Salted Wounds [IC], a Deep Black Sea game Options

[Gilga]

She said "it really is okay..." and if Wraith agreed she'll touch his hand and deliver some comforting magical energy.

[ Spoiler ]

Pain relief F8: 14d6t5 5
Would negate the effect of 5 stun damage.
resist drain: 15d6t5 4

There, much better.

To Wraith's question, she answered: "Shark thinks we are in the ring, and I have a headache."

[Thanee]

"A headache? You look like you are gonna collapse any time soon... In my professional opinion, I consider it unwise to continue this way."

Nova pulled out her medkit and diagnosed Wraith with his permission, but quickly realized that there was little she could do to help him regain his strength.

"Looks like Anna has the right of it. Whatever it is you two do to your bodies, it cannot be healed quickly. If I understand it right, it is similar to exhaustion, so what you do need is some rest. We are on a timer, but I don't think we are that much in a hurry, that we cannot afford to wait an hour or so for you to get in a better condition. Sharkboy has the right of it, pain killers, magic or not, are okay for emergencies, but this ain't one."

[SquirrelDude]

Sharkboy tried to corral the two mages before they took Nova's explanation that they just needed to take a nap.

"I'm not going to force you to hit the showers and tuck you two into your cots for nap, though I probably could. We've put ourselves under the gun, but bean-si has either been here for weeks, been gone for days, or was never here to begin with. We aren't really costing ourselves time by you two taking an hour to make sure you can stand up to a stiff breeze. Besides, bnc can use the cycle to scout the area with her drones."

[Gilga]

Anna said with pride "A headache yes... I can boost the natural endorphin levels of the body which suppresses most of the pain. I can also boost natural recovery, so I'll be good as new in an hour or two." She shrugged and went to her bunk in the van, playing some relaxing meditative tunes in her earbuds. She closed her eyes and practiced breathing to calm down and drop her adrenaline levels, hoping to get some sleep. After several minutes she was vast asleep.

[Volker]

"Maybe it just didn't know but tried? Maybe it could sense my warmth or my essence and didn't think of my as a motionless victim but still as one separated from the group. Either way, it was completely unnecessary for y'all to leave the van and me behind.
I know of several ways how it could have sensed I was alone but of none how it could have sensed I'm in VR. Maybe it just tried to get past the mages?"

She finally got up and walked over to the two mages. "To be fair, I haven't ever treated a drained mage before. But if it's rest you need, I think I might still be able to care of you.", she says, now finally using her real voice. Wraith and Anna realize again that it has changed somehow. Not the voice itself, the way bnc talks ... it's just a tad more mechanical. A very subtle change, but still kind of eerie.

She looks Wraith in the eyes and smiles, hoping he'd remember their running joke from back then. "I read a book on medicine, you know. Come on, lay down, and gimme your venes. Don't worry, I wont use drones, I'll just give you an infusion with a tad of glucose and some soft antistimulants to help you find some sleep. I'll wake you in an hour. Anna, you too, come over here."

[ Spoiler ]

I assume that both wouldn't mind bnc helping. For Anna, I don't roll, as her healing roll was so perfect that my roll will have no effect anyway. I'll just buy hits or whatever.
For Wraith: I assume that it's average conditions in the van, and I have improvised medical supplies, adding up to -2.
Medicine: 8d6t5 2
You gain 2 bonus dice to your recovery roll.

[Luckace]

Wraith seemed to be reliefed after Anna's touch.
"Whew... Much better. Thanks."
He smiles.
"is there anything you haven't read something about, bnc? But seriously, don't you think we should investigate the hideout now and rest later? Before our fight attracts the wrong kind of attention."

[Thanee]

"Look around you, there really isn't much to notice but snow..." Nova said.

"Rest up, then we go." It wasn't said in a commanding voice, but more of a 'c'mon you know it is the right thing to do'.

[Jack_Spade]

<<Hop in, we'll drive a bit around - no need to wait here in the cold. If we made someone suspicious, their alertness should be down again when we come back.>>
Eliza was back to her formal self with this suggestion.


One and a quarter hour later, the van was back. The winter storm was still blowing hard, but had subsided a bit in severity. Instead the snowfall had increased, cutting visibility just a bit more than before.

[Gilga]

Breath...in breath out... Anna wakes up refreshed.

"I had a wonderful dream... Now let's go to the creepy freezing cemetery."

She cast the improve intuition spell, which was successful.

[ Spoiler ]

drain: 15d6t5 6
Improve intuition F6: 15d6t5 5

Sustaining both the improve willpower and intuition spells, she summoned a spirit.

[ Spoiler ]

drain: 19d6t5 5
Summoning (Man) -2 sustaing: 10d6t5 4
spirit resist: 6d6t5 1
No drain, 3 services gained, no drain. Optional powers Spell: Healing, Spell: Mana Barrier.

Her smile widened as she had a powerful spirit ally, no drain and her capacity to resist drain was over the roof. Yet, she felt bad that her natural abilities failed her so horribly in the previous go.


She said "I have a spirit summoned and ready for action if things go bad. This time we do this the right way. Wraith, do you want me to help you summon a spirit? I can augment your ability to channel mana making drain less likely. I don't like to plan ahead... but if we go in circles again, I'll go bananas."

[ Spoiler ]

If Wraith wants her help, she'll augment his willpower and charisma without dropping the two spells.
Improve willpower: 13d6t5 5
Improve charisma: 11d6t5 5

drain: 2#19d6t5 6 7

No drain, so Wraith gets +8 to drain resistance. (+4 charisma, +4 willpower).

[Luckace]

Wraith spent the hour in his seat, his hands slightly folded in a relaxed gesture.

He gladly accepts Anna's spells. "Wiz! How can you sustain so many spells at one time? Nevermind, tell me later once we're done here.

Now, we all wanna go, right?"

[ Spoiler ]

Rest: 9d6t5 2
Damn, that's some helpful mojo (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Volker]

[ Spoiler ]

bnc downloads basic Swahili from the skillsoft network.
For scouting, I'll just buy hits.

bnc grins in response to Wraith. "You know, yes, there actually are things ... but there's a remedy for that too. With a little push, unaweza kufanya chochote duniani."

Once they are all abed and cared for, bnc announces that she will now use the time to spy out around. If no-one object, she Jumps into the Nissan rotodrone and takes a tour over the graveyard.

[Jack_Spade]

The graveyard is incredibly large and the limited visibility also doesn't help, but except for a few foxes nothing moves around the cemetary.
The entry to the safehouse is hard to spot from above, but since it's beneath the canopy of several sturdy coniferous trees, there is not as much snow on it that you couldn't see the distinctive St. Mary figure. If there has been anyone around recently, their footprints are hidden beneath the fresh snow. Otherwise there is no sign of a secret watcher visible.
Cold, snow and wind are quickly depleting the drone's batteries and after only an hour it contains only a quarter charge - enough to get safely back, but certainly not for extended maneuvers.

[Volker]

bnc then returns to the van, then plugs in the drone in order to recharge it, and shares her results with her chummers.
"What do you think? I'd say we leave all pretense and just try and get there unseen."

[Gilga]

Anna suggests "So we do invisibility spells for everyone? or just go there."

[Volker]

"No spells until necessary. It'll draw attention in the astral space. Just plain sneaking."

[Thanee]

Nova had just sat down in the van while the others rested or remote-controlled drones scouting the area.

When Anna mentioned invisibility spells, she said: "If you can do that, sure. I would consider myself reasonably stealthy and the snow will also help, but full-fledged invisibility is another level, of course."

[Luckace]

"Whatever you're saying, brains.", Wraith replies with a surprised grin.
"let's hope that we won't need that spetll. Anna and I will watch the astral plane, bnc, you checked for icons, right?"
He put on his gloves again, as well as a ski mask under his biker's helmet.
"Shall we?"

[Gilga]

"Perhaps just for bnc then? I am already sustaining active spells this go. "

[Thanee]

Anyways...

Nova put her mask back on and readied her rifle once more. She stepped out of the van and into the cold winter landscape.

"Ready when you are."

[Volker]

“I'd prefer going without any sustained spells or anyone astrally perceiving. Unless you're an initiate who can still hide from astral beings. I'd rather not draw another being's attention unless necessary. What did you think?"

[Gilga]

Anna said "I am entering with my spells this time... I can sustain an illusion spell without draining me.

It is not that trivial to notice spells, one needs to first assense your aura, and even then they are not that easy to spot. Even if a spirit spots our spell, I think that it sends a clear don't mess with us message. In any case, this time I want to be at my best abilities. Which means augmented by a spell. I can also sustain an illusion spell with a funky new technique I learned, you can have it if you like."

[ Spoiler ]

As far as I understand, noticing an astral form such as a spell, requires 3 hits in an assensing test.
to discover: "Any astral signatures present on the subject."
So the myth of a 'crismess tree' in the astral does not follow the rules. Without assensing someone (and 3 hits!) I think you cannot notice spells casted upon someone.

Not wanting to discuss much, she pulled out her Ares Predator and exited the vehicle.

[Jack_Spade]

The heavy snow fall immediately took away Anna's ability to see further than 20 m. A look into the astral gave her a slightly farther view, but even here the gray of the snow blocked with its pure mass any auras further than 50 m out.

[ Spoiler ]

Assuming you all keep a low profile and move carefully, you'll reach your destination without incident.

Once there, I need you to make an astral perception test (perception+intuition [Astral] from everyone who perceives astrally

[Gilga]

[ Spoiler ]

She keeps the improve intuition spell sustained and drop the willpower. So this boosts her intuition to 10.
Astral perception: 16d6t5 4

[SquirrelDude]

And this is why I preferred to spend my winters working down in Orlando.

Sharkboy followed behind the group with his hands in his pockets, doing his best to not show how cold he was.

[Luckace]

Wraith said nothing on the way through the cemetery. Drek, this is cold.
He looked around with a mixture of caution and curiosity, apparently being interested in the architecture of the graveyard.
The curiosity seemed to fade as they got closer to their destination, and as he saw the Mary statue, he halted for a moment and let his third eye look around.

[ Spoiler ]

Astral Sight: 8d6t5 3