, 2021 01:27
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C for Cunning.
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Jan 23, 2021 23:23
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Dquote:Your eyes close involuntarily, as you root upon your meal. 
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Jan 23, 2021 23:46
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Cobalt-60 posted:D What are we up against? This group won't run into our limbs. You step back into the forest quickly. You disappear, a tree amongst the forest. Your long legs carry you for a sizeable amount of time, and you are certain they will not find you as you find a perfect spot to stand - atop the stump of a felled Oakane tree. Your heart burns with anger as you take its spot - that tree may have one day become something like you, had its magical wood soaked in the essence of the Bloom for long enough. Now it likely was used to power some arcane tool of some softskin wizardling. The barely-there magic within the stump thrums under you as you call your own magic, and it becomes a center as you call on the beasts around you. You suddenly see them all, as if from above, where they have hidden themselves, where they are going. You see the warg pack fleeing, a yaguar prowling for its next meal at the very end of your senses, a Gorebear sleeping deep within a cave under the forest floor... and then you sense exactly what you needed. A great Reagle, its proud bearing evident in just its essence. You cannot command such a mighty beast to do as you wish, but you reach out with your magic, and for a moment, your minds connect, melding as one. The great king of the skies, you cannot help but be in awe of its bearing, as your thoughts mingle. It is not a conversation, it is a simple laying bare of memories, of intentions. It is proud, unyielding, and you almost consider it a failure, when you suddenly feel your senses shift into its eyes. The Reagle takes flight, its small wings beating with enough force to blow leaves off the trees all around it. This being is powerful and old despite its small size, and you embrace the feeling of flight as you ride within its mind. In seconds you are thousands of feet above the forest - Reagles may lack the raw physical might of the more common Roc, but their speed cannot be surpassed by any being - but your vision scans the trees as if you are right next to them. It takes seconds for the mighty bird to spot who you wanted it to, it sees the elven archer from your memories, with three others - three, not the two the Warg could smell. The first is an odd looking soft-skin, redder than the petals of a rose, and a tail not unlike the lizards of the Everbloom. You have heard of these demon-spawn in the past, the results of dalliances with terrible powers, her horns curving backwards not unlike a Batteram. She wears a long robe of flowing orange, and a book floats around her head as she treats this trek as a casual stroll, leaning on a tree unconcerned in the least - despite the fact that the entire party is at the scene of your carnage. Her every step leaves a faint purple trail, a clear marker of one who is deeply influenced by the Arcane arts, as she bleeds its energies into the Bloom. A blonde woman- no, a woman with glowing yellow hair is instead crying as she looks over the scene of your slaughter. You can see every fine detail, every tear drop in her eyes, despite being more than two miles overhead now. She kneels at the bodies, and offers prayers, her hair glowing brighter as she does. You can also see the amulet on her neck, bearing the sign of the Medical Goddess of the Softskins. You recognize this one, because for a time the Bloom had dealings with her followers - magical herbs to enhance their healing to cure even that claimed to be incurable. Their pilgrimages becoming more and more common, their demands larger and larger. Always so righteous, demanding more of the Bloom's bounty so that they might save people. And when denied, who were more than happy to join in taking what they wanted? Your anger burns, and then you feel an intense pressure on your mind. The Reagle nearly pushes you out of its mind as your feelings become overwhelming, and it's only by luck that you manage to hold on for long enough that your anger bleeds off. You can feel its annoyance at your petty motivations, like it is so far above you. But it allows you to stay, as its eyes focus in on the third member of this party - a tiny thing, smaller than a dwarf, but with the - miniaturized - proportions of a human. You briefly think this a softskin child, until you focus and spot its magnificent black beard and mustache. This strange being moves on its own through the trees, clad in an all green camouflaged that seems to magically shift with each step, to hide him amongst the trees. Without the Reagle's divine vision, you would never spot this bearded midget of a softskin. And then all at once you are kicked out of the mind of the Reagle, who shuts you out without a single second thought. You attempt to connect again using your magic, to convey your thanks, only for its mind to feel like a steel wall - your magical self runs into it at full speed, and it leaves you dazed. You briefly think you hear it laughing, before your magic fades away and you are left back in your own body. You now know what you are facing, even if you have a headache while doing so. No Letter options: what is *your* plan to handle these threats? They don't need to be super detailed, and can be as simple as an order you want to kill them in. Trying this out this time.
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Feb 2, 2021 04:43
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This is not an update! I want you! TO DIE! Okay, well, maybe not you, but have you ever played a D&D game, or any other tabletop game, and had a character who you loved? Have you ever played a D&D game with That Guy, who had a character that you hated? If so, now's your chance to get them HORRIBLY MURDERED BY A TREE! My initial 5 C rank adventurers (one not seen yet!) all came from suggestion by pair of good friends who do not post on SA, but now it's your turn! To watch your favorite OC be squished to death by a murdering tree man! But how do you submit these characters to be horribly murdered? Well, there's two ways: Fill out the form below, and either submit it to the thread, or send it to me in a PM! Not every entry will be taken, but I'm chill with some off the walls poo poo here. Setting wise, think of this as 'generic D&D setting', except nature magic is not a thing for obvious reasons (unless you wanna write up some twisted fairy enslavers! That'd be chill!). If you want to write about a Goliath Barbarian who is almost as tall as Vera? Do it! If you wish to submit a goblin tinkerer with a gun? Enjoy! code:But what are Adventurer ranks? Well, they're what they are in every Isekai, duh. Oh, you don't read those? Okay, here's a basic guide: F Rank Adventurers- Technically aren't a thing! These are just peasants with pitchforks and torches. They do not know how to fight, and will die! Don't submit these! D Rank Adventurers - Are.. anyone with any form of combat training or magical skill who wants to adventure. These people are about on par with a city's professional guard, but some of the better ones are around the rank of a strong soldier. They'd be about level 1-4 in d&d terms. The archer whose name you have not gotten is a D Rank adventurer! C Rank Adventurers - This is where the actual talent comes in - these are the people who can go into battle with ten soldiers and come out with just scratches. This is where Elite Soldiers sit, and they are conveyed respect. This is your average level 4-8 D&D character. Kael was this rank. B Rank Adventurers - These are fairly big deals! They're at the point where 'just' a soldier isn't going to touch them - unless they want to be touched! These are your elites of the Adventurer's guild, and big enough deals to have large scale fanclubs. Yep. Fanclubs. 8-12. A Rank Adventurers - These are the big deals. Most people never see one of these. They are known as 'army killers', and command enough resources from nobles who don't want their ire that they rarely need work. These are international celebrities purely off the back of their power. 12-16. S Rank Adventurers - These don't exist. They do in theory, the great heroes of the world who stopped Armageddon may have been them! But they don't exist. Don't submit these. 16-20+ This isn't to say your rank has to be accurate - sometimes people who are really weak get famous for stuff they didn't do, and shoot up ranks! Sometimes someone super strong sits at a low rank for years, because no one is ever present to see them be cool. Feel free to toy with that.
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Feb 2, 2021 05:12
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What about E rank adventurers?
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Feb 2, 2021 13:55
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E rank adventurers have been bitten by a moose. All responsible have been sacked.
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Feb 2, 2021 18:16
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Whoops, how did I skip an entire letter grade? E Rank is the first 'official' rank of Adventurers, given to students of any sponsored training facility, be it squires of a knightly order, students of a magic academy, or initiates of a martial arts dojo. They are typically not called upon for acrual jobs, but sometimes accompany other higher rank adventurers as a form of training or study.
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Feb 2, 2021 18:53
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KittyEmpress posted:No Letter options: what is *your* plan to handle these threats? They don't need to be super detailed, and can be as simple as an order you want to kill them in. Trying this out this time. Sneak up on them, geek the mage, start doing running passes at them instead of getting stuck in.
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Feb 2, 2021 19:58
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Can we set a trap? If we can sense the mage, they can sense us to some degree unless the Everbloom cloaks us. Clap'em between trees, a-la Ewoks killing AT-STs on Endor. Would love to know if we have the ability to move our sleeping brethren via magic. If so, spring-load 2 trees and release them to create confusion/devastation. If it can be done, be prepared to engage as they retreat/gather (by approaching from their rear).
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Feb 2, 2021 20:57
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Cannon_Fodder posted:Would love to know if we have the ability to move our sleeping brethren via magic. . You do not. Your initial votes on what initial problem to chase decided your magical talent: you have gained the Aspect of Beasts, and Beast Magic from it. Had you pursued the digging dwarves you would have gained the Aspect of Earth, the Loggers the Aspect of Wood, and the healers raiding the magic health flowers the Aspect of Life. Your magic allows you to sense and connect your mind to beasts of the woods, see through their eyes, and command them if your magic is strong enough. As you grow stronger, what it can do will grow as well.
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Feb 2, 2021 21:05
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GANK THE MAGE be sneaky and squash her immediately then slip back into the woods always always always
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Feb 3, 2021 00:49
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I cannot fault the objective logic that is GEEK THE MAGE
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Feb 3, 2021 00:51
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Gank the mage is never wrong, but also Kill their healer next pass.
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Feb 3, 2021 10:58
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