My thoughts are intermixed.

Richard Burk wrote:

> Hey all my responses are intermixed...
>
> Richard Burk
>
> #feori (Nick) wrote
>
> I agree that Sacerdos' deal seems pretty unfair, and I
certainly don't
> like him, but I think we are going
> to have a difficult time convincing others to help us kill
him.
>
> #Richard writes...
>
>   Agreed.
>
> #feori continues to write
> So it looks like we are on our own on
> that one.
> #Richard writes...
>
> Yup.
>
> #feori continues to write...
>
> I agree that we should try and stop Carcere from getting the
arrow, and
> we have three months to
> plan our defenses.
>
> #Richard writes...
>
> We've got less than 3 months.  Part of what we will need to do
is at the
> very least visit with Grandpa every week or so just to see how
the arrow
> is coming along.  That way we won't have any surprises.  Why
we have
> less than three months is 1 due to Carcere having visited
about 1-2
> weeks ago.  3 months would start from then.  Also Grandpa may
finsih
> early.  Most good engineers always allow generous slack so
that they can
> produce a miracle.  When Grandpa is done he will have produced
a
> miracle, aka a magical arrow without having actually enchanted
it.  For
> me at least this qualifies as a miracle.  Also Carcere may be
planning
> to return a little early in anticipation of the miracle.  This
would be
> the best time for us to can Carcere and Sacerdos.
>
> #feori continues to write...
>
> I also think we should try and develop a topographical view of
the town
> and the
> mines.  I would be willing to bet that Grandpa is sitting on
top of
> Nal-Arat's prison and that is what was
> giving Blatz the willies when he was in Grandpa's mind.
>
> #Richard writes...
>
> I like the idea of the topographical view of the town and
mines.  Blotz
> can certainly take care of this (especially considering I
don't get lost
> (absolute direction).  However I don't think that Grandpa is
sitting on
> top of Nal-Arat's prison, though it may be nearby (perhaps
behind the
> door with the 7 chains.  I don't know the extent of the mines. 
Could it
> be that Grandpa is a sort of 'soul-jar' in that he is holding
something
> in his mind that someone put there but doesn't allow to be
opened unless
> you have the "magical" key.  Any magical tampering with the
mind would
> not be accessible by me although I would notice that it is
there.  Also
> could this 'soul-jar' be the prison of Nal-Arat?  Or could
some being be
> hiding there?
>

If Gramps was possesed or had another being riding in his body,
I would have
seen it when I was throwing detection spells around. I've got a
couple more
spells that I can try though I doubt they'll tell us anything
useful.

> #feori continues to write...
>
> I got hold of one of Mike's books and did some
> Latin translations:
>
> Sacerdos = priest
> Carcere = prisoner
> Nexil = to bind
> Septimus = Seventh one or seven sided one
>
> I also agree with you in that Sacerdos probably has the
weight.  Oh
> yeah!  I got some more details out of
> Mike about what happened to Carcere.  He got really pissed off
that I
> had beat him in the duel (apparently
> he has some character disadvantage where he has to try and
destroy me)
> and stomped down into the mine and
> destroyed the chain.  Then he picked up the weight and left. 
When he
> got outside, spells started flying
> out of the weight and nearly killed him (apparently he pissed
off the
> Corvidean inside).
>

I don't understand why the Corvidean in the weight isn't doing
his best to
blast Sacerdos into itty-bitty pieces if Sacerdos is carrying it
around. I
think it is more likely that if Sacerdos does have the weight.
that he has
either destroyed it or has hidden it somwhere. Actually, now
that I think
about it, I have a spell that might give us an idea of where it
is.

> #Richard writes...
>
> Does this imply that no magic works down in the mines?  Or
does this
> just mean that the spells that the Corvidean were casting just
took
> awhile to cast?  Or both?  If magic does not work down in the
mines or
> at the very least near the chained door, then would this mean
that the
> Corvideans in the weights can't do anything and so that would
> essentially be their prison.  Also would this mean that
whatever is
> behind the door would actually be causing this area not to
work
> magically.  Further is the area a no mana zone, so to speak? 
Could
> whatever (Nal-Arat) is behind the door be causing the area
surrounding
> it to lack 'magical power'?  Could whatever is behind the door
be
> draining the area of foci (mana)?
>

The prision area (that is the area beyond the first metal doors)
seems to be
an anti-magic zone (or at least an anti-spell zone). It is NOT a
no-mana
zone however. I specifically asked if the mana level had gone
down (I can
tell since I have Magery) and Mike said that it had not. Also,
if was a
no-mana zone, the Pravi would not be able to exist in it since
they are
magical creatures.

> #feori continues to write...
>
> That is when
> Sacerdos showed up and healed him and made the deal.  I think
Carcere
> hangs out with Sacerdos in order to
> keep him from getting hurt.  If my life depended on keeping
someone else
> alive, I would stay very close to
> them.
>

I don't think Corsere is linked to Sacerdos like that. If he
was, shouldn't
he have been in the human chain below Sacerdos, rather than
holding the
chain wrapped around Nal Arat?

> #Richard writes...
>
> Do you mean Carcere is protecting Sacerdos or vice versa?  The
reason
> that I don't understand is that Sacerdos saved Carcere's life. 
Also I
> believe that Sacerdos is more powerful than Carcere.  Or do
you mean
> that Carcere hangs with Sacerdos in order to keep Carcere
safe?
>

No. Nick is working under the assumption that Sacerdos used the
Nexil spell
on Corsere, linking his life to Sacerdos'. So if Sacerdos is
killed, Corsere
will die instead. So it is in Corsere's best interest to make
sure that
Sacerdos does not die because it would me his own death rather
than
Sacerdos' . I don't think he's Nexiled to Sacerdos. If he ever
was, then
that bond has either been removed or transfered to Nal Arat. I
think he
hangs out with Sacerdos because he is plotting to remove
Sacerdos from the
picture and its easiest to do that if he's near Sacerdos.
Sacerdos probably
doesn't consider him to be a threat, (he's too worried about
Stod who leave
their pictures on their victims :)

> #feori continues to write...
>
> I think our next move might be to setup to attack Carcere when
he shows
> up to get the arrow.  It is going
> to be tricky since Sacerdos and the Miridim will be with him.
>
> #Richard writes...
>
> Keep in mind that Blotz has the Miradim repelling rod.  This
would
> probably be a good time to use it.  Also Blotz has a ring that
senses
> Miradim within a 10 hex radius in addition to Danger Sense
with a 16 Hex
> radius.
>

I don't think we're going to have to fight Sacerdos when the 2
1/2 - 2
months is up. I doubt he knows anything about the arrow. I think
its meant
to kill him. Otherwise, why would he have sent Corsere to take
care of it,
rather than do it himself. If its not meant to kill Sacerdos,
then it must
have something to do with  either freeing Nal Arat or killing
Nal Arat (so
Sacerdos can take his place). Either way, I think Sacerdos would
have
considered it too important a task to trust to one of his
flunkies (I'm sure
the attack on us was not the first time that Corsere
demonstrated that he
has his own agenda).

> #feori continues to write...
>
> I would like to kill Carcere and take the
> arrow without killing Sacerdos or my Grandfather.  I think
killing
> Sacerdos may come into play later, but
> if we do it now, we will have the entire world on our butts. 
They are
> already pissed at us for blowing up
> the library.
>
> #Richard writes...
>
> I am failing to understand why we would have "the entire world
on our
> butts" for killing Sacerdos.  One who would know.  I would
assume that
> if we were to kill him, we would kill all witnesses because
they would
> be in kahoots with him anyway.  And two why would killing him
end the
> spells that he cast anyway when giving out the rag dolls. 
Unless do you
> mean that killing Sacerdos means killing everyone with a rag
doll first?
> I thought that we had to kill Nal-Arat in order to kill the
people with
> rag dolls.
>

If Sacerdos dies without wanting to die (and we haven't found
some way to
remove the Nexil curse-link), then someone in the chain (most
likely Nick
since he was next to Sacerdos in my vision) will die rather than
Sacerdos.

> #feori continues to write...
>
> The island we are on should be some good combat and hopefully
some good
> treasure and a bunch of character
> points.  I think the majority of the next game will be there,
then we
> can begin to plan for Carcere's
> attack.  It might help if we could get a battle tactician from
the
> Corvideans to assist us in setting up
> for the fight.
> Maybe the Corvideans would know if this guy (Sacerdos) has any
enemies
> that we could pick up as allies.  I
> don't think it would be all that hard to take out Carcere, but
twelve
> Miridim and a kick ass wizard is a
> tough fight.
>
> #Richard writes...
>
> That all sounds great to me.  I just want to add that my usage
of
> telekinesis against to the Tonqui eyeballs can be put to good
use
> against Carcere and Sacerdos in so far as breaking their
concentration
> when using spells.  Plus with teleport and my physiology
knowledge of
> various humanoid races and my clairvoyance abilities, I could
just
> teleport away vital organs such as the heart, the foci.  Given
my range
> of 60 miles, I could send the vital organs to the bottom of
the ocean
> where the water would crush them.  With the usage of the bow
skill to
> achieve a critical hit I could immobilize just about anyone
through the
> use of my telekinesis skill.  All I would have to do would be
to raise
> them a foot above ground and use the strength of telekinesis
to pin them
> there so that they would only be able to use their passive
defense only
> to defend themselves.
>
> Darren Brain wrote:
>
> > Well, I don't think  you can consider someone who uses an
innocent as
> a human shield (since that is
> > basically what Sacerdos has done to you) a good person. Its
a pretty
> shitty thing to do to someone
> > without at least letting them know what they're agreeing to
first.
> >
> > I'm kinda confused as to why Corsere hasn't told/shown
Sacerdos the
> vault where Nal Arat is. Unless he
> > is planning to bump off Sacerdos and take his place (I'm
assuming that
> this is what the arrow your
> > great-grandfather is making is to be used for) I'm also
wondering
> where the weight that was at the end
> > of the chain that Corsere broke is. Perhaps this is what
Sacerdos is
> using for a power source. Maybe
> > when they were made they had some sort of link to the tether
to
> provide them with the necessary power
> > to permanently imprision a god. Then again, if he had gotten
the
> weight from Corsere, he probably
> > would have recognized it for what it was and would have made
Corsere
> show him where it came from.
> >
> > At this point I think we should try to acquire the super
arrow before
> Corsere does. Even if we're
> > right about him wanting to use it to kill Sacerdos, we don't
know if
> it'll avoid the
> > pass-along-the-death spell or if all of those people will
die as well.
> If the super arrow is capable
> > of killing Sacerdos, and we can obtain it, we will then have
weapons
> capable of killing BOTH of Nal
> > Arat's chief agents. (I think we can probably use the white
arrow on
> Corsere. Unless he manages to
> > become the avatar of Nal Arat - which would mean that the
arrow would
> have been used. And I'm willing
> > to bet we can't re-use the metal/gem arrow) You should
probably work
> on raising yoiur bow skill since
> > it looks like we're going to need at least one critical shot
to hit.
> We should also probably try to
> > acquire a magic bow of some sort (not that we're likely to
find one -
> I think I'll try to see if I can
> > get one from my Elders on Corvidea)
> >
> > Darren
> >
> > #feori wrote:
> >
> > > Hmm...
> > > In answer to your question, it is more likely that the
Miridim are
> being dominated by him
> > > somehow.  But, the Miridim hate Corvideans, so maybe he
did manage
> to strike a bargain with them.
> > > (Corvideans banished their god to a puny little island).
> > >
> > > After the game, Leigh proposed an interesting theory. 
What is it
> that makes Nal-Arat and Sacerdos
> > > such bad guys.  Sacerdos is healing people all over the
place in
> exchange for a bargain that seems
> > > perfectly reasonable at the time.  Nal-Arat was throw out
of his
> homeland by a bunch of ungrateful
> > > smart-asses and rode away in hopes of rebuilding his
people.  Then,
> the Corvideans chased him down
> > > and bound him in a whole in the ground.  Seems to me that
we are not
> really sure who the bad
> > > guy(s) is...as usual.  The only person I am absolutely
sure is evil
> is Carcere.
> > >
> > > Of course, if Nal-Arat were to escape, he would most
likely proceed
> to estract his revenge on the
> > > Corvideans.  This gives you and obvious motivation, but
the rest of
> our characters remain
> > > unmotivated against Nal-Arat.
> > >
> > > Who knows.  All I know for sure is the next game is going
to be a
> lot more fighting and a lot less
> > > information gathering.
> > >
> > > Darren Brain wrote:
> > >
> > > > #feori wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Corcere, Dawn's character, and mine were all visited
by a
> strange priest who gave us the
> > > > > trinkets which we are assuming take you to "Nalarott
Land".
> Remeber the Tonqui were using
> > > > > them to escape during our little fight.  I think
Corcere opened
> his at some point in his
> > > > > youth and ended up joining the Nalarott Cult.  He
probably
> learned some basic Corvidean
> > > > > (Nalarotts are Corvidean descendants) and marked the
area in an
> attempt to bring back his
> > > > > lost god.  I think he managed to get the Tonqui on his
side by
> promising them they would
> > > > > have the chance to kill lots of Corvideans.  I also
think that
> is how he got the Miradeem
> > > > > to ally with him.  Looks like a tough rode ahead of
us...
> > > >
> > > > Ah. I didn't realize he had one of those dolls too.
Hmmm. I can't
> see any flaws in your logic.
> > > > You guys should probably be REAL careful with those rag
dolls. I
> don't think Nal-Arat land
> > > > would be much fun for us.
> > > >
> > > > Iam wondering about one thing though. Is it possible
that rather
> than the Miradim being allied
> > > > with Corcere, they are being controlled/dominate by him?
They
> don't seem like the kind of
> > > > creatures you can reason with. Why would they have any
interest in
> helping him? They're very
> > > > capable of killing massive numbers of people on their
own.
> > > >
> > > > Darren