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Messages - Pankoki

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1
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / Re: Dead magic zone
« on: November 11, 2010, 09:34:36 am »
Quote from: morunas

Is there anything you haven't thought of yet o.O?


A forum system that puts all repeat questions or re-suggestions under one thread. Or a really good forum search utility.

2
Development Journals and Discussion / Loss
« on: November 09, 2010, 02:14:55 pm »
[INDENT]
From a distance it is hard to describe. The pile of carcasses remotely resemble some sort of chitinous creature but it would take careful consideration for anyone to actually figure out what they might be. Whatever they may be, the pile is considerable in size. A closer look reveals many legs and if these were the collected parts of one whole creature it would be a creature of nightmare. Something stirs from within the mountain of bodies making the broken body parts shake and slide from its summit. The stirring grows stronger and stronger and with a final shove a large bulbous and hairy remain is tossed across the dark cavern's walls. A dark figure emerges from the refuse.

In the darkness of the cave there is no natural light. It is deep within the earth and even then, the world outside is covered in the dark blanket of night.  The faint glow that begins to bathe the cave in light comes from something held in the figure's hand. Shadows form and in this case it would have been best if darkness prevailed. The creature that emerges is perhaps more terrifying than the grotesque monsters she has slain. As the figure rises from the pile it can be seen that she is covered from head to toe in gore and blood. Some of it is hers, some of it belongs to the dark spiders she has slain. There is no part of her not covered in this mess and by the way some of it has melted through her garment it doesn't seem to be a harmless substance. She is beyond pain however, the soul aching within has no room for anything but sorrow and anger.

As the light from her weapons begin to fill the room the truly terrifying sight is observed. Her eyes. An anger that would stop a creature ten times her size. An anger so deep it takes on a shape of its own. Her eyes burn and whether it is a reflection of the flames on her axe or a fire from within, an unnatural seething hate is embodied on the two near-amber orbs that grant her sight.

She walks out of the deep cave, stinking and oozing, with something strange held in her hands.


==


Triba didn't know how she was going to tell them. Viperin was the closest thing Triba ever had to a sister, and Alessia's care and bond with Acacea was strong. They had both been saved by Acacea and now she had to tell them the worst. It was not only the fact that she was delivering bad news, but that she intended to ask a horribly painful favor of them that made everything even more difficult. She was not looking forward for this meeting but she needed them. She needed them because they were the only ones she trusted with the deed. She needed them because they were one of the few who would understand. She needed them because her heart and soul were breaking with each passing moment and they could give her a purpose to keep it together.

Only once had she seen Viperin and Alessia cry before, and it was nothing compared to this. The link between Slither and Sandcaller only made matters worse as they both reflected their emotions and sorrows unto another. The tears Triba could deal with, she was familiar with those, it was the despair in their eyes that nearly made her snap. Viperin's vibrant sky blue eyes looked as if they would never again be able to see the light in the dark world that they lived in. Triba sought refuge in them and it seemed that she was to once more be the strong soul. She steeled herself just as she had done so many times before and offered them a little hope.

Acacea's body had disappeared. The scrolls did not work but it made no sense for her body to disappear like that.

It was then the Viperin knew exactly what Triba wanted. As if her sister had slapped her, the shock on her face brought a immediate stop to the tears that kept flowing. There was a great sorrow there, but she understood. It was fitting. It was Acacea who had healed their dark magic and made it something good. Still dangerous. Still dark. Still taboo. But now forever changed to not harm magic and all thanks to Acacea and her perseverance. The one reprieve of consoling a pair was always that when one side was fixed the other tended to follow along shortly thereafter. Alessia too calmed down and began thinking.

The recipe was not pretty. It never really was. There were parts of the ritual that they were still working on to change before Acacea left the desert. It was decided that Viperin and Alessia would handle the legwork while Triba went for the unique component. Triba listened to her soul-sister as she explained that the poison gland they were looking for was actually an aberration. That not any poisonous spider would do. That the fang would be engorged at its base. That the liquid would not be filmy but black. That they needed a large one. She listened carefully to all the instructions. It didn't matter to her how hard it would be to find it. It is what she did, she found things. When she left them, she had a purpose. Of course it would be spiders, it made sense, really.


==


On her way to Wildflower, trophy in hand, she remembered. She remembered the first time they ever met. It all started outside Hlint. The younger Acacea struggled against spiders. She was about to be overwhelmed by them when Triba spotted her. A quick few well placed hits and she was safe. It made so much sense to her now. So much was written on that one encounter that it made her heart ache at the thought it all.

She would become her protector, much to the dismay of the young halfling. She would become a companion. A partner. A friend. All that and so much more and it was all written on that one encounter. Their lives, linked by happenstance, beginning and ending with spiders. It had to be spiders.

Those thoughts, the thoughts she was trying to battle from coming to the surface kept flooding her. She remembered pranks. She remembered gryphons. She remembered seashells. She remembered losses and triumphs. She remembered music. She remembered Hairy Porpoises. She remembered magic. There was a lot of that, both the obvious one drawn from the Lady and the more subtle one that permeated their existence. Their existence. She was gone now. It was not supposed to be this way.

She had seen before the effects of those paired when one met their end. The callers would bear their grief but they survived. They made their peace in whatever way they saw fit and though never again will they truly find that bond they had with the lost one, they could move on. She had seen it happen before and it was sad but bearable. She had also seen the other side. It was not pretty. The Slither was meant to defend and die first. It was for a good reason. The Slithers were never really stable. They were always kept in check by their callers. And even though she had seen the effects of that, she had seen the madness that takes over, she still felt sad because that too was taken away. A half broken link is of no use.

So many ups and downs. A lifetime together. A lifetime still left to go. So many unanswered questions. So many things left unsaid. So incomplete. And now only clinging to a tiny thread of hope that she was simply lost and not gone. She could find lost. She was -good- at finding lost. Gone however would be forever. She knew she was bound to the Lady of Magic, her own would be another. Gone was nevermore.


==

When she arrived in Wildflower they were already waiting. She knew it would be so. There were very few people that Triba ever relied on, but these two were on top of that short list. The Viperin that greeted her was already the darker one. Her mind was already preparing for the ritual and Triba knew it was not an easy thing to do. But even behind the darkness she was greeted with love. It was the same with Acacea, even more so. Even amidst fights, quarrels and darkness, she was always greeted with love.

Viperin explained that though the results of the ritual might be unwanted, that it was going to be clear. A pale green meant that she was still alive, the greener the better. A dark red meant that she was gone. Black and it meant that the ritual had failed to give any results. Triba liked these kinds of rituals, no funny business, straight and to the point.

All the preparations were done. Steeling themselves the three halflings set on the path to answers. Each aspect of the ritual was done precisely and perfectly. No flaws. They were good at that. With each little step of the way the signs confirming they hadn't made a mistake came. They had done this before and were familiar with each of them. At each confirmed step the candle of hope was fed and turned into a bigger flame. The slow and arduous process seemingly lasting hours as each step was done with very carefully measured steps.

Then it came to the blood. This part Triba was familiar with. It was what she was supposed to be to Acacea. That too had many conflicting memories. She gave it willingly, one of her many sharp knives easily cutting the skin on her palm breaking the patterns of a recently made tattoo. The three sets of hands offered their share and into the cauldron the magic was finally pleased. The churning patterns that emerged swirled with the power of the ritual as Viperin enunciated the words required. The proper and expected gas left the pot and as it dissipated it would reveal the results of their magic. The three of them leaned in expectantly waiting to see what color it would take.


==

Confusion at first. This ritual was what she wanted to do because of its clear nature. They received all the proper responses along the way. This was a good ritual. But the amber color that the murky waters had taken gave her no answers at all. She looked up to Viperin in hopes that she would know how to interpret them but her expression was equally puzzled. A helpless shrug was all that she could offer and that is when it finally snapped.

Everything started spinning. Slow at first and then too fast. Her world had become blurry and out of focus. She needed air. She made her way through the cave to find an open space. Every step she took seemed too heavy. The voices behind her made no sense anymore. Every step was a torture as something within felt empty. Emptying. Unsure of how she got there she made it to the mouth of the cave and all around her were memories of the one lost. Lost? Gone? No answers.

The world closed around her even outside in the open. She couldn't breathe. She both felt everything and everything went numb. She needed something and she didn't know what it was.

She screamed.

A scream that carried the sorrow and frustration weighing her down so heavily.

She screamed again.

A banshee-like scream that tore at her throat and left it raw.

She screamed once more.

Pain. Suffering. Anger. Despair. All mingled together as the edge of her sight grew darker and darker.

The screaming wasn't enough. Her body was hurting. Hurting in ways that she never knew possible before. She held her head in pain not knowing what to do. Frustration coursed through her as nothing would do to stop the pain. In that pain, she tries to scratch at her cheeks wanting so desperately for tears to come. Frustration is compounded when the scars she makes close immediately and she feels a doom upon her. Nothing lasts. Nothing is permanent. She forgets and thinks that nothing will ever mark her and feels the dread fall upon her.

Picking up her knife she eyes the blade and knows that it too will not offer any peace. No. She has known this for a long time. She stares at the blade looking at her deranged reflection and catches a glimpse of an answer. Trembling now and looking to the wild jungle before her a thousand memories flash through her mind. The blade is held firmer and with her other hand she grasps the long braided coil of hair that so beautifully adorns her head. She can hear now the screams from behind her. What seemed forever was only a few seconds and the other halflings are just catching up to her. They are too late.

She does eventually pass out. Limp, her mind can't take it anymore and she collapses in a heap on the rocky ground. A desperate Viperin comes to her side, cradling her in her arms, tears stinging her eyes as she cries Triba's name. Next to her the calmer Sandcaller picks the remnants of nearly a century worth of hair and carefully coils it into one of her bags. She comes to stand next to her pair and quietly holds her as the sun gives way to the night...


Somewhere in the wilds of the haven a guttural roar is heard. No sound that a humanoid throat could make. It is almost a howl but it comes from no wolf or hound. The roar persists for a long while and an unnatural silence falls in Wildflower that day.


==





[/INDENT]((You will be sorely missed))

3
Ask A Gamemaster / Re: Dorand and Ilsare
« on: October 03, 2010, 01:17:05 pm »
Form following function is one of the most important engineering lessons. It got drilled into us in so many different levels, everywhere from conception to implementation. It's not just an "opinion" of how pretty something might be, it really is a fundamentally different approach.

While there's plenty of room for there to be internal conflict of the follower, the lessons that Dorand teaches are pretty straightforward: Make durable, useful, and quality items to venerate the Master Crafter. There's really nothing there about "beautiful". There's room for conflict for a -follower- to want to make something beautiful, but His teachings are not driven by that. Ilsare's are.

4
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / True Sight vs Rogues
« on: September 21, 2010, 08:16:44 pm »
What's a pure rogue?



Right... I suppose no one wants to go down that road. Heh. Honestly, this is probably going to sound harsh, but spending development time to change a spell that affects pretty much every character on the server to differing manners so that what? 4 shadow dancers/assassins in the server can PvP fairly? It seems a waste of energy.



Preferably we should have something along the lines that Filatus mentioned (Though that particular idea might be a little too hard to do), but special abilities that grant flat footedness under special conditions or have an actual system that respects Initiative.





ALTERNATIVELY! You can follow the age old strategy for successful roguerizing:



Step 1: Find a tank

Step 2: Stab

Step 3: Profit





*shrugs* Some classes are not meant to solo.


5
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / True Sight vs Rogues
« on: September 21, 2010, 01:11:17 pm »
The world leader reward for that was just G-sanc (with some hefty damaging penalties when she used it). It was more to do with the character's link to some very shadowy people than to her ability to just "hide". It should go without saying that giving G-sanc to HiPSters is a really bad idea.


6
Character Development Quests (CDQ's) / Re: Pankoki - CDQ/WLDQ
« on: July 18, 2010, 02:51:54 pm »
That is pretty outrageous I admit, sometimes you just want to scream the one thing and having to come down from that excitement to explain to the forums that its okay is pretty much a let down.

Anyway! Going to try and restart this thingie thing, can people who are still interested in a CDQ PM me? Even if its a simple "I'm interested!" just to make a working list.

Much appreciated!

7
General Discussion / Re: Where I've Been
« on: April 09, 2010, 08:09:11 pm »
Dude... Not right... That is awesome and yes the music is perfect.

And that has the be the most hilarious spelling of facetious :P

8
Trade and Market Hall / Re: Angels Guild--Adventure Outfitters
« on: April 07, 2010, 10:51:29 pm »
A final box is left at the guild shop with Ginseng and Silk, once more labeled: "Samnyma"

9
Trade and Market Hall / Re: Angels Guild--Adventure Outfitters
« on: April 03, 2010, 12:34:53 am »
Another three boxes are left at the shop, Ginseng, Purple Mushrooms and Silk, all labeled "Samnyma"

10
Trade and Market Hall / Re: Angels Guild--Adventure Outfitters
« on: April 02, 2010, 07:33:36 pm »
A box of ginseng and a box of purple mushrooms are dropped at the store with a visible label that reads "Samnyma".

11
I have had the luck to come across a similar cloak which I now own. I am not in the position to be wasting True, as such I must remove my bid for the Nymph Cloak.


- Samnyma -

12
Rumour Has It / Re: Massive Tsunamis!!
« on: March 10, 2010, 03:45:31 pm »
On the summer evening of Jular 16, 1462 the skies to the west of Mistone upon the Almoran ocean illuminated with a terrifying display of power. It would take no great sage or wise druid to confirm that the weather was not a natural pattern of the world. Whatever brewed deep in the Almoran was fueled by a great magic and rage.

As the show of lights continued throughout the night it grew with impossible power. The lightning changed into what can only be described as a black tainted color that was still visible from a distance. Its energy continued to build into wild patterns which is when the voice was heard, a harsh deep thunderous voice that mingled with the thunderstorm. It whispered in sombre tones: "Witch Witch Witch"...

And just as impossible as it all seemed then, was the impossible explosion that followed. Water turned to flame and a billowing mushroom that could be seen even from so far away on the Almoran coast, filled the horizon.

The cloud threatened to expand more and more but a powerful silvery lightning, thick from high above the heavens pierced its power and all that followed was simply silence...

The darkening horizon calmed. The storm faded. The seas grew calm...







((Grats Carillon :)))

13
Rumour Has It / Re: In Tsunami-Wrecked Karst ...
« on: March 08, 2010, 05:23:33 pm »

14
Rumour Has It / Re: Devastation in Krandor
« on: March 08, 2010, 05:23:09 pm »

16
Rumour Has It / Re: Massive Tsunamis!!
« on: March 08, 2010, 05:21:49 pm »
Five years after the initial waves hit western Mistone and things have never truly recovered in full. The protections that were made in each of the affected cities were good, indeed it is a testament to the brilliant minds that put it in place just how good they are as they have kept the violent waters at bay.

However, keeping the cities protected is one thing, being able to travel in such waters an entirely different one. In fact such a feat has become a near epic adventure. As the years pass and the waters and weathers become more treacherous and violent the Almoran quickly gains amidst many circles the name of "The Unforgiving Maelstrom" or "The Ever Rising Blue". All of this of course influences trade and the way of living for both coastal and inland towns, and not really in a good way.


Such concerns of course seem trivial right now since for the last month the weather has gotten particularly fouler. In the major cities the protections hold. There is some risk that they might need some increased resistances but they will keep the more violent weather in check. However the coastline does not share the same fate. Many villages have disappeared entirely and the landscape continues to be reshaped.


In these last few days however it is all highlighted by a display that would send chills down the hardiest of sailors.



Rolling lightning.
 

 



Rolling lightning illuminating the horizon to the west of the Almoran sea. Constant through day and night and brewing a storm that even from so far away seems fueled by an unworldly power.


Needless to say people are very nervous and unsure what to do.
Authorities in each major city seem to be on the move to make preparations for what might come but in truth it all seems utterly futile with what looms in the horizon.


===========================================================================


((OOC Note: Alright, first I must apologize for the interruption of steady updates. Things continued as they were indicated in the last post but there have been questions of the state of things between then and now and things have been incredibly hectic.

However! One way or another this plot will come to its conclusion tomorrow Tuesday night with Jaelle's WL finale. Success or failure it will have interesting results and potential sub-plots in the future. I am going to be using this natural ending of this series to also collect all the different donations tallies and projects surrounding the tsunamis and reflect their own successes or failures.

So what that means is that by Friday this week I will be adding up all the donations that have been made to see what sort of recognition people or organizations will have when the dusts settles. This also means that if I need to collect whatever resources you might have had for related projects that I still haven't, then throughout the week and concluding Friday I will make myself available at virtually any time zone to collect them. So please get a hold of me before Friday.

Thanks to all who got involved!

Oh and credit to the awesome photo taken by the artist!

17
Ask A Gamemaster / Re: Ask the Loremaster: Prunilla
« on: March 03, 2010, 10:40:35 am »
Looks like the constellation page is not working.

18
5,000 True on the Nymph Cloak

- Samnyma -

19
General Discussion / Re: Dyeing on Layo
« on: February 10, 2010, 03:29:29 pm »
You can dye your clothes at the loom. Though at one point we actually had a dyeing craft, it was pretty crazy. You had to collect materials and stuff for EACH color dye then you'd get the ones that came standard with NWN!

*squints and looks around sheepishly*

Right! I dunno about you but there's lots of people dying and getting soul strands and perming!

20
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / Re: Blinding Speed.
« on: February 04, 2010, 11:38:52 pm »
Goes up and down with jewelry.

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