Once this is done I have some cool pictures to show you!!!

Sciborg

Oct 6, 2022 19:44

She smiles and puts the device away. "I don't know. But it's not a coincidence that they're suddenly all interested in stuff that can alter realities, right?"

bobble

Teri has moved on to fidgeting with a clasp on one of her bag's many pockets

Can I roll to think of books in the library which would be relevant to reality alteration?

Sciborg

Definitely, Intelligence check.

bobble

16+3=19

Sciborg

Most of the ones in the Upside section of the library on reality alteration are pseudoscientific and/or loony ("how to astral project your mind into cyberspace" and such), but there were two notable books in Oakwinkle's pocket dimension library that come to mind - one theorizing on altering local spacetime with mathematical magic and the other discussing historical occurrences of time loops and reality loops.

bobble

Seeing as Teri would rather learn history than math, she'll want to go for the second. Can I use my summon-books spell to grab it?

Sciborg

Oct 6, 2022 19:50

You definitely can. The title is Time Loops In History and Creating Local Areas of Distorted Time by Nasira Khasar.

bobble

Teri clears some space in her bag and then summons the book inside (to keep from accidentally dropping it, just in case)

AncientSwordRage

Fin brain-broadcasts to all three others, Alter Reality?

bobble

Then takes it out and starts flipping through the index to see if any keywords look likely for further research.

Sciborg

There's a quiet thwip sound as it pops out of your book-portal.

Investigation check would probably work here

bobble

2+2=4 :(

AncientSwordRage

Oct 6, 2022 19:53

(something came up, brb carry on in my absence/ignore Fin's question, etc though, insha'Allah I won't be long)

bobble

Probably got distracted by some cool depictions of loop diagrams

2

Mithical

"Well, dear, if the Dreamers are trying to stop this, we might just have to pay them a visit."

Sciborg

@bobble Oh definitely - Nasira's writing is extremely dense and highly specific, and her diagrams of time are extremely beautiful, so you just get very completely distracted by them.

What were you looking for again? Look at all these pretty loops...

@AncientSwordRage (👍👍)

bobble

absentmindedly tracing loops

Sciborg

There's some interesting theorizing in here about creating a local area of bent spacetime where time passes differently, and she seems very interested in it.

bobble

Oct 6, 2022 19:55

I'm still behind the other two, by the way

Sciborg

Alertmonger, meanwhile, is watching you all closely while absentmindedly adjusting settings on her chair. "I'm guessing this is all useful info to you?"

Mithical

"Well, darling, it's certainly starting to make the pieces start falling into place."

"If you don't mind my asking, dear, how did you come by all this information? How do we know that what you're saying is all accurate? Not that I don't trust you, sweetie, I just like to be sure, I'm sure you understand."

bobble

(Teri is not paying much attention right now, as bobble must clean up from lunch)

back

Sciborg

"Well, let's just say you have your sources and I have mine. You can trust me or not, I'm just giving you what I've been given and what I think is valuable." She shrugs. "If you don't believe me, that's okay. You meet somebody in an alleyway and your first instinct probably isn't to bake 'em cookies."

AncientSwordRage

Fin's eyes perk up at "Bake 'em cookies"

"Svó, what do you mean 'Alter Reality', þúst... Like making a wish, já?"

bobble

Oct 6, 2022 20:04

The word "cookies" gets through to Teri (she's eaten lots of free cookies from various events she, ahem, let herself into), making her flip back to index-searching... for the word "cookie"

So, 'borg, does "cookie" appear in the index?

Sciborg

Cookie-investigation check :p

bobble

Oh sure here I get a better roll

14+2=16

Sciborg

@AncientSwordRage "Alter reality, as in... I dunno, I'm not a magic user." She waves her hands around suggestively. "Make things come true, dreams, wishes, sure. Probably that."

bobble

Did she notice that the book came from nowhere? It occurs to me that summoning it to inside the bag also had to effect of half-hiding the fact it was summoned.

Sciborg

@bobble You find that cookies are referenced once - in a section discussing how the structure of an atom was once thought of like plum pudding or the chips in a chocolate chip cookie.

AncientSwordRage

Oct 6, 2022 20:06

"Hmmm," and Fin gets a obviously pensive, "There are some dreams I've had lately that I do not want to come true."

bobble

flip to diagram

Sciborg

@bobble Her Passive Perception didn't catch it.

bobble

(Teri is getting very little useful information from the book, but bobble is having fun anyways :D)

Sciborg

(as is birb :D)

Mithical

"You'd better make sure the Gesta knows that, sweetie," Sherri half-mutters to Fin.

bobble

Oct 6, 2022 20:07

I saw the other group had AI images - anyone care to try to generate this chocolate-chip cookie diagram?

Sciborg

cookie image buffering sounds

Mithical

Has anyone been watching this conversation, incidentally?

AncientSwordRage

@Mithical "Heyrðu, you don't think I tell it that every time I wake in a cold sweat..." She says a little rattled.

Sciborg

@Mithical Perception roll if you'd like

Mithical

@Sciborg that's a nat 1

...should I ToC it or not, hmmm

Sciborg

Oct 6, 2022 20:10

I'm very tempted to say yes

Mithical

I shall

...not much better; 6+2=8

wait, is the dot at the top or the bottom\

my bad, that's a 9+2=11

AncientSwordRage

@Mithical bottom?

Sciborg

You have been here talking in low-ish voices for a while, and nobody else has been walking nearby or bringing trash out to the nearby Dumpster, so you seem to be okay for the time being.

"Well, hey, I'm glad we could make a good arrangement here. I've certainly learned a lot of things today. And it's good for me to get outside more." Alertmonger flicks a switch on her chair. "I provide more services than just meeting people in the cloak of darkness and all, though. Anything more I can do for you before I roll out?"

Mithical

"Actually, yes, dear. Have you heard anything about disappearances lately? I've noticed several mentions of people vanishing recently; has that registered on your radar at all?"

AncientSwordRage

"Sko, what sort of services?" Fin says eyeing up the Dwarf suspiciously

Fin does her best not to wince at the mention of disappearances

Sciborg

Oct 6, 2022 20:18

"Disappearances?" Alertmonger tilts her head thoughtfully. "I might, I might not. And my services are numerous. What are you offering for that piece of info, exactly?"

Mithical

Sherri raises an eyebrow. "What do you need, love?"

AncientSwordRage

Fin brain-voices at Sherri, Haven't we given enough information already?

Mithical

Sherri, still not getting the difference between Fin and Teri speaking in her mind, attempts to reply Maybe, but perhaps we can offer something besides information.

bobble

Teri messages both, "Once this is done I have some cool pictures to show you!!!", with the exclamation marks somehow audible in the mental speech

Sciborg

"I don't necessarily need info. I might need something done or some magic item retrieved from some adventurous location in the future that you could be useful for. An agreement of a future favor could work." She shrugs. "You strike me like the type. Especially if you'll be going, ah... adventuring in the near future."

Mithical

Oct 6, 2022 20:22

Sherri responds to Teri with Mmm? Pictures? What- Okay, after.

And then turns physically towards the other two, and goes "What do you think of such an arrangement, darlings?"

bobble

what arrangement?

Mithical

"Information in exchange for a future favor of the adventuring flavor."

bobble

"Sure", Teri says out loud. She's had similar exchanges of favors before most definitely.

Mithical

"Fin?"

AncientSwordRage

" Þúst, sure... I don't know what choice we have, but unlike the idea of adventure."

Mithical

Oct 6, 2022 20:32

Sherri turns back to Alertmonger. "If we do agree, honey, how much information will you be providing us with, and will we be able to contact you in the future for future information is part of this same agreement?"

Sciborg

"If you agree, I'll give you a number. You get a call from that number while you're out in the world, it's me, and I'll tell you what's up and what I need from you in as much detail as you need. Nothing too shady, I promise." She shrugs. "As for you being able to call me, we'll see how much I like you. I only take personal calls when I like you."

Mithical

"Alright." Sherri sticks her hand out for a shake. "Sounds reasonable enough to me."

bobble

Teri balances the book, currently open to a diagram depicting the twin paradox, on one hand, then uses the other hand to give a thumbs-up

AncientSwordRage

Fin, getting cocky, telepathically says to Alertmonger, I agree as well, but don't mess us around

Sciborg

"Deal, then." She shakes your hand, with an amused look in Fin's direction. "And that's quite the magic trick."

AncientSwordRage

Oct 6, 2022 20:40

Fin blushes, "It's not much... Say, I had another question... sko..."

Mithical

"We do have to have to some tricks up our sleeves, after all, sweetie." Sherri winks. "I believe you were going to tell us about disappearances?"

AncientSwordRage

"Oh, já right! That first"

Sciborg

"That I am." She drops her voice. "Here's your tip. Rumor in one of my, ah, circles has it that certain commercials and radio stations are laced with something in the background noise. Some kind of audio charm or language or something, not sure how it gets there, modern Pied Piper stuff. They're targeting specific people, Upside and Otherside, no pattern that anyone can find in who they go after. Might have a little something to do with your disappearing people?"

Mithical

Sherri grimaces. "Very well might. Sounds lovely."

bobble

Investigation 9+2=11 to check index and/or table of contents for information about noises

... with that roll, Teri probably got distracted by something again

Sciborg

Oct 6, 2022 20:46

"There's more, too. Word on the street, they can mimic the voices of specific people to do it. Not sure how, got some theories, still looking into it. Given your interest I'll look into it even more."

AncientSwordRage

"Wait, sko.... We would have heard those, já? If it was in the ... pie pipes...?"

Sciborg

@bobble Alas the loopy diagrams are pretty and it doesn't seem like she had much to say on the topic of sound waves.

Mithical

"Hmm. Does the word "kenku" ring a bell, dear?"

bobble

@Sciborg Can she be looking at a diagram of reality folding which looks like waves looping in on themselves?

Sciborg

Alertmonger's expression shifts slightly, in a bit of an "ahhh" moment. "Why, I have heard of them," she says. "How... intriguing."

@bobble Definitely

AncientSwordRage

Oct 6, 2022 20:48

Fin casts Minor Illusion to repeat back "How... intriguing" to Alertmonger

Mithical

"In confidentiality, of course, dear, we have reason to believe that the Dreamers you mentioned were... employing kenkus to mimic voices. Perhaps this is connected, hmm?"

Sciborg

"Perhaps it might be." She nods slowly, with her eyes flicking back to Fin. "Seems you're the one enlightening me on that one..."

AncientSwordRage

"It might not just be Kenku, já?"

Mithical

"Any proper relationship is both give and take, honey."

Sciborg

She grins at that remark. "Knew there was something I liked about you."

Once this is done I have some cool pictures to show you!!!

♦ PSE RPG Chatroom

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