Re: Epic Clash Round 1 - Dungeon of the Crimson Fish
02-05-2010, 12:53 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by suomynonAyletamitlU.
Coy Spender found himself off-balance and sideways when the slab stopped moving. Rather than doing anything, he let his body fall to the ground, reflexes cushioning himself at the last moment, his head tucked to guard it against the shock. When he hit ground, he let himself lie there for a minute, listening, feeling the chill beneath him.
Well alright, he thought. Unfamiliar rules structure--not dissimilar to going into their Territory. Time for a diagnostic and inventory.
He rolled onto his back and slipped his hands into his coat, looking for all the world like he's enjoying a pleasant nap. Inside his jacket, the ATM device appeared and dispensed coins, one at a time, in response to his queries, and he willed them to be cast.
Standard energy manip? A white flare shot out in front of him and struck the opposite surface. Check.
Full dynamic manifestation? Another coin came and went, and he drew out a pistol and aimed it at the opposite wall. Another small white flare, then he released the spell and let the pistol disappear, before returning his hand to his coat. Check.
Pocket dimension, closed? There was no obvious effect, but he could sense the result. He looked a shade worried for a moment before willing it away. Some interference, but it seems to be working. Check minus.
PD Fusion Generator? He concentrated, then shook his head. Failure. My energy supplies will be limited. Need to remember that.
Rulespace dimension, open? It seemed like a shockwave passed out from him momentarily; it stopped shortly, but how much it overlapped was difficult to measure. Definitely check minus. Severe restrictions on bending physical rules. I don't know how they're manipulating gravity, but it's a different system. Maybe if I can find the machinery...
Portal, cross-dimensional... He pulled out a coin and tossed it a ways down the hallway before activating it. He grimaced almost immediately, and the coin erupted into a small but echoing explosion. The rumble it produced echoed down the hallways in either direction. Abject failure. Very strong counter-magic. Do not try again without more information.
Portal, local... He turned his head left and tossed a coin to the right, trying to tie a portal between the two. There was a flicker in front of him, but he couldn't see through it. Fail plus. A lot of interference, may be able to work around it.
He was getting drained from the exertion; still, he worried about not knowing what he was getting himself into. Only a couple more tests...
Sensors, cross-dimensional... He frowned; he sense only static, madness, and... darkness. Fail plus. Whatever I'm seeing, it doesn't make sense.
Sensors, local... The map he sensed was a twisted mockery of accurate data. Fail plus. Possibly related to the gravitics control in the area.
A few other more specific tests later, he was glad he was still lying down, as he was getting a bit woozy. His holographics could draw energy from the surroundings, but in a frigid and dark cave, there wasn't all that much to draw from. "What I wouldn't give for another nice, steamy, rainbow-spewing volcano," he quipped with a grin.
Finally, after resting a moment, he got to his feet. He drew and spent two more coins--one to create a pocket dimension, and one to eke what little thermal and radiant energy he could from this area to fill it with. The air and surfaces got sharper, colder, but only for a moment.
"Well alright then," he said out loud, then sang glibly, in full tenor:
Welcome back my friends,
To the show that never ends!
Come inside...
Come inside.
He laughed a bit at the end, then turned and walked down the corridor, his feet almost instinctively following the gravity gradients down the wall and back to the floor. His eyes and feet were aimless, however, as he continued into the labyrinth, looking for anything.
Inside, though, his mind was dark and whirling. The enemy is that overseer. Some of the others are innocent; some will be enemies. Some, probably, both.
This...
This may end very badly.
EDIT: Edited below spoiler once
I changed my background color slightly to try to improve readability. I can make it a little darker if need be. Alternately, I can make all of my text in bold, if that's easier to read.
Coy Spender found himself off-balance and sideways when the slab stopped moving. Rather than doing anything, he let his body fall to the ground, reflexes cushioning himself at the last moment, his head tucked to guard it against the shock. When he hit ground, he let himself lie there for a minute, listening, feeling the chill beneath him.
Well alright, he thought. Unfamiliar rules structure--not dissimilar to going into their Territory. Time for a diagnostic and inventory.
He rolled onto his back and slipped his hands into his coat, looking for all the world like he's enjoying a pleasant nap. Inside his jacket, the ATM device appeared and dispensed coins, one at a time, in response to his queries, and he willed them to be cast.
Standard energy manip? A white flare shot out in front of him and struck the opposite surface. Check.
Full dynamic manifestation? Another coin came and went, and he drew out a pistol and aimed it at the opposite wall. Another small white flare, then he released the spell and let the pistol disappear, before returning his hand to his coat. Check.
Pocket dimension, closed? There was no obvious effect, but he could sense the result. He looked a shade worried for a moment before willing it away. Some interference, but it seems to be working. Check minus.
PD Fusion Generator? He concentrated, then shook his head. Failure. My energy supplies will be limited. Need to remember that.
Rulespace dimension, open? It seemed like a shockwave passed out from him momentarily; it stopped shortly, but how much it overlapped was difficult to measure. Definitely check minus. Severe restrictions on bending physical rules. I don't know how they're manipulating gravity, but it's a different system. Maybe if I can find the machinery...
Portal, cross-dimensional... He pulled out a coin and tossed it a ways down the hallway before activating it. He grimaced almost immediately, and the coin erupted into a small but echoing explosion. The rumble it produced echoed down the hallways in either direction. Abject failure. Very strong counter-magic. Do not try again without more information.
Portal, local... He turned his head left and tossed a coin to the right, trying to tie a portal between the two. There was a flicker in front of him, but he couldn't see through it. Fail plus. A lot of interference, may be able to work around it.
He was getting drained from the exertion; still, he worried about not knowing what he was getting himself into. Only a couple more tests...
Sensors, cross-dimensional... He frowned; he sense only static, madness, and... darkness. Fail plus. Whatever I'm seeing, it doesn't make sense.
Sensors, local... The map he sensed was a twisted mockery of accurate data. Fail plus. Possibly related to the gravitics control in the area.
A few other more specific tests later, he was glad he was still lying down, as he was getting a bit woozy. His holographics could draw energy from the surroundings, but in a frigid and dark cave, there wasn't all that much to draw from. "What I wouldn't give for another nice, steamy, rainbow-spewing volcano," he quipped with a grin.
Finally, after resting a moment, he got to his feet. He drew and spent two more coins--one to create a pocket dimension, and one to eke what little thermal and radiant energy he could from this area to fill it with. The air and surfaces got sharper, colder, but only for a moment.
"Well alright then," he said out loud, then sang glibly, in full tenor:
Welcome back my friends,
To the show that never ends!
Come inside...
Come inside.
He laughed a bit at the end, then turned and walked down the corridor, his feet almost instinctively following the gravity gradients down the wall and back to the floor. His eyes and feet were aimless, however, as he continued into the labyrinth, looking for anything.
Inside, though, his mind was dark and whirling. The enemy is that overseer. Some of the others are innocent; some will be enemies. Some, probably, both.
This...
This may end very badly.
EDIT: Edited below spoiler once