[PRP] Cast the First Stone (Chester & Preacher)

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher resisted the urge to rub the hole in the middle of the stone they'd found, if only because the movement hurt. Her hands were largely out of commission and would remain so for quite some time. Maybe she should bother some magical healer ********. Healing by regular means was a. nnoy. ing and it took forever.

She was at the kitchen counter, because this seemed to be their impromptu gathering spot. This time, instead of yelling for Chester, she'd sit and wait. While she waited, she pulled up a movie on her laptop.

smerdle

item creation mechanic

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Players must roll 1d10 in each post where they attempt to create their attuned item. The d10 determines the success or failure of their attempt. Four successes are required to create the item; each post must be filled out.

roll results
1-- A success! Your item has taken a little of your desired trait into itself.
2-- A failure. You have blown up one of your less expensive reagents and caused yourself minor damage.
3-- A failure. Your item has proven resistant to one of your reagents; you will need more power or more reagent to make it work.
4-- A success! Your item has taken a little more of your desired trait into itself.
5-- A failure. Your item has cracked, and must be repaired.
6-- A failure. You have blown up one of your most expensive reagents and done yourself moderate damage. The reagent must be replaced.
7-- A success! Your item has taken a little more of your desired trait into itself.
8-- A failure. You pushed too hard, and the item rejected your attempt to imbue it with its traits.
9-- A success! Your item has taken a little more of your desired trait into itself.
10-- A failure. You didn't push hard enough, and have given yourself a headache.

 

[Smerdle]

This time Chester's journey down the stairs happened at a geriatric plod. He had a couple of old canvas bags looped around his neck that tinkled with every step, and he held a tray that was not exactly overfilled, but definitely precarious. Seven glass bottles of what looked to be water rested on it, and when he reached the counter and deposited them there, he added a number of other containers to the group from his bags, holding everything from sand to clear nail polish.

"Tap water, sparkling water, Poland Spring, river water, pond water, rainwater, and heavy water," he said, gesturing at each in turn. The last bottle was significantly smaller than the rest, suggesting its expense, if not its usefulness in this situation. "And these are just... watery things, I guess. Suggestive of water. And a couple of glues and adhesives in case something breaks."

Spells might have been easier on this side these days, but that didn't mean he knew how attuning something worked or how it might go wrong.

The Semblance of Unityomfg i used the wrong its

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Uwaaah," she said in a monotone. "Ya came prepared, jus' like a boyscout." Secretly, she was kind of impressed by how thorough he was being. Preacher reached out and touched each of the bottles in turn, thinking. Finally, she settled on the rainwater. That was supposed to wash away s**t, right? Sustain life n' junk.

She opened it. "So, I'm thinking we set this'un on tha stone and shoot our magic mind beams at it so it absorbs." Preacher sounded a lot more confident than she actually was. With one finger, she drew a glowing circle on the counter top and gently laid the rock in the center. Then, she pushed glowing lines inward towards the rock. Containment, absorption. Holding her breath, she poured part of the bottle on the rock and cupped her ruined hands around it.

Wash away, provide life, quenching, other watery words. She thought of them and pushing her magic in as though the hagstone were a sponge. When she removed her hands, there was significantly less water around the stone than there had been. "I think... I think it zhooped it up..."

smerdle

success #1!

 

[Smerdle]

They might not have been able to get to and from other Ashdown with any ease, but Preacher could write on the table with her finger, which Chester thought was just as useful and marginally cooler. He almost asked her where she had learned it, but where had they learned any of it really? She was just as likely to have picked it up from Mink as she was to have woken up able to do it for no reason at all.

Instead of responding to her magic or her boy scout comment, he poured a little of the river water over the stone and put his hands around it like she had. Both his choice and the rainwater were the only samples that had come from the other side, a fact he hadn't deemed important until he had seen how well the stone had reacted. He pulled away after intently repeating 'sustain the casters' a few times in his head while feeling like an idiot, and he smiled a little at the result.

"Zhoop."

The Semblance of Unity

#2!

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She snorted to cover up what might have been a giggle. Zhoop, indeed. She reached for the bottle of Poland Spring and dribbled some on the rock. Was it her imagination or was the stone become kind of... translucent? Like it was less absorbing Chester and her water and more becoming it.

Preacher placed her hand over the stone, but all the repeated in her head was the word zhoop, zhoop, zhoop. Her head hurt.

smerdle

faiiiiiiiilure

 

[Smerdle]

Chester tried the river water again, convinced that more concentration would yield a better result. Instead of another zhoop, he felt a little humid burst of air against his palms, like the stone was huffing its disapproval.

He pulled back, standing straight. Air in their water was probably bad.

The Semblance of Unity

also a fail

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She needed to concentrate. It was harder than anticipated; her burns a distraction she couldn't afford. Preacher gripped the bottle, hoping the sudden spike in pain would help her focus, Water, water - she willed the stone to suck it up. And, suddenly, the plastic bottle was holding exploded. Preacher jerked her hand back with a yelp as plastic flew outwards, narrowly missing her face. From somewhere, she heard the startled yowl of Mink.

"W-well, s**t. I don think that's apposed to happen..."

smerdle

boo, fail

 

[Smerdle]

He had decided to change things up, grabbing the neck of the bottle of sparkling water moments before Preacher's magical outburst. When hers exploded in her hand, Chester gasped through his nose, and in a surprise burst of power he would likely never be able to replicate on this side, the glass in his hand pulverized itself, raining down onto the tray in a loud rush. At least he hadn't sent bits of it flying everywhere.

He shook out his hand and took a step away from the counter. "Okay. I think we should try for less of that." What had happened to the zhoop?

The Semblance of Un!ty

badaboom

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Sighing, Preacher settled on grabbing the pond water. If rain and river had worked, this should too, right? She doused the rock generously and cleared her mind.

"Is it jus' me or is this rock lookin' a bit like solid-y watery?" That, at least, had seemed to work.

smerdle

success 3!

 

[Smerdle]

It seemed like a bad idea, since too much of the stuff killed plants and poisoned small animals, but this was magic, and magic was rooted in belief. Heavy water also acted as a protective substance in some cases, and even though their watery rock was meant to sustain, more protection never hurt anybody.

Plus, Chester kind of just wanted to pour deuterium oxide on something.

In the end, he threw on some more pond water too, just to be safe, urging the rock to take it in, and from where he was standing, it did. He could see the counter through it now, like he was looking at some 3D animation student's final project on particle effects.

"It's not just you. That's... something." He chuckled. "Do you think it's done?"

The Semblance of Unity

CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK HAGSTONE IS COOKING

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Her 'Chester is a big fat nerd' senses were tingling, but she watched him with bated breath, hoping the damn thing would take. When he was done she poked it experimentally and a shock of coolness ran up her finger.

"Holy s**t I think it's good ta go. Feels all tingly n' good." Preacher wondered if transport in a ziploc baggie would be fine. "We gotta take it up to Silk-a-rino. She's ********.... well, she's somethin', but she ain't bad."

smerdle

start incoming

 

[Smerdle]

He wasn't about to give out high-fives or anything, especially not with the state of her hands, but Chester was rather ecstatic that something he had helped to make was tingly and good. He hoped the casters appreciated it.

He turned to Preacher with a nod and a small smile, excitement contained. Next stop: Silk-a-rino.

The Semblance of Unity