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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Oct 12, 2023 21:50:52 GMT -5
That was not exactly what Fish had in mind, but all right. It's go time apparently. Fish slips to the opposite end of the cave through the shadows and readies a shot.[1]
They hadn't worked out a sign, but Astrid getting mind punched in the brain meat is as good a time as any. They materialize a moment to fire a shot that rings through the cave, a hole torn through the should of the squid man.[2,3]
Fish slips back into the shadows, but the Chthonian is one of the monsters Fish fears the most. It's mind reaches out into the darkness trying to make connection with the creature that just assaulted it with whatever the hell it just did.
The bird stops, tucked behind a stalagmite. They have to stop and reload a moment, but it's become a race against time. Fish has made and remade the gun plenty of times, its almost muscle memory at this point. They hope that by not thinking for just a moment they can buy enough time to reload and fire off another shot.
A paltry trick isn't going to stop a Chthonian so easily though. Actively thinking or not, the brain is always acting and the fervent little workings of Fish's mind draw it in like a moth to the flame. The squid flicks out a tentacle, it's telepathic power sheering off half of the stalagmite and flings it into the wall. It is mildly surprised to see nothing, but it was not accounting for how small the bird is.
1. Shadow Walk 2. Charged Shot 3. Crippling Wounds
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 16, 2023 14:12:35 GMT -5
Astrid’s vision in the dark is blurry. Her ears ring like a thousand smiths hammering metal against their anvils all at once. It’s impossible to see straight, think straight. Physical pain is easy to deal with, at least exterior pain, but something in her head that hurts so badly she feels like she’s going to vomit at any second? If she could process any thoughts, they would only be screaming about how much this hurts.
There’s a loud pop, a gunshot from Fish, that gives her a second to focus.
Fumbling for her hammer, Astrid manages to get a grip on the haft. A wave of warm, healing energy rushes through her body, overtaking her senses and giving her the familiar mind quiet back again. Calmed as she may be, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t at least some physical exertion, and she rises to her feet again with heavy but slowing breaths.
A stalagmite snaps behind her and rises into the air, and she looks back at the Chthonian to see it vehemently focusing on raising the hefty stone into the air. There is some confusion behind the focus, and its glowing eyes dart over to look at Astrid. The broken stone quickly follows, slamming into her and smashing her between the wall. Astrid feels her cuirass crumple and padding tear from the impacts, but she recovers back to her feet without much issue. Luckily for her, this creature considers her dealt with and makes a jab out into the mindspace shared by the group within the cavern to seek the little pest who shot it in the shoulder.
Come out, little one, it goads in a telepathic, almost slimy voice. You will make an excellent tool for me.
Spellblade - Sharing Essence [1/2 per topic] -2 hit preventions
Chthonian attempts mind control on Fish
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Oct 16, 2023 16:35:53 GMT -5
Fish may not admit it openly, but they are a prideful bird. They do not like to be seen as anything other than the consumate professional, so it is good they are hidden right now. Astrid cannot see the pure panic and fear in the little bird as their hands frantically move to make something.
They can feel the otherworldly mind tentacles of the Chthonian start to creep in to the outer edges of their mind. Fish's mind has always been the one thing they were certain no one could take from them. People could copy Fish's ideas, but never take them. So to feel something invading that space was abject horror.
So much so, that Fish has devised a plan that they aren't 100 percent certain will work with a reasonable margin of error. They stay hidden behind the rock and pull the trigger of their hand crossbow.
A bolt ricochets off the wall and makes an arc towards the Chthonian.[1] The squid creature holds out a hand to stop it before it makes impact and Fish pulls out the ripcord to detonate the explosive anyways.
Amid the ash and smoke, the bird hid a surprise. Capsacin.[2] The Chthonian starts to cough and wretch, its mind unable to focus on the mind control for the moment as it stutters and sputters. Fish takes the moment to dart from their current position, firing another cluster of bolts as they run.[3] They race around the other side of the cave opposite Astrid, hoping to open up its blindside for her.
1. True Hunter 2. Improvisation Master (Explosive bolt+Wire+Capsacin powder -- interrupts spells, stealth, and martial skills for 1 post) 3. Volley Shot
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 17, 2023 15:06:39 GMT -5
Back on her feet and with the wind back in her lungs, Astrid sees Fish’s contraption explode in the Chthonian’s face, sending the creature retching and struggling to get itself together. It can’t even control the villagers in the moment, the two people who were making their way to attack now stand listless in the cavern.
Astrid whips out her smaller hammer and taps it with her war hammer, sending a surge of electricity into the silvered metal in her left hand. Then she launches herself forward to take advantage of the opening the little bird gave her. Two powerful strikes smash the Chthonian, one in the body, and the other in the head. Silver sears the slimy surface, lightning strikes it, and ice crawls across the flesh.
The Chthonian stumbles backwards, dazed, confused, unable to reach out mentally, unable to move or function. How did this happen? This was a tiny village, just the start of its grand plan after emerging from the depths. How did it attract the attention of capable adventurers? Where are the easy pickings, the weaker ones that make good fodder to wear down the more experienced ones?
All it can do is release a screech of terror and anger as Astrid whips around to face it again. Will they question it or simply kill it? It makes some feeble attempt to beg for mercy, barely sputtering words aloud in an unknown, foreign language. The children feel it prodding at their mind in a desperate attempt to communicate. Astrid tightens her grip on her hammers, not sure that this feeling is aggressive so much as afraid.
Charged Object (+1 electrical charge) Battle hammer - silver enchantment, ice rune Head Strike - ends active abilities and prevents use until next turn Static synapse (-1 electrical charge) - stunned
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Oct 20, 2023 23:29:06 GMT -5
Fish blinks across the cave to get behind the Chthonian.[1] Fish has little mercy already, but even less for something that tried to invade their mind. At close range the pull the second trigger of their flintlock pistol and a loud bang fills the cavern before echoing away.[2,3] Somewhere in the distance Cyran recoils knowing the tiny little assassin strikes again.
It falls back to the floor with a wet thud and squelch. Fish pulls the trigger again, but there is just a dry click. It is rare for the bird to show emotion, but the furrowed brow makes their anger pretty apparent. But it suddenly disappears as their expressionless face returns like a spring releasing its tension.
Fish was unsure how to feel, the weakening of the village was their fault and that weakening allowed this thing to move in. They weren't exactly remorseful, but it was a necessary lesson that their actions have long term consequences. Yes, Fish is just doing their job, but at this point they were no longer picking pockets on the Zenaivian street. They were taking on real contracts that could have long range impact.
They holster their gun and look up to Astrid, "Should we go?" Whatever follow up conversations Astrid found warranted, Fish was not interested in having them in the presence of this thing's corpse. They couldn't trust it wasn't still burrowed in their brains somehow.
Without waiting for full confirmation, they turn to start hopping out of the cave.
1. Blink Cape 2. Quick Draw 3. Back Stab
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 24, 2023 15:28:27 GMT -5
Just as Astrid turns to ask Fish for their opinion on proceeding, the bird disappears and reappears, followed quickly by the loud bang of their gun. The sudden loud sound startles her, but then Chthonian falls dead in front of her, and she sees Fish looking…angry? Maybe she missed something while recovering from being plastered against the wall.
“Erm, aye, I s’pose we could,” Astrid says, caught off guard by their shift back to expressionless. What’s going on in that little bird’s head? She’s quickly distracted by the villagers collapsing with a chorus of groans. Dropping her hammer, Astrid rushes over to them and checks them for wounds to the best of her ability. Besides a few scratches, bruises, and blisters, they’re largely unharmed. Whatever disgusting goop in their buckets spilled across the floor when they fell, and upon observation, Astrid finds that it doesn’t appear to be an immediate threat. Even still, she collects a few samples into glass bottles and secures the corks. Both of the villagers need a moment to collect themselves, and Astrid looks back to Fish only to find that the avianfolk has made their way out of the cave.
“Fish?” she calls, getting to her feet. The villagers will follow when they’ve recovered, so she sprints to the mouth of the cave until she catches up with Fish. “Hey, Fish, are ya alright??” she asks with a worried expression. One hand reaches out to gently clasp her friend on the shoulder, some minor way to show her concern without outright invading their personal space with a hug. “What’s wrong?”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Oct 24, 2023 15:40:08 GMT -5
"The job is over, Fish does not see a purpose in staying in the cave any longer. Fish was paid to investigate what was happening, Fish located the source and eliminated the threat."
Without vocal tone or facial expressions to relay their mood Fish is hard to read, but Astrid can guess the fact that Fish doesn't stab her or react to being touched means the bird is distracted. At the mouth of the cave, the glint in their eyes shifts as it seems they are still on the lookout for threats.
They look back to the villagers streaming out, looking for anything out of the ordinary. An unwarranted twitch could set the bird off, their hand hovering near the holster for their hand crossbow. It's not hard for people to see the bird staring murder at them so most give them a wide berth.
It's only when everyone has passed out of immediate threat range that the bird looks back to Astrid to sign again.
"Fish's best weapon is Fish's mind....Fish has many secrets in there that Fish will not share with anyone....Fish does not like people attempting to enter Fish's mind."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 24, 2023 15:59:23 GMT -5
It’s easy to see how twitchy the little bird is, which only serves to make Astrid more concerned about them. “I mean… that’s understandable,” she says quietly, withdrawing her hand, though the expression on her face says she’d rather not. “We did get rid a’ it. Hopefully, there ain’t more lingerin’ around.” Any opportunity to find out about that or the creature’s motives are long gone. As far as she knows, there is no way to speak to the dead (with some exceptions).
Astrid is much more vocal and welcoming of the people exiting the cave. As it turns out, there were several more farther back than she expected. The next few minutes are those spent checking on villagers for weird feelings or any recollection of things that happened. She expects more of the folks back in the village will be feeling similarly, so she directs people there before returning to Fish to check on them again.
When Fish relents in some way, telling her of their mind, she vaguely understands. The creature attempted to speak into both of their minds, so it must have made some sort of mental attack against Fish specifically. Understandably, as Fish posed more of a threat to it than Astrid did, and now she realizes that Fish’s behavior came from a place of fear. Her expression softens as she looks at them, though she’s careful not to look at them with pity. That’s the last thing Fish would want.
“I get it,” she says. “I’m sorry that creature threatened yer sense a’ security. There’s lots a’ stuff I ain’t shared with folks either. But…” Cautiously, she puts a hand on their shoulder again. “Sometimes it’s good ta share the stuff that hurts. Makes it hurt a little less. At least, that’s what I learned. If ya ever need someone ta listen, I’m here fer ya. That’s what friends are fer!” It’s obvious she wants to give them a hug, but she resists, partially because she does not want to be stabbed but mostly because she doesn’t want to make Fish feel uncomfortable.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Oct 24, 2023 16:57:54 GMT -5
The adrenaline fading, Fish does realize the opportunity for intel gathering has long since passed. A creature like that is bound to be somewhat known though which means the information trail isn't completely cold. Just harder to find...Fish still has the water sample...and Kvasir might know more about things that can affect the mind...at least more than Fish at the current moment.
"Fish does not have the same access to magic that others do...Fish understands the Formulae Arcanum enough to create some things, but Fish can only affect the physical world....Fish has not yet created things to protect Fish's mind."
The bird looks out over the people as they start to mill back towards their lives. Did they remember the mental intrusion made on them? They all seem confused and disoriented, but how much did they retain? For the moment their mind has found other intrigues to latch on to and the fear seems to fade.
Though avoiding a hug is probably for the best, even in the best of mental states physical affection is not high on Fish's list of needs. Or well....it probably is a *need* but not something they are aware they are missing out on. Emotional development is hard for tiny bird-shaped criminals.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 24, 2023 17:17:25 GMT -5
Astrid looks back toward the cave with a thoughtful expression. Fish wants to protect their mind, but their ability to do so magically isn’t a skill they possess. It’s not something Astrid can do either. But… if she’s learned anything from fiddling around with crafting things, then maybe they could create something to do that, and the catalyst may very well be some of the samples of the Chthonian’s goop. Heck, they could even break down the creature for its parts.
She looks at Fish with confidence painting her smile. “I’ve got an idea,” she says. “Yer good at craftin’ stuff, an’ I’ve been workin’ more with craftin’ magical items, so…” Shaking the glass jar of Chthonian goops, she smiles wider. “We could make somethin’ ta help protect yer mind from creatures an’ spells like that. An’ while we’re workin’ on it, maybe ya can show me how ta be a bit quieter. Ain’t one much fer stealth, so I gotta rely on this magical potion that quiets everythin’ I do. It helps, but it ain’t as good as developin’ the skill. What d’ya say ta that? Bit of a trade?”
Firstly, they need to deal with the villagers, so regardless of what Fish agrees to, Astrid removes her hand from their shoulder and starts toward the village with them. They need to be sure everything is solved so these people can get back to their lives.
“An’ maybe ya can tell me who put ya up to the whole poisonin’ thin’ while we’re at it,” she says quietly.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Oct 27, 2023 20:01:48 GMT -5
"Fish cannot, it is confidential information that Fish can not and will not share." They keep their eyes forward as they hop along. Burgeoning ethics aside, Fish was still a professional criminal at heart. They weren't going to give up names. On top of that, Fish knew full well what happens to people that poke around too much. Ironically, poking around too much was what kicked them down this life anyways.
"Fish can work on developing something to help with the sound...padding and lighter metals would help....though given Astrid's fighting style it would at least need the same durability as steel..."
Fish's mind is quick to latch on to another thought and shift the conversation. Could a combination of alterations and training help Astrid maintain her durability while increasing her stealth? It's certainly not impossible...Maybe something made of bone? It resonates far lass than metal...
Almost as quickly as they draw their gun, a notebook is flipped out as the bird engrosses themselves in sketching out designs. Within seconds there's a rough sketch of Astrid and her approximate height and a breakdown of her armor.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 4, 2023 20:24:32 GMT -5
“Aw, come on, Fish,” Astrid pleads, her hand movements not keeping up with her whining. “If someone’s doin’ somethin’ ta hurt folks that I’m responsible fer keepin’ safe, then I should know who! Maybe it’s a misunderstandin’?” A hopeful but very wrong conclusion. “Or… Or maybe I could do some stuff fer them that helps us both?” At this point, it’s obvious that Astrid won’t drop the topic. “Maybe ya could introduce us? Or even better, they ain’t gotta know nothin’ about us knowin’ each other.”
However, getting on the topic of crafting certainly distracts her a good bit from the other conversation, even though she really does want to know who’s messing with her home region. She watches over Fish’s shoulder while they sketch something out, making notes for different materials, and one finger taps against her chin thoughtfully. “Bits a’ paddin’ could go a long way, I see,” she says. “I like it. Wonder if I could get some interestin’ materials ta work with.”
Looking ahead, she sees the villagers having mostly made it back to the village. “We should probably clear up stuff around here an’ make sure folks are alright. Not tellin’ what kinda effects there could be from bein’ mind controlled by a weird creature like the one in the cave.” With that, Astrid catches up to the villagers and starts checking in with them, taking notes on their symptoms, how they're doing, and making sure that they know who they can reach out to if they start experiencing any odd side effects. Maybe she and Fish could bring their notes to the Consortium to craft some sort of medicine.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Nov 5, 2023 10:30:23 GMT -5
Fish on the other hand does drop the topic as they continue back towards the village. They had said all hey were going to say about the preceeding mission. Friend or not, Fish was still stuck in their criminal ways.
As Astrid looks out at the villagers, Fish takes out the parasite the pair collected. It lazily sits in the vial likely exhausted from the removal process and no longer having a constant food source. Fish curiously eyes it....it's much larger than most parasites....more vicious looking too. What possible function could it have?
Most parasites hide in water or food at first, but this is way too big for that. So how does it dig into a host? Maybe it latches on to things like a leech and then lays eggs....Terrifying though. Though the irony for the bird was the truth was way worse, they just haven't discovered it yet.
They tuck the vial away and look back towards the villagers. Were they all hosts now or just had their minds taken over by the creature? Fish was not enjoying learning about the consequences for their actions.
The bird takes notes as Astrid asks after people, their mind too consumed with thoughts to offer any questions of their own.
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