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Rade - Flower Door, an area outside Namin Result: 3 + 6 = 9 - Success Rade had seen charismatic speeches to troops before. He'd made a few of his own to rally comrades for a push, or in the face of adversity, but he'd also seen leaders who knew what to see, when, and how to get people to dance in the palm of their hands. So Rade could see that his words had hit exactly where he wanted them to. Contextualising the role and need of the fangs, and their devotion to him to help others become more accepting of the more radical changes would be important for his troops further down the line. Of course Rade would have to ease the concerns of civilians and those that couldn't fight (for now) but that was a challenge for later, and one that with this step Rade was more accepting of. For his part Maloris continued to observe with the same kind of disconnected passion that he had shown before, although his peer seemed to be buying more personally into Rade's propaganda. But despite the nihilism that Maloris felt there was also a complete acceptance of Rade's goals, because when someone has nothing and believes in nothing there was also no reason to fight against or go against someone else. Rade provided an actionable path that the magi could see leading to a future where his people got to live and possible thrive, even if at least some of those people would look very different to the past. For his part Kerr also went to mingle with the troops after to help bolster his father's words, even if they did not need it. Two voices united were stronger than one alone after all. Success. You have won over the hearts and minds of everyone present. The Fangs will be something that will startle and possible alarm some people back in Namin, but they already see Rade in a positive light so this will hardly be an insurmountable challenge.
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Apr 24, 2023 04:47
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 Rade - Flower Door, an area outside Namin. Rade smiled as his troops took his words to heart, not only accepting his Fangs but starting to open themselves up to the idea of their own eventual transformation. He had ideas of what to do to further advance his plans, but for the moment he had several more immediate issues to deal with. First and foremost, he needed to integrate his new combat assets into his existing formations. Even experienced soldiers could have difficulty adjusting to a changed force mix, and new divisions needed time and training to get used to one another, to learn to fight as a singular unit. The only way to handle that was to give them time to train together, to build up experience working with one another. Of course, this training dovetailed nicely with some other goals of his. He’d opened the door to greater changes among his troops, but it was still a very nascent thing. His endorsement and their appearance had certainly made an impression, but if he wanted to convince his troops that becoming more like his Fangs was the future they wanted they needed to see first hand just how superior his Fangs were. Fortunately, the training ought to provide just such an opportunity. With the right selection of exercises he should be able to drive home just how much stronger, faster, and tougher his Fangs were. Additionally, he’d be able to use the time and exercises to help continue his efforts to inculcate a more cultish devotion among his followers, just like the one now expressed by his Fangs. By using the exercises and liberal use of his pheromones he ought to be able to make them a bit more impressionable, drive home the desire to be more like the Fangs, which naturally meant starting to copy their devoted behavior in order to prove worthy of the significant enhancements becoming a Fang would bring. The other goal of the training exercises were for Rade to start to truely determine which among his troops possessed the inborn aptitude to become officers. It wasn’t something every man possessed. For most, the role of Officer was neither suited to them nor something they would desire if divorced from perks and prestige normally associated. Rade had fought in enough battles that he’d learn to see it in others, even if it took his own death before he realized he’d possessed it in himself all along. Identifying officer prospects would be important in the coming days. As he started to change his troops in more complete ways, the officers and grunts would need different paths. After all, the enhancements that best suited an officer versus what best served a regular trooper weren’t going to be all the same. Better to figure out who belonged on which path now than after the more radical changes started. Each day for a week they would train, each exercise helping them learn to fight as one and each another little push towards becoming what Rade wanted them to be. Of course, there was also the Magi. If his symbiotes were working as he intended it would take roughly a week for them to fully grow and integrate with their new hosts. Each evening, once training was concluded, Rade would speak privately with them, using his powers to feel the growth and change of the symbiotes in their body. He would learn all he could about how it fared, what it did and did not accomplish. All in hopes that he could refine them both for Maloris and the other magi, but also for future magi. After all, his goal with the binding symbiotes had not been to prevent disobedience by brute force like the Monarchs did, but to shape the host so that they’d never even want to disobey in the first place. Part of that would be affecting their feelings towards him, but another was ensuring that the sensation of being bound to his will was an utterly euphoric one. His hopes were that with sufficient study of their growth he would be able to achieve that end. Rade’s going to spend a week on additional training with a couple of different purposes. Part of it is getting the Fangs and Magi integrated into his formations and getting his troops used to fighting with them. Another part is to show off the Fangs a bit, really emphasize how powerful they are, and maybe also get some of their more devoted attitude to rub off on the others. Lastly is to start to identify those with the potential to be officers versus just grunts. After each day’s training, Rade’s also going to scan the Magi with his power to track the growth of their symbiotes and correlate it with their effects in order to be able to refine the design for next time he makes them. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade’s served with enough troops that he knows from experience the signs to look for to identify people who have the knack for command versus those who are better suited to following rather than leading. Intuitive Leader[+4] - Rade’s relying on his intuitive sense on how to get the new members to fit in with his existing troops. Who to assign them with, what orders to give, what demonstrations to make. All with the goal of getting some or all of his troops to desire to be more like them mentally and physically. Leader’s Enhanced Charisma[+2] - Rade’s pheromones should help make his troops a bit more impressionable.
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Apr 28, 2023 04:00
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Rade - Flower Door, an area outside Namin Result: 10 + 8 - Success The training went better than Rade had expected but as well as Rade had hoped. The Fangs began to fit in well with the group and while Kerr was the only one who could match their power and resilience, the living armour and weapon of your Neardweller forces gave them the ability to block and bad opening and take advantage of openings that their opponents would otherwise think were covered. But the force and vigor of the transformed soldiers certainly made an impression on your Neardweller troops. After one session on the second last day one of the Neardwellers commented that they'd be unstoppable if they were one of the Fangs, which their companion laughed at and agreed with but pointed out it would make things difficult with their partner and children back home in Namin. The first soldier agreed and seemed a little disappointed that he might have to choose between family and serving their people in the future. When it came to the matter of officers it became clear to Rade that none of his Fangs were suited to such a role. They had originally been followers, people who were chosen for their strength and obedience in a force where creativity and analysis were not needed or wanted. These traits were only exacerbated by their transformation into Fangs. Rade's magic was potent enough that none of them were simple or stupid as brute strength needed a sharp enough mind to utilise it in battle effectively, but their focus was too narrow. They could only see and move with the battle immediately around them, they did not see the overall flow of the entire field. Of the Neardwellers from Namin there were two that seemed like they had the potential if nurtured, as well as Maloris' magi companion. As for Magi themselves they seemed to be adjusting to the neural symbiote. The second magi was comfortable with Rade's presence by the end of the week and the idea of his powers and vision did not bother him any more. There was a deference that could be nurtured into religious devotion in time but unlike the non-magically inclined soldiers, Rade's abilities were strange but not otherworldly to the magi the same way that they were to the villagers. Maloris on the other hand was more subdued. Rade was good at reading people so he could see that Maloris was onboard but the man's lack of enthusiasm was born from a deep nihilism and bleak outlook on the world he lived in. Rade felt confident that if he could prove some tangible signs of turning the tide against the Monarchs, not just the remnants of the old kingdom, that the man's outlook could easily be turned to fervor.
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May 9, 2023 05:19
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Rade - Flower Door, an area outside Namin. Rade was extremely pleased with the outcome of his training efforts, and the symbiotes also seemed to be growing well. It was time to start thinking about the next phase of his plans. Part of him wanted to pull aside his potential officers right now, but the comments he’d overheard from his troops on what was holding them back from becoming like his Fangs meant he knew he needed to address the home front first. Already he had loosened hunger’s grip upon them, but if he was to win them over and provide him the means to start to win over other similar villages he needed to do more, and the means had already occurred to him. The answer had been obvious, because one of the things about Namin that had paradoxically stood out the most was something that was missing, farming. For a people constantly in the grip of near annihilation due to famine, the fact that the near-dwellers didn’t farm had shocked him. He’d asked Ganmorrin about it, and the neardweller had looked at him quizzically. Apparently, they were aware of the idea of farming in the abstract. However there weren’t any staple crops, so the idea had never really caught on. In this case, the Neardwellers' ignorance was Rade’s opportunity. He wasn’t much of a farmer himself, but as a long-time mercenary he knew the value of farmland, and with an even marginal crop Namin would be able to increase the amount of food it could generate by 10 times or more, and he didn’t intend to provide a merely marginal crop. Of course, this wasn’t going to be doable everywhere in these lands, but that suited Rade just fine as well. It would make it easier for him to monopolize, and control of the production of food was keystone for control of the people’s hearts, especially in a food-strapped land like this. So, as his troops returned to Namin for the first time since the battle, Rade set to work on developing a new staple crop. The first prerequisite would be ensuring it would absolutely thrive in the conditions he had available. The lack of proper soil, the less than fulsome light, it would need to be undeterred by any of them. Next it would need to grow quickly and sustainably. As far as he could tell there weren’t seasons under water in the same way there were on land, so it should be able to grow year round. Once those hurdles were taken care of there was the plant itself. To serve as the type of foodstuff he wanted it would need to be extremely nutritious. Ideally, he’d like for it to taste good as well. With all this in mind, Rade concentrated his powers, working to develop this super plant. He used several species of kelp that were in the area as a base, working to imbue the supernatural traits he desired to create an entire new breed of super-crop that would serve as a pillar of the empire he planned to build here. Rade’s trying to develop a new staple crop. Using some local kelp as a base, Rade’s trying to make a breed of plant that is 1) easily farmable under the conditions pertaining in Namin, 2) able to grow fast and sustainably to allow a consistently high output of food, 3) highly nutritious and if he can manage it very palatable. Fleshsmith[+4] - Rade’s relying on his power’s ability to imbue magical traits into the things he shapes to create a plant that likely couldn’t normally exist.
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May 13, 2023 04:24
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Rade - Flower Door, an area outside Namin Result: 9 + 4 = Success The first plant that Rade picked was a sea weed that fanned out with several fronds. Upon working with it Rade realised something interesting, that they were not quite plants in the sense that he considered them before. Plants had roots to dig into the ground to gather nutrients from the soil, while sea weed just used sunlight and filtered the salt out of water. By giving them magic to simply convert the salt into a different substance the growth potential could be increased, as well as giving them an extra nutrient payload for the people eating it. Based off of his discussion with Ganmorrin few creatures ate the sea weed either, it was simply not very nutritious, so Rade also didn't need to worry about pests for the time being as well. With this in mind Rade began his first experiments and was successful in creating a few test cultivars. He had one that he was sure would be the most successful, but it was also the one that grew in the shallower sunlit regions. His test plant was also tasty but from experience he knew that even the nicest tasting food would grow boring if it was the only thing one eat. Magic could certainly create an addicting element to it, but this drawback could be taken advantage of later to create plants which were less complete nutritionally but had distinct flavour and texture profiles. The Neardwellers lacked a real culinary tradition outside of some variations on raw fish stuffed with various bits and pieces, and creating one would be a new source of joy in the desperate times the kingdom had fallen into.
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May 22, 2023 05:05
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin. Once he had the cultivars in hand, the next step was to convince the people of Namin to begin to cultivate them. After all, these would only be useful en-mass. A new stable food source would be a true game-changer, and with the improved digestive systems he'd granted his followers they'd be able to thrive on even a small planting. However, Rade wasn't intending to limit this to a small planting. No, he wanted mass cultivation, because in a starving land food was power. Showing up with generous gifts of food would make convincing other villages to submit to his rule far far easier. So, once he arrived back in Namin with the rest of his troops in tow and the new plants in hand, he calls a gathering of those people in Namin who for one reason or another had not joined his army. No doubt the appearance of the Magi and the Fangs would have an effect, but for the moment, Rade was focused on the matter at hand. Showing off his new creation, Rade started to explain what it was and what it might represent, a way for them to obtain orders of magnitude more food than they could currently scrounge from their limited hunting and gathering. He had little doubt that his words might not be believed, though the changes he had already wrought in his followers might lend them some weight. So, he had a demonstration planned. At his direction, some of his followers planted a few rows of the new kelp in a pattern somewhat reminiscent of the farms Rade had seen more times than he could count in his past life. Then, closing his eyes he reached out with his power, encouraging the cuttings to quickly grow to full size. His cultivars were already designed to be fast growing, but here he wanted instant results. Not to mention, some obvious miracles on his part should help further ingrain the religious devotion he was trying to cultivate among his followers. Once he had a first set of fully grown plants, he merely needed to distribute samples. That the kelp had a very pleasant taste would it far easier for people to start to treat it as a staple, and for people used to barely staving off starvation, the prospect of a consistent and abundant source of food would do nearly as much to enhance his reputation as the victory over the Kingdom's initial expedition. Rade's showing off his new creation to the people of Namin, and convincing the non-combatant Naminers to take up the role of farmers. Then he's giving their first crop a boost. Intuitive Leader[+4] - Getting the Naminers to take up farming at his direction and generally using it to reinforce the idea that he's their key to salvation and prosperity. Fleshsmith[+4] - Helping cause the first set of crops to grow at an accelerate rate, both as a miraculous display of power and to facilitate the people taking up farming.
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May 25, 2023 05:04
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin farmlands Result: 12 + 8 = 16 - Critical Success While Rade had never been a farmer and his childhood had been around mercenaries, it was hard to not pick up some basic concepts from just living in a society that needed farming to sustain itself. Additionally Rade's plants were remarkably resilient and needed little attention. They had no real pests due to being a brand new species in an environment where they were uncommon, and they did not need watering or fertilising. The farmers basically had to keep an eye on them and monitor them. If any creatures started eating them then they'd need to figure out how to discourage them. Other than that all that was needed was paying attention to when they were fully grown and ready to harvest. The idea of being able to grow food was certainly outlandish to the villagers of Namin, but many were eager to be able to contribute to the survival of the village in a way less physically taxing and demanding than hunting. As such Rade got many of the villagers who had not been rolled into the growing military to at least come and watch as he demonstrated. Rade used his power to show the crops at different stages of growth, including when they grew too old and were no longer useful. He explained the way to harvest them, simple as it was, and what parts of the plant were good for eating and nutritious. Then he used his power to grow all of one field, and half of another, to give a head start to the village's food and allow the villagers to practice. At the end of the day the civilians had divided the chores up into two roles. The elderly and the young would keep an eye on the plants and then let the rest of the village know when it was time to harvest. Then every civilian who was up to harvesting would join in and help, while the more infirm would keep an eye out both at the village and the crops. The plants were a huge success, given that they were immensely nutritious and tasty. In time Rade might even need to worry about people getting too slovenly or gluttonous...although such problems were still somewhat off in the distance for now.
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Jun 5, 2023 06:02
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin. The success of the new foodstuff was beyond his hopes. This new creation would serve as a potent tool for expanding his power over the other groups of Neardwellers by controlling the resource they needed the most. However, it also opened up new potential problems. He had seen what happened when starving people suddenly had easy access to food. All the habits and patterns one picked up to keep oneself alive in times of long famine were turned into vices in a world where food was suddenly abundant. They would gorge themselves to the point of illness, spend their days in idleness, and many would face internal crises as the need that had driven everything about them was suddenly absent. It was the sort of thing that Rade had seen tear more than a few villages apart, and it would have the additional effect of rendering them useless for his own purposes, cutting off the knees of his own revolution against the Monarchs just as it was starting. Of course, Rade had little to fear from his troops, he had drilled hard discipline into them. They were already changed completely, old habits and ideas ground out of them during their training and indoctrination to make way for the hardened and obedient mindset of his soldier. No, it was the civilians that would be the problem. They were still more or less unchanged from who they had been, not to mention many of them had been the most hesitant of those to follow him as demonstrated by the fact that they had not been willing to join his army. Of course, his troops were drawn from this village, and still had connections here Those connections had already been a minor annoyance, holding back some of his troops from taking the next step deeper into his service, if the village collapsed in the wake of his gifts those same connections would tear some of his followers from him. Something had to be done. Rade thought on this for a time. A part of him just wanted to use his troops to impose the sort of discipline and indoctrination necessary to solve his problems here. It was a tempting idea, but Rade knew it was foolish. Even assuming his troops could be trusted to do that yet, it would just serve to provide a wedge for the Monarchs or others to exploit later. No, the villagers would need to be changed, indoctrinated as his own troops had been and started down the path towards total subordination he was leading all of his followers down. However, he couldn't just impose it on them from the outside. Somehow, he needed to make them want it, make them come to him and ask, or if possible even beg to be put under his discipline. He had done enough things that the villagers of Namin ought to consider miraculous that he had hoped to start to develop a more cult following. Still, perhaps he was simply missing what was already occurring. Even if not, to proceed, he would need to better understand where the people of Namin stood when it came to him and his rule. He knew his troops could be relied upon, but what about the rest. In the past, the elders of the village had been the group least receptive to his offer of fealty and devotion in exchange for salvation from the ailments killing the village. Now that he had eliminated hunger perhaps they might change their tune. While Rade was not a subtle person, that did not meant he was unable to be stealthy when the situation warranted. Between the natural hunters instincts born into every Leonin and years of long experience, he could evade detection well enough. Then it would be a simple matter to let loose a wave of pheromones which had the effect of lowering inhibitions and loosening lips and he should be able to get an idea of just what the true dynamics of the village was, and perhaps a clue as to what he would need to do to form its people into a proper cult to himself. As once he had accomplished that goal, he could feel far safer expanding his vision, secure in the knowledge that the Naminers would remain steadfast and obedient in his absence. Rade's trying to get a feel for where the villagers (including various sub-factions of them stand in relation to him. Using pheremones and being stealthy to get them to reveal their true feelings. He’s hoping to get some hints at what he needs to due to get them to go full cult. Intuitive Leader[+4] - Rade’s intuitive understanding of these things will help him parse what he hears and use it to fully understand where the villagers stand and hopefully what is needed to push them over the edge into outright devotion to him. Leader's Enhanced Charisma[+2] - Rade’s tweaking his pheremones to try and loosen lips and get the villagers to reveal their true feelings towards him even if they might otherwise dissemble. Experienced Mercenary [+2] - There have been many times in Rade’s long career where stealth was vital, in hopes of extracting the honesty people share only when they thing the subject isn’t present this is one of them. Leonin[+2] - Rade may stand out as a leonin among Neardwellers, but his leonin heritage includes the sort of hunters instincts that have long made him a natural at stalking prey without being detected. Valhawk fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Jun 9, 2023 |
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Jun 9, 2023 01:06
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves It did not take too much work to release the pheromones into the water and then start talking to people. Rade obviously knew that people wouldn't tell him stuff straight to his face if it was negative, even with his doping the water they breathed, so he enlisted the aid of Ganmorrin to aid him. Even if his lieutenant would normally not want to share the information he learned, Rade could rely on the pheromones he had used to get Ganmorrin to spill the bills in combination with some manipulation. It was also easier to do it with a single person, and would help cement Ganmorrin's role as his lieutenant and his role in the new hierarchy that would form in Rade's society. What Rade heard was:
But what Ganmorrin heard was:
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Jun 9, 2023 05:26
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin. What he heard was hardly surprising. At its heart it was a matter of trust. The people of Namin had seen him do much for them, but he had also only been around for a few weeks. He supposed it was only natural that they didn't trust him fully yet. That would take time and continued effort if he wished to purge them of all their remaining doubts. It was something he would have to see too, however time was something of a luxury at this point. He had no idea when the Monarchs and their Apostle might make their next move. When it came right down to it, he really knew too little about the Monarchs: their power and their interests. He had no idea how to hurt them, at least not yet. It was a deficit he needed to address. However, before he could do that, he needed to continue the process of building up his own base of support. After all, if he learned how to hurt the Monarchs, but didn't have the tools to make it happen the information would be for nothing. Of course, it didn't hurt that he found he was quite enjoying having followers of his own. The more of them and the more fanatical they were in their devotion to him, the better. While he continued to work on Namin and eventually started his further efforts to understand his foe, he would need to start seeking additional manpower. Namin only had so many people, and if he wanted to field a true army and produce enough of his new crop to feed the masses of his soon to be empire he needed far more people than were available. Eventually, he'd likely need to more forcefully conquer other villages, but for the moment he would start by seeing which of them could be won over to his cause with words and supplies rather than force of arms. To that end, he needed missionaries that could carry the good word of his coming to other settlements. Fortunately, his recent efforts had given him a pretty good idea of where most of the villagers of Namin stood. It wouldn't be too hard to find some truly dedicated supporters from among their number. The kind who would be willing to try and convince their neighbors that submitting themselves to Rade was the wisest possible corpse. Once he had the candidates picked out, he spoke to each one on one. Just as he had shaped his soldiers into warriors without peer, these emissaries would be imbued with enhancements that would make them the most effective missionaries the world had ever seen. Everything from their appearance, their voices, their instincts, their mannerisms would be made to be the most persuasive it was possible for a mortal to be. He would even imbue them with pheromones based on his own, and any other trick or advantage he could come up with magical or mundane. He would also provide them with enhancements which would help toughen them up for the journey and to allow them to hold their own if they were ever attacked or betrayed. They were to be his emissaries after all, it wouldn't do for anyone representing him to be subpar fighters. If, of course, they decided to test out their new enhancements on their fellow Naminers, well Rade certainly wouldn't mind any help he could get when it came to tightening his hold on the hearts and minds of the people of the village. Rade's recruiting some emissaries to go and try and convince other settlements to swear fealty to him. The first step in the process is to pick the candidates and pump them up with enhancements. Aiming for upgrade's which'll make them exceptional at their new task. So primary will be stuff like improved appearance and skill at persuasion, pheromone usage, anything and everything he can think of to give them a leg up. Secondary will be general toughness and minor combat stuff so that they'll be better able to deal with anything on the journey or hold their own against a hostile welcome. He'll wait to see how the enhancements turn out before he sends them off to start their work in other settlements. Intuitive Leader[+4] - To identify who among the people of Namin would make good and reliable emissaries. The kind who, with after some improvements from Rade will make the most convincing missionaries, and who can be trusted to work for his benefit even when they're far from his oversight. Fleshsmith[+4] - To reshape them to be better suited to their new role. Keeping them generally looking like near-dwellers, but at the same time fitting them out with every advantage he can think of both magical and mundane.
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Jun 13, 2023 05:31
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 8 + 4 + 4 = 16 - Success While it took practice and experience to make a good preacher, someone who could turn the hearts and minds of many, Rade could give his emissaries a little bit of a boost to make up for it with his enhancements. As with many of the gifts he bestowed Rade made sure that the beneficiaries had an innate and subconscious understanding of how to use their gifts. Their forms were mostly unchanged, although they looked a little stronger much of that strength was hidden in wiry power and toughness. If they really needed it, they also had some retractable venomous spurs in their hands to incapacitate opponents. Nothing that was immediately lethal at least, for if Rade killed all of those who initially opposed him his army would be very small indeed. Their changes and tasks in hand, the three villagers stood changed and ready to be sent off to spread Rade's word. However this last change had impressed on Rade how small the community in Namin was and that there were few people left free to mold into new roles without taking from somewhere else in the village.
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Jul 5, 2023 03:05
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin. The preachers were changed and ready. From there it was a relatively simple matter to select a pair of bodyguards for each of them from his near-dweller troops, and to provide all of them with a decent enough quantity of food to make quite the impression on any settlement they arrived in. Of course, the obvious reasons for providing each was not the only reason for it. The bodyguards would help keep the emissaries safe, yes, but they were also a living symbol of Rade’s power that the preachers could make excellent use of. Not only were they obviously an order of magnitude tougher and stronger than any of the kingdom’s so-called troops, their obvious discipline would mark them as a very different breed than the kingdom’s thugs. The gift of food, which would be given freely would not just earn some cheap favor in and of itself, which would be reason enough alone to do it. However, that they would freely give away such food would inherently raise the question of just how prosperous must the people under Rade’s rule be to hand such quantities out merely as an opening gesture. Between the enhancements they bore, their earnest belief in the benefits of Rade’s rule and the props he was providing, Rade had little doubt that they’d be able to make some significant headway in winning further converts to his cause. Once the preachers were safely off, Rade turned his thoughts back to Namin. In the near future he would need to secret himself into the Kingdom’s capital to learn more about the Monarchs and their objectives. After all, outside of their desire to feed, the only thing he knew of that they had taken any efforts with other than himself were the magi, going so far as to bind them. For the Monarchs to take such efforts to ensure their control was as far as he could tell unusual, and he needed to figure out why the Monarchs would bother. However, before he could do that he needed to take some additional steps to prepare for a potential extended absence. First and foremost, he needed to fully solidify his hold on the hearts and minds of the villagers so that it would persist even when they were away from his watchful eye and direct presence. From what he had learned from his efforts, the main issues were ultimately ones of trust. Despite all he had done for them, the people of Namin still did not fully trust him. From what he could tell, with enough time trust would likely follow, but time was not a luxury he possessed at the moment. So, he would take steps to shore up his hold, and he had an idea of how to do just that while also creating some additional manpower to further strengthen the village. That plan was what led him to visit the village elders. They had always been the least open to his influence. Whether it was because they were closer to the time of the Monarch’s last period of attack and activity or because they were just more set in their ways, they had always been more skeptical of him and what he represented. Now they had started to come around, thanks to influence from their children and the success of his crops at providing a clear vision of a future without hunger. However, they were still the weakest link in his control over Namin and no doubt the elements likely to be targeted first. After all, the influence was a two-way street, and if outside elements could convince them to turn against him aggressively, it’d likely have ripple effects on their children as well. No, if he could fully convert them, turn him from the most doubtful to the most devoted and do so in a way that would be acceptable to their children, his hold over Namin would be all but absolute. Of course, from what Ganmorrin and Kerr had told him, a big part of their fear came from the fact that as elders they no longer had the strength to fully fight and contribute for the future of Namin and they feared what would come after they were gone. Fortunately, that was a problem that Rade could solve. After all, what was old age but an infirmity of the flesh. Just as he had altered his troops to make them stronger and better, he could make the elders young again. More than that, just as with his troops he could not just refresh their bodies and make them physically younger, he could have them be stronger and more healthy than they had been even at their peaks. This would have the advantage of hopefully winning over some of the most reticent elements while also creating a new group who could join his troops or work the crops more vigorously than the elders were currently capable of. Of course, the first step had to be getting the elders to agree to submit themselves to the change. That needed to be approached with a degree of delicacy. After all, his goal was to not just to make the elders agree to be made younger, but to do so in a way that would engender a greater devotion to him among both them and the rest of the village. So Rade moved carefully, when he spoke to them, using his intuitive sense of how to move others to help get them to say yes in the right way to support his aims. Of course, some strategic doses of pheromones certainly didn’t hurt when it came to convincing them and helping the rest of the village to see this in the light he wanted them to. Rade’s sending off his newly empowered emissaries each paired with two bodyguards selected from his troops, and as much food as they can carry as a gift and taste of what joining him brings. Once that’s done, he’ll be speaking with the elders and offering to make them young and healthy again. He’s trying to get them to not only agree to the change, but to view this as a great gift he’s giving them and for that gift to capture their true devotion to him. Intuitive Leader[+4] - To know the most effective way to convince them to agree and to shape their perception of the entire thing to his advantage.. Leader’s Enhanced Charisma[+2] - A little help from some pheromones should help make them more receptive and more influenceable.
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Jul 7, 2023 06:28
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 11 + 6 = 17 - Success A few weeks ago and the elders would have dismissed Rade's outlandish claims as impossible, but a lot had changed since he had first arrived. Thus Rade's offer of renewed youth was taken with good faith. With renewed youth they could better contribute to the wellbeing of the village again, but also it meant that their knowledge and wisdom (such that elders in a small unimportant village possessed) would last many years to come. Although the latter could have been taken as a sign of arrogance Rade had come to know them a little and knew that it came from a place of wanting to contribute and help. With the transformation underway, Rade could also work a feeling of euphoria and joy into the process to create an even more positive disposition towards him. Once the changes were made, Rade could tell that the gift had had the effect he had hoped for. The elders had come to view him in a far more messianic light.
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Jul 21, 2023 05:43
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin. Once he had completed the changes of the elders, though perhaps that appellation no longer suited them now that they had been given back their youth, Rade sought out Ganmorrin. He needed to speak with his lieutenant on the status of Namin and to prepare him for Rade’s coming absence. quote:Ganmorrin was training with Kerr although it was immediately clear to Rade that the result was mostly Kerr beating Ganmorrin and the latter was slowly learning how to avoid getting quite so bruised. Rade watches Ganmorrin leave to go discuss matters with his wife. He truly hopes they will be amenable to the change. In the meantime though, he had other business to take care of. It takes a few minutes, but Rade is able to locate the magi. quote:Once he was finished speaking with Ganmorrin, Rade sought out Maloris. After all, he would need a guide when it came to visiting the Kingdom’s capital and the Magi within it. There was also the matter of whether or not he could enter undetected in the first place. However, the first thing he does once he finds the magi is inquire as to his well being. “Greetings, Maloris, how fare you?” Just as Rade changed Maloris’s body he focused on changes to the other’s mind as well. Rade had not been lying when he said he wished the Leonin form to be a gift of the highest order. He worked to imbue matching muscle memory, mannerisms, urges, and the like, making him into a Leonin in every respect. Beyond that, Rade wanted Maloris’s life as a Leonin to be greater in every respect to what came before. So, he worked to make sure that the mage’s experience of life as a Leonin would be wondrous and glorious beyond words. Colors and sounds would be more vivid, flavors and scents more pleasing, his body would feel full to bursting with life and vitality and power. Rade also ensured that Maloris himself would find his new form most fetching, and the sensation of his new features (fur, claws, fangs, etc.) to be entirely enjoyable. Rade wished it to be such that across every conceivable measure, life as a Leonin would be better, happier, and more fulfilling than what came before. Of course, Rade worked to ensure that the process of being changed was euphoric in its own right, even if he desired to make it so that as wonderful as the change would feel, being a Leonin afterwards would be even better. When all was said and done, Maloris or whatever Leonin name he might end up choosing for himself would be the third Leonin in this world, and as with the others of his kind he would be a paragon of strength, intelligence, and charisma. The perfect figure to take the role of Rade’s high-priest.  Rade’s transforming Maloris into a Leonin. Like with Kerr, Rade’s going for full spectrum enhancements (strength, intelligence, toughness, reflexes, charisma, etc.) though he’s willing to settle for him being not quite as physically strong as himself or Kerr (though still a class above any neardweller) in exchange for further enhancing Maloris’s ability to wield magic. Appearance-wise Rade’s aiming to make him perfectly suited for his future role as Rade’s priest. Also, Rade’s putting in a lot of effort to make sure that after the change Maloris experiences his new form as absolutely incredible. He wants to make sure that Maloris absolutely loves it. Flesh-smith[+4] - Rade’s trying to recreate Maloris’s form in a similar manner to Kerr’s. Leonin[+2] - Rade’s using his own body as a template. Pheromones[+2] - Maloris’s new form will have a similar ability based on Rade’s own though not quite as potent. Intuitive Leadership[+4] - As part of the change, Rade’s attempting to grant Maloris some form of his own intuitive understanding of people in order to enhance Marloris’s charisma in preparation for him becoming Rade’s priest.
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Jul 30, 2023 02:43
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves There was a look of surprise on Maloris' face as Rade immediately without warning started the transformation. As his body rippled and shifted he closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate as the process worked over his body. His expression twitched a few times and his mouth kept shifting into a smile sometimes, signs that Rade's goal of the experience being overwhelming positive and life-defining being achieved. Maloris opened his eyes as the transformation completed itself and began to test his new form. Starting with small movements and gestures with paws, arms and legs and moving into the larger motions and doing a flip in the water. Checking over his work, Rade could see that Maloris was much more lithe than he (and especially Kerr) were. No doubt that Maloris would struggle to apply as much raw strength as Rade to a situation but he would be adept at dodging and redirecting blows if he had to. A satisfying build for a priest. "That was much better than having the creature put into my head." Maloris says with some relief. "However I think that I need to do a lot of practice, both with my old magicks and this power you have gifted me. Especially if you plan to leave for the capital soon, I need to be able to disguise myself." His voice remained fairly similar, although the timbre of it had changed given the complete restructuring of his vocal chords. It was now a little...rougher if Rade had to pick a word. A Neardweller would certainly be incapable of a mighty roar with their vocal chords and respiratory systems after all.
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Aug 13, 2023 05:00
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin. "I think you'll find your new body much better than your old one in every way." There was clear satisfaction in Rade's voice, accompanied by an approving look over Maloris's now Leonin body. "Now, before you go off to practice, let's handle the other matter." He squares up to Maloris once more and places his hands on the other's shoulders. "I'm going to try and endow you with a power similar to my own. This will require a lot of power and concentration, and the changes seem to be more difficult when the person I'm changing tries to resist my power. So to try and make this slightly easier, I need you not merely to relax and not resist, but to go a step farther. Focus on accepting me, of inviting my power to the core of you to reshape you." He gives Maloris a second to respond, giving him a few additional moments to try and obey Rade's command and then begins. Rade truly wasn't completely certain how he would accomplish this. However, his earlier discussion with Maloris had given him an idea. When the then near-dweller had described his future role in terms similar to a priest, the spark of an idea had flared. He already knew that he had established links between himself and some of those he changed in order to provide them with magical power to sustain the more supernatural elements of their new forms. That might be the key. Rade had heard legends of priests receiving power via a connection to their gods. He might be able to accomplish a similar feat by creating a stronger connection between himself and Maloris, one that might allow Maloris to channel Rade's own power. So, Rade reached out for the connection between himself and Maloris, and once he felt it, he sent his power flowing down into it, expanding and strengthening it. Trying to make it more, a more powerful and intimate connection between them, which if all went well might be able to do more than just serve as a conduit for power but might also serve other functions like allowing Rade to share Maloris's senses, receive telepathic communication, or perhaps something else. Rade wasn't truly sure of the full implications of what this might end up being, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Once he was certain that he had succeeded in reinforcing the bond, Rade looked into Maloris and made what changes were necessary to allow his priest-to-be to sustain the increased connection on his end without it having any ill effect on him. After all, Rade had no interest in this connection damaging the new Leonin in anyway. In fact, if he had his way, he'd rather the connection be a glorious one for Maloris. Once he was finished, he focused attention on the Leonin he was still in contact with, eager to see the results of his efforts and equally what Maloris's reaction to them might be. Trying to give Maloris Fleshshaping via strengthening the magical connection between them (think how a cleric might receive divine magic in D&D) he's also paying close attention to how this affects Maloris and what other effects such a strengthened connection might bring. Flesh-Smith[+4] - Rade's attempting to use his power to strengthen the magical connection between himself and Maloris so it can act as a conduit for his power.
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Aug 15, 2023 01:42
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves (Rade is aware of the following. Two voices that seem to be observing and commenting from some place he cannot sense or know. He also understands that they are allowing him to sense and understand this exchange, although he knows nothing more for now.) [A: Do We allow it?] [B: We have not intervened before. This event is not so different.] [A: It is the last.] [B: That fact is further justification for us not to interfere.] [A: It is still so far from the Truth.] [B: Yes. It is disappointing that It has not gotten closer. The One in the tainted world was closer to the Truth.] [A: It is of no consequence. If It wishes to win the contest it must arrive at the Truth eventually.] [B: Indeed. Until such time we will continue to observe.] Rade was able to create the connection as he wished. However as he looked to Maloris, expectant that his follower would have a rapturous expression on their face he was taken aback. The newly lionised magi had a contemplative look to him as he pondered something. Through his link, this close, Rade could sense some confusion but mostly curiosity. After a moment Maloris seemed to arrive at his decision and spoke. "Rade, I think you should know. I can feel your power and I think, tug on it if you allow it. But this power you posses...it has some some kind of...feeling, as that of the Monarchs when their pact was forced upon me."
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Aug 24, 2023 03:34
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin. quote:Rade looks at Maloris inquisitively, it seems this new information genuinely surprised him. "Similar? In what way?" Once he hears Maloris's response, Rade heads out in search of Ganmorrin. He hopes the time he spent with his new priest had been enough to allow his first follower and right hand man time to come to an answer on whether he too wished to become a Leonin. As he walked towards the village he considered the voices he had sensed. What they were referring to eluded him, he also couldn't be sure it wasn't an attempt by the Monarchs to manipulate him, though it would be unnerving to know that they were watching him so closely. Regardless, he had decided upon his revival that he would live this new life as he wanted to. After all, for a being as ancient and powerful as the being in the Tower there was no way to know on what criteria he was being judged, much less how long the period of judgement might be. For a being that thought in terms of the life-spans of entire universes, he might view a few millennia in the way Rade viewed a few weeks. Regardless, he wouldn't let it interfere with his ambitions in this life, not until he had more to go on than pure speculation. Once he talks w/ Maloris, Rade's gonna look for Ganmorrin in hopes that he's had time to discuss Rade's offer with his family.
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Aug 25, 2023 05:51
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Ganmorrin was found hovering outside of the cave he and his partner lived in, seemingly lost in thought. He did not even notice Rade as he approached, starting a little when Rade asked him about his response. The hunter explained that he had talked it over with his partner and they had talked for a long time about it, but decided that it would be too weird and difficult for the family if only he was to be changed. Therefore Ganmorrin had to awkwardly ask that if Rade was going to change him, that he also change his unborn children and partner as well. To transform a female Neardweller probably would be no greater challenge to Rade, but the children posed the unique challenge of still being in eggs. Leonin young as mammals were gestated inside the mother until they were born. A completely different process, and trying to switch through in the middle of it would be potentially difficult. Plus Rade had no idea what the gestation process of the Neardweller babies in roe was like, in a small village like Namin having children was not a regular occurrence and no other families had been expecting.
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Aug 30, 2023 04:50
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade can’t help but chuckle, “That was always the plan. I wouldn’t share this gift with you and exclude your family. Now, just close your eyes and relax. I think you’ll find this to be quite an enjoyable experience.” Once Ganmorrin was ready, Rade placed his hands on the other’s shoulders and focused on his powers. This was the third time he was attempting this change and he was starting to get a feeling for it. As his power started to shift Ganmorrin’s body, Rade put in the effort to ensure that Ganmorrin’s new form would be muscular and strong, similar to himself and Kerr, a body befitting a great warrior-leader. This was to be his right hand man after all, he should fit the part. As with Maloris, Rade also took great care to ensure that Ganmorrin would find his new body to be truly exceptional and pleasant to inhabit. He wanted to make sure that by every measure he could think of Ganmorrin would find being a Leonin better than his life as a near-dweller. This was meant to be a great gift after all. Once Ganmorrin was changed, the rest of his family were changed in turn. His wife was easier then Ganmorrin had been, while he made sure her new form would be healthy and strong, and that like her husband she would find the experience of being Leonin to be a wondrous improvement, she did not need to be granted the same incredible strength and martial talent as her husband. He did need to ensure that her body was prepared to take care of her new cubs, and he tried to provide her with the correct instincts to properly feed and tend to them. Of course, Rade also took care to ensure that the newly transformed couple’s physical chemistry was maintained if not enhanced. If things worked, they would both find the new Leonin form of their partner even more attractive to the other than they had been before. He did not want this change to impede their relationship or happiness after all. Lastly was the matter of the eggs. For a time, Rade worried this might be more complex, but as he approached it the realization struck him. In truth this was in some ways far simpler. There was less complexity he needed to account for, and he could make the cubs from a blank slate. However developed or not they might be, when he was finished they would essentially be newborn Leonin cubs freshly born ready to be taken care of by their parents without needing further time in the womb. He also tried to ensure that they would grow into superior intelligence and strength, worthy children of the man he was making Ganmorrin into. Amongst the entire family, and likely all other Leonin going forwards, Rade wove into their nature a general affinity for others of their kind. He had no idea how it was in his own world as he never had the chance to spend much time among his people, but in this world Leonin would find companionship and kinship with fellow Leonin to come naturally. When all was said and done, Rade surveyed his work. Seeing whether or not Ganmorrin and his family were experiencing his gift as he intended.  --- Transforming Ganmorrin and his family into Leonin. With Ganmorrin, Rade’s making sure he’s well suited to his role as Rade’s right hand. Strong, talented, tough, a natural leader, etc. For Ganmorrin’s wife she’ll be healthy and strong if not to the same supernatural level as her husband or Kerr. Rade’s also making sure that her body is prepped to take care of her new children. He’s also making sure that the pair of them have as good or better physical chemistry than they did before. For the children, Rade’s turning them into newborn Leonin cubs. He’s making sure they show traits from both their parents, but take after their father in terms of growing into great warriors. Also, Rade’s trying to make it so that all Leonin will have a natural affinity for other Leonin, and generally feel a connection with others of their kind. He wants his chosen to get along and while he’s not forcing it exactly, he’s greasing the skids so that it’ll be easy for them to do so. As is standard at this point, he’s also ensuring that the process of being changed is very enjoyable for the transformee. Flesh-Smith[+4] - To change each member of the family in turn and reshape them into Leonin. Leonin[+2] - Rade’s got himself to use as a reference. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - As with Kerr, Rade’s drawing on his knowledge of what is needed to make a great warrior to ensure that Ganmorrin’s leonin form has all it needs to succeed as his right hand. Intuitive Leader[+4] - To endow leonin Ganmorrin with the leadership abilities he’ll need as Rade’s right hand, and to help arrange the feeling of connection and affinity with other Leonin the species will start to feel to ensure it feels natural and right. Valhawk fucked around with this message at 05:40 on Sep 1, 2023 |
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Aug 31, 2023 06:35
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 8 + 4 + 4 = 16 - Success For the third and fourth times Rade found he was becoming more practiced and adept at changing the bodies of non-Leonin into his own kind. There were some changes that needed to be made for Ganmorrin's partner compared to him, Rade was male after all and had not lived in a female body all of his life. But the change was not overly difficult compared to engineering a new life-form or granting supernatural traits to mundane life. Even the task of changing the eggs into newly born cubs was not as difficult as he imagined, although there was the matter of having to assign biological sexes to them. Rade had no idea how to tell the sex of an unborn Neardweller roe after all and Ganmorrin had to explain that sexual dimorphism did not express itself quickly in their kind (correctly himself after saying that due to his new form). Rade was able to use his power to determine it in the end, but it was not what he had expected to need to do when he woke up that morning. Then there was the issue of explaining certain concepts about mammalian physiology to the pair. There was a confused look from both parents when Rade had explained in a somewhat off-hand manner that they would need to rear their children in their new forms. Which meant that Rade then had to explain about lactation, breast-feeding, puberty and other concepts that seemed utterly mundane and taken for granted in his life but came off as strange new things for the family to learn. Ganmorrin's partner was even worried about what their children would do about starting their own families when they grew up, to which Ganmorrin pointed out that they would surely have been to Rade's homeland or been in contact by then to do some sort of match making. Fortunately, that was a problem for a very future Rade.
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Sep 10, 2023 04:19
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade seemed pleased with the outcome of his efforts. Ganmorrin and his family seemed to take to the change well, and it was good to have more Leonin around. If he was being honest, between Kerr, Marloris and now Ganmorrin and his family there were now more Leonin around him than he had ever experienced before. It was comforting in a way he hadn't quite expected going in. Not that there was really time to enjoy it, at least for the moment. So, with a brief conversation with Ganmorrin, Rade made sure he had everything he needed to take up his role as intirim ruler of Namin while Rade was off on his expedition. He also instructed him to work closely with Kerr. Rade wanted to make sure his son was building up the leadership experience he'd need going forwards. Next, Rade went to son and informed him of his plans. Kerr of course, wished to accompany him, but Rade explained that he was more needed here. The fewer people who accompanied him the harder it would be to pick him out. Not to mention that other than himself, Kerr was likely the strongest fighter in Namin. If something did go wrong while he was away, he wanted to make sure he left sufficient fighting strength behind to handle it. Not to mention there were few he could trust more to zealously watch after his interests. Once he explained, Kerr agreed to stay even if it was not his preferred course of action. Still, Rade had increasingly found it easy to be warm and caring in a way he had never really been before, at least when it came to Kerr, and he made sure to spend some time with his son before he set out. When all else was taken care of, arrangements made, supplies packed, routes and contingencies planned, Rade set out. It would take a bit more than a week to make it to the capital under normal conditions. With Rade and Maloris's enhanced physique and stamina it would likely have taken less, if they were taking the normal routes. However, they planned to intentionally avoid the main routes to better avoid detection. Rade could've attempted to disguise them straight away, but he wanted to give Maloris some more time as a Leonin before he temporarily had to became Near-Dwellers again for a time. It also gave them time for Maloris to share information on what they were walking into, and to also help the new priest practice for his role. After all, it wouldn't do to thrust him into playing the role of the true believer and priest without giving him time to rehearse. Rade had some experience with priests and believers, and tried to give Maloris what guidance and notes he could. Not that he didn't also enjoy seeing someone take up the role of his priest even if that person was only acting out a part, at least for now. --- Rade's setting things up for his expedition. Putting Ganmorrin in charge of Namin, and telling him to work with Kerr. Handling anything that needs to get taken care of before he heads out. He also spends some quality time with Kerr. As for the trip itself, Rade's intent is to stay off the main paths to avoid running into other people until they get closer, to give them more time before they need to disguise themselves. During the trip he'll be talking w/ Maloris for the info he'll need to blend in. He's also going to set aside time to work with Maloris to give him a chance to rehearse being a priest and a believer. They'll stop well short of the city to ensure they can get disguised before they're likely to run into anyone.
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Sep 13, 2023 02:24
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Highwaters Kerr was obedient and did as Rade bid him to, but he could see the young man was eager to be in battle and to further prove himself. Ganmorrin was as to be expected, pleased to spend time in the village especially now that his children had been born-hatched. He did however say that he would try to temper some of Kerr's disappointment in their training, and given that the hunter had been doing admirably for someone physically handicapped compared to his opponent before Rade expected that his son would find himself surprisingly challenged by his opponent after his transformation. There was planning and organisation to be done before he left, but Rade's journey was not a grand campaign and the village was a self-sufficient community instead of a camp on the march. You were not kept long from your journey by these tasks. On the way, Maloris was practicing with trying to disguise himself. Much of the time he would try to do this on his own but occasionally he would ask Rade for some points or suggestions. His connection with Rade's power was somewhat intuitive as he had hoped, but Maloris also lacked the practice and familiarity with life and the working of the body that Rade had built up. Eventually after a few days of travel the pair of you were able to duck into a cave for shelter for the night. At this depth enough light filtered down to make the cycle of light and dark clear enough, although naturally the Neardwellers were more flexible with when they rested and slept than creatures above the surface. The cave itself had signs it had been used before, refuse left behind from previous tenants, but no signs that it was currently occupied or had been used recently.
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Sep 19, 2023 03:45
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Highwaters Now that they were closer to the city it was time to assume disguises. Calling Maloris to him, Rade attempted to use his power to temporarily transform both his priest and himself into Near-Dwellers, at least for a time. As this was an attempt to remain unnoticed, Rade took care to try and make their new appearances as unassuming and forgettable as possible. The kind that would cause them to just fade into the background. Of course, Rade wasn't overly pleased with having to assume such a form, especially after the effort he had taken to ensure that Maloris would find his changed Leonin form so much more enjoyable. So, it would be as it had been for Maloris before. Rade had made sure that all of Maloris's Leonin form was not just more powerful, but more pleasurable to inhabit, and he hoped this temporary return to a form like his old one would only drive home just how much better it felt to be Leonin. He also attempted to ensure that both of them could return to their true more powerful forms very quickly. After all, if something did go wrong, he would want to have the option to revert at a moment's notice. Once, the change was finished, Rade set out with Maloris's guidance towards the capital to see what he would see there. Rade's disguising himself and Maloris as fairly unremarkable near-dwellers, aiming to be very forgettable and easy to miss. He's also trying to make sure that they can revert back to their true leonin forms quickly in an emergency. If he can, he wants to make sure that this feels like a down-grade for Maloris compared to his leonin form. Flesh-smith[+4] - Rade's using his power to turn himself and Maloris Intuitive Leader[+4] - Rade sort of intuitively knows how to stand out and command attention, so now he's trying to use that to figure out how not to do that in order to be easy to miss and forgettable.
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Sep 24, 2023 03:17
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Highwaters Result: 12 + 8 = 20 - Great Success His discussions with Maloris along the way had given Rade an idea. Due to a couple of various factors, a large one being their aquatic environment, the Neardwellers culturally did not really have a tradition or history of surgery and especially of autopsies. This meant Rade did not need to make any significant alterations to the internal organs and structure of himself and Maloris beyond that which was required to fit them into a Neardweller form. The muscles and dermis of them both required substantial alterations to make them appear authentic and not to arouse any uncanny-valley like sentiments. Fortunately Rade was familiar with Neardwellers by this point and with a few suggestioons from Maloris such as making them look more thin and malnourished, you were able to craft a very convincing form that would not look out of place at all. "I had not realised how...cramped my old form had felt." Maloris said once all the changes were done. While much of this was due to the rearrangement of internal organs, it certainly did not hinder Rade's personal agenda for your companion to have this misconception. Swimming into the capital, Rade could begin to see the ramshackle communities that had begun to form around the capital. People who could no longer afford both proper housing and food and had to prioritise their own survival. The Neardweller equivalents of tents were old broken shells of large molluscoid creatures (which Maloris said were brought up from deeper waters) and some kind of substance with mud like consistency as a crude cement over seaweed and fronds. The smell of these was pungent enough to penetrate through the water nearby to them.
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Oct 2, 2023 08:13
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Highwaters With Maloris in tow and now disguised in such a way as to not draw attention, Rade made his way through what he quickly pieced together was something of a slum at the edge of the capital. He could literally smell the desperation rising off this place, but he needed to know more. After all, he wanted to understand his enemy: their strengths and their weaknesses. Desperate people like this, they very well might be a deep reservoir of recruits and potential converts. After all for someone who was being ground under by the current system any change might represent an improvement. However, he needed to get a better read on their mood. He'd seen places like this in his previous life, and he needed to know whether despair had overpowered their anger at their lack of a future and deplorable present. If nothing else it'd change his approach. If this place was a powder-keg, he'd need to balance things carefully to prime it to go off when he wanted it to and not before, and if it wasn't he'd need to be careful about being sold out to the authorities from people desperate for the crumbs from the tables of the better off. Not to mention, he wanted to know what if anything was swirling around about him and Namin. He couldn't discount the possibility of official propaganda against him, but also people like this might be disposed to reflexively disbelieve any propaganda originating from the people slowly starving and degrading them. This would just be the first of many aspects of this place he would have to familiarize himself with. Still, he also made a point to try and keep his profile low. His very forgettable appearance should help, but Rade was extra cautious. After all, he wanted to possess the element of surprise for as long as possible. So he avoided doing anything that might cause him to stick out in the minds of the people. Rade's trying to discretely poke around the slums and get a read on the temperature of the people's feelings. Ex. Does their desperation make them a powder keg waiting for a spark to explode, are they so beaten down they've given up the ghost on bettering their conditions completely, or is it somewhere in between. If he can, without drawing attention to himself (as that's priority 1) he'll also see what if anything they've heard about him and/or Namin. Intuitive Leadership[+4] - A big part of being a leader is being able to accurately the read the mood of the people you're trying to lead.
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Oct 3, 2023 02:07
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Outskirts Swimming around through the slums on the outskirts Rade could see a few things. There were a couple of wretched stalls where people peddled awful looking fish and seaweed while people argued and pushed each other over the scraps. Some people had found a role for themselves in this community, acting as muscle to keep order, or couriers to support these food stalls but most of the houses had one Neardweller with a few malnourished looking children around them keeping at eye out to ensure their homes were not stolen by other opportunists. However as Rade swam closer there was a buzz that ran through the community. People began to move towards a point ahead of you and Maloris followed your lead to where people were gathering. Some soldiers and a magi were moving through and examining people. Quickly it became clear what was happening, the army was looking for a few recruits from the desperate and disposable souls on the fringes to bolster their forces. Probably in response to your victory over the party a while ago if Rade had to hazard a guess, although the real question was if they were replenishing their losses or looking to build up forces for an attack at a later date...
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Oct 10, 2023 02:03
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Outskirts Rade had been leisurely spying on the comings and goings of the slums, getting a feel for the mood when he took note of the Kingdom's recruitment efforts. He couldn't say he was happy to see them. While it might be satisfying to simple reveal himself and crush them underfoot it would unfortunately rather defeat the point of this mission to do so. Still, he had been in their shoes before. Conscription parties were a not terribly unusual duty for a mercenary like him. Though he'd rarely had the good fortune to have to pull from people quite as desperate as these. The offer of some food would probably be enough to win them over without too much fuss. If he hadn't been so studiously maintaining a bland and forgettable expression a wicked smile would've crossed Rade's face. He might not be able to just kick them out of the slums, but his experience also meant he knew exactly how to make their job infinitely harder, and perhaps siphon off some of their potential manpower while he was at it. So, Rade quickly set about spreading rumors. Not just any old rumors of course, but rumors about the goings on out in the fringes. About how a whole army was wiped out, and that the Kingdom was desperate for troops it could send to their deaths. A mysterious savior had come out in the fringes and had put a village under his protection. Thanks to the savior's blessings the people had food aplenty and supposedly if you were to go there and swear yourself to his service you and your family would never go hungry again. That the savior and his followers were so powerful that even the Magi were powerless against them. Rade kept it varied, always attributing the rumor he was spreading to someone else. He wanted the source of the rumors to be impossible to trace and for them to take on a life of his own. However, the core elements he wanted to spread were always the same: there was a mysterious savior out on the far reaches of neardweller land that granted many blessings to his followers, that following him could lead to a life free of hunger, and that fighting against him was suicide. If he was fortunate, he might be able to get some of the people here to flee to Namin ready and able to submit to his rule on arrival. He might also be able to prime anyone who was recruited to defect to his side at the first opportunity. If nothing else, he hoped it would make the work of the Kingdom's recruiters much more difficult. After all, they relied on the people's hunger and the promise of food, but if there was another option people might be less likely to take the Kingdom's offer. Especially if they started to think that joining the army was like signing their own death warrant. Rade's going to spread some rumors to try and make recruitment much harder for the Kingdom, and maybe even get some people to defect to Namin. Mostly stuff playing up how strong the defenders are and that if you're willing to swear fealty to their leader they'll make sure you and your family are fed. Really trying to get the rumor mill going that being sent to fight them is tantamount to committing suicide, and that any army sent there will be annihilated. Basically propaganda designed to encourage people to not enlist, to defect at the first opportunity if they do end up being conscripted, or even to potentially start looking to become followers of Rade in the here and now. Intuitive Leader[+4] - To understand the mood and flow and how best to really get the rumor mill going so it takes on a life of its own and can't be traced back to him. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade's been on the other side of this, recruiting from a desperate populace before, so he's trying to draw on what he absolutely would not want to see if he was in their shoes.
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Oct 10, 2023 03:50
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Outskirts Roll: 4 + 6 = 10 - Result: Success with complications Rade was able to quickly see results from his rumourmongering because state-sanctioned thugs began to wander through the outskirts, looking for information on malcontents spreading rumours to vilify the king. The surest way to ensure a rumour spread and gained traction was of course, to try and suppress it. But it was only his generic and unforgettable face that had saved him so far. Rade and Maloris did not truly fit in culturally in the community, Rade as a total outsider, and Maloris having grown up within the inner city with more privilege than the desperate souls on the outside. It was only a matter of time that you got singled out and sold out by someone for the promise of food and security (even if only for a short time). However the silver lining to this danger was that Rade knew a couple of families had snuck away in the night to see if they could try their fortunes at Namin instead of the capital. A small boost for the community, although not insignificant due to Namin's small size to begin with.
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Oct 10, 2023 09:12
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Outskirts Now that the rumors has taken on a life of their own, it was time to move on before he risked discovery. Things would continue to stew in the slums, but until he had a fuller picture of what was happening elsewhere in the capital and just what the Monarch's truly wanted with the magi he wouldn't be able to truly develop an effective strategy. So with Maloris's guidance, Rade ventures deeper into the unsuspecting capital. Keeping his eyes and ears open and seeing what he could learn. Rade's going to head further in away from the area under suspicion. Just like with the slums he's trying to get a feel for the mood and state of the populace, and the general strategic situation. Intuitive Leader [+4] - Just as in the slum Rade's relying on his ability to read people to try and get a feel as to the mood of the populace. Experienced Mercenary [+2] - Besides just the general mood, now that he's entering the city proper Rade's also doing normal reconnaissance stuff of trying to identify the location and types of defenses and enemy formations, the type and composition of enemy forces, and any important strategic considerations or weaknesses he could exploit. All things he's done many many many times before in his life as a mercenary.
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Oct 10, 2023 19:14
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Commoners Area Once Rade and Maloris crossed the nominally official city limits, the atmosphere did change but not as drastically as Rade had hoped. People in the capital proper were better fed but he could see that the cost of this was high. Markets were primarily based around food and the stalls had stark rationing. People could only buy up to a certain amount and members of the city watch, more thugs than trained guards or soldiers, loitered around the marketplaces to ensure that people did not start food riots. Being canny enough to notice such things Rade also did not miss the very obvious class divisions in play with certain people being able to buy more than they were supposed to according to the signs. Other people of the lower classes watching on only looked at them with either envy or frustration, but did not act on these feelings. Further of note were the two times when Magi moved around the city while Rade and Maloris were nearby to watch. The first occasion was tense as both of you waited to see if your disguises would be sufficient to avoid notice. Fortunately everyone else around you was equally inclined to try and move away from the Magi and avoid their presence and attention. The parts of society that supported hunting and gathering did reasonably well. Some buildings had more makeshift repairs than you might have expected but the industries and supporting industries seemed to be busy enough. While they did not seem to be flourishing by any assessment they did have a steady flow of people and resources moving around them. Other businesses fared more poorly with the severity of their shortcomings depending on how close to daily essentials they were. A store selling cutlery and food vessels was only somewhat run-down and understaffed, while there was a closed bookstore that had attempted to be re-opened as three different businesses that had all failed. Beyond the purely mercantile areas of society there were street performances and some clear signs of fashion and trends. Rade could tell that the activity and attention to these was more around avoiding the grim realities of the city and country around them instead of a truly vibrant and thriving artistic and cultural expression. All of the dances, plays, music and stories that the two of you came across were all classics and dated at closest a century before the invasion of the Monarchs, Maloris explained to Rade one time while the pair of you hung back and watched a pair of musicians play while a dancer span and looped in the open water in front of them.
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Oct 19, 2023 04:40
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Commoners Area Rade took careful note of everything he was seeing. This place was even closer to the end than he had imagined. The fact that as far as he could tell from Maloris's description not a single show or song was from the past hundred years had shocked even him. The Kingdom was so decrepit it didn't even apparently have the wherewithal to support the most minimal generation of propaganda, relying entirely on the populations sense of helplessness to keep them in line with a bit of help from the so-called guards of this place. Even in Rade's wildest dreams he could not have imagined how completely the foundations of this land had rotted. This place was just waiting to be conquered. With even the smallest infusion of hope and some new propaganda he would be able to have these people eating out of his hand. He'd likely have to purge the nobility, but from what he had seen so far that would be no great loss. They seemed to be on top largely due to inertia and because the masses were so resigned to their eventual annihilation they wouldn't bother to oppose them. Already plans were forming in his mind of how to bend this place and its people to his will. However, he had a more immediate priority he needed to take care of first. After all, the reason he had come here in the first place was not just to reconnoiter, but to investigate what it was that caused the Monarch's to actually bother to control the magi. As far as he could tell, they were the one group that was different from the Monarch's normal pattern of just cowing their "subjects" (if they could even be called that) with the looming threat of their overwhelming power. The Magi for some reason merited a more active form of control, and Rade needed to figure out what that was. It was after all, his only present lead on how he might actually oppose the Monarchs. So, finding a quiet place, Rade sat down with Maloris and gamed out how to make contact with, and secure for removal of the Monarch's influence some of his fellow Magi who might be willing to come over to Rade's side. Rade's gonna work with Maloris to try and figure out how to locate and quietly capture some of the lower-level magi who might be amenable to following him if freed from the Monarch's control. Expert Mercenary[+2] - Rade's had to do some
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Oct 20, 2023 05:26
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Commoners Area Result: 6 + 2 = 8 - Success with complication While Rade had a lot of experience with grabbing someone and running, or capturing them and hiding somewhere, he had not done so underwater before. The world he worked in now was full of sight-lines from almost any level due to the 3D nature of the terrain. Maloris was not able to provide you with much practical insight as he had never needed to worry about being detained like Rade intended, nor had he been aware of any other Magi who had. It had not been part of their curriculum or socially absorbed experiences. Over the course of one day Rade could not find any good windows where he could nab a Magi without being noticed. The next day there was a window, but Rade knew that he would have a limited time-frame to do things in. When Maloris confirmed that he thought the man would be at least somewhat predisposed to hearing Rade out you made the call. Taking advantage you quickly grabbed the Magi under a pretense of needing help and harassing him. Once you got him out of sight into a building you had your chance to talk, act, or do whatever it was that Rade intended to do. You got your guy but you didn't have a great window to work with. You will only get a few meaningful actions before people come looking for him.
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Oct 27, 2023 04:31
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Commoners Area As soon as he was sure they were out of sight and secure at least for the moment, Rade set to work. Without preamble or explanation, Rade drew on his power and moved immediately to extract and destroy the inky-black presence that represented the Monarch's control and influence over the magi. There was no point in saying much to the man before it was removed after all. Once it was removed, then Rade would lay out the choice to the magi. Tearing out and destroying the Monarch's influence on this guy's soul. Fleshsmith[+4]
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Oct 27, 2023 05:31
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Commoners Area Result: 6 + 4 = Success Rade did not take quite as much time and care as he had the past few times, and Maloris had to put his mouth over the Magi's mouth to gag him as he tried to cry in pain. The process itself only took a few seconds for the extraction and then destroying the essence, but he had taken fewer precautions and less examination before he began. Fortunately the Magi was uninjured and once he had settled a little, and Maloris moved his mouth away from the Magi, he asked in a hushed and slightly raw voice; "Who, what are you?" Killian - Star Door, Initial Outlook Killian's death had been entirely unreasonable, unjust and not his fault. You took it quite personally. However instead of ending up in the afterlife you were richly deserving you found yourself in a blank void, then plucked out of it by some metaphysical force. Awakening in a strange room with an orrery representing some unknown system of planets or celestial objects an old man had begun to explain the situation to you. He in his role as some sort of self-proclaimed Architect had rescued you from the void (he was probably responsible for you not going to your obligated afterlife) and had a challenge for you to do...something he irritatingly refused to explain. The man was exactly the sort of person Killian hated, insufferably mysterious and vague for no purpose beyond maintaining his own aesthetic sense of mystique. He had granted you a power fitting with the life you had lived and explained that you could rest and recover in the tower. There were a number of bedrooms or suites that were mostly empty but one or maybe two seemed to still be in use although the rest had signs of being packed up recently. There was a shared living space with a kitchen that you were told would conjure any food you could think of, and that you could conjure some basic clothing and items (the man seemed to suggest for personal hygiene and care but maybe you could make something with less boring purposes if Killian decided to bother) but if you wanted anything much you had to go into the Doors. Blessedly this Architect that was increasingly annoying you with his rules and needless explanations of obvious things did then proceed to show you the doors. Four of them which had symbols on the doors; a Butterfly or Moth, a Cog or Gear, a Flower of some kind and finally a door with a Star on it. The man explained that other people had gone through three of the four doors and most had become "lost in the story" whatever that actually meant. It sounded like a terrible and unimaginative euphemism that they had died. Apparently someone was still active in the Flower Door though and that if you wanted to have the most impact in "your story" he suggested the Star Door. Which was fine by Killian, less competition sounded good to you anyway in whatever the arbitrary competition the senile man, possible deity, was forcing you to compete in. Peeking through the door before you crossed the threshold, Killian could see that the immediate surroundings on the other side of the door seem to be on some sort of a cliff. The ground around the door is covered in a hardy and feeble sort of grass, with a few shrubs or weedy flowers breaking up the groundcover. Looking out beyond the cliff you see a world split between two extremes. Below on the ground the world is burned and scorched, with only the odd struggling sign of vegetation. In the distance you can see smoke rising from chimneys inside some kind of fortress structure, with some kind of creature flying in what appear to be metal I-beams. Above in the sky you can make out floating islands in the sky with what seems to be signs of frost and cold around them. On a lower hanging island that is close enough, you can see signs of a verdant garden growing on top of the island in its middle but bordered with ice like an oasis in some kind of arctic desert. You see flying dots between some of the islands, perhaps a sign of more flying creatures. Then far, far off in the distance so far off it is almost impossible to make out you see flashes of explosions. Walking in and having a look around, Killian could smell the scent of gunpowder and smoke in the air. But as you adjusted to the place two combatants locked in combat tumbled out of the sky nearby to you and paused their conflict to look at you. One was somewhat like a dragon that you were familiar with, although the basic features were wrapped on a clearly more bipedal frame and it used a great sword that looked to be larger than a man and probably many times its weight. Opposite to it was what you would guess was a Sphinx of some kind, although its features looked like it had been made out of a black marble or possibly obsidian. Its face was flecked with blue marks that gave it the impression of a starry sky, and it had a few items of jewellery on it. The dragon readied itself in a fighting stance which the Sphinx chanted some sort of incantation and the air around it shimmered for a second as it created some kind of magical barrier. But both of them continued to warily look at each other while shooting glances repeatedly at Killian. Clearly the pair were both trying to ascertain if he was their ally, an ally of their opponent, or some kind of wild card or unknown danger.
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Oct 31, 2023 06:26
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 Killian Graves - Star Gate, Initial Outlook quote:Killian Graves Killian holds up his free hand in a placating gesture, his face a mask of genuine concern. "Ladies, gentlemen, please. Surely, this violence is unnecessary. Why all this fighting?" They could kill one another for all he cared, so long as none of it spilled over onto him. But hopefully, not before giving him the abridged version of this apparently all-encompassing conflict. Applying the ol' Silver Tongue +2 to the situation. Rhjamiz fucked around with this message at 21:20 on Jan 24, 2024 |
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Oct 31, 2023 09:00
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Commoners Area Rade stares back unflinchingly, and says his voice strong and steady, "I am your one chance at salvation from the Monarchs before the extinction of your race becomes inevitable." He lets that sink in for a moment before he continues, "You now have a momentous choice before you. Do you embrace one last chance for a future or do you sit back and wait for death to take you?” Rade went on to explain just what he was proposing in a similar way as he had to Maloris. He carefully gauged the magi’s reactions, adjusting his arguments based on the other’s responses. At one point, Rade has Maloris speak of matters as well. Rade didn’t hide what he was asking of the Magi, that he would be expected to accept a neural symbiote as Maloris and his fellow had before. Though with the extra practice he had been doing he hoped that the process of integration and control of the symbiote would be significantly more pleasant and effective than the version he had used for Maloris. Of course, just because Rade didn’t hide what he was asking doesn’t mean that he was entirely on the level either. He tactfully failed to mention that the consequences of failing to agree would almost certainly be death. However, given the circumstances the magi could likely figure it out. After all, if he effectively chose to side with the Monarch’s his continued survival was a direct and obvious threat to Rade and his plans. Rade was clearly going to some lengths to keep his presence in the capital a secret after all. Rade also failed to disclose the fact that the magi was being influenced by Rade’s pheromones which would hopefully serve to make him pliant and willing to throw in with Rade. After all, despite his clear ambition and the price he demanded, Rade was offering the tantalizing possibility of a future. Something that had clearly moved Maloris greatly. Fealty and obedience was indeed a price, but when weighed against nearly certain annihilation of everyone and everything the magi had to the ravages of hunger, disease, and at last the Monarch’s own hunger hopefully the magi would understand it was as nothing compared against what he stood to gain. In fact, if all went to plan then Rade would hopefully convince him it was a price he should pay gladly. Rade is trying to convince this magi to follow him and accept a neural symbiote (he’s hoping version 2 will work better than his first attempt he used with Maloris and the other magi).. Intuitive Leadership[+4] - Rade’s reading the magi and intuitively shaping his arguments and knowing when to most effectively deploy Maloris. Pheromones[+2] - Not one to leave something this important entirely to chance, Rade’s stacking the deck somewhat by using his pheromones to influence the magi’s mood and feelings to make him more susceptible to Rade’s arguments.
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Nov 1, 2023 05:29
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Killian Graves - Star Gate, Initial Outlook The draconic figure scoffed and replied; "we're at war. Of course the fighting is necessary." The sphinx gave the dragon a haughty and dismissive look. "None of this is necessary, you could surrender and save everyone on both sides a lot of suffering and pain." This comment earned only an angry and defiant look. "And have us all processed and chained with your magics? Over my dead body." "Propaganda spun by your leaders to justify this senseless war." It did not seem like either of them were likely to stand down. You could either leave them to their devices, or pick a side if you wanted. Rade - Flower Door, Capital Commoners Area Result: 7 + 6 = 13 - Partial Success The Magi looked at Rade and Maloris, thought about it and replied. "There's truth in things you say, I can't deny that. But you're asking me to accept another parasite after you just removed one? I can't do that!" There was a haunted look of pain and anguish in his eyes, and Rade realised that the man would not readily accept his symbiote quickly. Maybe with time he could get him to accept it, but he didn't have that time right now. "I'll follow you and do what you ask, but not if you want to make me take this...thing you talk about. If you won't then just kill me and get it over with." It seemed that for now Rade could either just trust the man, kill him, or take the risk in trying to kidnap him and then convince him later when he had more time.
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Nov 2, 2023 04:25
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Killian Graves - Star Gate, Initial Outlook Killian looks between the sphinx and the dragon. The mental calculus is relatively simple; the dragons seemed more desperate, and should thus be more receptive and open to influence. "Right. Of course. Silly of me to ask." He levels his staff at the sphinx creature, energy arcing up along the length of it to erupt in a staccato of bright blue lightning bolts, each slamming into the creature's defenses with a shower of fiery sparks. Either he'll catch it by surprise and take it down himself, or more likely, he'll give the dragon an opening to exploit. Blasting the sphinx using Sorcery +2.
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Nov 2, 2023 09:18
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Rade - Flower Door, Capital Commoners Area Rade looks over the magi with narrowed eyes. He had hoped things would’ve played out like Maloris, but he supposes on one level he understands. That doesn’t mean he’s very happy with the situation. When push comes to shove he’s fairly certain the man is honest in his pledge to serve, and he doesn’t have time to push matters. At the moment, none of the other magi know anything is wrong, but if Rade were to kill this magi or stretch things out long enough for his disappearance to be noticed he’d make his life much harder in the long run. He’d also be throwing away a golden opportunity to get an infiltrator inside the Magi’s compound, one that might be able to pave a way for he himself to infiltrate or even just gather useful intelligence. Finally, after a long pause Rade responds, “Very well, I won’t force the matter for now. However, I want to make something very clear. If you serve me faithfully and well you’ll have a future beyond your imagination. However, I am not a saint, and if you cross me, you will wish I had killed you right here.” Once that was clear, Rade worked with the magi in what time he had to set up the basics for his new role as a spy and infiltrator for Rade. Rade hadn’t been a spy himself, but in his years of mercenary work his employers had relied on them many a time, and on more than a few occasions Rade had to meet with covert assets to gain intelligence. He remembered a thing or two when it came to signaling without being noticed and he walked the Magi through some basics: a set of actions that could be used to arrange a meeting, how to use a dead drop, that sort of thing. Then he made the Magi’s mission clear. He was to gather information on the compound and the magi within. If he could without being noticed, he was to see if he could find any information on what it was the Monarch’s actually wanted from the Magi and why they spent so much more effort managing them than the rest of the kingdom. Even if he couldn’t manage that he certainly could help arrange circumstances such that Rade could covertly lay his paws on more potential converts without raising suspicion. Rade also hoped that his new spy might even find a way for Maloris and himself to get into the compound and able to move freely without raising any suspicion. Rade’s agreeing (for now), and if they think he can be sent back in without being detected setting him up to infiltrate back into the magi’s compound in hopes of providing more potential recruits, information about what about the magi causes the Monarch’s to put so much more effort in with them, and if possible set things up so that Rade and Maloris can infiltrate into the compound and move around undetected. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade’s drawing on his past experience to come up with a way for the magi to signal them for a meet without being noticed, and also explaining some basic stuff like dead drops, etc.
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Nov 2, 2023 23:52
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