Now this is interesting, but the implications are worrying. Do we have any sense of the location/source of the other presence? It could be that it wasn't just a lair it was fleeing to, but its master as well. It follows then that if the presence is away from us, and necromantic in nature, maybe try to command it while we're all inside of Eko's ward (or a new one if it's too far away). The ward's shielding effect might be enough to disrupt or remove whatever outside influence is keeping us from taking control of the construct.
Ask Eko if he knows anything about contests of will between casters.
Yeeeah that might be useful. Something like "There's something more here, not sure what."
+1
Command undead once more, Attempt to imitate the presence through empathy, basically you are playing copycat with the other presence.
Eko stands up straight, leaning towards you expectantly.
"Well?" You lick your lips nervously, phrasing your words carefully.
"Eko... what do you know about contests of will between casters?" Eko grows very quiet.
"Nym, are you-" "Eko, please- we may not have much time. Something is directly resisting my spells. Something intelligent." "I see." Eko murmurs.
"Sometimes, two Wizards will attempt to manipulate Order in the same way, at the same time; perhaps because they are incompetent teammates, or rarely because they are fighting with their magic. The particulars differ depending on the spell, but usually the more skilled and experienced Wizard will eventually be able to impose their will and block the effects of the other. It is said that this can happen when Order Wizards try to directly neutralize Chaos Shaman as well, and was common during the Pacification." Eko's low voice gains urgency.
"If you are up against the Necromancer-" "Then I won't let him stop me from saving Omo." You say harshly, turning back to the construct.
You take a deep breath to calm yourself, trying to ignore Eko hovering over your shoulder. You were not expecting another presence to oppose your previous attempt at command, but now you're ready for a fight. Controlling the construct is the key to restoring Omo; it may be able to directly reverse the soul-stealing process, and even if it can't a closer study of its mind and abilities could yield priceless insight into that process. The construct is at your mercy. You will prevail in this contest of wills. You have to.
... You
Command Undead once more, but it seems you are not the only one ready for a rematch. Your sense of the construct is even more tenuous this time, and every time you attempt to assert your dominance you feel your control crumble, blocked by that foreign mind. However, instead of fiercely driving you away and shattering your spell, this time the other presence seems... hesitant. It does not allow you to gain full control, but it also does not block you out.
Your sense of the construct is too weak to feel what happens next, but with your own eyes you observe the Necromantic Energy located in the construct's head shift and change. It begins near the unidentified structures of Necromantic Energy located on either side of the head; new strands of Necromantic Energy appear seemingly from nowhere and pool deeper inside the creature to make... something. You have no idea what it is just by looking at it; it is small and flat and somewhat ornate, with a tiny amount of Vitality from the construct's network rerouted through it. It's nothing you couldn't make yourself if you were so inclined.
Almost as soon as that structure is completed, the foreign presence controlling the construct seems to vanish. You quickly gain full control and waste no time celebrating before assessing the construct. You find no shred of the presence remaining, but you do not want to take the chance it could come back.
The unidentified structures at either side of the construct's head are sensory in nature, but they are not eyes or ears; they give you an impeccable sense of where You are yourself. It is almost like they are a shared limb; you know how far apart the structures are from your hand as well as you know how far your hands are from your shoulder. They are quite sensitive, and from the slight differences in distance between the two structures you think you could easily determine what direction your body is in relation to the construct.
The soul-sac remains opaque to you, not because some other presence is controlling it but because it truly is not a part of the construct. If the construct is a chest, then the probable soul is an item within, with no obvious way to control it.
You try to learn how the construct formed the rope, but to your dismay you find that there is no structure that seems like it could do anything of the sort. Further, there is no mind to discover, no latent imperatives for the construct to act upon, no instructions it could use to steal souls or even navigate Aloclesno; it lies still and quiet on the forest floor with no urging from yourself. Eko has noticed and asked you a question, but you are too busy to hear.
While it has no mind, it does have a rather crude memory... of a sort. The memory is held in the structure that was created just now while you watched, so you doubt it has existed for long. The memory itself is an image; more of a picture or a drawing, as it seems to be stylized and exaggerated. It depicts a tree much like any other in Aloclesno, but far larger and fatter with a gnarled knot midway down the trunk. Weathered roots seem to roil beneath the tree, casting dark shadows on a gaping hole in the earth below them.
You aren't sure what to make of that, and dismiss it as unimportant for the moment. Full control of the construct has given you some knowledge of how it works, but no easy answers on how to cure Omo.
Vitality- 10/11
Mana- 2/12
XP- 32/35
Inventory- Belt Pouch (
80 Silver Pieces),
Elven Traveler Garb,
Elven Cloak, Headband, Belt Knife,
Hatchet, Leather Backpack(Bedroll, Flint&Steel,
Weak Mana Potion, Scroll Case(4 blank Parchment,
Charcoal),
Trail Rations,
Fishing Equipment,
Spare Traveling Clothes x2,
Prestidigitation for the Beginning Practitioner by Joddo Meadtrust, Crystal(5oz))
Abilities-
Sense Necromancy(Passive),
Improved Necromantic Sight(Passive)Skills-
Competent Fisher,
Dabbling SwimmerStatus- See Vitality Active
8th Felsite,
Twenty three days since Manifestation
General
Detect Magic- 1 MP - Detects spells and magical items near you
Calm Animal- 1 MP - Causes wild animals to become peaceful
Sense Vitality- 1 MP - You can detect the Vitality of living things, with a bit of effort
Brew Mana Potion- A Mana Potion takes twice the potions potency in Mana cost, and requires 1/2 hour per point in brewing time
Waterproof- 1MP/Hour duration - Makes an object non-absorbent. Does not prevent corrosion (such as from acid or rusting) or magical effects related to water/liquid
Necromancy
Raise Zombie- ? MP - You can take the formerly living body and turn it into a zombie, but you lack understanding or even much knowledge of the particulars. It seems the mana cost is related to the overall quality of the corpse, and maybe the size?
Command Undead- 2 MP - You can merge your awareness with an undead creature, gauging its general condition and issuing explicit orders it will obey to the best of its ability. You can also give orders that will persist beyond the end of the spell.
Steal Vitality- X MP - Range: Line of Sight. You can suck the Vitality out of living things. This spell removes up to 2X Vitality from the target and gives 1/3 of it to you.
Animate Object- 4 MP - You can force Vitality into inanimate objects, things that were never alive to begin with. It seems to be more complicated than Zombification though- your Rock doesn't do anything, which is hardly useful. You'll need to experiment with this more.
Alter Golem- 2 MP- You can make basic alterations to an existing construct or animated object.
Impair Undead- 2MP- Range: 30ft (close enough to see in detail.) You blinded a zombie with this spell, and broke a construct's leg.
See Vitality- 1MP- Allows you to see the machinations of Vitality in living things as well as you see the workings of zombies with your Necromantic Sight.
Vitality- 9/13
Mana- 3/3
XP- 29/35
Inventory-
Elven Tunic,
Elven Cloak, Headband, Belt Knife, Leather Backpack(50' Rope,
Camping Supplies (pitched in Aloclesno,) Waterskin(mostly empty), Torch),
Masterwork Elven StaffAbilities-
Track,
SurvivalistSkills-
Novice Observer,
Competent Ambusher,
Competent Staff User,
Poor Liar,
Dabbling SwimmerStatus- Empty
Vitality- 12/12
Mana- 7/9
XP- 38/50
Inventory-
Priestly Robe,
Wool Cloak, Belt Knife, Flask(Sewer Brew), Leather Backpack(
Line in the Sand: Discrete Forces and Interactions by Joddo Meadtrust,
A Study of Aloclesno by Shezpa Yarnpoets, Waterskin(full), Torches x5,
Colored chalks,
Trail Rations),
Tasseled ShortspearAbilities-
Clarity,
Union with OrderSkills-
Novice Spearman,
Competent ResearcherStatus- Base Camp Minor Ward- 6 days remaining.
General
Detect Magic- 1 MP - Detects spells and magical items near you
Sense Vitality- 1 MP - You can detect the Vitality of living things, with a bit of effort
Waterproof- 1MP/Hour duration - Makes an object non-absorbent. Does not prevent corrosion (such as from acid or rusting) or magical effects related to water/liquid
Order Wards
Ward against Disease- 1 MP - Casting time: 10 minutes. Protects an afflicted area from disease; it cannot cure, but it does prevent new infections.
Alarm- 1 MP - Casting time: 10 minutes. Creates a field that waits on a specific trigger, often the presence of a particular magical energy or the movement or destruction of a physical item. When activated, the field can either create a noise of some kind, or trigger another spell entirely. Has a duration of about one week, though each additional point of mana spent increases the duration of the ward by three or four weeks each.
Minor Ward- 1 MP - Casting time: 15 minutes, possibly longer if covering a larger or unusually shaped area (easily covers ~500 square feet.) Create a field against a specific Magical Faith in a specific place. Lasts for about a week, though each additional point of mana spent increases the duration of the ward by three or four weeks each. Can be centered on a person or object instead for 3 MP total; duration increases are scaled to hours in this case, and the area is reduced to ~60 square feet.
Major Ward- 3 MP - Casting time: 30 minutes, possibly longer if covering a larger area. As Minor Ward, but the field is strong enough to disrupt concentrations of the Magic in question, potentially causing spell failure. Durations are measured in days. Can be centered on a person or object for 9 MP instead, with a duration measured in half-hours.
Sanctuary- 9 MP - Casting time: 30 minutes, possibly longer if covering a larger area. As Major Ward, but the field is strong enough to physically halt or oppose creatures and objects strongly imbued with the Magic in question. This field cannot be tied to a person or object, and the field is not physically tied to the area it is cast.
Order Divinations
Diagnosis- 2 MP - Casting time: 5 minutes. Range: Touch. Provides overall impressions of a being's Vitality network, providing important clues to the maladies they may be suffering from.
Detect Thoughts- 2 MP - Range: 5ft. Detects the mindset of a creature or person, providing clues about their intentions and emotional state. Works less well on those who are strong of will.
Probe Thoughts- 4 MP - Range: 5ft. Detects the surface thoughts of a person, though it works less well on those who are strong of will.
Detect Undead- X MP - Detects the presence of zombies animated by a Necromancer, including a vague sense of direction (but not distance.) Each point of mana spent on the spell increases the radius by about half a mile.
Clairaudience- 3 MP - Range: 500ft. Allows you to hear at a distance by creating an invisible magical sensor at the location. Does not require line of sight, but the location of the sensor must be well known to the caster. Reduce the MP cost by one if the location of the sensor has been prepared beforehand (10 minutes of preparation time at physical location)
Order Equations
Minor Counterspell- 2 MP - Disrupts the casting of a specific spell; easily resisted, target can overcome Counterspell by spending extra mana.
Minor Mana Diffusion- 2 MP - Range: 30ft. Reduces the mana reserves of a target creature by 4 MP; easily resisted
Minor Abjuration- 3 MP - Range: 30ft. Corrects unequal distributions of magical energy; in practice, causes spells to dissipate and repulses magical creatures.
Omo Thunderjaw- Your best friend, brave and true. He is currently an aspiring Ranger, and is eager to leave the Vale.
Eko Cleanvise- The priest of the village of Bedscaled, his wards against the undead have failed him
Bale Matchedstones- The Knight tasked with investigating the crises in Bedscaled.
Curo Nightroar- The Necromancer of Thrimesdur, said to be insane, he controls a massive army of the Undead and threatens the Cremated Empire.
Pirate King- The Necromancer operating along the Jeweled Coast, he commands a mixed force of human and lizardfolk pirates along with his undead minions.
Fale Packunion- A mysterious figure who appeared to you in a dream, attempting to recruit you to the cause of his Death God. May or may not be the Pirate King or some other known figure.
Morka- The aforementioned Death God. You know basically nothing about him/her/it, except his link to the other Necromancers.
-This one's a bit morbid, but bear with me. Take two crayfish. Shell one, leaving the meat inside as intact as possible. Remove the flesh from the second while leaving the shell as intact as possible. Attempt to revive both and compare the results. Is vitality in flesh or in bone? In both? Neither? Regardless of what we find, it should prove instructive.
-Try to find out if zombies have a memory, if they can be made to recognize specific objects. I recomend starting with a ball or something, and instructing a zombie to follow that specific ball wherever it goes. After testing it to make sure it works how we expect, substitute in another ball that has a different colour or a different size, and see if the zombie knows it isn't the right ball to follow. We can move to more abstract things from there, like having if understand things like "any ball" "any non-red ball" "the biggest ball" and stuff like that, or even to sort a pile of pebbles into stacks by colour.
-Attempt to raise a pile of ashes from a cremated corpse.
-Raise an earthworm and then, once it is raised, cut it in half at the border between two segments. Which ends, if any, are still animate? Continue cutting into halves at segment lines until all parts are dead or it has been divided into a prostomium, peristomium, pygidium and a pile of ordinary segments.
-See how much damage a dead body can sustain before it is unraisable
-Also, it seemed interesting that the loop was recognized as the center of life. We should test raising different rope Golems, some who are linear, some who are looped or knotted in different ways. How does the golem react to music, and what if we made one out of clay, with more distinguished features?
- For Animate Object, see if you can make an object levitate, or move to your will. Maybe this could develop into telekinesis..
- we should try pricking our finger, and stealing the vitality of an insect or something, and see if it will heal the cut.
- Another thing we need to play with is fire. Fire golem? HELL YES.
-Play with blood. Maybe that's what the golem needs. Blood. Mix some of your own blood into the clay.
-Like we tried to be the ropeman when we raised our first golem, we can try to be the earth when we make a clay or earthen golem, etc.
- Try to infuse vitality into the crystal to see what it does.
- See what happens if you infuse Mana and Vitality into the same crystal.
1. Imbue a small, uncrushed mana crystal with mana. Cast Detect Magic on it, comparing it to a mana potion.
2. If successful, turn the imbued mana crystal into a golem using 2 vitality. It is important to later experiments that we use exactly 2 vitality. Continue observing with Detect Magic.
3. If successful, attempt to Alter Golem in order to imbue the mana cystal with the ability to cast a cheap spell using the mana stored within it when commanded to. I recommend Detect Magic, since that should be easy to test.
4. If successful, continue to have the crystal cast Detect Magic even after it has run out of mana, in order to see if it can cast the spell using vitality like a mage can. Assuming this works, we will be able to discern the conversion ratio between vitality and mana.
5. If successful and the conversion ratio is > 3 mana per 2 vitality, have a mana crystal that is able to hold at least 3 mana wrapped in thick leather with a single small hole. Firmly attach this leather-covered crystal to a stick that is suitable as a handle
6. Imbue 3 mana into the crystal before turning it into a 1 vitality golem that will cast Steal Vitality as quickly and often as it can on anything that comes within 4 feet of it, draining the vitality into itself.
7. Note to ourselves that, because Steal Vitality works on line of sight, only things that come within line of sight of the single hole in the leather will be drained of vitality.
8. Enjoy our new lightsaber.
- Trying to develop a destroy vitality spell, using the same principles of the steal vitality, except without keeping it usable. It might be possible to do it for cheaper or causing more damage for the same mana.
- Trying to use the principles of the destroy vitality or the steal vitality spell for a disinfectant spell. It will require a lot of fine control, but it should theoretically be possible.
- We could also try to overbuff a zombie. Is there a max to the amount of vitality a zombie can have? And what happens if a zombie gets a lot of vitality?
* Remove someone's soul. Try to store it for a time in a living thing like a tree, or confine it in a mana crystal, then put it back later. See if they're functional.
* Attempt to swap souls between two different bodies.
* Carefully attempt to displace our own soul from our own body. See if we can move around apart from our bodies, like astral projection. See if we can cast while in this state, enter other occupied bodies like a possession, then return to our body later.
-Our abilities seem centered around manipulation of vitality, correct? We should try to directly manipulate the vitality of a living thing. If we're unable to do that, then perhaps we could create a "tainted" orb of vitality, like a virus that once absorbed by the body of a living thing will disrupt its vitality network. A curse, essentially.
- let's try to move the vitality within ourselves around and see how that affects our physical movements.
- First up, we rip off a leaf and watch its vitality drain away. Second, we rip off another leaf but use some mana to keep the vitality in, maybe making a new spell. Third, We rip off some more leaves and use Raise Zombie/Command Undead on them. The plants aren't entirely dead yet, after all, so it would be interesting to see the results.
- Oh, and we should definitely try using see vitality while raising a zombie or stealing vitality if we get a chance, so that we can see if we can find out where vitality comes from and why it is lost.
World Map
Northwest Thrimesdur