>-Cordia puts us in a bit of an awkward position. I understand spirit-worship is a major part of the local religion, but what do the elders say happens to most people after death? Are there religious priests? Or do Totemists fill that role as well?
The local religion actually revolves around a set of gods, believed to be on an entirely different level from the spirits of nature that surround the village. Elder Illystia acts as your village's priestess, though services of worship are irregular and generally major prayers are only sent in times of celebration or tragedy.

>-Are Totemists respected everywhere? Or only by small communities in the wilderness?
You only have one village's worth of perspective to work with.
>-Something about the Magus tweaks a curious part of my brain. Are there other types of magic in this world besides totemic magic?
Ayren often told you that there existed a kind of "True Magic" in the world capable of warping the laws of nature and imposing entirely new realities. He once confided in you that he theorized Behemoths to be particularly large beasts with some talent for True Magic, and nothing more.
(Cont)]]

>-I take it from the Elders' reactions to Cordia that other communities in the wilderness are rare. What about elsewhere? Is the whole world wilderness or are their tamed lands with civilized nations out there, far from our not-quite-quiet community?
The answer to this will come with further exploration. I will tell you that other civilizations exist. I will not tell you how large they are.

>-Magna Modi poses an interesting conundrum. He is an Avatar of Wrath. Whose? So far we've dealt with primarily nature spirits. Are there more esoteric or abstract spirits we've yet to learn about?
Modi Magni is an Avatar of Wrath. Avatars embody the abstract concept more than the rage or love or fear of one particular individual, though they can be spawned from a particularly violent and concentrated outpouring of intense emotion. There are many varieties of spirits that Osyki has not yet dealt with, and there are many more categories for the ones he has met than simply "Nature Spirits" and "Avatars".

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program.]]

Booya, totemist quest, been here since beginning, stopped when you took a few months of break, but now I caught up and ready to go

"Thank you for looking after us," you say, not turning for fear of awakening Elana. "How long have we been out?"

"Day will be breaking soon outside." Boa says.

"I got to say goodbye to Ayren, it was a good dream, but it wasn't really a dream as it was all true." You laugh. "I'm starting to talk like a mystic aren't I?"

Boa goes silent for a moment behind you, then resumes her work. "What a lucky opportunity.

Elana stirs on your shoulder.

You wait for her to come around fully, then have Boa ferry you across the veil. She leaves you at the pool's edge, apparently eager to get back to whatever work she had busied herself with in your time of meditation.

"You look... different, Osyki," Elana says as the two of you head back toward the village. "Not like back in the pond. Just... older, I suppose."

You smile faintly. "I got to grow up a bit last night."

>>20715135
"I had a good dream for once, it was nice.

We should get home soon. They're probably wondering where we are by now and the gossip has probably spread far and wide. Besides, we both have work to do. It was nice to go out with you like this."

You drop Elana off at her home with a promise to visit later in the day. The sun creeps up over the horizon as you make your way into your workshop.

It is a new day, Totemist.

>What will you do?
----------
Previous Threads: [[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=totem]]

>>20715186
Get back home, I think we should start going through the drawers Ayren left us. Start at the bottom and work our way up.

>>20715186
Go home, go through the drawers or experiment with the ykree focus
(note, I think today will go a bit slow for a while because 4chan went down for an hour)

Ha Ha time for totem.

Woo! Give me a second to read up.

Your current obligations:
* Divert a River through the town - from the snowmelt, to Lady Boand's pond
* Provide Thane with a cup of your blood boiled and reduced to a paste at the new moon.
* Repair the Totems in the village wall, and erect more defensive totems to ward off attackers
* Spend about 24 hours at Lady Boand's pond

To Do:
>Go through those drawers
>Spend time with Elana and Aurora
>Keep training Quinn
>Start training Terra
>Continue training with the Slayers
>Make a log/journal of shit a Totemist needs to know

We've upgraded Binding Potency, Earth Elemental Affinity, and ... some other thing that I forgot.
With those, we can get a Rock Turtle bound to the Earth Globe, and start digging out a channel.

We'll probably need to research defensive totems.
And, if I know my RTS (and I do), we'll also need to research some type of economy tech. To get more minerals / credits / spirit power / munny / spice / DOSH / whatever powers these totems. We can't keep using our own power for everything, because we're not a bottomless pit of infinite powah.

I say we spend the morning training Quinn and searching Ayren's stuff.

Come back, 4chan is alive again.

Is posting back?

We're back! Thank Atheismo!

Someone go pull Diarca out of his bed, shove a coffee IV in him and sit him at his keyboard.

DIAAARCA! Come back to us, your avid admirers!

[[Jesus, sorry folks. Betwee 4chan's errors and the internet company deciding I hadn't paid my very definitely paid bill, I got way delayed. We are BACK.]]

You glance at the rather unassuming chest of drawers in the corner of the room. The wood is dark, almost black, and the lacquer is stripped from its corners. You never paid it much mind, and Ayren never asked you to fetch anything from it. You suppose you know why now.

The drawers seem stuck fast when you tug on them. You focus your aura sight, and an interesting array of deep green seals shimmer into being. Each seems to be a unique ward, a circle of complicated interlocking runes and fibers of energy. There is no hint as to the contents of each drawer, or even the nature of the wards. The symbols on the lowermost tier of drawers seem to be vaguely reminiscent of some pattern you've seen in Ayren's binding tomes, but you can't recall them off the top of your head.

You can see, however, that one of the seals is mostly degraded. Four burned-out spheres of magic orbit the locking magic, with only one deep green orb holding the magic in place.

>>20715995
[[In such a rush I forgot my trip!]]

>>20716003
>>20715995
My in-real-life body is doing odd things and I must exit for now.
Magus O'Grady, hopefully you can take it from here.

Sage because I didn't contribute anything to the thread.

>>20716003
Ayren said he put hints around the workshop to open the seals, so I guess search around to find them, and if we find them, try to open the easiest one to open

>>20715995
>>20716003
Yeeessss!

>>20715995
Well let's do this.

First grab Ayren's books on binding and sealing totems and start looking into those. Once we have that as a base we can look for the clues he mentioned.

>>20716043

[[Gimmie a 1d100 roll to find the clue to one of the locks. Above 50 finds one, the higher the roll the more useful the clue.]

rolled 29 = 29

>>20715995
First, see if we can just do the spirtual equivalent of jimmy-ing the lock open.

Then go grab that binding notebook.

rolled 23 = 23

>>20716059
Rolling.

rolled 94 = 94

>>20716063
>>20716081
Our luck has turned! Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!

rolled 85 = 85

>>20716059
Here goes mine

rolled 69 = 69

>>20716059
Rolling for Cluedom.

>>20716098
Haha! Knew that would work.

>>20716098
>>20716101

>94

Something clicks in your mind as you study the first seal. The combination of symbols and the pattern in which the threads of energy weave in and out of one another sparks your memory. You dash to Ayren's library, rifling through books until you find the tome in question. 'Spirits and Seals', it's titled. You rush back to the chest of drawers with tome in hand, flipping through it to pick out the symbols incorporated into the runic designs.

Slowly, one by one, you work out the code.

> [[SEAL 1 REVEALED: [ ]Bind Five Spirits]]

The same symbols seem to be partially repeated in the next seal, though the light of the second burns just as brightly as the rest. With a bit of work though, you make a discovery.

> [[SEAL 2 REVEALED: [ ]Bind an Avatar]]

Well. Damn.

>>20716160
Ahhh, so they open with accomplishments?
In that case, we need to bind one more spirit, I believe. I assume one will open when we kill a behemoth. For now though, I say we go retrieve every broken totem from around the village, so we know just how much work we have to do.

>>20716160
Well uh, motherfuck. An Avatar, sure I'm betting they're not all anywhere as near as dangerous as Magni but finding them is going to be just as hard as binding them.

Currently we have Tryd, Amal, Rock Turtle, Cordia, the Ykree and Thane as spirits we have bound. Though we might not count Tryd and Amal.

Which drawer has the degraded seal?

>>20716191

You note down the meaning of the two seals, resolving to bind another spirit soon. For now, however, you have some unexpected advice to tend to. Ayren's vision advised you to tend to the defenses of your village, and you intend to do just that.

You look over a few maps of the village you dig up from your master's archives, noting the markings and seals. It seems that there were more totems in the village than you had previously imagined. You have a lot of work ahead of you. Which will you tend to first?

> Investigate Defensive totems
> Examine Utility totems
> Seek out Communication totems
> Investigate a certain section of the village first (Which?)

>>20716214
[[The "Bind Five Spirits" drawer has a mostly degraded seal.]]

>>20716258
>Investigate Defensive totems

Defensive first, just get that done right the fuck away.

rolled 66 = 66

>>20716258
Having the best defenses possible should be our priority, after that the utility comes next

>>20716258
Defenses, then utility, and then communication. I wouldn't be opposed to getting our friends in on this too, but later. I also want to visit Aurora at some point.

>>20716266
>>20716289
>>20716303

You have your priorities, and safety comes first. That is, most primarily, your duty as Totemist. You scan the map of Ayren's defensive totems. The one map you're looking at has over six dozen locations marked, and you're sure it's not the only map of defenses he has in place. The totems seem to follow the walls for the most part, though there are also Totems buried along the main roads to defend from aerial assaults and the like. It would likely be most expedient to head to the wall and make a trip around the village first, then tend to the inner totems. It'll likely take several trips, even with an empty pack.

Guess you'd better get started.

>Roll 2d100

rolled 8, 33 = 41

>>20716350
Let's do this.

rolled 15, 93 = 108

>>20716350
After we tend to the totems, we should spend some time with aurora, and/or continue to train quinn and/or start training Terra

rolled 13, 51 = 64

>>20716350
Rolling. C'mon based Osyki.

rolled 18, 78 = 96

>>20716350
The dice hate us.

rolled 52, 86 = 138

>>20716350
Whoa, how'd I miss this? Catching up now.

>>20716350

rolled 17, 6 = 23

>>20716437
Fuck, I'm tired.

rolled 6 = 6

[[Let's see which roll is king]]

Let's do our duty.

rolled 56, 99 = 155

>>20716456
OBVIOUSLY ours was.

>>20716456
Well, fuck. The dice are against Osyki today.

>>20716456
>6
>>20716447
JESUS FUCK. O'Grady, sharpen the knives, time to do our duty to the dice god.

Diarca, could I ask some questions for the next thread? I don't want you to stop continuing the story (unless it gets us out of that roll), but I forgot we had a Q&A session today.

>>20716447

...This is BAD.

It takes you the better part of an hour and a half to pry the broken totems out of the village walls (though you are pleased to note that the Proxy totems are working perfectly). There are almost more totems than you can carry back to the workshop, and those are just the ones worth salvaging. No wonder you village rarely had trouble when Ayren was Totemist. There was enough magic artillery in the walls to keep a pack of wardens at bay.

Now, it seems, the vast majority are defunct.

If nothing else, however, you do gather valuable data about the varieties of totems within the walls. You're not entirely sure how to make some of them, but you learn quite a bit simply from studying the ruined shells.

You catch Quinn on the return to your workshop. He helps you return the totem shells, whistling at the bulk.

"Damn. Looks like we have a lot of work to do."

While Quinn sets up the workshop for heavy duty work, you begin examining Ayren's journals to find a list of defensive capabilities.

>>20716472

Not only do you find them, but a cross-reference of where to find the appropriate totem instructions. Thank the gods. Some of them are clearly out of your range of expertise, for the moment, but some of them are Totems you can get to work on right away.

> [ ]Work on Wall Strengthening Totems
> [ ]Work on Beast Repellent Totems
> [ ]Work on Minor Veil Totems
> [ ]Work on Bastion Totems

rolled 99, 25 = 124

>>20716559
I think beast repellent is most important, what does bastion do?

>>20716542

[[Ask away. If I have time between posts I'll answer what I can this thread.]]

>>20716559
Bastion or Beast repellant

rolled 53, 62 = 115

Let's try this again. Here's hoping the dice gods are merciful.

>>20716559
I have a good idea of what all of them do except for Bastion Totems. What exactly to Bastions do, how does it differ from a Wall Strengthening?

>>20716447
>Roll horribly when it matters.
>>20716472
>>20716572
>I immediately roll two 99's in a row.

>>20716572

>[[Bastion Totems: Minor wards of variable strength. When placed within a wall or similar barrier, those fighting to defend that barrier are given a boost in strength and endurance, as well as a slight spiritual charge to their weaponry to aid in defending against foes of an intangible nature. It does not defend the structure on its own, however.

Beast repellant.

>>20716614
Thanks. I think we should prepare for normal things before planning for ghosts.

Let's start with beast repellant, first prevention with Beat Repellent and Minor Veils, then Protection with the Wall strengthening and lastly we'll get Bastions for the frosting on top.

But Beast Repellant first, we've got a lot of work ahead of us.

Given the proximity of your village to the brush, you think it prudent to start with the most immediate threat and work outward from there. You direct Quinn to gather the materials to craft a set of minor Beast Repellent totems. It's the best you can do with the materials you have on hand, and you'll see about upgrading them when rudimentary defenses are in place.

Quin gathers a large collection of animal pelts, from rabbits to wolves to one particularly large ykree skin. The two of you set to work portioning the animal skins into evenly divided squares of hide and fur. While you anoint each separate square of hide with a few drops of oil, Quinn sets to work writing out the strips of parchment that they are to be attached to.

"Remember, keep everything within the circle," you say while dousing the ykree skin. "No stray marks, or the totem might fail."

>Roll 1d100 for the first batch. Taking the best of the first five. Also accepting additions to the totem that you may think to help symbolically repel beasts.

rolled 65 = 65

>>20716760
Hmm, a drop of something rather pungent and offensive to their sense of smell on the fur, thorns from the local equivalent of blackberries, maybe some poison which we can get as much as we need from binding the Ykree to a knife.

Things that natural flora and fauna naturally used to repel animals.

rolled 72 = 72

Anything to repel beasts.... Somehin that has the scent of an alpha predator, maybe? Or just exudes a feeling of danger, like a predator's fangs or claws?

rolled 60 = 60

>>20716760
This should be easy enough, minor veils after that

>>20716576
Cool, thanks.

-Is it possible to make spirit totems out of mundane animals? Or does there need to be magical potential there for it to happen? Can mundane animals be magically significant?

-When strengthening something through totemic binding, do you alter the item's physical composition or is it just magically stronger? Transmutation seems possible, since foci drastically change when you bind one.

-Is there some reason that anything can be made into a foci? I think that a totemist invites a bound spirit to inhabit the object; is it possible to make an object more inviting to a particular spirit to strengthen the result?

-Does Oyski's village have a name?

-You mentioned that the village has 75 residents. How do they keep ahead of losses? In a village that small, losing just one specialist is a devastating blow to the knowledge base and skills available, so how long does it take for an apprentice to be considered a journeyman, or a master?

-Is there any movement between settlements? If you can't answer that, is anyone an immigrant?

-Related to the above, what specialists does the village have? Blacksmith, bowyer, soldier, farmer, hunter, totemist, healer we know, but what about brewer? Just because water is clean doesn't mean it's safe for human consumption, and in the medieval years the water couldn't be trusted, so alcohol was how people got their fluids.

-Who can read, who does read, and who makes the books/paper/scrolls? What is there to read?

Not a question but a game suggestion: Might Oyski get in touch with the spirit of his home village? Can spirits be generated in places of human habitation? Might be worth trying to strengthen it, or awaken it if it isn't conscious.

>>20716760
Question: what do you mean by "symbolically repel beasts"?

I have a few suggestions that may be viable, so just tell me if they are unusable or inappropriate for the totem.

Much like >>20716807
suggests, smell is a large part of repelling beasts. Peppers and herbs of all sorts are unpleasant for predators to smell and eat, if the village is willing to part with some you can cook up some nasty concoctions to lace the totems with.

rolled 54 = 54

>>20716760
Might symbolically repel beast? Maybe a little piece of coal, since beast are afraid of fire. A particularly unpleasant smelling herb. Something that's known to ward off animals because it just smells awful. Uhh.. that's all I got off the top of my head.

rolled 31 = 31

>>20716867
And an unnecessary roll, since I think we're good. Maybe try painting one side of the totem a bright color, since in the wild that's an indicator of poison.

>>20716760
>>20716877
You could also rig the totem up like an instrument, so that it produces a loud cacophony of sounds to scare away anything that tries to mess with the totem.

Hell you could construct the totem in the shape of a person or animal, achieving an effect similar to a scarecrow.

rolled 51 = 51

>>20716877
Ginger can actually damage an animal's sense of smell if it's strong enough. Combined with ground-up poison ivy it can make an effective scent-based barrier against some predators, though since it's based on 'blinding' an animal, i don't know if that's a repellant or a stealth thing.

>>20716828
>>20716807

Thinking carefully, you draw a handful of the teeth you gathered from the fight at the south gate from their container. They are all the teeth of powerful predators; with a bit of work, they could be viable totem ingredients.

You send Quinn out to the walls to gather a basket full of thorns and poisonous mushrooms, being sure to send him with a pair of heavy gloves. While he is gone you take the stash of pepper you use in seasoning your meat and mix it together with a salve of bitter herb paste.

When Quinn returns the two of you mix the poisonous fungus into the salve. You carefully coat each thorn and fang with the foul mixture, then afix them through the scraps of anointed hide.

"There," you say, nodding in satisfaction. "That should up the potency."

Quinn finishes the last of the vessel strips. You shed your cloak, rolling your shoulders. You'll need mobility for this ritual.

>>20716828
>72
Arranging the paper and hide totems before you, you begin the ritual with a low, keening wail. You pace slowly around the totems, keeping a steady stream of snarled chanting and feral movements flowing as you focus the conceptual magic latent in the totems to their surface. Slowly but surely over the course of a minute the totems begin to shed a deep ocher radiance. Finally you let out a snarl, slamming your fist into the ground. The totems pulse once, and fall silent.

> [[Totem Created: Impressive Beast Ward Totem! Will repel beasts up to the size of a large bear without trouble, and weaken natural creatures larger than that.]]

rolled 73 = 73

>>20717025
That's what I'm talkin' about! With these the village will probably be pretty much safe from most critters.

>>20717025
Excellent, I suggest we move on to minor veil totems, and then depending on the time of the day, visit Aurora

>>20717025
Okay, we're safe from minor critters and even the bigger ones won't approach without urging.

Next on the list is to whip up some veils.

>>20717025
Let's only do the veils that really matter. After all, we've got other things to do today. We ought to take Quinn and bind ourselves a fifth totem, and get him his first familiar.

On the other hand, getting all the maintenance stuff out of the way might be a really good way to clear time to do more of the major stuff at once.

>>20716867


-Is it possible to make spirit totems out of mundane animals? Or does there need to be magical potential there for it to happen? Can mundane animals be magically significant?

You can very easily make totems from the components of mundane animals. Totemistry is an art heavily rooted in symbolism and spirituality. Mundane animals can be used for totem components, and even used for Feral Bindings. In Osyki's world, things such as Ykree and Raptors are considered fairly mundane beasts.

>When strengthening something through totemic binding, do you alter the item's physical composition or is it just magically stronger? Transmutation seems possible, since foci drastically change when you bind one.

It depends on the totem. Some totems will simply create a magical aura around an item, while more powerful totems can indeed physically warp and alter things they are attached to.

>Is there some reason that anything can be made into a foci? I think that a totemist invites a bound spirit to inhabit the object; is it possible to make an object more inviting to a particular spirit to strengthen the result?

Any object is capable of housing the spirits created by Totemists, though some are more up to the task than others. Generally speaking, the more alike the spirit and the object, the stronger the result. The more disparate, the stranger the result.

>Does Oyski's village have a name?

The village is formally referred to as Grisoch. It's rare for anyone Osyki knows to refer to it by name, though.

(cont)

>>20717083
Woah there, no so fast. We don't onow bow many more beast-repellant charms we need first. We might need to keep at this for a while.

>You mentioned that the village has 75 residents. How do they keep ahead of losses? In a village that small, losing just one specialist is a devastating blow to the knowledge base and skills available, so how long does it take for an apprentice to be considered a journeyman, or a master?

Apprentices are taken young for just such a reason. Your village has been larger in times past, but those lost to sickness or attacks have been higher in the past few seasons. It typically takes four years of steady training for an apprentice to be declared a Journeyman, though sufficient skill can accelerate that title. It typically takes ten years of training for one to be considered skilled enough to be called a full, mastered craftsman.
-Is there any movement between settlements? If you can't answer that, is anyone an immigrant?

There are the occasional scouting forays into the brush and around the base of the Ikrin range, but they have so far failed to turn up anything of note. As far as Osyki knows, everyone in the village was born there, excluding Ayren.
(Cont)

>Related to the above, what specialists does the village have? Blacksmith, bowyer, soldier, farmer, hunter, totemist, healer we know, but what about brewer? Just because water is clean doesn't mean it's safe for human consumption, and in the medieval years the water couldn't be trusted, so alcohol was how people got their fluids.

Those listed, as well as carpenters, a brewer, a mason, several miners, a glass crafter, and your papercrafter and bookbinder, among others.

As a side note, Ayren's pacts with the spirits of rain and river have kept the village supplied with safe drinking water for quite some time.

>Who can read, who does read, and who makes the books/paper/scrolls? What is there to read?

The papercraftsman and his apprentices (two) produce the paper and parchment for the village. They typically do not have many orders, and the literature in the village is sparse, mostly reserved for educating those in the raising house and technical manuals for the craftsmen. In the time between orders they typically aid in work on the farms.

>>20717077

You grin, satisfied with your innovations. With a bit of thinking and the right spiritual mojo, it's easy to upgrade basic totem recipes. You'll have to remember that later, when you're working on the utility totems for the villagers.

Until then, however, you have another set of wards to prepare. You send Quinn with the new totems, instructing him to place them at even intervals within the walls. If you end up needing more, priority will go to the sections of wall facing the forest. Beasts are more likely to wander out of the brush than down from the mountains.

Your assistant nods, packing the totems into his pack. When he goes, you turn to the next recipe.

> [[Minor Veil Totem: Creates a shimmering illusion, warping and shrinking the apparent dimensions of the enclosed space. Capable of disorienting beings not expecting the changeup in perspective.

Ingredients:
> Spider web
> Moth Wing
> Gauze
> A Heated Coal
> Refracting Crystals]]

>Gimmie another 1d100. Suggestions welcome.

rolled 60 = 60

>>20717393
Disorienting... oh, especially strong sweet scents. Like, sickeningly sweet. Like those swamp flowers.

Uh... Any herbs we have that are known to cause hallucinations, dizziness, vomiting, or the like?

Could incorporate a butterfly wing, since they're basically built for camouflage.

rolled 35 = 35

>>20717393
Anything like glass, lenses and mirror and such to confuse/blind/reflect

rolled 92 = 92

Oil?

rolled 79 = 79

>>20717393
Water! That and other liquids, in small bottles or urns. The liquid would need to be murky, while the container has to be clear for proper symbolism. Maybe water with a bit of lantern oil?

Dissembling and distorting... camouflage pattern?

rolled 29 = 29

>>20717393
If we have any silk that could be nice. Mirrors or shards of reflective glass as well.

>>20717393
Okay, optical illusions:

First off, since we're dealing with light- you need WATER and HEAT. Placing each veil totem in a shallow pot or bowl of water and leaving it in a place with tons of sunlight will confuse the hell out of non-sentient/sapient creatures. Mirages are wonderful things.

Secondly, add a butterfly wing to the ingredients list, the blinding substance they produce will help fend off wandering predators.

While you don't have any butterfly wings on hand, the idea strikes you as a particularly good one. You know that the scintillating patterns and blinding dust inherent to butterfly wings could be a powerful Totemic enhancer, and if you could round up some wings from the crystalline butterflies that populate some of the deeper mines, you might have some very powerful totems indeed.

The idea for a steam and water-vapor based mirage also occurs to you. If you could convince the guards on patrol to refill the totems each day, you could have a whole new variety of Veil totem.

What will it be, Totemist? Will you wait to gather ingredients, or work with what you have for now?

I think i mentioned earlier that strong ginger and pepper scents can damage or distort the sense of smell.

Mosquito wings. Ever try to focus with a skeeter buzzing in your ear? That's distracting.

Do we have any other Parts of the darkness-creating critter hangig around?

That's all I can think of for symbolicallly or literally distracting.

>>20717684
We're in an emergency at the moment. Once we've re-established our old protections, then we can work on improvements later, but we have to re-establish the bare minimums first. Work with what we have.

>two windog
Yes, captcha, i'm certain a pair of wind dogs or win dogs would be useful now, but we have to make do with what we have.

>>20717684
Try configuring the reflecting/refracting surfaces into a kaleidoscope type deal. Enhance the visual distortion by making complex and distracting patterns.

rolled 10 = 10

>>20717684
Work with what we have for now, improvements later

>>20717684
>crystalline butterflies
>mines
In OP:
>Magical ores can be found deep in the mountain, metals suffused with elemental energy in particular

I say we go get metal for an earth aligned weapon and kill some cave butterflies while we're at it. Bye bye butterfree indeed!

About how many totems will we need to do the veil? The water based system could be really effective, especially since it's new, but if we have to have fifty of them it's probably not feasible. How about using sealed bottles with magnifying lenses to get the same effect with less need for daily maintenance? The lenses would need cleaning once a week or so, but that's easier than once a day.

Wait, do we have magnifying lenses?

Q. Are there any Giant versions of Ants, Armadillos, Badgers, Beavers, Moles, Rabbits, Worms, or the like in the surrounding area?

We need to bind another spirit, and we need to dig a river. A creature reknowned for digging would be a good bet.

It would be nice if you had the luxury of time to go out and hunt for more materials, but as it is your defenses are woefully insufficient. Plenty of time for upgrades when you can breath a little easier.

You gather materials from around your workshop: dust of powdered moth wings, tightly balled spider webs, a coal from the fire, a roll of gauze, and finally one or two quartz crystals that your fellow managed to pry from the hide of the Rock Turtle you slew. You know that a few totems will go a very long way with Veil totems. Overlapping their fields, in fact, can have unexpected consequences. Your master told you once that totems dealing in illusion rarely play well together. They might cancel one another out, or they might react poorly and turn their collective sphere of influence into a terrible nightmare.

You don't feel particularly inclined to subject any villagers to that.

>>20717476
>92

The process goes quickly; for their variable effect, they are not difficult totems to create. You slowly burn and dissolve the ashes of each ingredient over the heat of the coal, then crush the still-hot coal itself and mix the ashes together. The crystal is coated in this fine, ashen substance, and placed into a small cord cradle to be hung where the sun shines through miniscule gaps in the wall's looming edifice.

> [[Totem Created: Minor Veil Totem]]

>>20717889
Cool, onto utility now.

>>20717829

The only powerful creature you know of nearby that is exceedingly skilled at digging would be a Cave Devourer, and you balk a little at the thought of taking on one of the massive, armored reptilian moles in their home terrain. Their mouths are large enough to be mistaken for caverns; you haven't faced anything quite that large just yet.

Your master told you once of a desert on the far side of the Ikrin range. If you could travel there, you could likely find a Dunestalker Wyrm, though taking out one of those beast would present challenges of its own.

>>20717927
Not to mention the trouble in getting there.

About what time is it? We might want to make some wall strengthening totems, we can use all of the Rock Turtle Bone and Shell Shards that we have to help.

>>20717927
The far side of the Ikrin range is mobilised for war, and it's pretty far out from what I'm used to. I'd better not go there now.
Modi Magni would help me against a Wyrm ... or against a Human. But travel, when the village is this poorly defended? No way.

I need to get the Veil totems, Bastion totems, and Wall strengthening totems up.

I also need to know if there is any way to make a totem from a crossbow, that would make the weapon aim on its own. A Totem that always pulls towards the nearest monster, combined with a ball socket, would do the trick. If I combine a potent poison with such a crossbow, I could create a crude but functional defense.

Speaking of crude but functional defenses, what of Spikes? A few long spikes in the ground would be very useful for my villiage's defense. If they are long enough and widely spaced enough that a Man would fit under and between them, they would not be risky to my villagers. However, they would be a very great aid in repelling large land beasts.

Do not forget to document and record all these innovations on the wards. Ayren set a good precedent by recording all the stuff he did. It would be remiss of Osyki to not do the same.

We should also put a fire ward in our library, like the bow maker has.

>>20718040
Also, such gives me an idea.

Totems of navigation.

What did Aryen know about making something that could find, or track, large beasts? Or, large blobs of spiritual power?
A compass that always points north is your best friend in the woods, but a compass that always points towards game to hunt would be a good friend too.

rolled 14 = 14

Diarca fall asleep?

>>20718464
Maybe... That or writing walls of text.

>>20717927
*pokes Diarca*

rolled 56 = 56

>>20718464
Rolling 1d100 search check to find the DM, best of 3.

rolled 95 = 95

>>20718501
Rolling for DM find.

>>20718528
Ah, there we go. Diarca will be here shortly.

>>20718537
I want to believe.

>>20718663
Bumping before I go do other things.

>>20718528


Damn. Thought I got away clean.

>>20719238
Haha, you have returned. What was the DC?

>>20718027

It now nears mid-day.

>>20718040

You don't have a recipe for one on hand, but you imagine with a little research and development you could design one. You'd need to figure out a symbolic basis for the totem.

The spikes would be something to talk to the carpenters about. Likely the Elders, too.

>>20718060

You note down the new totem you've made in a blank notebook, carefully recording your process.

>Visit Aurora or work on Totems? Work on Wall Strength, or research Tracking Totem?

>>20719270
Let's get the walls strengthened and then go bother our Sister.

For the Tracking Totem, when we make it in the future, I think the base should be some animal who tracks by scent.

>>20719257

[[Not sure, but rolling anon is a wizard. I had nodded off, and my roommate came home and closed the door hard enough to snap me out of sleep just a minute r two after he rolled. ]]

>>20719270
Sweet. Wall strangth now.

Satisfied with you work on these fairly standard new Totems, you set them aside. It's time to root your walls more firmly in place. You consult the instructions again with a careful eye to detai.

> [[Wall Strength Totem: A ward that increases durability and roots in place whatever it is attuned to.

Ingredients:
> Stone Dust
> Scrap of Iron
> strap of leather
> Piece of shell or hide]]

>You know the drill. 1d100 + ideas.

[[Going to ACTUALLY go and get a few hours sleep, since it's 4AM here. be back in a few hours to continue. If any of you have further questions, feel free to throw them up in the interim. I'll be continuing this into the day tomorrow.]]

rolled 66 = 66

>>20719410
Well using the Rock Turtle Shell and Bones is obvious.

Adding some mortar paste, a small chip from the oldest/strongest structure in the village, taking apart a shield and using the parts from it for the Totems.

rolled 66 = 66

>>20719410
Walls, easy peasy.

We should add some wood to the mix, ideally petrified wood but that can come later. Instead just pick the type of tree that has flourished the most in the surrounding forest and use the roots. Also take some of the sap from said tree and mix it into mortar paste like >>20719424 suggests, making magic cement.

And just maybe... we could turn on our earth element mojo and put some of that into the totem. I mean a totem only becomes an elemental anomaly if it breaks first right?

rolled 23 = 23

>>20719410
If we still have the bodies of the Raptors and the like that attacked our walls using their leather could be better than normal leather.

rolled 72 = 72

Bump

>>20719410
Walls, eh? We should make something that heals itself. A Bamboo equivalent.
Seconding using a chip from the oldest/strongest structure in the village.

I'm curious what happens if we use a tiny bit of Osyki's skin in the totem. It probably won't do anything since you can only take a very tiny amount without badly injuring yourself, but it might be worth trying.

>>20720095
Actually, if the village has a refined enough glue, we could strip the top layer of skin off of our hand without causing any structural damage to it ( I sometimes strip off the pad of my thumb if i need to make a slightly irregular surface to help two pieces of metal glue together, and i once lost the top layer of my right facial cheek to a combination glue-spill and sleep deprivation, so it's not that dangerous). Or we could trim off any particularly large calouses we may have. Calouses are the body's response to physical stress, thickening to protect what's. Ehind them. That's a pretty good symbolic thing to incorporate into a wall, and if it's ours then it's also linked to us and we can feed it power. Like Oshki told Quinn: "flesh and blood and sinew are the basis of our power, you can't shy away from them".

Are the walls stone or wood? Stacked and mortared or lashed together palisade style? I they're palisade style we could use ants to link the individual logs to cooperating with each other or we could use ivy's propensity to stick to things to make them bond tighter.

>>20720320
"Hey Elana. Help me strip my calouses."
"What? Why?"
"Totem business. Yo, Elena. Take off my pants."
"What? Why?"
"I have calouses there. Totemist business."

rolled 42 = 42

>>20719410
Sleep is 4casuals! ^_^

>>20717796
We're already building a river.... What about an aquaduct? Just a small one, it could help irrigate some fields and deliver a steady trickle to the water totems. If we kept it simple it might be within the skills of the village to maintain, and imagine giving Boand the ability to wander routes through town, the wall, and the fields. I doubt she's ever had that much mobility before.

>>20720460
We might get the 'creepy mystic' reputation back yet.....

A series of idead rapidly come to you for this totem. It is based in strength and stability, something which you feel you can understand a little more intuitively these days. You begin by taking an oak root. With a bit of work you mix up a rudimentary mortar paste, smearing it along the surface of the sturdiest pieces of Rock Turtle shell you can find. The oak root is portioned among these shell scraps and quickly mixed into the mortar.

Leaving that to bond for a moment, you leave the workshop and head for Merich's forge. It is by far the strongest building in the village, the mason's best work. You step inside, and after a brief explanation Merich happily allows you to take a chip from one of the walls, and provides you with fragments of the boss from a shield he was in the process of making. You don't think you've ever seen someone quite so willing to shatter hours of work at a moment's notice. You thank him profusely, thanks that he waves off in the interest of the village's safety.

You return to your workshop, chips and fragments in hand, and begin mixing them into the thickening mortar paste. The slurry has begun to take on a bronze hue, something you take as a good sign. Finally, you slice a callous from your hand, wincing slightly as the toughened skin comes free of your hand. You wrap the tender flesh exposed in a bit of gauze, then portion out the tough skin among the totems.

>Roll 1d100+10 for crafting a whole new kind of defensive totem

rolled 23 + 10 = 33

>>20721379
Here it goes.

>>20721409
Hopefully someone else can do better

rolled 45 + 10 = 55

Rolling!

>castles fsuppr

rolled 10 + 10 = 20

>>20721379
You guys suck, I'll do it

rolled 51 + 10 = 61

>>20721444
no u

rolled 18 + 10 = 28

>>20721379
Rolling for innovation!

rolled 1 + 10 = 11

>>20721379

>>20721456 wow howd I manage that screw up

The dice gods are fickle with their blessings.

rolled 89 + 10 = 99

>>20721456
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XsqK2i1oA4

New type of totem confirmed for FAILURE.

>>20721450
[[Made it by literally one point.]]

It's a struggle for you, at least at first. The mixture of ingredients seems to actively resist being bound to one another, even with the mortar paste acting as a symbolic focus. You grit your teeth and slip into aura sight, narrowing your eyes in focus. You can -do- this. You're in your element here.

In your element...

It clicks. You turn, striding over to your discarded pack, and pull the Raw Earth from it. You just need a little extra push. That much is clear. You clench the perfectly spherical emerald gem in your palm, reaching out with your aura once more.

This time, something clicks. Lines of green power dance under your skin, and though the ingredients are still resistant, now you have the strength to hold them together. You extend a hand, bidding the components to come together into a seamless whole.

The resonance in your aura sweeps across the totems, and with a series of soft green pops, they do so. You feel a little dizzy when the process is said and done, but at least you've done it.

> [[Totem Created: Guardian Stone Totem. Strengthens structures placed within it, and can draw slabs of stone from deep within the earth to create a secondary barrier to protect the first.]]

>>20721515
Write it down somewhere. People will need to know this kind of stuff.
What do we need for Guardian totems?
We'll be running low on supplies after this, meaning our asses are going to need to go on a supply run.
A question: What are burial / funerary practices like in this village?

Wow. Ok, we just tapped unknown and uncontrollable power and pushed ourselves to do something nobody has ever done before. Maybe a breather is in order. Let's go get quinn and terra. We'll take a walk around the village and install the totem. While we do that, we'll have Quinn explain to terra the what, why, and how of what we're doing, to see how much he's retaining from his reading. Educate terra, test quinn, and get the village protected all at the same time. And it's important for Terra to know that most of our job is difficult, stressful, and not as exciting as 'kicking bad men in the face'.

>>20721515
Now that's cool. How's Oyski holding up, and what time is it? We can't have finished all the totems in one day, but we've made a good dent in them. I'm guessing we're going to have to spend some time making these for a long while yet, but there's no need to roleplay it more than once. Let's start training our totemist apprentices!

>>20721536

You grab the same notebook, labeling the front "Osyki's New Totems" before scribbling in the new recipe for Guardian Stone Totems.

> Rock Turtle Shell
> Oak Root
> Stone Dust
> Mortar Paste
> Shield Fragment
> Chip of a strong wall
> Callouses

You place the notebook down so that the ink can dry. You've got a pretty decent set of defensive totems to distribute now. Not bad for a few hours work.

Of course, you think looking over your scattered supplies, now you're low on materials. But this was important. Now, no more Slayers should be injured in Raptor attacks, and the walls should hold against even the most ferocious mundane assault.

You pack the Veil and Guardian Stone totems into two separate packs. Another wave of dizziness claims you, and you take a moment to gulp down some water and eat a few pieces of jerky before heading out to find Quinn.

You catch up with him by the forge.

"Hey Osyki. How'd the others go?"

You flash him a grin. "Better than expected. Let's swing by the raising house and get Terra, and we'll go ahead and get these in place."

Quinn nods, and the two of you head off toward the raising house.
(Cont)

>>20721635
We forgot to get the Bastion totems up, we should do that before we piss off.

>>20721643
We can have Quinn and Terra watch us do that to see if they can follow what we're doing. A good teacher can get the student to learn on their own. A great teacher can get the student to teach themself and other students. And we'll see if Terra and Quinn, having no predispositions or prior opinions, have any insights from a fresh perspective.

>>20721611
what? why terra? did we decide on her?

>>20721673
Not officially, but she seems te best candidate. Not the most powerful, but the most clever, efficient, and courageous. We can test the other two some more, but one has no power and the other has no control.

When you arrive, the children have just been let out to exercise and play in the yard. You flag down matron Liska, who approaches you with a smile. One of the other matrons, the raven-haired woman who heloed you arrange your playtime testing with the children before, gives you a small wave.

"What can I do for you, Osyki?" Liska asks. Her face is stern, but there is a smile in her eyes that she can't quite manage to keep suppressed. She's always been bad at remaining stoic around the sound of laughing children.

"I'd like to see Terra," you say, pointing over toward where the red-headed girl and Aurora are dueling with switches. "I think I've made up my mind, and I'd like to get her started on training as soon as possible."

The Matron frowns at this. "It's a little early for the children to be released to their masters, Osyki. They'll be sent off to the tradeshomes in a few weeks. Can't it wait until then?"

You shake your head. "The sooner I can get her familiar with the village's defenses and what she should be expecting, the better. I'll have her back before dinner."

>1d100 for diplomacizing

rolled 86 = 86

>>20721699
You know what's awesome?
The creativity of children.
The defenses I've got to set up, while useful, are boring and unimaginative. Perhaps someone less rooted in the world of Bricks, Wood and Iron would have a better idea of how to set up defenses.

>>20721696
I always thought Scales seemed like the most clever one......

I feel we should do a proper check for spiritual power. Scales might have some we just haven't discovered yet. Because he is good at hiding and stuff, it could be that his powers are hidden.

>>20721723
God damn it Scales, get off the internet and go play with the other children.

rolled 76 = 76

>>20721699
"what I'm doing now i hope to not do again for a long time. It's something Ayren never bothered to show me how to do, so I'd like her to see it first, to help her understand that being a totemist isn't all excitement and fighting, it's hard working and harder thinking. This will be her last chance to beg for a different job."

Fuck you all, Scales is better than any of the other children. We dont need a reckless stupid totemist that can get herself killed in under a week. We need a totemist that is careful and puts safety first!

>>20721810
Scales is using abusive language on the internet again.
I'd hack him but he's behind like 1000 proxies or something.

>>20721709
>>20721757

You can see the Matron looking a little hesitant, so you speak a little more.

"What I'm doing now i hope to not do again for a long time. It's something Ayren never bothered to show me how to do, so I'd like her to see it first, to help her understand that being a totemist isn't all excitement and fighting, it's hard working and harder thinking. This will be her last chance to beg for a different job," you add with a small smile. "Totemistry isn't all adventure."

>86

"Very well, Osyki," Liska says with the slightest of nods. "I'll fetch her for you."

"Thank you, Matron," you say with a shallow bow.

Terra seems to have been waiting for the Matron to relent. As soon as Liska takes a step toward her she dives out of the way of Aurora's swinging branch, rolls, and breaks into a run.

"Hey Osyki!" she says with a wide grin as she reaches you. Aurora is not far behind her, a wide grin on her face. "Are we goin' on an adventure now? I've got my weapon!"

[[Gotta run to class for about an hour and a half here very shortly. Quest will resume when I get out.]]

>>20721848
>"Are we goin' on an adventure now?
[Lie]: Yes!

>>20721810
What we need is a totemist who do everything Oyski is doing. Scales is clever and can use what he's got better than the other two, but he can't fight. First time a monster comes stamping up the destruction is going to be bad until whatever clever plan he has goes to completion. We need a fighter, someone who can defend the place.

>>20721848
This is our chance to break her of that illusion.
"No, we have very important totemist work to do around the village. Not everything is excitement for a totemist. Hey, Quinn, about how many hours have you spent reading musty old books in the last week? When was the last time you touched a weapon?"
--wait for Quinn's answer
"What a totemist does is very hard, and very, very important. But it's not usually exciting unless something goes wrong."

On the topic of teaching people totemist stuff, I wanted to breech a sorta touchy subject. Would it be taboo to offer Serpico totemist training? I mean, we're already viewed in some spiritual places as a slaver, would this brand Serpico a traitor to his own kind?

The reason I ask is because, well- Besides his social standing beyond the veil, there's no reason not to try. Serpico has several advantages that we don't, such as not being human. He's survived in the swamps for who knows how long, every night being assaulted by those spirit bugs. Most importantly, he can cross the veil easier than we can, his connection to the other side is naturally deeper and more complex.

I wouldn't make him our full time apprentice, because we'd be getting weird looks from the people in the village. But having a freelance totemist as our "man" on the other side? It would make things so much easier with a proper informant and ally.

What do you guys think?

>>20722365
>>20722365
Pretty sure he's a spirit himself. Boand referred to him as a 'corrupt water spirit' I think. I don't think spirits can learn to do what we do.

On the other hand, if we break the 'slaver' reputation, that can earn us a lot of goodwill. Write up a clear, unambiguous contract that is mutually beneficial to all parties and that all parties can back out of at any time. Offer Serpico a really good deal. Good will goes a long way.

>>20722542
>that is mutually beneficial to all parties and that all parties can back out of at any time
Therein lies the rub, that's just not possible. When a Totemist kills a a creature, he binds the spirit to keep it from going to the other side. Most of the totems you'd want to bind are from non-sapient animals; they gain communicative ability after they're killed. You can't write up a contract with a bear that's trying to tear off your head. And afterwards? When you use them as a foci the spirit might as well not be there; you can use them however you like. That's not a basis for any good contractual relationship; besides, there does exist a contract between spirit and totemist: if the totemist kills the totem animal and takes a significant relic, he can bind the spirit.

>>20722877
We're not talking about a feral bind. I'm talking about a contract like the one we have with Boand or Sylvie. They get something from us, we get something in return. No slavery, no killing anything, just a deal with a free spirit. I don't think you've been keeping up with the quest or everything we've done in the last 5 threads.

"No, we have very important totemist work to do around the village. Not everything is excitement for a totemist. Hey, Quinn," you say, glancing to him, "about how many hours have you spent reading musty old books in the last week? When was the last time you touched a weapon?"

Quinn considers this for a moment. "I'd say about eight hours a day, and a week not counting daily practice. Not the most exciting stuff."

Terra frowns. "So? So what? I like books!"

"What a totemist does is very hard, and very, very important. But it's not usually exciting unless something goes wrong." you explain.

Terra thinks on this for a moment, then nods.

"Okay. I can work hard. Promise." she says, a look of resolute, if adorable, determination on her face.

>>20721863
Someone like Oyski the Prepared? If anything we have been more like Scales than we have been like Terra. We put careful planning ahead when doing stuff and came up with good and clever plans... I feel like we need the levelheaded person capable of operating well under stress rather than the brute barbarian trying to smash its way through obstacles.

>>20722952
Are you still writing or are we supposed to give input?

>>20723033

[[Waiting on a response anon. I'll put (cont) at the end of multipart posts.]]

>>20723025
Right, we want someone clever, but the totemist needs to be able to fight. What we need most of all is someone willing to throw themselves into learning everything about what it means to be a totemist, cleverness, combat and contracts. Terra has the passion to soak it all up, and that's why she's the best choice.

>>20722932
No, I just forgot the difference between a feral binding and a spirit contract. I'm obviously an idiot. I think we might want to get a contract with the spirit of the village, if there is one.

>>20723045
Whoops. Guess it's time to do the rounds! Let's tour the village, pointing out the major bindings, and give her a little test to see if she remembers. If she does. we tell her that we're going to apprentice her. If not, we tell her some other time. Once we've done that, let's go hunting with Quinn. Let's bind a Raptor, those are good first bindings, yes? After we use it to open the drawer we gift it to Quinn.

>>20723045
Ah, well it seemed like the plans for what to do next were already laid out so i guessed there was a post coming up.

>>20722952
We should politely decline in a brotherly way to Aurora and try to cram as much info into Terras head as possible on the way.

>>20723025
And rushing into battle with a warden without a plan? And mouthing off to the Magus? Besides you're mistaking Terra for the other kid, the one that muscles through everything. Terra was the clever one.

My vote for input is the same. We test Quinn by having him explain what we're doing and what effect it has to Terra while we instal the totems.

>>20723185
>We should politely decline in a brotherly way to Aurora and try to cram as much info into Terras head as possible on the way.

We should politely decline in a brotherly way to Aurora. We should also try to cram as much info into Terras head as possible while doing the rounds.*

>>20722952
Alright, let's get started. Terra, -this- is wall strengthening totem. It increases durability and roots in place whatever it is attuned to. Look at it while we make our rounds through the village. If you can accurately deduce at least half of the ingredients I used to make this totem, you get a surprise.

>>20723193
When was Terra the clever one? She was less muscle through stuff like the other guy but as far as i have seen she has not portrayed any huge amount of cleverness.
We did try to do a plan while fighting the warden, but when we noticed its speed the plan fell short. So we held back and retreated until we found a better plan.
Mouthing of against the magus splinter was part of a plan... Not a very good plan but a plan nonetheless.

My point? While it may not have seemed like it Osyki have always had reasons behind his actions and will always try to be as prepared as possible. Much like i would picture scales as a totemist.

rolled 36, 57 = 93

You nod, and Terra lights up. Aurora smiles as well, leaping forward to hug your leg.

"I missed you Osy! You've been gone for so long."

You stoop down, picking Aurora up and giving her a brotherly hug.

"I missed you too, Rora. Terra and I have to go make the rounds of the village, but when we're done I'll stop by and see you, alright?"

She pouts for a moment, blue eyes sparkling in the mid-day sun, but finally relents. "Yeah, okay Osy."

You give her a kiss on the top of the head and let her back down. She gives Terra what seems to be a very secret handshake between the two of them, then runs off to join Scales on a nearby tree.

You wave your hand and the three of you set off. As you walk, you pull a totem from your pack.

"Alright, let's get started. Terra, -this- is wall strengthening totem. It increases durability and roots in place whatever it is attuned to. Look at it while we make our rounds through the village. If you can accurately deduce at least half of the ingredients I used to make this totem, you get a surprise."

"Can I get in on that as well?" Quinn asks with a grin. You let out a laugh and nod.

"We'll make it a contest, then."

Terra's eyes immediately light up with the intense fires of competitive spirit. She squints at the totem, trying to examine it from every angle.

[[Rollan']]

rolled 84 = 84

>>20722952
She should help us place, or just watch us place the remaining totems, while explaining what they do and such

rolled 31 = 31

Rollin' rollin' rollin', keep those totems rollin'...

>>20723326
[Well that changes the surprise I had in mind. The surprise for Terra still remains, she gets to sit in on the whole process of the next totem we make; gathering ingredients, explaining proper symbolism, the chants and such, etc... For Quinn, I'm not sure.]

>>20723413
Dropped a trip?

How about a feral binding? Raptors are good first binds, let's take him and hunt each of us one.

>>20723469
Nope, I'm >>20723220
I just didn't want to drop it on Diarca to think of a surprise if they succed. Or worse, look like a jerk to Quinn because I didn't expect him to participate.

Quinn does, of course, manage to puzzle out more of the ingredients than Terra by the time you make the rounds, installing the totems. Still, she makes a good show of it. She guesses the shell, of course, and the splinter of oak root still extended from one of the totems. To your surprise, she recognizes the color of Merich's workshop walls, something that Quinn did not manage. He is familiar enough with the construction of the village to guess the mortar paste, however, and when he asks if the defensive totems have incorporated any shield parts you are forced to concede that it does. He looks pleased with himself at that.

Terra guesses a number of other things, such as Drake bone or stag antler, that strike you as possibilities for the next version of the totem.

>Will you give Terra a prize anyway? What of Quinn?

[[Sorry for the delay, further connection issues.]]

>>20723670
Give a prize to both, since Terra gave us ideas for next sort of totem, which is what we wanted anyway, right?

>>20723670
Hmm... Quinn gets the prize, but Terra gets praised. Quinn won, after all, but Terra put on a much better show than we had any right to expect.

Make a point to Quinn that a 10 year old almost managed to upstage him without any training, hah.

>>20723670
Prizes, prizes for everyone! Quinn because we ought to treat our cotemist right and he was right.

Give Terra something different, not because she was right but because she looked beyond the problem and came up with new ingredients.

>>20723696
Agreed.

>>20723720

You mention to Quinn that though he does win the contest, a ten year old with relatively little training managed to nearly upstage him in Totemist knowledge. His face flushes scarlet, but he lets out a hearty laugh and pats Terra on the head. "I guess she's just a natural, Osyki. I won't deny, she had me worried there for a while."

Terra beams, and you give her a nod of approval. "I guess you'll just get a different prize, won't you Terra?" you say. She looks positively elated at this.

"Sounds good to me, Osyki," she says with a little bounce.

You place the last ward in place. There is a soft click in the back of your mind, and a faint humming feeling from the segment of wall as the totem revs into effect. The ground beneath your feet glows a familiar green for a moment before fading back to its ordinary hue, something that fascinates your totemling to no end.

The three of you return to the workshop.

> Show Terra how to craft a Totem? What will you give to Quinn?

>>20723815
I'll defer to the guy who first suggested prizes, but my suggestion is that Quinn get his first... Familiar spirit? i guess? Something like amal or tryd, something that's more companion and advisor than anything else, not all that powerful, but a useful friend to belp him on his way.

For Terra, I'm not sure. I don't think she's quite ready for that yet.

>>20723815
Quinn's gift will be something that'll take a bit to get him. We're going to spend the next bit making sure he has the binding ritual down and then we'll GO HUNTING! Take him out on to the forest and help him plan, prepare and if needed fight his first Feral Binding. The Accelerated Totemist Training Course which mainly involves telling you to turf the giant rock and stab a big monster.

Show Terra how to craft a Totem, give her the basics and ask her how she would suggest making a Totem to do X, maybe something to keep things cool and preserved, what ingredients she would use, tell her about Totems similar to that and what they use and let her try to invent one. After she does we can make it for her, she'd like that.

>>20723905

You pull Quinn aside as you enter the workshop and tell him to study up on binding rituals, specifically those for binding minor spirits and Feral Binds. He narrows his eyes and you nod, confirming his suspicions. Sometime within the next few days you'll take him out into the forest to bind a familiar spirit, and after that you and he will execute his first Feral Binding.

He looks a strange halfway point between elated and terrified, but he tells you that he can't wait. You turn to find Terra flipping through the Greater Almanac of spirits, a look of deep concentration on her face. You and Quinn exchange looks, then go to her.

"Terra," you say, gently catching her attention. She looks up, eyebrows raised. "Time for us to get your prize. Are you ready?" When she nods, you flip open the book of totems. "Find one of the totems in here that you'd like. When you pick one out, we'll work together and make it for you."

Her eyes go wide for a moment before a high-pitched squeal fills the workshop. She fair seizes the book from your hands, flipping through it with wild speed.

Eventually she comes across the Sun Totem, a very minor totem that allows the bearer to illuminate the area around them with sunlight for as long as the sun has shone on it. It requires one ingredient that you don't have, however; a flower that grows a moderate way into the forest called the Sol Bloom, so named because it only opens its petals in sunlight.

>>20724071
How far into the forest is it? How long a trip? Is it a dangerous path? Are there other good ingredients on the way?

>>20724149

It's about an hour and a half's walk into the forest to their most likely blooming patch. At this point in the day it wouldn't be incredibly dangerous, though nothing is certain in the brush. You could certainly use the trip to gather more plant-based ingredients, from mushrooms to herbs to creeper vines. It might even be an educational experience for Terra.

>>20723815
Hmm... Let's steer clear of giving her anything that she could use to get into mischief with. Which considering how clever she is means just about everything. Something totemist related that she can't use to get in trouble... Oh, a compass. Bind a spirit of the earth to always point the way north. Have Terra help us, and ask her to design the charm.

Quinn I think deserves his familiar.

And christ I step away to take ONE phone call...

>>20724167
I think that a daytrip into the forest could be nice. Tell everyone to get their things together, teach Terra the important of PREPARATION.

Before we leave visit Elana and the healer and see if there is anything in particular we should grab for them.

>>20724167
Lets at least not do anything without asking the matrons first.

>>20724071
>>20724167
Hmm... well, let's take her on a field trip. Depending on what happens and her reactions, we might just come out and let her know we're taking her as apprentice now, or wait until the rest of the children are apprenticed out.

[[Opinions seem to be split about doing this. Shall I roll?]]

>>20724330
Actually, it seems like the consensus is to head out after some minor prep work.

>>20724330
>>20724210
Here

We probably should let the Matrons know before we head out, it'd be impolite not to and we don't want to be on their bad side. Assure them that she'll be perfectly safe. She'll have the Totemist and his Cotemist with her, the path is known, and there is unlikely to be anything out there, she'll be back before dinner.

>>20724367
[[So it is. Reading comprehension at it's finest!]]

You nod. "I think we can do that. We'll need to take a trip out into the forest to gather some ingredients, though. Do you think that will be alright?"

The look she gives you makes you feel a little ridiculous for even asking.

"Right, then." you say with a sheepish grin. "Tell me, what kind of supplies do you think we'll need for this trip?"

She frowns. "Some weapons, a backpack to carry the stuff in, an' maybe a snack?" she says.

"And what if we need to climb a cliff? Or we get stuck out in the forest until night falls? Will a backpack and a snack help then?"

She shakes her head. "I guess some rope and a torch might be a good idea."

You nod. "Exactly. It never hurts to prepare for things that might happen. The more prepared you are, the more fun you'll have."

You look around. "You and Quinn should go tell the Matrons that we'll be taking a walk in the forest. I'm going to get our supplies together."

Terra nods, grabbing Quinn's hand and fair dragging him out of the workshop.

>What to bring, Totemist?

>>20724447
Hmm... some weapons, a backpack, an' a snack, yes? Rope and a torch.

But also containers for the plants, a minor ward token to help keep Aurora safe, and our foci.

>>20724447
Rope, torch, rations, lantern, lantern oil, healing herbs, bags for herbs, ritual dagger, axe/machete, our spear, our standard bound equipment, chalk.

File: 1347657341719.jpg-(119 KB, 731x1000, Osyki.jpg)

>>20724520

You load up your pack with a coil of rope, "a snack", a pair of torches, several bags for herbs, and a stick of chalk. You ritual dagger goes into its sheath at your belt, you bow onto your back, and your spear into your hand.

Current Binds:
> Cloudwalker's Stride
> Nocturne's Embrace
> Snakebite A
> Mirror of True Sight

You sling the pack over your shoulder, heading out to find Terra and Quinn.

When you do find them, another figure has joined them. Elana turns to you, a mischievous smile on her face, and waves.

"Thought I'd join you for some herb harvesting, Osyki." she says with a little shrug. "I figured you could use the extra pair of hands."

You are about to respond in the affirmative when something catches the words in your throat and strangles the life from them.

In Elana's right eye, a small iridescent spark flickers into existence for a moment, then dies.

[[Alright folks, wrapping up the quest here. Sorry for the less than action-packed session. Next thread should be on Thursday, but the usual rules about an email to the mailing list if I can run it beforehand apply. See you all soon, and don't be afraid to send in more questions to the email address.]]

>>20724631
Ah, short indeed. Pity. And augh, that line there at the end, I knew that was going to come up. Going to have to find that sword ASAP, figure out how to reapply the seal. Vote that Oyski spend the next two sessions figuring out how to bind an Avatar and doing so.

>>20724631
Thanks Diarca. Good times.

>>20724631
Thanks for running it.

And as for the eye, damn, but I think we can handle the Seal breaking down. We'll have to spend some time staring soulfully into each other's eyes later. Also we should investigate the seal on them.

Great hread as always, Diarca. Thanks.