From rhea@ikkoku.maison-otaku.net Thu Aug 24 12:51:06 2000 Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 10:51:45 -0700 (PDT) From: Rhea Seraph To: John Walter Anthony "Ranma" Biles Subject: Hiko Log #3 (fwd) John Biles Emperor of all He Surveys http://www.tass.org/~rhea/falcon.html "I can't die now! I have to give my daughter a stuffed fish." --Shinesman Sepia, _Shinesman_ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 03:13:10 -0400 (EDT) From: Trisha L. Sebastian To: Jimbo Biles Subject: Hiko Log #3 Will fix format and resend, but just wanted to let you know that I DO have it. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Can we run private log here? Just /msgs?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "You're on the right day." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Okay. I want to do some things between when I go back to my room and the start of dinner." to Akemi] Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Non-NPC interactive." to Akemi In a page-pose to you, Akemi nods. Log this please. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Logging, sir!" to Akemi ] Hiko returns to her room, making sure to close, bolt and lock the door. She reviews every thing that's happened today. Then she takes out the card that Fuyutsuki gave her yesterday. Hiko looks at the card. [(desc please?)" to Akemi ] [Akemi pages, "I'm trying to remember which card he gave you; I'm being stupid and can't remember." to you. Akemi pages, "Doh. Right. THAT card." to you. It shows a handsome man, with purple hair. His shirt is open, showing off his slightly muscular, hairless chest. His skin is dark and his eyes are violet like yours. He stands next to a lion, who passively kneels before him. Behind him is a surrealistic, Dali-esque landscape. Hiko looks at it again, trying to figure out if it's a card like the one that brought Wakaba to her. It feels cool to the touch, then begins to warm like when that other one brought Wakaba to you. Hiko drops the card hurriedly. It falls to the floor and lies there. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Okay... not doing that again... ^_^" to Akemi Foxtrot lowers the prod and dances with joy. "I know how to find the bad guy!" ] [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Can I scry it with teh BP?" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Or would it not do any good?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "You can certainly try and scan it." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "How would I do that and is it a good idea?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "You don't know if it's a good idea, and you simply tell me you're gonna do it, and I tell you what happens." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I'm asking your advice as GM." to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "AND, how do I scan it? Bring up the BP in my mind, like when I scanned Fuyu?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Exactly. You bring it to mind, then look through it at the card. And I can't tell you if it's a good idea without revealing secrets, but I will say that generally using the BP to scan things is safe." to you. Hiko calls up the Broken Pattern, a little relieved that she knows what it is now and how she can control it. She looks at the card. [Akemi pages, "The card is infused with some sort of energy you're not familiar with. It isn't magic or Pattern. Akemi pages, "The card fell face down on the floor when you dropped it. It has a white unicorn rampant on its back, on a black background." to you. Akemi pages, "It just sits there like a card, still full of the strange energy." to you. [USER STARTED TO FALL ASLEEP, CONTINUED ANOTHER DAY] Vixxy says, "Anyway... lemme see if I remember what happened last night. I fell asleep while I was waiting for replies..." Head Chambermaid Kasumi says, "You had just finished examining that trump" Vixxy asks, "I'd just examined the Annadil card, right?" Head Chambermaid Kasumi says, "Yes" Hiko stares at the card for a while, then picks it up again, careful not to look at it. She goes to the close and opens the door, drawing out the box. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "You do know that this isn't the "What's in the Box" deal, right?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Had you decided what is in the box,or do I get to make it up? :)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "You get to make it up, but can it be something good, but not like a Spikard or something like that?" to Akemi] Hiko closes her eyes, recalling the things she'd wanted to ruminate on... the other shadow held a version of herself, wearing a gold ring with a dragon swallowing its tail. Something told her that it was significant. Why? [Akemi pages, "Umm...Spikards ARE rather nice to have :)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I know, but wouldn't I have to spend points to get the "What's in the Box" deal?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "I have my own way of balancing out such things :)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, " Okay, well you get to decide what it is. And I won't complain, not one whit." to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Note: To reiterate, because I don't have the points to spare, this isn't the what's in the box deal... ^_^" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Okay. I can deal. ^_^" to Akemi ] There were people who seemed significant, and lots of apprehension. She needed to know about those, too. [Akemi pages, "So you're gonna open the box?" to you. ] The re-emergence of her memories sparked a whole lot of things... including her curiousity about the box. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I'm leading up to it. Hush." to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "This is me being dramatic. You're ruining my scene." to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "(And I think I need to get a Trump deck of my own somehow)" to Akemi] Hiko gets the box out of his hiding place and stares at it for a long time. She remembers the first time she got it. It was her 21st birthday, a year after the Dark Riders came through the rift. She was at the camp, minding her own business when the messenger dropped the package at her feet with no explanation. It bore her name, but no return signature. Hiko didn't have time to open it then, as they were on the move, nor did she open it later, after they'd settled in, or after they moved again... continually hiding from the Dark Riders until it was too late. The box is medium sized, about as big as a generous loaf of bread, but heavier. It was inlaid with oak, and intricate carvings. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "(reminding myself to change tenses in the log)" to Akemi ] Hiko lays her hand on the box, scrying it with the BP. As you scry the box, you feel there is a powerful source of magic in it. Hiko pushes the probe deeper, determinig whether or not it has malicious intent. [Akemi pages, "Do you attempt to insert a Broken Pattern tendril inside? Otherwise, the wood blocks you." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "BP tendril." to Akemi ] You manage to slide a tendril through the lock and into the interior. You see a ring exactly like the one your Shadow was wearing. It is a golden ring which resembles a dragon swallowing its tail. Tiny gems of many colors are speckled among its scales. You can see it holds a lot of magical energy. You can attempt to cast a spell to analyze the magical energy. Hiko stares at it for a while, then casts a spell to analyze the magic energy. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "It's a Spikard, ain't it?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Could be :)" to you. ] [USER DISCONNED] [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "How long does the spell to assess its magic take?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "You have to spend about 20 minutes. Hiko determines that the ring draws energy from magical power sources in Shadow. The energy can then be used to very quickly cast spells which influence forms of energy: fire, lightning, cold, heat, sound, etc." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Oh, I like this one..." to Akemi ] Hiko thinks about what Ryouga-sempai taught her about using magic. It was he who gave her the sword she carries and he stated that she could use it to store magic energy. She checks to see if there's anything else in the box... then casts a spell to determine who might have given it to her. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Is that possible?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "You can't use magic to gaze backwards in time, unfortunately." to you. Akemi pages, "You could try seeing if they left any sort of psychic impressions." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Um... since she hasn't opened it ever... that's what I was getting at." to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Hiko uses her magic to check for psychic impressions." to Akemi Akemi pages, "Got the log. You try reading for psychic impressions, but the only impressions on it are ones you've left. After carrying this thing for 82 years, you've destroyed all other impressions" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "D'oh!" to Akemi ] Hiko thinks about everything that's happened to her since she woke up this morning... it seems like it's been three days since this morning... [Akemi pages, "Yes, it does seem like an awfully long day." to you. ] If she's going to be hunted, she might as well have every tool at her disposal as she can. AND, there's a formal dinner tonight. [Akemi pages, "Actually, now that I think about it...does Hiko actually have the KEY to the box?" to you. ] Hiko takes a deep, deep breath... and realizes that she doesn't have a key for the box. She breaks into a small smile. But she does have a strong sword. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "[HACK! CUT! MAIM!]" to Akemi ] About fifteen minutes later, she's carefully hacked off the hinges to the box. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "(Doncha love my foresight?)" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Okay, the box dies. The ring sits amidst the wreckage, shining a little in the light of the lamp on the wall." to you. ] Hiko puts it on, a part of her cursing the fact that had she known about this ring before hand, a lot of people might have lived because she would have been able to do more than shoot fire out of her fingertips. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "(Again, not doing much for her self-esteem here)" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "(I love torturing my avatars.)" to Akemi ] Hiko looks down at the shining ring on her finger. It looks out of place on her hand. It looks out of place with her current attire. Hiko curses, once again, as she realizes that she needs formal wear. [Akemi pages, "You put on the ring. Nothing obvious happens, but a few experiments show you can easily summon up any sort of energy you can imagine." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Um, who would she go to for appropriate clothing?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "She doesn't know for sure, but her experiences back in happy times tell her that she should probably summon a servant and ask the servant." to you. ] Hiko yanks on a bell cord near the wall and waits. An hour later, she's outfitted with formal wear, and a spiffy uniform, black with violet trim. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I just realized... if I looked at it with the BP, it COULD have been a trap, right?" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Is there any other way to be able to walk the shadows WITHOUT having to walk the full Pattern? I like being schizoid." to Akemi Akemi pages, "You could sink 35 points into Shapeshifting, then walk the Logrus :)" to you. Akemi pages, "And you'd get MORE insanity for walking it!" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "And if I were to walk the full Pattern, BOOM no more insanity or schiziophrenia?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Yep. Total instant cure :)" to you. Akemi pages, "Aw, but a normal Foxxy wouldn't be as much fun. ^_- (Travis)" to you. Akemi pages, "If you want to stay insane, don't walk the Pattern. You can use BP to get around Shadow, but it's dangerous. If you find a Trump Artist, they can make you trumps, which will help." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I can get Corrine to make me a set, right? How long does it take to make one?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Depends on the number of cards in it. It takes about 2 days per card. However, Corrine has several already made decks, so she could likely give you one of those. It would have the cards listed under Trump Decks on the Setting Page" to you. Hiko searches for some paper and writes a note on it. The note says: "Juri-san, It seems to me that I'm at a disadvantage, now knowing who people are, what their roles in this Amber is. If you could please have relevant history books sent to me in my chambers, I could read up on the history of this Amber. Sincerely, Hiko." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "How much time before the dinner?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "You have abut three hours of game time." to you. ] Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "With this new ring, can I rack more spells?" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "And have them stay fresher longer?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Gomen, my error. You can rack another dozen spells in the ring, but it's main trick is that you can cast spells in 1/10th the time if they relate to Energy" to you. Akemi pages, "With your HIGH psyche, you can read and absorb books VERY fast." to you. Hiko spends the rest of the night speedreading the history of Amber (focusing mainly in on the Cimbiri Wars), boning up on sections about Trump, and composing spells relating to energy. She also gets dressed. Juri has a dozen or so history books sent down for you. She also sends down Travis the Royal Librarian to aid your studies :) Hiko shrieks! closing the door in Travis' face as he enters when she's barely dressed. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I just had a thought... Travis the Royal Librarian... Mike mentioned that Travis' book collection rivals his..." to Akemi Akemi pages, "Yes, it's the Travis we all know and love :)" to you. Akemi pages, "I'm not just saying that because he's watching me type and holding a large heavy object :)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "No, of course not. ^_^" to Akemi Foxtrot lowers the prod and smiles sweetly at Travvie, who might even pay for her meals, yes, he's a good friend, ne? ] [Akemi pages, "So, do you let Travis in? :)" to you. ] [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I take that back. I'm in a blank tank top and underwear when Travis comes to the door. I let him in and we chat, but he leaves about an hour before the dinner, very flustered, because he kept staring at my breasts all the time. ^_^" to Akemi ] [Akemi pages, "[travis] You're being evil again." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I am? " to Akemi ] [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Who's 'Giacomo'" to Akemi Akemi pages, "'Giacomo' was Fuyutsuki during one of his insanity fits" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Insanity fits?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Fuyutsuki suffers periodic fits of madness...especially after Paranoid Schizophrenics root thruogh his brain :)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Hey! That wasn't my fault!" to Akemi ] Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Oh, I also searched for references to Annadil, and picked Travis' brain (not literally) for info. May have used a slight amount of psyche based nudging." to Akemi Akemi pages, "Okay. He brings out a dumpload of Elven geneaology books. The name 'Annadil' means 'Lord of the Gift'. He is able to identify 65 Elves by that that name, but none of them have purple hair." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Some Royal Librarian..." to Akemi Akemi pages, "Librarians are like that : He only has a few hours to work, ya know :)" to you. Akemi pages, "He doesn't know who the purple haired man is; has never seen him." to you. ] Hiko asks him to try researching harder, planting a subtle suggestion to scour the book on Chaos and the dead relatives. [Akemi pages, "How nicely does Hiko ask?" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Very politely, almost formally." to Akemi ] In that case, Travis bows politely, and says he'll get to the research as quickly as he's able; he'll report back to you when he finds some results. Do you have a preferred way for him to report back? [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Send a report... will speed read it when she can. GMEstimate for time?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "He won't be able to get much more information before the dinner, since that's only a few hours. However, he'll hopefully have something by tomorrow." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I can do tomorrow. ^_^" to Akemi ] Day 892 Later Shoulda opened the box sooner. Trisha L. Sebastian tls@thekeep.org http://www.thekeep.org/~tls/spotlight.htm For me, full script is the only real way to do the job. This is because I am a fucking tyrant. --Warren Ellis