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<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<channel>
<atom:link href="https://tilde.town/~dozens/quest/rss.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
<title>BASEMENT QWEST</title>
<link>https://tilde.town/~dozens/quest/rss.xml</link>
<description>Friends having ADVENTURES! Huzzah!</description>
<item>
<title>13</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">13 - Wed, 14 Sep 2022 10:22:21
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2022 10:22:21 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00013</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Psst, Inky, can you poke your head into the vault, see if
you can spot any crystals. Also, can you tell what kind of
gold’s in there? Maybe it’s worth something to nab a piece of
two for ourselves, you know, since we’re so good at vault
cracking.</p>
<p>While you do that I’m going to take a closer look at this
sword, it’s giving me heeby jeebies.</p>
<p><em>I cast a spell on the sword to identify its physical,
magical, and metaphysical properties</em></p>
<p>“Strange sword, I command thee to divulge your secrets! All
that you are of, exist in, and imbue from shall be wrought in
words of sorcercy so that the world my see clear what you
are!” I chant as I invoke ancient runes with my wand.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Corraidhín commands the sword commandingly. But the sword
just rolls its eye and looks at him exasperatedly.</p>
<p>Hmm. Yes, no mouth. Well then.</p>
<p>Corraidhín draws on his mastery of Arcane Lore, and sifts
through all the knowledge he has filed away on magical swords.
There are so many books on magic swords!</p>
<p>While at first you guessed that it may merely be a common
Look Sword, you have since revised your initial assessment.
Look Swords are minor magical items, and are not quite as
sentient as this particular blade appears to be.</p>
<p>No this must be something a little more special.</p>
<p>It’s hard to tell from here–the water is not perfectly
clear–but the pattern on the hilt is kind swirly and whirly.
Probably a Sword of Omens.</p>
<p>Unless…</p>
<p>No, it’s so unlikely.</p>
<p>And yet.</p>
<p>If the pattern on the hilt turns out to be more whirly than
swirly, then it probably is indeed a Sword of Omens.</p>
<p>But on the other hand, if it is more swirly than whirly,
it’s possible that this may be then legendary Sword of
J’Son.</p>
<p>If only you could get a closer look…</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Inky nods and peeks inside the vault, while keeping an ear
open for any sounds coming from the tunnel where the guard
kobit is currently sleeping soundly. Small mountains of
ancient gold, some as coins and some in nuggets of various
shapes and sizes, filled most of the cavern floor. In one
corner were a few chests overflowing with rubies and emeralds,
with the occasional amethyst and tiny pink diamonds. Whoever
had this vault set up has amassed a nice hoard!</p>
<p>Inky whispered back, “Some good old gold! There are also
little crystals in one of the chests, but I can’t tell if any
of them is a Ginnarak.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Inky hears the drunken cowboy Kobit guard snoring gently.
It whistles adorably a little bit at the top of each
exhale.</p>
<p>You peek inside the vault just in time to see the lone
Kobit guard that went inside to check on the vault. It yelps
and trips over its own feet.</p>
<p>Its shoes were untied.</p>
<p>There are indeed piles of gold, gems, and crystals. Chests
full of precious stones. A few suits of armor. For some
reason, a giant clam, mouth open to reveal a giant pearl.</p>
<p>And in the center of it all, atop a stone pedestal, beneath
a dome of glass, is the blue and gold Ginnarak Crystal. It is
the size of a melon, and kind of shaped like one. A lumpy,
multi-faceted blue and gold melon.</p>
<p>Flitting around the pedestal are a couple of Aurs. Giant
ears with bat wings. Very keen hearing obviously. Usually more
of an annoyance than a true deterrent. Unless there’s a
Centaur around. Nasty things those. A hundred ears with a
hundred wings. The size of a small horse. They can really ruin
your day. Luckily you don’t see one around.</p>
<p>Finally, curled up on the ground at the base of the
pedestal, hugging a mound of gold coins like a body pillow, is
a nude Kobit, sound asleep. It stretches briefly in its sleep
and when it does, you are astonished to see that it has large
leathery wings.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00011.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>00003 - polish</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">00003 - polish - Tue, 22 Jul 2022
20:32:23 -0600</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2022 20:32:23 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00003</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>“SHOE SHINE!” Bellows Tea, with a full bodied laugh!</p>
<p>With a well practiced move, faster than one would think
giant like Tea could move, Tea removes an object from their
satchel.</p>
<p>…at first glance it appears to be a flail without a handle,
but is actually a spare pair of giant boots, held by their
laces.</p>
<p>“These could indeed use a good shining.”</p>
<p>The boot are spectacularly large, probably a 1/2 size too
large, in all honest, for even Tea’s feet.</p>
<p>The boots have gold eyelets.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Earrings greedily snatches the boots and start washing,
drying, and polishing them to a shine. Waistcoat eagerly tugs
on Tea’s wrist and guides him to the comfy chair, which is
decidedly too small for his bulky frame. Teeth graciously
offers him a wedge of cheese.</p>
<p>Depending on how observant Tea is, he may or may not notice
that the boots are returned to him with 1 - 3 fewer
eyelets.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bending down, Inky sniffs the bottles carefully, mumbling,
“Creosote, shellac, hopweed … ou, wild cherry liquorice.”
Then, a little louder to one of the blahoblins, though it came
out not much more than a squeak, “Might I ask from where did
you get these?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“Shoe Polish! We Make! Roots and ash!” shouts Waistcoat.
They seem to only have the one volume.</p>
<p>“Beeswax!” yells Earrings.</p>
<p>“Resin!” cries Teeth.</p>
<p>“SHOE SHIIINE!” they all cry in unison.</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-07/msg00022.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>00006 - gophers</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">00006 - gophers - Tue, 26 Jul 2022
20:32:23 -0600</guid>
<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2022 19:19:20 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00006</h3>
<p>Suddenly three anthropomorphic gophers come crashing
through the trees behind you into the dig site. The first is
wearing a sash of many pockets. The second is wearing cargo
shorts of many pockets. The third is wearing a vest of many
pockets. Each wears a pair of goggles with thick smokey black
lenses, and a floppy checkered hat that looks like a
waffle.</p>
<p>They march up to the zip-line.</p>
<p>“Out of the way, losers!” Sash cries. It grabs the zip-line
trolley, and immediately dives off the side of the cliff and
zooms down into the deep, deep hole.</p>
<p>Vest introduces itself, “Retrieval Team 70 here! We are
here to recover the Ginnarak Crystal that is reported to be at
this location. After we collect all five, then it will be
<em>us</em> who get to hang out in the Benefactor’s hot tub!
Not you! Ha!”</p>
<p>Sash has reached the bottom of the deep, deep hole. Shorts
starts reeling in the pulley.</p>
<p>Vest leans in close and peers at you through its foggy
lenses. “You must be the new Retrieval Team 43. Hmmph. Shame
what happened to the previous Team 43. Hope you know what
you’re doing! Would hate to see you end up like them!”</p>
<p>Shorts grabs the trolley and leaps down into the deep, deep
hole. It sails all the way down, and joins Sash at the
bottom.</p>
<p>“Welp!” Vest concludes with an air of finality. “No hard
feelings, and all that! After we collect this crystal, we just
need four more. And then we get to meet the Benefactor!
Ha!”</p>
<p>It waddles off and starts reeling in the trolley.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, another gnome explodes behind you.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-07/msg00036.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>7</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">7 - Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:21:21
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:21:21 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00007</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Inky peers down at the hole, and after some time, turns to
the party. “Do you think they’ve cleared most of the gnomes by
now, or should we wait until they emerge and grab the crystal
then?” Gazing at some invisible spot farther among the trees,
Inky continued, “One of the old miners back at the tavern said
there used to be a natural maw on the southwestern side, but
it was blocked when the tunnel caved in many years ago. The
gnomes don’t waste their efforts on blowing up things knowing
someone’s already been through them. Chances are there’s only
one exit, unless this mine is a decoy.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Inky peers down the hole and watches Retrieval Team 70
approach the kobit caves.</p>
<p>The maw on the southwestern side did indeed collapse
several seasons ago. If you know anything about the industrial
and intrepid kobits however, it is that they have probably dug
several alternative, secret entrances since then.</p>
<p>Just as the gophers reach the cave entrance, a large erge,
muscles rippling beneath its white feathers, emerges from
behind a boulder and blocks their way forward.</p>
<p>It raises the feathery crest on the crown of its head, and
fluffs up its plumage in a dramatic display. It appears to be
arguing with the gophers. All three gophers appear to be
arguing back.</p>
<p>The egre gestures angrily at the gophers’ feet, shakes its
head, and crosses its arms defiantly. The gophers look down at
their own feet and shuffle about as though embarrassed.</p>
<p>They all exchange a few more words and then the gophers
retreat away from the egre and the cave entrance. They huddle
together briefly and then start slowly climbing the
scaffolding back up to the top of the hole.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah,” the foreman remarks absentmindedly. “There’s an
egre guarding the kobit caves.”</p>
<p>The egre below preens and struts about proudly having
chased off the gophers.</p>
<p>“Stubborn things,” the foreman continues. “Easily provoked
to violence. Impeccable fashion sense though.”</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-08/msg00003.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>19</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">19 - Wed, 28 Sep 2022 12:43:10
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2022 12:43:10 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00019</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Why Stabby, it looks like we won’t need to stab Horse at
all, but are you any good at stabbing armor?</p>
<p>Corraidhin stuffs the melon shaped gem into his knapsack
and rushes towards Inky and Jarrod. Best to get this party
started in style Corraidhin says as he casts a fireball at the
suit of armor, followed closely by a second, and a third.</p>
<p>As corraidhin reaches Inky and Jarrod he raises the Sword
of Y’aml ready to fight. Stand and deliver you curr!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The trigger happy mage rushes toward the vault exit,
flinging a couple of fireballs over his shoulder as he
goes.</p>
<p>Stabby is delighted at the carnage as the suit of armor is
blown to bits, but also disappointed at the general lack of
stabbing.</p>
<p>The Aurs, deep in meditation nearby, get caught in the
conflagration. Their kernels swell and pop explosively. Though
not as explosively as the fireballs.</p>
<p>The whole Retrieval Team 43 pours into the cavern outside
the vault as it turns into an inferno, and they are swept up
and away in a throng of kobits evacuating the tunnels.</p>
<p>You are deposited, like silt after a flood, outside the
caves back at the bottom of the gnome hole, where the kobits
and the lone egre are frantically climbing up the scaffolding,
which bends dangerously under their combined weight. The
gnomes up above are running around in an agitated state at the
sudden commotion, and a few of them explode in the
excitement.</p>
<p>The ground rumbles again, and the entrance to the kobit
caves, and several feet of the surrounding area, is swallowed
up by a sinkhole that spreads across half of the bottom of the
gnome hole. From the hole emerges a gigantic moth-like
creature made of a hundred ears of corn and a hundred wings.
It is bigger than the very largest horse.</p>
<p>You hear a single word repeated fearfully over and over
again by the crowd of kobits. “Centaur! Centaur!”</p>
<p>It crawls up out of the pit, and tastes the vibrations in
the air with its feelers. It flies clumsily up into the air,
flutters, and then crashes back into the ground.</p>
<p>It looks like one of its wings has been singed by fire.</p>
<p>Undaunted, it crawls across what is left of the bottom of
the gnome hole toward you, beating its wings as though to bash
you with them. Which would hurt a lot.</p>
<p>Yam’l whispers in Corraidhin’s mind.</p>
<pre><code>Now *that* thing is *definitely* evil!</code></pre>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00030.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>00002 - shoe shine</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">00002 - shoe shine - Tue, 21 Jul 2022
20:32:23 -0600</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2022 20:32:23 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00002</h3>
<p>Blavin provides you with a multibeast for your excursion.
“Courtesy of the Benefactor!” You pack it up with food and
supplies, and trek into the Tammineaux Forest in search of the
first Ginnarak Crystal.</p>
<p>The forest is lush, thick, and green. You have to hack your
way through the vines and the brush. There are stinging
insects, squawking birds, and dangerous forest creatures a
plenty. It is hot and sticky.</p>
<p>How will you ever find your way through this wilderness to
the dig site?</p>
<p>“Shouldn’t be too hard,” you remember Blavin saying back at
Lucy’s, gesturing carelessly and sloshing a little bit of his
fourth drink. “They’re gnomes, after all! Just follow the
sound of explosions and screaming.”</p>
<p>Sure enough, before long you hear a mechanical droning and
some blasting up ahead, punctuated now and then by high
pitched screams, and you guide the multibeast in that
direction.</p>
<p>Suddenly you are ambushed by a troop of blahoblins! Awful
looking things. Taut rubbery gray skin. Long flat noses stick
out way far from their faces. And so do their protruding,
lipless mouths full of sharp pointy teeth. You didn’t hear
them over the noise of the shrieking parrots and, in the
distance, the shrieking gnomes.</p>
<p>“SHOE SHINE!!” the first one yells. It is wearing a gold
ring on each finger (minus the three fingers it is missing),
two in each ear, and one in its nose. It is dragging a vat of
black polish nearly as tall as it is.</p>
<p>“SHOE SHINE!!” a second one agrees. It is wearing a nice
waistcoat with large gaudy buttons, and a nice looking pocket
watch on a gold chain. It is dragging a comfy looking chair
stuffed with bits of fluff and leaves and fur.</p>
<p>A third one screams, “SHOE SHINE SHOE SHINE!” It has
several gold teeth and carries a huge block of cheese secured
to its back with long loops of hempen rope.</p>
<p>The fourth and final one is wearing what looks like freshly
painted red shoes and is carrying a lit torch. “SHOE
SHIIIIINE!” it screams. It is wearing a gold medallion on a
gold necklace.</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-07/msg00015.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>12</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">12 - Fri, 09 Sep 2022 16:44:58
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2022 16:44:58 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00012</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Harrumph I say as I billow out my mustache. I know exactly
what this is, I’ve seen these silly terminals at the wizarding
academy. Fascinating little babbles really, not that easy to
use, and I find they’re easier to melt with a well placed
fireball or two, but I think I can get us past without that.
Now I might need someone to cover for me if that Kobit catches
onto what I’m doing, and I’ll say the weird sword is starting
to creep me out a bit.</p>
<p>Corraidhin approaches the terminal, cracks his knuckles,
and enters: 1,$p</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The printer spits out a piece of paper:</p>
<pre><code>The door is Locked</code></pre>
<blockquote>
<p>Corraidhin stares at the paper. Well, that’s not right, the
door’s only partially closed. Preposterious thing.</p>
<p>That’s okay, I know how to fix this.</p>
<p>19 c there is no door, there never was, and never will be.
Also the Kobit guard forgot to tie his shoes. . w 1,$p</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The printer spits out a slip of paper.</p>
<pre><code>there is no door, there never was, and never will be. Also the Kobit guard forgot to tie his shoes.</code></pre>
<p>With a soft pop, the thick stone door vanishes.</p>
<p>The sword at the bottom of the pool widens its eye in
surprise.</p>
<p>Nothing remains between you and the interior of the
vault.</p>
<p>Some light from the hall spills in and glints off what
appears to be a mound of gold, gems, and crystals. The rest of
its contents are hidden from view unless you venture
inside.</p>
<p>You can still hear the guard kobit in the passage, now
whistling a warbling, lamentful tune. It sounds dangerously
close. Best get a move on if you want to avoid a
confrontation.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<blockquote>
<p>While the wisened scholar inspects the vault door, Inky
walks a few steps from the antechamber to meet the Kobit
guard, pressure gauge and tiny notebook in hand. Inky proceeds
to ask them about water flow sounds in the surrounding area,
water stains, signs of potential pests that could damage the
pipes, and other rather boring elements pertaining to modern
Basmentia burrow plumbing.</p>
<p>After a while, seeing as they have been conversing for some
time, Inky pulls out two small bottles of chilled arrowroot
beer from a waist pouch and offers one to the Kobit guard.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The big guard kobit’s eyes start to glass over as Inky goes
on about water pressure and structural integrity.</p>
<p>But it does graciously accept a bottle arrowroot beer.</p>
<p>“Well, golly, don’t mind if I do!” It cracks the lid off,
toasts to your health and takes a long swig.</p>
<p>“Aaaaaaaah! That hits the spot!”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Corraidhin absentmindedly inspects the terminal and door
while Inky converses with the guard. He’s utterly distracted
and talking to himself.</p>
<p>By the gods, it’s gone. Just like that! I thought it’d
fizzle or something, but it’s gone! I wonder what else I can
do with this thing.</p>
<p>Corraidhin wanders back to the terminal and enters another
command.</p>
<p>19 c The wise and elderly Corraidhin is now a young and
dashing rogue, with a very nice hat. .</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The printer spits out a slip of paper:</p>
<pre><code>?</code></pre>
<p>Maybe the ed terminal only has jurisdiction over the door
to the vault.</p>
<p>Or maybe the machine, the universe, or whatever, is telling
you not to push your luck.</p>
<p>By now the big guard kobit, lulled by Inky’s questions and
finally sedated by the alcohol, is slumped and snoring softly
in the mouth of one of the twisty little passages.</p>
<p>You stand before the open vault under the ever watchful
gaze of the sword at the bottom of the pool of water in the
center of the room.</p>
<p>WHAT DO</p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>9</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">9 - Fri, 19 Aug 2022 07:16:14
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2022 11:24:41 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00009</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Inky smiles at Corey. “Hullo! We’re the waterworks crew
from the neaby town, here to check the outhouse tunnels,
inspect all the pipes and so on. We received reports of a
blockage somewhere inside the networks. Have the tunnels been
flushing well lately?” While speaking, Inky flashes a
waterworker’s ID briefly at the kobit before pocketing it and
pulling out a pressure gauge, giving the little handle on one
side of the device a few cranks, and looking back at Corey
expectantly.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Corey slowly blinks its eyes. “Inspektor?”</p>
<p>ASIDE: I rolled for Inky and rolled a six, which according
to the rules means GREAT SUCCESS, and also Inky gets to Level
Up: they gain the skill Persuasive 2.</p>
<p>“Of course! Inspektors! Yes, yes, right this way! A
surprise inspection, how exciting!”</p>
<p>Corey continues to chatter excitedly as it leads you
further into the branching, winding tunnels, pointing out
particular bits of stonework and engineering, and also baubles
and trinkets and fossils and artifacts that the kobits
uncovered in the process of digging their tunnels.</p>
<p>Your tour eventually brings you into a large cavern with
tunnels exactly like the one from which you just entered
branching off in all directions. It makes you dizzy to think
of finding your way through this labyrinth without a
guide.</p>
<p>In the middle of the cavern is a deep pool with a fountain.
At the bottom of the pool, a SWORD is thrust into the ground
almost up to its hilt. A large jewel set deep in the pommel
rolls around like an eye in a socket and tracks your movement
around cavern. A few bubbles float up to the surface of the
pool.</p>
<p>And set into the wall on the far side of the room is a
massive stone door reinforced with thick iron bands. There is
a keypad and a small printer on the wall next to it.</p>
<p>“….and so our tour concludes here in the central atrium!”
Corey concludes excitedly. “Behind this door is the VAULT,
where we keep all the valuables. Gemstones, gold, crystals, et
cetera.”</p>
<p>“Top notch security!” Corey exclaims tapping the keypad.
The printer spits out a square of paper. It reads</p>
<pre><code>ed v1.16
*
?
*
?
*e door
19
*,n
1 the door is Locked
*wq</code></pre>
<p>“Ha ha!” Corey shakes its head in amazement. “I have no
idea how this thing works!”</p>
<p>The eye in the sword watches as Corey clips the small
printout to its clipboard.</p>
<p>“Now, I trust you’ll find that everything was in tip-top
order! Yes, indeed!” Corey wriggles its mustache proudly. “Now
if you’ll excuse me,” it flips through the pages on its
clipboard, “I am late for my next appointment. Good day!”
Corey turns and walks toward one of the twisty little
passageways, all alike.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO?</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-08/msg00016.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>16</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">16 - Sat, 24 Sep 2022 07:43:23
-0400</guid>
<pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2022 07:43:23 -0400</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00016</h3>
<p><em>RETCON!</em></p>
<p>Before Corraidhín ascended to the surface of the pool….</p>
<blockquote>
<p>As Corraidhin finishes his incantation a small porro drifts
down bonking him on the head. Startled corraidhin begins to
move around in the pool trying to find his assailant.</p>
<p>“By the gods what in the world is in this pool with me!” he
tugs frantically on the sword, and as he does so the porro
drifts into view. “Oh wait, that..” his eyes follow the rubber
hose attached to it up to the top of the pool. “Ah ha!” he
exclaims immediately inhaling a mouth full of water and
frantically pulling the porro from the hose with his spare
hand and teeth. Corraidhin sucks greedily at the air the hose
provides as he becomes acutely aware of the burning sensation
in his lungs.</p>
<p>The porro drifts wistfully to the bottom of the pool, just
out of reach. A dark liquid rises from it as it comes to rest
on the bottom of the pool.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And now back to our show!</p>
<blockquote>
<p>After heartily congratulating Master Corraidhín on his
successful sword acquisition in hushed whispers and finishing
off a cup of blackcurrant tea, Inky retrieves the porro from
the bottom of the pool with a fishing pole and a few recasts.
(Calling that gnarly stick with a line, bottle and hook
slightly bent out of shape on one end a fishing pole would be
an affont to any self-respecting fisherfolk though.) Inky
rinses the pitcher and hose before stowing them away again in
the bag along with the pole and other ink brewing
paraphernalia.</p>
<p>Refreshed, Inky slips noiselessly inside the vault, edging
along the wall on the farther side from the crowd now wholly
enraptured by Jarrod’s grand recital. Seeing the crowd
pacified and giving Jarrod a thumbs-up, Inky unfurls a long
and dusty bolt of dark cloth with the words “UNDER MAINTENANCE
— NO UNAUTHORISED ENTRY [by order of the Basmentaria Bureau of
Sanitation]” in roughly-scrawled letters tacked onto it, and
hung the ends of the cloth so it spanned and completely
obscured one side of the vault.</p>
<p>Standing behind the makeshift inspection site, Inky
proceeds to fill several sacks with gold and gems using a
small shovel, before putting one of the sacks into their Hacky
Duffer Discette (its capacity for large storage and small
weight is a blessing in disguise for both aspiring and
afflicted collectors alike).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You successfully cordon off a corner of the vault and set
up a very convincing UNDER CONSTRUCTION banner. It looks
straight up like a 90’s website.</p>
<p>You start shoving bags of treasure into your HD Discette,
but it only accepts 1.44 bags before running out of space. You
you leave the remaining bags for the others.</p>
<p>During your excavation, you find a complete set of
magnificent, ornate, gold-nibbed quills, and also a small
wooden rack of bottled ink.</p>
<p>There are a dozen small bottles all arranged in a row, each
one with a different mysterious glyph, the contents all a
slightly different shade. As you handle the rack, the ink
sloshes around inside. It could still be good!</p>
<p>The fine wooden rack encloses them all and holds them in
place by means of the lid, which closes securely around the
bottle necks. Once you open the lid, you can easily retrieve
and stow the bottles.</p>
<p>You also spot a fine jade teapot. A matching set of small
cups—no handles, no saucers—cluster around the pot like
nursing pups.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Corraidhin clambors out of the pool, magical pokey stick in
hand.</p>
<p>Good show! He exclaims to himself and the sword. Now I can
finally get a good look at this sword, though for some reason
I can’t seem to let go, I guess for now I won’t lose it.</p>
<p>You said you wanted to do some stabbin right? Of evil
things? What constitutes evil my pointy new friend?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The sword does indeed remain steadfastly glued to your
hand. As you swish it around you discover that it seems to get
lighter when you hold it aloft, and that it trembles and grows
increasingly heavy as it descends. The sensation is almost as
though it has a hollow core in which some kind of heavy liquid
sloshes around. And as though its blow would be
devastating.</p>
<p>The sword relishes being wielded and swung, and grows more
and more ecstatic. Its eye darts menacingly back and forth,
vanquishing imaginary enemies with each jab.</p>
<pre><code>Yes! Yes, I am made for a singular purpose. To RID EVIL. To root out evil, spill its blood, and then do it again! So let&#39;s go find some evil, Bear! And then you can just stab it with me.
Oh, what constitutes evil, you ask? In my experience, evil can&#39;t help but make itself known. You&#39;ll know it when you see it.
For example, see there? That little inky fellow sneaking into that treasure room? Probably super evil. We should go investigate.</code></pre>
<blockquote>
<p>As corraidhin questions the sword he wanders towards the
vault peering in to inspect Jarrod’s performance. He’s really
good at that, what do you think? Actually what do I even call
you? Do you like nicknames? I was thinking pointy, or stabby,
but I’m open to suggestions, respect and all that.</p>
<p>Oh hey, the crystal! It looks like it’s unguarded!
Corraidhin slinks towards the crystal muttering to his magical
sword as he does.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The sword is momentarily distracted by the Aurs and Kobits.
Its eye widens. It almost seems to shudder with
anticipation.</p>
<pre><code>EEEEEVIL! Rid. Evil. Spill. Repeat.</code></pre>
<p>You are thankful that the voice seems only to be heard
inside your own head.</p>
<pre><code>Oh, my name? I&#39;m sure I had one at some point. Long forgotten by now. No matter, I&#39;m not sad about it. One has no use for a name when instead they have a singular, all-consuming purpose!
But, my last Bear called me her Bee. I quite liked that. The bee in her bonnet! Ha! Evil, fear my sting!</code></pre>
<p>The sword prattles on in your head as you sneak past
Jarrod’s monstrous storytime and approach the pedestal. Or is
it a lectern?</p>
<p>You arrive unseen. The crystal is a dazzling deep blue,
with pulsing gold veins. It is oddly shaped, somewhat like an
egg. And it floats, rotating slowly, suspended in air beneath
the glass dome that encloses it.</p>
<p>Drawing on your knowledge of Arcane Lore, you remember that
the five Ginnarak Crystals played a key role in the Artifice
Wars that once rampaged across all of Basmentaria. They are
sources of tremendous power. Some say that, the five of them
together, they could kill a god. You’re not sure you believe
that. But they did definitely reduce the once lush and verdant
island nation of Ginnarak to cinder wastes and deserts of ash.
A cataclysmic event that put a resolute end to the Artifice
Wars.</p>
<p>You look around the vault. Jarrod is reciting epic poetry
and mesmerizing the monsters. Inky is pillaging and looting.
You have a bloodthirsty, sentient sword in one hand; and a
large arcane battery of a crystal within reach of the
other.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00023.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>17</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">17 - Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:20:16
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:20:16 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00017</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>While Inky packs the top of a sack with a thin layer of
earth from under a loose rock, they feel a heated glare in
their general direction for a few beats and surmises Master
Corraidhín had entered the vault with his newfound companion.
After decades of serving rather … demanding customers as an
inkling, Inky knew an evil eye directed at them even when they
can’t see it (while preparing a brew with their back turned,
for instance) and makes a mental note to give Pointy a wide
berth.</p>
<p>Once the sacks were placed close to the vault entrance for
a quick haul, Inky returns to the items that had been
discovered while digging under the loose rock. The set of
gold-nibbed quills were swiftly pocketed — each quill was
finely crafted and felt balanced when held in one hand. The
malleable tips in a range of sizes would be invaluable for
testing ink viscosity and smoothness, among other properties.
A felicitously fantastic find!</p>
<p>The jade tea set was next to be admired, its deep green hue
reflecting the age of the stone from which the items were
carved. With cups for every member of their merry group, the
teapot would make a worthy addition to any travelling,
crystal-seeking tea party. So thin and translucent were the
small cups, having been expertly crafted, that they were
almost too fragile to carry around everywhere. A
non-shattering charm was often applied to heirloom sets meant
to be passed down through generations, but it is difficult to
tell by looking whether a set had been charmed unless the
spell was a particularly strong one. The teapot and cups were
returned to the small wooden box they were found in and stored
away. Perhaps a few crockery talismans could be procured at
the next town?</p>
<p>Inky pauses at the rack of bottled ink. The first rule that
any inkling in training learns is to never trust pre-bottled
inks from unverified ingredients or unknown sauces. Inky tilts
the rack to better examine the weird yet vaguely familiar
glyphs on the bottles.</p>
<p>The first glyph was a circle with three dots. The bottle
next to it was adorned with a swirl, followed by a bottle with
a circle surrounding a pointing hand or a snail. Another glyph
looked like a twisted hook, and was that some sort of sinister
grinning reptile on the next one?? Towards the middle of the
rack was a bottle with a glyph of what could be a mountain
with a tunnel at its base. The bottle beside it bore a glyph
of a block broken to three pieces. Yet another bottle was
simply stamped with a circle and a dot at its center. Its
neighbour held a glyph that slightly resembled a mountain
range if someone stared very hard. The next two bottles bore
glyphs that looked like a spiky fish and a circle with a pair
of horns protruding from it. The last bottle’s contents seemed
more gooey than the others, with a glyph of a helmet-wearing
hare.</p>
<p>The shade of ink within the bottles varied, but all seem to
be derived from the same indistinct hue. None of the bottles
had the usual piece of ash paper with bits of string attached
to them, but otherwise appear to be intact and the vessels
themselves top quality, as shown by the delicate tarring on
the caps. The wooden rack was lightly worn but solid in Inky’s
hands.</p>
<p>It was certainly an odd collection. “No hash, no stash”
though, as the rule of thumb goes. Inky puts the rack down
carefully on the floor by the sacks, concluding that if anyone
wanted to help themselves to the bottles, they were hopefully
not planning to ingest the contents.</p>
<p>Dusting off their boots, Inky settles just behind the
banner, closer to the vault entrance and rousing performance,
to watch the crowd around Jarrod and listen for any sounds
from outside the vault.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You pack up the quills and the jade tea set, and arrange
the bags by the vault entrance for quick retrieval.</p>
<p>As you carry the rack of ink bottles over to the bags, the
twelfth and final ink bottle, the one with the glyph of the
helmet-wearing hare, suddenly cracks. Seemingly of its own
volition. A tiny shard of glass slices the palm of your hand
and disappears into the meat at the base of your thumb. The
gooey ink seeps out of the bottle and paints your hand a
muddy, rusty blue.</p>
<p>You jerk your hand back. The ink is swiftly absorbed into
your hand as though it were a sponge. Soon it’s all gone: the
ink, the blood, all of it. Nothing remains of the scratch
itself but a hair-thin line. If you run your finger over it,
you can feel the hard nub of the glass shard beneath the
skin.</p>
<p>For a moment you can hear the double drum of your own
heartbeat rushing through your ears. Your senses seem to
sharpen. Colors grow more crisp, and sounds more clear. But
then it passes, and the moment is gone.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Harrumph, pointy my friend, that’s just inky. They’re
definitely not super evil. That’s the finest ink craftsmen and
tea preparer this side of Basementaria. And we absolutely
won’t be stabbing them. There are FAR eviler things to stab,
potentially that weird naked thing that seems to think itself
a horse. I could be convinced IT was evil, but wouldn’t use
attacking it unprovoked make us evil? Surely a sword as
ancient and wise as you could see the perfectly puzzling
philosophical delimna we put ourselves in.</p>
<p>And then this thing, (corraidhin gestures at the crystal),
horrible magical item used to create untold death,
destruction, and mayhem during the last Artificer war.
Definitely probably evil, if used that way, but also filled
with untold power that could be used for good! Now would the
person weilding it be evil just because, or could someone
overcome the magical nature of a device capable of such evil
and apply them for good? I for one believe afirmatively that
one can overcome such things.</p>
<p>As corriadhin finishes his philosophical prattling to his
new stabby friend he pushes the glass case off the crystal and
grabs it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Sword of Yam’l starts to launch into a long winded
reply.</p>
<pre><code>Oh yes, that winged naked thing is surely evil. Let us stab it, Hardy Bear! Let us stab and stab and stab until --- What&#39;s that? Oh no, don&#39;t worry. We are unquestionably, infallibly good. I was designed and made for but one purpose, after all. TO RID EVIL! As for the crystal, yes, I suppose you are correct. Wielding a powerful, bloodthirsty, magical item probably does make the wielder evil, and consequently immediately deserving of being stabbed! Say, speaking of stabbing ... that naked, winged thing--</code></pre>
<p>But then, before the sword can finish its thought (a
thought, you are quite confident, would end with something
like, “let’s stab it!”) you knock the glass dome off the
pedestal and grab the Ginnarak Crystal.</p>
<p>You brace yourself. It thrums slightly in your hand but
doesn’t do anything overtly magical or destructive. In fact it
seems perfectly inert.</p>
<p>So there you are. A pointer murder stick attached firmly to
one hand, and a potential atom bomb of a crystal in the other.
But you think you’re totally going to pull this off!</p>
<p>Then the glass dome hits the ground and shatters into
dozens of pieces.</p>
<p>HORSE screams and whips around at the noise.
“BhrruUHRHUuHRRh! My blue and gold melon sized gem! Noooooo!
BrUHrhHHHURHuRu!”</p>
<p>It flaps its wings and wheels up into the air and swoops
down at you! The three aurs get swept up in the excitement and
start flapping around, making tiny squeaks of alarm. The
remaining kobit leaps to its feet, but then trips over its
shoelaces.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO??</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00026.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>18</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">18 - Wed, 28 Sep 2022 10:28:38
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2022 10:28:38 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00018</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>From their spot behind the construction banner, Inky pulls
a pewter bowl, a large wooden spoon and a set of silver spoons
from their brewing kit. In one quick fluid motion, Inky
strikes the bowl with the wooden spoon. The sound reverberates
soulfully through the domed cavern of the vault, like a call
to meditation. The kobits too, seem to recognise that single,
sonorous note.</p>
<p>After a long pause, Inky taps several silver spoons in
rapid succession against one another and on a small rock. The
result can be barely heard by everyone in the vault except the
aurs, for whom the sounds may resemble the soothing trickle of
pebbles flowing along the path of a tunnel.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A rich tone permeates the vault. The Aurs cease their
squeaking. You don’t hear them say this, but you imagine
they’re thinking, “Oh shit, I still need to log my sit for
Sitember..” And they flutter down to the ground and sit in a
circle and close their eyes and are still.</p>
<p>You also hear a deep rumbling somewhere beneath you in
response to the gentle call. Some of the gold coin dunes start
to shift and spill. A suit of armor falls over. HORSE and the
clumsy kobit halt their advance and look around nervously, and
then bolt for the front door of the vault.</p>
<p>“BrUHrhHHHURHu-RUN!”</p>
<p>UH OH WHAT DO!!</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00028.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>meta</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">meta - Tue, 23 Jul 2022 20:32:23
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jul 2022 20:32:23 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="meta">META</h3>
<p>This might be a good time to introduce the game
mechanic.</p>
<p>For the most part, if you say you do something, it just
happens.</p>
<p>But if you want to do something risky, and/or if the
outcome is uncertain, you can roll a number of six-sided
dice.</p>
<p>I’d like to try using the <em>Shoes in the Dark</em>
rules:</p>
<p><a href="https://dozens.itch.io/shoes-in-the-dark"
class="uri">https://dozens.itch.io/shoes-in-the-dark</a></p>
<p>Basically, everybody currently has the skill “Do Anything
1”, which means if you want to ‘do anything’, you can roll 1
die.</p>
<p>On a 1 - 3, things go poorly. (And you gain 1 experience
point. More on that in a bit.)</p>
<p>On a 4 - 5, you do the thing, but at a cost, or with a
complication, or it’s just a partial success.</p>
<p>On a 6, full success!! Yay, you!!</p>
<p>(When rolling multiple dice, you read the single highest
roll.)</p>
<p>Here’s where stuff gets fun. If you roll all sixes (so, 1
six on a 1d6 roll, 2 sixes on a 2d6 roll, etc.) then you
‘level up’ and get a new skill. The new skill A) is a subset
of the skill/action you just performed and, B) increases that
skill by one.</p>
<p>e.g. I challenge a mugwump to a pie eating contest and roll
Do Anything 1. I roll a six, so I win the contest! And also I
gain a new skill, Belly Of Steel 2.</p>
<p>Finally, every time you fail a roll (by rolling 1 - 3) you
gain 1 experience point. You can spend 1 experience at any
time to turn any one die into a six <em>for the purposes of
advancement</em>.</p>
<p>SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN???</p>
<p>When you interact with the blahoblins, consider whether
there is an element of risk. If so, roll the appropriate
amount of dice (1, in this case) and include the result in
your description. If it’s a success, describe the success. If
it’s a partial success or a failure, just describe what you
do, and I’ll describe the complication, or how things get
worse.</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-07/msg00023.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>00001 - we meet in a tavern</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">00001 - we meet in a tavern - Tue, 20
Jul 2022 20:32:23 -0600</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2022 20:32:23 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00001</h3>
<p>“Congratulations!” The slightly tipsy hobbit grins and
salutes you with his martini. “On Retrieval Team 43’s
inaugural mission! I’m so excited for you, I’m sure you’ll do
fantastic!”</p>
<p>You are all seated around a table in the corner at Lucy’s
Basement. It is dimly lit and fairly noisy. The walls are
covered in red velvet curtains, and the tablecloths have
little gold tassels. A cloud of purple smoke from candles,
cigars, and pipes hangs in the air. Waiters bustle between
tables refilling drinks.</p>
<p>“So to recap, the Benefactor has tasked you with retrieving
the five fabled Ginnarak Crystals. I, Blavin Blandfoot, will
be your case manager. You will be paid handsomely for each
crystal you retrieve. And if you retrieve all 5, you’ll get to
meet the Benefactor at be their guest at their <em>glorious
mansion!</em>”</p>
<p>“The first crystal has been spotted near a Gnomish dig site
in the Tammineaux Forest, just east of here.”</p>
<p>“I recommend getting started right away!” He polishes off
his drink and squints at his empty glass. “Well, maybe first
thing in the morning. Waiter!”</p>
<ul>
<li>Who are you?</li>
<li>What role do you think you will fill on the team?</li>
<li>What do you plan to do with your cut of the money?</li>
</ul>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-07/msg00015.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>8</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">8 - Sat, 30 Jul 2022 19:19:20
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Aug 2022 11:47:09 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00008</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Inky blinks down at their pinecrab apple leather boots
consideringly. “Tea’s got the fanciest footgear, but at least
we aren’t sporting fetid foot fungi like stockings. Maybe we
could persuade the egre to let us through? It might set us
back half a day trying to find any kobit holes that aren’t
just non-portable potties.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You look down at your boots. How serendipitous that you
just had them shined by the blahoblins! You feel confident in
your footwear.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Corraidhín: I may have a solution to the Egre problem. I
gesture grandly, as it so happens I always come prepared for a
fashion show.</p>
<p>With a grand gesture I cast a spell to transform my robes
into a stunning suit, complete with top hat, monocle, and
cane</p>
<p>I’m certain we can convince the fine fellow to let us pass
if we look the part. Or better yet, I’m almost certain I can
distract him while the rest of you sneak past, I’ve been told
I can be quite verbose and boisterous.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Corraidhín successfully conjures up a stunning suit, surely
the envy of every dandy, fop, and gentleman in the southern
continent, if not all of Basmentaria!</p>
<p>A nearby gnome gets flush, starts to fan herself excitedly,
and then explodes dramatically.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“A splendid idea, with an equally splendid outfit to
match!” Inky exclaimed. “Then, shall we proceed? Master
Corraidhín, at your signal.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You proceed down into the gnome hole.</p>
<p>Retrieval Team 70 glares at you from behind their smoked
glass goggles as you zip line past them. They continue their
slow, defeated climb up the scaffolding. Vest shakes its
gopher fist at you and swears, “You haven’t seen the last of
us, Retrieval Team 43!”</p>
<p>At the bottom, on solid ground, you approach the entrance
to the kobit caves.</p>
<p>Standing guard at the entrance to the kobit tunnels is a
massive egre, a fearsome bird beast, muscles rippling and
bulging beneath its beautiful white plumage. It turns its head
and regards you with one jet black eye and then the other,
snapping its sharp beak in the air as it tosses its head back
and forth.</p>
<p>It looks you up and down, and its gaze rests on your
freshly polished shoes. It huffs and grunts, “Your shoes look
clean.” It rests its scrutinizing gaze on Corraidhín’s
garments. “And YOU look FABULOUS!” it exclaims as it tosses
its head and beats it wings excitedly.</p>
<p>“You may enter.” It graciously steps aside with a
flourish.</p>
<p>The smallest of you can stand upright in the kobit tunnels.
The largest of you have to crawl.</p>
<p>Kobits are small, vaguely mammalian, vaguely reptilian
bipedal cave creatures. They are scaly and furry, and live in
tunnels deep in the earth. They have huge yellow eyes, and
long fine whiskers on their snouts and faces, all of which
help them find their way around in the dark. They also have
long, thick, coarse, drooping mustaches. The overall effect is
that they look like tiny, monstrous, perpetually startled
cowboys.</p>
<p>You follow the winding tunnel down into the earth.</p>
<p>You come around a corner and almost bump right into a
kobit. It has eyes like saucers and an awe-inspiring mustache.
It wears a name tag (“Corey”) and carries a clipboard. It
blinks at you in surprise and then asks, “Who are you? What
are you doing in here?” Corey flips through the pages on its
clipboard. “There are no upsiders scheduled to arrive today. I
don’t think you’re supposed to be here!” Corey glances around
nervously with its huge eyes and looks about ready to cry out
for help.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO?</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-08/msg00012.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>00005 - gnomes</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">00005 - gnomes - Tue, 25 Jul 2022
20:32:23 -0600</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jul 2022 20:32:23 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00005</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>As the blahoblins were packing up, Inky persuades Waistcoat
to sell a few small bottles of shoe polish, a roughly round
piece of broken glass and scraps of cheesecloth from the
mountain of debris previously on the ground. Inky rolls Do
Anything 1 and rolls a 4.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Inky successfully persuades Waistcoat to sell a few baubles
and trinkets with the first roll of the game!</p>
<p>They haggle back and forth a little bit, and Inky ends up
paying a little more than they wanted to, but they get all the
stuff they wanted. Yay commerce!</p>
<p>Having concluded business, the blahoblins pack up and
disappear into the bushes toting their chair, cheese, and vat
of polish.</p>
<p>The sound of mechanical droning and periodic explosions
compel you forward to the dig site.</p>
<p>It is easy to find.</p>
<p>It is a large hole blasted deep into the ground. There are
drills, and conveyor belts, earth moving machines, and all
kinds of gadgets and gizmos, the purpose of which is not
always readily apparent. And there is a zip line that seems to
be the only way down to the bottom.</p>
<p>The site is absolutely teeming with gnomes. Diminutive
humanoids with bright red noses and long, long ears, and long,
nimble fingers. All gnomes are compulsive tinkerers and
mechanics, and build fantastic contraptions. All gnomes are
women, and are all highly explosive. Which makes their
combustion powered machines extremely dangerous, both for
themselves and for any unfortunate bystanders close enough to
get caught in the blast.</p>
<p>A gnome in a white hat comes running up to you. “You there!
Hey! Yes, you!”</p>
<p>“Are you the retrieval team? We’ve been expecting you! The
whole dig is halted because we accidentally blasted into a
whole nest of Kobits, and they won’t let us get near to keep
digging! They keep sabotaging our machines when we try!”</p>
<p>“They also stole the Ginnarak Crystal that we found! That
thing could have powered such glorious new machines!” She
pouts.</p>
<p>In the background, a gnome who had crawled half way into a
coal bin in the side of some kind of excavator suddenly
scrambles quickly out, smoking, and runs around in circles in
a panic. Nearby gnomes dive out of the way as she erupts in a
small ball of fire. The gnomes wait for the smoke to clear and
then immediately return to working on the contraption.</p>
<p>The foreman continues talking to you as though nothing
happened. She leads you over to the edge of the hole and
points to the bottom.</p>
<p>“The entrance to their cave is right down there! The zip
line is the second fastest way down.”</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-07/msg00035.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>15</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">15 - Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:14:06
-0400</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:14:06 -0400</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00015</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Jarrod raises his right hand and begins adding a new rhythm
to his beat by slapping his palm against his chest. The
resulting beat sounds eerily like a galloping horse. Jarrod
pushes his voice outward and upward, directing his vocal
energy at HORSE.</p>
<pre><code>&quot;A mighty steed did carry our hero through forest, hill and town:
A comely beast with silky mane and smooth and supple hide.
One would think that such a stallion needs must have renown,
But only our dear hero understood, and so did ride.&quot;</code></pre>
<p>Jarrod subtly adjusts the rhythm to a fast, regular
beat.</p>
<pre><code>&quot;Lightning of the hoof!
Fire in the eye!
One with blowing wind!
Strength of mountain high!&quot;</code></pre>
<p>Jarrod slowly calms the beat back down to a heartbeat with
his left hand fingers on his thigh again. However, the right
now rests close to Gertrude’s handle, at the ready.</p>
<pre><code>&quot;On fated day, our hero does require
Underlings for which a task is set.
And yet, this day the underlings and squires
Have booked their time away from toil and fret.&quot;</code></pre>
<p>While continuing the epic, Jarrod makes note of two
options, should he need them:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li>Should he need, he can dive behind the giant clam;
and</li>
<li>He eyes a path back out the vault, should he be able to
draw the Aurs and Kobits out with him.</li>
</ol>
<p>Jarrod keeps his eyes on HORSE, attempting to react to
whatever HORSE brings.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>HORSE gives a snort, a groan, and a sigh as the beat of the
poem accelerates to a trot, and turns its subject to matters
of its own interest. Namely, himself. HORSE likes to hear its
own name, and it likes to hear people pay tribute to it with
verse. Which is 100% what it thinks is going on here.</p>
<p>HORSE beats its wings a few times and then flaps over to
where Jarrod is delivering his oration. It stands a little too
close, basking in the glory of Jarrod’s verse.</p>
<p>There is now gathered at Jarrod’s feet three Aurs; one
clumsy Kobit with untied shoe laces; and one naked, winged
Kobit named HORSE.</p>
<p>The blue and gold, melon shaped crystal in the center of
the vault has been left unguarded. It hovers, suspended,
beneath its glass dome on top of its pedestal, revolving
slowly in place. It looks like a weird tiny asteroid. The
veins of gold in the stone pulse lightly with otherworldly
energy.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Damn it Corraidhin thinks to himself, here I am yet again
at the bottom of some insipid pool stuck by some random
magical thing all because I didn’t pay enough attention in
mythical history class. Bloody hell!</p>
<p>Good thing I paid attention in sorcery and yesteryears
secrecry administrivia, this little sword won’t stay stuck for
too long! My lungs if I bungle this though..</p>
<p>Corraidhin quickly invokes a spell with his spare hand,
casting mystical runes with his hand.</p>
<pre><code>sudo chmod -t sowrd_of_yam\&#39;l
sudo chmod 775 sword_of_yam\&#39;l
sudo chown corraidhin:party sword_of_yam\&#39;l</code></pre>
<p>That should do it corraidhin thinks to himself. If not I’m
going to need to think quick, I’m stuck and there’s no way up
without this sword. I might be able to transmute the water
into air around me, but probably only a small pocket which
will surely disappear in a gasp. Alternately I could try and
blast my way down, creating a pocket for the water to flow
into, but I’d be willing to bet I’ll hurt myself in the
process..</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You trace some watery runes, invoking Sudo to bend reality
to your will.</p>
<p>The unschooled masses sometimes erroneously assume that
Sudo is a deity in its own right. There’s a certain misguided
logic to it: an invisible force that governs the relationships
between entities, and infallibly predicts how they will
behave? Certainly, it must be an all powerful, godlike
entity.</p>
<p>You and your ilk, of course, know that there’s no more
intelligence behind Sudo than there is behind gravity. No need
to correct them though. Sometimes it behooves the mage to
allow others to think that they serve an unfathomable arcane
lord.</p>
<p>There is a dull underwater flash and a muted underwater
bang, and you feel the sword slip from its stony clinch like a
knife tearing through soggy bread.</p>
<p>You push up off the bottom of the pool and rocket to the
surface, helped–surprisingly–by the sword, which remains glued
fast to your hand, but which also rises above you as though
somehow lighter than water.</p>
<p>You break the surface of the water and hear joyous
laughter.</p>
<pre><code>&quot;Oh, yes! Well done, Hardy Bear! So very well done indeed! Oh, I had spent so long trapped at the bottom of that pool waiting for a new bear to come and free me. And now here you are! Oh, what a very good day this is. What a magnificent pair we shall be.
&quot;Now, let&#39;s go stab some evil!&quot;</code></pre>
<p>You look down at the sword in your hand, and the eye
twinkles at you, full of adoration and zeal.</p>
<p>A small wine pitcher splashes into the water next to you.
It is attached to a thin hose, at the other end of which Inky
sits on dry land, drinking a cup of tea. They wave.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Inky squints at the silhouette underwater, slightly
distorted by the occasional ripple on the surface, trying to
decipher the odd hand gestures and wisps of light coming from
below. Why was Master Corraidhín repeatedly forming
semi-circles with his finger, almost like … the handle of a
teacup? Was it a request for tea?</p>
<p>After a pause, Inky rummages inside a bag and brings out a
large porro and a long rubber hose. The porro is filled with a
demi-tasse of black grapefruit pekoe from a flask and the
spout plugged with an eldarberry-flavoured gummy pen nib. Inky
strings together a handful of brass nuts with twine and ties
it to the porro’s handle to act as a small weight, then
affixes the hose tightly to the open top of the porro. Casting
a slightly apologetic look in the direction of the water for a
brew long since gone cold, Inky swings the hose and flings the
drinking vessel into the pool towards Master Corraidhín,
watching for a moment as the porro sinks down into the water
to hover near his arm. The other end of the hose is tied
securely to a narrow rock on one side of the pool with more
twine, the end sticking up in the air like a wiggling
snorkel.</p>
<p>Inky returns to crouching near the vault entrance and
looking inside another small pouch for fresh tea leaves.
Waiting is thirsty work!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You cast an improvised lifeline to the floundering wizard,
and find a cache of very fine fermented tea leaves wrapped in
waxed paper that you left for yourself at some point in the
past. How thoughtful and considerate of Past You!</p>
<p>From your vantage point, the sleepy guard Kobit still shows
no sign of stirring. And Jarrod has a throng of captive beasts
listening very intently to his stirring, epic poem. HORSE in
particular seems to be gaining some kind of physical
sustenance from the words, snorting and whinnying and beating
its wings with each new stanza.</p>
<p>If you can slip through the doorway without disturbing
them, there will be nothing between you and the now vulnerable
Ginnarak Crystal.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DOOOOOO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00019.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>00004 - pockets picked</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">00004 - pockets picked - Tue, 24 Jul
2022 20:32:23 -0600</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jul 2022 20:32:23 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00004</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>“And jolly good polish too, it looks like,” Inky replies,
squinting a bit at the ichor being smeared onto the boots in
Earrings’ large calloused hands. “I hear there be some gnomes
hereabouts? A camp? With your remarkable service, I bet they’d
be coming to you all the time to get their boots cleaned.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“GNOMES!?” Earrings interrobangs loudly and questioningly.
It brings its hands to the sides of its face, covering its ear
holes, and wags its oversized head in dismay, squeezing its
tiny eyes shut. In the process, it smears polish around its
face.</p>
<p>“Gnomes there!” shouts Waistcoat. Its hands busy polishing,
it tosses its head, gesturing with its prodigious proboscis in
the direction you were heading. You continue to hear bangs and
booms in the distance every once a while.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Glarg gurgles something to the effect of
“gluggurguuuurglaaaachhhh?” Its stance is one of surprise as
its disposition changes to that of inquisition as its head
cranes down to look at the blahoblin carrying the smelly rock
on its back.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Teeth looks questioningly up at Glarg and experimentally
gargles back up at it. “GURGLE BURBLE GLUG GLUG?” It smiles
apologetically (a fearsome sight, its protruding jaws full of
tiny pointy teeth) and shrugs and asks, “Shoe shine?”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It attempts to pick that whole blahoblin up and bring the
smelly rock to its face for a closer inspection.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“WAAAAAAH!” Teeth kicks its feet ineffectively and is quite
helplessly tied to the big smelly rock when Glarg picks it up.
The smelly rock smells pungent, sharp, earthy, moldy.
Definitely could be food.</p>
<p>By this time the blahoblins have polished the shoes of
everybody who has consented to it, and are packing up. Except
for Teeth who is being detained by the earth elemental.</p>
<p>Red Shoes reappears from wherever they have been this whole
time with a sly smile and rejoins its comrades.</p>
<p>Your pockets have successfully been picked while you were
distracted with the shoe shine, but not of anything of
particular value.</p>
<p>What small item(s) will you notice is missing in the hours
and days to come? How will its absence be a minor
inconvenience?</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-07/msg00031.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>11</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">11 - Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:47:26
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:47:26 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00011</h3>
<p>The Retrieval Team 70 gophers are absolutely losing their
minds over the ed terminal.</p>
<p>“It just keeps printing a question mark!” Vest sobs.</p>
<p>“Try pushing escape?” suggests Shorts somewhat
panicking.</p>
<p>“I’ve tried it! It’s not vi! It doesn’t do anything!” Vest
moans. “Here you try it if you’re so smart!”</p>
<p>Sash is balled up on the floor crying, having already had a
turn at the terminal.</p>
<p>Shorts carefully steps over them and timidly prods at the
keypad.</p>
<p>A throng of beefy guard kobits come charging into the hall,
alerted by the gopher racket.</p>
<p>“Here now! You’re not supposed to be in here!”</p>
<p>One of them trips over Sash, still balled up on the floor,
and crashes into Shorts’s back, pinning them to wall. They
squeal. Another guard grabs Vest by the collar, and after a
brief scuffle all three gophers are escorted out of the hall
despite their howls of protest.</p>
<p>“I had better check on the vault!” exclaims one of the
kobits who remains behind.</p>
<p>They bang a few keys on the terminal and it spits out a
slip of paper.</p>
<pre><code>ed v1.6
19
P
*,n
1 the door is locked
*1s/locked/open
?
*H
no match
*1s/Locked/Open
the door is Open
*wq
17</code></pre>
<p>There is a mechanical whir deep in the walls, and a click
and a gasp of air as the door swings inward.</p>
<p>The kobit slips into the vault and the door swings only
partly closed behind it.</p>
<p>The sword in the bottom of the pool pointedly narrows its
eye at you.</p>
<p>The gods of Basmentaria observe passively from their
reliefs in the alcoves around you.</p>
<p>The door to the vault is ajar, the first of the five
legendary Ginnarak crystals presumably behind it.</p>
<p>From one of the twisty little passages, you hear a guard
kobit approaching, singing a sad cowboy song to itself.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00001.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>10</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">10 - Sun, 28 Aug 2022 10:06:07
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Sun, 28 Aug 2022 10:06:07 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00010</h3>
<p>Once Corey the Kobit exits the antechamber, you are free to
look around a little bit.</p>
<p>The eyesword continues to watch from the bottom of the
pool, and the Kobit Ed terminal continues to await you by the
vault door.</p>
<p>But also you notice a couple of alcoves along the walls
between the twisty little passages. Each of them holds a
relief sculpture depicting one of the three deities of
Basmentaria.</p>
<p>There is Neddas, the wise god of sages and starlight.
Androgynous, clad in purple robes, depicted with a golden
third eye in the middle of their forehead. They are shown here
stoically bestowing gifts upon the inhabitants of
Basmentaria.</p>
<p>And here is Nullar, god of time and tides. A bespectacled
male figure with a golden third eye on his forehead. He is
dressed in a dapper vest and bow tie, and is adorned with
small cogs and gears. He is depicted here looking up at the
stars from a mechanical contraption he is working on.</p>
<p>Finally, there is Liandt, goddess of war and flame. A
primal, elemental deity, she is depicted as a fiery warrior
with a golden third eye. The relief shows her on the
battlefield during the Artifice wars. The wars which reduced
Ginnarak to the wastes of cinder and ash that they are today.
The wars which drained Liandt’s divine energies so thoroughly
that she fell into a deep sleep and has been absent from the
mortal realms ever since.</p>
<p>But enough of this lore dump! There is something important
happening!</p>
<p>You hear a shuffling and a mumbling approaching from one of
the twisty little passages.</p>
<p>You’re already in one of the alcoves studying the relief,
so your press yourself flat into the recess.</p>
<p>Three gophers with smoked glass goggles spill out from one
of the passages. Retrieval team 70! They made it past the egre
after all!</p>
<p>They don’t see you, but head straight to the keypad by the
vault. They crowd around it and start pressing buttons,
arguing and bickering with one another.</p>
<p>The sword at the bottom of the pool seems to roll its eye
in exasperation.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO?</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-08/msg00017.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>14</title>
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
<guid isPermaLink="false">14 - Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:37:41
-0600</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:37:41 -0600</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<h3 id="section">00014</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Jarrod wanders into the vault. Spotting the Aurs and the
Kobits, a slow grin starts to spread on his face. Taking a
deep breath in, he gestures grandiosely around him and booms:
“Ah! Come gather round! Hear a tale of Triumph! Of Heart! …
Maybe even a bit of Nirvana!”</p>
<p>He saunters over to the giant open clam and poses grandly
nearby. His eyes sweep across the Kobits, attempting to catch
the eyes of each one, as he begins to tap the fingers of his
left hand rhythmically against his thigh, mimicking a
heartbeat.</p>
<pre><code>&quot;Our tale begins with a hero, though one not oft recognized,
Weaving bureaucratic mysteries across parchment with zeal,
Though held to account, and by all accounts terrorized,
By small minded yes-men with power and zeal!
Yes, our hero of sorts did not act and avail,
He gave others their tasks to be done.
No pleasure he gleaned from the mop or the pail,
And yet here we begin with the fun!&quot;</code></pre>
<p>Thus has the epic begun, and Jarrod is pushing the rhythm
of the words hard, attempting to draw all eyes and ears to
himself.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Broad-chested, olive-skinned Jarrod launches into the epic,
flanked on one side by a giant clam and on the other side by a
suit of armor.</p>
<p>The aurs, enraptured, immediately flutter down to rest at
his feet to listen to the poem.</p>
<p>The one Kobit that tripped over its own feet rolls over
where it lays on the ground and listens with naked
admiration.</p>
<p>The naked, winged Kobit rouses from its sleep at the noise
with a groan. It grouchily rises to its feet, flaps its wings
a few times, and soars up into the air.</p>
<p>“My name,” it cries out, “is HORSE! BhrruUHRHUuHRRh! Behold
my majesty! BrUHrhHHHURHuRu! You shall not steal my blue and
gold, melon-sized gem! BhrruUHRHUuHRRh! I have such beautiful
WINGS!”</p>
<p>The aurs and the clumsy Kobit all start to fidget as
Horse’s outburst threatens to break the spell of Jarrod’s
captivating oration.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Excellent!” Corradihin whispers to Inky nudging her gently
as he does. “It looks like Jarrod has the Kobits covered, I’m
gonna make a break for the sword, I’m decently, somewhat, sort
of positive that it’s the legendary sword of Jason. But if I’m
wrong and it’s cursed watch my back. I might need a quick
save.”</p>
<p>Corraidhin makes a step forward, “Oh and Inky, if Jarrod’s
distraction goes awry, shout, I’ll come in fireballs blazing.
I highly suggest a rapid retreat if it comes to thay.”</p>
<p>Corraidhin darts towards the sword scrambling over the
terrain while the actions on the vault. As he approaches the
sword he asks the sword if it wouldn’t mind coming along for a
bit of adventure, and he grabs it by the hilt.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Corraidhín wades resolutely into the pool. The water rises
up to his knees, his hips, his shoulders, and finally he dives
under about 10 feet to the bottom of the pool. The eye of the
sword stares at him with great intensity as he descends.</p>
<p>The mage reaches out and firmly grasps the hilt.</p>
<p>You feel a jolt, and the eye rolls back in its socket.</p>
<p>You yank on the sword and it budges not one bit. Not one
iota!</p>
<p>You go to adjust your grip. But your hand is stuck fast!
Glued to the hilt of the sword!</p>
<p>You look up at the surface of the water, some 10 feet
above.</p>
<p>You look down at the sword that refuses to release you.</p>
<p>You look more closely at the pattern on the hilt. Egads!
Why did you not see it before? The pattern is neither whirly
nor swirly at all! It is in fact kind of spacey and
indented.</p>
<p>This is not the legendary Sword of J’son! It’s so obvious!
How could you have been so mistaken! This is none other than
the infamous Sword of Yam’l. Yam’l is of course a superset of
J’son, so it is an easy enough error to make. And perfectly
harmless in an academic setting. It is however a costly
miscalculation to make while glued to a sword at the bottom of
a fountain.</p>
<p>You lungs start to burn a little bit, and you hear a
spectral, burbling, significant whitespace voice in your head
as the sword makes intense eye contact with you:</p>
<pre><code>---
name: Yam&#39;l
conditions: {&quot;stuck&quot;: &quot;true&quot;, &quot;sticky&quot;: &quot;true&quot;}
greatest desire: stabbing
...</code></pre>
<p>And then an expectant pause, as though the sword eagerly
awaits your reply.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Inky watches Master Corraidhín make his way towards the
creepy sword with two drams of admiration and a tiny dose of
apprehension. Taking out a small wrench, a pouch of nuts and
bolts, along with some gum twine, Inky crouches near the vault
archway, listening in a little on Jarrod’s epic tale about the
unsung hero of sanitation while occasionally looking into the
pool.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Inky, from the best seat in the house, hears Jarrod launch
into an epic poem, and also the beating of leathery wings and
a mighty whinny and a neigh.</p>
<p>They also watch Corraidhín dive to the bottom of the
fountain, and then thrash about a bit with one hand on the
hilt of the eye sword.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<p><a
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00015.html">www</a></p>
]]>
</description>
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</channel>
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