alchemenace | week 1; wednesday w/ fane

[ Fane turns his wrist over as if checking the extent of the damage, but he shrugs ]

Well, poison, perhaps, but I wouldn't be surprised if even that didn't work, somehow. [ Which. Makes no sense, but. Undead have weird rules about healing in Divinity that I have to follow. ] But alas, no. All of your mortal medicine is made for those still with flesh, so I'll simply have to live with the inconvenience.

[ undead rules make no sense but varian is just going to accept it and move on, because obviously fane would know best how being a magic skeleton works ]

I guess the most we could do is cover it up with something, but yeah, I, um, I would not trust this place with poisons. [ please don't make the next trial them trying to discuss how someone poisoned a skeleton ] What even happened to you guys?

Ah, perhaps, but there's little need other than cosmetics. I was briefly concerned, as I've not intentionally let a "wound" sit for so long without taking care of it, but it seems I'm not losing my Source. It's a shame I have nothing to investigate with, since really, the vapor is quite interesting.

[ fane, ]

But regardless— We took the quite winding path, and ended up encountering some sort of ice elemental. Its shape-shifting was quite the problem, but luckily, I happened to be prepared. Why, without the Face Ripper, I believe Stephanie would have perished.

[ fane saying the vapor is interesting only makes varian try to get a closer look, so good job there fane ]

A shapeshifting ice creature... hmm... Well, I'm glad you were able to save her from that. [ and uh ] Is. I've been meaning to ask, is "Face Ripper" exactly what it sounds like?

[ varian gets the feeling it is not a metaphor ]

[ Fane doesn't mind the curiosity, and rather, he indulges it by holding up his wrist for Varian to take a better look. Up close, the crack itself is probably as interesting as the vapor being emitted from it. Inside the bone, where the marrow would be, it's instead filled with that bluish-green light. However, it's not just indistinct light. It looks like there's liquid in it that's somehow not leaking out, and that's what's emitting both the faint glow and the vapor. It's also quite beautiful, since other than the color, it seems to be flecked with points of white light that makes it resemble an ethereal starscape. The vapor itself has no odor, but where it touches skin, it does cause a light, but pleasant tickling sensation. ]

As am I. It would have been troubling to try and explain otherwise, I imagine.

[ Since, well. ]

That it is. As my much nicer mask had been stolen by a witch, I had to begin crafting a new one. To craft a new one, I need faces, and so, the Face Ripper.

[ thank god the crack and vapor are fascinating because the rest of this conversation is eighteen levels of horror inducing. ]

You showing up with a dead body would've been kiiiind of awkward, but everyone kind of forgot Shirasu when he came out with Natsuo? Maybe it would've been fine. Except for the dead Stephie part.

[ he's very casual as he says this, a lot more interested in examining all angles of fane's wrist, frowning in thought. And then the face ripper thing. ]

... So you take faces. Okay. That is an interesting tool. I can't say I've ever seen anything like that.

Perhaps, but Natsuo wasn't dead. She almost certainly would have been in this case.

[ But luckily, no need to worry about that! Especially since Fane is quick to give Varian something else to focus on/worry about. He reaches into his coat and pulls out a pretty goth looking tool that doesn't actually look much like a weapon. But it definitely looks like something that would be called a Face Ripper. ]

There you are. Now you've seen it. [ He flips it over, then presses the button on the eye socket, and many tiny and very sharp knives pop out and move upward in a, uh. Shearing motion. ] The masks themselves are exceedingly simple to make. To my people, they were little more than cheap toys for parlor tricks and children, but we also didn't need actual faces at the time. Luckily, I... obtained this little trinket to help with that problem. Harvesting faces is terribly difficult otherwise.

[ he didn't ask for this. listen. please. he didn't ask to see this he regrets everything that ever lead him here he will be thinking of fane "harvesting" faces for weeks now.

Outwardly he just laughs awkwardly, subtly trying to lean away from the face ripper. Why. Why? ]

Yeah, I can. I can see how it would be. What with the, uh. Well. Flaying is difficult? So I've heard.

[ he has not heard of it, at all. ]

Oh, quite. Your faces are quite stubbornly attached to your skulls. It makes it quite difficult. It is why—despite the trouble I had to go through to obtain this one—I'm quite glad for this trinket. It makes the process far, far simpler.

[ He picks it up again and tucks it back inside his jacket ]

Though I am glad that I realized that you lot are not as... accepting of tampering with corpses. My companions certainly did not mind.

[ he's too disney for this ]

... Did your companions usually know the people whose faces you took? Because that might be the. Big difference there.

[ He. Pauses. Considers it. And then: ]

...Well, we knew some of them before we killed them. Depending on your definition of "know", at least.

Well, if they knew them as enemies, they probably wouldn't care as much. It's a lot more difficult to look at when you cared about the person.

[ fane you're killing him ]

[ Fane taps his finger against his chin thoughtfully, but then concedes with a nod. ]

...Hm. I suppose that's true. We don't kill people we like. [ tbh ]

Well, it's a good thing I did try and stab that corpse, in that case. I had been fully planning on using her face, but seeing how all of you reacted, I thought better of it.

[ THIS IS DEADASS NOT A JOKE, I, CHRISTY, WAS READY ]

[ oh my godx2 ]

Please never do that where I can see it. [ wait more than his thing for gore: ] Or anyone? Ever?

[ trial would've definitely ended with fane straight to the chopping block ]

Yes, I've learned as much.

[ He sighs ]

You needn't worry. Luckily you lot aren't torch-wielding savages, so I don't need to take on a garishly mortal appearance simply to exist without being attacked.

Ohhh... Yeah. It is pretty lucky most people here are a lot more... accepting? Half of Corona believed I was a wizard just because I did alchemy, I can't imagine how they'd react to an undead.

[ i mean he can but it also involves torches. so. ]

Pfft. Alchemy as wizardry. Please.

[ Fane crosses his arms and shrugs ]

They're remarkably different. If only I had one of my books here, you could read it and learn a bit of it yourself just to show how ignorant that is!

I know, thank you, why is it so hard to understand? Just because they don't get how it works doesn't mean it all falls under the same category!

Well, that's the simple minded for you. Anything they don't understand falls into the category of heresy for some reason.

[ He shrugs, but since they're on the subject, he asks: ]

Though I don't believe I've asked-- What sort of alchemy do you practice?

I... don't really have a specialty?

[ genuinely. he adds: ]

I'm, uh, I'm kind of the only alchemist in Corona. [ this should not sound like a brag but it. it is. somehow ]

[ At the very least, Fane is impressed! He definitely sounds it as his posture turns clearly thoughtful. ]

Well... My goodness. That's quite the accomplishment. Did you learn it yourself or pick it up from a... Ah, former practitioner?

[ Though as he listens, Fane will grab another sheet of fabric and start scribbling rather furiously. It's clear he's making some kind of list, though of what, he doesn't explain yet. ]

Picked it up by myself. It ... was not always easy.

[ mostly because all he does with it is cause everyone Grief no matter his good intentions but let's not linger on that. he's obviously curious about the notes, but doesn't ask directly so much as stand on his tip-toes to look around Fane as he writes and try to decipher it. because that's clearly the better option? ]

I'm always trying to teach people about the wonders of alchemy, but, well, no one really wants to listen. Heh. [ awk ]

And that's nothing to scoff at. Why, as I essentially did the same with Source and the Veil, I understand it completely.

[ Fane doesn't mind him edging closer, and it probably becomes a bit more obvious what he's actually writing. It's a bulleted list of ingredients and their results, and he can probably guess that's why he switched to another swatch of fabric. This is all stuff that Fane knows readily, so this is for Varian.

That said, with ingredients like "Penny Bun Mushroom", "Augmentor", or "Fire Essence", they might not translate to what Varian has avaliable. But, hey, it's something to start with!

At least until Fane gets to some of the more ethically questionable recipes. Hm. ]

Should you ever like to, I'm always open to exchanging ideas. It's not my area of expertise, but it hardly needs to be to be interesting.

[ it takes him a second to register what exactly it is Fane is writing and for why, even when he can clearly read it. when he does, the curious look on his face is immediately replacement with a wide beam as he practically vibrates in place in excitement ]

Wait, wait, really? That's what I think it is? That's amazing!

[ he rushes over to pour over everything and i don't have alchemy things to share because tangled is dumb but he's also too excited reading to share right now anyway. ]

Thanks, Fane. No one ever... I mean, no one ever tried to share stuff like that with me before.

Well, tou're welcome. If you're the first alchemist, then I may as well share the most basic of knowledge. I find these sorts of recipes lying about all the time.

[ "Chanterelle, ground to paste and fermented for three days, grants invisibility" ]

Granted, some of them do require more... exotic ingredients, but whether you collect them or not, well, I leave that judgement up to you. I'm hardly in any position to say one way or the other.

[ "Intestines, fresh or rotting, steeped in poison while in an explosive canister, creates chemical warfare grenade" ]

—And eventually, we may speak about Source and the Veil. It's an exceptionally interesting field of study, and absolutely worth investigation.

[ ha ... there's the condescending tone he expects out of fane. it was a great thirty seconds before that. varian is thirsty enough for #alchemy that he doesn't comment, though he does correct: ]

Oh, I'm, I'm not the first. I'm the only practicing alchemist in Corona as far as I know, but Corona isn't the biggest of the seven kingdoms. Actually, the ancient technology in Corona is a lot more impressive than anything the kingdom has managed in recent years, but I--I wanted to change that.

[ wanted, past tense, but varian doesn't extrapolate on that, taking out his own quill and ink from his (vast) pockets (of his starbuck's apron) ]

I wouldn't say no to learning about Source and Veil, though. It sounds fascinating. Um, can I?

[ he knows fane just said they could share, but, y'know, one of the two of them has to be polite ]

Oh— Well, then. Another thing I can quite relate to. It's quite disappointing when the "old" is far superior to the new. I believe I'd be much less cross about the state of the world if it was at least more advanced than the Eternals... But, no. It's all gone to shit.

[ He sighs dramatically, but he does pause to look at Varian ]

What, copy this? There's no need, if so. I'm writing it for you to keep.

Um, no, no, you said you wanted to, that we could exchange ideas? I could, I've got--

[ he shakes his head and just starts to write, and while i don't know ingredients because tangled is dumb and his has a little more formulas involved for some reason (tangled), but at the end of it he's written down his recipe for a truth potion because why not ]

I initially modified this from a drop of-- well, analyzing the original was quite the challenge, let's just go with that. Um, you probably have something similar already, but.

[ Fane makes a sound of delighted acknolwedgement, since yeah, of course his dumb ass didn't think Varian would actually share?? God, I hate him. Anyways. Once Varian is done, Fane takes it gingerly and takes a look. He falls into a long silence as he seems to think it over, but Varian gets a quiet— ]

Fascinating.

[ So, you know. Great Job!! ]

No, I've at least never heard of a truth potion. Quite useful! It truly would minimize the need to obtain information by fighting morons. [ look, ]

[ He is proud of himself at managing that reaction out of Fane. So, so stupidly proud, he definitely can't hide his grin. this nerd always trying to impress people ]

Oh, it definitely was useful. Um, this is just the formula for the regular potion, but I've found that it isn't affected by putting it in a less... obvious format. Personally, my specialty is more in chemical compounds or creating new elements, as well as building machines, but I try to hit a little of everything.

[ He nods agreeably, since this is something he fully plans on testing out as soon as he's back to Rivellon. There's no shortage of people to try it on, considering their quest. ]

Now you're talking about things I quite understand. Well, mostly. Machinery was never my personal area of interest, but we Eternals used them extensively. It's why it's a shame to see them quite gone. They're exceedingly useful for mundane tasks.

[ Though talk of elements has him pointing to one of the things he's written down: "Fire Essence". ]

When you're creating new elements, are you using these Essences?

The machines in Corona's past were ... [ a sigh of deep longing and appreciation ] But, obviously I've been doing my part in trying to build things that are just as great.

[ Varian peers at the words like they hold the secret of the universe, a thoughtful frown on his face ]

No. I've never even heard of an "Essence" before. Well, obviously I've heard of the word by itself, but this seems a bit more ... specific.

It is, yes. It's... Well, it's roughly what it sounds like. If Source is a soul, then an Essence is something like a piece of it, but tied to their magic. So if you have a wizard who specializes in fire magic, you're likely able to harvest a fire Essence from them.

[ probably. the game doesn't actually explain. but this sounds ok ]

They're exceedingly useful! They're the main component for making runes.

week 1; wednesday w/ fane

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

congrats varian a skeleton is your new dad

hey wtf this is cute. bad.

it's ok i'll ruin it immediately

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject