File: 1394582182223.jpg-(288 KB, 622x683, P-Avatar.jpg)

288 KB JPG

>Pic Related: Your Avatar.

Conflict Resolution is handled by highest of three 1d100s rolled. Criticals occur on a roll of 100, or when doubles or triples are rolled by the first three. Critical misses (roll of 1) trump all but critical successes.

Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Avatar%20Pilot%20Quest

>Sorry for my long absence guys. I got all night now. Let's do this!

You stand in an area of charred foliage, flash-baked mud, and ruin. Nothing but a ghostly glowing haze remains of the Kirin you just killed. All is silent except for the sound of sizzling wood, water flowing back in, and a strange, high pitched buzzing noise, crackling, like tiny versions of the cry of the Kirin. It seems to be coming from one of the mounds, but then again, it could just be the sound from your Avatar's new set of horns?

Wat do?
>Investigate the noise.
>Leave it be. No sense looking for more trouble after that fight.
>Write in.

>>30785139
>>Investigate the noise.

>>30785198
You find something very odd in the mound. It's been burnt black on one side, the mud completely baked until it was more like glass than dirt. Inside of it, you find something odd looking. A glass like orb, translucent, filled with a tiny storm cloud. Little strings of lightning leap out from it, looking like little claws that occasionally scratch at the inside of the orb.

You honestly have no idea what it is, and Deus doesn't seem the least bit interested in it. Though an odd sense from him makes you think he's familiar with it, but it's not relevant to his interests: EG: finding, defeating, and absorbing worthy opponents.

>Investigate it more closely? (I'll need a roll)
>Take it with you for your Uncle to investigate
>Leave it behind. Who knows what it does.
>Write in.

>>30785351
>>Take it with you for your Uncle to investigate

>>30785533
You pick it up in one of Deuce's smaller hands. there's a short static discharge, visible but not painful in the least, and then it's inert. The thing inside of it seems to toss and turn, but it doesn't seem to be changing at all.

You quickly make it back to the camp sight, where your Uncle is just about to put his head down, and Halcon is keeping watch. As you come in and park Deus in the camp, you present the orb to your Great Uncle who looks on it with astonishment.

As you climb out he looks at you, eyes narrowed. "Did you fight a Kirin while you were out? Or some other kind of storm elemental?"

"Yeah, got some new horns from it." You say casually, sliding out of the chest cavity as you point up at the sparkling horns on Deus' forehead.

"You're -sure- it's dead right? No chance of coming back?"

"Yeah, just a hazy glow, Deus ripped out it's heart or something. Why?"

"Just want to make sure you didn't rob the nest of a living Kirin... we really don't need that right now."

"Nest?"

"Yes, this is a Kirin 'egg' for lack of a better term. Elementals reproduce by budding, but they guard the 'egg' they produce until it's matured."

>>30785692
"So that'll hatch into a new Kirin?"

"Yep. Could be worth quite a bit before or after it's been hatched. Or you could keep it and try to raise it I guess? Elementals are normally soletary, but they were created to be servants and pets."

So what are you going to do?
>Keep it with the intention of selling it before it hatches
>Keep it with the intention of selling it right after it hatches
>Keep it with the intention of trying to raise a storm elemental
>Get rid of it. Too much trouble.
>Write in.

>>30785737
>>Keep it with the intention of trying to raise a storm elemental

Could be useful. Would we be able to ride it?

>>30785831
It would take a decade or two to get to the size of the one you killed. And it would depend on the environment. If you managed to expose it to stormy territory where it could attract a lot of lightning strikes it would grow faster, but not by much.

>>30785737
>>Keep it with the intention of trying to raise a storm elemental

>>30785831
>>30786183

"I'll keep it I think... could be useful you know?" He nods, but looks a little worried. "You and your habit of bringing home pets..." he shakes his head, and his face breaks into a grin. "Alright then, your job to keep it safe then. It won't need much feeding, storms and water are common enough in this part of the world after all."

He waves you off. "Get your head down. We'll be leaving in the morning."

As you go to sleep, your eyes on the egg, you swear you can see a pin prick pair of blindingly white eyes peek out through the clear shell at you before disappearing into the clouds inside of it.

That morning, you and your great uncle part ways with Halcon and the survivor, who is still unconcious. "Good luck Senior, Seniorita," the masked Avatar Pilot says. "I will look to your village for assistance, and levy any I am able until my debt is fulfilled. Maybe we shall meet at the grand arena above the sea later ehn?" He says with a grin.

Is there anything in particular you want to focus upon during the journey? Or do you simply focus on getting to light needle as quickly as possible?

>>30786245
How many towns are there left before Light Needle?

>>30786315
2. But they're both very small according to your Uncle. More like waystations than proper villages. They scrape by from being too small to attract much attention.

>>30786381
In that case I guess we should get there as quickly as possible.

>>30786390
You and your Great Uncle double time it.

Both villages are still in existence. One gives you a worry for a bit, the location your Uncle had remembered destroyed and overgrown, but it had relocated about 3 days further down the road.

It's almost been a full month by the time you get to Light Needle. You see it first, long before you get close. Twinkling lights rising high into the sky. Lighting up the night like a sun.

You start to run into other roads, other people. They're suitably impressed with your avatar, some offering prayers up to the protective god they saw in him. Others simply impressed with such a new looking and strange Avatar.

3 days past a full month you reach Light Needle's 'slums'. A sprawling city spread around the base of the mountainous tower.

"We'll need to find a way into the tower itself, either to get word to my friends there so they can have us let in, or to earn passage ourselves." he sighs, rubbing his head as you mill in the crowds.

It's over powering. Your avatar clears a way for obvious reasons. People don't get in the way of a 17 foot tall war machine.

But you also notice that there are dozens of Avatars in this city, many on the walls, inert with their pilots living in the towers below them. The city guard. Others patrol the streets. When you enter the city, a man with an avatar 3 times the size of yours in the shape of a centaur informs you of the laws. You protect the city when it's attacked if you can respond, and you don't start trouble. If you get attacked, you damn well had better keep the collatoral in the cramped streets to a minimum. Better to just run to the guards than try to fight unless you are CERTAIN you can avoid damaging the city.

>cont.

>>30786658
"Well there's much we can do in this city." Your uncle says once you're inside, shouting over the din of the crowds. "Do you want to explore some first before we find a way into the tower proper? There's smiths here, not as good as in the tower, but they should be able to use that augment to improve Deus."

Improving Deus will take a while. You'll be without your Avatar while the augment is being put in place.

Other activities:
>Find someone to buy some proper Jitte. Yours are all but ruined from the fight with the Kirin.
>Search for more information about the guys bearing the bleeding heart.
>Search for information on how to get into the tower yourselves, without sending a message.
>Just explore and take it easy, your Great Uncle seems to know how to get a message into the tower, so let him do it. You deserve a rest!
>Write in.

>>30786695
Would the augment be the same as if we got it in the tower?

>>30786758
The tower could probably get it done faster, but it's very hard to screw up augmenting an Avatar if you're even a halfway decent smith. That said, it's been KNOWN to happen, but it's like getting struck by lightning.

>>30786789
I forgot to mention, you can also shop for augments, but they're probably cheaper inside o the tower itself.

>>30786695
>>Just explore and take it easy, your Great Uncle seems to know how to get a message into the tower, so let him do it. You deserve a rest!

>>30786812
You decide it's time to rest. Your uncle can take care of things. Your uncle agrees, but he does ask that you bring your Avatar to one of the local hangars (the shrines in cities where Avatars are kept) to be seen after. There's no reason for you to be using it.

Your tattoo bandages are also finally ready to be taken off. The teal and black tattoos glitter when the light hits them just right, and can be seen very clearly as long as you don't cover your neck and arms.

The Hangar staff near to the inn where you are staying are kind and very appreciative of having such a strange and powerful Avatar in their midst. The local priest asks permission to study your Avatar during the stay, nothing invasive he assures you, he won't disassemble any part of your Avatar, only inspect what he and his staff can get at without harming or dismantling anything.

He says that the tithe (10 silver coins) can be waived if you'll do this.

In return your Avatar will be up kept, cleaned, catalogued, and further, the staff will be able to suggest auguments and weaponry for it if you allow them to study it.

However, it's almost certain that word of your Avatar's status, and anything they can discover about it, will get out. Further, the city might be able to replicate your Avatar's abilities if the study goes very well (not for decades to come, but this place does have Avatar foundries)

>>30787106
Could we ask them to stay away from the insides? Perhaps we'll get a better offer to look at the heart in the tower.

>>30787176
You ask them to avoid going into the chest cavity. They agree to this stipulation, it's the sword and the spell script on the straps under the armored plates that interest them the most.

>>30787226
Anything else you want to specify to them? Or are you ready to leave them to it and go on vacation?

>>30787271
Nope, that sounds good.

>>30787271
besides sharing with us what they find no also lets get a nice dress never know when we will need to dress up when in the tower

>>30787303
The priest nods saying of course he'll share everything they find with the pilot of the avatar they study. They might not tell you how to REPLICATE the effect in another avatar (Avatar Construction is something of a trade secret) but they'll tell you of it's capabilities.

You head out into the markets. And it's like nothing you've ever seen before. More souls than you thought possible, even in the largest caravans, the ones that were like traveling towns, they had nothing on the dozens, no, hundreds of peoples in the crowded, cramped streets. Shops for everything imaginable you can see, spices, fish, monster meat and parts, artifacts both real and false, divine relics, drugs, slaves, books, scrolls, weapons, armor, fruits, grains, tamed beasts, pets, companionship, instruments, anything at all.

You manage to find a tailor in the morass. Is there any particular kind of dress you want? The Tower is mostly inhabited by mages, priests, scholars, and avatar pilots, with the mages at the top of the pecking order here. Mage dress sense is not mirrored by most people (considering that it takes into account the fact that they cut off limbs and such to increase their magical focus), but like everywhere in this dangerous world, bright colors and shining objects are always in fashion, anything to distract from the facts of how dangerous this world is.

With that in mind, anything in particular you are looking for in a dress? Also I'll need a roll for how your initial haggling goes.

Rolled 46

>>30787460
If we're getting a dress I suppose we should get something simple. A simple black dress with a ankle length skirt should do.

Rolled 51

>>30787460
something nice not super flashy but nice priestsly? idk

>>30787460
Depends on how much it costs. I'd rather save the money for weapons.

>>30787569
>>30787545
You decide to get something closer to what your Uncle wears, though not quite as drab. You manage to find a black silk dress from one of the tailors that has something very close to your size, and could make adjustments on the spot in a few minutes.

After some brief discussion, she offers it for 7 silvers.

Take it or counter offer? (roll needed for counter offer)

Rolled 11

>>30787657
offer 8 get some nice shoos too

Rolled 13

>>30787657
That's a good chunk of our money. Offer four silver.

Rolled 13

>>30787657
Another roll for bartering.

>>30787823
>>30787838
>>30787874
The tailor is unimpressed with both offers.

For one, she's a tailor, not a cobbler. For another, 4 silver? FOUR SILVERS for a dress of this fine a cut? You must be mad!

7 Silvers.

>>30787902
But what about the doubles roll?

Also can we get a list of our current wardrobe?

>>30787964
Oh jesus, I didn't even notice. Let me redo that.

>>30787874
>>30787838
This is until the owner of the shop, not the tailor themself, comes in and notices how GOOD you look in that dress. He won't hear you paying over 3 silvers for the set, the cost of doing business you understand. The Tailor working for him is obviously flabbergasted by this.

The owner helps you accessorize as well, taking you around to some friend's shops and helps you pick out a couple pieces of jewelery to go with it. Dark obsidian, but finely cut and beautiful looking bracelets and a choker. He then introduces you to a very fine cobbler with very good rates.

All in all it costs you 4 silver pieces. 3 for the dress, and the extra silver is used on the jewelery and the shoes.

This is in addition to your traveler's breaches and a loose but servicable shirt you have been wearing. It ties up around your neck to leave most of your tattoos bare and open. The dress is a little more covering, but leaves your forearms open from the flowing silk sleeves. Finally, you have hard wearing sandals.

>>30787902
We only have 20 silver. I vote we check out other shops first.

>>30788107
Looks like having large assets paid off.

Which shop did the avatar augmentation?

>>30788188
There's smiths all over for that sorta thing, but it would leave your avatar out of commission and outside the tower until it was done. It can probably be done faster inside of the tower.

That said, those same smiths might have, or know where to find, the Jitte.

>>30788231
Well, we don't really need Jitte. I imagine something less makeshift will cost a bit more though.

Could we check out the various smithies around here?

>>30788287
Certainly.

You find a WIDE variety of weaponry here. Some of it augmented, others enchanted like your own blade (apparently the difference lies in whether or not it was done during the forging process).

You even find a Northern based smith. One who knows the secrets of making weapons that drain divine essence from the wielder (or from his unfortunate foes) and turning it into power for it's own abilities. This is only a step up from warlocktry, but it's so useful that no one has tried to drive out the northern barbarian.

With a little searching, you can find pretty much any weapon imaginable from the large variety of smithies here. magical weaponry will be cheaper inside of the tower, but mundane weapon prices cannot be beat outside of it.

>>30788443
Since we don't have much money I think we should get some mundane weapons for now.

Maybe two katar with small shields on the handguard.

>>30788443
Do they sell those gun things we were attacked with in the village?

>>30788529
You easily find such a thing. They come in several varieities.

Punch Daggers are the most common, with punch-axes shortly behind those. There's even a kind which are basically brass knuckles with a shield attached if that suits your fancy. 5 silvers for a pair. 10 silvers for the high quality stuff that'll take to augmenting better later on if you prefer.

>>30788580
Yes they do. But they're exorbidantly priced. Even a pistol is 10 silvers, and that's a SHITTY pistol, one that leave you fatigued after only a few shots. He hints that he can set you up with something less legal and less moral, something that drains the life out of a sacrificed creature instead of a human, but he phrases it as if he's simply explaining this is commonly used by his people up north, not that he would SELL one, oh no no no, that would be WARLOCKTRY after all. But if he was to be selling them, and he has never said that he is mind you, it'd run up to 25 gold pieces for how 'hot' they are in this part of the world.

The kind you described he nods. He actually has been supplying them to some local militia or other, not his business really. Strange fellows though, always go around in red spattered white. If you want what they've got it'll be 10 gold pieces. High quality stuff.

>>30788672
Now I'm sad we weren't more careful with them. Let's get the 5 silver katar, one with a shield.

Could we get quotes on upgrading our Avatar?

>>30788740
Actually scratch that, is there a punch dagger with a shield attached?

>>30788772
all of the things I listed had shields attached. 5 silver was for a pair of decent but not master craft ones. 10 for near master craft pair. 5 for a single mastercraft pair.

>>30788740
>Could we get quotes on upgrading our Avatar?
It'll be a 10 silver job for any augments. and most augments are 5 silver a piece out here (but only a single silver inside of the cheaper ones).

You currently have 16 silver pieces left.

>>30788862
I'm not sure I understand, is it 10 silver plus another fee?

>>30788984
If you want to apply an augment, it is 10 silver.

If you wish to buy a new one, it is 5 silver out here, and 1 silver inside the tower (prices increase by 1 silver increments inside the tower, and by 5 silver increments outside of it)

>>30789121
Ah okay, so since we already have an augment we just need to pay the equipping fees? Is it the same as inside the tower?

If so I'd say apply an augment.

>>30789168
Same price inside the tower, but it'll take less time, and depending on how the augment is being applied, you will be unable to use either your avatar or the weapon it is applied to or the duration.

Also you have a divine essence augment. How do you want it applied? Reactive armor? A halo-beam? Something else?

>>30789221
I just remembered that crazy lady is stalking us. We should probably try to get inside the tower before upgrading then. Just buy the katars.

>>30789308
I'm going to assume the 5 silver quality level.

Anyway. You manage to purchase them, and the charge of having them delivered is bundled into the price.

At this point, you can spend time just exploring, or following up what the northern weapon's dealer said about the people buying his weapons (they're wearing the same clothing as the lot you killed if his description is sound), or you can come up with something to do yourself while waiting on your Uncle's messages to be delivered.

>>30789464
Look into the bleeding heart guys.

>>30789566
You ask around about these guys. They operate out of the worst areas of the slums. Those outside the walls proper. The areas where monsters all but roam freely. Beyond where the City Guard can make regular patrols and not in the highly valuable farm lands either. It's not as dangerous as the wilds, but it's a place where the law of Light Needle does not appear with regularity.

About a year ago, a new group appeared. Nut cases by and large. They claimed to follow 'The True Gods' and that 'Divine Magic' was actually the work of hubris, that man had chained the true gods long ago, and their empire cast down. Only the chosen are permitted to use divine magic amongst these 'Revivers', a name they give themselves for they claim their quest is to revive worship of the true gods.

They've never caused much trouble, and even if they cause rabble rousing against the city guard and other groups that use 'infernal magic' as they call it (magic that steals power rightfully belonging to the true gods), they have brought a semblence of order to the outer slums, or at least some regions of it, for the first time in living memory, and for that they're given a lot of leeway by Light Needle's governing body.

>>30789719
If you wish to find out more, I'll need rolls.

Rolled 42

>>30789741
Rolling

Rolled 17

>>30789719
Also we should probably stay away from the slums. We're not too durable without our avatar.

Rolled 60

>>30789741

Rolled 76

>>30789719
grr dice

>>30789826

You don't find much else out except their heirarchy.

Apparently they have many divisions. The local branch is marked by daggers. Others use different symbols to denote which particular chapter they belong to.

Rank is determined by the color of the thread of that bleeding heart. Black thread is most common, lowest rank for those officially 'worthy' to bear divine magic. (Those unworthy but still members of the organization use red). Copper is next up, then silver, gold next, and finally gem stones are used for the upper ranks.

Apparently each chapter represents one of the 'True Gods' the local chapter is lead by the priest of the 'Storm God'. Only priests are permitted to use avatars apparently.

Apparently the entire pantheon is lead by 4 particular gods under a 'creator', and this 'Storm god' is jointly commanded by the gods of fire and sky.

The final fact you learn about this thunder god's priest is that it's a child. Maybe as old as 8 or 9

>>30790107
Good thing we got those antlers then.

I guess we can just wait until we get a summons to the tower.

>>30790192
I'm going to take a 20 minute break, and we'll get to that.

so once we get Deus back, augment Reactive Armor right

>>30790500
okay, back. And I thought you were waiting for the tower?

>>30790521
sorry, getting ahead of myself. was asking if that'd been agreed upon yet? seemed like it was

>>30790571
Reactive armor had been the most popular in previous posts. Followed very closely by creating a halo-beam.

Anyway, writing.

It's a few days before word gets back to you, and then a message it brought to you at the inn with a pair of permits to access the tower proper.

You pick up Deus Sinistram from the Hangar Shrine, and also recieve a report. Mostly it's nothing you haven't figured out yourself. They figured out that it's intended to improve itself and build upon it's own structure nearly limitlessly, absorbing attributes from those it defeats (but not all of them, they were unable to figure out the judgement criteria). The left arm is absolutely nothing special, except that unlike most of the avatar, it is VERY well insulated. Perhaps to act as a shield against divine essence based attacks?

Finally, they tell you the halo was obviously built to be some kind of projector of energies. But it's been left in an unfinished state. Apparently it was the last thing to be put onto the Avatar, a back up weapon of sorts, that was simply never finished.

With that, you head towards the tower with your Great Uncle.
>cont.

>>30790590
anything that could make that halo beam special, fire or lighting are the only augments i can think of

>>30790683
The tower's gates are MASSIVE and one of the structures within the tower still powered by divine essence. You see it glow as they creak open and allow you and the others allowed in and out daily into or out of the tower as is their goal.

Inside is glorious. Stained glass, mosaics, spell script, and a thousand other things of beauty lay around. Most of them have been added over the centuries, but all of them are designed to accent the more simple and spartan designs of the tower's original interior.

As you walk in, several porters take your Great Uncle's riding stork for him. Meanwhile a man in similar black robes to his walks up and hugs him closely. "Octavius! You rogue! What the hell brought you here? You were very secretive in your message!" he laughs and claps him on the back, then looks up at you inside of your Avatar, "And this must be you lovely great neice, the talented Selena? And Deus? We got notes on your Avatar already from the shrine he was in, I don't suppose I could offer you a place here at the tower permanently? In return for letting us study Deus?"

The man has red hair much as you do, but he's spindlier than anyone from your village, it doesn't look like he's done a day's work in his life. His face is covered in a thin red stubble.

>>30790805
A permanent residence sounds nice, but how thoroughly would they study it?

>>30790850
"Permanent residence sounds nice, but how through a study are we talking?"

"We'd be buying the Avatar from you. After that we'd break it down to understand how it worked then put it back together to see if we had truly understood it."

Rolled 38

>>30790881
afraid not but as I am here look all you want just don't take him apart.

>>30790881
Yeah, no. Let's not sell our avatar.

>>30790919
Not without some kind of compensation though.

>>30790881
No. Thanks, but no.

Rolled 79

>>30790944
like helping translate the codex or applying the aug to our gundam?

>>30790881
"i'll have to decline, but feel free to do any non destructive studying you wish. If avatars could grow in strength over time the world would become a much safer place"

>>30790967
Yeah, also free storage of Deus.

>>30790919
>>30790926
>>30790954

"Thank you for the offer, but no, Deus Sinistram is mine."

Deus gives a solemn sense of approval.

"You can look all you like, but no dismantling. And even then I need some compensation."

He nods, "ah well, it was worth a try, we can talk compensation later. As for now, Octavius? Why have you come all the way here?" Your Great uncle looks from side to side, then motions for you, "Show him a peek of the book."

It takes you a moment to realize what he's talking about, and then you nod, and scramble for your pack, opening it to show the man, before closing it again.

He looks at you in shock, then at your Great Uncle, "Alright... Selena, let us bring your Avatar to the Hangar. Then we'll go to my private study."

As you walk along, he seems to be lost in thought, but takes time to point out certain features like the route to the Avatar Foundry, and the grand lift at the center of the tower, the only lift that runs from top to bottom.

Any questions you want to ask or things you want to know that might be seen by observation? If not then I'll continue on.

>>30791029
I'm kinda curious how many avatars they make each year.

>>30791029
>>30791029
>So how do you and Uncle know each other?
>What do you do here?
>Know a good place to get an augment?
>Deus' sword...changed when I first used it and wondered if you'd heard of that.
>Know anything about raising magic pets? I'm thinking Cuddles
>Any info on those "Lighting God" worshiping crackpots?
>If you're interested I could show you how Deus changes, I'd need something special to fight though. Deus is....picky

>>30791068
"How many avatars are made here each year?"

"Each year? Oh ho child." he says, ripped from his revery as you walk, "We make one maybe, every 5 years if we're lucky. Normally it takes four times that. Once a generation. It's the heart. We can make the shell, but the heart is the hardest thing to make, and it's impossible to tell when a heart will hold or when it'll break."

You manage to get out of your Avatar now as it's placed in the Hangar Shrine.

"Okay... so, how do you and Uncle know each other?" You ask, looking between them.

"We both were born in a city far across the sea, not blood brothers,"

"but brothers in arms. I moved here with your grand mother, who met a young avatar pilot, and settled down in a village. He died shortly after the last village was destroyed, of his wounds actually, though it took him a long time to go. Your grandmother went shortly after that, and your mother took over. Anyway, back to me and Quintus here. We were part of the same class of wandering scholars. We simply settled down far from home." he laughs, "I wonder if the 'grand empire of the book' is still extant?"

"It is, though diminished, far to the south. They lost so much of their advantage in knowledge when people like you and me left them to live elsewhere."

"Ah." Your great uncle nods, "Makes sense."

As you walk on, you then ask Quintus, "What do you do here?"

"I'm part of the archivists and researchers. Specifically I archive and research archeological data we excavate from the tower itself, the sections that aren't frequented, and the parts that are below it."

"So would you know anything about swords that, change?"

"You mean like yours does? Yes actually. They're exceedingly rare. The only ones on record are all owned by the champions in the grand Arena at the connections between the sky-bridges of the remaining towers. How they function though I don't know."

"Well maybe we can arrange for a trial run for Deus? He says-"
>cont.

forgot to add, but ask about those spell tattoos we found. unlikely he has the rest of the set here but hey couldn't hurt

>>30791352

"Your Avatar -says-? He speaks?"

"Only sometimes, most of the time it's empathetic like other Avatars."

"Ah, that IS interesting... I've never heard of such a phenomenon..." He considers, "Anyway, you were saying?"

"He says he wants worthy opponents. If you guys can arrange a fight you could witness his abilities?"

"Certainly! We'll see what we can arrange. There are ancient golems and constructs from the Old Empire, mad things, we have no use for them anyway and more than enough spares..." Which tells you something about how bleeding rich these tower dwellers are. While most villages wouldn't keep a golem since they so easily went insane and attacked their owners, cities kept them as last line of defense shock troopers, to be released when they had nothing to lose, they were usually as powerful as avatars, and often lasted longer.

"Well before we do that, do you know a good place to augument things?"

"The Hangar has a good forge, they can handle that sort of thing for a price."

"Oh good!"

At this point you arrive at the man's rooms, which consist of a glass walled terrace nearly 10 stories up. "Now then, settle in, and then show me the Codex." he says, nearly salivating. "I can't believe you got this Octavius, the Revivers have been scouring every where for even one of these, you have no idea how valuable this is."

"Of course I do. That's why I brought it HERE to YOU. So we could get it open."

"Are you MAD?! opening one of these? Even in the Empire of the Book where they had one, they knew better than to open one!"

they continue to bicker, leaving you out of the conversation for the time being...

do you want to leave them to it?
Or do you want to interupt them? And if so? With what?

>>30791441
>Or do you want to interupt them? And if so? With what?
Remind them that it's our book. We found it.

>>30791441
>>30791453
mostly this, tell us what a Codex even is and stop bickering. then we'll decide what to do

>>30791441
"what good is a book no one can open?"

>>30791453
>>30791476
>>30791521
"Look, this thing is mine alright." he grip it from Quintus' hands and hold it up at about shoulder level, one hand on your hip. "So tell me what it is, and why a book no one can open is worth anything."

"Not a book no one can open, a book no one SHOULD open." Quintus says, after he gets over the shock of being interupted.

"Why not?"

"That contains information on the old empire. The original stuff. The hard data, all of it. If its opened and read, well, we're not sure. Last time one of them was opened, one of the remaining towers fell." he shudders. "Look, we found one before, and managed to destroy it before it fell into some lunatic's hands. He wanted to use it to set himself up as a god."

"No, he wanted to use it to revive his god."

"yes yes, same difference. Mad men using superstition and magic to quell the masses. I'm sure he said he wanted to REVIVE one, but we both know he was just going to set himself up as one. Gods don't exist, or if they do, they can't effect our world. There's only us."

"Well someone is after THIS one."

"Then it needs to be destroyed as well."

"Are you MAD! If we opened it, imagine what good it could do! The towers could be raised again!" Your Great Uncle is looking at Quintus like he's mad. "Bring it to the governing council here, they'll be able to use it properly! Last time we had no choice but to destroy it."

Once again, the conversation has gotten away from you.

"You still haven't told me what it DOES!"
>cont.

>>30791639

They both stop and stare at you. Your Great Uncle is the first to answer. "Selena. A Codex is like, a giant set of blue prints, histories, stories, and images. As far as we can tell, each of them contained a signifigant chunk, if not ALL the knowledge of the Old Empire. They were NEVER intended to be read by a single human being at a time. They had devices for reading and deciphering them without driving someone mad." he points at the tome. "You know how in your Avatar, there is spell script that you can't read but still understand?"

"Yes?"

"It's like that as far as we can tell. One page with more information than ever recorded in this entire tower. In a format that you don't read, you just understand the moment you lay eyes on it."

"Exactly, so we should destroy it. Rather than subject those who try to read it to madness."

"Or we find one of the decryption devices."

"None are left intact on this continent!"

Both are staring down each other. Your Uncle wanting to keep the book, his friend wishing to destroy it.

>Write in.

Source on the OP's pic?

It has inspired me.

>>30791661
Well it's ours, and I don't think we should destroy it. Maybe we can show to the council.

>>30791661
"Look, theres no problem if no one reads it and no one can read it if its not opened. Far as I'm concerned the safest place is with Deus, maybe I find something to decrypt it maybe i have to destroy it either way I know its safe."

>>30791678
I just found it on google while looking for temple guardians.

The unedited picture is in the first thread.

>>30791661
Well, destroying it without understanding whats in it is dumb.Thats probably how the world ended up in this state, in a roundabout way. but, it probably is pretty dangerous. If I had to lay down a plan, it'd be to try to get a limited portion of the information out, safely, and distribute it evenly, startting with something small, liek history, or medicine.
Though... Considering that those people after it seemed to know exactly what it was, and where to find it... maybe they already have one of those reading machines? they certainly seemed sure they'd be able to use it.

>>30791661
>Where would the closest confirmed decryptor be located? Closest unconfirmed?
"What IF we waited to open it, find a way to decrypt it first before going at each others throats over it. How about this, we seal the book so no one but us knows where it is. Then say we MAYBE find a way to read it safely before recovering it. Worse case scenario we can't and we destroy it later"

>>30791720
>>30791696
"Look, theres no problem if no one reads it and no one can read it if its not opened. Far as I'm concerned the safest place is with Deus, maybe I find something to decrypt it maybe i have to destroy it either way I know its safe."

You say this emphatically, breaking the stalemate between the two. Neither of them looks happy with the result, though Quintus seems more unhappy than your Great Uncle.

"Fine, now then, who did you say was searching for the thing?"

"Some lady in a massive firery avatar." he stops dead still for a moment, then looks at each of you. "Female shaped? Fire hair? Woman inside was a bit of a bitch?"

"Why? Have you met?"

"Yes actually... she's one of the high priests of those Reviver nutcases down in the slums, she's based further north though I thought..." he's looking worried now. "She came here when they first set up the local chapter, put that insane little freak in the lightning manipulating avatar in charge, then left..."

>>30791720
We could always go looking for the decoder and store it here. I imagine it would be safer in the city.

>>30791678
Android Jones, http://www.androidjones.com/ his shit is awesome.

>>30791766
>>30791769
These both Seemed sensible, guess they didnt make it in.

>>30791823
Sorry, stupid thing didn't update when I was typing. I'll throw it in with the next response.

>>30791736

Found it. Thank ye kindly.

>>30791773
>>30791766
>>30791769
>>30791778

"Alright, fine. Well look. You said there's no such device on THIS continent? What about the others? Couldn't we lock up the codex HERE someplace? For safe keeping? And if we can't get the decoding device, then we just come back and destroy it THEN. Seems reasonable right?"

The pair look at each other, and then Quintus gives a gruding nod. "Alright... but even so, that much information? It could destroy everything even still."

"Then we just release it in bits and pieces. Medicine and architecture to begin with, things that'll help people get the fuck away from monsters and plague."

The idea seems to be growing on the resident scholar as you lay out the plan. You could easily break down the knowledge through careful research, diseminate it slowly, so no one could get a massive advantage over anyone else. And where better than here? The trade hub for most of the northern continent?

"Alright, then we still need to get you a passage for the bridge. The only known decrypter I can think of was owned by the Empire of the Book, but was lost in the FAR south. Well past their current borders. The area is insanely dangerous... the Empire of the Book doesn't even let anyone inside of it anymore, not unless you prove you can help them with their flagging empire... for that you have to participate and rank in the grand tournament at the arena... and before you can get there, we'll need to convince the council to let you pass onto the sky bridge. And before I'll even vouch for you, we need to figure out where to HIDE this thing." he taps the book.

So where do you want to hide it?
>deep in the jungles.
>somewhere in the abandoned portions of the tower propr?
>somewhere high in the tower's crest, where no one without an Avatar can tread? And even then, not for long?
>Somewhere deep in the catacombs below the Tower, where the secrets of the Old Empire still guard against intrusion?
>write in

>>30792035
>>Somewhere deep in the catacombs below the Tower, where the secrets of the Old Empire still guard against intrusion?

Sounds like the safest place.

>>30792035
"Didn't you say you archieve the areas less frequented and abandoned, is there a place that everything of worth has been found that no one would bother looking. Somewhere hard enough to get to the trip there woulndn't be worth it?"
otherwise
>Highest place
or
>Lowest place

>>30792035
What about the council? Are they powerful enough to guard it without having to hide it?

>>30792035
>>30792074
Gonna have to agree with this guy and say put it down in the catacombs.Probably add some extra defense or something as well.

Rolled 66

>>30791661
how do you destroy it?

can't we look for a reader and set it up so anyone trying to take it gets it destroyed?

>>30792128
>What about the council? Are they powerful enough to guard it without having to hide it?
"Or we could just hand it over to your council?"

"We could... and then one of those nut jobs would try to read it... or worse, hand it over to placate the Revivers, who are steadily growing stronger. They have already, successfully, I might add, have blackmailed the council with threat of siege from the outer slums if we didn't let them proselytize in the inner slums markets."

"Alright... Didn't you say you archieve the areas less frequented and abandoned, is there a place that everything of worth has been found that no one would bother looking. Somewhere hard enough to get to the trip there woulndn't be worth it?"

"The upper most reaches. They're simply too difficult to frequent regularly. We suspect that at one point, the tower was built to keep air contained up there... now it's too cold and the air too thin for unprotected humans to survive for long. An avatar pilot might survive for an hour or two though... otherwise there's always the catacombs, but retriving it from there will be very, very, difficult... easy to get rid of it though. Toss it to one of the golems. They'll take it away, and put it god knows where down there."

>>30792175
"oooky, and how do we destroy it?" You inquire, your Uncle is about to protest when you say "Just incase it's about to fall into the wrong hands."

"Truth be told? We're not sure. When I say 'destroyed' it's closer to say, we put it out of ANYONE'S reach. We chucked it in an active volcano's caldera and watched it sink below the molten lava."

take it up top, that way we can personally hide it

Rolled 67

>>30792197
well lets just hide it in a volcano with someone we can trust to safeguard/destroy it

>>30792184
Sounds like anyone with an avatar could find it in the upper levels.

Is there anything like a magical tracking device so we don't completely lose it in the catacombs?

>>30792235
"Do we have some kind of, I dunno, tracking signal? Like the paint darts that hunters sometimes use, we could set on it? Something to help us find it again?"

Both scholars look at each other and nod, "yes... yes there is. But if someone had the right key to it, then they could follow it as well. So it would need to be guarded... We use them sometimes when we send parties down into the catacombs. But realize they're not as nice as a map, they just tell you if you're warm or cold." Quintus says while stroking his ginger stubble. "But yes, I can secure one for you."

Okay, how about go to the catacombs, have Quintus check for the most suitable location (less visited, most stable foundation, overall least likely to be visited by explorers). Then add a tracker and give it to a golem i guess to make sure its hidden deep

>>30792374
maybe we should hide it ourselves instead of trusting a golem, then we'd have a map to its location with no tracking

>>30792285
That sounds like a plan. We put it down in the catacombs, with with a tracker... But also put two other tracker'd objects(something useless, like a paperweight, or an empty box) down there as well. that way, if anyone goes after it and actually takes one, we'll know they've found it, and if theyre just following the signals, they'll have no idea which one to go after.

>>30792393
Unless a golem picks it up anyway.

>>30792393
>>30792436
>>30792374
So is the opinion on more trackers and letting the golem hide it?

>>30792184
>>30792197
We should also bring up the fact that the Revivers, and the Flame Avatar lady are more then likely part of that group going around slaughtering nearby villages and killing avatars.

>>30792469
Maybe we should fight a golem first to see how powerful they are before putting it in a catacomb of them.

>>30792469
Sounds like it'd end up being them pitting their luck at guessing the key vs our sure thing of having the tracker key already, if someone went after it, so, sounds sneaky enough.

>>30792469
sure

>>30792502
Want to do this guys? Go down and test a golem in a fight?

>>30792542
sure

>>30792542
Lets all be honest here.
We were going to pick a fight with a Golem no matter which choice we ended up taking.

>>30792542
Let's do it.

>>30792542
>>30792542
get the book anyway and traker anyway, we're fighting one regardless
>and maybe Quintus will find us something else to fight later

>>30792628
>>we're fighting one regardless
This guy gets it.

>>30792587
>>30792605
>>30792606
Yeah, I'll be honest. I knew that was going to happen no matter how I plotted out how much of a bad idea it was.

This is going to be fucking epic.

>>30792628
"Well why don't I go down and beat the hell out of a golem? See if they're a good enough defense?"

"Those golems are signifigantly less tame than our own Selena! I really would advise against it!"

"That's fine. Me and Deus can handle it I'm sure." You say, a confident smile plastered across your face as you hand him back the Codex. "You just arrange for the trackers alright? Get two extras, and some other stuff the golems might cart off to random places other than where they take the codex right?"

"I'll do my best, but really-"

"Just let her go fight it Quintus, I've seen that look in her eye... she has to learn the hard way when she's bitten off more than she can chew."

Anything you guys want to go and do before tackling the Golem? You still got cash, and you could take the time to upgrade Deus first if you like?

>>30792712
Reactive Armor
and Augs run like 5 silver right? either browse for one or look for a new weapon for our right side

>>30792712
Yeah I guess reactive armor then.

>>30792734
You currently are down to 11 silver last i checked.

You can purchase one additional augmentation, a cheep one. That means something very simple.

Leaves you with Fire, Lighting, Ice, and Air. You can purchase a single one in the tower and then apply it, and your reactive armor divine essence augment, to your Avatar for the same buy (eg: 10 silver) you'll be out of any silver unless you do some jobs around the place though.

>>30792833
just reactive armor then, we can ask about jobs when we get back

>>30792833
There was talk of using lightning for the halo beam last thread.

>>30792833
So, should we get another one now, or wait a bit to see what needs filling out?

>>30792833
was really wanting something with a bit more umph for Halo Beam, lets wait

>>30792896
Well, if we wait we I believe we would have to pay the equipping fee again.

Rolled 23

>>30792833
heay wouldn't one of those divine keys destroy the book?

>>30792833
>>30792833
Could we save up and do Fire, Lightning, and Ice for the Halo Beam

>>30792911
You can certainly try it!

>>30792889
yeah, but we've already got a kickass lightning power now. I dont see the point in getting a weaker one, if we get another lightning power, it should be something that will hold up in the long run, in which case we can stand to wait anyway.

>>30792925
You'd need to earn 2 more silver pieces to do that.

>>30792833
Lets get Ice, it could freeze enemies giving us time to charge Kirin Horn

>>30792958
Ice-Halo beam then?

Or hold off and just spend the 10 silver on getting your reactive armor?

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>>30792952
>>30792925
Ask if we can borrow a silver, lets do Fire and Ice

>>30792833
Are the inside of Avatars climate controlled?

>>30792925
>>30792958
Wait, are we sticking with the God/Divine being theme for Deus Sinistram?
The Kirin kind of works what with Lightining symbolizing divine wrath and Kirins being divine figures in myth, but I dont know about this ice stuff.

Rolled 82

>>30792932
so nuke level sparks?

>>30793000
Maaaaybe. I'm not telling.

All I'm going to say is Gimli in Rivendell and see who gets the reference.

anyway.

>>30792972
I need a roll for that. But yes, you could borrow an additional silver probably. But I still need a roll for it.

>>30792999
I thought we were just sticking on whatever was useful.

wait wait wait, did we start the thread with 20 or 16 silver, cause unless im wrong we only spent 4 silver so we should have enough to do fire and ice and the equip cost

>>30793023
Started with 20
Bought the dress and accessories -4 (16 now)
Bought the Katars -5 (11 now)

>>30792999
lightning, fire, and ice are kinda a holy trinity. plus we are God's three hands

Rolled 69

>>30793020
Rolling

>>30793037
Hm, I would have thought that would be Lightning, Fire and Water.
But then Ice could represent Water?

>>30792999
Fire-the earth
Ice- the sea
Lightning- the heavens

Rolled 73

>>30793020

>>30793063
it think Ice is counted as water since a water aug wasn't mentioned so far

>>30793080
>>30793038
"Can I borrow an additional silver piece to prepare? I just want to buy one more augment."

"Only a single silver piece? Yes, I think that's fair if it'll improve your battle potential. Here, have two" Quintus reaches into a pouch on his belt and tosses you an additional 2 silver pieces.

>You can now afford to buy all three kinds of augments, either 1 of each, or multiples to increase power out put. Your call.

>Should probably mention your sword is probably close to a level up, and I pretty much roll on a table for what kind of upgrade is offered. Last time it was usage, this time it's 50/50 between an elemental type and a built in spell.

>>30793063
There are water augments, but ice is a lot easier to make function offensively than water. Water is crazy dangerous, but only when accelerated to a large enough velocity.

>>30793125
Fire and Ice only
Kirin Horn- Deus iudicium

Halo Beam:
Fire- Deus furoris
Ice- Deus frigora

>>30793066
>>30793063
If we stick with these three, I can get behind that, as well as Divine Essence, obviously, and maybe Wind? Sounds like a plan going forward.

But, my question is, How do we Implement the ice?
Fire(assuming we succeed the roll) seems obvious for our sword, Super heating it maybe, But Im coming up blank on how to use Ice. unless we could use it to like, Suck all the moisture out of the atmosphere and make it more conductive to static electricity or something as a side effect.

>>30793165
Freeze rays have been proposed. And you could stick all three into a generic 'fuck you' halo beam. Not imaginative, but probably very effective.

>>30793125
>>30793159
how about fire and ice for halo, and an air to speed up our sword arm or give it wind blades?

>>30793197
If we stuck it all in the halo beam would we be able to cycle through effects?

>>30793197
>>30793165
>>30793214
if we can use all three separate and at once then do that, use whichever element is most effective then Final Impact anything left

>>30793214
or combine them. But you'd need to decide at augmentation which you'd want to do.

You could also get crazy effects. Scalding steam for example if you combined an ice and fire augment in that way.

>>30793261
What if we combined electricity and water? Electrified streams of water.

>>30793261
yes, interchangeable beams please.
something like
Fire: God's Fury/Deus furoris
Ice: God's Chill/Deus frigora
Lightning: God's Judgement/Deus iudicium
Tribeam: God's Final Act/Dei extrema
Fire/Ice:Steam?
Ice/Lightning:Shock Water Spout?
>Lightning/Fire:Fuck Everything Ray?

>>30793320
No, if you go for the interchangable beams, you stick with them. You'll need additional augments to get the combined ones.

For what you want would require 3 for the invidivdual beams, 3 for the tri-beam, and 2 for each of the combo beams.

>>30793261
if we did 13 silver worth of jobs and bought another ice, fire, and lighting aug then we could improve each one later right?

>>30793332
then I have my next goal, thanks OP

>>30793332
>>30793320
so excluding what we get now that means another 25 odd silver?

>>30793333
Yes, yes you could.

Augments can't be removed, but they CAN be improved.

As long as you take previous augments into your planning, nothing bad can happen.

Now if you tried to make something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT with the halo than a beam weapon? Additional Augments would start causing problems.

>>30793353
You need 3+(3*2) so 9 additional silver, plus another 10 for the upgrade augmentation smithing if you don't get it done now.

So do you guys go for the tribeam? or the 3 individual beams?

>>30793358
lets just get the fire, ice, and lightning beams and work on the other stuff later then

>>30793332
Quick question...I am assuming using the halo beams require a massive amount of divine essence. Could we use another divine essence augmentation to slowly store ambient energy and store it like a battery so we can use it more often?

>>30793364
So the three individual beams will be able to be cycled through but remain separate while the tri-beam launches all at once, but can't have separate effects?

>>30793214
>>30793294
OH!
How about, we set the Halo Array to do some kind of alternating Heat/Freeze ray? A Expansion/ Contraction combo
Or just make it a kind of Thermal Cannon, since both Ice and Fire are basically just temperature extremes anyway? One setting to accelerate molecular activity, one to slow it down?
That would work for the combinations right?

>>30793391
we could do that with the solo beams, first stun, then hit with ice, then heat and bam
>>30793387
essentially

>>30793369
Yes, yes you could.
>>30793387
pretty much.

>>30793391
I'm going to say... maybe. It's not as simple as physics heating and such, since that's dealing with direct kinetic energy, not with fire and ice. You can create the same general effects, but there are specific augments or effecting that part of reality. Expensive ones, up there with gravity manipulation.

>>30793424
Anyway guys, I was hoping to set up the golem fight tonight, but I'm beginning to crash.

What's your decision so I can get my head down?

Next game will be on friday.

voting individual beams for now, Kirin Horn is our finisher right now

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>>30793435
solo beams
>sorry for keeping you up OP, these discussions tend to take longer then I realize

>>30793435
I guess individual beams for now. Sorry for dragging the discussion on for so long.

>>30793424
Good to know.

Right now, personally, im Liking the sound of everything else more then the Tri-Beam thing. we might as well just get one big damage enchantment rather then do that.

>>30793452
>>30793453

Nah it's cool. It's really fun to see where you guys take this stuff. I'm sorry I have to can it here and now, but it's that or wake up with a keyboard grid impression on my face.

Thanks again guys! I really love running this, and thank you for putting up with my mistakes when they happen!

Next game will run on Friday, same time, 6:00-7:00pm cst.

After that, we'll have a hiatus until monday or tuesday, sometime after the 22nd when I get back in from the Game Developer's Conference.

If any of you guys are there for the Expo, I'll try to hang around the booth where Personae Studios (the company I'm working for) is camped out. If not? I'll see you guys the week after.

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>>30793435
then I guess we'll just have to find work after all this then so we can get more combo beams/and that battery idea anon mentioned
>Individual Beams
if we didn't get this done now we'd have to later, looking forward the Golem Smack Down '14

>>30793475
>after the expo
hmph, wish I could go. enjoy yourself for all of us OP

>>30793478
Neither can I. I can't decide if I want to make most of the enemies references to WWE wrestlers or to the combatants in the tournaments of Battle Angel Alita.

>>30793500
I'll try, more likely this year I'll be drug around by my boss promoting our game to the press. I probably won't get to go to any of the summits, which are half the reason I go each year. Hearing the opinions and debates on what's going on in the game industry creatively is always half the fun. Especially when it means I can learn something. Ah well, we got a member sitting in on them and we download all the videos taken of the summits and upload them to the company server, so that'll have to do this year.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Avatar%20Pilot%20Quest

Anyway, there's the archive. Give us a few votes please so the thread isn't deleted next time they purge suptg. I'm heading to bed. Night guys.

>>30793507
>Battle Angel Alita.
just when I thought you couldn't get more based
wrestlers are always cool two
thread where Halcon spends the day getting Serena and Deus ready for first match tru lucha style

>>30793552
I can confirm there will be at least one talking-pig-crotched avatar at some point. (I cannot remember the name of the bad guy... I just remember he was huge, and he had a boar's head belt buckle or cod piece or something that spouted probabilities of success or failure in a certain action)

>>30793636
Glorious.