Lucius Cypher

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Orchid looked at her finished product. It was impressive, more so than her previous sword, but she couldn't help but lament how much time and materials had to go into it. Nearly two lengths of her cordage, at least seven or so stones, and one of the better sticks. Sticks and stones would be easy enough to gather but if these goblins didn't learn how to make rope quickly, Orchid knew most of her time was going to be spent gathering sap and wood fiber instead of weapons and armor. The goblins were slow learners too, and like any mortal being, had other issues aside from their competence. Orchid was no stranger to dirty looks or whispers behind her back. It actually made her almost furious to know that despite having left her former world, it seemed like goblins and humans alike could easily find petty reasons to dislike her. Was it because Orchid was bossing them around? Perhaps simply because she's a female, and somehow her ability has wounded their egos?

As much as Orchid wanted to say that it didn't matter, she knew she would have to deal with it eventually. She knew some of the goblins were fairly loyal to her but the others obviously don't. Either because they see her as some sort of upstart, or some other reason that makes sense in their heads. She'll have to straight them out or kill them at some point. "And so my lists grows bigger." As some of the other goblins arrived, Orchid snacked on some grubs and berries herself. She had gotten somewhat accustomed to eating insects since living in the cave, though she does miss the taste of a properly roasted chicken. And as if the taste of bugs and wild berries weren't enough to make Orchid' day inconvenient, there was an explosion nearby the cave. Crispy was still with the goblins so it obviously wasn't him. If she had to guess, some of the other denizens of the cave are doing something foolish. Scratching her head Orchid sighed as she looked to the goblins loyal to her.

"Well I don't like the looks of that. Eat your fill and grab your weapons. I'm going to check out that explosion and I want some of you to come with me." Orchid put her club next to her torch on her bag as she grabbed her shield and hefted up the new sharp club. One thing for certain, it was easier to handle than her first sword. The balance was better so she could even use her shield too. She wished it had a bit more reach but she'll just have to settle with this for now. If or when Orchid gets goblins to come with her, she was going to head towards the explosion. She also made a note to find Big's and Jeeze. Wej said they went over to the other mobs, and that made Orchid worried. She wasn't sure what they were doing but she feared that they might end up getting into a fight. Still, hopefully they don't come to blows. That being said, Orchid mentally prepared herself for when another fight breaks out.

Stats/Inventory

Health - Full
Magic - Full
Stamina - Full

Skills -
Use Light Equipment (--)
Pacify Animal I (1.1)
Stronger I (1.4)
Crafting IV (4.1)
Material Analysis I (2.0)
Monster Analysis I (1.25)
Smash I (1.2)
Charisma I (1.05)
Taboo (1.0)
Fireball (0.5)

Inventory -
Raw Dire Rat Hide (Equipped)
Loincloth (Equipped)
Sharp Stone Club (Well-Made) (Equipped)
Wicker Shield (Well Made) (Equipped)
Club (Good) (Stored)
Torch (Stored)
Plant Fiber Sling (Loaded) (Stored)
Rawhide Bag (8/12) (Equipped)

• Antidote Fern
• Fiber Cordage (Above Average)
• Bloody Garrote

Leaf Sling Bag (1/3) (Equipped to Rawhide Bag)

• Sling Stones x4

Ruins of Norn: Walking Apocalypse

Aight nerds battle on! First is our newcomer ANOOOOOOOO!

@floodtalon

We be Wizards [D&D 5e] (Everyone died, applications inside!)

Great, two votes for whatever I choose. I'll count Lilean in favor of Milestone and Long Rest level ups.

Also invite your friends! Don't know where everyone else is but I'll totally make this into a party of two if I gotta.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Orchid wasn't too surprised to see that the goblins don't know how to make rope. It wasn't exactly a common skill back in her old world either, and she felt far too many people were impressed by her making flower crowns or grass shoelaces for her siblings. But as long as they're learning Orchid wasn't going to complain. The ones who don't seem to quite understand it she might have to give different tasks; she doesn't want to force the dumber ones to try and learn a skill they'll likely be bad at anyways, so better to put their focus on their talents. One of the goblins, Sqwal, didn't seem impressed and tore some creeping vine from around a tree. He thought the thing was better than Orchid's rope since it was plentiful, but little did he knew such a thing wouldn't be good enough by itself.

Orchid silently demonstrated this after she finished her first stick. She was slowly understanding that as much as these goblins might be crafty when it comes to survival they're still uneducated and slow learners. Explaining things won't work for them since they lack the basis for understanding like Orchid does. Demonstration would work better with simple explanations around two or three sentences. So first thing she did was go up to the same tree that Sqwal went to grab some of the creeping vines and she grasped one vine in between her fingers. "That's creeping vine and it's too weak." Orchid then proceeded to wrap some vine around her hand and then tear it off with a fairly low strength. She she folded the bundle in her hand into a very light figure-eight form, and she could already see it fraying throughout the vine. It would barely take Orchid more than a few twists until the vines were little more than kindling which she tossed onto the floor.

Walking back to her cordage Orchid wrapped some around her fingers and tried to tear it off, having a far more difficult time as she had to put a lot more strength to make the cordage even begin to fray. Once she finally managed to break off some of it she showed it to Sqwal so he could see that she was only able to tear a single length of cordage, as oppose to all of the vine she had pulled off the tree. "Creeping Vine's not bad, but this rope is better. Stronger too. And it'll make for a stronger weapon." To demonstrate why Orchid needed stronger materials she started working on the sharp club. She braced the smooth stick against her leg and carefully used her sharp stone and her club as a chisel and hammer, to make it easier and faster for her to carve out the notches she needed for the stones.

Really the hard part was to not make these notches too big for the stone shards. She had plenty of them but if the holes are too big the stones would never fit. Of course she can't make them too tight either, or else the stones might just break and cause the wood to splinter. So for each notch, she picked out a stone to measure it, make sure it was a good length, and then carved a hole to fit it. Once she felt she had enough notches around the business end of the sharp club Orchid blew off any sawdust and took it to the fire to harden it. It crackled as bits of wood burned away but she made sure not to leave the club in there too long that it would start to catch on fire. Orchid felt the need to explain this for any goblin watching her. "Fire hardening. Put wood in a fire for a little bit so it doesn't bend as much. But don't put it in a fire too long or it will burn up."

Next was inserting the stones. Orchid was just going to use Clod's rocks. She picked through the shards but when she tried to use them they snapped and chipped before she even tried to put a lot of force into them. "Dammit. Guess I'll have to make it myself." Chipping stone wasn't something that Orchid was too familiar with. Sharpening rocks, sure, but to get the shards out of them she'll need to chip away. And these were not flint so she couldn't expect them to chip or hold an edge easily. First she needed to sharpen the stones down into a more workable shape. She took a few hard stones from Clod's pile as well as two from her own pack and started to work on those quickly. With six stones total, she was able to work three of them into semi-decent sharp stones. Unfortunately the other stones broke in the process of making the sharp stones.

Now Orchid needed to make the shards themselves. This required much more delicate technique since she didn't want to cause the rocks to shatter. It was a bit rocky at first but soon she was able to get about ten shards. The shards themselves weren't all that sharp or uniform; she wouldn't bother trying to use them to chisel or carve anything. But that wasn't the point. She wanted them to be a bit blunt so that they're durable since their job was to focus all the energy of a swing onto the edges. Hence why they're less swords and more literally sharp clubs. Orchid began to insert the stones into the notches, wishing she had some pine sap to glue the stones into place. That would also help keep the stones in the weapon as well as provide some cushioning, but she also knew the goblins wouldn't know what to look for if she asked them to find some. She'd have to get pine sap herself, or perhaps ask the monsters to help her.

"That reminds me, I should check on them later." Once the club had all of it's stone in the notches, now all she needed to do was wrap it up. Fortunately she already had a length of rope that she had cut off to prove a point to Sqwal. She used it to wrap around the haft of the sharp club, holding the wood together tightly so it's less likely to warp when she strikes something. She only did this at the top, middle, and bottom of the business end, and used the rest of the cordage to wrap around the handle. It was still a bit prickly due to the fibers, but certainly better than bare unlaminated wood. She even had enough cordage left over to make a little sling that she could slip her hand through so if the weapon is ever knocked out of her hand, it won't go flying away. Once completed Orchid lifts the sharp club over her head and takes a few swings in the air to make sure the stones don't go flying if she whiffs. And once she's really confident, she'll strike it against a tree to make sure it could withstand hitting something solid.

Stats/Inventory

Health - Full
Magic - Full
Stamina - Full

Skills -
Use Light Equipment (--)
Pacify Animal I (1.1)
Stronger I (1.4)
Crafting IV (4.1)
Material Analysis I (1.6)
Monster Analysis I (1.25)
Smash I (1.2)
Charisma I (1.05)
Taboo (1.0)
Fireball (0.5)

Inventory -
Raw Dire Rat Hide (Equipped)
Loincloth (Equipped)
Sharp Stone (Good) (Equipped)
Club (Good) (Equipped)
Torch (Stored)
Plant Fiber Sling (Loaded) (Stored)
Rawhide Bag (8/12) (Equipped)

• Hard Stones x2
• Antidote Fern
• Fiber Cordage (Average)
• Fiber Cordage (Well Made)
• Fiber Cordage (Above Average)
• Bloody Garrote

Leaf Sling Bag (1/3) (Equipped to Rawhide Bag)

• Sling Stones x4

Ruins of Norn: Walking Apocalypse

@floodtalon@Searat

You two guys are the last ones I need to roll for iniative.

Gaia Frontier (5e)

Jo

The old man took the coins and placed them into a box back underneath the counter, wiping his hands on a cloth as they were still a bit dirty from his work before. The man was about to turn and leave when Jo asked him about a any wizards or spellcasters. "Wizards huh? Let's see... I reckon the only person who knows much about magic here is Lady Medea, who teaches at the school. Getting rather late now however. Not sure if she'll be at the school or her home. She's a nice enough lass though I'd be careful around her, she's got a mischievous side." The old man chuckled as he went into the back of the shop and the young man came back out. He gulped nervously and nodded his head. "H-H-Hello. Um... Yeah, what he said. Lady Medea knows the most about m-m-magic here. Um... Well, there is s-s-someone else too, I think. Dormic, s-sorta a town healer? He knows magic. N-N-Not sure how much. I think h-h-he'll be by the tavern right about now."

@Expolar

---

Ethan

And so the die has been cast.

As the goblins were trying to break into the home Ethan's stone sung through the air. The goblins barely knew what hit them; one felt the rock smash into the back of his head, knocking him over and causing him great pain. He howled in anger and flailed around as some of the other goblins laughed at his misery, though one at least seemed on edge and knew there was some sort of danger. "Stupid! We under attack!" The goblin who seemed to be the leader stopped laughing, chuckling as he hefted his iron club. "Good. No one since we got here! This will be fun!" The goblins rushed out from the alley in search of Ethan, knowing that he must be nearby. The only goblin he had wounded was especially furious, roaring and shouting for Ethan or anyone to come out, though he didn't really make any words so much as noise. The goblins looked for any humanoid figure in the night, and it was just then that the clouds covered the moon. Ethan, in his small spot in the shadows, would soon see nothing as darkness blanketed the area. But there was one thing he saw before it all went black. A red archer.

"Tiny devils!"

The cries of a goblin ran out as Ethan would hear the quick zip of an arrow strike into it's neck, but by now darkness has covered the area. He could feel the torches on his back feel heavy, but perhaps they could provide some assistance in this situation. Regardless the goblins have a target now and they move away from Ethan to chase down the archer, who herself was running away possibly to draw them away from Ethan, or just because she doesn't like the odds either. This is his moment to survive, running away to find safety elsewhere. Or shall he find some measure of courage again, and take the fight to the goblins?

@Searat

---

Therai

Therai's theatrics got some attention, though mainly by those who were surprised to see another newcomer. Most of the people here appeared to be human or elvish, however there was also a separate table consisting of orcs and half-orcs. But of all of Therai's luck, the patron he choose to speak with was no patron at all; it was the owner of this establishment, Sips. He looked to the Tiefling with a twisted grimace and a glare. "Oi. You want to preform in my tavern? Sorry bub, but we already got a musician." The halfling pointed over towards the stage where there was a large turtle man playing an equally large stringed instrument. He was in the middle of playing a song that seemed to have attracted the attention of various patrons including a few who were dancing to it. Sips wouldn't let Therai ogle for long as the halfling leaned over the tall tiefling with a glare in his eyes. "And if you touch any of my workers, I'm going to skin you and turn you into a stew!" One of said workers, a rather portly looking woman, was holding Sips so that he could be taller than Therai. She spoke to the tiefling as Sips continued to try and be intimidating.

"Don't take it too personally, he's just looking out for us." She let Sips back down onto his chair as he adjusted his outfit and looked back at Therai. "Anyways I already got someone to play music for the tavern. Granted, I don't pay him, he just gets to drink here for free. But two guys getting free booze in my establishment is one too many. If you really want the job go ask him about it but don't try nothing funny. He's a friend of mines and if I find out you've done him wrong I'll skip cooking and just trash you right where you stand." The halfling than cracked his bloodied knuckles audibly, making his bulging muscles more noticeable. He might've been a halfling racially, but he had the build of a dwarf.

@FineWine

---

Livia

As Livia was speaking to Petr, Creme patted her on the chin. As for the young militia man, he seemed to have found a renewed vigor as Livia came over to speak with him. "Oh of course! Uh what do you need exactly?" Petr glanced over to where Katherine looked, and Petr seemed surprised. Almost as if he just now noticed Katherine. The rest of his lads also turned to look and seemed just as surprised, a few mentioning how she looked but feeling uncertain about her. They whispered among themselves and seemed more concerned than attracted but Petr turned his attention back towards Livia. "If it's about your cat, I could take care of him. If your friend is sick or something, I think I might have some medicine that could help. Unless it's a hangover. Don't have anything for those unfortunately."

@Rune_Alchemist

Ruins of Norn: Walking Apocalypse

@Tangletail

You'll get half-cover if the ally is in any position to defend themselves. That's effectively a +2 to your AC i believe. Only way you'll get 3/4 is if the ally is even bigger, like large sized aka a horse or some such. And of course there could be other risks involved with such a thing too, like your ally getting hit if the monster rolls a nat 20 or something.

Ruins of Norn: Walking Apocalypse

And with that, I want everyone to roll initiative. Everyone has a surprise round sans Angus since his surprise round action was the javelin attack that'll trigger this encounter.

Ruins of Norn: Walking Apocalypse

You can use what you had before, I recommend you go ahead and do whatever it was you plan to do to actually lure the cyclops away now.

Ruins of Norn: Walking Apocalypse

Here's how I sorta use Minor Illusion, albiet with illusions that can only fit within a 5-foot cube (which is still big but not tall).