TUW: Boga City

[Tellerian Hawke]

Merin and Tor both take the opportunity to train with Saemund; it is very useful for skill development to train one style against another, because doing so reveals the strengths and weaknesses of each style. Merin begins by using empty-hand vs. Saemund's axe, and then switches out, to let Saemund go up against Tor’s sword-and-shield style.

 

[MacConnell]

Y 0: D 190: Doldrums 40: The River, part 2

OOC: GM NOTE: I altered the Day to reflect the day of the year instead of the number of days the party has been on their own.

Saemund looks at Sannit...perhaps another time, he stops trying to compel Merin...Thank you Merin Saemund then walks a few paces from the group and begins practicing the axe forms he has created to make himself a more efficient fighter.

Sheldon sees Saemund walk away from the group a bit and can tell that he is frustrated over something. He watches the big man work with his axe until he begins to show signs of fatigue before approaching him to speak.
"I have watched you working with the others to harness your skill with the Compulsion task, and I have observed that you are successful from time to time, yet you are still frustrated; therefor, it must be in the application of that compulsion rather than its success that is bothering you.

This is perhaps a good thing, for with this kind of power comes the temptation to abuse it. My skill with this task is not much greater than yours, but I, also, have more time to its exposure. Perhaps I can lend some clarity to its application.

When you are able to take control of another person's mind, whether they were an idiot or a genius, they might as well have both been idiots when it comes to what they can be made to do. They can be commanded to do anything that a simpleton could do:

Pick up that rock.
Follow me.
Go over there.
Lay face down in the river.

That last is particularly mean, since the person will, of course, drown. We could not, however, tell a gate guard at Asylim to go stab Saucy Drip. That is too complicated for a simpleton, and even if Saucy were standing directly in front of the compelled person, their ability to use a sword would be as effective as a toddler's.

This is not the real power though. When successful, you have control of another's mind. Here is where the potential for true cruelty lies and where we must be careful how far we are willing to push it. Like you were able to do with that Medderin we encountered, you can make a person face their greatest fear without having to know anything about it. To me this is a win, win. The person runs away in sheer terror until they pass out from exhaustion. We are no longer in danger and we did not have to kill anyone.

In a more cruel manner, you could convince a person that they are falling to their death, even though they are not moving. They will lay on the ground, flailing their arms, and screaming until they pass out from fear. Or even more cruelly, you could convince them that they are boiling in oil or being roasted alive. There is a limit. Once their imagined pain reaches a certain level, their mind will shut down rendering them unconscious.

I hope this has helped, some. Come back and join us for supper when you are ready."

As Sheldon turns to walk back toward the rest of the group, he pauses suddenly having an idea.
"I just realized something with that coin trick that you did. You may have hit upon a way for us to get into Asylim. Instead of taking full control of another person's mind, we could use this same task to push a suggestion upon them.

We could walk to the guard at the gate, show him our bare arm, and say, 'I am a Regular Soldier.' If we are successful, he sees the mark even though it is not there and passes us through the gate."

 

[Kwargrow]

We could walk to the guard at the gate, show him our bare arm, and say, 'I am a Regular Soldier.' If we are successful, he sees the mark even though it is not there and passes us through the gate."

Sannit strokes his beard and says, "So with the right skill we can make people see things, but the closer to something plausible, the easier it is to pull off. When we travel through the Asylim gate would it help to have a replica on our arms anyway? Something painted on? Depending on how many people we can affect, someone else might notice if we show the guard a bare arm."

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

On The Possibilities Of Suggestion...

Merin nods, and says to Sannit, "Agreed. It wouldn't even need to be an exact replica, as long as it's similar. The suggestion will be sufficient to convince the guard of its authenticity. And any bystanders would only see the tattoo from a distance. That is an excellent idea, my friend."

Turning to Sheldon, Merin continues: "You are probably the most talented among us, in that area of manipulation. Saemund is also showing an interest. The two of you should start practicing this, so that by the time we get to Asylim, we'll be ready. My only concern is that the guards are well-trained, and strong-willed. I doubt a novice would be able to pull off something of that nature."

Tor adds, "We should also investigate the use of such techniques with regard to interrogation. Torture and force are crude, and unreliable. Besides being inhumane and cruel, it is also a fact that a person in pain will say anything to make the pain stop. You cannot trust information gained in such a fashion. But using Way to suggest to someone that we're their best friends, or to suggest that telling us what we want to know would help someone they care about, we stand a good chance of getting honest information from the person in question; a person who believes that talking is beneficial, who is trying to help or do good for someone, is an ideal source of information. Once we get to Asylim, I have the feeling that we will be needing to gather a great deal of information, and probably most of that information will be held by otherwise hostile sources. Our mastery of Way will play a huge role in the possibility of our success."

 

[MacConnell]

Y 0: D 190: Doldrums 40: The River, part 3

Vadin asks Sheldon and Sannit a question,

"Can searching for minerals be taught?"

GM: Sheldon and Sannit work with Vadin when they go in search of usable minerals.

Sheldon tries to explain.
"Sensing Way is much easier than trying to manipulate. While you are able to manipulate Way at this time, like we all were in the beginning, you must touch whatever it is you are wanting to affect.

You will find that you can sense certain things from several steps away. This is not a great distance, yet, but I have found that the distance increases significantly as my skill has improved."

OOC: GM NOTE: With less than 10 ranks in the Collegiate skill, active tasks have a range limited to touch. Sensitivities have a range measured in strides. A stride is ~3'. After acquiring 10 ranks in the Collegiate skill, the effective range is increased to a a distance measured in strides. After acquiring at least 1 rank in the Divination skill, sensitivities become perceptions which have a range measured in paces. The variety of materials that can be recognized also increases.

GM: With a little practice, it is learned that all Seekers, except Sheldon, can sense tin and zinc, unaided, but to sense any other metal, a sample must be held in hand. Sheldon, who has been practicing Divination, can also sense iron, aluminum, and carbone (coal), unaided. His range is also 10 times greater.

 

[MacConnell]

Y 0: D 190: Doldrums 40: Discussing Possibilities

OOC: GM NOTE: For clarification of vocabulary related to the game, the term tattoo does not exist. The common terms are branded, marked, and painted. The brands on the Asylin citizenry are produced from several different berries that near-permanently dye the skin. The process is not invasive. The term painted refers to indigenous peoples that decorate large portions of their skin, especially their faces. This is most common in Evipau and Norikadians. The term marked refers to simple designs applied to one's own body as a show of expression. The term branded refers to simple marks applied to another's body, sometimes without the receiver's consent. Asylim, Eastaboga, and Thisidaboga all use this to mark criminals. Only Asylim also uses it to make economic class distinctions. (Think India, but the mark is on the arm not the forehead.)

Sannit strokes his beard and says,

"So with the right skill we can make people see things, but the closer to something plausible, the easier it is to pull off. When we travel through the Asylim gate would it help to have a replica on our arms anyway? Something painted on? Depending on how many people we can affect, someone else might notice if we show the guard a bare arm."

Merin nods, and says to Sannit,

"Agreed. It wouldn't even need to be an exact replica, as long as it's similar... That is an excellent idea, my friend."

Sheldon runs his left hand through his hair pulling it back from his face.
"Good point. Since we are currently heading in the opposite direction, we should have time to plan this out. We should try to get a look at a regular soldier's or someone else's we want to imitate."

Turning to Sheldon, Merin continues:

"... My only concern is that the guards are well-trained, and strong-willed. I doubt a novice would be able to pull off something of that nature."

Sheldon shrugs his shoulders and bobbles his head.
"I may have started this direction in the beginning, but since Saemund and even Sannit are developing the Theological mechanism for manipulating Way, I have begun to try to increase my sensitivity to it. It should not be long before Saemund and Sannit can surpass my current skill.

As far as guards go, gate duty is the worst. It is where the incompetent and lazy are stationed. I don't foresee any real difficulty in fooling one."

Tor adds,

"We should also investigate the use of such techniques with regard to interrogation... using Way to suggest to someone that we're their best friends, or to suggest that telling us what we want to know would help someone they care about, we stand a good chance of getting honest information from the person in question..."

Sheldon, again, runs his left hand through his hair pulling it back from his face.
"That me be a little overly hopeful. This talent we have for compulsion take another mental faculties away from them. The victim may no longer be able to provide anything since they are effectively a simpleton.

Again, we still have some time for this. I am currently thinking that we may have a better chance of gathering accurate information from the lowest members of that society, from the workers."

 

[Kwargrow]

Sannit says, "Since we are going to a larger city where it will be easier to blend in, we should look for opportunities to utilize and practice these new skills. I am sure it will come in handy to be able to manipulate someone in Boga City."

 

[MacConnell]

Y 0: D 191 - 197: Doldrums 41 - 47: Reaching the Destination

OOC: Some history the characters would know: The legend goes that Boga City is being reconstructed upon the site of a former Yahdram city. Allegedly there was once only one race of being, called the Yahdram. In a war with the gods, the Yahdram was fractured into three new races, the Aedaman, Faethrin, and Mhytre, each retaining one exemplary physical trait instead of all three. The Aedaman have exceptional health, the Faethrin exceptional grace, and the Mhytre exceptional strength. There are now 27 defined tribes of peoples, 9 for each race. One tribe of each of the races has retained the natural ability to manipulate way, the Kinamin of the Aedaman, the Da'Roneh of the Faethrin, and the Deviard of the Mhytre. These clans are all malevolent and use their gift to constantly cause conflict; therefor by association, those who could perform such paranormal tasks became termed as Blighters. Though ~50% of the general populace can sense the manipulation of Way, only ~10% can perform such. It has become a well-guarded secret because of the three malevolent tribes.

GM: Traveling forward across the well-made bridge the following morning, the Seekers find themselves undisturbed from the remainder of the trip. Beginning almost a day before reaching the city itself, the countryside becomes populated with farms. Large expanses of the grassland has been partitioned to grow specific crops like grapes and beans. There are also domesticated herds of sheep tended by ranchers with dogs. People close enough to see the faces of the travelers, wave and greet them in a friendly manner. About 3 hours before reaching the city, its walls can be seen and the sounds of construction heard. A great amount of work is being done around the walled city. The wall is being repaired in various places and a large, extensive pit is being dug around the city. The pit is being lined with stones up its walls and in the bottom what appears to be liquid rock is being poured from buckets. The workers appear to be conducting such tasks of their own volition for there are no task masters lording over them. As the party nears an entry-point, they are greeted by a city clerk. The clerk has paper pinned to a small board he is holding and begins scribing things upon it with a carbon stile as he approaches.

"Greetings Travelers. You seem a mixed group. Do you speak Centrin or would you prefer Asylin?"

GM: Since Asylin is the more comfortable language for the Seekers, the clerk continues in that.

"I will need some information from you, if you are here to conduct trade. If you are here for work or here for the upcoming games, I can provide you with some information."

 

[Kwargrow]

Sannit steps up and addresses the clerk. "We are here for trade. We have brought bolts of silk from Southroad Fair, and we captured some wild cows along the journey. Are there established places to trade these items? We would also like to know what work there might be for new-comers, and I would like to know more about the games."

Bolo looks around to determine if there are any people in the area paying close attention to their group.

Turtle takes a whiff of the city and then snorts it back out. It's like the town but worse.

 

[MacConnell]

Y 0: D 197: Doldrums 47: The Southern Gate

Sannit steps up and addresses the clerk.

"We are here for trade. We have brought bolts of silk from Southroad Fair, and we captured some wild cows along the journey. Are there established places to trade these items? We would also like to know what work there might be for new-comers, and I would like to know more about the games."

GM: While Sannit is speaking, he and everyone else notices that the roadway has a large cleared area. In addition to the active workers, the glass caravan from Asylim is waiting here to be loaded with tobacco before returning south, as well as the sugar caravan which as long since unloaded and is waiting to depart with honey. The other caravaners seem to be enjoying their down time, here.

The clerk responds distinctly, while continuing to scribe marks upon the page.
"Trade. Excellent, and you have answered my second question. You are here representing Southroad Fair. We are hearing good things about that developing community. You say you have silk and cattle. Wow, those are some fine kine you have collected. Oh! and you have a friendly bear. Interesting!

As for work, I am supposed to ask, but I am only referring to the manual labor you see going on with the repair work and construction of the canal, which we hope will significantly help with relocating merchandise from trade. Just by the look of the exceptional armor you all are wearing, I cannot see you giving up your current trade to become a laborer. As explorers though, if you are not directly beholden to Southroad Fair, the Chiropteran Collectors often run into hostiles and would likely have something more to your liking.

Chiropteran Collectors is their fancy name for themselves. They bring in the bat guano that is used to fuel the lamps. There is a crew that departs from the East Gate, and one that departs from the North Gate.

Trade is conducted here in what we call the Porch Area, as you can see by the two other caravans. The vendors will come to you to negotiate. I will send for a weaver and a butcher. Just let me know if you have anything else, too. The butcher will negotiate a price for the whole cow and then trade to the tanner on his end for the hide. I will be the clerk and record all information for all transaction that involve you. I will also provide you a copy of these proceedings, if you so desire..."

Sheldon interrupts the Centrin man.
"Are you recording this in Centrin or Ansylin? While we speak Centrin, we are only literate in Ansylin."

The man slaps in own forehead in mock gesture.
"I am so sorry. I have become too accustomed to the others not caring about what I write. Yes. I can write this in Ansylin."

He takes the parchment upon which he had begun writing and removes it from the board before beginning afresh on a new sheet.
"The reason we record this is because there is, of course, a fee for the transaction. The fee is not negotiable, but it is only 2% of the accepted price, which the traders have found to be more fair than a flat rate, since it allows smaller trade groups, like yourselves, to remain independent.

If you all want to enter the city, you will need to stable your pack animals. I think the bear will be okay, but I will need to inquire about that. There are two liveries here, one on each side, but you can also walk back and talk to one of the sheep herders. Since your pack animals are not tethered, I can see that they are well training. If you are okay with allowing their use, a farmer would corral and feed them for a much lower rate.

Shall I get a vendor and check on the bear for you?"

Bolo looks around to determine if there are any people in the area paying close attention to their group.

GM: Others do scrutinize the party and their fare, but no one seems to give an undue amount of attention. Many people are fascinated with the speckled cattle. Some of the other caravaners who recognize that they have seen one or more of the Seekers before greet the group and speak a few words, but Bolo senses nothing untoward at this time.

Party Inventory

OOC: I have finished uploading the Adept Tasks to the Community Page.