The proper thing to do at this point would be to prepare.

What do you have on you friend?

What is your opinion of the humans?

confidence is important, just do your best and act like you DO know what you are doing
well, i would say false information. tell him someone similar to the truth but not quite. like, if they have a meeting at warehouse 301 tell him warehouse 103. can just say the numbers got mixed up in your head.

Naaah, it's not the greatest art I've ever seen, but it's not terrible, certainly. In fact, I think the only specific thing that's particularly objectionable is that the ears look misplaced. Perhaps too close together. Aside from that, pretty good, overall. Good job with the proportions and perspective, I think. Oh, also, agreed with the spoiler in >>554698.

Hmm, so basically Ranier is a guy with spies all over, but he wants one (more?) in the Lunatics. Well, you could get sick and not be able to attend. Yeah, that might not work. I dunno, man. Refusing seems like the most palatable option, but may be hazardous. Feeding him FALSE information may be more dangerous, as he may already have one or more spies there. I suppose making the falsification more plausible would help some, though.

Ooh, hey, what's the Weave? Sounds intriguing.

Question: in case it becomes important, is the Tree of Souls thing an empirically examined phenomenon, or is it something you take on faith? We're cool with it either way, but it seems like if it was a thing that's been studied and carefully examined, it might be more reasonable to suppose that some kind of range amplifier or something could be constructed, or maybe a portable tree or something to carry your soul back to the main Tree, which would probably mean you could worry less about dying...which may become a concern at some point in the near future.

Also, we're the new voices in your head you thought you didn't have. Nice to meet you.

...well, to be fair, he never really specified what the favor was. That gives you some degree of leeway, doesn't it? It's hard to fail a task you were never given.

Mallow 2014/01/02(Thu)12:24 No. 554767 ID: a2a14a
File 138869429712.jpg - (135.66KB , 600x600 , map.jpg )

http://tgchan.org/kusaba/quest/res/554694.html#i554695

Humans are an ancient and powerful race. They're the ones that invented iron and steel and sailing-ships and printing-presses. The Lord was human before He became a god, too. All my school lessons said that our kind is leading the way into a new golden age, with our superior magic and ever-improving race. We really have helped them over the last century (once they stopped trying to kill us), but I've got some doubts.

Our Oak Nation where most of us live, is only really in friendly contact with the League of Mithrol to our south, and with some kingdom to the southeast. In the north there's not much going on but little border disputes and barbarian tribes, as far as I know. We're all pretty much ignorant of the outside except for what we learn through Mithrol, and for what the Lord learned in His travels before settling down. We're basically a little border nation buying goodwill with our trade and magic. I like to think of myself as well-traveled and educated, so think of how little your average farmer knows about the outside. Scary.

Then there's the fact that "improving the race" includes not just the militia training and state education, but the culling of infirm infants. It's... refreshing to get away from home and spend some time in a different culture.

This city, Suncove, isn't part of my homeland. It's part of the League of Mithrol, a confederation of city-states. Well, technically a monarchy, but the "King" is just some absent sun god hero they had once. Back home in Great Oak we have a real god, the wizard Lord Veles, who still lives among us after creating our people about a century ago. So, I'm around humans here, but that's okay. Magic is getting better every year, and eventually wizards will figure out how to help humans get up to Velesian rates of magic talent, or maybe even turn humans into Velesians.

http://tgchan.org/kusaba/quest/res/554694.html#i554724

The Weave is the source of magic! This force's root is beyond human lands, near the capital at Griffin Keep, in a region called the Madlands. It's said that monsters and miracles come from there, and that the city stands in the mountain pass to protect everyone from it. I wouldn't know. What I do know is how I can attune my thoughts to see the swirls of emerald light in the air and especially the green of living things. I can feel the threads brush against my clawtips like the strings of an instrument ready for me to play it. My own skill is modest. People who can call themselves "wizard" and not be laughed at, can fling arrows with their minds, heal wounds, bless crops, and raise walls of wood.

I visited the city of Great Oak before heading south to human lands. I could feel the thump in my heart once I was in range, and see how the Weave intensified and knotted infinitely in a grand design centered on the gigantic oak tree where the Lord lives. Everyone ought to see it for themselves! (I haven't heard of voices-in-your-head being a side effect though.) There's an arena curled against one giant root, a marketplace under the branches, the Council buildings... high prices though.

Proof of reincarnation? We have some ability to read the memories of our past lives, with the right meditation. None of us has lived more than a few times, since the Lord only created us around a century ago, but those of us who die near either of His Trees of Souls get reincarnated. I was a boring, boring farm girl last time, so I have a reason to want to do something different. It turns out that very few people die wishing that they'd done less. (I suppose my mother Rose helped inspire me to go "adventuring" too. Hmmph.) I don't know enough theory to say whether a range extender for the Trees is possible, but the Lord planted the second one (Brightshade) for that very reason, to give the Velesian people another safe place to live. Anyone who could make more would earn fame and fortune, at least if nobody killed them for it. Some humans call us "rat-kin" and would not appreciate having a giant magical tree cluttering their skyline and inviting us in.

(Art credit: Virmir, art.by.virmir.com)

It's a good idea to take stock of my resources. I'm a jack of all trades. When farmers harvest flax, I help scrape the husks off so they can make linen faster than normal. I tinker with alchemy and baking, so I sell some minor medicines and candies. My specialty is a sweet thing made from my namesake plant, the marsh mallow. (Yes, tree names are for boys and plant names are for girls. Don't ask.) Haven't learned any advanced magic, but I can cast a few spells and could probably learn harder ones. Magic users are around five percent among humans, and around one in a hundred are real pros at it. My people have rates of more like ten and five percent, and nearly all of us can at least see the Weave whenever we want. So I'm nothing special, just an ambitious cloudtail looking to make a name for himself.

What I need to decide next is how to spend my time before next week's Lunatics meeting. I could simply work as usual in my little shop (and have nothing noteworthy happen, I hope), or maybe study something there or elsewhere in the city. I feel oddly full of potential for self-improvement right now. Ranier's "favor" is to spy on the meeting and report to him, though the group's members are my colleagues. My betters, in terms of wealth and influence and knowledge.


OOC: Character sheet loosely based on the "Mythic" system.
MALLOW ROSESON
Velesian (Squirrelfolk) Male
Stats: High intelligence, High charm, others average
Powers: Velesian (natural climbing and acrobatics, bad at swimming; special religious status), Magic (can see the Weave, use magic items, and cast spells)
Skills:
-Profession(Herbalist): Average (young professional)
-Magic: Average (some training, uses it often)
-Knowledge(Business): Below Average (young and inexperienced)
-Sling-Staff: Below Average (basic militia training)

Spells:
-Sense Weave: "You don't have to be a mage to see the emerald whorls and knots of magic in the world."
-Prestidigitation: "The best spell ever. Don't know what I'd do without the power to keep my fur and clothes clean and insect-free."
-Shape Wood: "Mend wooden objects, strip bark off plants, and so on. Guarantees me a carpenter's job."

Noteworthy Gear:
-Tiny shop/apartment in Grand Grotto, Suncove: "It's a hole in the wall, but so's the city."
-Various cooking and light alchemy gear: "Mostly for making candy and certain medicines."
-Sling-staff: "Not like I ever use this thing, but I had to train with it for militia duty. Flings rocks."
-Pamphlets on religion and magic: "Invitation To Arcana, The Million Leaves, Words of the Forest Lord."

Facsinating...Sooo it sounds like your two races get along somewhat, but some humans aren't so fond of you guys...I'm guessing this Ranier fellow you aren't too fond of, given your mental focus on him having lots of contacts.
Sooo I'm thinking I'd like to hear a bit more about how Griffin Keep dislikes Suncove and why. Seeing as how both are likely both in the League of Mithrol, I can't help but think that if push came to shove the other cities would get mad and get into this mess.
In addition, Griffen Keep...I'd think a city on the border of the Madlands with a reputation for keeping them in check is probably NOT the kind of guys one would want to pick a fight with-chances are they are both tough, and if something happens to them, the stuff in the Madlands gets loose.
Still, it'd be a good idea to get a feel for what's up with this conflict here, right now I don't think you know very much, but that's just me guessing.
From there, I suppose we could figure out what to do.

Nice map.

Hmm. For reference, does Ranier have any major enemies, like, one or more influential people that enjoy blocking his moves?

So, the sling-staff. Is militia duty a thing that everyone takes turns at or something? May be useful, regardless.

Prestidigitation. Does it just keep things clean (useful enough), or is it more general than that?

How does one learn more magic, generally? Would you go study under somebody, or check books out from the library, or commune with the Weave, or what?

As far as spending your time, you could do some research on politics in general, and recent/current local politics in particular, since (while I can't say they sound particularly interesting) it seems probable that you're going to be more involved in them than you'd really want. Also, studying magic sounds cool and will probably come in handy sooner or later. You should probably still try to keep reasonable hours at your store, too, though.

I'm thinking we don't make up our minds just yet about this until we go to the meeting.
IDK why Suncove would start picking a fight with Griffin Keep, or why Griffin Keep would dislike Suncove.
Let's find out more about the conflict, perferably from both sides.

As far as what to work on in the meantime...
I'm partial to focusing on Alchemy and Magic, but not so much with the Sling-Staff, as I doubt it will reflect well upon you to take that thing in there.

So what are the Lunatic's general stance on politics, and how does it compare to what you know of Ranier's?

By alchemy, do you mean chemicals, or does magic get involved in the more advanced parts?

It's Probably Just About Export Taxes. Mallow 2014/01/03(Fri)19:39 No. 554958 ID: ca4118
File 138880678247.jpg - (37.95KB , 320x256 , grotto.jpg )

>> 554786
We all had to train as children to defend the forest. The sling-staff and regular sling are good weapons for us since we don't really want to wade into axe-and-spear battle with people a head taller than us. A few Velesian mercenaries made a name for themselves in the southeast, helping some humans there, so we kind of have a reputation as good slingers. In my case I turned out to have magic talent, so I was given training in that too. I noticed that the target dummies were always human-sized. Around here, I don't think they have that sort of youth training and education, but there's still some kind of militia. I've seen commoners with longbows and the (much more popular) crossbows. I'm actually not sure why we don't use crossbows more.

[OOC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sling_%28weapon%29#Staff_sling ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stick_Diagram.png ]

>> 554771
>> 554803
Yes, I seem to know too little about why there'd be any dispute. A nation needs a capital, doesn't it? The League has all these cities with tens of thousands of people, and Griffin Keep has an important military role, so why not them? I suppose people might complain about their representatives having to go halfway up a mountain for meetings.

About Ranier, what little I know is that he's Duke Gaubert's trouble-solver and a nobleman himself. Must own part of the land around here, probably the topside area outside this giant cavern, or maybe a strip of the beach to one side. I could ask around carefully. Hmm... The most obvious ways for me to learn more this week about the political situation (besides the meeting), is to visit the Ducal Library and spend a few copper coins to browse the books he lets visitors see from his collection, or maybe to visit the bookseller to buy something outright, or to try the Mithraic Temple where the humans' "King" is worshiped. I'd be a strange sight in there but they aren't known for chopping anybody's heads off for saying hello. I believe it's here in the Grand Grotto. Haven't visited in the year or so I've lived here. Usually I hang around the Star of Spars, the tavern where the Lunatics meet. On rowdier nights it serves the better-off sailors and miners.

Studying magic. Hmm. While deciding on any other stops to make, I'll review the Invitation To Arcana, a basic pamphlet our people publish cheaply. I really ought to get access to better books to study from, if I'm to learn any new spells or improve my general skill.

>> 554895
The Lunatics are named formally as the Lunar Society, in honor of some moon-related saint called Diamis who's popular among some of the Mithraic cities. A companion of the Sun King who's the actual god, I guess. She's associated with the sea, so this city and Bounty Lake to the west seem to venerate her. The Society's founder, Henri of the Moon, is... enthusiastic about her. Says prayers to her cured his wife and kids of something. Anyway, the Society members are businessmen who take an interest in the outside world, like trade opportunities. Henri's specialty is slightly enchanted clothing that cleans and mends itself or that stiffens like armor when struck. Then there's Miles, a noble that I'd call "idle rich" except that he spends all his time with clockwork gadgetry -- and has the Duke's patronage for his studies. Miles and Henri have been arguing with the others about whether the capital is trying to strangle our trade with excessive regulation, or whether the new taxes are for some useful purpose. Ranier is probably a man of straightforward law and order. I suspect that whatever has gotten his attention is something more than a gripe about taxation. I also suspect I'm not going to get a useful answer by fretting over it before the meeting.

By alchemy I mean the mixing of substances along with heating, distillation and other processes to produce medicines, paints and other goods. Magical influences are actually only a small part of it, partly because most stones and metals have little magical conductivity. The main exceptions being coral and certain crystals, both exported from here. The capital has been requisitioning the finest crystals for its own enchantment use, something like how the best tree-trunks are sometimes claimed for warship masts.

During a slow lunch hour, I leave my shop for the Grotto and as usual, see its endless dimness lit by lanterns of amber and crystal, reflecting off the shaded harbor. The city occupies a huge cove with a rocky overhang, a cavern with its own natural harbor and a river piercing its back wall. Burly humans haul a cargo of gypsum to a ship. Should I do anything special today?

>Ranier is probably a man of straightforward law and order.
Hmm, well, while he may very well be law-abiding, a man known for his spy network hardly seems very straightforward.

In any case, as for today - perhaps go visit that Ducal Library, and see if there's anything worth reading more carefully?

Hmm, so Rainer works for the local Gaubert, while the Lunatics apparently slightly favor the city over the nation on the taxation issue. That definitely sounds like we don't yet know the main part of what is going on here. Also, do you know what exactly does Rainer want from you regarding the Lunatics? He was a bit vague in his request.

The library seems like a decent place to head.

>slightly enchanted clothing that cleans and mends itself or that stiffens like armor when struck.
Sounds rather useful.
...By implication, what does seriously enchanted clothing act like?

For now, reading up on the local politics sounds like a good idea.
We should also attend the meeting, that should make it more clear why the Militia Captain doesn't trust the merchants.

Besides that, you should try to see if you can get a copy of the new tax laws. It sounds like they fit into this somehow.

Reading Up Mallow 2014/01/07(Tue)13:28 No. 555750 ID: b50bd5
File 138913011470.jpg - (80.16KB , 675x625 , studying.jpg )

>> 555023
"Tell me what the Lunatics have on their mind over the next few weeks," Ranier the Eel said. I'd already told him about their usual political muttering and scientific puttering and he didn't seem to care, so there must be something else on his mind. Why doesn't he pick on Miles, who's close to the Duke anyway?

>> 555016
The Ducal Library calms me. It reminds me of the Great Oak Library, just in a cave instead of a tree. It smells more strongly of wood than anyplace else in the city, and has reassuring narrow passages lit by the soft glow of amber lanterns. Nicer than those harsh blue crystal things.

I bring a few books on magic and history over to a desk. Dancing On the Weave is a classic text I've never actually read. It opens my eyes! Something about the high-quality printing, the knotty illustrations in ink that ripples green to the magic-sense, and the swirling, hypnotic verse of the text itself works well with how I think. I could probably learn any one of these basic spells if I consult it a few times more and practice over the week:
-Scribe's Aid: Coax spilled ink to make fuzzy copies of a written page. A useful (and paying) skill, though copy-copies are basically unreadable. The librarian here would strongly prefer people paying his assistant to do it safely.
-Control Wood: Move small mostly-wood objects remotely. Includes tricks like flinging darts.
-Light: Create light without activitating an enchanted amber or crystal piece (which I don't own). I'm in a cave, but it's decently lit.
-Root: Make a small object sprout tiny, sticky roots. Makes it stick to things. Useful for climbing gloves or boots; harmless to the objects.
(By the way, Prestidigitation is very limited. Why do some people think it can flavor food or something? It just sort of flicks magic sparks around in ways that repel dirt and bugs. Really, this is the best of all arguments for finding a way to turn humans into Velesians: getting everyone access to that spell. the world is made of dirt and bugs, practically!)

>> 555023
Good question! Hmm. Never seen it myself, but I hear there are robes that can store a bit of energy like some of our staves, to sort of charge up a spell once in a while. Or there's armor made from leaves hardened into something like leather, but the magic's in the crafting process. Or... oh, right, the next book mentions cloth banners that help guard against Madlands effects, and clothing that conveniently shifts when griffin knights transform.

Reading Up (2/2) Mallow 2014/01/07(Tue)13:29 No. 555752 ID: b50bd5
File 138913017428.jpg - (15.50KB , 220x203 , Mithras.jpg )

Guardians of the Sun is a history of Mithrol. I get a better understanding of the situation from skimming this. Each city-state is mostly independent, and there's a central Council in the capital made of city representatives plus men from various powerful guilds and merchant families. From the humans' perspective, my country is just two unusually independent city-states pretending not to be ruled by them: Great Oak and its nearby settlements like Ironleaf, and the town of Brightshade which they don't entirely acknowledge but don't mind either.

The Madlands near the capital are the whole reason it's the capital at all. Famous exalted sun hero magic axe sky god guy... er, King Mithrol himself, kicked a large amount of tail there. Two things strike me. There's the growing pull of the central region (Bounty Lake) as a trade center, where that moon saint Diamis is more popular than the Sun King and they scoff at the "urgent and eternal vigilance" at the capital. They'd rather just do business. The other thing is, the Madlands are getting slowly worse. There's all kinds of advanced magical filtration projects at the capital, linked through the King's sacred axe, and regular patrols of humans and griffin knights go out to kill weird misshapen creatures and scrounge for artifacts like floatstone, or things that might be visitors from other worlds or just living figments of our nightmares. Nobody even goes to the heart of that place, where the shifting geography is also deadly. I suppose it means magic improves over time, though, so our ability to deal with that is improving. We're smart enough to deal with a little hole in reality!

Can't seem to get a copy of the tax law, but from asking around I heard that the capital's demanding a bigger share of funds from this city, which means we can expect the Duke to take it out on all of us by raising various rates.

(OOC: Art credit to Wikipedia, re "Mithras")

Can Root be cast on other people's things, to stick someone's shoes to the ground or something?

>Why doesn't he pick on Miles, who's close to the Duke anyway?
He probably suspects Miles is spying either on or for the Duke.

>I suppose it means magic improves over time, though, so our ability to deal with that is improving. We're smart enough to deal with a little hole in reality!
Well, there is the possibility that weave use itself contributes to the Madlands problem, but there isn't much that can be done if that is the case, so its probably best not to think too much about that.

Hmm. Any idea of the limits on Control Wood for range, weight, and speed? I'm leaning towards learning that one, as it seems the most open-ended.

But yessss, you must return here and continue learning magic....

Control wood is probably a good option, potentially useful for all sorts of things if you're sufficiently creative in its application

The book explains that Control Wood usually works within a few yards, for a few pounds of wood (maybe taking a little non-wood along with it, ie. arrowheads), about as forcefully as you can throw something but with more precision. And you can toss things out of that range, of course. With practice, some people use this spell instead of archery, calling it Arrow Storm and hurling clouds of arrows with their minds! Not that I'll ever have use for fighting. There's an illustration of an eastern Servant-mage whirling barbless darts in a fighting style with bare hands. Besides fighting, wood control is just a fun thing to know, for writing without your hands and otherwise showing off.

Root mostly seems useful for climbing or sticking things together, though come to think of it, it could probably slow somebody down if I got almost within touching range to cast it on their shoes. There's a Snare Roots spell too to make local plants try to tangle people, but that sounds useless around here.

I think it's mainly a choice of [which spell to study this week. That ought to take my mind off my worries.

From that Control Wood definitely sounds like the better choice. Hmm, I wonder if people can use it to move the wheels of a small cart.

>>557035
Hey, yeah, good idea - horseless carriages. Well, it might be a bit heavy...but hey, you could hook a wooden flywheel to some gears, and still probably get the cart moving at a reasonable clip. Probably doubly useful as a merchant, though not as much as if you were a trader or something.

>>555750
Refine Control Wood, use it to deflect arrows. Also, never ever talk to any humans about religion or magic. They'd probably have an apopleptic fit.

This Can't Be Good. Mallow 2014/01/15(Wed)17:25 No. 557701 ID: ca4118
File 138983552487.jpg - (30.95KB , 600x276 , 130115.jpg )

>> 557119
Heh heh. I've been learning that the hard way, after a couple of... discussions regarding how eventually Velesians ought to replace humans.
>> 557056
Turning the wheels of a cart? I suppose, but haven't seen it done myself. The driver would have to propel it themselves and would eventually get tired doing it. Sounds like a good idea even so.

First thing is to learn Control Wood though. The instructions recommend carving your own practice wand, so I do that during slow time at work. By day's end I have the wand and can kind of wiggle it without quite touching it. Another trip to the library and several days' more practice, and by the Lord! It works.

#

"I didn't know you could grin that wide," says Miles. We're at the Star and Spar with the other Lunatics, having a drink, and I'm showing off to everyone who will pay attention. I can drink from a wooden mug (a little shakily) without touching it! I do better with the wand, using it to poke people when they're not looking.

I set the mug down. "My wizardry grows mighty! I may even start learning some spells that aren't taught in Blackthorn pamphlets." The powerful Blackthorn clan back home publishes basic how-to guides on cheap paper, to convince everyone that magic and the clan's other interests are wonderful things.

The Star and Spar is named for a giant pillar of gypsum from the mines below. The bright milky crystal shines like the moon. We're at our usual corner table, a dozen or so assorted tradesmen and scholars. Nobody shows unusual anxiety tonight. Miles brags about his latest work for the Duke at studying how men might fly through the air with sails. Jacques the sculptor discusses his mixing experiments with the plaster-of-Suncove we export; the Duke has been funding artists as well as "natural philosophers" like Miles who think they can do useful things non-magically. Henri the clothier chats with me about dye additives that might make clothes shimmer attractively, saying he wants to develop "a rarity" to sell. Canvas... It's quite a versatile material, isn't it? Good for anything from honest men's pants to artists' backdrops to pirates' sails.

But as the evening wears on and our bar tab rises, Henri is the one to break more serious news. He stands. "Gentlemen. What if the Madlands were here?"

We murmur. Henri follows up: "They're coming, I'm told. The capital has decreed in secret that our city is going to become a... philosopher's garden, a workshop for madness. They're planning to ship dirt and stone and King knows what else from beyond the mountains, plant them in the depths of Suncove, and see what happens!"

More stammered worries. Jacques says, "What? That's... would that create a Madlands in miniature?"

"I don't know," says Henri. "I think they aim to find out. We are their mine-canaries. Their tame bats, to go squeaking into the darkness for them."

Miles looks as surprised as the rest of us despite having a noble patron. "Why? Idle curiosity?"

Henri gives him an appraising look. "I was hoping you might enlighten us. The news I hear says that the Duke will be receiving a reduction on the proposed tax increases, for reasons that hadn't been clear until now." He looks around and confirms that the other guests have wobbled home for the night. "I believe our Society's influence has a role to play in preventing this foolishness."

Oh, dear Lord. It's said the sands there shift unnaturally to music from nowhere, and creatures made of inky shadows stalk the land beneath floating islands, slaying knights with their fangs of lightning. What do I say? What do I do?

>>557701
Ask about the depths of Suncove. How deep do they go, how would one enter, and how dangerous are they?
Right now this is just a rumor. However, if the Lunatics could send down an expedition to find the dumping site, then you could assemble proof of what's going on.

Also, do you think the Duke's request to spy on the Lunatics is connected to all this?

Hmmph. Seems like a foolish idea to test this in a CITY of all places - why wouldn't you start with someplace UNINHABITED to try to turn it into a wasteland?

Of course, maybe they did....

As Though Caverns Aren't Frightening Enough! Mallow 2014/01/16(Thu)11:49 No. 557870 ID: b50bd5
File 138990176231.jpg - (13.88KB , 400x250 , 130116.jpg )

>>557714
>>557802
"Why would they test their theories in a perfectly good city?" I say, getting murmurs of assent from the others.

Miles looks thoughtful. "I assume they'd be doing this at the bottom of the old malachite veins, one of the mined-out sections. That's what, a hundred feet or more below the bottom of Grand Grotto? I know they've got those Velesian-made vines pumping water up."

"What do you mean 'they'?" says one of the more hot-headed Lunatics. "It sounds like your 'friend' Duke Gaubert is in on this." There have been accusations of an "improper relationship" between Miles and the Duke due to how much time they've spent together, but I don't believe them. The Duke's happily married, for one thing.

Miles glares back. "How quickly you turn on someone who paid for your last cup of wine. I knew nothing about this."

I say, "I have to wonder if this kind of experiment is what made the Madlands in the first place. Aren't there ruins in that area?"

Someone says, "Bah. The broken castles and towers are bits of vomited-up nightmare like everything else there."

Miles looks fretful. I decide to spare him by saying what he's probably thinking. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I bet the idea is to bury this tainted stuff as deep as the scholars can, away from the populated areas, and see if a very small version of the Madlands' effects shows up. It's not a completely stupid idea, if it lets people study that in a way that can be contained. I don't know of a deeper cave. And... maybe we could send people to investigate just where this experiment might happen?"

Henri seems to be growing angrier by the word until I get to the last part. "Yes!" he says. "But exactly how, I don't know. What I hear is that the material is going to be moved in over the next few weeks. Probably tons of it. None of us is a miner, but surely we can find some excuse to poke around down there and... and find out what's going on, and put a stop to it!"

Since this city is my home now, I'd like to know what's happening, though I'm not terribly eager to stick my whiskers into a cave full of insanity. I briefly ask myself why they didn't experiment on a nice safe tree, then decide it's an even worse suggestion. The mines are deep and normally restricted to the actual miners and quarrymen looking for the ore and crystals. We're a bunch of tradesmen and scholars, mostly. Shouldn't be anything worse down there than cave-ins and pockets of bad air and slippery footing and eternal darkness and... we're all going to die aren't we?

It seems Guard-Captain Ranier heard a counter-rumor that Henri had heard about the experiment and that's why he contacted me. So, we're now all sneaking around behind each other's tails. Henri is all for organizing an expedition with Lunar Society funding. I'm not sure what else to say here, or to do afterwards.

Welllll, you can't possibly just stay here while the others are off having an adevnture, can you? :3 Besides, if you're not here, Ranier can't question you.

why go behind doors when we can be open?
if the Danger of this experiment is the issue, why not offer the Lunar Society's aid so that you guys can get in on this without infighting? Instead of sneaking around the gaurds, we'll stroll in with them accompanying us, and possibly bolster our own knowledge by what we witness.

>>557876
Investigating through legal channels seems worth considering, but might cause trouble if the guards react badly to our inquiries. Maybe Miles can try to ask the Duke about the rumors, and suggest that some of his friends have safety concerns if the Duke doesn't deny everything.

Sounds Like They're Listening To Me! Mallow 2014/01/17(Fri)11:24 No. 558081 ID: b50bd5
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I suppose being in a deep, dark cave having "adventures" makes it less likely for Ranier to bother me. Makes about as much sense as my mother's excuse for running away, back in the day.

I ask, "What if we went to the Duke's men and told them outright that we know, and we want to see? He might be eager to smooth our fur. So to speak. It'd also mean we have guards with us that know what they're doing. Maybe ask through Miles?"

"Not like they'd be willing to show us everything," grouses Henri. But some of the others sound like a bit relieved by the notion.

So that leaves the group actually listening to me, it seems. I have these plans in mind:
(Alder) Get the Society to sneak into the mines, probably under some pretense like Miles installing some of his gadgets; then see all manner of exciting things that may or may not eat us;
(Birch) Get Miles to approach the Duke about this matter and argue for a guided tour, which puts us in a dark and lonely place with city guards who may not particularly like us; or
(Cedar) Flee with my tail still attached.

I can't even think of a proper name for a Plan D. Also, there's the question of what to report to Ranier after the meeting, though if we take the sneaky route I'll handle the reporting later if still undevoured.

Birch. But bring your weapons, and be on your guard, for both accidents and "accidents".

Probably Birch. Unless the Duke is completely crazy this experiment is going to be guarded anyway, and sneaking into that would give the guards a reason to get rid of us. They might try to do away with us on a legitimate visit, but that would be politically risky for them, as legitimate visitors suddenly disappearing or dying around the magical experiment site seems like the sort of thing that might cause unrest.
We should of course come armed, because 'who knows what might live in the caves'.

Also, "Dogwood" works for D.

Cave Story Mallow 2014/01/18(Sat)17:34 No. 558292 ID: ca4118
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The next morning, we find time for me, Henri the clothier, Miles the tinker and Jacques the sculptor, to approach the Improbable Mansion. Duke Gaubert is a cave-dweller like the rest of us, but his home is built into the cavern behind the waterfall. A river runs from the north, into the back of Suncove, and down to the harbor, and its constant roar drowns out the noise of the mechanical elevator and ramp traffic leading to the upper world. Outside, the mansion is little more than a hole with guards. Inside, we're immediately surrounded with the warmth of braziers and rugs and paintings of the world outside. A plaster-of-Suncove statue of a man with an otter's tail presides over the room, holding a necklace with a curious triad design.

I'm distracted from studying the room, when the Duke's guards announce him and he enters the foyer. Gaubert looks the four of us over, hesitates, then smiles and begins shaking our hands. Even mine! "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The four of us stammer through what was supposed to be a carefully worded request.

The Duke twitches as he listens. "Thank you for being direct with me. If I offer more information, can I be confident that it will not leak as porously as the capital's original instructions apparently did?" We nod and he goes on. "Some of the greatest scholars are involved in this project. Because the material is going to be added to the cavern in batches, they expect that any Madlands effects will appear gradually and be easily measured and studied. The size of the batches on individual ships has apparently not been large enough to do anything at all. We're speaking of tons of dirt and stone and bits of the more exotic materials. The government is sending someone who can cast the Valorous Stance Against Chaos..." Oh, right, the humans have highfalutin religious names for their spells. That one's supposed to suppress Madlands effects around the caster.

"That's all well and good, my lord," says Henri. "But since by definition, no one knows what will happen, we're concerned for our city."

I pipe up. "We'd like to be able to see. My lord."

The Duke paces, glancing at the statue. "It's interesting to get that request from a foreign mage. It shouldn't hurt to have one more perspective on the experiment. You can even tell your wizard-friend to reassure Him."

My tail dances in amusement at my being called a mage, and at the Great Lord of the Forest being my "friend" as though we share drinks. "Thank you, my lord."

"We're honored to have a Velesian from such a distinguished family available to help."

My incisors grind together. I quickly bow and come back up with a smile.

It seems we're done here, and the Duke retreats. But a few minutes later -- we're asked to wait while he ponders -- a written note comes back to us to amend his words. "There really should be as few observers running in and out as possible, to keep the commoners calm. Let Mallow come to the mine entrance by himself next week at noon, the day after the _Righteous Fox_ drops anchor. By then, the first shipment should be in place for his inspection."

I feel my skin go cold. Henri is not pleased, though Miles looks relived. I mutter about a "Plan Dogwood". The most obvious thing to do is to go along with the Duke's offer, waiting a week or so for the cargo ship and doing something to prepare myself for the doomful depths. I'm standing in the Duke's foyer thinking about my next move...

I guess we will go with it, though the part about how it was returned on a written note makes me a bit concerned about a possible swap. Does the Duke normally do that sort of thing?
After we leave the Duke's place, we should give the note to Henri for safekeeping in case something happens to us, and ask if we can borrow some of his armor-cloth for the trip.

assemble some kind of handy travel pack with the essentials just in case, you know, not heavy, but that could pull you from a pinch

Adventure! (1/2) Mallow 2014/01/22(Wed)18:31 No. 559113 ID: ca4118
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The note was strange. We end up not being able to make anything of it over the next week, though, and shrug our shoulders as the Society discusses it.

Armor! Ha. It brings back memories of militia training. A grizzled veteran named Woundwart with a terrifying hound, who loomed over us kids. "What if the humans come to burn your village?!" he'd say. "You're not ready!" But this stuff is more pleasant than our beat-up practice outfits. Henri's "buff jacket" is made of sturdy "springing leather" that stiffens when it's struck. He demands that I stab it a few times and fail before lending it to me with a grin. I'm none too thrilled at being told to go alone where I even have to consider that I might get stabbed.

But I eventually cheer up, maybe as a way to quit being terrified. I wanted "adventure", and here was one that I could do with the supervision of guards who knew what they were doing, without any real danger. Probably. I've got my backpack, a snack, a canteen, a borrowed helmet that covers my ears and makes it hard to hear, and a crystal that will glow soft blue for the next few hours. Aaaand, a candle just in case. The Duke's men are skeptical about me carrying weapons, but it's hard to deny me a utility knife and my sling-staff, a few rocks and the clutch of homemade darts I hid in the backpack. I begin to think that this arrangement is overkill, but I've been practicing Control Wood over the last week and am looking for excuses to use that.

"This is a mine, not some ancient maze of doom," says guard Rossum or Guilder, who I keep getting confused. "Bah, squirrels and their tools." They don't look particularly interested in stabbing me, or in anything but getting back to fresher air.

The mine smells of rock dust and the eerie plant-fungus pungency of the pale mine-vines that wind along the floors, pumping water out. Somewhere below and around us I hear the clatter of breaking stones and grunting men. I get lost immediately. We head into darker places and past a locked metal gate that says "OFF LIMITS" below a Ducal seal.

The good news is that once we're in a narrow tunnel lit only by our crystals, far out of sight and sound of any living being, the guards don't stab me.

Adventure! (2/2) Mallow 2014/01/22(Wed)18:41 No. 559114 ID: ca4118
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The bad news is that I can see the Madlands for the first time, practically delivered to my doorstep. We're looking into a large natural cavern similar to the great gypsum cave on the level above.

There are rows of imported soil and rock samples ahead, marked with flags in various spots. A third guard looks up as we enter, exchanges a password with Guilder or Rossum, and continues his anxious pacing. I hardly notice, though. With magic-sense I can see twisting, glowing, clutching shapes that look like unholy flames more than leaves and vines.

"Are you not seeing this?" I say.

"Why's your fur all bristly, cloudtail?"

I point. "The... the patterns! This is freakish stuff!" I could swear the patterns react when I said that, as though amused.

"Of course. But their fancy wizard-experts say it's normal for Madlands stuff."

"No, I mean the part there that looks like an evil face! And the pod-woven loops over there that..." I've lost them with magic theory terminology, which I barely understand anyway. I'm not sure "it looks evil" is proper jargon either. And this twisted magic is just from the first delivery of soil!

Oh Lord, what do I do? How will we get out of here alive before that stuff devours us? Who will identify my possessions!?

Calm down. If the MadLands were THAT dangerous, humans would not be screwing around with it like they are now.
Plus, your race is more attuned to magic than humans are by innate nature-they have more work to do just to equal an average citizen, and you've actually studied this some by your people's standards. You're probably a grade or three above these humans.
Now while it looks HOLY CRAP wrong, is it actively doing something to you or the humans around you? Because if it is you should tell them that, and what it's doing-that's the point of these experiments in the first place anyhow.

Check for whether anything in the area has physically changed, or if so far it is just the magic that is weird. Ask the guards what they plan to do if the magic does start to cause trouble.

Makes Sense That They'd Have a Proper Expert... Mallow 2014/01/24(Fri)10:14 No. 559259 ID: b50bd5
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>>559115
Calm down.
With considerable effort I avoid fleeing back up the tunnel, though my tail won't quit flagging. "This... is maybe more visible to me than it is to you," I say. "I'm seeing some unusual patterns. Erm. And you do have someone really attuned and qualified to observe any physical effects?"

The guard on duty says, "Of course. So far there's been no obvious distortion of the stakes in the soil, there, or anyone going crazy, or anything like that. The plan is to dig up a couple of test objects after a few days of exposure."

>>559129
I walk around the cave and make myself step closer, touching the freakish spirals and trying to understand how they relate to anything I've ever studied. Everything else here looks like a fallow garden plot that happens to be underground. "Have you planted any shade-tolerant seeds? You could try hanging some lanterns."

"Already done, in the left-side plots," says a new voice. I turn and spot a Velesian girl, a red with entirely human-style clothing including an impractical cape. She says, "I wasn't told we'd bring in yet another person for this experiment."

Another human hurries into view. "Miss Delphinium! You should be in your chambers."

"These twisty little passages are all starting to look alike. I thought the goal was security, not having tourists barging in."

I say, "I'm Mallow, ma'am. The Duke has invited me to inspect this site on behalf of the Lunar Society."

She gives me a long look, with ears flicking in uncertainty. "Which is what?"

The newcomer human is dressed in some kind of unreasonably fancy work apron and ruffled shirt. "A local club and trade organization, ma'am. Rather influential. Miles, the one bothering you about floatstone, is a member." He stands between her and me, saying to me, "This is Delphinium Beechdottir, resident scholar of Griffin Keep. As you can see, your people's unique insights are already being applied to the experiment."

I try to sound light-hearted. "So you're the one making sure this cave doesn't sprout fangs?" I thought I was going to ask something else...

"To the point that this cozy cavern is my home for the next month or more. Not that the rest of Suncove is much brighter. I take it that you mainly stay underground yourself."

"I help with the topside harvests sometimes, with linen and herbs."

We overhear two of the guards whisper to each other, "What did I tell you? They're all mages and herbalists."

I roll my eyes. "If you'd like to visit the rest of the city while you're here --"

"Can't. Security. It's vital that we not cause a panic, understand? You shouldn't even be here."

Delphinium seems a bit frustrated as she looks me and the scholar over. I suppose it's because the Society's involvement is an unnecessary complication. "Well. Carry on with your inspection. Are you at all interested in magic theory?" When I nod she adds, "Excellent. I would take an hour or more just to study Weave patterns here and examine how your spells behave. The interaction seems to be a useful way to study magic, so we're already learning why 'questing' in the Madlands is such a good way to gain experience as a mage."

She turns to go, nodding to the scholar.

Ask the scholar if you can test magic now, and do so, both to see what happens with the madlands aura and for this apparent spell benefit.

Hmm, we will have to think about what to say about all this when we get back. I think that this is a bit worrying, but the mad-soil hasn't really done anything yet, so we are currently where we started in that respect, though on the positive side we know more about the experiment now in case something changes in the future.

Studying and Note-Passing (1/2) Mallow 2014/01/27(Mon)16:18 No. 559768 ID: 30b8c6
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I ask if it's all right for me to spend time studying in the test chamber for a while, and get a yes from the guards. After a few minutes of pacing and glancing over my shoulder every time I see the shadow of my own tail, I settle down a bit and examine the Weave and what I can do with it.

Impressive! Magic seems... thicker here, slightly. The threads are more obvious and easier to tug once I have some idea how to use them. Doesn't seem innately dangerous yet. Without anything trying to eat me in here, I get in a good session of experimenting with my spells. I think this practice has given me some insight.

I'm interrupted by Delphinium's return, maybe an hour later. She seems resigned to my intrusion.

Delphinium steps closer, letting her previous glare soften somewhat. "I've been thinking. Mallow, please understand. We're putting a great deal of trust in you by letting you come here and examine our work. Please don't spoil it. We'll ensure that it's done safely. Ultimately, this is for the Lord." She takes my hand in a friendly gesture... and I feel a crumpled paper pressed into my fingers. I try to pocket it discreetly. Delphinium steps away and retreats to her apartment elsewhere in the caves.

Studying and Note-Passing (2/2) Mallow 2014/01/27(Mon)16:21 No. 559769 ID: 30b8c6
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I manage to find a moment to sneak a peek at the paper when nobody's looking. The note... well, have a look, oh insightful voices. "When this work is over, perhaps you'd like to meet? -Dph" Not terribly secretive.

>>559769
So, uhhhh, the only interpretation coming to mind is...she's hitting on you? Unless you think she means, like, "After your immediate visit is over, meet me somewhere to secretly discuss the longer-term impact" or something. ...Seems kinda unlikely.

Oh, and as for an actual suggestion: I guess just looks for any signs of active malevolency?

>>559827
Her emphasis on "this is for the Lord" implies that she is secretly working for (or at least loyal to) the God Emperor of Squirrel-kind the Lord rather than the Duke, and has information to share. At least, that is what she is saying, though it is possible she is just saying that and is working for some other motive. Still, it definitely sounds worthwhile to stop by and see what that is about.

I'd recycle a picture here, but the site won't let me even if I rename it.

It doesn't look like anything is actually malevolent here in the experimental cavern. I'm somewhat reassured by my visit as well as having had some valuable practice at spellcraft.

Delphinium's suggestion made it sound like she planned to meet after the whole experiment. That is, maybe a month off, or more, once they've had time to try to convince themselves that a full set of three Madlands soil shipments won't do anything worse than the single shipment has. Odd that she'd request it that way. I'd certainly be up for meeting her then, considering how little company of my kind there is around here.

Given that there's nothing obvious to do here now, I should probably leave. So, there's the matter of how much to tell the Lunatics. No one has said I can't just say it all. There should be no problems once I tell Henri and everyone that I was given the guided tour and everything looked fine, right?


>>559829
I want to draw a squirrel space marine wielding at least three chainsaws, after that!

I don't see any reason not to tell them everything we saw, as we were allowed to come here specifically to see things. Henri probably still won't be happy, though I am not sure if there is a practical option that would please him. We will definitely want to visit again after each of the other two shipments will be installed, of course.

Also, take note of how far away from the actual mad-soil the madlands effects noticeably extend. When they add more, it will be relevant how much the area of effect increases by.

>I want to draw a squirrel space marine wielding at least three chainsaws, after that!
"We are the Squirrel Marines! WE ARE THE EMPRA'S FURRY!"

Cool, cool. If none seems evident, you might want to request that a warning system be put in place, in case some abomination suddenly rises out of the sand and starts to slaughter everyone. Not to be a downer, or anything.

>>560664
And good idea about the comparative ranges.

Nothing's Going To Please That Guy. Mallow 2014/02/09(Sun)20:59 No. 561773 ID: ca4118
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Getting an idea, I pace to the edges of the cavern, trying to gauge the falloff in strength of the strange magic. I can't see a clear edge to it, so if this, this stuff permeates solid rock, there's some effect even in the tunnels surrounding us. That's eerie. Things are... relatively normal in the farthest corner, though. A little further chat with the guards assures me that they are the warning system.

"That's stupid!" I cry out. "Are the others supposed to listen for the sound of screaming to tell them something is wrong?"

One of the guards looks unnerved, and earns a dirty look from the other who then shares it with me. "Look, we've got a job to do. We may not like it, but the Duke said to cooperate and we get paid to watch dirt. Having you scare the new guy isn't helping."

"Can't you rig up something better, though? Say... One of those magic-strength measuring tools, rigged to a bell?"

The guard looks ready to object, then puts his hand down. "That's actually a good idea. Ought to run that by the big cheese wizard." The other guard grins.

Oh. Velesian equals rat equals cheese-eater. That's weak. I try to stay professional. "And they ought to have one of those meters anyway to compare the Weave strength before and after."

"It's right here." The new guard reveals a gadget behind some boxes, resembling one of Miles' experimental clockworks. They let me heft the heavy thing and try carrying it around the room. I reluctantly measure thirty vels right in the middle of the scary dirt patch, twenty-five in the corners, and vaguely recall twenty being considered a normal level back home. (And home is above average, but then... gah, there are technical details I don't really grasp.) I'm not sure there's even a limit to the number in the real Madlands. Maybe... a hundred is some measurement one of the knights once took while flying there, I think?

#

The Society holds what Henri calls an emergency meeting at the Star and Spar. For an emergency, we're certainly well fed there. I tell the group everything. Not surprisingly, Henri's not pleased. "A fifty percent rise from one little experiment? Yet they persist. This is not good, gentlemen. The Duke is being coerced into this foolishness."

"Leaned on through taxes, yes," I say. "But he's getting favorable treatment from cooperating, and that helps everyone here."

"Until some horror crawls out of the ground there. Miles, you should be the one to go there and insist on installing your own measuring gear. Anything you can make. We have a week before the second shipment, as I understand things, and two before the third if we're still alive then."

Most of the other Lunatics are less concerned, thanks to my report. One of them elbows me. "So, was she cute?"

I wave my tail dismissively. "Not especially. Not very friendly, either."

"But that note!"

I take it out again. "Two lines on a big sheet of paper doesn't mean much. Maybe we'll meet up after they finish this project, maybe not. I don't think she much liked my meddling either."

#

Rumors start the next day. According to my customers at the shop, a friend of a friend heard that someone was mysteriously killed in the mines. Gwenivere, a kindly woman who I once rescued from a bandit, says she heard there was an explosion. I don't think I believe either, and nobody knows details.

Also, we're not allowed back down there. Henri asked. That, I'm more troubled by. I'm wondering if I should even stay involved. Only reason we were given is that there's work to do and it's not our business now that we've seen nothing horrible is going on. Next shipment goes in soon...

Ugh, out of practice and missing my blue sketch pencil.

Rumors starting the very next day makes me kind of suspicious about someone like Henri starting them...
The denial of requests to come back is a bit more concerning though. Was it more forbidding us to come back now or forbidding us to come back ever (in particular after the second shipment)? Also, maybe Henri should not be the one asking since the Duke by now no doubt knows that he is thoroughly opposed to the experiment.

>a hundred is some measurement one of the knights once took while flying there, I think?
By that do you mean just flying in, or do the madland effects in the main Madlands extend a considerable distance upwards from the ground?