• The Vanguard Institute – Part 7

    The Vanguard Institute – Part 7

    Q: Adventure Status – Unstable 4 (12)
    Developer: PC Enabler
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Birth, Message, Target

    Season: Spring

    Night 1
    Weather: Warm
    Terrain: Forest
    Developer: But…
    (1d20: [8] = 8)
    Ability, Silence, Information

    Q: Does Rhesus make Kis take watch?
    (1d20+0: [19]+0 = 19)
    Yes, and Twilight, Valuable, Revealing

    Q: Does anything happen while on watch?
    (1d20+0: [3]+0 = 3)
    No

    Day 2
    Weather:(1d20: [4] = 4)
    Precipitation
    Terrain: Forest
    (1d12: [7] = 7)
    1 Feature -> (1d100: [57] = 57) Large Clearing -> (1d100: [94] = 94) Structure -> (1d100: [29] = 29) Farm House
    Developer: And…
    Laugh, Resident, Fetid
    (1d20: [2] = 2)

    Giant fucking wasps! And here I am deathly allergic to them and I still stood up and fucking fought them. Needless to say I wasn’t surprised we beat it. Nor that Rhesus was the first to fucking go down, he was always careless.

    But when Nyx woke us up for our watch I was still dead tired. Nightmares plagued my dreams — giant bees killing me before I could tell Nyx how I felt. He needed something from me. But I wasn’t sure what I should do. It’s not like we’d have any alone time. Didn’t matter anyway as I sat down next to the dead fire with Kis the Kobold next to me.

    It was quiet. And boring. I lit the small fire and kept warm in the chilly night air. The trees outside gave off light, but I was a bit cold. I was always cold when I was too far from Nyx. He was perpetually warm.

    I pulled out the slip of paper that took up residence in my pocket and I held it close to the flames, not close enough to burn, but close enough that the contents revealed themselves to me.

    Kis watched from his side of the fire, but made no move to come closer. I also pulled out my journal and pencil so I could write down what it said so I didn’t need a fire to figure everything out.

    I wasn’t nearly as good at drawing as Nyx was, but I drew the symbols on the paper and studied them in the firelight.

    It made no sense. The symbols meant nothing to me, and the order even less so. And I’m sure the placement was important.

    Q: Is the note about a heist he’s supposed to do?
    (1d20+0: [6]+0 = 6)
    No

    Q: a person he’s supposed to meet?
    (1d20+0: [4]+0 = 4)
    No

    Q: something he’s supposed to find?
    (1d20+0: [6]+0 = 6)
    No

    Q: is it a meeting place and time?
    (1d20+0: [14]+0 = 14)
    Yes

    Q: Is it a specific day and time?
    (1d20+0: [10]+0 = 10)
    Maybe

    Q: Is it anywhere they are going on this mission?
    (1d20+0: [12]+0 = 12)
    Yes, but Child, Dimension, Important

    Q: is there a village on the way to the swamp?
    (1d20+0: [19]+0 = 19)
    Yes, and Web, Downward, Slave

    [!note] Town and NPC

    Darkwell is a village front for a slaver ring. NPC in town to meet Avyne is part of the Obsidian Syndicate.

    Q: Figure out the message? (hindered) (15)
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Success
    Developer: NPC Inhibitor
    Gap, Floating, Message
    (1d20: [17] = 17

    In the quiet of the night, the dead bug starting to smell sickening even Kis got annoyed and started digging a grave to hide the corpse. He did rummage through the creatures chitten body to look for anything of use. What could a giant wasp have? Except maybe more of it’s deadly poison on it.

    I shouted a whisper at the rummaging Kobold, “Why don’t you harvest some of the venom?”

    Kis smiled. “Excellent. Yes! Good for you? Yes?”

    I nodded. “Great for me, and even Rhesus.”

    Kis nodded and pulled out several vials from his pouch and began the process of carefully collecting the venom from the stinger. He was struggling. I sighed and got up, “Here let me do it.”

    I’d never done it either, but I could do better than Kis I was certain. He did give me a hand helping out with holding the dead corpse steady while I attempted to drain the stinger.

    Q: Harvest Venom from the Giant Glowing Wasp (12)
    (1d20: [16] = 16)
    Success
    Developer: None
    (1d20: [3] = 3)

    [!note] Artifact
    L6 Vial of Mind Disrupting Poison

    We manage to get a vial full of the venom. I didn’t know how many uses it would have, but it was an excellent way to keep the mind disturbing poison on hand. It had done a number on Rhesus, it could help in a fight.

    Kis went back to digging the hole and I studied the note in my journal. I had seen the writing before, The Obsidian Syndicate used it to hide messages in plain sight. Of course anyone who intercepted them would know who it’s from. I hated puzzles. But it was part of the thing. Ever since I was little, someone from the Obsidian Syndicate had watched over me. Helped me out of jams taught me all about the undercurrents that even a small town like Oceana had. The Vanguard Institute wasn’t the only organization recruiting in their self made village.

    No, there were several organizations that pooled their resources into the Vanguard, and they didn’t even know it. The Vanguard that was. I had pledged my loyalty to them when Nyx needed help. Swore my life away to keep him safe. Nyx didn’t even know. He never could know.

    The sun peaked through the horizon, though the sky was covered in a thick layer of clouds that threatened to pour down rain upon us. It was going to be a horrible day of travel.

    But just as the others started to rouse I put the last piece of the puzzle together and had a fully deciphered message.

    Sasha, Ward of Saleh,

    Heed this riddled call, dear friend,
    To Darkwell village, your steps must wend.
    Before the new moon’s silent bloom,
    Find Avyne’s presence in the gloom.

    The Mockingbird

    I tucked the journal back into my pouch and started making some breakfast. I hoped we were on the road before the rain started to fall.

  • The Vanguard Institute – Part 6

    The Vanguard Institute – Part 6

    Q: Adventure Status – Unstable 4 (12)
    Developer: PC Enabler
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Birth, Message, Target

    Season: Spring

    Night 1
    Weather: Warm
    Terrain: Forest
    Developer: But…
    (1d20: [8] = 8)
    Ability, Silence, Information

    Order of Watch

    • Nyx 1d20: [19] = 19
    • Sasha 1d20: [9] = 9

    Q: Does Rhesus watch with Nyx?
    (1d20+0: [4]+0 = 4)
    No

    Order: Nyx & Austin, Sasha and Rhesus/Kis

    Q: Does anything happen on Nyx’s watch?
    (1d20+0: [18]+0 = 18)
    Yes

    Q: Does something attack them?
    (1d20+0: [16]+0 = 16)
    Yes

    I was lost in my head most of the day. I had always known Sasha’s sexuality was fluid. When you can be anyone you want to be it makes sense. But he kept his flings away from me — out of protection or something else maybe, I didn’t know, but I rarely met the girls, and apparently guys, he was seeing.

    In the back of my head I knew Sasha liked men. Could like me. But, I never really knew for sure. And now I knew, for certain he could. And he didn’t really feel that way about me. I didn’t blame him. Most people didn’t do more than stare anyway. Somedays, like today, the fire within felt like a curse — a burden, I was forced to carry. But the vision spoke otherwise. I was dying — and now I am not, burning with the flames of the Phoenix. The fire light my eyes and skin from below. My hair took on a flaming appearance. My skin was flush all the time, and fine glowing lines radiated a cross my skin like long sleek feathers just waiting to burst out and let me fly away.

    Sasha said it was beautiful — I was beautiful. But few others had the the same opinion. They looked on and stared at the freak.

    The old man stopped us for the day. “We should find a place to camp for the night. The sun is getting low.”

    Sasha looked around, even got down off his horse and checked things out. We weren’t on a path, stopping anytime was likely a good enough thing. Sasha shrugged. “Here works? We got a few wayward pines to shelter under should it rain.” He pointed through the brush and smiled, “And it looks like someone else has thought the same idea.” A straw and mud structure stood not to far from where Sasha tied Aurora to a branch and started setting out about making camp.

    We all followed suit. Austin looked around.

    Q: Insight into Austin? (6)
    (1d20: [19] = 19)
    Success
    Minor effect or Damage +3
    Developer: And…
    Employment, Luck, Bell
    (1d20: [2] = 2)

    Austin felt nervous. He looked around like we were missing something, but he didn’t say a thing. It wasn’t his place. But he saw something in Sasha’s choice that he didn’t like. It was our test. We had to learn.

    I watched Austin for any signs that what he thought would happen was about to happen as we finished making camp. Rhesus ordered Kis around. Sasha worked in silence and Austin readied a fire at Rhesus suggestion. I made notes about our trip in my notebook, and thought I knew where we were on the map and penciled it in.

    “Who’s taking first watch?” Austin asked looking to Rhesus for the answer — he was our so-called leader.

    “I’ll take first watch.” I said.

    Austin nodded. “I will join you. Rhesus and Sasha can take second watch.”

    Rhesus started complaining. No one really listened. Sasha kept staring at a piece of paper.

    “Why do I have to take a watch?” Rhesus complained to Austin.

    Austin tried to explain but I moved over to sit next to Sasha on the ground next to his legs. “Something wrong with the paper?”

    Sasha handed it to me and shrugged. “It’s blank.”

    Q: Does anything happen when Nyx touches the paper?
    (1d20+0: [7]+0 = 7)
    No

    Q: Is the writing triggered by heat?
    (1d20+0: [3]+0 = 3)
    No

    Q: Investigate the note? (12)
    (1d20: [19] = 19)
    Success
    Minor effect or Damage +3
    Developer: But…
    Track, Decrepit, Secure
    (1d20: [8] = 8)

    “From Trevan?” I asked.

    “Yeah.” Sasha said but he didn’t elaborate.

    “Do you want help? Or do you want to figure it out on your own?” I asked.

    “I have no idea what to do.” Sasha said.

    It didn’t look like the paper had been spelled. So likely something anyone could do. I lifted the parchment to my nose and sniffed. “Lemon juice.”

    “What?” Sasha asked.

    “It was written in lemon juice.” I rested the note on the palm of my hand and handed the ever darkening text to him. “A trick I read about.” I concluded.

    Sasha plucked the paper from my hands and laughed. “Thank you.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “You are the best.” He rushed off to his bedroll and I was left sitting against the log he’d vacated staring into the dying fire.

    At least I still had the cloak he gave me. I pulled it around my shoulders and relished in the warmth it provided.

    After Rhesus and Kis finally went to sleep I kicked dirt over the fire and let my eyes adjust to the darkness. Austin chuckled in the darkness. “I suppose you don’t much need the warmth of the fire.”

    “I’m sorry.” I said, hurriedly sitting up to rekindle the flames. “I can…”

    “No, it’s fine. It’s not that cold. And you’ll get to see the beauty of the forest without the fire.”

    “I’ve seen it. Camped in it plenty of times as a kid.”

    Austin chuckled. “You mean those times, you and Sasha ran away from home?”

    “Sasha didn’t run away. I did. He came to take me back.”

    “That’s not how it looked.”

    “Because he ran away with me knowing he’d talk me into returning.” I shrugged.

    The woods were indeed beautiful at night. The trees and bushes all around us started to glow in iridescent greens and blues. Some soft pinks started to show shortly after with yellows and oranges following their glows. The whole forest was coming alive with vibrant colors.

    The bushes rustled around us in the quiet of the night.

    Austin was on alert.

    Buzzzzzz.

    We both stood up and I walked over to our sleeping friends and shook Sasha awake and whispered, “We have company.”

    Sasha was up dagger in hand. Rhesus was soon to follow with his axe and shield. Kis curled up under his blanket and hid in the darkness.

    “Be ready folks.” Austin said.

    The hum of fluttering wings crashed through the brush from the direction of the mud and straw structure. A three meter long insect rushed at us, stinger first.

    Initiative:

    • Austin 9
    • Rhesus 12
    • Sasha 1d20: [12] = 12
    • Nyx 1d20: [19] = 19
    • Glow Wasp 12

    [!danger] Creature
    L4 Insect HP 25, damage 6 (stinger), L6 Mind Disrupting poison attack (6 intellect damage & cannot take an action for 6 rounds), flying long

    [!success] NPC

    Austin: L3 Tough Explorer who Helps Initiates, HP 17, damage 4, armor 2, L5 adventuring skills, L4 might defense

    Rhesus: L3 Vicious Warrior who Descends from Nobility, HP 14, damage 7, L4 tracking creatures who wronged you, (+3 damage on attacks), Berserker (unstoppable, L2 intellect defense to stop, attack allies if fail to stop), L4 intellect defense, L4 initiative, L4 speed defense, armor 2, L2 Ranged attacks

    Order: Nyx, Sasha, Wasp, Austin, Rhesus

    Round 1

    Nyx: Shroud of Flame (1 int)
    Sasha: Apply L6 Poison (mind disrupting) to dagger

    Q: Does the Wasp attack a Austin?
    (1d20+0: [16]+0 = 16)
    Yes

    Wasp: Attack Austin with stinger & poison
    Q: Austin might defense against wasp (12)
    (1d20: [19] = 19)
    Success
    Minor effect or Damage +3

    Austin: Uses L7 Shocker
    Wasp: HP 25 -> 18

    Rhesus: Attack the Wasp in Berserk Rage
    Q: Attack the Wasp (12)
    (1d20: [19] = 19)
    Success
    Minor effect or Damage +3
    Wasp: HP 25 -> 8

    Round 2

    Nyx: Cast Onslaught (1 int)
    Q: Cast Onslaught (12)
    (1d20: [3] = 3)
    Fail
    Developer: PC Inhibitor
    Son, Oppress, Advance
    (1d20: [13] = 13)

    Sasha: Attacks Wasp with Poisoned Dagger
    Q: Attack Wasp with poisoned dagger (6)
    (1d20: [16] = 16)
    Success
    Developer: PC Enabler
    Girl, Shame, Crack
    (1d20: [15] = 15

    Q: Wasp intellect defense (18)
    (1d20: [18] = 18)
    Success

    Wasp: HP 8 -> 6

    Wasp: Attack Rhesus with stinger and poison
    Q: Rhesus might defense (12)
    (1d20: [5] = 5)
    Fail
    Rhesus: HP 14 -> 4, incapacitated 6 rounds

    Austin: backs away from the wasp

    Round 3:

    Nyx: Cast Onslaught (1 int)
    Q: Cast Onslaught (12)
    (1d20: [3] = 3)
    Fail
    Developer: None
    (1d20: [3] = 3)

    Sasha: Attack with Dagger
    Q: Attack with Dagger (6)
    (1d20: [17] = 17)
    Success
    Damage +1
    Developer: None
    (1d20: [5] = 5)

    Wasp: HP 6 -> 3

    Wasp: Attack Rhesus with Stinger
    Q: Rhesus speed defense (9)
    (1d20: [8] = 8)
    Fail
    Rhesus: HP 4 -> 0

    Rhesus: incapacitated

    Austin: Shoot the Wasp
    Q: Shoot the Wasp (12)
    (1d20: [16] = 16)
    Success
    Wasp: HP 3 -> 0

    Nyx casts Blessing of the Phoenix (Heal) on Rhesus
    Q: Nyx casts Blessing of the Phoenix (Heal) on Rhesus (6)
    (1d20: [10] = 10)
    Success
    Developer: None
    (1d20: [7] = 7)
    Heal: 1d6: [5] = 5

    Rhesus: HP 0 -> 5

    The fight only lasted a few moments in time. It was all a blur. Both Sasha and I took a moment to ready ourselves. Flames erupted all over my skin. If hit it would do damage and it protected me from fire — not that I was worried about that from a flying insect, but at least when it hurt me it would get hurt back.

    Sasha poisoned a dagger. It was one of the things he was learning to do with Trevan. The sneaky side of adventures. Parts I didn’t really want to associate with, but I didn’t begrudge Sasha for it.

    The Wasp dove in toward Austin and the old man easily dodged out of the way and struck him with a shocker. I didn’t know where it came from but the Wasp jolted with electricity like a lightning bolt had gone off inside it.

    Rhesus with axe and shield in his grip rushed towards the wasp in a fit of rage and his axe took purchase splattering a green glowing goo everywhere.

    I curled the fire up inside me and shot it out of my hands like I had done so many times before but the wasp was already turning tail and rushing towards Rhesus, even while Sasha stabbed at it with his poisoned blade. The blade struck true, but the poison did little against the insect.

    The stinger landed in Rhesus’ shoulder and he howled in pain, but it was caught off as his body froze from the poison coursing through his veins. Shit!

    Austin backed away from the creature and he took aim.

    I fired off another bolt of fire, but it still missed again as the large insect fluttered about erratically.

    Sasha took another stab at the underbelly of the creature and his blade sliced more goo and gore from its damaged body.

    The wasp stabbed again at Rhesus and his body collapsed to the ground, his wounds bleeding out, with his eyes wide open and in horrified pain.

    Austin’s bow was drawn and the arrow knocked and flew straight and true into the eye socket of the large insect. It fell to the ground in a heap next to Rhesus fallen body.

    I rushed over to him and laid my hands on him and sent the warmth of the Phoenix through him. He gasped with air that flooded his lungs. He couldn’t move, but the poison should wear off soon. At least that’s how Sasha’s worked.

    We all sat by the now cold fire until our hearts stopped racing and Rhesus was recovered enough. Kis was fast asleep under his blankets, I wasn’t sure when the creature had taken back to sleep, but soon Sasha and Rhesus joined the sleeping Kobold in their slumber.

    Austin and I sat up until it was time to wake the others for their turn.

  • The Vanguard Institute – Part 5

    The Vanguard Institute – Part 5

    Q: Adventure Status – Unstable 4 (12)
    Developer: PC Enabler
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Birth, Message, Target

    Season: Spring

    Day 1
    Weather: Warm
    Terrain: Village
    Developer: But…
    (1d20: [8] = 8)
    Ability, Silence, Information

    Q: Does Rhesus start a fight with Kis?
    (1d20+0: [10]+0 = 10)
    Maybe

    Q: Does Kis do anything in return?
    (1d20+0: [12]+0 = 12)
    Yes, but Agreement, Percussive, Demon

    There was a moment where I watched Nyx lick his lips and stare at me with longing. The moment was broken by hollering. Rhesus always had bad timing.

    A kobold pulling two steeds behind him casually walked towards the gates. Willow was one of them, and she seemed much calmer than before. However Rhesus hollered and chased after the kobold. “That’s my horse.”

    A low gravely voice returned, “Yes, is correct. I squire. So say Master Araleth, so Kis does.”

    “You’re a kobold. I can’t have a kobold for a squire. Kobolds are dirty thieves and demons.”

    “No demon. No thief. Good, squire. Peaceful kobold. Saddle horse. Willow, wait. Go pack things.” The kobold spoke in short sentences and then scampered off towards the barracks where we stayed.

    Rhesus’ eyes followed after and then he turned to us and glared. “What are you staring at!”

    Nyx turned away with a snicker on his lips. And then sat down and handed me a chunk of bread from his pack. I took it grateful, but I’d nicked it for him.

    Austin joined us and we waited for the Kobold to return. Rhesus paced and then headed in the direction his new kobold squire had gone.

    Austin looked at us waiting patiently. “You boys packed everything? Know where we are going?”

    Nyx pulled his scroll from his pocket and I followed suit. I’d forgotten to check it. Not even sure what we were doing. Now as as good as time as any to figure things out.

    In our scrolls were a map with a location marked on it, and a note.

    Here lies the scepter, of fire and earth,
    In the murky swamp, where dangers give birth.
    Guarded by earth and flame, seekers face their worth.

    I looked up to Austin and asked, “So we are after a scepter for the King in some mysterious swamp?”

    “Why do you say the King?” Austin countered.

    “Because Rhesus has to go on this mission.”

    The man chuckled. “Astute thinking. Each of you were given a role based upon your skills and training.”

    I looked on the back of the note.

    Scout

    “What did you get?” I asked Nyx.

    “Cartographer.” He said softly.

    “What did Rhesus get?” I asked Austin.

    The old man just shrugged. “Someone has to lead. He is the King’s son.”

    Nyx and I both groaned.

    Q: Does anyone show up before Kis and Rhesus?
    (1d20+0: [15]+0 = 15)
    Yes

    Q: Are they there for Sasha?
    (1d20+0: [14]+0 = 14)
    Yes

    Q: Is it a girl?
    (1d20+0: [5]+0 = 5)
    No

    Q: Are Trevan’s orders from his employer?
    (1d20+0: [13]+0 = 13)
    Yes

    Q: Does Trevan work for an underground guild?
    (1d20+0: [5]+0 = 5)
    No

    Q: A government?
    (1d20+0: [3]+0 = 3)
    No

    Q: A person?
    (1d20+0: [19]+0 = 19)
    Yes, and Track, Request, Twilight

    We waited. It was going on twenty minutes when we saw a figure jogging up to us. As soon as I recognized them I was on my feet and greeting him well away from Nyx, though I could feel his glowing orange eyes on the back of my neck. It was like he was right there burrowing into my skin.

    Trevan was a handsome fairy. His dragonfly-like wings gently tucked behind him barely visible behind his back twitched nervously as he glanced behind me. His soft pink skin shimmered like the insect he resembled in the rising sun. And he gave me a bright smile, though he looked past me and it dimmed.

    “Sorry.” He whispered. “I know I shouldn’t show up with him around. But I’ve got orders. You’ve got orders.”

    Trevan took my hands and fluttered his wings rising in the air. His lips met mine. His tongue parted my lips and danced in my mouth like he was searching for something deep inside. The passion went straight south, but it was the small scroll that he tucked into my pocket that I focused on for a moment before someone punched me in the shoulder.

    “Ow. You mother…” I looked at the person running past me. Fucking Rhesus.

    Trevan gave me a shy smile. “I’ll miss this.” He smirked at me and then waggled his fingers at Nyx who was still watching the show.

    He saw me looking at him and turned his gaze to the map in his hands. His skin was brighter than usual like the fire had been stoked.

    I patted the note in my pocket and fished it out to look it over. I’d have to break the seal and that wouldn’t be subtle. I’d have to look at it later.

    “Hit me again, Rhesus and I’ll make sure you never do it again.” I threatened.

    Nyx was on his feet and climbing into Thunderbolt’s saddle. He wasn’t going to waste anymore time. He didn’t look at me when I walked past him to Aurora to mount myself. “Is my liege packed and ready to lead us?”

    Rhesus looked at me confused, but it was Nyx who spoke first. “Open your scroll and let’s go.” He said. He pointed out of the gates, but not down the road. “We want to go east. We have half a day of light. We should use it.”

    “I guess I go first.”

    Austin shook his head, “We can stay together for now. A scout’s job is only really needed when we don’t know where we are going or when we need to track something.”

    I nodded. “Good I wouldn’t know where to go anyway.”

    Nyx tapped his heels to Thunderbolt’s side and started leading the way. “This way.”

    “I’m the leader.” Rhesus shouted and put his horse to a gallop. “On me.”

    Austin followed, as did Kis and I tapped Aurora’s side with my heels to get her started as well. Austin yelled after Rhesus. “Slow down, boy. You are going to kill your horse. We got several days travel ahead of us.”

    Q: Does anything happen after they leave the Village?
    (1d20+0: [9]+0 = 9)
    No, but Enchanted, Lounge, March

    We set out at a much faster pace than anyone really wanted, other than Rhesus. The sun rose past it’s height and we slowed then to grab a bit to eat as we walked our horses. We didn’t talk. We followed Rhesus unless Nyx thought we were going off course.

    The Glowing Forest was just like any forest during the day, it was only at night did it truly become enchanted. Nyx and I had been in the woods many times, but we quickly passed the tree that marked the edge of The Vanguard Institutes property and the farthest we’d been from home. Nyx didn’t look at me, or talk much at all. Whatever funk he’d been in before I’d given him the cloak had returned. And I was pretty sure Trevan made it worse.

    I pulled out the small scroll Trevan had given me and broke the seal.

    Q: Is the message encrypted?
    (1d20+0: [10]+0 = 10)
    Maybe

    Q: Can anyone ready it?
    (1d20+0: [7]+0 = 7)
    No

    Q: Is it a puzzle?
    (1d20+0: [12]+0 = 12)
    Yes, but Daughter, Toss, Child

    Q: Is it about Sasha’s mother?
    (1d20+0: [11]+0 = 11)
    Yes, but Proposal, Direct, Hide

    Q: Decipher the scroll (hindered) (15)
    (1d20: [4] = 4)
    Fail
    Developer: Automatic Failure
    (1d20: [1] = 1)

    But as I looked at the scroll there was nothing written on it. Great! I thought to myself, I had to figure out how to read it. No telling what magic hid the words. Or what I had to do. All part of the test I supposed. I didn’t even know who the fuck Trevan worked for. Only that they promised to help me, and take care of both Nyx and I.

  • Stickers!

    Stickers!

    Everyone likes stickers right?

    AJ’s daughter is one hell of an artist. She’s improved so much and has started selling stickers.

    It would be most awesome if you checked out her store and passed it along to anyone who might be interested. Buying would be super cool too.

    There is only one at the moment, but there are plans for others in time.

    CreLi‘s Sticker Store

    You can check out her artwork in general too.

  • The Vanguard Institute – Part 4

    The Vanguard Institute – Part 4

    Q: Adventure Status – Unstable 4 (12)
    Developer: PC Enabler
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Birth, Message, Target

    Season: Spring

    Day 1
    Weather: Warm
    Terrain: Village
    Developer: But…
    (1d20: [8] = 8)
    Ability, Silence, Information

    NPCs

    Rhesus Hyrcanus is a Vicious Warrior who Descends form Nobility, L3 (9), HP 14, damage 7, L4 tracking creatures who wronged you, (+3 damage on attacks), Berserker (unstoppable, attack allies if fail to stop), L4 intellect defense, L4 initiative, L4 speed defense, armor 2, L2 Ranged attacks

    Kis Pebblebone is a Helpful Squire who Provides Harmony, L3 (9), HP 20, damage 2 (lightning), L1 animal handling, L4 diplomacy, L2 squire skills, L4 Zen skills (philosophy, meditation, etc), all weapons hindered, all attacks hindered, L4 all defense skills

    Austin Watts is Tough Explorer who Helps Initiates, L3 Tough Explorer who Helps Initiates, HP 17, damage 4, armor 2, L5 adventuring skills, L4 might defense

    Memory Setup

    Q: Does Nyx see the vision from his point of view as a baby?
    (1d20+0: [2]+0 = 2)
    No, and Skill, Rescue, Embrace

    Q: Does Ardere show Nyx where he was from?
    (1d20+0: [10]+0 = 10)
    Maybe

    Q: Is the vision about Ardere?
    (1d20+0: [18]+0 = 18)
    Yes

    Q: Do we see Ardere on the fire plane?
    (1d20+0: [19]+0 = 19)
    Yes, and Protection, Savior, Treacherous

    Q: Does Ardere see the Explosion?
    (1d20+0: [10]+0 = 10)
    Maybe

    Q: Does he here Nyx crying?
    (1d20+0: [20]+0 = 20)
    Yes, and Vessel, Glowing, Employment

    Mesmerizing flames flicked the sky, whirlwinds of red and gold spun across the land dancing with the pools and streams of lava between fiery volcanos dripping with molten rock and geysers of hot liquid from pores and crevices across the dark obsidian lands. It was hot and splendid and home.

    Sitting atop an obsidian spire, in a nest of rock and ash, wings fluttering all around. Home. Family.

    Darkness flooded the vision. Swirling fire and ash encompassing your being. The shadows of your world fading from your vision as others mixed in. Blues and greens showered your eyes with strange hues. The air was chilling. The sky dimmed into darkness dotted with strange speaks of light. A single moon shown above the land.

    So cold! So alone.

    The smell of burning hair and flesh permuted the air and chucks of flesh and debris dotted your vision as you took in your new surroundings.

    Where something once stood now lay a crater. Deep and dark and wide. Everything burned, but not like where you’d been only moments before. Nothing living remained.

    A singular cry in the darkness pulled at your ears. At first you thought it was your own cry of loneliness until it sounded again. In the darkness, a glowing vessel burning from the heat of your entrance cried again.

    You tipped it over and a crying child tumbled from the burning container. The only survivor. His hair was golden with flames, eyes of orange glowing with fire. Bloodied symbols on painted on the forehead and naked body of the tiny child.

    A tear slid down your beak and on to the child. A feather pressed against his chest. And a whispered word, ‘live’ in a language unknown to the ears that heard it. The child wreathed in flames and when they subsided into his skin, an all new glow filtered across his skin.

    You grasped the naked babe in a fiery talon and lifted off into the sky and flew away with the child cooing in your grasp.

    Setup

    Q: Does Rhesus make a big deal about who his new ‘squire’ is?
    (1d20+0: [10]+0 = 10)
    Maybe

    Q: Does Rhesus know Kis?
    (1d20+0: [7]+0 = 7)
    No

    Willow (12) v Kis (3) in animal handling -> Kis struggles to saddle Willow

    Q: Is Rhesus prejudiced against non-humans?
    (1d20+0: [10]+0 = 10)
    Maybe

    Q: Against Kobolds?
    (1d20+0: [16]+0 = 16)
    Yes

    Sasha caught up and tried to talk to me. I was still lost in that vision. The world felt different seeing things from that vision. It was colder now, even though the weather was still a nice spring day. I felt a connection to things I didn’t really understand. And Sasha watched me with careful calculation.

    “You don’t have to babysit me.” I whispered into the breeze.

    “I’m not.” Sasha said. “I shouldn’t have said it.”

    “That you were thinking about leaving me?” I asked with accusing eyes.

    He sighed. “I’m not thinking about it. But I might die, or I don’t know…” Sasha let the sentence hang in the air. I wasn’t sure what was worse than dying, falling in love with someone else? Finding a new friend who he didn’t need to babysit?

    “Nyx.” Sasha stopped and grabbed my elbow. “I know you. I know what’s going through your head. So stop it. Right now. I. Am. Not. Going. Any. Where.” He punctuated each word with a gab of his finger into my heart. “You are my family. Through everything. Yes, I need space. Yes, you are clingy. But I will always love you, Nyx. You are my family. Get out of your head or you are going to burn every fucking thing down. Including yourself.”

    He wasn’t wrong.

    We reached the gate and we left the reins hang on the archway that stood over the Institutes front gate. Aurora and Thunderbolt grazed while we waited for the others.

    I sat down with my back to the post and Sasha watched with that overprotective nature he always had. “And besides, Nyx, I like taking care of you.”

    Sasha pulled a brown package from his saddle bags and sat down next to me. “I got you something.”

    “What for?” I asked.

    “Because I knew you’d need it. And I know you didn’t eat breakfast this morning.”

    I grinned at my friend, biting my bottom lip and blushing. He knew me better than anyone else. Maybe I had sparked for more than just the surprise of Willow’s snap. I was nervous. Nervous about being mostly alone with Sasha, and out in the world beyond the gates of the Institute. Far away from the only place I’d ever known.

    I opened the package and on top was a block of cheese and bread for me to nibble on, but there was a peice of parchment separating the food from what lie beneath. “What’s this?” I pulled the black fabric from the package and set the food aside plunging a peice of bread into my mouth before unfurling the fabric.

    A beaded black cloak with large hood shimmered before me.

    Sasha smiled. “I know you aren’t ashamed of your glow, and that you like to be seen. But there will be times we want to hide. We’ll need to hide, and you aren’t very good at it.”

    “I glow.” I giggled.

    Sasha smiled. “Always, Nyx. I’m not trying to hide you all the time, just when we need to. It’s pretty, and shimmers in the light with the beads. I even had them make it feathery patterned bead worth.”

    “It’s wonderful.” I said and stood up and threw the black cloak around my shoulders and pulled the hood up. “Does it work?”

    Sasha nodded. “It does.”

    Sasha stood up and looked at me with those stunning gray eyes and I wanted…

    A holler from the direction of the stables drew our attention and I turned around before I could finish the thought. A shimmering orange and blue Kobold came scampering past with two steeds in tow. One was Willow, and the other a small pony called Sunny. Rhesus was chasing the Kobold.

    “Give me back my horse!” he cried.

  • The Vanguard Institute – Part 3

    The Vanguard Institute – Part 3

    Q: Adventure Status – Unstable 4 (12)
    Developer: PC Enabler
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Birth, Message, Target

    Season: Spring

    Day 1
    Weather: Warm
    Terrain: Village
    Developer: But…
    (1d20: [8] = 8)
    Ability, Silence, Information

    Q: Is the fire spreading quickly?
    (1d20+0: [6]+0 = 6)
    No

    Q: Put the fire out (eased) (9)
    (1d20: [5] = 5)
    Fail
    Developer: NPC Inhibitor
    (1d20: [17] = 17)
    Track, Unsophisticated, Aftershock

    Q: Rhesus tries to help by emptying the contents of his skin, is it water?
    (1d20+0: [8]+0 = 8)
    No, but Memory, Performance, Explosion

    [!note]
    The explosion caused by Rhesus’ help sends Nyx into a memory of his village being destroyed

    Things were always interesting around Nyx. Today was no different. Normally the horses loved him. Normally even the most skittish one would calm down. Rhesus must have pissed Willow off and she retaliated against everyone.

    It was like watching in slow motion as Nyx tumbled backwards flailing to catch himself. The sudden jolt to the ground shot sparks from his finger tips. As the first caught the bale of hay next to him I was already moving towards the buckets and trough of water. It wasn’t the first fire, nor would it be the last — Nyx was a pile of anxiety and his control was good, but even he had problems sometimes.

    Rhesus in all his inferiority reached into his pocket and pulled out a skin and dumped it on the fire. What should have been water was not. The alcohol burned and sputtered and popped loudly as it ignited more of the hay in sparks and flares.

    Nyx’s body froze as he stared at the fire. Horror washed over his face. I couldn’t deal with him right then, the fire would threaten more than just us if it got out of hand.

    Rhesus screamed as he ran out of the stables.

    Q: Does help arrive?
    (1d20+0: [13]+0 = 13)
    Yes

    Q: Put out the fire (12)
    (1d20: [11] = 11)
    Fail
    Developer: PC Enabler
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Vessel, Scary, Original

    Q: Is the vessel an artifact?
    (1d20+0: [14]+0 = 14)
    Yes

    I hurried around the stables with the buckets and started tossing buckets full of water from the trough.

    No sooner had I quelled one fire did it spread to another bale of hay. Nyx stood staring into the flames. I bumped into his shoulder as I tossed another bucket. “Help me!”

    Q: Wake Nyx up / Nyx Intellect Defense (eased/hindered) (12)
    (1d20: [13] = 13)
    Success
    Developer: Automatic Success
    (1d20: [20] = 20)

    Nyx snapped out of the vision and blinked at me and then at the fire and rushed off to get more water. He gave me a sad grin as he rushed away.

    Saleh rushed through the stable walls chanting and casting a spell. Brytha cawed at the door, and dropped a container in my hands. “Open the lid lad!” cried Saleh.

    Austin and Nyx hurried in with more buckets of water.

    I removed the lid.

    Q: Put the fire out (eased asset vessel & npc help) (6)
    (1d20: [12] = 12)
    Success
    Developer: None
    (1d20: [16] = 16)

    Water gushed out of the container and I was pushed backwards. Nyx was there and he pushed me forward together we managed to douse all the flames with water and the peril of burning down our home — again, vanished.

    Saleh chuckled, even as Nyx collapsed on the ground. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

    “It’s alright boy. We got it covered.” Saleh echoed as he crossed the room. “I think you should keep that, Sasha.”

    [!note] Artifact
    L1 Urn of Perpetual Water

    Depletion check: 1d10: [8] = 8 -> Good

    Rhesus was still running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I knelt down next to Nyx and put my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me with those fire colored eyes drained of all their light. “It was an accident.”

    Nyx gave me a weak smile and stood up in one graceful move. “We should go catch the horses.”

    And he was back off to being bright and shiny and I knew that he would crash later. These accident’s always played on his mind and heart. And there wasn’t much anyone could do except let him work through it.

    I followed him out of the stables and looked around the vicinity, there was no sign of the escaped horses.

    Nyx bent down on the ground and peered across the terrain.

    Q: Track the horses (12)
    (1d20: [6] = 6)
    Fail
    Developer: None
    (1d20: [18] = 18)

    Nyx stood up and sighed. “There are just too many hoof prints for me to figure out where they went.” He cupped his hands and whistled loudly.

    Q: Call the horses (eased) (9)
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Success
    Developer: None
    (1d20: [14] = 14)

    Nyx’s call was loud and familiar to the horses. Those in the pens came towards the fence, and Thunderbolt and Willow trotted to him after several longer moments.

    The stable master raced out of the field and into the stables. Saleh called the large orc. “Everything is fine. Just a little char. Won’t hurt anyone. We’ll get the kids to come fix it up brand new.”

    Rogan glared at Nyx and growled. “It’s a good thing you are leaving.” He looked at Saleh, “He’s not allowed in my stables.”

    Saleh nodded. “As you wish it, Master Rogan.” The translucent specter looked at Nyx with a shrug, “You heard the master.”

    Nyx nodded and grabbed Thunderbolts reins and lead him to the water trough where he saddled his horse in silence.

    Rhesus tried to settle Aurora but she stomped and rutted whenever he drew near. “Maybe Rhesus needs someone to saddle his horse for him. And a different horse.” I suggested to our instructors. “Maybe he shouldn’t even come if he can’t handle the simple task. He can take Nyx’s place in the stables and if we fail Nyx can take his?”

    Saleh chuckled and turned his gaze towards the rich and annoying child brat of a king and sighed. “He is needed at home, and they request his testing be done now. We will send a squire with him, not that he deserves one, but it is what he’s uses to. Sadly.”

    Saleh drifted over to the boy and they walked away from Willow.

    Nyx was finished saddling Thunderbolt and was already walking towards the gates. I grabbed Aurora’s reins and followed after him. “You got everything?”

    Nyx looked at me. There was sadness in his eyes. He patted the back of his saddle and I noticed the bag hung neatly there. He turned his gaze back towards the gates and we walked in silence. I wished I knew what was going through his head. But he didn’t want to talk — and that was concerning.

  • The Vanguard Institute – Part 2

    The Vanguard Institute – Part 2

    Q: Adventure Status – Unstable 4 (12)
    Developer: PC Enabler
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Birth, Message, Target

    Season: Spring

    Day 1
    Weather: Warm
    Terrain: Village
    Developer: But…
    (1d20: [8] = 8)
    Ability, Silence, Information

    Q: Is there anyone else in the stables other than these 4?
    (1d20+0: [5]+0 = 5)
    No

    Q: Is all their gear packed?
    (1d20+0: [3]+0 = 3)
    No

    Q: Do they need to wait on Rhesus?
    (1d20+0: [20]+0 = 20)
    Yes, and Weird, Gap, Friend

    Q: Do they get to choose horses?
    (1d20+0: [5]+0 = 5)
    No

    Rhesus:Willow
    Sasha: Aurora
    Nyx: Thunderbolt
    Austin:Whisper

    I was so late. Sasha was going to kill me. Saleh might too. It was an important day and I’d seen Glak. She’d been trying to learn the sling shot. I only stopped to give her a pointer or two. But I got distracted. Thankfully she reminded me and I rushed off to get where I needed to be. Even Sasha was angry.

    But he put his arm around me. He never did that. Sasha never let people know he cared about anything — specially me. Rhesus sneered at both of us as he looked on while a stable boy pulled a horse out of the stall.

    The pattern on the mare’s coat looked like sunlight fell from the roof. Dark browns in the shadows of the golden highlights. She was beautiful and graceful and serene. Very much not what Rhesus was. Of course he got something majestic and beautiful, fucking prat.

    Rhesus waited while the stable boy moved on to the next horse. “Hey!” he shouted.

    Austin snickered and the stable boy who wasn’t really a boy, he was a very large olive skinned orc man with large white tusks and beady black eyes. The tufts of black hair on his head were peppered with gray. ^91beb5

    Rogan, Glak’s father, stood three feet above the pompous little rich kid in his purple and gold riding outfit. “Hmmm?” he hummed in that gravelly voice that soothed the horses.

    Rhesus gulped, “Finish saddling my horse!” he commanded.

    Rogan laughed and bound off after the next horse.

    Austin chuckled. “Rhesus, I won’t count this against you, but today and for the rest of your days you are no longer a king’s son, you are a member of the Vanguard Institute and we do things for ourselves. Saddle your own horse. Gather your gear and meet us outside by the gate. You have an hour.” Austin looked at us and nodded, “That goes for you two too. One hour. Gates. Or we leave without you.”

    He looked pointedly at me and I ducked my head in shame. “I won’t be late.”

    “He’s not leaving my side, sir. He’ll be there. We’ll be there. I promise.”

    “I promise.” I echoed Sasha, and I always kept my promises.

    Austin just shook his head and walked his geared and saddled horse out of the stable. Whisper was a majestic stallion, gray speckled his once shimmering ebony coat. His tail flicked at the Rhesus as he walked by.

    “Hey!” the boy shouted and Willow, Rhesus’ horse whinnied in appreciation. Even the horses didn’t like the former King’s son.

    Rogan brought out two more horses. He handed the reins of a stunning mare to Sasha. Her coat shimmered with silvers, blues and purples. She was sleek and muscular and probably one of the most beautiful creatures I’d ever seen grace these stables. She was gentle and Sasha was already nuzzling her snout. “Hey girl. Looks like it’s just you and me.”

    He nodded to Rogan and took Aurora out where he could saddle her in the sunlight.

    Rogan chuckled at me as my horse danced behind him. “Careful with this one.”

    I nodded. “I remember him as a colt.” I said. “Thunderbolt.” In some of my many adventures here at the Institute I spent most of it in the stables with Rogan and Glak tending to the horse while Sasha was off doing his own chores in the kitchens. Thunderbolt was as dark as the night sky except for the four white streaks that fell down his legs like lightning bolds from the sky. He danced behind Rogan and when I took the reins and reached for his snout he nuzzled my hand and calmed just ever so. We were friends. He always behaved for me. “Come on, big guy, we are about to go on an adventure.”

    Thunderbolt neighed loudly, his large teeth and tongue making a raucous sound as he held his head up high and said his farewells to his horse friends. He pranced behind me parade style as we joined Sasha and Aurora for saddling.

    Sasha shook his head, “You two were made for each other.”

    “What?” I asked looking down at what I’d worn. What I’d always worn, the tight fighting clothes beneath the orange and red gossamer robe Saleh had made for me. He’d said it looked like the flames that lived underneath my skin. And I liked it.

    I twirled in the sunlight and small flames licked my fingers with each turn until I tumbled into Thunderbolt with a grin to Sasha.

    “See.”

    Thunderbolt whinnied and I nodded. “He’s just jealous.”

    “Uh huh. We may have an hour, but we should check through all our gear and make sure we aren’t forgetting anything.” Sasha instructed.

    “Yes sir.” I saluted and readied Thunderbolt.

    Rhesus was still inside trying to cajole Willow out of the stable doors.

    I saddled Thunderbolt just as Sasha finished saddling Aurora. “I bet I can still beat you in a foot race.”

    “I had to learn to do it quick.” I nodded my head towards Rhesus, “Some people are impatient.”

    Sasha giggled. “I’m aware.”

    Rhesus’ horse was backing up and Rhesus was shouting at her.

    “You aren’t going to get her to listen like that.” I said with a sign and left my reins hanging from Thunderbolts bit. “Stay put big guy, I’ll be right back.”

    Thunderbolt whinnied and I walked up to the beautiful and graceful horse who was ignoring Rhesus’s tugs on her lead. “That’s not how you do it.”

    Q: Animal handling (eased) (9)
    (1d20: [1] = 1)
    Fail
    GM Intrusion: No XP
    Developer: None
    (1d20: [16] = 16)

    The mare danced away from me and that should have been my key to the interaction that was about to play out. I reached out and Aurora snapped her large teeth at me and tumbled backwards letting out a yelp. And with it a spark flew from my finger tips.

    The hay pile next to us burst into flames with a loud whoosh as the extra dry hay ignited.

    The horses bayed in their stalls. Aurora bolted out of the doors startling Thunderbolt who danced by impatiently and took the opportunity of a run and bolted with his sister horse.

    I hurried to my feet and grabbed every bucket I could find and rushed out to the water trough. “Fire!” I yelled.

    Sasha was already snatching a bucket from my hands. It wasn’t the first time I’d done this. It wouldn’t be the last time. But it had never happened in the stables. Never, not once.

  • The Vanguard Institute – Part 1

    The Vanguard Institute – Part 1

    Q: Adventure Status – Unstable 4 (12)
    Developer: PC Enabler
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Birth, Message, Target

    Season: Spring

    Day 1
    Weather: Warm
    Terrain: Village
    Developer: But…
    (1d20: [8] = 8)
    Ability, Silence, Information

    Q: Do the boys start out together?
    (1d20+0: [2]+0 = 2)
    No, and Skill, Girl, Noise

    Q: Is the girl with Sasha?
    (1d20+0: [4]+0 = 4)
    No

    Q: Is the girl with Nyx training with him?
    (1d20+0: [18]+0 = 18)
    Yes

    Q: Is she a student?
    (1d20+0: [4]+0 = 4)
    No

    Q: Is she a villager?
    (1d20+0: [15]+0 = 15)
    Yes

    Q: Should he be hanging out with her?
    (1d20+0: [7]+0 = 7)
    No

    Q: Is Sasha with anyone?
    (1d20+0: [12]+0 = 12)
    Yes, but Dungeon, Performance, Eye

    Q: Are they fighting?
    (1d20+0: [11]+0 = 11)
    Yes, but Code, Sleep, Opening

    Q: Are they waiting for Nyx?
    (1d20+0: [17]+0 = 17)
    Yes

    The second bell rang and the sun was halfway to noon warming the grounds below. I stood in the shadows of the Training Center waiting for Nyx. It was a big day. We were about to embark on our final test to join the Vanguard. Something Nyx and I have wanted since we saw our first sword match in the arena. Neither of us were very good at sword play. But we had our own skills. And Saleh helped us get there. But if Nyx didn’t hurry up Austin was going to leave without him.

    Two others stood just beyond me. Austin Watts, a refined old man who took adventurers out on their final tests. He had seen a lot, but he was only here to make sure we passed our tests. Nyx was about to fail.

    Rhesus on the other hand paced back and forth. He glanced at me and growled. And then look away like he was eager to be away from me. I wasn’t sure exactly why Saleh sent Rhesus with us. The boy was a bratty royal who could barely keep his anger in check long enough to swing that axe on his hip. But he was some king’s third son, and this was his choice. I hadn’t had a choice. It was either join the Vanguard or leave the only home I’d ever known.

    Rhesus glared out into every direction and when his gaze fell upon me he growled and stalked over. He stopped in front of me as close as he could, which with me leaning against the wall wasn’t as close as he’d like, so he leaned in. “Where is your stupid flaming friend?”

    I shrugged. “I’m not his keeper.”

    “He rarely leaves your hip! What’s he doing? Sleeping?” Rhesus shouted. His bad breath making me press into the wall further. Though I imagine it tasted as bad as it smelled, and I wondered how he could stand it.

    “He was up before I was.” I stated matter-of-factly.

    Q: Does Nyx show up?
    (1d20+0: [20]+0 = 20)
    Yes, and Blustering, Country, Misty

    No sooner had I said the last sentence did Nyx skid to a stop in front of Austin with an apologetic smile on his lips. “I’m so sorry. I got…”

    “You got distracted. As usual…” Saleh Araleth said as he slipped through the wall beside me.

    Rhesus jumped but the rest of us were used to the specter’s ways.

    “Yes, sir.” Nyx bobbed his head low. “I’m sorry.”

    Saleh chuckled and his ghostly form rippled with mirth. “Remember, your employers may not take well to your tardiness.”

    Nyx grinned at me, then at Saleh. “That’s what Sasha is for.”

    I rolled my eyes. “I won’t always be around either.” I said. But I watched the smile fade on Nyx’s lips. He didn’t like when I spoke about leaving him behind. Not that I would leave him forever. But I needed space too. Nyx wasn’t good with boundaries.

    Saleh clapped his hands together and the Bryta cawed above us from the roof of the Training Center. The large raven carried the essence of our guardian and caretaker and the headmaster of the school. Wherever Saleh was, Bryta was sure to be nearby. He spoke, and the entire campus reverberated with his voice. “It is time for another group to join the ranks of the Vanguard. It is only by success of this final mission that your membership shall be granted. You are initiates of the Vanguard to be dismissed or joined upon your return.”

    Austin shouted. “Sasha Uàrd de’Saleh, Nyx Uàrd de’Saleh and Rhesus Hyrcanus do you accept?”

    With each nod of our heads, Austin handed us a scroll. “In these scrolls you shall find your mission. Success comes from working together. All other avenues lead to failure. Are you ready to embark?”

    “Yes sir.” The three of us said in unison. We’d been going over procedure for weeks. We knew exactly what to say, what to do, and where to go once this event started.

    The bell rang and those standing around cheered and then went back to their lessons. We were off to the stables to saddle our assigned mounts and gather our gear and head out to the Institute gates. From there we would need to decide who was navigator.

    Austin headed towards the stables with Rhesus following behind, he wanted best pick of the horses. I grabbed Nyx’s elbow and leaned in to whisper as we walked slowly behind them. “Where were you?”

    “I was saying bye to Glak. I lost track of time.”

    “Nyx. Saleh doesn’t want us talking to the help anymore. Why don’t you listen? We are Vanguard Initiates, we are almost inducted. If Rhesus doesn’t fuck this up for us, we’ll be golden. And we can get the hell out of here.”

    “What’s wrong with here?” Nyx asked.

    “Nothing. Don’t you want to see the world?”

    He shrugged. “Sure. But if you leave me, what does it matter?”

    I sighed. “I’m not going anywhere.” I said putting my arm around Nyx’s shoulder. He was warm to the touch, his skin was flushed and there was a slight darkening of the flames underneath his skin around his neck, cheeks and ears. It was cute watching him react when I showed a casual display of affection in public. When we were alone it was different, we wouldn’t get many chances to talk alone like before with Rhesus and Austin at our camp site for however long this adventure took. I didn’t even really know what it was yet. None of us except maybe old Austin knew what we were about to embark on. “Promise me one thing, Nyx.”

    “Anything.” He beamed at me even as I dropped my arm from his shoulders as we entered the stables.

    “Don’t get into any trouble we can’t get out of together.”

    His light faded a little but it rose again as he spoke. “I’ll do my best.”

    I knew he would. He always tired. But sometimes that wasn’t enough. Nyx was much like the flames beneath his skin, he blew where the wind took him — as long as it wasn’t too far from my side.

  • New Way/Direction

    New Way/Direction

    As you’ve noticed AJ fell off again. We had plans, we always do. We were going to rewrite The Ascendant stuff, but AJ’s already done that so many times, and she’s on a solo tabletop role playing game kick right now that leads into the writing and we’ve yet to find that perfect place to write and dream and do all that we want and need. So forgive us if we go through a lot of trial and error. We are adjusting.

    We’ve moved all the old defunct posts into an Archive category though you’ll likely not notice anything for now, maybe in the future if we can get WordPress.com to do anything like what we want.

    Today, AJ’s gonna post the start of what we are currently calling “New Adventures”. A tale of me and Alex off on grand adventures. We aren’t going to give you much back story. But we’ll work on character sheets and biographies and stuff. You’ll get all the dice rolls and questions. We may not post everyday, as not everyday is a story day, some days AJ spends making random tables, or world building. All stuff we’ll eventually share here or someplace else that you can access.

    I miss all my readers and I hate that I’m flightly these days. Hopefully we can rectify that, even if we don’t post a story maybe I’ll post something. We’ll see.

    AJ’s also working on a short story entry to Auto Crit’s contest the theme is Treasure Hunt. It’s based off a quick playthrough of a game she did. It was fun. We generated a semi random grid, and we wandered around until we found the treasure, then AJ put it to a story that made sense. After the contest is over we’ll share both the game play and the story itself.

    We are using the Cypher System (CSRD) as an RPG mechanic, some mechanics from the Solo RPG Toolbox Part I and II, a few from the Chaos GM Emulator and Chaos NPC Generator

  • Batteries

    Batteries

    Ant growled after the phantom appeared. The fear passed over my body and I let it go with easy. But Ant and Nox looked terrified frozen in their places. I didn’t hesitate and pulled the calming aura around me and reached into the apparition and calmed it.

    Alex moved to pry the crystals and I had no choice but to try and kill the creature before Ant ravaged us with his terror. The blood rage would begin and we might not get a chance to save him. I attached the ray to my blaster and fired. It was my hail marry, I prayed it worked on the phantom. The energy blast radiated from the hit point and the apparition dissipated in a second shot from the blaster.

    There was a large popping sound as Alex pried the crystal lose from its entrapment on the cave wall. Nox and Ant shook themselves awake and we were safe for the moment. Nox looked worse for wear. He slumped to the cave wall and slide down. “I think I need a nap.”

    Alex was at his side quick. “This work?”

    Nox handed him the device he’d acquired and Alex looked dumbfounded by the device. I took it from him. “I’ll look. Let’s see if we can get a room or something, and if not we can drift back home.”

    But first I examined the old crystal and the new one. There was little difference, except when I shoved the new one in, it powered right up. The lights weren’t lit but there was a slight hum and a vibration in my hand.

    I handed it back to Nox. “Do you know how it works?” He shook his head. “No. But we can find someone at the Nexus who knows what it does.”

    Alex helped Nox up and he walked without the grace of his prior self, he was injured? “You hurt?”

    “No. Not really. Just drained — mentally.”

    I nodded. “Let’s see if we can get out of here.”

    Ant lead the way his goggles placed over his eyes and headed towards the cavern entrance. We’d killed their slime monster. “The monster is dead.” Ant said and the guards looked shocked. They pointed their spears at us.

    They shouted in their foreign language and my translator didn’t pick it up. But because a boy went scrambling from a nearby hut, I assumed that he went to get someone of note since we weren’t dead.

    Nox slumped against Alex. And the blue eyed man looked smug. I rolled my eyes. They weren’t at least enjoying each other’s company. Ant looked at them warily but he stood closer than I expected. He didn’t touch, but he was drawn to them as much as he hated it.

    Oddly enough I didn’t feel like the odd man out. I felt their joy or whatever it was. It was like coming home.

    The same warrior from before came towards us without an entourage. He was alone save for the boy who had fetched him. “I am Lucius Amon. The creature is dead?”

    I nodded. “As a door nail.”

    “More like disintegrated into mush.” Alex said.

    “True. It did go pop all over you.” Ant snickered.

    “It’s dead.” Nox said at the very confused person in front of us.

    Lucius waved at the men in front of us barring our exit. “Let them through.”

    The guards stood their positions again, their spears at the ready pointing straight up in the air, allowing us to pass without incident. We followed the man through to the back wall to a hut that did not have a door — much like the rest of the village.

    “This is my wife, Estella, and our daughter, Vanessa.” He looked towards the door. “You’ve met our son, Luka. Though he has been honored by Aethe to be his host.”

    “Who is Aethe?” Nox asked.

    “Our savior and sovereign.” Lucius spat the words out. Obviously unhappy about the whole thing.

    “We aren’t here to save them.” Ant said with a growl.

    “Then why bother killing the creature at all?” Nox asked standing up straighter than he had before, Ant was standing toe to toe his goggles and face rap removed since entering the building. “We should help them. There are clearly bad vibes here. You can feel them.”

    Ant growled. “I want to go home.”

    “So go.” Nox said without backing down.

    “We came here to get you, nothing more.” Ant stepped into Nox.

    “Ant.” I said.

    But it was Lucius who stepped between them. “There is no saving Luka. He’s taken — gone. He was honored. Just go.”

    Nox looked at him. “There is evil about Aethe.”

    He nodded. “Please. My son. Just go.”

    Nox backed down. “Fine.” Nox looked at me. “Can you get us back to your home?”

    “I am still anchored at home.” I confirmed.

    “Will he take us?”

    “If we go now.” Ant said.

    Nox looked at Alex. “Up to you. What do you want to do?”

    “I can’t go home. So I’m stuck wherever I am. There is better than here.” Alex said.

    Ant sighed and grabbed Nox’s shoulder, and Nox held his hand out to Alex. I put my hand on Alex’s shoulder and I Ant drifted.

    Ryan Elliot is a Intelligent Former Chevalier Warrior with a PhD who Slays Monsters and is an Anchor from Purple Shift #45

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat ■ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Ryan Elliot Sun Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    ■ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed: (2)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □
    XP:
    □
    Skills: (p): light, medium, and heavy weapons, (t): swords, speed defense when not wearing armor, cooking, perception, lockpicking, history, actions involving direct experience, monster lore, (s): psychology, (i): intellect defense
    Cyphers: empty, L6 Burst of Speed
    Abilities: calm, bond, mental link with drifter, create anchor
    Weapons: unarmed 2 – eased, long sword 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: Programmable jump suit, a long sword, blaster, wrist computer, energy pack (50 shots), first aid pen, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot

    Setup

    Phantom inspires fear L3

    • Ryan 1d20: [10] = 10
    • Ant 1d20: [8] = 8 -> Terrified (-3 Int)
    • Alex 1d20: [17] = 17
    • Nox 1d20: [5] = 5 -> Terrified (-3 int)

    Initiative:

    • Phantom 1d20: [5] = 5
    • Ryan 1d20: [15] = 15
    • Alex 1d20: [12] = 12 -1
    • Nox 1d20: [8] = 8 -1
    • Ant 1d20: [9] = 9

    Order: R AB AG N P

    R tries to calm the phantom: 6 roll 18 Phantom is calm
    Alex pries crystals
    Ant is terrified 1d20: [19] = 19
    Nox is terrified 1d20: [10] = 10
    Phantom is calmed – does nothing
    Ryan uses deathbringer and attacks P: 6 roll: 1d20: [13] = 13 hit (Phantom HP 12 – 8) Second attack: 1d20: [15] = 15 hit Phantom dies

    5 hours the Phantom can reappear

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • Silver Tube

    Silver Tube

    The thing. Or was it more the blob? Whatever it was was dead. We came away no worse for wear. The thing moved slowly enough that we could stay away from it. But it really seemed to like Alex there at the end. It was amusing seeing him covered in goop. Though Nox didn’t let him suffer long.

    We all searched the cavern and found some trinkets and useful things. Nox carried a silver tube like thing with lights and buttons. It didn’t looked like it worked.

    “Looks like a light saber.” Alex commented.

    A smile grew across Nox’s lips. “I’m not sure but its giving off vibes from different shifts. But it doesn’t work.” Nox examined the tube closer. “It’s too dark in here. “The light by the water is better.”

    “Scythe is a water outpost isn’t it?” Alex said. “Makes sense. But what’s up with that kid?”

    “Maybe we can find out now, if they trust us.” Ryan said.

    “I just want to go home.” Ant said.

    “Me too.” Alex agreed. “But I can’t. So suck it up.”

    Ryan snickered. Nox was oblivious to things around him as he headed into the other part of the cavern and stopped in a pool of sunlight. “It looks like a latch here.” He popped it open and shook it. A small yellowish crystal slide out. “Depleted.”

    “That looks like those we saw coming in.” Ryan said.

    “We can try.”

    “I think we need to be careful.” Nox shivered. “I think there’s more to them than what we can see.”

    “There always is.”

    “What’s it do?” Alex asked.

    “Don’t know yet.” Nox said. “But it does us no good if we can’t power it up. Let’s go back and get a crystal.”

    Ryan pointed to an obvious exit. “Or we can go that way. I think I see that dim glow I saw when we walked in the cavern before the crystals.

    Ryan went first this time. Mostly because he was already walking towards it. We walked through a small crevice. Nox shivered as we passed over the threshold. “Magic.”

    Ryan looked back at us before we crossed through and sighed. “You think they’d mark it.”

    “Probably do when they need to fetch water.” I said.

    “Magic,” Nox said. We were all through and he placed his hand where we had come through. “Solid. Probably has some sort of key.”

    “Those look like what we want”. Alex said pointing to the crystal rocks jutting from the walls a few meters away. Ryan was the first one out and he was closest and touched the crystal nearest to him.

    There was a strong gust of wind, a howl that inspired fear and an apparition appeared meters away from Ryan.

    Horror filled my heart. Rage and blood and images of the dead lying on the ground in front of me. Ryan, my mother, my new found friends. Everyone I had ever loved and my hunger was not satiated. I growled. Feeling the rage coil and burn inside of me. I stood frozen and the horrors wracked my body.

    Anthony Giovanni is a Stealthy Vampire Warrior who Slays Monsters and Drifts from Purple Shift #45

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Anthony Giovanni Bat Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    ■ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □
    XP:
    ■ ■ ■
    Skills: (p): light, medium, and heavy weapons, (t): swords, speed defense when not wearing armor, stealth, illusions, bonsai trees, monster lore (s): lies, trickery, deception, (i): movement-related tasks
    Cyphers: L5 Nullification Array, L6 Ranged Skill boost
    Abilities: drain creature, drift, determine shift
    Weapons: unarmed 2 – eased, long sword 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: Programmable jump suit, a long sword, blaster, wrist computer, energy pack (50 shots), first aid pen, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot

    Setup

    L2 Phantom, 12 HP, 2 cold, inspire fear L3, no physical damage only magical or energy based, short (Loot: 1d4 cyphers)

    Ryan takes the crystal

    Phantom inspires fear L3

    • Ryan 1d20: [10] = 10
    • Ant 1d20: [8] = 8 -> Terrified (-3 Int)
    • Alex 1d20: [17] = 17
    • Nox 1d20: [5] = 5 -> Terrified (-3 int)

    Initiative:

    • Phantom 1d20: [5] = 5
    • Ryan 1d20: [15] = 15
    • Alex 1d20: [12] = 12 -1
    • Nox 1d20: [8] = 8 -1
    • Ant 1d20: [9] = 9

    Order: R AB AG N P

    R tries to calm the phantom: 6 roll 18 Phantom is calm
    Alex pries crystals
    Ant is terrified 1d20: [19] = 19
    Nox is terrified 1d20: [10] = 10
    Phantom is calmed – does nothing
    Ryan uses deathbringer and attacks P: 6 roll: 1d20: [13] = 13 hit (Phantom HP 12 – 8) Second attack: 1d20: [15] = 15 hit Phantom dies

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • WTF, Man Eating Gelatin Mold

    WTF, Man Eating Gelatin Mold

    He was just going to fucking step off the edge. Take it on faith. No fucking way! Thankfully Ryan had a better head on him and gave him a better idea. Now they all had walked the narrow path over the giant gapping chasm of complete darkness and were standing on the other side of it looking across. “Well we did that.” Nox said ironically.

    Whatever they were to fight was on the other side of the chasm. How it got there? Bravery? Was it stuck now? Did they toss the bridge so it would stay there?
    I didn’t really know and my mind went a thousand different possibilities as the stories emerged in my mind.

    There was a curve in the cave and that opened up into a wide cavernous maw with dead bodies littering the floor, piles of rocks and a large lake bubbling through an archway.

    Nox walked into the room. Ryan grabbed him by the shoulder. “Hold. I thought I saw something.”

    Ant didn’t wait as he drew his pistol and shot into cavern well above anything. The bolt of light shot across and bounced across the ceiling between the stalactites before fizzling out.

    There was a large sucking sound in the middle of the cavern and a sickly sweet smell emanated from the gigantic cube starting its way towards us. “What the fuck! A gelatin mold is going to eat us! How the fuck do you kill it!”

    Nox looked at me and frowned. “Throw a rock at it.”

    I looked at him and stared like an idiot. I was an idiot. He was an idiot how the fuck did you kill gelatin? Except it wasn’t gelatin, it was a living breathing translucent creature that sucked and slithered and I so wanted to run and hid. But I picked up a rock like I was told.

    The others fired blasters at it. It moved so slowly. Any time it got close to one of us we’d move away from it. It went after Nox first. He was closest. Most of our shots were blowing right through it we had no idea if it was doing any damage or not.

    Nox moved out of its reach and it slithered towards Ryan who also moved out of its grasp so it came after me. “Why me? You fucker!” I backed away. And I kept backing away picking up rocks and chucking them at the giant gelatin mold that was trying to eat me. Or suck me? What the fuck! This was not how I was going to die.

    Nox slipped and fell on the goo on the floor. Ant slipped next and I thanked the fuck as it chased me I didn’t slide in the shit that it left all over the room.

    I backed against a wall and the thing kept coming at me. It was getting so close I felt like vomiting. And then a blaster shot from Ant’s gun landed and the creature burst like a balloon splattering ooze everywhere.

    I was covered in that shit. Dripping with slimy ooze I glared at Ant. “Really?”

    Ant hid a smile behind his hand. “It’s dead. You can have whatever it left behind.”

    “There is some guys that don’t look like they were part of the population that sent us in here. We should look around.”

    I was dripping with gross ooze, when Nox came over and smiled. “Want me to help?”

    “Uh…” I said. But he hadn’t waited for me to answer him, he waved his hand over over me and the ooze just sort of disappeared. But the funny thing was, I felt the magic, saw the essence of it all. “What did you do? Like how?”

    “It’s part of me. You sorta just focus on what you want it to do and it sorta does.” He held his palm flat and a small fire flickered on top of it.

    I tried. Cause why the fuck not. I held my palm flat and I concentrated on fire in the palm of my hand. A small spark erupted in the middle and then grew. I jumped for joy and in that moment of excitement the flame vanished.

    “Takes practice, but seems you got a little magic in you even though the Shift doesn’t have magic for you at home.”

    “I don’t understand anything the fuck you said.”

    Nox grinned. “It’s okay. I’m used to that. Let’s look around.” He said with a smile and put his hand on my arm before he slid off to check through a pile of bodies next to us.

    I found a few things that looked like they might be useful tools if you lived in this sort of world. Nox had a silver lightsaber looking thing in his hand and was checking it out.

    Ryan and Ant both carried a few other things that could be useful. Not that I had any idea what any of it is.

    Alex Brizo is an Inquisitive Dream walking Explorer with latent talents who Commands Mental Powers and is an Anchor from Shift #0

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Alex Brizo Tiger Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    □ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might:(1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:(1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □ □
    XP:
    ■ ■
    Skills: (p): light and medium weapons, (t): forensics, dreams, any task involving learning something new, writing, geography, history, (i): heavy weapons, hear or notice danger, initiative
    Cyphers: empty, L4 Secret
    Abilities: telepathic, hedge magic, decipher, dreamcraft, bond, mental link with drifter, create anchor
    Weapons: stun stick 0, unarmed 2 – eased
    Equipment: Programmable Jumpsuit, stun stick, wrist computer, expensive slot, moderate slot, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, first aid pen, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, book, book, book

    Setup

    L5 Gelatinous Cube, immediate, 25 HP, upon entering a creatures space can engulf, failed speed save 6 acid damage, engulfed creatures can’t breathe, creature is stuck and moves with cube each round stuck creature takes 6 acid damage, engulfed creature can make a might check to escape each round as their action, cube can only hold 1 large creature, or 4 human-sized creatures 1d6 cyphers

    Initiative:

    • Ooze 1d20: [12] = 12 +1
    • Alex 1d20: [16] = 16 -1
    • Ant 1d20: [2] = 2
    • Nox 1d20: [17] = 17 -1
    • Ryan 1d20: [16] = 16

    Order: R, N, AB, O, AG

    R attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [3] = 3 miss
    N attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [1] = 1 miss (GMI: Lose footing and stumble due to slippery surface – 1 acid damage)
    AB attacks with rock O: 15 roll: 1d20: [14] = 14 miss
    O moves towards N (~15ft)
    AG attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [15] = 15 hit (Ooze HP 25 → 21)

    R attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [9] = 9 miss
    N attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [18] = 18 hit (Ooze HP 25 → 15)
    AB attacks with rock O: 15 roll: 1d20: [4] = 4 miss
    O moves towards N: ~10ft
    AG attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [6] = 6 miss

    R attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [5] = 5 miss
    Nox moves away from the Cube (~+15ft)
    AB attacks with rock O: 15 roll: 1d20: [1] = 1 miss (GMI: Lose footing and stumble due to slippery surface – 1 acid damage)
    O moves towards R: ~10ft
    AG attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [12] = 12 miss

    R moves away from the ooze ~15ft
    N attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [17] = 17 hit (Ooze HP 25 → 12)
    AB attacks with rock O: 15 roll: 1d20: [16] = 16 hit (Ooze HP 25 → 8)
    O moves towards AB (~10ft)
    AG attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [3] = 3 miss

    R attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [8] = 8 miss
    N attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [2] = 2 miss
    AB moves away from the ooze (~25ft)
    O moves towards AB (~20ft)
    AG attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [6] = 6 miss

    R attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [18] = 18 hit (Ooze HP 25 → 4)
    N attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [8] = 8 miss
    AB attacks with rock O: 15 roll: 1d20: [2] = 2 miss
    O moves towards AB (~10ft)
    AG attacks with blaster O: 15 roll: 1d20: [15] = 15 hit (Ooze HP 25 → 0)

    Searching the bodies on the floor yields:

    • Shift Saver Artifact
    • 1d6 inexpensive personal objects (can be traded with the indigenous people but not really useful otherwise) 1d6: [5] = 5
    • 1d6 cyphers 1d6: [4] = 4 => 4d100: [31, 6, 44, 10] = 91
    • Effort enhancer (combat) => to Alex
    • best tool => to Nox (replaced)
    • intelligence enhancement
    • burst of speed

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • The Chasm

    The Chasm

    I managed to get in a breather. It helped. I felt a little better after having been bitten by vampire. And now we had a gapping whole in the ground.

    Ant growled. “They wouldn’t have sent us in if we couldn’t get across.”

    “Magic maybe?” I sat down close to the chasm’s edge but I didn’t look over. There was that whole fear of heights thing and while I knew I was safe, looking over wasn’t really going to help much. I could sense magic if I studied it long enough or sat in the location where magic was. It made my skin tingle, and that’s what I set out to do.

    “What ya doing?” Alex asked squatting down next to me.

    “Sensing magic.”

    “Can I help?”

    I shrugged. “Dunno, can you sense magic?”

    Alex chuckled. “No. Am I bugging you?” He snickered softly to himself.

    “Not at all.” I whispered the next words, “I like having you close.”

    Alex sat down next to me an put his back to the post that overlooked the chasm and faced me. He looked around and cocked his head to the side. “Something interesting?” I asked.

    “That broken stone on the wall says ‘Cross’.” Alex said after staring at the carving for a long moment. I felt magic in the area. But I couldn’t figure out from where.

    Ryan was looking at the carved letters. “It’s in some language I don’t understand.”

    “Alex is good with words.” I said.

    “Among other things.” Alex winked at me and I pulled my lips into my mouth. I had been thinking something along those very same lines. It felt like Alex knew what I was thinking.

    “I do. For some reason.” Alex whispered as his lips brushed past my ear as he stood up to walk towards Ryan who was now stooping and sorting through rocks on the cavern floor.

    “Maybe there is more.” Alex and Ryan said with a smirk as they both shouted ‘you owe me a…’ Though they didn’t agree on what they owed the other, they were snickering and chatting as the looked through the rocks.

    “So smarty pants. What are we going to do?” Ant said kicking a rock across the chasm. I watched as it careened across the space and then bounced in mid air.

    I stood up. My heart raced as the darkness below gaped it’s open maw at me. I hated heights — more to the point I hated what happens when you fall from heights. I valued my life — even if I took some risks in it. It was the only one I had.

    “Did you see that?” I asked Ant.

    He looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was. “You kicked a stone and it bounced in midair.”

    Ant rolled his eyes. “You are crazy.”

    Ryan and Alex had rocks set aside and were looking at how to piece together some stones. Ryan was heading up the effort but he grew frustrated and pushed the rocks towards Alex. “You are good with words.”

    Alex chuckled at my words being through back at him. Several moments later he had the puzzle together. There were holes in the carving but it didn’t matter, the essence was there and the shape. “It says Faith.”

    He pointed to a bit on a broken edge, it looks like there might have been something here, but it’s gone.

    “Cross and Faith.” Ant said.

    I looked at the pillar alignment and how there looked like no bridge existed now. But there clearly had been one at one time.

    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I centered myself.

    I put my hands on both poles in the ground and was about to take my first step when a hand on my shoulder stopped me. “What the fuck are you doing?”

    “Crossing with Faith.” I said. “The rock fucking bounced.” I declared with fervor.

    Ryan laughed and he picked up a handful of dirt and threw it out between the pools. Some of the dust settled and some of it fell to the ground. He picked up another handful and took my hand off the pole. “Use this.”

    Instead of using just the dirt Ryan handed I used a bit of magic to scatter the dust the distance of the chasm we were about to cross.

    “Not really about faith, if we can see it.” I said. But I didn’t hesitate as I crossed the invisible bridge over a deep dark chasm. My heart beat through my chest and my jumpsuit was soaked through and through. But I made it across albeit slowly.

    Nox Luxignis is a Mystical Warrior who Bears the Phoenix Feather and Drifts from Shift #0

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort ■ Skill □ Nyx
    Nox Luxignis Phoenix Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    ■ ■ ■ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □
    XP:
    ■
    Skills: (p): light weapons, (t): supernatural, artistic, speed defense when not wearing armor, computers, magic, charming (i): mental defense, persuasion, deception, initiative, hear or notice danger
    Cyphers: L3 Curative, L4 Strength Boost
    Abilities: premonition, sense magic, hedge magic, manifest phoenix, shroud of flame, drift, determine shift
    Weapons: unarmed (caestus) 2 – eased, unarmed (caestus) 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: programmable jump suit, pair of caestus, blaster, ring/eye computer, first aid pen, moderate slot, energy pack (50 shots), inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, wooden stake, metallic phoenix feather (in chest)

    Setup

    Alex looks around L2 → 6 roll: 1d20: [16] = 16 → finds table on the wall
    Alex tries to decipher text on the wall L2 → 6 roll: 1d20: [17] = 17 “Cross”
    Ryan looks through the stones with Alex help L3 → 9-1 roll: 1d20: [13] = 13 → finds stones
    Alex helps Ryan try to solve the puzzle L3 → 9-1 roll: 1d20: [2] = 2
    Alex tries to piece the puzzle together L4 → Ryan assists, Alex applies effort enhancer and uses 1 effort (-1 int) → 12-2 roll: 1d20: [16] = 16

    1d6 cyphers also found: 1d6: [2] = 2

    • Curative 1d6: [1] = 1 → L3 => to Nox
    • Strength Boost 1d6: [2] = 2 → L4 => to Nox

    Alex deciphers the text: L2 → 6 roll: 1d20: [6] = 6 “Faith”

  • Trial

    Trial

    More than an hour passed and they rested in semi silence. Ant and Alex both growled while Nox dosed softly in his corner, likely accustom to sleeping anywhere he could catch a wink. Ant was oddly active for the sun beaming down on the roof above. The utter darkness back home was unusual but also why the vampires reigned. They blotted out the sun. Humans survived at their whim.

    Ant wasn’t used to taking orders from a human, and he chaffed under the suggestion that they needed to help the village that imprisoned them. And Alex seemed annoyed, he glared at Nox and the other man knew it. A small smile caressed his lips as he slumbered.

    A rapping at the door pulled us all to our feet. Nox drew himself up in a lithe seamless motion that had us all looking at him in awe and fascination. He was perfection in body if not in mind. Maybe that was his goal — make up for what others perceived as lacking. Or maybe it was just arrogance in knowing he was beautiful.

    “It’s because he knows.” Alex said with a smirk.

    “He knows what?” Nox grinned at the two of us.

    Ant grunted. “Fucking Stray.”

    “Don’t worry about him. He doesn’t like anyone.” I laughed.

    Nox shrugged. “Most people are annoyed by me.”

    Alex rolled his eyes. “I can’t even imagine why.”

    Nox put his arm over Alex’s shoulder and whispered in his ear. I couldn’t make out the words shared but Alex tipped his head back and looked at Ant. “Maybe.”

    “You think he’s a closet gay?” I asked.

    Nox shook his head. “No. He’s not gay, but he feels something. We both do.”

    “You mean like you two are drawn together?” I asked.

    “Alex has been following a vampire for his next book. Looks a lot like you.” Nox said, “From the description he’s read me.”

    I cocked my head to the side and thought about it. Did Alex look familiar. All Echoes looked a like after a while.

    “We do not!” Alex said.

    “You are reading our thoughts pretty clearly.”

    “It’s not exactly hard.”

    Nox grinned, “Latent telepath. Probably does it at home and no one even realizes it’s happening.”

    We continued to talk with the door thrust open and the first guard grabbed Alex, and then yanked him into the street roughly. Each of us followed, Ant pulling on his mask before he was taken. We could have all easily escaped, but we were on a new mission — free the village. At least that’s what it felt like to me.

    They dragged us through the small walled village. We could see the high towering walls over the rooftops. They shoved us past two guards into a narrow opening. “Fight.” And that was all the said as they left us in the opening to a large cave like structure of the cliff wall.

    “Fight what?” Alex asked.

    Ant pulled his mask down and lifted the goggles from his eyes and propped them above his forehead like a pair of sunglasses. “Whatever is in here.”

    “Trial by combat maybe?” Nox asked.

    I shrugged. “Maybe. Should we go?” I turned around and two guards barred our exit. They thrust their spears out and pointed down the long corridor. A slight yellow light glowed just around the bend. “Can’t hurt to look. Everyone ready?”

    Nox nodded and his entire body engulfed in flames. “That is so cool.” I said. Nox just grinned as he started down the cave’s natural path. Ant followed and I took up the rear gesturing for Alex to go ahead of me.

    The zeroer pulled a baton from his pocket and it snapped with electricity as he snapped it into full length.

    “You didn’t take too long to learn how to use that did you?” I said rhetorically.

    “You figure it out pretty quick when you are fighting for your life.” Alex replied.

    The cave opened wider and yellow crystals formed on the walls. They were the source of the dim light I’d seen. They looked pretty and useless.

    Alex whispered. “Don’t touch them.”

    “Why?” Ant asked looking closer at one of them.

    “They whisper.” Alex said in his own whisper.

    Ant backed away from them. “You think it might be what we are meant to fight?”

    Alex shook his head. “No. I get the feeling that they just want to be left alone.”

    Ant nodded. “I can do that.”

    “Wow.” I laughed. “Logic from you?”

    Ant glared at me and I stuck my tongue out at him. We stepped into a circular room with a large chasm splitting the room in two very small landings. Two posts stood on each side of the chasm like a bridge had once been strung between the posts, but there was nothing there now.

    “Great.” Ant said. “Just fucking great!”

    Ryan Elliot is a Intelligent Former Chevalier Warrior with a PhD who Slays Monsters and is an Anchor from Purple Shift #45

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat ■ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Ryan Elliot Sun Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    ■ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed: (2)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    XP:
    □
    Skills: (p): light, medium, and heavy weapons, (t): swords, speed defense when not wearing armor, cooking, perception, lockpicking, history, actions involving direct experience, monster lore, (s): psychology, (i): intellect defense
    Cyphers: L4 Deathbringer, L6 Burst of Speed
    Abilities: calm, bond, mental link with drifter, create anchor
    Weapons: unarmed 2 – eased, long sword 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: Programmable jump suit, a long sword, blaster, wrist computer, energy pack (50 shots), first aid pen, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • Children

    Children

    Watching them was worse than watching my mother and father. That was eye stabbing, now I wanted to claw my eyes out. Ryan turned and watched me with an all knowing grin on his lips. “What?” I asked.

    He shook his head. “Nothing. We can leave anytime.”

    Nox was making his way back to the other side of the room and was sitting down with his eyes closed before he spoke. “I need to rest before I figure out what’s wrong with that kid and why this town is hell bent on worshiping the entity.”

    “You what?” I growled. “We came all this way to get you and you want to stay here to do what? Save some fucking kid.”

    He didn’t even have the curtesy to open his eyes to respond. “I didn’t ask you to come get me. I know how to get home from here. May take a long fucking ass time to find the Nexus but I can find it, or drift again and find some place else that I can get to it from. Doesn’t matter to me.”

    “Aren’t you worried your family will get worried?” Alex asked softly from the door.

    Nox shrugged. “They knew it could happen any time.”

    “That doesn’t mean they won’t care.” Alex complained.

    “He’s a fucking stray.” I growled. “No one cares if he gets lost. Can’t bind. Won’t bind. Doesn’t matter, no one cares.”

    “He has parents.” Alex growled back.

    “Who didn’t help him find an anchor. They didn’t care.”

    Ryan interrupted. “He has an anchor. His anchor drifted and neither of them knew it. So when he did what he always does he expected to find his way home. Am I wrong?” Ryan looked at him but his eyes were still closed and his head pressed against the wall.

    “I expected to come home. You’re theory is as good as any. Not sure how we exactly are bound since until this very moment we’ve never touched. He doesn’t even know what the fuck we are talking about.”

    “I’m sitting fucking right here.” Alex growled and I couldn’t help but laugh.

    Ryan sighed. “Everyone just needs to relax. Let’s give it an hour see what happens. Nox took a bite for you Ant, he at the very least deserves some rest for that sacrifice.”

    “How the fuck aren’t you burning up in the sun?” Alex asked.

    “That’s a myth. We are vulnerable to the sun, and the strong we are the longer we can stay in it. But it weakens us. I should be asleep in this world.”

    “How are you part of the RHI if you can’t work everywhere?” Nox asked half asleep in his spot.

    “How do you? You aren’t supposed to fucking drift. Rules.”

    “They officially don’t want me to drift. But they’ve never stopped me from doing my job. They may throw me on the desk more than others, but it’s only making me better at the job.”

    “How’s that?” I asked.

    “Research. Knowing the things and places I’m working with. It’s all good. Can we just rest please?”

    I grunted and Ryan sat down next to me. Alex stood by the door staring at us. “We are really just going to sit by and wait?”

    Nox pointed to the door. “There’s the door. Find a way out.” He didn’t sound much like he cared about the other man at that moment. No love or even empathy in his voice. I felt a tension growing and if they were bound — that wasn’t going to end well.

    Anthony Giovanni is a Stealthy Vampire Warrior who Slays Monsters and Drifts from Purple Shift #45

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Anthony Giovanni Bat Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    ■ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    XP:
    ■ ■ ■
    Skills: (p): light, medium, and heavy weapons, (t): swords, speed defense when not wearing armor, stealth, illusions, bonsai trees, monster lore (s): lies, trickery, deception, (i): movement-related tasks
    Cyphers: L5 Nullification Array, L6 Ranged Skill boost
    Abilities: drain creature, drift, determine shift
    Weapons: unarmed 2 – eased, long sword 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: Programmable jump suit, a long sword, blaster, wrist computer, energy pack (50 shots), first aid pen, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • The Fire Inside

    The Fire Inside

    “Do you have translators?” I asked Ryan and Ant.

    “Yeah.”

    “We should probably hide the tech and use the comm stubs so we don’t stand out as much.”

    Ryan nodded. He and Ant both started patting themselves down their pockets looking for their gear. I crooked my finger at his blue eyes. “Let’s see if your stole gear is complete.”

    Alex’s eyes went wide with the playful accusation. I tugged his hand closer and reached for the invisible zipper against his jump suit. I pulled the zipper down. “Check the pockets. Inner chest pockets most likely. You were smart enough to take the watch. Did he have the node?” I pointed to the metal bit above my right eye.

    Alex shook his head. “Don’t think so. I don’t remember it when I punched him in the face.”

    I grinned. “Good. Means its hopefully in the charger.”

    Alex started patting down all the pockets and found a tin can in his inner chest pocket. His zipper revealed a slip of his chest and I couldn’t help but look and bit my bottom lip. Alex cleared his throat. “My eyes are up here.”

    “I can stare at them all day too.” I said letting my gaze drift down before back up to meet his eyes and pulled the tin can from his fingers.

    I pressed the optical node to the stick pad and then hovered it over Alex’s right eye until the light turned red. “When the light turns red the nerve is close and when it’s blue you can stick it down. That’s the optimal location.” I took the large node out of the box. “This goes behind your ear. You want me to do it or you want to try?”

    “Why are you telling me all this?” Alex asked.

    “Because you can’t go home. Even if I can get to the Nexus, or they take us back to Arcadis, we can’t get to Shift #0. I can leave you someplace close, or you can stay with me or them but we can’t get you back to zero. It’s just impossible, the only way to zero is through Nexus and your Nexus is buried deep in the ocean and we can’t survive it — no tech can get inside the portal room that could make it.”

    “So I’m fucking stuck in this shit hole.” Alex growled.

    “Not this one. No. We can shift out of here — go someplace else. Use another Shift to get to the Nexus and we can get back to Arcadis. We could go to a place where Merlin still rules. We can go into outer space. We can go wherever the fuck you want. I just can’t take you home no matter how much I want to make you happy.”

    Alex growled again, his blue eyes lit with fire and he stood up and pulled away. “What the fuck is my family going to think?”

    I shrugged. “No idea. I don’t know why you are here. But I intend to find out. If there is a way to get you home we’ll look for it.”

    “Why would you help me look for a way home? You don’t even fucking me.”

    “I’ve known you my whole life. You weren’t a dream to me, Alex. I got beat up in school because I had an imaginary friend. My parents removed me from school early because of it.”

    Alex growled and moved to the door and shook the handle. It wasn’t going to help. I got up and took his arm with the watch on it. “We need to hide the tech.” I put the comm unit behind his ear and then removed his watch and put it in the tin box to keep charging.

    I parted the jump suit careful not to touch his skin and put the tin back in his inner pocket and zipped his jumpsuit back up. And turned my back to him and walked across the room to the wall.

    I pulled my shirt back on and pulled the jumpsuit back up and zipped it. I sat back down against the wall and closed my eyes leaning my head against it. I didn’t hurt because he was angry at me for his predicament. I was angry I couldn’t give him what he wanted. Nyx fluttered in the air and then poofed out, his time up and he needed to recharge again. He chittered softly in my head to calm me, the fire raged inside and I used the calm of his soft voice to find an anchor to my anger to burn and keep Nyx alive.

    Nox Luxignis is a Mystical Warrior who Bears the Phoenix Feather and Drifts from Shift #0

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort ■ Skill □ Nyx
    Nox Luxignis Phoenix Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    ■ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □ □ □
    Speed: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □ □
    XP:
    ■
    Skills: (p): light weapons, (t): supernatural, artistic, speed defense when not wearing armor, computers, magic, charming (i): mental defense, persuasion, deception, initiative, hear or notice danger
    Cyphers: □ empty, □ empty
    Abilities: premonition, sense magic, hedge magic, manifest phoenix, shroud of flame, drift, determine shift
    Weapons: unarmed (caestus) 2 – eased, unarmed (caestus) 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: programmable jump suit, pair of caestus, blaster, ring/eye computer, first aid pen, moderate slot, energy pack (50 shots), inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, wooden stake, metallic phoenix feather (in chest)

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • Prisoners

    Prisoners

    Things only went from worse to even worser. That’s not a word and that’s the point. This wasn’t even conceivable. Fucking vampires? And he let him bite him? Wasn’t he afraid of turning? And then he has metal burned into his skin? I was way out of my depth here.

    This thing in front of us — and it was a thing, there was no way an entire town was afraid of a boy. The vampire and and my dream friend both reacted negatively. They seemed to know what is going on. We followed with no hesitation. Nox and Ant were both first to put up their hands.

    The town was in shambles barely looked like anyone could live in these conditions. But everyone looked healthy that I saw. Which wasn’t many, but still. Even the warrior who’d pulled us inside looked clean despite the wounds inflicted upon him.

    They walked us through the streets to a small building where they shoved us through the door. We stumbled through, the only good thing was there was no windows and when they locked the door we were alone.

    “What the fuck is going on?”

    Ryan laughed. “I don’t know. Looks like they want your friend here. Tell us why you can’t just give him the ring?”

    Nox helped the vampire sit down and pull his garb off then sat down against the far wall pulling at his own garb. I’d seen him nearly naked before, but as he unzipped the shirt without a zipper I stared at him with wide eyes. His chest glowed underneath the white t-shirt.

    He pulled his arms from the jumpsuit and let it hang from his waist and pulled the t-shirt off. A metal feather was embedded into his chest above his heart. I’d seen it before. But there was nothing like seeing it in person. I fought the urge to reach out and touch him. There was red and black ink over half of his body. His body…

    “I was told that the Phoenix feather is what keeps me alive. The nanites that make up its outer shell are in my blood. It integrates technology and biologies. Without me Nyx dies, without him I die. The nanites fused the ring to my body, same with the eye and commination nodes. I have to be careful how long tech touches my skin. The nanites use my body heat and that from the faux plane inside the feather to power the devices and my abilities. So cut it off and it fails immediately.”

    “How is any of this even possible?” I asked.

    “Magic, science, all of it.” Nox said. “You’re from Shift #0 I know it sound dramatic and impossible.” He held out his hand with the ring, “Look for yourself.”

    I took his hand, his long fingers curled around mine as he pulled me closer. I sat down on the ground in front of him, his hand in mine as I looked. But it was the length of his fingers, the softness of his skin that made me look deeper. I wanted to touch him more. I used my other hand to trace the metal on his middle finger. There was no delineation. No gap, no way it was coming off his hand.

    I turned my attention to the feather on his chest. His fingers still in my hand as I reached across with the other and felt the feather in his chest. I jerked it back. He was hot — in more ways than one. “Sorry.” he whispered. He closed his eyes and smiled softly. “Go ahead, its cooler now.”

    “You…”

    He smiled. “I can control my temperature.”

    I couldn’t help but reach out and touch him again, this time the metal was cool to my finger tips, and there was no seam here either from flesh to metal and back. The red and black ink butted up to the edge of the metal almost as seamless.

    Ryan laughed behind us, “Maybe we should give them the room.”

    I looked up at Nox’s face and there was bliss etched on it. His head pressed back against the wall.

    Ant’s voice was soft from the chair Nox had put him on across the room. “Touch is rare for Strays like him. I’m sure the glow doesn’t help.”

    “Stray?” I asked.

    “A drifter without an anchor.” Nox said. “Not a term I like.”

    “No one touches you?” I asked softly.

    “They are afraid of drifting. My parents hugged me and loved me it’s not a problem. My father is a drifter, my dad is his anchor. I am not a haphephobe. It’s not lack of touch that has me in bliss.” His brown eyes looked at me with a small smile. “It’s his touch. Imagined it more times than I can count. Can’t touch an echo.”

    “I dream about you.” I said.

    “I know. I’m awake when I see you, you were at my house when the girl manifested this morning.”

    “You killed her.” I said.

    “Temporal rage and a zombie. Like your mother. Something making echoes manifest and they are going crazy too.”

    Ant growled.

    Alex Brizo is an Inquisitive Dream walking Explorer with latent talents who Commands Mental Powers and is an Anchor from Shift #0

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Alex Brizo Tiger Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    □ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might:(1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:(1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □
    XP:
    ■
    Skills: (p): light and medium weapons, (t): forensics, dreams, any task involving learning something new, writing, geography, history, (i): heavy weapons, hear or notice danger, initiative
    Cyphers: L2 non-combat Effort Enhancer, L4 Secret
    Abilities: telepathic, hedge magic, decipher, dreamcraft, bond, mental link with drifter, create anchor
    Weapons: stun stick 0, unarmed 2 – eased
    Equipment: Programmable Jumpsuit, stun stick, wrist computer, expensive slot, moderate slot, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, first aid pen, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, book, book, book

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • Captive

    Captive

    Ant was freaking out with the sun. He was getting weak — he hadn’t eaten. I sighed.

    “He needs water?” Alex asked.

    But it was Nox with a flaming bird behind him that said. “No. He needs something else.” He pulled his sleeve up and pulled Ant’s contraption from his face and looked up at me. “Let’s watch the onlookers.”

    I nodded and moved to hide Ant. Alex moved with me but he kept watching as Nox pushed his wrist towards Ant’s mouth. His eyes grew wide when his fangs sank into his wrist. A soft growl left Ant’s lips and grabbed Nox’s wrist.

    The strange man was oddly calm as Ant’s fingernails dug into his arm. He tapped Ant on the shoulder. “That’s enough.”

    Ant didn’t let up and I was about the step in when Nox flared to life shrouded in flame and Ant flung himself backwards from the boy. The flames died as quickly as they started and Ant looked better but he stared at the man and gave him a nod. “Sorry.”

    He smiled brightly. “No worries.”

    “You let him bite you.” Alex leaned in and whispered to Nox, but I still heard him. “Now you are bleeding.”

    Nox chuckled and zapped himself with a first aid pen he kept in his pocket. “I’ll be okay. I’ll heal. He hadn’t fed. And he can’t stand in the sun.”

    Alex frowned. “I know what a vampire is. But he should be toast.”

    I laughed. “Not exactly — not as strong as he is.”

    “Neat trick there.” A strangers voice sounded nearby but not from where the translation came. Nox’s comm unit automatically translated the strange sounding tongue. Nox stood up and smiled. “Fire’s always been kinda my thing.” He nodded back towards the bird behind him. “This is Nyx.”

    The man opened his mouth but a horn sounded before the translator picked up the words that left and he turned towards the sound. “He comes.” Was all that came from them.

    “Who comes?” I asked wondering what could make the whole town silent. The horn sounded the entire village went silent — not a sound was heard and anyone who had been in sight was now gone. There was no one except us on the streets.

    The sounds of feet stomping on the ground headed our way and plumes of bright reds and golds peaked above the roof tops that were otherwise the dull yellows of the entire village. Marching men in next to nothing stomped through the street as they rounded the corner. A small boy walked between the lines with the plumes bobbing as he walked.

    Nox and Ant both took a deep breath and I looked from them back to the boy. They both saw something distrubing. I reached for my connection to Ant and let him in my head. What did you see? I asked in his head.

    Darkness.

    Ant said nothing more. Nothing, he stared through the goggles he’d doned again once he’d feed from Nox. Alex had his hand on the crook of Nox’s elbow like he intended to pull the other man back. I stepped in front of them all. Not as leader but as a shield and Nox put his and on my elbow and stepped up next to me. He wasn’t going to hid behind me. Ant stayed in the shadows, Alex behind him.

    Nox whispered. “Together then.”

    We all nodded. “Together.” I said.

    The boy came up to us and his guards ringed us like we were the enemy, their spears pointed at us.

    “First the beasts. Then these four.” The boys sounded like a broken speaker or two sets of tracks that were slightly offset — two voices sounding at once but not in sync.

    “They scared off the beast.” The warrior said.

    The boy laughed and it echoed through the town walls. “They come to take our water.”

    “We don’t.” I said. “We only seek shelter from the sun, and at night we will leave.”

    Nox’s translator did the work and the boy looked curiously at us with that puppy dog look with the cocked head weighing the words he heard versus the ones we said.

    “What magic is this?”

    Nox smiled. “Not magic. It’s technology.”

    He didn’t understand. Nox then pointed at the ring on his middle finger. “The sound goes in and it comes out something you understand.”

    The boy held out his hand. “Give me.”

    Nox shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

    The boy’s eyes darkened. The air around him felt cold with anger. “You won’t!”

    Nox shook his head again. “I can’t.” He pressed his fingers to the ring and pulled. “It is melded into my body like bone. It and I are one, and if you take the finger then it will cease to function since the finger will be dead. I power the tech.”

    Alex looked at him. “Who did this to you?”

    Nox smiled. “No one.”

    “You did this to yourself?”

    Nox shook his head. “No. It was a byproduct of saving my life as a child. An unknown mishap.”

    “I will have him.” The boy shrieked and the ring of spears pressed in upon us.

    We all held up our hands in surrender and we allowed them herd us off into some unknown building.

    Ryan Elliot is a Intelligent Former Chevalier Warrior with a PhD who Slays Monsters and is an Anchor from Purple Shift #45

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat ■ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Ryan Elliot Sun Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    □ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed: (2)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □
    XP:
    □
    Skills: (p): light, medium, and heavy weapons, (t): swords, speed defense when not wearing armor, cooking, perception, lockpicking, history, actions involving direct experience, monster lore, (s): psychology, (i): intellect defense
    Cyphers: L4 Deathbringer, L6 Burst of Speed
    Abilities: calm, bond, mental link with drifter, create anchor
    Weapons: unarmed 2 – eased, long sword 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: Programmable jump suit, a long sword, blaster, wrist computer, energy pack (50 shots), first aid pen, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot

    Setup

    Q: Will the Warrior help them?
    (1d20+0: [18]+0 = 18)
    Yes

    Q: Will he do it for free?
    (1d20+0: [9]+0 = 9)
    No, but [“Republic”, “Angular”, “Diversion”]

    Q: Does he send them on a quest for water for Ant?
    (1d20+0: [4]+0 = 4)
    No

    Q: Do they trade for water?
    (1d20+0: [20]+0 = 20)
    Yes, and [“Curiosity”, “Alcohol”, “Undead”]

    Q: Does the specter visit them?
    (1d20+0: [19]+0 = 19)
    Yes, and [“Slave”, “Dream”, “Guard”]

    Q: Does he send them on a quest?
    (1d20+0: [14]+0 = 14)
    Yes

    Q: What type of quest?
    (1d20: [15] = 15)
    Steal an item

    Q: What type of item?
    [“Implicate”, “Damage”, “Forbidden”]

    Q: Where?
    [“Weird”, “Cloying”, “Beast”]

    Ant bites Nox and use his one drain required.

    GM Intrusion
    The boy wants Nox’s tech thus him

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • Trusting a Stray

    Trusting a Stray

    I growled at myself for following a Stray through a drift so we could bring him home. Except Ryan wasn’t anchored and now we were all fucking lost in a drift.

    Ryan put his hand on my shoulder and a wave of calm washed over me. Not only were we in the godforsaken sun but there was nothing for the eye to see but fucking sand! I was not in a good mood and Ryan tried to placate me but I pushed his hand from my shoulder mid-calm and Ryan shook his head. “Dude, it’s okay. Trust me.”

    “I trust you!” I shouted.

    Those blue eyes found me and he frowned but he didn’t say anything. “I don’t trust Strays.”

    “I’m not a stray.” Alex said without really knowing what he was not. I wasn’t even talking about him.

    “Scythe is that way.” I said. “Fucking bullshit town. I hate this place!”

    Ryan sighed. “Let’s just get Nox and go. We can search for the Nexus in a better Shift.”

    “What’s wrong with this one?” Alex asked but he followed after Ryan and I growled in response.

    Ryan laughed. “Scythe isn’t known for it’s warm receptions.”

    “Nexus ain’t going to do us shit. We can’t get in.” I growled loudly.

    “Trust me, brother.” Ryan said as he stopped and waited for me. “You didn’t come naked, you are protected.”

    “It’s fucking hot!” I complained.

    I don’t know how long we walked. It felt like forever in the blazing sun. I collapsed to my knees more times than I could count. Ryan and Alex talked in hushed whispers as Ryan slung my arm over his shoulder. I hated the sun!

    A low growl in the distance had us moving faster. Ryan lost his grip on me and I stumbled into the sand face first. Both of them helped me to my feet and slowed to a much slower pace. But it wasn’t long before the silhouettes of a giant dinosaur fighting men came into view.

    I swear I saw a flaming man running towards the beast before I fell to the ground.

    Another roar later and I was on my feet watching as the beast cantered away with thirty men in tow — but not the men who had fought the creature at the walls. Where had them been? I thought to myself.

    I was delirious by the time we reached the gates. “Pardon out intrusion, but my friend needs shade immediately. Can we press you for shelter?” Ryan always sounded so formal except when he was joking. He wasn’t joking now.

    The boy who’d killed my mother tucked himself under my arm and hosted me up with Ryan. The two of them carry-dragged me through the gates. I’d missed the conversation apparently.

    They didn’t let us past the gate, but when the gates closed behind us, the shade offered the must needed shelter and I collapsed from the arms of the two men holding me. I wasn’t going to make it.

    Anthony Giovanni is a Stealthy Vampire Warrior who Slays Monsters and Drifts from Purple Shift #45

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Anthony Giovanni Bat Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    □ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □
    Speed: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    XP:
    ■ ■
    Skills: (p): light, medium, and heavy weapons, (t): swords, speed defense when not wearing armor, stealth, illusions, bonsai trees, monster lore (s): lies, trickery, deception, (i): movement-related tasks
    Cyphers: L5 Nullification Array, L6 Ranged Skill boost
    Abilities: drain creature, drift, determine shift
    Weapons: unarmed 2 – eased, long sword 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: Programmable jump suit, a long sword, blaster, wrist computer, energy pack (50 shots), first aid pen, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot

    Setup

    Q: Do they see the glinting light in the distance?
    (1d20+0: [5]+0 = 5)
    No

    Q: Does Ant know where he is?
    (1d20+0: [17]+0 = 17)
    Yes

    Q: Can Ant find his way to the town?
    (1d20+0: [19]+0 = 19)
    Yes, and [“Dance”, “Hide”, “Sentimental”]

    GM Intrusion: Ant can’t handle the sunlight -1 might +1 XP (+1 Ryan)

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

  • Totally Prehistoric

    Totally Prehistoric

    The problem with being adrift meant that the only way home was through The Nexus. And since I didn’t know where the Nexus was in this Shift I couldn’t exactly head towards it even though that’s what I told Alex. I don’t know why he came after me. I’m not sure that I’m glad he did. I’m happy I get to meet him in person, to touch his skin, see his bright blue eyes for real — maybe even kiss his lips.

    My body shuddered with the thought of so many more things I’d like to do with him. Things I had fantasized about but never really let myself think about outside of my nightly dreams.

    I wondered often how he talked to me as an Echo and now he found me even in the desolation of this Shift. He made the connection but how? We’d never been on the same physical plane — a bond like that — an anchor required touch.

    I did my best not to freak out as a gust of sand blew through the area. Upon my arrival to this godforsaken sand bowl my suit had changed into something more appropriate for the region. The sand colored outfit, the sweat collector and rebreather all worked like they would with their own designs here. And it covered me from head to toe, but I could still feel the sand shifting in my boots.

    Sand… Ugh.

    But I had no choice but to slog forward through the shifting sands towards the glint of light on the Horizon. The settlement wasn’t friendly, but they weren’t completely hostile either. I’d been to a similar Shift before — the settlement had been ravaged by Oni — the green hulking creature we’d brought back home. It ran off in the opposite direction of the village which meant it wasn’t home to the Oni — one thankful gift from this godforsaken place.

    It felt like hours trudging through the land with very little on my person when I drifted from Arcadis this was going to be a very long adventure.

    But first I needed to meet up with Alex. And the men who’d brought him here. Why they brought a novice was beyond me — why they came at all was another mystery.

    Nyx chittered in this plane in my chest and I pressed my hand to the release valve and with a soft whooshing sound Nyx formed above my head in all his fiery glory. “Hey bud.” I said in a soft voice.

    His chirps translated in my head. “Danger ahead.”

    That was more than enough to get my head out of my thoughts and I pulled against the fiery plane inside and wreathed myself in fire. I didn’t have much else to go on, but it never failed me.

    I took a deep breathe and centered myself before heading into the danger Nyx perceived.

    It wasn’t long before the growl of a very large beast echoed through the sand dunes. I tried to increase my pace but there was only so much faster one could run in sand and I was already feeling the ache in my chest and lungs — not to mention the grit in the air that felt like it scratched at my nasal passages and throat with each breathe. The rebreather wasn’t much help against granular sand here. I’d have to make an adjustment if we intended to stay at all.

    I crested a sand dune and the glinting I’d seen before reflected back as a giant metallic wall guarding a cistern of caverns in the cliffside behind it. And just outside the gates fighting several men from the outpost was a huge Tyrannosaurs Rex. There was a faint green halo around it but I didn’t look hard enough to determine its shift. It wasn’t going home — it was going to die, creatures like this rarely saw home again, and it was sad, but it was also the reality of vicious creatures attacking the locals.

    I drew my blaster and took aim, but I was still a bit too far to make the shot. I flung myself down the dune towards the creature my blaster trained on the eye of the beast in hopes that when I was in range it would be a death shot. Nyx guided me from behind with his own laser focus through the scope of my blaster. His flame would guide my eye even if no one else saw the beam that now targeted the giant beast.

    The blast strikes true with the help of Nyx but it only makes the T-Rex look my direction and turn tail to run. Better to run and live another day than deal with these aggravating people. I watched as more men poured out of the gates and perused the beast. I ran through the sand towards the men now helping the main attacker to his feet. He looked hurt but not beaten but he nor the other men continued after the beast.

    The big burly man in dark leathers looked at me as I approached. I pulled the face coverings away and gave him a bright smile. I was thankful the glow from Nyx’s feather was hidden by the thick leathers of the outfit. One less thing to worry about. “Thank you stranger,” my ring translator interpreted without a flaw.

    I nodded. “Not a problem. Why’s they go after it?”

    They looked at the ring then at my face and the suspicions began. “Sorry, I’m not from around here.”

    “That’s obvious”. One of the other men said.

    Before anything else could happen I heard my name called in the distance. I turned to look and saw three figures walking our way. One being helped along the way by the other. At least we found each other.

    Nox Luxignis is a Mystical Warrior who Bears the Phoenix Feather and Drifts from Shift #0

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort ■ Skill □ Nyx
    Nox Luxignis Phoenix Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    ■ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □
    Speed: (1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □
    XP:
    □
    Skills: (p): light weapons, (t): supernatural, artistic, speed defense when not wearing armor, computers, magic, charming (i): mental defense, persuasion, deception, initiative, hear or notice danger
    Cyphers: □ empty, □ empty
    Abilities: premonition, sense magic, hedge magic, manifest phoenix, shroud of flame, drift, determine shift
    Weapons: unarmed (caestus) 2 – eased, unarmed (caestus) 4, blaster 4 long range
    Equipment: programmable jump suit, pair of caestus, blaster, ring/eye computer, first aid pen, moderate slot, energy pack (50 shots), inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, wooden stake, metallic phoenix feather (in chest)

    Setup

    Q: Is Nox near the Nexus?
    (1d20+0: [4]+0 = 4)
    No

    Q: Is he close to some settlement?
    (1d20+0: [16]+0 = 16)
    Yes

    Q: Does he encounter something along the way to the settlement?
    (1d20+0: [10]+0 = 10)
    Maybe

    GM Intrusion: A T-Rex manifests at the village gates (Nox +1, XP Pool +1)

    L7 T-Rex, 50 health, 10 damage, L5 speed defense

    L5 Warrior , 25 health, 8 damage, 2 armor (with 3 guards: 3 assets)

    Manifest Nyx & Shroud of Flame
    Int: 4 → 2 + 1d6+1 Recovery (action) 1d6: [5] = 5 → 8

    Initiative: T: 16, W: 14, N: 2 -1 → 1

    T: 35 health W: 15 health

    T (21-3) → W (10) miss
    W (15) → T (16) hit W: 5 health
    N (15) → T (14+2): Nyx asset hit damage 4+2 T: 29 health

    T runs away fresh team follows to attack

  • Where Did he go?

    Where Did he go?

    The watch’s directions weren’t wrong. I found Nox. I found him fighting a vampire with two other men in the park. But it was his smile and the feel of his fingers against my cheek that pulled me back to the reality that I was in his world — for real.

    But we didn’t get a chance to catch up before this large green think barreled towards him. He shushed it and then he and the thing disappeared.

    I blinked. “Where the fuck did he go?”

    Tall Dark and handsome stood up, “Never seen it done like that before. He drifted it back.”

    “He said he didn’t have an anchor.” The blonde said.

    “What does that mean?” I asked.

    “Means he won’t be able to get back. We can go get him. You saw where he went?” he asked the other guy.

    “First. Names. I’m Alex. Nox disappeared. Who the fuck are you?”

    Tall dark and handsome chuckled. “I like him. I’m Ant. That’s Ryan. Your friend didn’t even think about not having an anchor. How the fuck did he think he was getting back?”

    “I don’t even know what the fuck you are talking about.” I said. “He talks about drifting, hunting things, but I’ve never touched him before.”

    “I’m confused.”

    “Me too.” I said. “So can we go after him?”

    Ant sighed. “Yeah. Was a yellow.”

    “And the shift?” Ryan asked.

    “I have no idea. But we can follow the last shift here. If you got enough juice in you. You coming?” Ant asked me.

    “Uh…”

    “Yes, he’s coming.” Ryan said putting his hand on me and a strange sensation washed over me. Then A blinding light flooded my vision and when my feet touched ground again I puked.

    “First time?” Ryan said putting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing.

    “Second one today I think.” I said.

    I hunched over and caught my breath wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. The air had changed from comfortable to scorching hot sun beating down on our skin. The gray jumpsuit shimmered in the sun and I wished for something better suited to the scorching sun.

    The jumpsuit changed into a tan outfit with hat and goggles and something fitting of a Mad Max movie minus all the bones and teeth attached. I noticed then that Ant was covered from head to toe in garb that hit every inch of his skin including his face. His goggled were tinted black and he looked like a Tusken Raider in Star Wars.

    Ryan’s attire had changed as well. “What the fuck?” I said.

    “You’re earth isn’t really very advanced is it?”

    I shook my head. “We have smart watches, but nothing like this, and we definitely don’t have thought changing clothes.” I said. “So where is he?” I asked because when I looked around I saw nothing. No foot prints in the sand, no indication of where he might have gone. We were going to die in the waste land. Why the fuck did I come.

    Ryan laughed. “If you can’t drift home you head to the Nexus. From there you can get anywhere except Shift #0.”

    “Why?” I asked.

    “Shift #0 is under water — body crushing depths nothing can survive. And we can’t get the gear into the room in which we could portal back.”

    “But I got here.” I said.

    “And we have no idea how. Or even how you know your friend.” Ant said with a muffled voice.

    “I’ve dreamt about him since I was a boy.”

    Ryan looked at Ant and grinned. “You talked to him? Like heard his voice as an Echo?”

    “Yeah. I didn’t hear his parents. Just him.”

    “Mind link.” Ant said. “You’ve never met him before? Physically?”

    I shook my head. “No.”

    “He doesn’t seem the type of guy who aimlessly wanders around trying to haphazardly drift back home does he? He did that touch thing like he’d done it thousands of times before.”

    “Yeah. He’s never reckless.” I said. “Risks yes, but not one to just pop off in hopes he’d come back. He’s never mentioned it before, at least.”

    “So let’s assume, he’s drifted thousands of times. He didn’t come back this time because his anchor isn’t tethered. And the only thing that’s changed is you were in Arcadis in the flesh. You drifted. Try something.” Ryan smiled. “Close your eyes and call his name out in your head. Focus on him, his mind, his thoughts, his voice, and just call him.”

    I sighed but I did as instructed. They knew a lot more about this than I did. Fuck I had no idea what any of this shit really was. I wrote about drifting and anchors and yet I knew nothing about it — not really.

    I focused on the pretty boy I’d been dreaming about. Focused on the sound of his voice, the echo in his head of Nyx and found him in my mind. “Pretty Boy?”

    “Alex?” He asked, his voice sounded confused. “What are you doing here?”

    “Following you.”

    He growled and Nyx chittered his own dismay.

    “I’m not alone. Ant and Ryan, the guys in the park, they brought me. We are here to find you.”

    He sighed. “I’m heading to the Nexus. In the distance you’ll see a sparkle of light, head that direction. I’ll meet you there.”

    “Alright. Stay safe.”

    “Always.” Nox said with a smile in his voice. “Stay safe.”

    I opened my eyes and smiled. “Okay he says to head towards the spark of light in the distance. He’ll meet us there.”

    Ryan laughed. “You are his anchor — no idea how, but you are. Let’s go.”

    Alex Brizo is an Inquisitive Dream walking Explorer with latent talents who Commands Mental Powers and is an Anchor from Shift #0

    Advancement: □ +4 Stat □ +1 Edge □ +1 Effort □ Skill
    Alex Brizo Tiger Icon
    Tier: 1
    Effort: 1
    Armor: 0

    Recovery:
    □ □ □ □
    Damage:
    □ □
    Might:(1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Speed:
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
    Intellect:(1)
    ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □
    XP:
    ■
    Skills: (p): light and medium weapons, (t): forensics, dreams, any task involving learning something new, writing, geography, history, (i): heavy weapons, hear or notice danger, initiative
    Cyphers: L2 non-combat Effort Enhancer, L4 Secret
    Abilities: telepathic, hedge magic, decipher, dreamcraft, bond, mental link with drifter, create anchor
    Weapons: stun stick 0, unarmed 2 – eased
    Equipment: Programmable Jumpsuit, stun stick, wrist computer, expensive slot, moderate slot, moderate slot, inexpensive slot, first aid pen, inexpensive slot, inexpensive slot, book, book, book

    Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
    Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

The Mind of Nox

escaping into reality

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