Private Doors

[Amy]

It had been a few weeks since Amy went through the door and obtained some much needed meal from it.

The problem was what happened afterwards... The issue with the lack of food nearby was not solved since. Also, it was not a good fishing season, so Amy could not even suggest going to Dunnstads' fishing villages to get some fishes.

And the door... Kept on appearing in front of her. Each time more tempting than the last one.

She wanted to enter. She understood that there were risks involved. She knew that this compulsion was not natural... But she also knew it was a place where she could find food more easily. Especially now that she knew what she could find there, she could bring more for her family too. I could be useful instead of a burden for a change.

... But that place was not safe. Amy understood it. Something was very wrong with it... The problem was figuring out what.

Amy sighed out loud... "If only I could understand what all that was..." She said to no one in particular. It would be so much easier to decide on a course of action with more information... At this rhythm Amy would end up giving in to that compulsion and finding things out the hard way... Because she could not simply let her family starve when she could do something about it, regardless of the risks.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

It was another 'visit' to Zalra. Hanno had just crossed the Crystalized wasteland carrying his giant shield, in search for something very particular. And since he was already passing by, why not say a hello to his fellow Faerins?

He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling he was one of the few that dared to go that far to pay them a visit, and it was good to check on them. Both to make sure if they needed anything, and to meet up with some friends. It did make things feel a bit too casual, but everything on that land was tough enough. He didn't want to stare at the elephant in the room that everyone had to acknowledge daily.

Greeting the nomads, he had a brief but nice talk with them, until he asked about @Amy. Being given some vague directions, he followed up, just in time to find her saying something.

Hanno made sure to not barge in right away, to not interrupt any conversation, but turned out she was all by herself.

"Look who I've found, if it ain't my favoritest Faerin-buddy." He cheered, giving a carefree salute while a tentacle popped out of the side of the shield, waving it.

"Heya there, Ames. Having some moment of philosophy? Or you needed the opinion of an expert and started talking to yourself?" Hanno joked, snapping a finger with a grin.

 

[Amy]

Amy was startled by the sudden voice, which made her basically jump in place.

She didn't recognize the voice immediately though, but she still turned towards its source's direction while she tried to figure out who it belonged to... Except she didn't need to. It became obvious once she was able to actually see Ghast, "Hanno! Ghast! It is good to meet you again!" And see again in Ghast's case.

She got up from her seat to greet them properly, and then she heard Hanno's next question... "An expert would certainly be amazing, if one even exists for this..." She sighed, "I was mostly just talking to myself while trying to evaluate the pros and cons of doing something extremely stupid that I promised mom that I would not do." She explained honestly.

It's not like there was any harm in telling Hanno about it, so Amy continued, "We have been struggling with food recently. Not just normal food, but the magical meat that we require to keep our bodies functioning.

"I happen to have found something... Mostly unusual. A door, specifically. It appears at random moments, and I can clearly see it... I crossed it once while feeling strangely compelled to do so, and somehow having the knowledge that it would lead me somewhere.

"On the other side there were magically infused animals. And I believe the environment was probably something akin to a forest... I ended up managing to catch a bird and ate it to sooth my hunger... And once I did, I was suddenly back home."

Amy sighed once more, "No matter how I think of it, this has to be some sort of trap. There is no way that this was done by someone who was well-intentioned... Certainly, I was not harmed in the slightest in my first trip there, but I have no guarantees that this will still hold true if I choose to cross the door once more." She knocked her cane on the ground once, "But it is also hard to say no to an easy way to avoid starvation. I have been thinking of crossing the door again, essentially, despite reason, my family, and my own promise telling me to not do so. That is fundamentally the gist of it."

She knocked the cane on the ground again, this time with a bit more strength... Her grip on the cane was also getting stronger, "This is so... Frustrating. How am I supposed to refuse a free meal when my family is struggling with survival?"

Amy sighed once more, "Hence why I was wishing I could at least understand what was going on with this sudden door appearance... It would help me at least make an informed decision if choose to betray the promise I made to mom." Was it a good idea to openly speak about breaking a promise? Probably not, but her family already knew that the door had appeared again, and they also knew that it appeared randomly, so it is not like they could stop her if Amy truly wished to venture inside it once more.

As in, having this fact be spoken out loud would not lead to any changes to the outcome of her actions, so nothing came of it outside of creating more worry for her family... Which was not something Amy wished to do if she could help it, but the current situation was far from ideal, so this was not a big worry in Amy's mind.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno's eyebrow went up so high that it almost jumped out of his face. He really didn't like her talking about doing something extremely stupid, because if it was that stupid, by her tone, it seemed to pale in comparison to fending off a maniac Crystal Lady.

But as she went on, his face was less of a concerned one, and more of an understanding one. What she was talking about was a bit obvious. But it was easy to say it was obvious when you had an UI telling you what exactly it was. Even if Hanno was one to immerse himself, it was impossible for him to not notice what was written in there at times. And between being fully immersed and using every tool he had to save lives, he would choose the latter any time.

"Whether who has set up those doors was well-intentioned or not, one thing is clear: You sneaked into another dimension." He explained. "Artificial or natural, you got yourself in it. We can't be sure if it was an accident, or if it was an intended trap, but..."

He scratched his head, thinking of the best way to put it. "The unique nature of our kind makes all sort of strange things happen to us. And one of them is letting us 'invade' secret dimensions. From what you are telling me, this seems to be the case."

Hanno allowed some mana to coat his body, to let himself become at least silhouette-visible to @Amy.

"I can tell that, because I happen to be 'afflicted' by this particular characterstic." He explained, then pondered deeply.

"But magical meat, right... Those creatures are possibly magical because either the biome is magical, or because they were artificially made to exist in that plane. Or it could be something else entirely... Either way, I do have some magical meat with me, but I doubt it will be enough to feed a whole tribe of Crystal Nomads. And it won't last for more than a day either." He sighed.

 

[Amy]

"Another... Dimension?" Amy repeated his words, Like Earth...? That cannot be what he meant. Amy waited for him to further elaborate, quickly dismissing this absurd notion. There is no way she would see any magical creatures in that god-forsaken world.

"We can do that...?" Invading secret dimensions was not something Amy had ever heard of her family doing, and they did not seem to assume that it was possible either, yet Hanno was certain that they could do it...

It was a bit scarier to imagine that she had not simply been transported somewhere else, but was instead moved to a whole different dimension, but Amy could not dismiss the possibility now that it was brought up... Especially because Hanno himself seems to have experienced it before.

"Mostly curious... An ability available to Starcalled, but that neither me nor my family ever heard of, and that I seem to have spontaneously developed... Perhaps it is a trait that lady Rhiannon rarely blesses us with." Amy tried to think a bit more on it... Was this happening because she used to be Starcalled? Is this why she could spontaneously develop this kind of ability?

Or maybe she had already obtained it before, but she forgot about it, and only now an opportunity to use this ability presented itself. Amy hardly remembered anything from her time as Starcalled, so she couldn't reach any conclusion on that at the moment.

That said, this could wait until she addressed the more immediate and much appreciated offer, "That would be much appreciated, Hanno, though you should make sure to keep enough for yourself... I will tell mom about it, she should know if there is anyone in the brink of starvation. We can accept your offer in that case.

"Otherwise, you hard earned food should be kept to yourself." Amy commented. There was no point in refusing help in a desperate situation, but that did not mean it was okay to take more than one needed. One's kindness should not be taken for granted.

Nonetheless, Amy switched back to the previous topic, "Is there any way to control this travel to different dimensions? Have you also felt a compulsion to travel through it before? Were you able to control when you came back? Were you able to understand where you were and what kind of place it was?" She tried gathering as much information as she could for now, as that would help make a more informed decision on it... Truthfully, it still felt a bit absurd to Amy, but she also had no reason to distrust Hanno.

So, she tried providing what information she could too, "I did not spend much time there, but I did not see any magic in the environment itself. What I saw were just animals... It is possible I simply did not find the area with magic within it though."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno scratched his head while feeling a bit conflicted. How exactly he would explain a Lander about how exactly a 'Starcalled' worked in that matter. Thankfully, in the same sentence the conflict afflicted Hanno's mind, @Amy spoke of a hook that made him nod eagerly. "Exactly. Lady Rhiannon gave us plenty of her blessings. Our natural gift to magic and mana probably make us deal with magical phenomena so instinctively that these little accidents occurs."

He pondered.

"Just like elves have their gifts with emotions, we have our gifts with magic in general." It did come with some drawbacks, but it was an advantage that helped them to survive through a lot of obstacles. Faerins did have to survive in the extremely hostile Zalra, after all.

With a brief nod, he understood Amy's words. It wasn't quite pride, but he knew that the Crystal Nomads took nothing for granted. This was one good characteristic that came from living in such harsh conditions.

"Compulsion... Aside from my adventurous spirit, it has never compelled me to enter in any of those, even if I did. There is a way you can control your stay. If you find the 'key' or the true 'door' of the dimension." Hanno explained.

"When you find the key or the door of a dimension, you gain some autonomy inside of it. You no longer become an uninvited guest, so you can sustain your presence indefinitely. Otherwise, you can only stay there for like, a dozen minutes or so."

 

[Amy]

Now that Hanno had coated himself with magic, Amy could see from his movement that something seemed to be actually troubling him, though he seemed to have found a conclusion on his own, "An accidental usage of lady Rhiannon's blessings when our affinity to magic becomes too high... That would certainly explain why this happens to me and not to the rest of my family, as I am the only one capable of seeing magic here, so my affinity should be the highest." Amy was surprised that Hanno knew this much though. She did not remember finding any information on lady Rhiannon back when she was still a Starcalled... Though perhaps Hanno found it through some other means instead of through that gamefied information that the gods provided them.

Or maybe the information was there and Amy never found it, or maybe she simply paid no attention to it back then and forgot... All possibilities were valid here, she supposed.

"A key...?" The lack of information on the compulsion was certainly worrisome, as this meant that Amy's compulsion to enter it was definitely artificial, but this topic of a key was interesting, "So, if you do not have this key, you are naturally expelled after a few minutes pass, like I was in my first voyage there... Yet I keep either getting invited there, or I have repeatedly managed to find the path there again and again.

"Still, this key gives you control of your stay... That would certainly make it easier to study the place." Was it a bad idea? Certainly, but now Amy was at least finding ways of making it look like less of a bad idea, "Do you know how one can find said key? If this true door was found, my family could probably try getting a better idea of what this space is like." Which would make it easier to understand if it is safe, something they desperately needed right now.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno nodded, raising his index as he explained further. "Finding the 'true door' can become a problem depending on where the 'true door' is. We don't know if some crazy guy made this dimension, nor where they've forged the door for such place. IF the dimension is even artificial in first place, instead of some magical phenomena." By the last sentence, Hanno was simply parroting what he had heard from MIT members.

"But you are very right. Having the key or the door would make studying the place much easier. As for how you find a key or the door... It is unique to each pocket dimension. A lot of times these two are protected though."

Crossing his arms, Hanno paused to think deeply about it. Ghast also curled her tentacle, rubbing the tip of her aegis frame.

"We can try to figure out the key or the door. This way I can also keep an eye out for what exactly is in there." Hanno said, and then grinned.

"Combined with your magical gaze, finding the key or the door should be easy peasy. After all, both should be carrying a large amount of mana to be catalyists of the entrance and exit of a whole dimension."

 

[Amy]

Amy listened attentively as Hanno explained things... It was a bit frustrating to realize that his explanation fundamentally boiled down to it varying between each dimension.

But also, Amy realized that Hanno seemed to be hinting that not only should Amy head inside it again, but that they should... Amy took a deep breath before giving him an answer, "You do realize that if you aid me in exploring that place, you might be putting yourself in unneeded danger, correct? The door can still be avoided, and not entering it does not seem to cause me any issues, so it would be safer to continue ignoring it." Amy was well aware of the hypocrisy in her words when she herself had said that she was considering breaking her promise to her mom and going inside it again, but she doing a foolish thing was different from her inducing one of her few friends to also do something stupid.

Of course, Hanno was a Starcalled, so he had the blessing of the gods. He would not die that easily... But Amy knew from personal experience how easy it was to lose this blessing if one wasn't careful, and she did not wish that upon Hanno.

At the same time, she did not think she would be able to convince Hanno to change his mind, so she replied to his last point too, "I was not able to see any particularly large concentration of magic in my first visit there, so I cannot say it would be easy to find said key... However, I was also desperately hungry at that point, and I did not even think of exploring the area, so perhaps I missed something that was easy to notice if one tried finding it." At the very minimum, Amy felt like she should help Hanno set his expectations if he really wanted to help her with this extremely stupid idea.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno chuckled at @Amy's retort before giving her his own.

"Well, it is unneeded danger if you can assure me that you will actually fully ignore it and won't ever even consider jumping into that door to try to get magic meat to help the folk around here." Hanno said, looking over the fellow faerin again.

"I don't believe I know you much though, but judging our little encounters before, I have a feeling that you would put yourself in danger for their sake."

He then pointed at himself, with a smirk. "And if going in there will help you and the others, I would say it is not only a needed danger, but a completely worthy one." There was only so much Hanno could do for the people that lived in somewhere as harsh and isolated as Zalra, and if that dimension was actually beneficial, it would be great to have that as a food source.

In fact, if they acquired full control of it, the dimension could be even their own secure home, away from every hostility from the outer world.

That thought tingled Hanno's senses, but that was something that only Amy and the others could decide to partake on.

"You got a good head on your shoulders, Ames. You are right, it won't be easy, but it will be easier. Especially if we go in there with preparations." Hanno said, then frowned. "Honestly, I'm more worried about who is the owner of that dimension, if it has one, and what is the nature behind its origins."

 

[Amy]

Amy smiled at Hanno's reply, "I suppose you are not someone who will ever consider this danger unneeded, then." It was simply the truth... And she was truly glad that there was someone like Hanno that she could rely on.

... Someone that actually cared for her and her family, and who still had lives to spare. Amy did not like thinking of others in that way, but that was simply how it was. It was why she so desperately prayed to lady Rhiannon so that she might convince more Starcalled to come to their aid... Because even though their kind has limited lives, they still have lives to spare. They can take risks that her family cannot.

"You are correct. There is nothing I would not do for my family." If it meant risking her life, so be it, for Amy was certain that her life was the most expendable in the family.

"A worthwhile danger..." She repeated his words. If she succeeded, they could end the starvation that they were currently going through. If this was more dangerous than Hanno was thinking, Amy could die and there would be one less mouth to feed. She would join her husband by lady Rhiannon's side... "That certainly sounds like an accurate description of the current situation."

Hanno's next words also made sense to Amy, "It would be ideal to be able to prepare for it... The main issue is not having control over when the door appears, however." And she nodded to his next words, "The potential owner, and their potential motives, are what worries me the most... I did not imagine that it was a different dimension, but both me and my family thought that the door had been created by someone. The unknown reason behind their actions is what makes this most terrifying." Certainly, Hanno did say it was possible for it to not be an intentional action, and that Amy had just sneaked into someone's private plane.

However, Hanno had also never felt the same compelling that Amy felt, so she felt like this theory was unlikely... There was probably someone behind this.

"... It is here." Amy felt it before seeing it appear... This had been happening the past few times... It was as if the door called to Amy before it actually appeared.

A few seconds later, the magical construct appeared in front of them. To Amy, it looked like a normal door, but that she could see... To Hanno, it would look like a translucent green rectangular portal appearing right in front of his eyes.

"Can you see it too?" Amy asked him... "Do you truly wish to go?" She wished to, "We did not have the time to prepare." Amy was hungry, "But I do not know when it will appear again." Even though a month had yet to pass since her last meal, Amy craved for more...

She once again started holding her cane with way more strength than she should. Her arms trembled from the strength exerted... Amy seemed to become more nervous with each second spent next to the door.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno looked at @Amy's determination and defiance with a grin. "Just remember that your family needs you well and in one piece." He remarked. Not that he was one to talk, throwing himself in danger back and forth. Though he had got a little better on that, at least in not putting all the burden on himself all the time.

"Potential motives are the most dangerous indeed. But... Yeah. We can't really predict when it comes, but we can do some..." Hanno's senses tingled, following Amy's gaze toward the door. As expected, it looked rather different than the ones he had hopped in before. Each portal was its own thing, each dimension was its own thing. It was both amazing and terrifying.

"Yeah, I can see it." He said, musing while staring at it intently, casting a glance at Amy.

"We didn't prepare, yeah. But while I'm not always prepared, I'm always ready." Hanno declared confidently, offering a hand to Amy.

"How about you, buddy? If you wanna go in there, I'll be there too."

 

[Amy]

Amy smiled at Hanno's comment, "That they do not. A useless mouth to feed is anything but needed... Whether I like it or not though, I do know that my family cares for me, so I do not intend to seek death." It would certainly be easier if she wasn't wanted. Certainly, Amy had promised her husband that she would continue living, but it would be trivial to break this promise if she knew that nobody would be hurt by her end... Right now that was not something Amy sought to do though.

And then the door appeared, so the time to chit-chat had ended regardless... Amy was a bit surprised that Hanno could see it, though it made sense when considering he had crossed a door like this one before. Seems like one does not need magical sight to see it, then... In that case, has it never appeared in a place my family could see, or does one need to be able to cross it to see it in the first place?

Amy wanted to ponder longer, but she desired to move... And Hanno seemed to be willing to move forward as well... It was enough, "I pray lady Rhiannon may forgive me for being an unfilial daughter... Let us move." Amy offered her arm, so as to make sure she would not be separated from Hanno, and once he took hold of it, she took a step forward and crossed the door like she had done before.

To Hanno, it would look like a very lush forest that seemed to be mostly untouched by humanoids. The only animals immediately visible were birds, and they did not seem to be particularly wary of the newcomers. The trees were quite tall, but sunlight still peaked through them, making the visibility inside the forest plentiful.

As for Amy... It was a similar experience to the last one... She put her cane on the ground and heard the sound of it hitting something far softer than the crystallized soil of Zalra. Looking around, she could see multiple small traces of magic above her... She pointed to one of them, "A bird. That is what I ate before... Or at least it felt like a bird, and my family said that what remained of the carcass made it seem like a bird." Amy explained.

It was very tempting to simply use Nature Magic and eat one again... Being so close to them, Amy could feel her body desperately craving for the meal in front of her... But that was not the main purpose of their visit. That could wait.

"We should... We should get moving. You said we do not have much time to find the key, correct?" Amy's breathing felt ragged... Like it was paining her to stay still and refrain from eating... This does not feel right... It has not been a month yet since my last meal.

Amy tried looking at her surroundings, seeing if she could see any bigger magical locus... So far nothing. She also tried sensing with her astramancy if there was anything that resonated with it... "Perhaps... In that direction." Amy pointed to the left with her cane, "I am not sure though. I cannot see anything over there... Do you have any better ideas?" She asked him.

---

Cycle 1

Exploration Progress
[ 120/500 ]

The exploration can last at most 5 cycles before Hanno and Amy are forced out. The exploration bar needs to be filled for them to find the Key.

To explore, use any Mastery or Expertise you deem appropriate. If you have a Racial Trait that could help you in your search, add +10 to your roll.

The animals here seem to be unnaturally tempting to a Faerin's desire. Each cycle both Amy and Hanno must roll to endure the temptation to eat them. Use a Will save with DC 80 to endure it, with a penalty equal to the number of days since you last ate magical meat (9 for Hanno, 23 for Amy). Amy currently has an extra -10 penalty.

Rolls

Exploring
1d100 (85) + 25 + 10 = 120

Astramancy | Amy | 2266c1

Resisting the Temptation
1d100 (98) + 30 -10 -23 = 95 (Success)

Will | Amy | 2266c1

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno glanced at @Amy as she said her prayers, and when they stepped into the portal, the world shifted into something that felt strangely familiar. A magical forest that seemed to be completely untouched by the hands of the humanity. He watched over the area with his instincts flourishing in a way he didn't expect.

It took him a moment to adjust to the change of place, but he did his best to keep a firm stance for Amy.

"Hm..." He frowned, then blinked a couple times, giving the surroundings another good look. "This place isn't too different from the last pocket dimension I've gone to. But..." Hanno looked at one of the birds.

It looked oddly appetizing.

"... Something is really magical about this place." Hanno said, feeling entraced before Amy spoke to him with a direction suggestion.

He shook his head, hooking his arm a little more tight on Amy's.

"Right, that place." Hanno cleared his throat, taking a moment to focus, trying to expand his senses and trying to detect the auras... A mass of energy, perhaps? Or an aura that was different from all the others...

He focused, however...

"... Hmm... I think maybe... That way..?" Hanno opened his eyes, that landed exactly on one of the birds. He took a deep breath, taking off his shield and placing it close to Amy. "Ghast... Keep Amy safe. I will fetch a bird for both of us!" Hanno said, with his words brimming with a faint desperate excitement. Like a hunter that had just spotted a juicy prey.

Ghast would wrap her tentacles softly around Amy, and Hanno would dart off, pouncing at the nearest bird with voracity.

---

Cycle 1

Exploration Progress
[ 228/500 ]

Rolls

Exploring
1d100 (68) + 40 = 108

Resisting the Temptation
1d100 (22) + 50 - 9 = 63 (Failure)

 

[Amy]

"They are similar?" Amy asked, then pondered for a bit... "Could they possibly be connected? Or is it impossible for those different pocket dimensions to connect to each other? I am afraid I do not understand the concept very well."

Hanno's next comment confused her though, "About the whole place? Not just the animals? Then... Could there be something that is hiding the overlaying magic from my vision?" Amy did not remember this ever happening before, but she also did not even understand how she could see magic with no eyes, so she felt like she should not rule out the possibility. There was a lot that she did not understand.

What happened next was a bit out of Amy's expectations though... Hanno let go of her and left Ghast to protect her instead... It is not that she did not trust Ghast, but she did not expect this behavior from Hanno. It was like he was not in his right state of mind... She still accepted Ghast's protection and held tightly to it while she waited, nonetheless.

When Hanno got closer to the birds, he might have been able to notice something somewhat strange... There were a few too many varieties of birds in the area. And all of them felt exotic in their own way. Colorful, beautiful birds left and right, with none of the more mundane ones to be found.

Either way... When Hanno came back near Amy and gave her a bird to eat, her instincts screamed far louder than any worries inside her head did, and she started devouring it like a wild beast. Similar to how she did it at her first visit here... But this time she was not supposed to be at that desperate level of hunger... Something inside Amy told her that this was off. That she was not supposed to be behaving like this... But she also did not stop eating. Not until she was done.

As for Hanno, he should be able to understand the situation if he looked at his status conditions within his UI.

[insert some mean-looking icon here]
Addiction 1 - Makes it harder to resist further engaging with the addictive substance. Level goes down by 1 after staying at least 30 days away from the addictive substance.

Either way, as they continued exploring, Amy noticed two things... First, more magical sources... This time small magical sources moving around on the ground, "What are them?" Amy asked Hanno.

Hanno should be able to see small critters, rabbits, squirrels, mice... Nothing that seemed to be particularly dangerous, nothing that seemed to be a predator, and all equally as appetizing.

The other thing Amy noticed, is that she could now see a bigger magical source up ahead... "They key might be over there..." She pointed forward... "Lots of magic that way... But I am only seeing a single source there... No guardian to speak of." Or at least, no magical guardian... It did not match with what Hanno had spoke about it usually being protected.

... Nor did it seem to be particularly hidden to Amy either... Though perhaps that was just because she could see magic.

---

Cycle 2

Exploration Progress
[ 302/500 ]

The exploration can last at most 5 cycles before Hanno and Amy are forced out. The exploration bar needs to be filled for them to find the Key.

To explore, use any Mastery or Expertise you deem appropriate. If you have a Racial Trait that could help you in your search, add +10 to your roll.

The animals here seem to be unnaturally tempting to a Faerin's desire addictive. Each cycle both Amy and Hanno must roll to endure the temptation to eat them. Use a Will save with DC 80 to endure it, with a penalty equal to the number of days since you last ate magical meat (0 for Hanno, 0 for Amy) plus a -10 penalty for each level of addiction (-10 for Hanno, -20 for Amy). Hanno will get a +20 to his Will rolls if he looks at his UI and sees the status affliction or understands what is happening in some other way. Amy will also gain this bonus if Hanno tells her about it.

Rolls

Exploring
1d100 (39) + 25 + 10 = 74

Astramancy | Amy | 2266c2

Resisting the Temptation
1d100 (14) + 30 -10 -23 = 11 (Failure)

Will | Amy | 2266c2

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Impossible... I am not sure..." Hanno breathed heavily, feeling himself caught in some primal instinct. It sure has been a while since he felt himself afflicted by something akin to that, but even in the worst of the conditions he had managed to hold his stance and composure.

It probably meant there was something else to it, especially with that glaring condition warning that was flickering in front of his face as he pushed the UI aside.

"Gh... Ghast... Please keep Amy safe. I think I..." Hanno rubbed his face, trying to snap himself out of that feeling of insatiable hunger. He glanced at @Amy. "There is something... In these birds, in these little rodents..." Hanno glanced down at the creatures, frowning.

"They aren't just tasty. They are too addictive, we need to be careful to not lose our minds!" He said, and as if his body almost moved by itself, as soon as a rodent passed quickly by him, he stomped it without thinking twice. When he had noticed his actions, he was already holding the creature, with a large bite on it.

He shook his head, handing the rest to Amy.

"... A-Amy. If I start losing control, hold onto Ghast and wait until we are banished from this place again..." Hanno said, gulping and looking at the direction of the magic.

"If there is no guardian, there may be a trap. I will go first, keep a safe distance." Hanno said, starting to move.

Ghast would wiggle her tentacles along to move while shielding Amy.

---

Cycle 2

Exploration Progress
[ 402/500 ]

Rolls

Exploring
1d100 (60) + 40 = 100

Resisting the Temptation
1d100 (11) - 10 + 50 + 20 = 71 (Failure)

 

[Amy]

Amy wanted to give further thought to the idea of those strange dimensions being connected, but Hanno's heavy breathing made her stop. This did not seem to be the time for this kind of theoretical discussion, even if it was an important theoretical discussion to be held.

Hanno was not well. This much was clear... It was not just Amy that was feeling like something was off here.

Having Hanno ask Ghast to take care of her further reinforced this thought... "This is not like you." She said as she accepted Ghast's hold. Amy could imagine Hanno saying that if they were going to be separated, but this request when they were right next to each other definitely made it clear that things were off.

His next words made it impossible to even consider denying, "In the animals...?" Was it the magic? Amy was not really adept enough at discerning magic from her magic sight to the point that she would be able to understand what their magic meant, but she could imagine it made the animals quite dangerous-

"Addictive!?" She was in utter disbelief for a second... But then it made sense. The hunger... That primal desire to eat even though it had not even been a month since her last meal... It added up.

She had barely a moment to process that before Hanno moved. Before she heard the sound of something being squished... Before she had another meal right in front of her eyes.

... What is even the point of caring for addiction? Is it not more important to make sure that my family does not need to worry about hunger again? I could bring them here if we find the key. I could- Amy used her cane-holding hand to slap the half-eaten animal away from her. An easy enough feat when she had a good grasp of Hanno's and the animal's location.

Amy tried pulling Hanno closer and guided herself. by his magical silhouette. to look him in the eyes... Or at least as close to the eyes as she could, "Hanno, this is more proof than any could have ever hoped to have for is to be sure that this place is far more dangerous than it is worth. We should leave."

Except... Before she realized it, they had arrived. It was almost as if they had been dragged near the key... Or perhaps the key had been brought to them.

To Amy it just looked like a gigantic magical locus, too big to be easily discernible.

To Hanno, it was a waterfall. One with crystal clear water running through it, and that the animals could be seen drinking from... Said animals still unafraid of Hanno and Amy, despite the fact that Amy's clothes were still stained with the blood of the last animal she relentlessly devoured, and potential Hanno's clothes would be the same way too.

"Hanno... How does one obtain the key...?" She knew that she had just said that they should leave... But she also knew that a chance like this one would not come to them again... Amy longed for it.

---

Cycle 3

Exploration Progress
[ 499/500 ]

The exploration can last at most 5 cycles before Hanno and Amy are forced out. The exploration bar needs to be filled for them to find the Key. This will automatically be cleared by Hanno's turn.

Hanno and Amy need to touch the key by Cycle 5 if they don't want to be forced out of the area. Hanno may choose if he wishes to do so or not.

The animals here seem to be addictive. Each cycle both Amy and Hanno must roll to endure the temptation to eat them. Use a Will save with DC 80 to endure it, with a penalty equal to the number of days since you last ate magical meat (0 for Hanno, 0 for Amy) plus a -10 penalty for each level of addiction (-20 for Hanno, -20 for Amy). Hanno will get a +20 to his Will rolls if he looks at his UI and sees the status affliction or understands what is happening in some other way. Amy will also gain this bonus if Hanno tells her about it. Both Hanno and Amy gain +20 to their Will checks due to being aware of the addictive nature of the animals.

Rolls

Exploring
1d100 (62) + 25 + 10 = 97

Astramancy | Amy | 2266c3

Resisting the Temptation
1d100 (93) + 30 -20 +20 = 123 (Success)

Will | Amy | 2266c3

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"This is not like you."

@Amy's words pierced through Hanno's core, making him hold his face and rub it, trying to snap out of it. She was right, he couldn't act like that. Even if something was afflicting him. Even if there was a hint of feeling that he could lose his control and not be able to protect her, he had to trust on himself and his promise to her.

"No... Yeah. You are right." Hanno shook his head, taking a gentle but firm hold on Amy's hand. "I won't let you go unless I really need to do it to keep you safe, alright buddy?" He said, cheering up his tone with a confident grin. Ghast released Amy, entangling herself on Hanno's back to keep an eye on the surroundings.

"The addiction isn't ideal. But if we can get all these animals to supply your family, dealing with this 'addiction' once per month is better than having to suffer through hunger." Hanno said, frowning his lips slightly. Why did they have to suffer like this? If only their Eternal Summer wasn't torn away from them.

But before he could think any longer about it, the source of the Key was before them. The Waterfall had an impressive aura, one that Hanno felt that was palpable. He looked at it with a cautious hint in his eyes.

"We probably should. But we can't miss this chance." He turned to look at Amy. "I will touch the water. We probably need to, to claim our permission in this dimension." Hanno pointed at it.

"It is the key."

He approached it, but didn't let Amy in yet.

"If you want to leave, you can. Me and Ghast will catch you up later when I am done exploring the space, so don't worry!" Hanno said with a grin.

Then, he would step into the water, carefully to a knee height.

If it was safe, and if Amy decided to go along with him, he would guide her carefully in as well.

---

Cycle 3

Rolls

Resisting the Temptation
1d100 (11) 50 - 20 + 20 = 135 (Success)