Maidens of the Kaleidoscope

~Beyond the Border~ => Rumia's Party Games => Mystia's Stored Games => Topic started by: Hello Purvis on February 17, 2018, 01:39:57 AM

Title: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 17, 2018, 01:39:57 AM
>You are Lily Humboldt!  Magus of Calumet City and a Master in a very unusual Grail War.
>Your Servant is Robin Hood -AHEM- Robin Wood, who is of the Archer Class. The two of you have gotten along well so far. You have met or at least heard of several other Servants in the Calumet City thus far, which is curious because as near as you can tell, the Grail is actually someplace in Delaware. That it's even on this continent is strange enough... Your servant has encountered Berserker, and the two of you decided to leave him be. You have had a battle with Rider; who turned out to be Henry Ford under the command of none other than Charles Koch; and came out victorious. More distressingly, you have also met Assassin, whom you have identified as Gavrilo Princip. He took to killing Charles himself, employing a Noble Phantasm that apparently strikes at the world order itself.
>Thankfully, the police didn't batter down your door that night as you slept, and even more thankfully Assassin was nowhere to be seen. Instead, you made your way out of Illinois while the nation went more and more insane in the wake of the murder of a highly influential billionaire. Passing through Indiana, you encountered Lancer and his Master, a Native America woman named Kimimela. Your meeting was tense, but ended somewhat peacefully, until Berserker showed up and you left them there to deal with it. After overnighting in the soulless husk of the eastern-most midwest, you make your way through the Appalachian Mountains and encountered another master, this one with a servant whose class didn't fit any of the ones that you expected. Just contemplating his information gave you a sense of disquiet. This time, things broke down and you ended up taking a more lethal solution to deal with things.
>Finally, you managed to reach your goal of Delaware, and had a reasonably peaceful and restful night. You've been making your way through the state this morning, checking out coastal areas. Having just finished up looking into a tiny bay-side neighborhood called Kitt's Hummock, you prepare to move on to somewhere more southern. You've also just found that Archer and Lancer were talking with each other last night.

> "Is that alright with you? I just checked for messages and skimmed it while I was waiting for the map to load."
> "But yeah. In all honesty Kimimela isn't unjustified in what she wants to wish for, but I don't think it would end very well."

>"It's kind of annoying, actually," Archer says. "I didn't paw through all your conversations."
>She nods when you mention Lancer's master. "I suppose. I don't know, back in my time that sort of thing happened all the time. But they get seem to have a whole lot of bad luck."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 17, 2018, 02:13:31 AM
> "Er, right, sorry."
> "Anyway, it turned out most other nations weren't nearly as imperialistic, so when Europeans stopped fighting each other and turned their sights outward, a lot of the rest of the world got bowled over, like Kimimela's people."
> "The modern world doesn't look back very fondly on it, so it's, uh, a contentious issue, is one way you could put it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 17, 2018, 02:46:06 AM
> "Er, right, sorry."
> "Anyway, it turned out most other nations weren't nearly as imperialistic, so when Europeans stopped fighting each other and turned their sights outward, a lot of the rest of the world got bowled over, like Kimimela's people."
> "The modern world doesn't look back very fondly on it, so it's, uh, a contentious issue, is one way you could put it."

>"I'll say," says Archer. "Given how you two were squabbling about it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 17, 2018, 03:39:16 AM
> "Come to think of it, did the French pick any fights with England back during your time?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 17, 2018, 05:32:15 AM
> "Come to think of it, did the French pick any fights with England back during your time?"

>"From what I've gathered, we didn't really have French back then," says Archer. "We had Franks, and Saxons, and stuff like that. And if they did, they didn't bother Nottingham."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 17, 2018, 03:13:56 PM
> "I think you're from a lot further back than the era I keep thinking of...what was the last year you remember?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 17, 2018, 08:21:25 PM
> "I think you're from a lot further back than the era I keep thinking of...what was the last year you remember?"

>"We didn't really keep track of numerical years," says Archer, shrugging.
>From what you gathered on the first day of the trip, she comes from some point before Britain unified. At least she's mentioned places like Mercia as being existent.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 17, 2018, 10:17:04 PM
> Continue along to Rehoboth Beach!
> (Lament not stopping at Slaughter Beach.)
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 18, 2018, 12:10:02 AM
> Continue along to Rehoboth Beach!
> (Lament not stopping at Slaughter Beach.)

>You hop back into the car and make your southward. The estimate that you were given is about an hour, and not having to dodge around any toll roads you certainly get there closer to it, just following state highway 1 most of the way. You enter Sussex County; Archer is starting to grumble more and more about pilfered English names; and traffic becomes heavier. You find yourself entering a metropolitan area; you gather it isn't one city so much as a bunch of little towns that just sort of grew into each other. And given the number of "Now entering..." signs you see, they are very concerned you don't mistake any one of them for any other town just across the street. It's not quite as large as what you're used to, but it's at least more familiar than the awful nowhere towns of Indiana and Ohio.
>Traffic gets about as bad as Chicago's shortly, and you quickly realize a non-trivial portion of it is vacationers. With a long sigh, you settle into crawling through traffic as you slowly but surely make your way toward West Rehoboth, and the selfsame beach. As you do, you notice a lot more hotels and lame chain restaurants popping up. This is definitely a resort town... It might be more tolerable to make your base  of operations a bit further inland. Then again...

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Jana on February 18, 2018, 01:04:59 AM
>"The English were the ones to colonize this area, and they just re-used a lot of names they were already using."

Having all these people around will at least make it less likely that someone will magically ambush us.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 18, 2018, 01:17:10 AM
>"The English were the ones to colonize this area, and they just re-used a lot of names they were already using."

>"They could have done a better job," Archer says. "So, going to the beach again?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 18, 2018, 01:24:53 AM
> "That's right, although the number of people headed the same way doesn't excite me."
> "At Kitt's Hummock I felt we needed to go east and also south...if I'm still feeling east when we get to the beach this time, it'll be a safe bet it's somewhere out on the ocean."
> "...Or beneath. God, please don't let the Grail be underwater."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 18, 2018, 04:19:40 AM
> "That's right, although the number of people headed the same way doesn't excite me."
> "At Kitt's Hummock I felt we needed to go east and also south...if I'm still feeling east when we get to the beach this time, it'll be a safe bet it's somewhere out on the ocean."
> "...Or beneath. God, please don't let the Grail be underwater."

>"At least...it wouldn't be wholly impossible to get to, these days, if it were." says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 18, 2018, 05:23:08 AM
> "Uh...are you prepared to steal a submarine, if it comes down to it?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 18, 2018, 06:26:35 AM
> "Uh...are you prepared to steal a submarine, if it comes down to it?"

>"Wouldn't be the first thing I stole," says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 18, 2018, 04:21:19 PM
> "Well, that's reassuring, in a way."
> Continue to slog through traffic towards Rehoboth Beach.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 18, 2018, 08:56:40 PM
> "Well, that's reassuring, in a way."
> Continue to slog through traffic towards Rehoboth Beach.

>"They're not much harder to drive than cars, right?" Archer says.
>Slowly but surely, you make your way there. On the bright side, there is parking just about everywhere. On the less bright side, it is still a nightmare. But eventually you manage to get parked, and see the beach not terribly far away.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 18, 2018, 09:41:21 PM
> "Finally."
> Stretch our legs, grab a coke out of the cooler, and get ready to walk out to the beachfront.
> "Let's check it out and hope our next destination isn't the docks."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 18, 2018, 10:57:38 PM
> "Finally."
> Stretch our legs, grab a coke out of the cooler, and get ready to walk out to the beachfront.
> "Let's check it out and hope our next destination isn't the docks."

>Archer claims a soft drink as well. "Frankly, if it is out to sea, I wouldn't recommend going out any further right now."
>There's a fair amount of activity at the beach, from what you can see.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 18, 2018, 11:42:35 PM
> "Yeah...realistically if it's out in the ocean we'll have to give up on finding it until we win the war. But we'd have to get to it eventually."
> "If it's a dead end we'll spend the rest of the day looking for a good campsite."
> Head on over to the beach.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 19, 2018, 02:03:20 AM
> "Yeah...realistically if it's out in the ocean we'll have to give up on finding it until we win the war. But we'd have to get to it eventually."
> "If it's a dead end we'll spend the rest of the day looking for a good campsite."
> Head on over to the beach.

>"Or at least until we get an idea of who and what we're dealing with," says Archer. "After that, the shift in terrain might work out for us."
>Making your way toward the beach, you can see it kind of crowded despite the weather. There's a lot of families, and a fair number of people who are probably retirees. Children are running around around, raising a ruckus as they tend to do. Despite this, things seem fairly calm.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 19, 2018, 02:56:04 AM
> It's probably safe to let our guard down. Nobody's going to hassle us on a crowded beach.
> Right? Right??
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 19, 2018, 06:22:11 AM
> It's probably safe to let our guard down. Nobody's going to hassle us on a crowded beach.
> Right? Right??

>If they can hassle you on a somewhat crowded beach, it probably doesn't matter whether your guard is up or not.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 19, 2018, 03:44:47 PM
> True enough!
> Head out near the water and take in the scene. Feel the ebb and flow of mana, or however this magic bullshit works.
> Where's our Grail Radar pointing now?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 19, 2018, 08:34:48 PM
> True enough!
> Head out near the water and take in the scene. Feel the ebb and flow of mana, or however this magic bullshit works.
> Where's our Grail Radar pointing now?

>You make your way toward the ocean, Archer walking along with you, and don't feel anything particularly unusual. This area doesn't seem to be unusually active in a magical sense.
>You...don't have a good feel for the Grail from here. You know this isn't it, but the next step isn't very clear at the moment.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 19, 2018, 08:43:46 PM
> Oh man. Archer's gonna be mad.
> Are we sure?? Furrow our brow and concentrate really hard.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 19, 2018, 09:32:27 PM
> Oh man. Archer's gonna be mad.
> Are we sure?? Furrow our brow and concentrate really hard.

>You focus harder. ...Signs are uncertain. You feel...there's another step, but something is in the way. Not the presence of an ocean you might have to traverse, rather it seems like something less easy to get around.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 19, 2018, 09:55:25 PM
> Send to Archer, given the number of people around. "Well, I can't feel the Grail, but I think this is the place...rather, this is as close as we can get right now."
> "I think the Grail is somewhere strange. A place we can't reach yet. There's something we have to do first, but I can't guess what."
> "How about you? Can you feel anything?"
> Take a good look around the beach. Can we tell if there are any other masters around, or just any other persons of interest?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 19, 2018, 11:27:08 PM
> Send to Archer, given the number of people around. "Well, I can't feel the Grail, but I think this is the place...rather, this is as close as we can get right now."
> "I think the Grail is somewhere strange. A place we can't reach yet. There's something we have to do first, but I can't guess what."
> "How about you? Can you feel anything?"
> Take a good look around the beach. Can we tell if there are any other masters around, or just any other persons of interest?

>"Hmm," Archer sends back. "I suppose that means we don't have to worry about someone getting ahead of us, at least."
>Looking around, no one really immediately stands out to you.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 19, 2018, 11:58:31 PM
> "Well, someone might show up sooner or later. Let's hang around for an hour or so."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 20, 2018, 01:24:15 AM
> "Well, someone might show up sooner or later. Let's hang around for an hour or so."

>"Alright," Archer sends. "Are we going to do anything?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 20, 2018, 02:02:07 AM
> "Not particularly...we'll just walk around town and see if we can find anything out of the ordinary. Maybe there's something I'm missing."
> "Oh, I guess now's a good chance to find some good Wall rocks..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 20, 2018, 02:13:04 AM
> "Not particularly...we'll just walk around town and see if we can find anything out of the ordinary. Maybe there's something I'm missing."
> "Oh, I guess now's a good chance to find some good Wall rocks..."

>"Sounds like a good idea," Archer sends back. "Honestly, I don't think any enemy magi are going to try to do anything until nightfall, this isn't like those isolated mountains our that woods no one cares about."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 20, 2018, 03:46:59 AM
> Walk the beach for a while and collect some stones while we're at it.
> If nothing interesting happens, let's go take a stroll through town, no doubt lined with shops in a tourist area such as this.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 20, 2018, 04:27:36 AM
> Walk the beach for a while and collect some stones while we're at it.
> If nothing interesting happens, let's go take a stroll through town, no doubt lined with shops in a tourist area such as this.

>You make your way down the beach, looking for stones. There's actually quite a few good ones here; you suppose having the ocean nearly to smooth out rocks helps quite a bit. It doesn't take long to to find a a good eight or so, enough to weight your purse down a tad with everything else in it.
>Walking around, you find a number of chintzy chain restaurants, a few diners that are no less crass, some hotels, a couple of churches belonging to various denominations of Christianity, a little amusement park by the beach called Funland, and a nice park a couple blocks in from the ocean, as well as a surprisingly middle-class-ish neighborhood all around it.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 20, 2018, 02:00:05 PM
> Stop at the park.
> "Nothing to see here, I guess...not yet, anyway. Lemme sit down for a sec and we'll head back to the car."
> Check the news on our phone. Any developments this morning?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 20, 2018, 08:09:08 PM
> Stop at the park.
> "Nothing to see here, I guess...not yet, anyway. Lemme sit down for a sec and we'll head back to the car."
> Check the news on our phone. Any developments this morning?

>You take a moment to rest on a park bench. You aren't exactly winded, but it is nice to take a break and a load off.
>"I think they'll probably be laying low, like we are," says Archer. "I haven't felt any other servants nearby, though."
>Checking the news, there doesn't seem to have been anything eye-grabbing going on at the moment.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 20, 2018, 09:52:44 PM
> ~*~wistful sigh~*
> "Hey Archer, are you looking forward to the next battle? Do you like fighting?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 20, 2018, 10:59:20 PM
> ~*~wistful sigh~*
> "Hey Archer, are you looking forward to the next battle? Do you like fighting?"

>"Despite what you might think," says Archer. "I could happily live the rest of my life without getting shot at or some old nasty weirdo trying to hit me with a cane or whatever Berserker or Lancer do."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 20, 2018, 11:24:10 PM
> "Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm just wondering if it was foolish of me to think the Grail War would be anything other than a bloodbath."
> "I had taken for granted that we'd at least be able to find the Grail, if not the Overseer, but now that we've hit a dead end...I'm not sure there's any way forward other than either picking a fight with another master or waiting for them to come to us."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 20, 2018, 11:27:54 PM
> "Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm just wondering if it was foolish of me to think the Grail War would be anything other than a bloodbath."
> "I had taken for granted that we'd at least be able to find the Grail, if not the Overseer, but now that we've hit a dead end...I'm not sure there's any way forward other than either picking a fight with another master or waiting for them to come to us."

>"Well, we've not really looked for any kind of overseer," says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 20, 2018, 11:31:55 PM
> "W-well...I'm not really sure how to go about that. I don't know if it's something I'd be able to sense even if I saw them."
> "I just kind of imagined walking into some kind of secret room with the Grail in it, and there they'd be, saying, 'Hello, I'm the overseer'!"
> Do we know ANYTHING about Grail War formalities for this kind of thing? Are we entitled to know who the overseer is?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 12:32:38 AM
> "W-well...I'm not really sure how to go about that. I don't know if it's something I'd be able to sense even if I saw them."
> "I just kind of imagined walking into some kind of secret room with the Grail in it, and there they'd be, saying, 'Hello, I'm the overseer'!"
> Do we know ANYTHING about Grail War formalities for this kind of thing? Are we entitled to know who the overseer is?"

>Archer chuckles. "I'm pretty sure we have to manifest the stupid thing, first."
>From what your research on the topic in the past suggests, the church historically oversees grail wars, having a very keen interest in finding the actual grail for the obvious reasons. As well, they have little to interest in actually being in the grail war, given their stance on magecraft, making them a useful neutral party.

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 12:42:47 AM
Admittedly my lack of knowledge in nasuverse may have caused some misconceptions about whether the Grail was a solid object we could actually locate or not.

> Suddenly sit up. "OH. I do know where to start. Why didn't I think of this sooner?"
> There are a bunch of churches around - are there any that look like they've been around for a particularly long time?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 02:10:55 AM
> Suddenly sit up. "OH. I do know where to start. Why didn't I think of this sooner?"
> There are a bunch of churches around - are there any that look like they've been around for a particularly long time?

>"Hm?" says Archer.
>None of the ones you have seen looked especially old.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 02:27:34 AM
> "The overseer is usually someone from the church."
> "There's about a half dozen of them around here, but checking them all won't take too long."
> Make our way towards the nearest one.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 04:19:41 AM
> "The overseer is usually someone from the church."
> "There's about a half dozen of them around here, but checking them all won't take too long."
> Make our way towards the nearest one.

>It's a bit of a walk, but you find your way to St. Edmund's Catholic Church. It's a little stone thing, sitting on the corner of two neighborhood streets, partially obscured by a large tree. You find the front doors are open, and you head inside. Inside it looks, well, like just about any church. Clean carpeted floors, rows of pews stretching out toward a pulpit in the back. Stained glass windows dot the side walls, while large windows over the entryway let in much of the light. You catch a young man in cassock, who is busy pushing around a floor sweeper.
>"Ah, hello, hello, bless you!" he calls as he sets the sweeper aside and quickly makes he way toward you. "What can I do for you today, my child?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 04:45:17 AM
> "Hi, are you the pastor here? Er, 'reverend'? 'Father'? Sorry, I don't know my Catholic stuff too well!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 04:55:34 AM
> "Hi, are you the pastor here? Er, 'reverend'? 'Father'? Sorry, I don't know my Catholic stuff too well!"

>"Hahah, no worries," he says. waving a hand. "Father will do, there's no need to worry. What can I do for you?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 05:08:18 AM
> "I'm, uh...you see..." Gesture meaninglessly while articulating our cover story.
> "I'm on a sort of scavenger hunt! I'm supposed to look for someone called the 'overseer', who gives out the instructions, and they're supposed to be at a church around here..."
> "Doesn't that sound weird? Don't be surprised if somebody else asks you about it. So, uh, are you the...'overseer'?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 05:24:29 AM
> "I'm, uh...you see..." Gesture meaninglessly while articulating our cover story.
> "I'm on a sort of scavenger hunt! I'm supposed to look for someone called the 'overseer', who gives out the instructions, and they're supposed to be at a church around here..."
> "Doesn't that sound weird? Don't be surprised if somebody else asks you about it. So, uh, are you the...'overseer'?"

>The priest frowns and tilts his head. "I'm not quite sure what you mean..." he says. Then his eyebrows raise. "Ah, hmm...Could you wait here just a moment, please?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 05:31:58 AM
> Nod.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 05:33:26 AM
> Nod.

>The priest bustles off.
>"Not at all suspicious, that," Archer says as she plops down on a pew.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 05:46:59 AM
> Send: "Well, so are we."
> "I can't think of anyone besides another master that we'd need to be worried about, though."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 06:27:45 AM
> Send: "Well, so are we."
> "I can't think of anyone besides another master that we'd need to be worried about, though."

>"Oh, yeah, I'm not worried or anything," Archer sends. "Just wow, that was something. Hope he's not a gambler."
>Minutes pass by. It's difficult not to wonder just what is happening. You're aware that the Church formally does not approve of Magi, but Magi are such a tiny concern compared to other things that are of greater interest, or at least greater threats, that realistically they just leave magi alone; especially since it would be a problem to get on the bad side of the Magic Association. Though you have heard stories of them going after particularly nasty rogue or harmful magi. That's not you, right..?
>Nearly 15 minutes go by before the priest steps back out. He approaches and gives you a piece of paper. "Sister Gibson would like to meet with you at Salt Air. It's down Wilmington Ave, to the north, in about 20 minutes." Checking the paper, you see that it says largely that; there is an address for the place.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 02:21:24 PM
> "Thank you very much, father. I'll be on my way."
> Nod politely, then head back out.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 09:22:16 PM
> "Thank you very much, father. I'll be on my way."
> Nod politely, then head back out.

>You nod politely, if a bit awkwardly, and make your way out. "I hope that helps," he says as you leave.
>"Not suspicious at all," Archer reiterates as you return to the street.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 11:11:17 PM
> "It's a lead, and that's more than I was expecting. Let's go meet this Sister Gibson."
> "What's 'Salt Air', though...?"
> Look it up on our phone (https://saltairrestaurant.com/).
> "Oh. This looks, uh, out of our price range."
> "Well, let's go see her, at least."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 21, 2018, 11:20:23 PM
> "It's a lead, and that's more than I was expecting. Let's go meet this Sister Gibson."
> "What's 'Salt Air', though...?"
> Look it up on our phone (https://saltairrestaurant.com/).
> "Oh. This looks, uh, out of our price range."
> "Well, let's go see her, at least."

>Archer leans in to have a look. "Wow, that's pricey, isn't it?" she says. "Who're they trying to fool? We could get a whole lot of the kinds of things we already had for this price."
>You start making your way northward. ...Doing this in 20 minutes may be difficult. Not impossible, you think, but you're going to have to keep a steady pace.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 21, 2018, 11:33:44 PM
> Would it be faster to get the car?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 12:07:48 AM
> Would it be faster to get the car?

>Probably not.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 12:09:20 AM
> "Ugh, it's pretty far. We need to hustle."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 12:15:12 AM
> "Ugh, it's pretty far. We need to hustle."

>"Eh, she'll be fine if it takes an extra few minutes," says Archer. "What's she going to do? Complain a bit?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 12:43:24 AM
> "Well, given where she wants to meet, I'd say there's a non-negligible chance she's the kind of person that expects to have her demands met. Let's hurry."
> Keep up a brisk pace.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 01:46:42 AM
> "Well, given where she wants to meet, I'd say there's a non-negligible chance she's the kind of person that expects to have her demands met. Let's hurry."
> Keep up a brisk pace.

>You keep up a brisk pace, and find yourself panting and jelly-legged by the time you reach the restaurant.
>Making your way in, you look around and see there is a lunchtime rush well in session. You also notice a woman in a nun's habit sitting at a booth in the back, who is definitely looking your way and sizing you up.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 03:00:08 AM
> Address the employee.
> "Huff...huff...hi, we're here to meet with the Sister Gibson there in the back."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 03:17:36 AM
> Address the employee.
> "Huff...huff...hi, we're here to meet with the Sister Gibson there in the back."

>"Sure, seat yourself," says the waitress who was approaching. She hands you the pair of menus she was carrying.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 03:35:31 AM
> "Th-thanks."
> Walk over to the nun's booth. This is awkward.
> "Uh...hello. I'm Lily. You must be Sister Gibson."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 04:00:03 AM
> "Th-thanks."
> Walk over to the nun's booth. This is awkward.
> "Uh...hello. I'm Lily. You must be Sister Gibson."

>"That's right," she says. She gestures toward the opposite side of the booth for you to have a seat. "So, you're involved in all that Grail hoopla, right?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 04:49:11 AM
> Go ahead and slide in. Lean in to talk quietly.
> "...Is it okay to discuss it in the open like this?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 04:51:07 AM
> Go ahead and slide in. Lean in to talk quietly.
> "...Is it okay to discuss it in the open like this?"

>"As long as you're discreet, and have the good sense not to shout over the crowd, I don't see what the problem is," says Sister Gibson. "I'm assuming you're going to have the good sense to do that, if you're one of those magus people."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 05:31:39 AM
> Nod, and ease up a bit. Still talk quietly, though.
> "Anyway, yes. Are you the overseer?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 05:43:11 AM
> Nod, and ease up a bit. Still talk quietly, though.
> "Anyway, yes. Are you the overseer?"

>"Well. I'm supposed to be," she says. "Hmmm. Why do you order first, then we'll go into more details. And...you know what, tell me what I want to know, and I'll cover your bill, alright?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 06:01:40 AM
> Supposed to be? That isn't encouraging...
> "HOT DAMN" "Hm, alright. Well, I was hoping for a chance to be forthcoming anyway."
> Open up the menu.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 06:28:22 AM
> Supposed to be? That isn't encouraging...
> "HOT DAMN" "Hm, alright. Well, I was hoping for a chance to be forthcoming anyway."
> Open up the menu.

>You check the menu, and see that yeah, it's it's kind of pricey... (https://saltairrestaurant.com/rehoboth-beach-fine-dining-menu/)
>"So," Sister Gibson says, "You're Lily and you're..."
>"Archer," says your servant. "Nice to meet you and stuff."
>"Ah, interesting," she says. "You look surprisingly normal, in a sense."
>"In a sense?"
>"Well, your clothing is a little..."
>"A little what? I like my wolf shirt. It's like a tapestry some puffed up earl would pay way too much for, only it's useful too."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 02:02:20 PM
> Giggle a bit. "I should probably get around to getting you something that actually fits, though."
> Look over the menu. We don't want to go nuts here, just in case she has a question we don't want to answer...
> We'll get the chicken sandwich. (For $15, this better be the best damn chicken sandwich we've ever had.)
> "Do you like seafood, Archer?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 08:50:31 PM
> Giggle a bit. "I should probably get around to getting you something that actually fits, though."
> Look over the menu. We don't want to go nuts here, just in case she has a question we don't want to answer...
> We'll get the chicken sandwich. (For $15, this better be the best damn chicken sandwich we've ever had.)
> "Do you like seafood, Archer?"

>"I don't mind it too much, I'm used to hand-me-downs," Archer says.
>The waitress comes and takes you order. Archer angles from a grilled scottish salmon. Well, at least she didn't go for the most expensive things...
>"Oh yeah, I used to fish all the time," she says. "Well, I set up weirs, mostly."
>"So," Sister Gibson says. "I'll be blunt. Just what the heck is going on here?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 09:41:49 PM
> "Okay, well, uh...so far all I know is that somebody started a Grail War without any of the major magic families knowing about it, and they don't seem happy...meanwhile, at least one, uh, non-magical but highly influential individual seemed to be well prepared for it."
> "I'm just a random that got picked, so I don't really know anything...I was hoping you'd be the one to explain it to me."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 22, 2018, 10:42:09 PM
> "Okay, well, uh...so far all I know is that somebody started a Grail War without any of the major magic families knowing about it, and they don't seem happy...meanwhile, at least one, uh, non-magical but highly influential individual seemed to be well prepared for it."
> "I'm just a random that got picked, so I don't really know anything...I was hoping you'd be the one to explain it to me."

>She frowns, and then nods. "I suppose I can tell you, we certainly didn't see it coming either. I'm just part of the relic division and they dumped it in my lap! Just a few days ago, I was at Harvard helping test out what we're reasonably sure is the 26th piece of silver, and then I get a a dossier and a travel budget, and told to investigate the 728th claim to the Holy Grail."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 22, 2018, 11:17:09 PM
> "Does that mean that in the previous Grail Wars, the magic families informed the church ahead of time to request an overseer?"
> "It sounds like someone tried to slip one in under the radar so that nobody else could prepare. I wonder if someone set this up hoping to get a cheap win."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 12:22:32 AM
> "Does that mean that in the previous Grail Wars, the magic families informed the church ahead of time to request an overseer?"
> "It sounds like someone tried to slip one in under the radar so that nobody else could prepare. I wonder if someone set this up hoping to get a cheap win."

>"That's how I understand it, at least," says Sister Gibson. "Or we were able to track it ourselves. As you said, apparently the magus families in Europe and Asia are in a total uproar over this."
>"I wonder if that's possible?" she says as you lay out your hypothesis. "I'm just the person who's nearest by, so to speak. They're going to send an executor, but apparently flights are just a nightmare right now, even if they used their own service. And they'd have to free one up. to start with..."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 12:43:30 AM
> "So you're sort of an emergency overseer? Um, just how much information does your dossier have?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 12:55:25 AM
> "So you're sort of an emergency overseer? Um, just how much information does your dossier have?"

>"It has enough," she says. "Why?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 01:21:08 AM
> "Listen, there's just one thing I really need to know. How does the Grail War handle a formal surrender?"
> "Let's say we defeat the enemy servant and capture the master. Is there a way to force them to relinquish their command seals so I don't have to kill them? Or failing that, any way for them to officially concede and take them out of the game? I really don't want to have to kill them if I can avoid it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 01:25:35 AM
> "Listen, there's just one thing I really need to know. How does the Grail War handle a formal surrender?"
> "Let's say we defeat the enemy servant and capture the master. Is there a way to force them to relinquish their command seals so I don't have to kill them? Or failing that, any way for them to officially concede and take them out of the game? I really don't want to have to kill them if I can avoid it."

>"Ah, that," she says. "This is something that we can do; if a Master truly wishes to withdraw, before or after defeat, it is a rite we can administer. Usually. But...I am not sure if we actually can in this case."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 01:33:16 AM
> Frown. A lot.
> "Why?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 01:37:27 AM
> Frown. A lot.
> "Why?"

>"Because we don't know if this is a "proper" one with all the systems in place, or if it's some kind of weird bootleg one or what," says Sister Gibson, frowning. "I don't know if it'll work until I try it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 01:39:51 AM
> Sigh. "Okay. I guess that's better than nothing."
> "How should I contact you, if I find myself in that position?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 02:28:32 AM
> Sigh. "Okay. I guess that's better than nothing."
> "How should I contact you, if I find myself in that position?"

>"I'm working at Our Lady of Guadalupe down in Roxanna," says Sister Gibson. "But as you can see, I'm kind of all over the place trying to get some kind of information on what's been going on. I know there's other masters in the region, but you're the first one I've been able to find. I even left notes with all the local parishes!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 02:46:22 AM
> "That explains that. The poor guy at the church looked so confused."
> "Oh, I have a sort of ceasefire agreement with Lancer's master. Let me see if she wants to talk."
> Get out our phone and text Lancer.
> "I found the overseer and I'm meeting with her now. Does Kimimela want to talk to her?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 02:53:12 AM
> "That explains that. The poor guy at the church looked so confused."
> "Oh, I have a sort of ceasefire agreement with Lancer's master. Let me see if she wants to talk."
> Get out our phone and text Lancer.
> "I found the overseer and I'm meeting with her now. Does Kimimela want to talk to her?"

>"That'd be useful," says Sister Gibson.
>A few moments pass, and your drinks arrive, before you get a reply. "Overseer?"

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 03:08:43 AM
> Do they really not know about the overseer? Even for Lancer, that would make a dumb joke.
> "Yes, the overseer. The Grail War referee."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 03:17:04 AM
> Do they really not know about the overseer? Even for Lancer, that would make a dumb joke.
> "Yes, the overseer. The Grail War referee."

>It is a curious comment, either way...
>"Is there really such a person?" Lancer replies.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 03:36:02 AM
> Sigh, as we start typing up a history lesson.
> "I'm really surprised you don't know about this."
> "The first Grail War was a disaster, so from that point forward it became standard practice to bring in a neutral party to act as a sort of mediator. It's usually someone from the church, since they're interested in the Grail, but they don't use magecraft so they can't summon a servant."
> "This Grail War started without any warning, so the church assigned someone nearby on short notice. She knows all the rules and she can take somebody out of the game if they want to surrender."
> "That's assuming this is a normal Grail War though, which it might not be, but we can talk about that later."
> "Anyway, interested?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 03:41:08 AM
> Sigh, as we start typing up a history lesson.
> "I'm really surprised you don't know about this."
> "The first Grail War was a disaster, so from that point forward it became standard practice to bring in a neutral party to act as a sort of mediator. It's usually someone from the church, since they're interested in the Grail, but they don't use magecraft so they can't summon a servant."
> "This Grail War started without any warning, so the church assigned someone nearby on short notice. She knows all the rules and she can take somebody out of the game if they want to surrender."
> "That's assuming this is a normal Grail War though, which it might not be, but we can talk about that later."
> "Anyway, interested?"

>"I've never assumed it was normal," Lancer replies. "Is there really such a person with any authority over this war? And if no one recognizes it, is there authority to begin with? What would they have to say that's useful, I wonder?"

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 03:56:36 AM
> Groan audibly. "This guy is really difficult to deal with."
> @Lancer: "Well, you're not wrong, there's no real authority here except the Grail itself. Maybe 'referee' is the wrong word. The overseer is more like a resource whose existence benefits everyone, which is why I'm choosing to respect it. The magus families decided to bring them in for a reason."
> "As for that last question, I suppose that depends on what kind of questions you want answered."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 04:59:45 AM
> Groan audibly. "This guy is really difficult to deal with."
> @Lancer: "Well, you're not wrong, there's no real authority here except the Grail itself. Maybe 'referee' is the wrong word. The overseer is more like a resource whose existence benefits everyone, which is why I'm choosing to respect it. The magus families decided to bring them in for a reason."
> "As for that last question, I suppose that depends on what kind of questions you want answered."

>"I can vouch for that," Archer says. "He's a pain."
>"Lovely," says Sister Gibson. "Well, I hope he doesn't get any funny ideas."
>"Ah, that is much more in line with the world as it is," Lancer replies. "If you could send us a phone number, it would be appreciated."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 02:24:52 PM
> "Okay, he's on board. What's your number?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 23, 2018, 07:35:06 PM
> "Okay, he's on board. What's your number?"

>"Here, just keep this yourself," she says as she produces a card a and slides it over. Looking over it, it is just a personal card with a name and email. and a little psalm printed at the bottom.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 23, 2018, 11:05:51 PM
> "Okay, thanks." Text Lancer the number, then put the card in our pocket.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 25, 2018, 08:39:36 AM
> "Okay, thanks." Text Lancer the number, then put the card in our pocket.

>You pass along the phone number and pocket the card.
>"So, what other masters have you run into?" says Sister Gibson.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 25, 2018, 04:43:59 PM
> "We've seen Berserker and Assassin, but not their masters."
> "We also encountered Rider and his master, and a master with a non-standard servant called Explorer."
> "But, uh...they wanted to fight and wouldn't let me leave peacefully, so..."
> Cringe. "...They're dead."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 25, 2018, 11:38:24 PM
> "We've seen Berserker and Assassin, but not their masters."
> "We also encountered Rider and his master, and a master with a non-standard servant called Explorer."
> "But, uh...they wanted to fight and wouldn't let me leave peacefully, so..."
> Cringe. "...They're dead."

>She nods. "That kind of thing happens. But a non-standard servant, huh? I don't even know what to do about that..."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 12:06:30 AM
> "I think it's just because the servant wasn't suited for any other class. But I'm worried about there being more than seven masters."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 12:11:50 AM
> "I think it's just because the servant wasn't suited for any other class. But I'm worried about there being more than seven masters."

>"That would be such a headache..." she grumbles. "So, you said something before about someone else getting involved?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 12:33:14 AM
> Lean in a little more.
> "Okay, this is where it gets weird, and because of the situation, it's really important that you keep it quiet, at least for now."
> "Rider's master was Charles Koch."
> "He wasn't even a magus. He was powering his servant with a mana crystal thing. I think he bought his way into the Grail War, somehow, or maybe even had a hand in starting it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 02:05:27 AM
> Lean in a little more.
> "Okay, this is where it gets weird, and because of the situation, it's really important that you keep it quiet, at least for now."
> "Rider's master was Charles Koch."
> "He wasn't even a magus. He was powering his servant with a mana crystal thing. I think he bought his way into the Grail War, somehow, or maybe even had a hand in starting it."

>Sister Gibson makes a face. "...You're pulling my leg, right?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 02:44:19 AM
> "Remember the part in the news about the crashed Model T? Rider was Henry Ford."
> "But here's the clincher - we didn't kill Koch, Assassin did. And Assassin has a noble phantasm that causes his kills to blow up into huge, world-changing events. That's part of why everything is going crazy in Illinois."
> "That's also why it's really important that none of the big magus families or anyone else in a position of power finds out about this. I think it'll cause his noble phantasm to accelerate."
> "So please don't tell anyone. Leave it out of your reports until the Grail War is over."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 03:09:46 AM
> "Remember the part in the news about the crashed Model T? Rider was Henry Ford."
> "But here's the clincher - we didn't kill Koch, Assassin did. And Assassin has a noble phantasm that causes his kills to blow up into huge, world-changing events. That's part of why everything is going crazy in Illinois."
> "That's also why it's really important that none of the big magus families or anyone else in a position of power finds out about this. I think it'll cause his noble phantasm to accelerate."
> "So please don't tell anyone. Leave it out of your reports until the Grail War is over."

>"...I'm going to be frank, here," says Sister Gibson. "It feels a whole lot like you're just making up a bunch of stuff."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 03:40:04 AM
> "...Well, yeah, in retrospect, yes, it all sounds insane."
> "But you know I'm actually in the Grail War, so what reason would I have to make this up?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 03:45:24 AM
> "...Well, yeah, in retrospect, yes, it all sounds insane."
> "But you know I'm actually in the Grail War, so what reason would I have to make this up?"

>"That's what I'm asking myself," she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 03:50:42 AM
> "I've told Lancer most of this. He should've been able to investigate most of it on his own, so you could talk to him about it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 05:22:01 AM
> "I've told Lancer most of this. He should've been able to investigate most of it on his own, so you could talk to him about it."

>"I suppose I'll have to," she says. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not that I think you're honestly lying or anything. Just, you know...it sounds completely fake."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 05:57:20 PM
> "I've had an experience like that, too. When I figured out Explorer's identity and I was able to look over the information, it felt like it was...wrong? And I haven't been able to figure out why."
> "All I can say is that this is a very strange Grail War."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 07:21:30 PM
> "I've had an experience like that, too. When I figured out Explorer's identity and I was able to look over the information, it felt like it was...wrong? And I haven't been able to figure out why."
> "All I can say is that this is a very strange Grail War."

>"Wait," she says. "So the whole thing really does feed you information like that?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 07:39:22 PM
> "Yeah, it's like a database in my head, except I'm not allowed to read it until I get enough evidence to figure out the servant's identity."
> "I'll admit, for it to be so much like a computer system, it feels kind of anachronous."
> We can't help but think of that thing on the moon supposedly keeping information...
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 07:49:54 PM
> "Yeah, it's like a database in my head, except I'm not allowed to read it until I get enough evidence to figure out the servant's identity."
> "I'll admit, for it to be so much like a computer system, it feels kind of anachronous."
> We can't help but think of that thing on the moon supposedly keeping information...

>"I thought that was just kind of metaphorical, huh," says Sister Gibson. "Well, it's not like that. Just your story is a whole lot to buy at once."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 08:44:37 PM
> "Um...I can answer any other questions you have...although I wouldn't be surprised if it just makes things sound even more ridiculous."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 09:05:10 PM
> "Um...I can answer any other questions you have...although I wouldn't be surprised if it just makes things sound even more ridiculous."

>"Me too," says Sister Gibson, sighing. "I think this is enough for now. And I suppose if you get into that database, so to speak, it makes it more likely I can do overseer things. Maybe there's something you'd like to know?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 10:00:01 PM
> "Well, you already told me what I needed to know personally...but I guess maybe I could make some better guesses as to what's going on if I knew what a normal Grail War looks like."
> "Have there ever been any servants with classes outside the standard seven before?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 10:24:44 PM
> "Well, you already told me what I needed to know personally...but I guess maybe I could make some better guesses as to what's going on if I knew what a normal Grail War looks like."
> "Have there ever been any servants with classes outside the standard seven before?"

>"From what I understand, people have tried in the past?" she says. "I saw a note on it for the...third grail war, I think?"
>You think you've read something about that, a failed experiment to create an eighth in order to tip the scales in favor of one family.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 10:39:48 PM
> "So, you can't do it on purpose...that means a weird class would probably have to be assigned by the Grail itself. That's what I was expecting."
> "Explorer's identity - I won't say who it was because even I wanted to cry when I figured it out - didn't make sense to be summoned as anything other than Rider. But if Koch had already summoned a Rider, he'd have to get a different class."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 11:37:20 PM
> "So, you can't do it on purpose...that means a weird class would probably have to be assigned by the Grail itself. That's what I was expecting."
> "Explorer's identity - I won't say who it was because even I wanted to cry when I figured it out - didn't make sense to be summoned as anything other than Rider. But if Koch had already summoned a Rider, he'd have to get a different class."

>"I suppose that's as good of a reason as any," says Sister Gibson. "I wonder how she did it?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 26, 2018, 11:49:52 PM
> "Is getting a different class something you would have to do on purpose? Would it just fail if she tried to summon a Rider when there was already one in the game?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 26, 2018, 11:59:02 PM
> "Is getting a different class something you would have to do on purpose? Would it just fail if she tried to summon a Rider when there was already one in the game?"

>"My question is, why would it work at all if there's already a full set?" says Sister Gibson.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 27, 2018, 12:07:59 AM
> "Huh, I didn't even consider that angle."
> "Explorer's master was a Yggdmillenia. I suppose if there was a way to hack it, she would've had the resources to find out how. It might explain why I feel so weird about Explorer's data."
> "But, she didn't know anything about this Grail War either. So, her forcing her way in wouldn't account for the weirdness of it..."
> "What exactly do you need to start a Grail War, anyway? Just a ton of mana?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 27, 2018, 12:36:50 AM
> "Huh, I didn't even consider that angle."
> "Explorer's master was a Yggdmillenia. I suppose if there was a way to hack it, she would've had the resources to find out how. It might explain why I feel so weird about Explorer's data."
> "But, she didn't know anything about this Grail War either. So, her forcing her way in wouldn't account for the weirdness of it..."
> "What exactly do you need to start a Grail War, anyway? Just a ton of mana?"

>"My understanding isn't quite clear," says Sister Gibson. "But I think that's, essentially, it? The "grail" that the other wars were about was just that, a huge clump of potential power that tapped into...whatever this system they're using is, to reach outside the world and grab what would be, essentially, unlimited power and direct it for a wish before the whole thing shuts down. So. I'm thinking that if that's the case, they would need some kind of source of power like that, and they'd need to know how to use the framework to reach out and make the wish happen. And, you know, summon the servants and everything."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 27, 2018, 01:27:37 AM
> "It's all a little over my head, to be honest. But I get that you'd need to have access to some world-class resources to do it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 27, 2018, 03:14:01 AM
> "It's all a little over my head, to be honest. But I get that you'd need to have access to some world-class resources to do it."

>"And no one was the wiser," says Sister Gibson. "You'd think someone would have noticed?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 27, 2018, 04:11:28 AM
> "If I was running with the idea that someone had 'bought' their way into a Grail War...maybe they managed to steal the information or resources from the magus families by having someone on the inside, or something like that."
> "I can't imagine you would be able to bribe someone with just money, though, since those families already have plenty. You'd have to be someone with real power. Like, well, Koch."
> "That's all just conjecture though. I think I'll have to meet more masters to learn more. If I run into another big-name billionaire, though, I think that'll answer the question."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 27, 2018, 05:25:59 AM
> "If I was running with the idea that someone had 'bought' their way into a Grail War...maybe they managed to steal the information or resources from the magus families by having someone on the inside, or something like that."
> "I can't imagine you would be able to bribe someone with just money, though, since those families already have plenty. You'd have to be someone with real power. Like, well, Koch."
> "That's all just conjecture though. I think I'll have to meet more masters to learn more. If I run into another big-name billionaire, though, I think that'll answer the question."

>"I think, if someone were throwing around that much money or soft power, someone in the occult world would have taken note," says Sister Gibson. "Too many people seem surprised for that. That's just about all that keeps me from buying it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 27, 2018, 05:43:18 AM
> "Hmm...what else could it be though? There's not any way a Grail War could start by some kind of freak accident, right?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 27, 2018, 05:51:43 AM
> "Hmm...what else could it be though? There's not any way a Grail War could start by some kind of freak accident, right?"

>"Heavens, I hope not," says Sister Gibson says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 27, 2018, 02:53:32 PM
> "Well, moving on for now..."
> "Where exactly is the Grail? Can it not be reached until someone wins the war?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 27, 2018, 08:27:56 PM
> "Well, moving on for now..."
> "Where exactly is the Grail? Can it not be reached until someone wins the war?"

>"It's not supposed to materialize until the servants have been pared down," says Sister Gibson. "Once some of them are gone, though, it should start to show signs of manifesting. A vessel may be required for it, I'm not too certain."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 27, 2018, 09:01:39 PM
> "A vessel? What would the vessel be?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 27, 2018, 10:24:31 PM
> "A vessel? What would the vessel be?"

>"If I understand correctly, originally it was a cup," says Sister Gibson. "But during the third war, it was damaged, and the Einzbern family has provided a homunculus to serve as the vessel."
>This does line up with your understanding of the situation. The homunculus thing was just a theory, though.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 28, 2018, 02:44:56 AM
> "Oh, well that's slightly terrifying."
> "I imagine they're not going to hand over a homunculus for this one, though?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 28, 2018, 02:49:11 AM
> "Oh, well that's slightly terrifying."
> "I imagine they're not going to hand over a homunculus for this one, though?"

>"I doubt they'd even have one ready in time if they were," says Sister Gibson.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 28, 2018, 03:26:15 PM
> "I'll keep my eye out for a really nice cup, I guess."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 28, 2018, 09:20:26 PM
> "I'll keep my eye out for a really nice cup, I guess."

>She nods. "I want to get some information on just what the cup, or the homunculus, requires. But I doubt any of the families involved with this kind of thing would ever share it, let alone with us."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 28, 2018, 09:29:28 PM
> "One of the other masters must know, if they started this business. I'll have to wring it out of them."
> "I can't think of any other questions right now..."
> "Oh, if they do manage to send an...executor, I think you said? What would be the difference between them and you?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 28, 2018, 09:39:03 PM
> "One of the other masters must know, if they started this business. I'll have to wring it out of them."
> "I can't think of any other questions right now..."
> "Oh, if they do manage to send an...executor, I think you said? What would be the difference between them and you?"

>"Well," says Sister Gibson. "I'm just an archeologist. I would like to think my organization's reputation would protect me, but I admit there's little else. An executor, well, I'm sure they would give any magus a hard time, at least."
>You've vaguely heard of them. They are troubleshooters, in that they find trouble and then they shoot it. Usually magi don't have to worry about them, unless their arts take them a little too far into unforgivable sins such as raising a lot of dead.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 28, 2018, 09:56:13 PM
> "Oh. Those executors. Let's hope that's unnecessary."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on February 28, 2018, 11:40:27 PM
> "Oh. Those executors. Let's hope that's unnecessary."

>"Frankly, I wish they'd have gotten here days ago," Sister Gibson says. "But it's not like we just have a room full of them waiting to go."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on February 28, 2018, 11:48:51 PM
> "Oh, come to think of it, how did they find out a Grail War started, anyway? I only summoned Archer...what, three days ago?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 01, 2018, 12:00:50 AM
> "Oh, come to think of it, how did they find out a Grail War started, anyway? I only summoned Archer...what, three days ago?"

>"That, I'm not sure," says Sister Gibson. "I was just contacted and informed that I was being put on this job due to being in the right place at the right time. My assumption is that someone detected was what going on. Or, maybe they got it from one of the magus families?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 01, 2018, 06:15:27 AM
> "If they already know about it too, then that would make sense."
> "Do they expect you to do anything about it?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 01, 2018, 07:14:29 AM
> "If they already know about it too, then that would make sense."
> "Do they expect you to do anything about it?"

>"The Church wants me to find out what is going on if I can. But really, my job is just to confirm that this isn't the real Holy Grail." says Sister Gibson.
>Before you can say more, your meals arrive! Ah, it seems the sister has gotten herself a fairly sizable pot of fish stew.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 01, 2018, 07:19:04 PM
> Let's find out what a $15 chicken sandwich tastes like.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 01, 2018, 08:11:35 PM
> Let's find out what a $15 chicken sandwich tastes like.

>It turns out to be pretty good, all told, and fairly substantial! Perhaps not 15 dollars worth of good and substantial, The slaw and fries aren't too shabby either. Archer sets into her meal eagerly, and doesn't seem to be too disappointed. She is perhaps a little wary of the bok choy at first, but it doesn't slow her down. Sister Gibson attacks her stew like it tried to steal her purse.
>"So, do you know who Assassin or Berserker's masters are?" she asks in the middle of the meal.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 01, 2018, 08:35:11 PM
> Shake our head.
> "We just saw Assassin for a moment, and didn't try to chase him. I was a little scared of his power when I first saw it, to be honest..."
> "I didn't actually see Berserker, Archer just spotted him for a moment." Turn to Archer.  "Can you describe what he looked like again?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 02, 2018, 12:29:41 AM
> Shake our head.
> "We just saw Assassin for a moment, and didn't try to chase him. I was a little scared of his power when I first saw it, to be honest..."
> "I didn't actually see Berserker, Archer just spotted him for a moment." Turn to Archer.  "Can you describe what he looked like again?"

>"Big, very big," Archer says through a mouthful of polenta. "He didn't walk, he drug himself along the ground. Bare-chested, too. Lancer also encountered him."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 02, 2018, 03:31:31 PM
> "I hope we're ready for him next time he shows up. One of my walls isn't going to stop a guy like that."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 02, 2018, 10:21:51 PM
> "I hope we're ready for him next time he shows up. One of my walls isn't going to stop a guy like that."

>"I want to know who his master is, because that person is really blatant," says Archer.
>Sister Gibson says nothing, listening.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 03, 2018, 12:46:34 AM
> "Maybe I should try to look for him while you're fighting Berserker. I kind of doubt my spells will help much against him."
> "(Although, at the same time, I don't really want a repeat of that last fight...)"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 03, 2018, 03:50:33 AM
> "Maybe I should try to look for him while you're fighting Berserker. I kind of doubt my spells will help much against him."
> "(Although, at the same time, I don't really want a repeat of that last fight...)"

>She nods, presumably to the last part.
>"There's more than that," Archer sends to you. "Remember how he appeared again while talking with Lancer? Was Berserker's master really around then?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 03, 2018, 04:43:57 PM
> Send while taking a big bite of our sandwich.
> "I think he would have to be? Servants can't get too far from masters, normally...unless it's one of his abilities."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 03, 2018, 09:26:10 PM
> Send while taking a big bite of our sandwich.
> "I think he would have to be? Servants can't get too far from masters, normally...unless it's one of his abilities."

>"Really, I don't think anything stops us other than common sense," Archer sends. "But it's usually such a bad idea to leave yourself open like that..."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 03, 2018, 10:06:19 PM
> Munch munch.
> "Huh...so you think he's a risk taker? Or maybe he's got himself a really secure hideout..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 03, 2018, 11:03:00 PM
> Munch munch.
> "Huh...so you think he's a risk taker? Or maybe he's got himself a really secure hideout..."

>Is this statement sent or spoken?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 03, 2018, 11:51:49 PM
I am sending until indicated otherwise.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 04, 2018, 01:20:27 AM
> Munch munch.
> "Huh...so you think he's a risk taker? Or maybe he's got himself a really secure hideout..."

>This really is pretty good. Not 15 dollars good, but maybe 10 dollars good.
>"Hard to say," Archer sends. "If they're a risk taker, they're a weird one since they're only hiding away."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 04, 2018, 02:30:04 AM
> Send: "Anyway, it'll sure make things difficult if we beat Berserker and he's not even around. He can just summon another servant."
> Speak up. "Have you been here before, Sister Gibson, or did they just give you a huge budget?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 04, 2018, 02:51:12 AM
> Send: "Anyway, it'll sure make things difficult if we beat Berserker and he's not even around. He can just summon another servant."
> Speak up. "Have you been here before, Sister Gibson, or did they just give you a huge budget?"

>"Ugh, really," Archer sends.
>"I do have a rather nice budget," Sister Gibson says, her spoon stopping for the first time. "And I decided, why not? If I had finally found a master, there's no harm in trying something that looked good."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 04, 2018, 04:03:36 AM
> "Well, at least they gave you that much. (And, erm, I'm glad you're covering the bill because as it happens, not all us magi are particularly wealthy...)"
> "Is there anything else you want to ask?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 04, 2018, 04:14:19 AM
> "Well, at least they gave you that much. (And, erm, I'm glad you're covering the bill because as it happens, not all us magi are particularly wealthy...)"
> "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

>"Is there anything you think I should know?" says Sister Gibson?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 04, 2018, 04:28:47 AM
> "Hmm...not really...since there's so much I don't know, myself."
> "I just want to re-emphasize that you really shouldn't tell anyone about Koch. At least not until Assassin is dealt with."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 04, 2018, 04:39:35 AM
> "Hmm...not really...since there's so much I don't know, myself."
> "I just want to re-emphasize that you really shouldn't tell anyone about Koch. At least not until Assassin is dealt with."

>"I'll put off reporting that as long as possible," she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 04, 2018, 08:13:44 AM
> Does she sound like she means it?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 04, 2018, 09:41:20 AM
> Does she sound like she means it?

>You think so?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 04, 2018, 05:11:38 PM
> Nod, and take another bite.
> Send: "I sure hope she means it. Archer, anything you want to know from this lady?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 04, 2018, 09:51:16 PM
> Nod, and take another bite.
> Send: "I sure hope she means it. Archer, anything you want to know from this lady?"

>"Not really," Archer sends back. "Frankly, I don't think she's particularly important to anything here, unless we want to drill her for information on church happenings, and maybe the old magus families?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 04, 2018, 11:00:32 PM
> Speak up. "So the magus families are angry about it, but do you think they're going to try to get involved? Is there even anything they'd be able to do?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 04, 2018, 11:10:31 PM
> Speak up. "So the magus families are angry about it, but do you think they're going to try to get involved? Is there even anything they'd be able to do?"

>"I'm sure some of them would like to, if only out of jealousy," says Sister Gibson. "But I imagine it would be difficult to interfere directly. If nothing else, I imagine most servants would have something to say about it if they tried, and I imagine said servants can make their voices heard very decisively."
>Archer nods along.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 05, 2018, 01:52:28 AM
> "They're probably not petty enough to risk their lives."
> "...So if we encounter any, it probably means they have an actual plan and we should be careful."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 05, 2018, 02:11:50 AM
> "They're probably not petty enough to risk their lives."
> "...So if we encounter any, it probably means they have an actual plan and we should be careful."

>"Hm, yeah, that's probably true," says Sister Gibson. "With luck, though, they'll at least respect a neutral area. That would be the church I mentioned before."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 05, 2018, 03:14:07 PM
> "Mm."
> Continue eating sandwich.
> "Well, I guess I don't have anything else."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 05, 2018, 09:38:53 PM
> "Mm."
> Continue eating sandwich.
> "Well, I guess I don't have anything else."

>She nods. "Feel free to call me if you need anything, or find anything I'd like to know. I'd appreciate it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 05, 2018, 11:06:02 PM
> Finish up our meals and get ready to go.
> "Thanks, Sister. It was good meeting you. We'll talk again."
> "...Hopefully. I am in a seven-way deathmatch."
> Be sure to grab her card and head on out.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 05, 2018, 11:26:04 PM
> Finish up our meals and get ready to go.
> "Thanks, Sister. It was good meeting you. We'll talk again."
> "...Hopefully. I am in a seven-way deathmatch."
> Be sure to grab her card and head on out.

>You finish your meal in reasonably comfortable silence. It was good, but you'll definitely want to be either treated or rob someone else before coming again.
>"Eight way, it sounds like," says Sister Gibson. "Though, I guess it's six way now."
>You obtain: Sister Gibson's Contact Card.
>You depart!

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 05, 2018, 11:43:58 PM
> "Okay, Archer. Let's go find ourselves a campsite."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 05, 2018, 11:49:52 PM
> "Okay, Archer. Let's go find ourselves a campsite."

>Archer nods. "Since we have a map in your phone, I'd suggest pouring over that to find a place that you'd like. No point in just randomly wandering around."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 06, 2018, 12:04:16 AM
> "Maybe I can find an actual campground so we don't have to worry about being caught..."
> Poke through our phone as we get back to our car.
> Redden State Forest looks appealing, and apparently has free camping, but requires a reservation...
> Call up the number and see if a campsite is available!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 06, 2018, 12:35:16 AM
> "Maybe I can find an actual campground so we don't have to worry about being caught..."
> Poke through our phone as we get back to our car.
> Redden State Forest looks appealing, and apparently has free camping, but requires a reservation...
> Call up the number and see if a campsite is available!

>"Actual campground?" Archer says. "Are there fake ones now?"
>You call up and...oh heavens no, they are packed to the gills. It's the main vacation season!

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 06, 2018, 12:52:42 AM
> "Crap."
> "Ah, by 'real' I mean 'legal'. But it's vacation season, so those are all full."
> Examine the area with satellite view...
> "It's not that big a forest, and it's completely flat...I don't know how well we can hide there...but all the other national parks are wetlands...this sucks."
> "It's our best bet without going out of state, so let's go scope it out and see if we can find a road passing by it without much traffic."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 06, 2018, 01:28:41 AM
> "Crap."
> "Ah, by 'real' I mean 'legal'. But it's vacation season, so those are all full."
> Examine the area with satellite view...
> "It's not that big a forest, and it's completely flat...I don't know how well we can hide there...but all the other national parks are wetlands...this sucks."
> "It's our best bet without going out of state, so let's go scope it out and see if we can find a road passing by it without much traffic."

>"Show me?" Archer says, leaning over.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 06, 2018, 02:13:04 AM
> "Oh, sure."
> Show her the satellite view of the forest.
> "It shows a lot of bare trees, but these pictures were probably taken in winter."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 06, 2018, 03:02:30 AM
> "Oh, sure."
> Show her the satellite view of the forest.
> "It shows a lot of bare trees, but these pictures were probably taken in winter."

>"Where is this?" she says, frowning.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 06, 2018, 04:41:55 AM
> "This is Redden State Forest. It's less than an hour west of here."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 06, 2018, 04:48:44 AM
> "This is Redden State Forest. It's less than an hour west of here."

>"By foot or by car?" says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 06, 2018, 05:00:45 AM
> "Car. Why?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 06, 2018, 06:13:23 AM
> "Car. Why?"

>"Then it's not really an hour away, is it?" says Archer. "Especially once we start getting into more battles. I don't think we're going to be able to fight a magus in that car, anyways. It's too easy to break, and then we're in trouble."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 06, 2018, 06:14:36 AM
> "You think we should stay close to the Grail, then?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 06, 2018, 07:10:38 AM
> "You think we should stay close to the Grail, then?"

>"I think we need to learn to get used to walking around, especially at night." says Archer. "If a servant catches us driving, it could be exploited. Lancer said something about Berserker damaging their truck badly, you might remember."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 06, 2018, 04:48:09 PM
> "Okay, I get what you're saying. It won't be easy to find a place to squat in town, though."
> Scroll our satellite view back over to Rehoboth and look around.
> The nearest area with any decent amount of trees is Cape Henlopen State Park.
> Show Archer. "How about here? Looks like it's about two hours' walk up the beach from here."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 07, 2018, 01:26:28 AM
> "Okay, I get what you're saying. It won't be easy to find a place to squat in town, though."
> Scroll our satellite view back over to Rehoboth and look around.
> The nearest area with any decent amount of trees is Cape Henlopen State Park.
> Show Archer. "How about here? Looks like it's about two hours' walk up the beach from here."

>"That sounds okay," says Archer. "It's not like we can never drive, but it'd be good not to depend on it for this."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 07, 2018, 02:50:19 AM
> "No, I understand. I'd really rather not get a sword through my windshield, or whatever."
> Remember to pick up some ice for our cooler!
> Then take a little drive up north and see if we can find a secluded spot to enter the woods.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 07, 2018, 03:31:19 AM
> "No, I understand. I'd really rather not get a sword through my windshield, or whatever."
> Remember to pick up some ice for our cooler!
> Then take a little drive up north and see if we can find a secluded spot to enter the woods.

>You make your way back to the car. There are ice cabinets all over the place, you do not need to go out of your way or spend more than a dollar to get a bag of ice.
>Heading back up the road, you make your way toward Lewes Beach and the Cape Henlopen State Park area. It doesn't take very long. Toward the north, you can see a fair bit of build-up along the bay, a small suburb and some box stores. To the south is a fairly untouched-looking forest. Driving around a little, it may be hard to find any parking near the park itself, at least not parking that might draw attention from park rangers, but outside of the park is also fairly forested and some parts are quite close to the suburbs, and in particular stores with huge parking lots.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 07, 2018, 04:35:40 AM
> Try to narrow down a forested spot outside the park, then, as it is less horrendously illegal and less likely to be searched.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 07, 2018, 06:01:46 AM
> Try to narrow down a forested spot outside the park, then, as it is less horrendously illegal and less likely to be searched.

>You find a decent-enough looking spot near a boardwalk complex, across some defunct train tracks. Handily enough, said complex has a pretty sizable parking lot with places for semis to idle. You doubt you'll get much notice there. It's not too far from the park, and almost certainly contiguous with it, but there's according to your map it is not within the park's boundaries. This is about as good as you could hope for around here, you think.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 07, 2018, 02:42:27 PM
> Excellent! Park the car and start unloading while nobody's looking.
> Try to make sure it's a spot where nobody will see a campfire, so we can actually cook some stuff.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 07, 2018, 09:42:07 PM
> Excellent! Park the car and start unloading while nobody's looking.
> Try to make sure it's a spot where nobody will see a campfire, so we can actually cook some stuff.

>You are able to stealthily grab your stuff, or at least you think you were stealthy about it, and head across the train tracks.
>The woods here are not exactly dense. You think that you're going to have a hard time hiding a fire on your own. Thankfully, the ground isn't marshy despite its proximity to the ocean, the drainage here is probably pretty good, though you hope the rain that's been threatening all day doesn't come. Archer glances around as the two of you move deeper in, and she doesn't seem unsatisfied.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 07, 2018, 10:01:05 PM
> "Archer, any idea how we could hide a campfire out here?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 07, 2018, 10:24:41 PM
> "Archer, any idea how we could hide a campfire out here?"

>"If we're far enough back, smoke shouldn't be a problem as long as we find some good wood," says Archer. "And we can just block the light off by putting up a dirt wall."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 07, 2018, 11:18:23 PM
> "I can do walls."
> Find a spot far back enough, as Archer suggests, and set down the gear.
> "Okay, this should do it."
> Take another whack at setting up the tent.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 12:14:44 AM
> "I can do walls."
> Find a spot far back enough, as Archer suggests, and set down the gear.
> "Okay, this should do it."
> Take another whack at setting up the tent.

>"I'd rather dig one up myself," says Archer, as you find a nice spot where the trees aren't dense, but there's a nice canopy overhead.
>You think you do a little better setting up your tent, but you don't get terribly far before Archer decides to just step in and do it for you.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 01:45:26 AM
> "I-I'll just...work on some reagents..."
> Pull out the stones we gathered earlier and start making some more Walls.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 02:05:32 AM
> "I-I'll just...work on some reagents..."
> Pull out the stones we gathered earlier and start making some more Walls.

>"Heh, don't worry about it," says Archer, as she starts to dig into the earth with her hands, and then then a sizable rock she finds under the soil. You set to preparing the stones you found, and a spend a good hour or so on it. As you do, Archer excavates a decently-sized hole near the tent and shapes the dirt into a half-circle wall. You think you can see what she's going for, the pit can be used for the fire to keep it lower, while the dirt should shield it from the road. As a bonus, you could probably kick the dirt back into the hole to quickly extinguish the fire. She certainly seems in a more chipper mood, as well.
>You obtain: Prepared stones x 10

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 02:45:21 AM
> "This is pretty cool, Archer. We can roast some hot dogs for dinner!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 02:57:48 AM
> "This is pretty cool, Archer. We can roast some hot dogs for dinner!"

>"I want to find some flat stones to throw on the bottom," says Archer. "then we can keep wood in there with less worry of it getting soaked, and easily heat up stones to drop in water for a quick boil. Or toss some clay in there overnight and let it fire. Though maybe that would make too much smoke? Hmm...really the best thing would be to set up some firing some charcoal, it burns with less smoke..."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 03:01:01 AM
> "You enjoy this kind of thing, don't you?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 03:53:49 AM
> "You enjoy this kind of thing, don't you?"

>"It's familiar," she says with a grin. "I used to live like this all the time. Heh, if we had time and you didn't already have that tent, I could get a decent little shelter going, too. Even one worth living in if I had a couple days to go scavenging for the right stuff."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 04:43:24 AM
> "Huh, it's too bad all we have is just a flat little patch of trees. Some mountains and rivers and stuff would make this pretty interesting."
> Idle around for a bit.
> "So! We're well-rested, well-fed, and we've learned pretty much all we're going to learn at this point. You want to go out and see if we can pick a fight tonight, or just take it easy?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 04:58:48 AM
> "Huh, it's too bad all we have is just a flat little patch of trees. Some mountains and rivers and stuff would make this pretty interesting."
> Idle around for a bit.
> "So! We're well-rested, well-fed, and we've learned pretty much all we're going to learn at this point. You want to go out and see if we can pick a fight tonight, or just take it easy?"

>"I think it'd be a good idea to get an idea of where the opposition is," says Archer. "I know I saw one last night, and there's almost certainly Lancer, too."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 05:10:55 AM
> "I know masters and servants when I see them, but I get the sense you're better at detecting them than I am. Do you have a plan in mind?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 05:29:43 AM
> "I know masters and servants when I see them, but I get the sense you're better at detecting them than I am. Do you have a plan in mind?"

>"Really, all I have is look around the area," says Archer. "If they have a base around, I think we can find it. And they'll probably be out hunting at night, too."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 02:21:13 PM
> "Okay. We have a few hours before nightfall, let's have a look around the woods."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 08:01:53 PM
>"Looking for anything in particular?" says Archer. "I can't imagine any other master is going to be squatting out here if they can help it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 09:15:39 PM
> Cringe.
> "Oh. Right. They're not poor like me."
> "I mean, we might find Kimimela, but I'm not in a hurry to start trouble with her."
> "Let me have a look at what's in town..."
> Take out our phone and see if we can find an area with a lot of hotels.
> Also see if we can find the most luxurious one in the area, in case we have any more billionaire opponents.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 09:45:50 PM
> Cringe.
> "Oh. Right. They're not poor like me."
> "I mean, we might find Kimimela, but I'm not in a hurry to start trouble with her."
> "Let me have a look at what's in town..."
> Take out our phone and see if we can find an area with a lot of hotels.
> Also see if we can find the most luxurious one in the area, in case we have any more billionaire opponents.

>"That just means they're used to having their money doing the thinking for them," Archer says.
>Checking your phone, you can see a majority of the hotels seem to be clustered along the main drag leading to the beach. However, there are a number of smaller ones dotting the area here and there. You aren't sure if there are any really luxurious ones among them at a glance.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 10:06:06 PM
> "Hmm...you didn't sense anything on the way in, right Archer? So they're probably not near the main road."
> "Let's check out a few of these hotels, we could start here and loop around through there..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 10:12:34 PM
> "Hmm...you didn't sense anything on the way in, right Archer? So they're probably not near the main road."
> "Let's check out a few of these hotels, we could start here and loop around through there..."

>"I don't think I did," says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 10:20:05 PM
> "Well, we could take a walk down the street just to double check. Someone could've showed up after we did."
> We'll get started walking back to town.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 08, 2018, 10:56:50 PM
> "Well, we could take a walk down the street just to double check. Someone could've showed up after we did."
> We'll get started walking back to town.

>You make your way back to town, aiming for the main hotel drag. The woods are nice, and not too hard to traverse all told. Every so often Archer makes note of some easy firewood, or a nice rock for doing whatever. The birds are out and singling, and every so often you catch sight of a rabbit or squirrel. Archer suggests they are probably some deer around here, but likely only a few. You're not really a walk in the park kind of person, but it is a nice enough excursion.
>It took maybe ten minutes to drive here from the beach, and takes a bit over an hour to walk back. Frankly, you could use a rest, but you've reached the main drag once more. The street is loaded down with traffic, and there are people everywhere. Mostly tourists, you're certain.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 08, 2018, 11:29:41 PM
> "Huff...oh man, I better have lost some weight when this is all said and done."
> "Let's sit down for a few minutes."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 12:52:13 AM
> "Huff...oh man, I better have lost some weight when this is all said and done."
> "Let's sit down for a few minutes."

>"You might," Archer says with a shrug as you slump down onto a bench. "But it's not like we have anywhere to be, so there's no real worries about taking a break."
>You rest for a few minutes, letting your breath and heart rate return to normal. You think you might have just felt a twinge of something, but maybe it was just something from cooling down.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 01:19:21 AM
> "Alright, I'm good..."
> Slowly look around, sorting through the crowd. Change to sending. "Archer, did you feel anything just now?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 02:01:30 AM
> "Alright, I'm good..."
> Slowly look around, sorting through the crowd. Change to sending. "Archer, did you feel anything just now?"

>You look through the crowd, but nothing really stands out.
>"I'm not sure," she sends back.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 02:28:29 AM
> "I might have. Let's keep looking."
> Get up and walk down the street, looking through the crowds.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 02:49:04 AM
> "I might have. Let's keep looking."
> Get up and walk down the street, looking through the crowds.

>You get up and make your way down the street, watching the crowds. After a moment, you definitely think you just sensed something, up the street. A discharge, you think?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 03:09:48 AM
> "Did you feel that??"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 03:40:35 AM
> "Did you feel that??"

>"Not yet..." Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 03:52:51 AM
> "There was definitely something. This way."
> Head up the street, but try to stay obscured by the crowd.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 04:07:07 AM
> "There was definitely something. This way."
> Head up the street, but try to stay obscured by the crowd.

>You continue up the street, feeling it every so often, until you're certain you've found a source: The Anchorage Motel. It's a C-shaped single floor motel, with all the rooms opening toward the parking lot. Amusingly, it is next door to some Boomer Trap called Crabby Dick's.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 04:21:01 AM
> "There, the Anchorage Motel. That's the place. Think you can scope it out while I wait here?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 04:50:59 AM
> "There, the Anchorage Motel. That's the place. Think you can scope it out while I wait here?"

>"I could," Archer sends, "But they'll know. And they won't be happy."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 05:02:24 AM
> "Ah...we'll leave it at this, then."
> "Let's go see if anyone else is in town."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 05:10:56 AM
> "Ah...we'll leave it at this, then."
> "Let's go see if anyone else is in town."

>Archer nods. "Right."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 05:51:53 AM
> Remember the location and head around towards some of the other hotels.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 07:03:39 AM
> Remember the location and head around towards some of the other hotels.

>Walking up the main strip, you don't really notice anything else of interest. Well, you do notice a number of restaurants and stores that may be useful at some point or another, but you don't particularly notice anything that seems like another magi's activity.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 03:00:50 PM
> "Hey, Archer, if you felt a servant passing by, would you be able to tell if it was the same one you noticed before?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 09, 2018, 09:15:40 PM
> "Hey, Archer, if you felt a servant passing by, would you be able to tell if it was the same one you noticed before?"

>"I might?" Archer sends back. "I'd have have to get a good look at them both times, you might say."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 09, 2018, 10:01:10 PM
> "Okay. I was just wondering if you'd be able to know if that was the guy that passed us last night."
> Get off the main strip and head towards a few of the other hotels that are scattered about.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 10, 2018, 04:49:41 AM
> "Okay. I was just wondering if you'd be able to know if that was the guy that passed us last night."
> Get off the main strip and head towards a few of the other hotels that are scattered about.

I'll be spending the week at a friend's house, so replies will be less frequent. Especially when yall make me need to google things >=[

>"I can't promise anything," Archer sends, "But I think so."
>How far do you intend to range out?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 10, 2018, 05:20:40 AM
> Not very. We do still have to walk back to camp, after all.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 10, 2018, 11:16:29 AM
> Not very. We do still have to walk back to camp, after all.

>It's hard to do an efficient route, so you head toward the southwest and loop back toward the beach to look into the resorts along the shore. In the end, it takes about two hours, and you find nothing. Nursing some aching feet, you loop back onto the main drag, passing maybe a block from the restaurant where you met Sister Gibson.
>"Oh what the hell..." Archer says, apropos of nothing, frowning ahead. Following her gaze, you quickly see the source of her discontent. (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Robin+Hood+Restaurant/@38.7157391,-75.0805184,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89b8b66ec811c3f9:0xea0427f72a00517e!8m2!3d38.7162002!4d-75.077958)

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 10, 2018, 04:03:30 PM
> Start giggling. "That's...well, it's..." Fail to make a joke and just laugh uncontrollably.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 11, 2018, 02:56:31 AM
> Start giggling. "That's...well, it's..." Fail to make a joke and just laugh uncontrollably.

>"Agh! Stop it!" Archer cries. "This isn't funny!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 11, 2018, 04:50:13 PM
> "Look on the bright side, Archer, your name is marketable!"
> "Or do you want to go in and tell them it's 'Robin Wood'?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 11, 2018, 07:56:39 PM
> "Look on the bright side, Archer, your name is marketable!"
> "Or do you want to go in and tell them it's 'Robin Wood'?"

>"Yes, while throwing them through the windows!" She says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 12, 2018, 02:48:49 AM
> "Come on, Archer, it's not their fault the details have been lost over time. At least you weren't totally forgotten, like the stories of that Scottish guy you told me about!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 12, 2018, 04:23:34 AM
> "Come on, Archer, it's not their fault the details have been lost over time. At least you weren't totally forgotten, like the stories of that Scottish guy you told me about!"

>"Well I can throw them through other windows ad back inside for that, too!" she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 12, 2018, 08:44:32 PM
> Try to suppress giggles.
> "Don't be too hasty, let's go in one of these days and see if it merits your endorsement!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 12, 2018, 09:18:13 PM
> Try to suppress giggles.
> "Don't be too hasty, let's go in one of these days and see if it merits your endorsement!"

>"I'm only going in there for one reason and you well know that it is..." she grumbles.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 12, 2018, 09:52:51 PM
> "They don't even have that many windows! Let's go."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 13, 2018, 08:41:25 AM
> "They don't even have that many windows! Let's go."

>"Won't have any when I'm done with it," Archer mutters as you continue on.
>You've about come full circle from where you have started.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 13, 2018, 03:07:22 PM
> Send. "So, we have our mark. Let's go back to camp and rest up for a bit - well, let ME rest up for a bit - and we'll come back tonight."
> "Unless there's something else you think we can do to prepare?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 13, 2018, 07:53:24 PM
> Send. "So, we have our mark. Let's go back to camp and rest up for a bit - well, let ME rest up for a bit - and we'll come back tonight."
> "Unless there's something else you think we can do to prepare?"

>"Depends," Archer sends. "I could watch them, if you wanted to risk being undefended, or stay nearby. I don't know how well they can find you, though. Or, if you think you could lure them into the woods, I could definitely set some traps for them."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 13, 2018, 08:25:38 PM
> "I won't lie, I'm really looking forward to trying out those traps at some point...but without knowing anything about the enemy servant it's probably too risky. I don't want to find out too late it's Caster and have them just fly over and zap me with lightning or something."
> "Putting it that way, it probably is a good idea to hang around and watch them. Taking the initiative doesn't do much good if we don't know what we're dealing with."
> "Okay, you keep watch. I won't wander more than a block away."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 13, 2018, 11:34:13 PM
> "I won't lie, I'm really looking forward to trying out those traps at some point...but without knowing anything about the enemy servant it's probably too risky. I don't want to find out too late it's Caster and have them just fly over and zap me with lightning or something."
> "Putting it that way, it probably is a good idea to hang around and watch them. Taking the initiative doesn't do much good if we don't know what we're dealing with."
> "Okay, you keep watch. I won't wander more than a block away."

>"What will you be doing in the meantime?" Archer sends back.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on March 14, 2018, 12:30:33 AM
Totally not going to go eat at Robin Hood. Nope. Totally not.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 14, 2018, 01:31:28 AM
> "Honestly? Killing time and hoping they don't notice me."
> "I'd go back to camp if I wasn't expecting more masters to arrive any minute."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 14, 2018, 04:30:39 AM
> "Honestly? Killing time and hoping they don't notice me."
> "I'd go back to camp if I wasn't expecting more masters to arrive any minute."

>"Right. i was hoping for something more concrete so it'd be easier to tell if something went awry, but I guess that'll do," she answers.

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 14, 2018, 05:28:05 AM
> "I'll keep you informed. Right now I'm just going to go sit down for a bit and mess with my phone."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 14, 2018, 06:10:10 AM
> "I'll keep you informed. Right now I'm just going to go sit down for a bit and mess with my phone."

>"Okay, this is my stop," says Archer aloud, as she breaks off from you and strides down an alley.
>"It'll be easy to circle around and keep an eye on them," Archer sends. "My noble phantasm isn't going to be so hot here, but as long as I'm careful, it should get the job done I'll take up position where I can see into their room and see what I can find."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 14, 2018, 02:15:01 PM
> Say "Sure, see you later."
> "Okay, be careful. I won't be far."
> Find a place to sit down for a while.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 14, 2018, 10:07:58 PM
> Say "Sure, see you later."
> "Okay, be careful. I won't be far."
> Find a place to sit down for a while.

>You find a nice bus stop bench and take a load off. You really hope you don't get blisters or something from this...
>Minutes pass as you rest up and watch the cars and pedestrians walk past.  You feet start to ache somewhat less. You swear you hear a rumble of distant thunder overhead, but maybe that was just some truck in the distance.
>"I can see someone," Archer sends after some minutes. "A black woman, about your age, I think? I'm not sure which she is, but I think it's a safe bet she's the master."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 14, 2018, 10:25:08 PM
> "Unless it's Oprah, it's sure not another billionaire. Probably another random pick like me..."
> Check the weather forecast.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 15, 2018, 12:39:49 AM
> "Unless it's Oprah, it's sure not another billionaire. Probably another random pick like me..."
> Check the weather forecast.

>Checking the weather, it seems there's a 50% chance of rain tonight, with an estimated half inch to three quarters inch accumulation.
>"Is there anyone who hasn't been at least somewhat random?" Archer sends. "Hmmm, no sign of a Servant, but I imagine they're just not manifesting right now. And I can't really tell what she's doing, it looks like she's messing with some kind of computer thing, but I don't think it has a screen. Or if it does, it's a tiny one like your phone and I can't see it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 15, 2018, 03:23:06 AM
> "I wonder if her servant is out doing recon...just in case, I should probably move closer to you..."
> Pay closer attention to our surroundings.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 15, 2018, 04:05:59 AM
> "I wonder if her servant is out doing recon...just in case, I should probably move closer to you..."
> Pay closer attention to our surroundings.

>Looking around, nothing seems to be especially awry. Just a lot of cars and middle-aged tourists coming to and fro, many dragging kids along with them. It's pretty noise, all told. No one seems especially suspicious or interesting; you'd like to think even someone as plain as Explorer would have stood out, if only due to how dated his style was.
>"I won't say that's a bad idea," says Archer, "But be careful. Hmm...looking at this computer thing she's using, it seems like it has keys like an organ?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 15, 2018, 04:27:48 AM
> "I'm taking it slow."
> "Is she using a keyboard? It's a kind of piano that's only as big as the keys."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 15, 2018, 05:58:05 AM
> "I'm taking it slow."
> "Is she using a keyboard? It's a kind of piano that's only as big as the keys."

>"I think so," Archer sends. "It looks kind of like that. I think there's some other buttons on it too, now that I'm watching. Or at least it looks like she's pushing them once in awhile."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 15, 2018, 02:08:54 PM
> "Yeah, a keyboard can synthesize a lot of different sounds. Each button makes it sound like a different instrument, or adds a little beat that plays by itself. Well, assuming that's what she's using."
> "By the way, it seems it's supposed to rain tonight."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 15, 2018, 05:30:17 PM
> "Yeah, a keyboard can synthesize a lot of different sounds. Each button makes it sound like a different instrument, or adds a little beat that plays by itself. Well, assuming that's what she's using."
> "By the way, it seems it's supposed to rain tonight."

>"Ah, so you're saying she's playing music?" Archer sends. "Weird, I wonder why?"
>"It might rain," she replies. "I can't tell just yet, but it's certainly thinking about it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 15, 2018, 06:12:12 PM
> "Hmm, I wonder..."
> Get a little closer to the motel again, about the same distance we were before when we first sensed something there. Is there still some kind of magical discharge going on?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 15, 2018, 10:27:46 PM
> "Hmm, I wonder..."
> Get a little closer to the motel again, about the same distance we were before when we first sensed something there. Is there still some kind of magical discharge going on?

>You make your way up the street, to where you originally rested. You aren't sure you feel anything, but maybe it's there? If she is, she's doing something weaker now.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 15, 2018, 10:42:45 PM
> "For a moment I was wondering if there was something to it, but no, I can't sense any power right now. Seems she's just killing time."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 16, 2018, 03:01:39 AM
> "For a moment I was wondering if there was something to it, but no, I can't sense any power right now. Seems she's just killing time."

>"Could be," Archer sends. "Her servant is certainly laying low."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 16, 2018, 03:17:20 AM
> "Any chance they know we're watching and are just playing it cool?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 16, 2018, 03:37:22 AM
> "Any chance they know we're watching and are just playing it cool?"

>"There's definitely a chance," says Archer. "But I don't think so."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 16, 2018, 04:04:27 AM
> "Let's keep watching for now. I'm not sure how keen I'll be on sticking around if the rain picks up, though."
> Find another place to sit. Try not to be too far from Archer.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 16, 2018, 04:16:36 AM
> "Let's keep watching for now. I'm not sure how keen I'll be on sticking around if the rain picks up, though."
> Find another place to sit. Try not to be too far from Archer.

>You don't know where she is, but you're about a block away from the Anchorage Motel now.
>"Hm," Archer sends after a few minutes. "She just pulled something out of her keyboard thing, and put it in a little plastic case, and pocketed it. And it seems like she's moving over toward the bed."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 16, 2018, 05:05:47 AM
> "A USB drive maybe? I dunno, keep watching."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 16, 2018, 05:08:18 AM
> "A USB drive maybe? I dunno, keep watching."

>"Yeah, it looks like she is going to bed," Archer sends. "I guess she wants to rest up for tonight?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 16, 2018, 05:31:55 AM
> "Oh. Well, I guess that's all we're getting out of her for now. Let's go back to the campsite."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 16, 2018, 07:59:06 AM
> "Oh. Well, I guess that's all we're getting out of her for now. Let's go back to the campsite."

>"Oh my way back," Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 16, 2018, 02:04:50 PM
> "Come to think of it, I wonder if she's Assassin's master. That'd explain why he's laying low."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 16, 2018, 11:17:26 PM
> "Come to think of it, I wonder if she's Assassin's master. That'd explain why he's laying low."

>"I can't say that's wrong," Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 17, 2018, 12:23:44 AM
> "What do we do if she doesn't want to come out tonight? I'm not exactly comfortable with kicking her door in."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 17, 2018, 01:50:29 AM
> "What do we do if she doesn't want to come out tonight? I'm not exactly comfortable with kicking her door in."

>"Well, I can kick her door in," Archer sends. "But I understand what you mean. If they don't make a move, maybe it means they're afraid to move right now?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 17, 2018, 06:00:18 AM
> "I think that would be a sure sign that she does have Assassin."
> "Well, we'll find out when we come back tonight."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 17, 2018, 06:10:26 AM
> "I think that would be a sure sign that she does have Assassin."
> "Well, we'll find out when we come back tonight."

>"I don't know. It might be a sure sign she's also not wholly prepared for this thing," Archer sends. "Also, I'm going to come out of that alley to your left in a moment."
>And as if on cue, she does so, "Geez, you're still hanging out around here?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on March 17, 2018, 09:35:25 AM
>"Hm. If she's not, maybe it can be advantageous."
>"Like, maybe we could convince her a huge fight wouldn't be needed again; at least in this case."
> Sigh when she pops up next to us. "I am, yes."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 17, 2018, 09:54:52 AM
>"Hm. If she's not, maybe it can be advantageous."
>"Like, maybe we could convince her a huge fight wouldn't be needed again; at least in this case."
> Sigh when she pops up next to us. "I am, yes."

>"It's worth a try, I suppose," Archer sends, "But I'd expect a skirmish at least."
>"Well, let's get going before we're late, I figured you'd already be there," she says aloud.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 17, 2018, 03:44:04 PM
> Nod, and start making our way back to our camp.
> "I just felt like hanging around for a while."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 17, 2018, 10:45:16 PM
> Nod, and start making our way back to our camp.
> "I just felt like hanging around for a while."

>She nods, and the two of you make your way back in relative silence. Along the way, Archer starts to gather dry lengths of wood and tuck them under her arm.
>"So what's next?" Archer says. "Are we just going to hang around until it gets dark, or do you have something in mind?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 18, 2018, 12:34:10 AM
> "I guess I'll try to talk to Mr. Aldrin again. I expect that to be a short conversation, though."
> "Other than that, yeah. We'll go back out tonight if it's not raining too hard."
> "Well actually, how do you feel about that? Do you think the rain would work in your favor?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 18, 2018, 01:46:52 AM
> "I guess I'll try to talk to Mr. Aldrin again. I expect that to be a short conversation, though."
> "Other than that, yeah. We'll go back out tonight if it's not raining too hard."
> "Well actually, how do you feel about that? Do you think the rain would work in your favor?"

>"Impossible to tell until we know what we're up against," says Archer. "If it's Assassin, I want to think it wouldn't make a difference either way."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 18, 2018, 03:35:37 PM
> "Fair enough."
> What time is it when we get to camp?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 18, 2018, 10:38:17 PM
> "Fair enough."
> What time is it when we get to camp?

>You continue on; Archer has a good armload of wood by this point, and you return to camp after an hour or so.
>Checking your phone, it seems to be about 4:30 PM. Oh, a message from Lancer, you must have missed the sound.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 12:09:42 AM
> "Message from Lancer. Wonder what this is about."
> Check message.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 12:19:07 AM
> "Message from Lancer. Wonder what this is about."
> Check message.

>"Oh no," Archer says, as she drops the bundle of firewood near the pit she dug out.
>You check, the message, it simply reads: "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 12:33:06 AM
> Reply: "You forgot to include the joke."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 12:45:24 AM
> Reply: "You forgot to include the joke."

>You get a reply back within half a minute: "But you set it up yourself!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 12:49:59 AM
> Scroll up. What was the last thing we said to him?
> Nevermind, it was that conversation with Sister Gibson.
> "Lancer, I don't have time for your nonsense, and that's with me having half a day to kill. Please just get to the point."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 01:17:20 AM
> Scroll up. What was the last thing we said to him?
> Nevermind, it was that conversation with Sister Gibson.
> "Lancer, I don't have time for your nonsense, and that's with me having half a day to kill. Please just get to the point."

>"But it's your jest!" He replies. "To think the Christians would expect us to accept their authority again. Ah, I've not laughed like this in ages!"
>Archer moves to read over your shoulder.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 01:27:13 AM
> @Archer: "Looks like his talk with Sister Gibson didn't go so well."
> Type: "Okay, yes. I totally got you with that one. Absolutely hilarious."
> "Look, I don't care if you and Kimimela ignore her, can you just avoid killing her or anything like that? Without an overseer there isn't any way to surrender in this stupid game."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 01:36:06 AM
> @Archer: "Looks like his talk with Sister Gibson didn't go so well."
> Type: "Okay, yes. I totally got you with that one. Absolutely hilarious."
> "Look, I don't care if you and Kimimela ignore her, can you just avoid killing her or anything like that? Without an overseer there isn't any way to surrender in this stupid game."

>"Looks like," says Archer.
>"If she has no intention of interfering with us, why would we bother to interfere with her?" Lancer replies.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 01:57:06 AM
> "Thank you. You are gracious and considerate as always."
> "Did you two make it to the coast yet?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 02:09:20 AM
> "Thank you. You are gracious and considerate as always."
> "Did you two make it to the coast yet?"

>"Why do you ask?" Lancer replies.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 02:23:46 AM
> Consider a few different ways of phrasing it, but decide to get right to the point.
> "Want to team up against Berserker next time he shows up?"
> "Or any other obviously bullshit servant, for that matter, since I think someone tried to rig this thing."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 03:08:34 AM
> Consider a few different ways of phrasing it, but decide to get right to the point.
> "Want to team up against Berserker next time he shows up?"
> "Or any other obviously bullshit servant, for that matter, since I think someone tried to rig this thing."

>"As far as I'm concerned, all the other servants are bullshit," Lancer replies. "As for your proposal, where were you when he showed up the first time? I seem to recall you running as fast as you could."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 03:39:05 AM
> "I was trying to avoid every fight I could then. Now I'm not."
> "Also, give Kimimela the phone. I should be discussing this with her, not you."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 03:54:00 AM
> "I was trying to avoid every fight I could then. Now I'm not."
> "Also, give Kimimela the phone. I should be discussing this with her, not you."

>"My, where have I heard that before?" Lancer says in response to your first comment.
>After a moment, you get a simple, "what"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 03:56:39 AM
> "Do you want to team up against Berserker?"
> @Archer: "Just to be clear, this isn't a vote of confidence against you. I think you can beat him. I'm just not sure if I can avoid getting squashed in the meantime."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 04:52:49 AM
> "Do you want to team up against Berserker?"
> @Archer: "Just to be clear, this isn't a vote of confidence against you. I think you can beat him. I'm just not sure if I can avoid getting squashed in the meantime."

>Archer chuckles. "Don't worry about it. They can be bait."
>"i dont trust you" Kimimela sends back.
>After a moment, she adds, "you ran"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 05:07:41 AM
> "Kimimela, do you seriously expect me to believe that if Berserker had targeted me instead, you would've come to my rescue?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 07:37:13 AM
> "Kimimela, do you seriously expect me to believe that if Berserker had targeted me instead, you would've come to my rescue?"

>"i wasnt the one saying stuff about that" she sends, "you did"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 19, 2018, 02:25:12 PM
> "We didn't have an agreement then, I'm asking if you want one now."
> "Or do you think Lancer will beat Berserker the next time they fight?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 19, 2018, 11:29:05 PM
> "We didn't have an agreement then, I'm asking if you want one now."
> "Or do you think Lancer will beat Berserker the next time they fight?"

>"hell do better than you" she replies. "whats the point if youre a coward"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 20, 2018, 03:14:05 AM
> @Archer: "In retrospect, it was pretty dumb to think she'd be easier to convince than Lancer."
> "Okay, here's what I'm going to do. Next time I see Berserker's fog roll in, I'm going to tell you where I am, and you can come join the fight if you feel like it. If you see him first and decide you'd rather be safe than sorry, then you do the same. Goodbye."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 20, 2018, 04:26:17 AM
> @Archer: "In retrospect, it was pretty dumb to think she'd be easier to convince than Lancer."
> "Okay, here's what I'm going to do. Next time I see Berserker's fog roll in, I'm going to tell you where I am, and you can come join the fight if you feel like it. If you see him first and decide you'd rather be safe than sorry, then you do the same. Goodbye."

>"I get the feeling she isn't good at this kind of communication," says Archer.
>You reply. After a moment she says, "do what you want"
>"Not very diplomatic, that," Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 20, 2018, 04:56:13 AM
> Put the phone down.
> "Well, that was productive."
> "It's too early to start dinner. Hmm..."
> Let's bust out that mana catalyst and have a look at it. Figure out what it would take to stop the thing from lighting us up like a christmas tree.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 20, 2018, 06:00:13 AM
> Put the phone down.
> "Well, that was productive."
> "It's too early to start dinner. Hmm..."
> Let's bust out that mana catalyst and have a look at it. Figure out what it would take to stop the thing from lighting us up like a christmas tree.

>"You could've been a little nicer," Archer says, as she starts to arrange wood in the hole.
>Taking out the mana battery, you examine it. It definitely radiates like heck. You think this issue is less how to make it stop but more, what can you do right now that will still leave it portable.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 20, 2018, 03:02:28 PM
> "Maybe, but I don't believe in insincere apologies. I'm not sorry for running, I expected them to do the same! I sent them a warning!" Wildly gesticulate with Seinfeld-esque mannerisms.
> What kind of materials would we need to make a little case for it that would make it less noticeable?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 20, 2018, 10:35:33 PM
> "Maybe, but I don't believe in insincere apologies. I'm not sorry for running, I expected them to do the same! I sent them a warning!" Wildly gesticulate with Seinfeld-esque mannerisms.
> What kind of materials would we need to make a little case for it that would make it less noticeable?

>Archer shrugs. "I'm just saying you could have been nicer, unyielding position or not. That goodbye at the end seemed like you was using it to say something nastier, if you ask me."
>This depends on how much time and energy you would intend to put into it. There's a few mundane coatings of increasing expensiveness and difficulties to get that might mask it a little. You might be able to make an enchantment to mask it as well, if you could find the right supplies and were willing to invest a couple hours and a decent amount of power into it. You don't think you're going to be able to blot it out entirely, though.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 20, 2018, 11:05:41 PM
> "Nnngh...maybe. Well, we'll find out next time Berserker rolls around."
> Since we don't have any plans for tomorrow, let's engineer a solution that's light on cost but generous on time.
> What are the odds that we're going to be able to find any reagents in the great state of Delaware? How do we go about looking for such things?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 12:27:42 AM
> "Nnngh...maybe. Well, we'll find out next time Berserker rolls around."
> Since we don't have any plans for tomorrow, let's engineer a solution that's light on cost but generous on time.
> What are the odds that we're going to be able to find any reagents in the great state of Delaware? How do we go about looking for such things?

>Archer nods. "We'll see."
>You start working out a way to handle this issue. You think it will take a lot of mana, but you ought to be able to find something. Working it out is a tad ponderous, without your lab, you have to work off of memory. Without traditional tools, you are left sketching notes in with a twig on the dirt; you dare not open up a text file on your phone, that is too much blending of the mundane and the magical. Still, your knowledge base is hardly lacking, and you come up with a solution that shouldn't be too reagent heavy. But you will need at least a sizable cutting from a Dancing Plant, and that will not be easy to obtain... Then you'll need a few hours, and a considerable amount of your mana. But if done correctly, it should significantly hamper any attempts that would casually detect the mana focus.
>You spend a good hour working this out, during which Archer obtains more firewood.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 12:55:23 AM
> "...Alright. That should do it."
> "Oh, geez, what time is it? Let's get that fire started and roast some hot dogs."
> What the heck is a dancing plant and where are they found?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 01:19:00 AM
> "...Alright. That should do it."
> "Oh, geez, what time is it? Let's get that fire started and roast some hot dogs."
> What the heck is a dancing plant and where are they found?

>"It's still well in the afternoon," Archer says. "A bit early for supper, but we could always get more later."
>Archer sets to work making a fire, which involves rolling a stick between her hands against another stick until she manages to get some of the wood dust to ignore, then puts that onto some dried leaves she gathered and blowing on it. Frankly a lighter and some paper would be easier, but you suspect she's enjoying herself.
>While she does that, you refresh yourself on dancing plants.  More properly known as Desmodium Gyrans, they are native to many parts of Asia, and are known for their sensitivity to vibrations. Thus, when music is played near them, they start to twitch their leaves. Finding one here, though, will be a bit tricky. It shouldn't be impossible, but buying one outright might be.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 01:23:50 AM
> "That's probably not a bad idea, we'll likely be up quite late..."
> Music, eh??
> Fold arms. "Archer! I have a mission for you. Steal that lady's keyboard."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 01:26:20 AM
> "That's probably not a bad idea, we'll likely be up quite late..."
> Music, eh??
> Fold arms. "Archer! I have a mission for you. Steal that lady's keyboard."

>"Huh? Why?" says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 01:39:24 AM
> "I'm joking, I'm joking."
> "I'm gonna need some kind of instrument though. I'm working out a way to hide this mana thing so nobody will find it if they're not looking for it, and I need a certain kind of plant that you can spot by how it reacts to music."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 01:51:20 AM
> "I'm joking, I'm joking."
> "I'm gonna need some kind of instrument though. I'm working out a way to hide this mana thing so nobody will find it if they're not looking for it, and I need a certain kind of plant that you can spot by how it reacts to music."

>"Does it react to singing?" Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 02:04:25 AM
> "It should? But it'll take us a while to find one. We might be singing for hours."
> "I don't think playing music on my phone will work either, the speaker is probably too tinny. Maybe a harmonica..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 02:30:03 AM
> "It should? But it'll take us a while to find one. We might be singing for hours."
> "I don't think playing music on my phone will work either, the speaker is probably too tinny. Maybe a harmonica..."

>"I guess the first question is, where do they grow?" says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 02:36:04 AM
> "Er, usually Asia. But we might be able to find one around here, it'll just take more searching."
> "I'll do some divinations before we leave, so we won't just be wandering around blindly, but we might need to take the car and go out a ways."
> "That's my plan for tomorrow, anyway."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 03:17:58 AM
> "Er, usually Asia. But we might be able to find one around here, it'll just take more searching."
> "I'll do some divinations before we leave, so we won't just be wandering around blindly, but we might need to take the car and go out a ways."
> "That's my plan for tomorrow, anyway."

>"Sounds less like something we're going to find in the wild, and more like something we're going to find in some private garden," says Archer, as she starts to feed kindling into the fire.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 03:26:24 AM
> "That may be the case." Tent fingers. "Well, you don't mind pilfering it for me, right? I only need one."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 03:35:11 AM
> "That may be the case." Tent fingers. "Well, you don't mind pilfering it for me, right? I only need one."

>"Pfft, like I'd object to a little evening of the odds," says Archer, sitting up from the pit now that the fire is starting to look like a proper campfire.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 03:47:04 AM
> "Ah, that's a nice looking fire. Almost feels like a waste that it's not chilly out."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 04:22:32 AM
> "Ah, that's a nice looking fire. Almost feels like a waste that it's not chilly out."

>"You'll be happy enough for it if those clouds crack open," Archer says. "Though in that case, I ought to rig up a canopy to keep the rain from getting on it. And I still think I ought to get to work on some charcoal if we're going to stay here."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 01:39:33 PM
> "Archer, you do whatever your heart pleases. I'm just going to be dawdling during most of the day anyhow."
> Dig into the cooler. "Want a hot dog? It's a kind of cheap pork sausage, it's good though."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 01:43:55 PM
> "Archer, you do whatever your heart pleases. I'm just going to be dawdling during most of the day anyhow."
> Dig into the cooler. "Want a hot dog? It's a kind of cheap pork sausage, it's good though."

>"Just wanted to make sure before I did it. It'll have to burn all night." says Archer. "And yeah, that sounds great."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 01:47:54 PM
> Find a pointy stick appropriate for hot dog roasting, and have a seat by the fire.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 21, 2018, 01:57:54 PM
> Find a pointy stick appropriate for hot dog roasting, and have a seat by the fire.

>It doesn't take long to find a good stick out of the pile of kindling that Archer has set aside. Sitting by the little fire, it is a bit warm given the june day, but not so much that it's particularly unpleasant right now. Archer is doing a good job from keeping it getting too big.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 21, 2018, 05:28:15 PM
> Cook up them dogs! Let Archer have the first one. (With a bun and fixin's, of course.)
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 22, 2018, 12:00:57 AM
> Cook up them dogs! Let Archer have the first one. (With a bun and fixin's, of course.)

>You start cooking up dogs! You've never actually done this before, but it doesn't seem to be very haird, you just have to watch for when it starts to split and turn colors.
>You offer Archer the first one with a bun and traditional fixings.  "Hm," she says after taking a bite. "I expected it was going to be full of gristle. This isn't half bad! The yellow stuff does a lot for it."
>Sampling your first one, you have to admit, cooking them over an open flame definitely does something for them.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on March 22, 2018, 12:15:18 AM
> Nomf. So good!
> "That yellow condiment would be mustard. Rather mild mustard, though; spicier variants are more brown."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 22, 2018, 12:46:11 AM
> Nomf. So good!
> "That yellow condiment would be mustard. Rather mild mustard, though; spicier variants are more brown."

>No wonder Archer likes making fires and stuff.
>"We should get some later," Archer says, as she claims a stick to cook another for herself.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 22, 2018, 01:30:19 AM
> "Sure, it's cheap enough. There's also honey mustard if you want to go the other direction and try something sweet."
> "So, do you want to have a little strategy meeting? I can't help but feel a beach town isn't really your ideal battleground...it's all one-story buildings and no cover otherwise."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 22, 2018, 01:37:57 AM
> "Sure, it's cheap enough. There's also honey mustard if you want to go the other direction and try something sweet."
> "So, do you want to have a little strategy meeting? I can't help but feel a beach town isn't really your ideal battleground...it's all one-story buildings and no cover otherwise."

>"Yes, we need to get that too," Archer says.
>She nods in agreement. "It'll be a problem, in terms of my phantasms. I'm clearly at my best while in places like this, but parks and such should would well too. That said, I've seen a lot of cover in town. The roofs are covered with all sorts of metal stuff, and I imagine there will still be some cars around."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 22, 2018, 03:03:24 AM
> "Hmm...we should familiarize ourselves with the map and slowly lead them towards the nearest bunch of trees, just in case we end up needing your phantasm. Since you've got the range advantage, I'd think it wouldn't be too hard to kite them a bit. Although they could start trying to escape instead..."
> "I'm a little worried about getting caught in the open myself, since I can't use the roofs. You might need to cart me around a bit like you did against Rider."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 22, 2018, 04:21:03 AM
> "Hmm...we should familiarize ourselves with the map and slowly lead them towards the nearest bunch of trees, just in case we end up needing your phantasm. Since you've got the range advantage, I'd think it wouldn't be too hard to kite them a bit. Although they could start trying to escape instead..."
> "I'm a little worried about getting caught in the open myself, since I can't use the roofs. You might need to cart me around a bit like you did against Rider."

>"That's not impossible," says Archer, "But it will slow me down. And you'd need to stay close. How about our friend with the keyboard, though?"

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 22, 2018, 04:30:38 AM
> "I'll do my best. As for her, only attack her as a last resort. I don't want to kill any more masters if we don't have to."
> "I know it would probably be easy to catch her out in the open, but I don't want to win that way."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 22, 2018, 04:38:04 AM
> "I'll do my best. As for her, only attack her as a last resort. I don't want to kill any more masters if we don't have to."
> "I know it would probably be easy to catch her out in the open, but I don't want to win that way."

>"Why's that?" says Archer. "I mean, I can solve it right there, really."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 22, 2018, 02:31:50 PM
> "Erm...well, I'd like to think the other masters would extend the same courtesy?
> "Usually a Grail War is full of ruthless big-name magi who've been preparing for this sort of thing their whole lives. People like Eileen. But this one is more likely to have ordinary people who aren't comfortable with killing each other. Like, Kimimela doesn't like me, but I don't think she's planning to kill me."
> "So it's easier on my conscience to defeat the servant and force the master to surrender."
> Flip hotdog. "...That said, if we're losing control of the situation, just shoot them."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 22, 2018, 02:45:44 PM
> "Erm...well, I'd like to think the other masters would extend the same courtesy?
> "Usually a Grail War is full of ruthless big-name magi who've been preparing for this sort of thing their whole lives. People like Eileen. But this one is more likely to have ordinary people who aren't comfortable with killing each other. Like, Kimimela doesn't like me, but I don't think she's planning to kill me."
> "So it's easier on my conscience to defeat the servant and force the master to surrender."
> Flip hotdog. "...That said, if we're losing control of the situation, just shoot them."

>She nods, as you flip your hotdog. There's an art to doing this just enough that they get done, but not too charred. "Alright. And for what it's worth, I think you're right. I get the feeling Kimimela talks a bigger game than she's willing to play."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 22, 2018, 02:50:02 PM
> Nod.
> "And, just between you and me, I don't want to start trouble with them too early because Lancer will probably use his powers to wreck my car or phone or something. That would suck."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 22, 2018, 03:02:09 PM
> Nod.
> "And, just between you and me, I don't want to start trouble with them too early because Lancer will probably use his powers to wreck my car or phone or something. That would suck."

>She nods. "It certainly sounds like something he'd do for a laugh."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 22, 2018, 07:07:00 PM
> "So, if it IS Assassin, the good news is that it'll probably be a quick fight. The only thing he has going on aside from that phantasm is a lot of luck. I wouldn't be surprised if their strategy is just to keep running until they can use it again."
> "Although, if that was the case, I don't know why they would've come to Rehoboth Beach..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 23, 2018, 12:42:14 AM
> "So, if it IS Assassin, the good news is that it'll probably be a quick fight. The only thing he has going on aside from that phantasm is a lot of luck. I wouldn't be surprised if their strategy is just to keep running until they can use it again."
> "Although, if that was the case, I don't know why they would've come to Rehoboth Beach..."

>"Probably for the same reason we came," says Archer. "I imagine even if they are Assassin's master and playing keepaway, they still came for the same reason. Not to mention, if we're all gathering here, it may be easier for them to take down more than one rival at once."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 23, 2018, 12:58:31 AM
> "Hmm. It'd sure take a lot of guts to send out a basically powerless servant to assassinate masters the old-fashioned way. I'd rather lay low while they fight each other."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 23, 2018, 01:06:14 AM
> "Hmm. It'd sure take a lot of guts to send out a basically powerless servant to assassinate masters the old-fashioned way. I'd rather lay low while they fight each other."

>"Well, what were they doing except laying low, when we found them?" says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 23, 2018, 01:13:20 AM
> "True. If she really did come here just to get answers, I almost feel sorry for her for having to do it at such a disadvantage."
> "Unfortunately, we need to kill Assassin as soon as possible, so I can't really afford to give her a break."
> Chew chew. "Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't know she has Assassin, I sensed some kind of magic usage earlier. Could be Caster."
> "And there's been no sign of Saber at all, which is weird..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 23, 2018, 01:19:36 AM
> "True. If she really did come here just to get answers, I almost feel sorry for her for having to do it at such a disadvantage."
> "Unfortunately, we need to kill Assassin as soon as possible, so I can't really afford to give her a break."
> Chew chew. "Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't know she has Assassin, I sensed some kind of magic usage earlier. Could be Caster."
> "And there's been no sign of Saber at all, which is weird..."

>She nods. "Caster and Saber are both possible. Caster would be harder to adapt to, you just don't know what they can do. Saber, however, you tend to know exactly what they can do and it's always nasty."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 23, 2018, 01:22:06 AM
> "I guess we'll find out tonight!"
> Finish the hot dog and stand up.
> "I think I'll take a little nap so I'll be alert tonight. Can you wake me up at about 7?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 23, 2018, 01:27:17 AM
> "I guess we'll find out tonight!"
> Finish the hot dog and stand up.
> "I think I'll take a little nap so I'll be alert tonight. Can you wake me up at about 7?"

>She nods. "If we leave at seven, that should be plenty of time to get back to town before the sun sets."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 23, 2018, 02:41:25 PM
> "Alright, thanks."
> Head over to our tent and crash for a little while. Try sleeping on our stomach to mitigate the hardness of the ground.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 23, 2018, 03:57:04 PM
> "Alright, thanks."
> Head over to our tent and crash for a little while. Try sleeping on our stomach to mitigate the hardness of the ground.

>"Sleep well," says Robin. "I'll just be out here getting Charcoal ready."
>You try to sleep on your stomach, but it's not terribly comfortable either...ultimately you toss and turn for awhile, but eventually you drift off.
>Wind blows softly through the leaves, rustling fills the air. With each moment, they rustle a little longer, a little more gently. Each motion of each leaf slows a bit more than the last. This is good. This is right. You rejoice in it, savoring each exquisite moment as they draw out longer and longer. Through the trees, you can see a wagon, a big wooden thing with banded of iron, drawn by horses and flanked by a number of men in armor, following a road that wends through the thick trees. With each moment, it too slows. Then they strike, a pair in green cloaks emerging from the brush. Were they moving at normal speed, you would have missed them. One is taller and red-haired, the other smaller and dark-haired. Moving as one, bows are draw. Arrows begin to fly, covering whole feet per moment, such is their speed.
>"Lily, it's about time," comes Archer's voice; your eyes snap open.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 23, 2018, 04:12:25 PM
> "Wah!"
> "Man, I've been having the weirdest dreams ever since this thing started."
> Get up and collect ourselves.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 24, 2018, 12:25:17 AM
> "Wah!"
> "Man, I've been having the weirdest dreams ever since this thing started."
> Get up and collect ourselves.

>"You okay?" Archer says in response to you crying out.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 24, 2018, 02:58:44 AM
> Climb out of the tent.
> "Yeah, I'm good. Lemme get my stuff together."
> "Oh, right. It's about time to give Mr. Aldrin another call."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 24, 2018, 04:16:17 AM
> Climb out of the tent.
> "Yeah, I'm good. Lemme get my stuff together."
> "Oh, right. It's about time to give Mr. Aldrin another call."

>Leaving the tent, you notice that Archer has gathered a fairly large amount of firewood, and stacked it all into a vertical pile, each piece resting on its end.
>"Good luck with the old fart," says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 24, 2018, 05:35:24 AM
> Here goes nothing! Dial up Buzz Aldrin on our phone again.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 24, 2018, 07:48:09 AM
> Here goes nothing! Dial up Buzz Aldrin on our phone again.

>The phone rings several times, before it's answered.
>"I'm answering this just to record the number for the purposes of a restraining order," comes the wizened voice on the other end.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 24, 2018, 02:20:49 PM
> "Listen, the reason I'm asking you about this is because if there really is some kind of crazy moon apocalypse waiting to happen, I might be in a position to do something about it."
> "But I need to know that what I heard was from the real Neil Armstrong and that his experience really happened."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 24, 2018, 03:53:06 PM
> "Listen, the reason I'm asking you about this is because if there really is some kind of crazy moon apocalypse waiting to happen, I might be in a position to do something about it."
> "But I need to know that what I heard was from the real Neil Armstrong and that his experience really happened."

>"The next time you call, I'll be filing that order," the voice answer, before the line goes dead.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 24, 2018, 04:40:52 PM
> Sigh.
> "Well, I guess I'd better come up with something pretty clever to say tomorrow."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 25, 2018, 12:58:39 AM
> Sigh.
> "Well, I guess I'd better come up with something pretty clever to say tomorrow."

>"That bad, huh?" says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 25, 2018, 01:57:56 AM
> "I'll be surprised if I get him to say anything. And if he doesn't, well, that's too bad for Explorer because there's probably nobody else in the world that can."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 25, 2018, 02:29:31 AM
> "I'll be surprised if I get him to say anything. And if he doesn't, well, that's too bad for Explorer because there's probably nobody else in the world that can."

>She nods. "I can only wonder why he's so hostile."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 25, 2018, 04:05:07 AM
> "Right? If it was me, I'd really want to talk about what I'd heard back then."
> "I wonder if he didn't believe Mr. Armstrong and he's trying to hide what he said so people won't think he was crazy?"
> "But it sounds like at least one other person knew, besides Mr. Collins...not that I have any way of tracking her down."
> Shrug. "Oh well. Ready to go back to town?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 25, 2018, 04:07:20 AM
> "Right? If it was me, I'd really want to talk about what I'd heard back then."
> "I wonder if he didn't believe Mr. Armstrong and he's trying to hide what he said so people won't think he was crazy?"
> "But it sounds like at least one other person knew, besides Mr. Collins...not that I have any way of tracking her down."
> Shrug. "Oh well. Ready to go back to town?"

>"Ready as I'll ever be," says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 25, 2018, 06:27:54 AM
> "Okay, let's go."
> Get started on our way to town; specifically, the Anchorage Motel.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 25, 2018, 06:37:33 AM
> "Okay, let's go."
> Get started on our way to town; specifically, the Anchorage Motel.

>You set out toward town. You're getting a good idea for the route now.
>About halfway there, your phone begins to ring.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 25, 2018, 03:40:17 PM
> Check the number before answering.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 25, 2018, 04:00:54 PM
> Check the number before answering.

>You have never seen this number before.
>Archer looks at you curiously.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 25, 2018, 05:12:07 PM
> "Hmm. Don't recognize the number."
> Guess we'll answer it. "Hello?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 01:02:14 AM
> "Hmm. Don't recognize the number."
> Guess we'll answer it. "Hello?"

>"Huh, I didn't know you could find that out," says Archer.
>You answer the phone, after a moment, you hear a raspy elder's voice say, "Are you the one who's been giving Mr. Aldrin a hard time?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 01:09:49 AM
> "That's me."
> "Is this Mr. Collins, by any chance?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 01:32:22 AM
> "That's me."
> "Is this Mr. Collins, by any chance?"

>"You're a perceptive girl, alright," the voice says, sounding faintly amused. "So what's all this about, then? Buzz wasn't very clear."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 02:06:24 AM
> "Right, sorry for the trouble. I'll just ask you the same thing I asked him."
> "Back during the moon landing, when Mr. Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module, and he started to say his "one small step" line, and there was a little pause there - did he later tell you and Mr. Aldrin that he saw something during that pause?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 02:17:46 AM
> "Right, sorry for the trouble. I'll just ask you the same thing I asked him."
> "Back during the moon landing, when Mr. Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module, and he started to say his "one small step" line, and there was a little pause there - did he later tell you and Mr. Aldrin that he saw something during that pause?"

>"And why are you asking something like that?" he replies.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 02:26:59 AM
> "There isn't really any answer I can give you that would satisfy you."
> What the hell, let's go all in.
> "The best explanation I can give - and this is a huge oversimplification - is that I heard it from what may or may not be his ghost, and I just want to confirm if it's a thing that actually happened. Because he was pretty insistent on warning me about it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 03:16:09 AM
> "There isn't really any answer I can give you that would satisfy you."
> What the hell, let's go all in.
> "The best explanation I can give - and this is a huge oversimplification - is that I heard it from what may or may not be his ghost, and I just want to confirm if it's a thing that actually happened. Because he was pretty insistent on warning me about it."

>"Hm," says Mr. Collins. "And did he mention that we're quite firmly bound by our word not to talk about things that like?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 03:35:33 AM
> "Yes, he told me he was worried people would try to exploit the...moon...thing. I intend to respect his wishes to keep it secret, if it's true, but he also wanted us to be...ready for it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 03:39:57 AM
> "Yes, he told me he was worried people would try to exploit the...moon...thing. I intend to respect his wishes to keep it secret, if it's true, but he also wanted us to be...ready for it."

>"Hm," he replies. "This is what I know. From our point of view, he just stopped for a moment. Buzz and I agreed that we felt something weird at the time, but that might be just something we came up with, you understand. Neil didn't say anything at the time. It wasn't until later, on the way home, that he began to ramble. And he made us swear not to tell anyone, which is an oath we've taken quite seriously."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 03:51:22 AM
> "Okay, thank you. That's all I really needed to know. I'm not sure HOW I'm going to go about looking further into what he saw, but I'll figure something out."
> "Oh, that's right. Does the name 'Della' mean anything to you? Mr. Aldrin asked me if I was her the first time I called him."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 04:15:23 AM
> "Okay, thank you. That's all I really needed to know. I'm not sure HOW I'm going to go about looking further into what he saw, but I'll figure something out."
> "Oh, that's right. Does the name 'Della' mean anything to you? Mr. Aldrin asked me if I was her the first time I called him."

>"Della was some lady that Neil used to talk with, about a decade ago," Collins says. "He took a real interest in the occult once he left active work with NASA. We didn't keep strongly in touch, you understand, but he had to look into some other ballparks to make more sense of what he experienced. He didn't talk much about it with us, so I can't say too much on what he knew, or if he ever found anything satisfying. But as I understand, Della was connected with that world."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 04:41:30 AM
> "I actually am too, which is why I think Mr. Armstrong might not have imagined what he saw, scary as it is."
> "I don't suppose you have a last name for Della?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 04:53:59 AM
> "I actually am too, which is why I think Mr. Armstrong might not have imagined what he saw, scary as it is."
> "I don't suppose you have a last name for Della?"

>"Oh, I don't think he imagined it either. That wasn't like him. And...hm, I'm afraid I don't know it off the top of my head. I might do a little digging, myself."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 05:04:46 AM
> "I'll do the same. Thank you very much, Mr. Collins. My name is Lily, by the way."
> "Oh, and, uh..."
> "If I did end up finding something, would you want to know about it?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 05:10:20 AM
> "I'll do the same. Thank you very much, Mr. Collins. My name is Lily, by the way."
> "Oh, and, uh..."
> "If I did end up finding something, would you want to know about it?"

>"Well I might be curious," he says. "And while I am thinking about it, let's keep this whole talk a secret from Mr Aldrin? In fact, I think it would be best you never contacted him again. It's just easier if we do it that way."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 05:28:31 AM
> "Uh, he said he would file a restraining order if I called him again, so I don't think we need to worry about that."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 05:53:41 AM
> "Uh, he said he would file a restraining order if I called him again, so I don't think we need to worry about that."

>"He takes his vows very seriously," Collins says. "But I admit, I'm a bit more curious."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 02:21:29 PM
> "I understand. I'll be careful while I'm researching this to avoid anyone else finding out."
> "Thanks again, Mr. Collins. I'll be in touch."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 02:42:38 PM
> "I understand. I'll be careful while I'm researching this to avoid anyone else finding out."
> "Thanks again, Mr. Collins. I'll be in touch."

>"I'd appreciate that kind of discretion," he says. "I'll see about calling sometime tomorrow, Miss Lily."
>He then hangs up.
>"I guess that's good news?" Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 02:59:55 PM
> "Well, I got a straight answer about what Explorer told me."
> "But that means there probably really is some kind of omniscient moon god."
> "Which means he might also be right about needing to blow our wish on preventing some kind of apocalypse."
> "I wouldn't call that good news."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 03:34:13 PM
> "Well, I got a straight answer about what Explorer told me."
> "But that means there probably really is some kind of omniscient moon god."
> "Which means he might also be right about needing to blow our wish on preventing some kind of apocalypse."
> "I wouldn't call that good news."

>"But he didn't actually tell you anything about it?" Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 04:13:53 PM
> "He confirmed that Neil Armstrong really did see some kind of entity on the moon. For that, I was just making sure Explorer wasn't some kind of...alternate fictional Neil Armstrong, because it was a really strange thing to hear."
> "But he did also say Mr. Armstrong talked with some lady named Della, who's apparently interested in the occult. I'm going to try to get in touch with her and find out what she knows."
> "She could be a magus herself or just a quack, I'll find out when I talk to her."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 04:21:11 PM
> "He confirmed that Neil Armstrong really did see some kind of entity on the moon. For that, I was just making sure Explorer wasn't some kind of...alternate fictional Neil Armstrong, because it was a really strange thing to hear."
> "But he did also say Mr. Armstrong talked with some lady named Della, who's apparently interested in the occult. I'm going to try to get in touch with her and find out what she knows."
> "She could be a magus herself or just a quack, I'll find out when I talk to her."

>"So you don't have any idea who she is, huh?" says Archer. "Can you find out? Because I figure there's probably got to be a lot of people with that name in the world..."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 05:04:40 PM
> "Oh, Mr. Collins says he'll try to get her last name for me."
> "If he can't, I'll just search for "Della" with "occult" or "psychic" and things like that, and I could also figure out where Mr. Armstrong lived when he died and narrow it down that way. Anyway, it's more to go off of than just her name."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 05:13:19 PM
> "Oh, Mr. Collins says he'll try to get her last name for me."
> "If he can't, I'll just search for "Della" with "occult" or "psychic" and things like that, and I could also figure out where Mr. Armstrong lived when he died and narrow it down that way. Anyway, it's more to go off of than just her name."

>Archer nods. "It's something, I guess. But I think we really need to figure out what he knows about that whole trip to the moon."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 05:32:51 PM
> "Er, that's the thing, he doesn't really know anything except what Mr. Armstrong told him. He said he and Mr. Aldrin might've felt something weird at the time, but that was it. Explorer said the moon thing didn't show itself to anyone else, too."
> "Oh, I forgot to even say who it was! That was Michael Collins, he was waiting in the spacecraft while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went down to the moon's surface. He called me after Mr. Aldrin told him about me."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 05:52:40 PM
> "Er, that's the thing, he doesn't really know anything except what Mr. Armstrong told him. He said he and Mr. Aldrin might've felt something weird at the time, but that was it. Explorer said the moon thing didn't show itself to anyone else, too."
> "Oh, I forgot to even say who it was! That was Michael Collins, he was waiting in the spacecraft while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went down to the moon's surface. He called me after Mr. Aldrin told him about me."

>"I thought he'd have to be someone connected, the way you were talking," says Archer. "So what did Explorer tell them, exactly?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 06:24:02 PM
> "Explorer said those two were the only ones he told about what he saw on the moon. (I don't know what that means for Della, but that was a younger version of him...)"
> "Well, I shouldn't say, 'saw', since it was more like he experienced it over what felt like a few hours even though it was just a moment..."
> "Actually, that's a good question. I was assuming Mr. Armstrong told them the same thing Explorer told me, but now that I think about it, he might've left out some details since he was short on time. I'll ask Mr. Collins about it next time we talk."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 26, 2018, 06:33:10 PM
> "Explorer said those two were the only ones he told about what he saw on the moon. (I don't know what that means for Della, but that was a younger version of him...)"
> "Well, I shouldn't say, 'saw', since it was more like he experienced it over what felt like a few hours even though it was just a moment..."
> "Actually, that's a good question. I was assuming Mr. Armstrong told them the same thing Explorer told me, but now that I think about it, he might've left out some details since he was short on time. I'll ask Mr. Collins about it next time we talk."

>Archer nods. "That's what I think. For us, he had maybe a minute. I'm sure they had much more time than that."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 26, 2018, 06:35:24 PM
> "Yeah, good thinking. I'll ask him to tell the whole story when he calls tomorrow."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 27, 2018, 01:40:49 AM
> "Yeah, good thinking. I'll ask him to tell the whole story when he calls tomorrow."

>"Let's get going, then," Archer says. "You'll want time to rest once we get to town."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 27, 2018, 02:56:39 AM
> Continue to town!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 27, 2018, 03:06:50 AM
> Continue to town!

>You head toward town. Frankly, you're happy for the fact that days are about as long as they can be at this time of year, you'll be happy to give your poor feet a rest. Getting there when you do, things are surprisingly low key for the time of day, there's activity and such, but not quite what you'd expect compared to home. Presumably a lot of the vacationers must be turning in early, or just not wanting to risk the possibility of rain. It's fairly dark for this time of day, too, thanks to the cloud cover.
>"Still can't tell if it's going to rain or not," Archer grumbles as you make your way into the main drag, not terribly far from the restaurant that Archer won't tolerate...

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 27, 2018, 05:46:54 AM
> Find a place to sit.
> "Alright, give me a few minutes and then we'll check on our new arrival."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 27, 2018, 06:47:41 AM
> Find a place to sit.
> "Alright, give me a few minutes and then we'll check on our new arrival."

>You take a load off.
>"How do you want to approach them?" Archer says, as she has a seat beside you on a bus stop bench.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 27, 2018, 03:29:47 PM
> "I'd like to exchange some words before we fight."
> "Since, well, the alternative is shooting an arrow through her window."
> Joke. "Feeling gutsy? We could knock on her door and introduce ourselves."
> Get out our phone and examine a map of the area. Look for nearby areas that would provide cover, as planned in our strategy discussion.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 27, 2018, 04:15:30 PM
> "I'd like to exchange some words before we fight."
> "Since, well, the alternative is shooting an arrow through her window."
> Joke. "Feeling gutsy? We could knock on her door and introduce ourselves."
> Get out our phone and examine a map of the area. Look for nearby areas that would provide cover, as planned in our strategy discussion.

>"I could deliver a message with an arrow through the window," Archer says. "I doubt they'd like it, but I could."
>Checking your map, most of area around the motel is fairly open. The highway is divided, putting some distance between the left and right sides od the road. However, there is a car repair lot next to the motel, with a slatted chain link fence fairly close to the side that the Master is residing. Noticing what you are doing, Archer points out she observed from the top of a burger king across from the repair lot.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 27, 2018, 04:47:41 PM
> Notice a green area on the map nearby, zoom in!
> It's an open field with one tree. "Damnit."
> "This is a pretty lousy place to engage, honestly. If we're able to lead them it'd probably be best to go through this little patch of trees behind Crabby Dick's (ugh) and around the edge of the residential area, I think..."
> "There's a nature area over here, by the stream, but we'd have to go through a big open field and a parking lot to get to it, so it would be obvious what we were doing."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 27, 2018, 05:18:09 PM
> Notice a green area on the map nearby, zoom in!
> It's an open field with one tree. "Damnit."
> "This is a pretty lousy place to engage, honestly. If we're able to lead them it'd probably be best to go through this little patch of trees behind Crabby Dick's (ugh) and around the edge of the residential area, I think..."
> "There's a nature area over here, by the stream, but we'd have to go through a big open field and a parking lot to get to it, so it would be obvious what we were doing."

>Archer nods. "It's a good idea. There is some advantage to the open areas, though. There's less cover for them, too. If it's Assassin, though, he would thrive in the trees about as much as I do, though. So leading them may be easier."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 27, 2018, 05:21:46 PM
> "Alright. As long as we know the area, we can make the decision once we know who her servant is."
> Finish resting up, and proceed towards the Anchorage Motel. Have Archer check if she's still in there.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 27, 2018, 05:40:25 PM
> "Alright. As long as we know the area, we can make the decision once we know who her servant is."
> Finish resting up, and proceed towards the Anchorage Motel. Have Archer check if she's still in there.

>You let the minutes pass as your feet stop protesting. The crowds clear out more and more as the minutes tick by. Eventually, you feel up to walking again, and head toward the Motel.
>"There's a light on in their room," says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 27, 2018, 06:06:22 PM
> Sending in italics! "Give it a moment, see if she walks by."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 27, 2018, 06:53:03 PM
> Sending in italics! "Give it a moment, see if she walks by."

>Archer squints toward the motel "I think there is some kind of motion in there..."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 27, 2018, 07:28:13 PM
> Do we sense anything awry ourselves?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 28, 2018, 04:28:40 AM
> Do we sense anything awry ourselves?

>Not at the moment.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 28, 2018, 03:22:43 PM
> Wait patiently for a few minutes.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 28, 2018, 03:28:50 PM
> Wait patiently for a few minutes.

>You wait, and notice the front door open.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 28, 2018, 04:09:30 PM
> "Shit! Hide!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 28, 2018, 04:13:40 PM
> "Shit! Hide!"

>Archer is gone before you can finish sending.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 28, 2018, 05:22:01 PM
> Duck behind whatever's nearby!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 28, 2018, 05:28:21 PM
> Duck behind whatever's nearby!

>The best you have is a telephone pole between the motel and Crabby Dick's. You dck behind it, but you doubt it's sufficient cover at all.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 28, 2018, 05:42:06 PM
> Lament not sending Archer alone to observe.
> Get out our phone and try to act natural??
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 28, 2018, 05:45:49 PM
> Lament not sending Archer alone to observe.
> Get out our phone and try to act natural??

>You get your phone out and try to act natural.
>Out of the corner of your eye, you can see the other master walking out into the parking lot.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 28, 2018, 06:10:55 PM
> "I hope she's just going to dinner..."
> "Archer, if she gets in her car, follow her for a bit to see if she's going somewhere in-town."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 28, 2018, 06:22:09 PM
> "I hope she's just going to dinner..."
> "Archer, if she gets in her car, follow her for a bit to see if she's going somewhere in-town."

>"Got it," Archer sends.
>The Master enters a beat up looking car, starts it, and exits the parking lot. For better or worse, the flow of traffic takes her the opposite way that she came.
>"Following now," Archer sends. "I don't think she's up to anything unusual just yet... Wait, she just glanced back for no reason. I think she's know you're there."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 28, 2018, 06:32:50 PM
> "Nngh, come back. She probably has her servant with her, but I don't want to risk otherwise."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 28, 2018, 06:51:30 PM
> "Nngh, come back. She probably has her servant with her, but I don't want to risk otherwise."

>"Got it," Archer sends. Then follows a few moments later with, "I'm here. So, what's our next step?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 28, 2018, 07:01:41 PM
> "I dunno...ugh, this sucks. We lost the initiative. Gimme a sec."
> Think for a minute.
> "Okay, she'll be back eventually...maybe we can get her to come to us."
> Write up a short note:
Code: [Select]
<our phone number>
   Let's talk.
> "Here, go slide this note under her door."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 29, 2018, 02:50:41 AM
> "I dunno...ugh, this sucks. We lost the initiative. Gimme a sec."
> Think for a minute.
> "Okay, she'll be back eventually...maybe we can get her to come to us."
> Write up a short note:
Code: [Select]
<our phone number>
   Let's talk.
> "Here, go slide this note under her door."

>Archer manifests again and takes the note. "I can't believe you're using me as a trap springer." she says as she walks off, "I bet you're even going to record it when the door explodes."
>Despite her grumbling, nothing seems to happen and she returns intact. "I don't know if there's any protection spells in there, but if there were it wasn't overt."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 29, 2018, 04:30:47 AM
> "A trap expert would be safe anyway, right?" *Smile, smile*
> "Well, she probably won't be back within the hour. Let's go for a walk."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 29, 2018, 04:32:05 AM
> "A trap expert would be safe anyway, right?" *Smile, smile*
> "Well, she probably won't be back within the hour. Let's go for a walk."

>"I swear if I'm blown to bits, I'm going to use the last of my strength to have them splatter you," Archer says. "And sure, we might as well patrol a bit."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 29, 2018, 02:07:18 PM
> Let's go check out that stream.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 29, 2018, 02:37:29 PM
> Let's go check out that stream.

>You head northward, picking your way around a the residential area and heading toward the woods to the north. Reaching the Wolfe Glade, you find it is a fairly normal-looking creek, but it helps to follow it, getting an idea of what to expect.
>After about 15 minutes, your phone rings. It is an unfamiliar number.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 29, 2018, 02:45:09 PM
> "Ah, that was quick."
> Steady our breath before answering.
> "Good evening."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 29, 2018, 02:52:28 PM
> "Ah, that was quick."
> Steady our breath before answering.
> "Good evening."

>"So you're the note leaver, right?" comes a woman's voice. "And you're that master that was snooping around, right?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 29, 2018, 03:11:38 PM
> "That's right. My name is Lily, and I'm your opponent in the Grail War."
> "Are you interested in settling things tonight?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 29, 2018, 03:19:05 PM
> "That's right. My name is Lily, and I'm your opponent in the Grail War."
> "Are you interested in settling things tonight?"

>"Got to settle them sometime," she says. "I'm Georgia."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 29, 2018, 03:29:55 PM
> "Alright, then. Before we begin, have you met with the overseer yet?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 29, 2018, 03:35:35 PM
> "Alright, then. Before we begin, have you met with the overseer yet?"

>"Overseer?" Georgia replies. "That's actually a thing?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 29, 2018, 03:58:06 PM
> @Archer: "Am I the only one that cared about the overseer??"
> "Well, the title makes it sound fancier than it is. The overseer is a neutral party sent by the church to observe and record the outcome of the Grail War. I met with her today."
> "In an official capacity, one of the things she can do is remove command seals from a willing master, removing them from the game."
> "What I'm saying is that if your servant is defeated, I'll spare your life if you're willing to surrender."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 29, 2018, 04:02:37 PM
> @Archer: "Am I the only one that cared about the overseer??"
> "Well, the title makes it sound fancier than it is. The overseer is a neutral party sent by the church to observe and record the outcome of the Grail War. I met with her today."
> "In an official capacity, one of the things she can do is remove command seals from a willing master, removing them from the game."
> "What I'm saying is that if your servant is defeated, I'll spare your life if you're willing to surrender."

>"What's she saying?" Archer sends back.
>"Huh," Georgia replies. "I'm gonna be real, that sounds fake." Her tone sounds more disbelieving than dismissive. "Still, sounds good if it's true. Why?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 29, 2018, 04:19:27 PM
> @Archer: "She's never heard of the overseer either. I don't know if she's going to be willing to surrender if she doesn't buy it."
> "Why, as in, 'why don't I want to kill you'? I'm not interested in murdering anyone if I don't have to, even if it's more convenient. We all have lives to get back to, don't we?"
> "But I guess you might not have a choice, if your servant is who I think it is."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 29, 2018, 06:16:53 PM
> @Archer: "She's never heard of the overseer either. I don't know if she's going to be willing to surrender if she doesn't buy it."
> "Why, as in, 'why don't I want to kill you'? I'm not interested in murdering anyone if I don't have to, even if it's more convenient. We all have lives to get back to, don't we?"
> "But I guess you might not have a choice, if your servant is who I think it is."

>"Does she at least seem not that hostile?" Archer says.
>"Well that's something you don't hear a magus say every day," Georgia says. "And go on, who do you think my Servant is?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 29, 2018, 08:11:02 PM
> @Archer: "She seems pretty reasonable for someone talking to an enemy. I can't blame her for being skeptical."
> "I'm not from one of the major families. And sure, why not...it's Assassin, right? The only other servants I haven't encountered yet are Saber and Caster, and I would think their presence would be pretty hard to miss."
> "Unless you're just hiding your Saber and I'm going to have a really bad time tonight."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 30, 2018, 05:14:41 AM
> @Archer: "She seems pretty reasonable for someone talking to an enemy. I can't blame her for being skeptical."
> "I'm not from one of the major families. And sure, why not...it's Assassin, right? The only other servants I haven't encountered yet are Saber and Caster, and I would think their presence would be pretty hard to miss."
> "Unless you're just hiding your Saber and I'm going to have a really bad time tonight."

>"Every servant can disappear like I do, remember?" Archer sends. "Just we can't do anything like physical like that."
>"Well, you can find that out yourself," Georgia sends. "Still, can't say I'm not interested."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 30, 2018, 01:21:50 PM
@Archer: "Sure, but I don't see why you wouldn't want to keep your servant manifested all the time. Unless they just don't get along."
> "Alright, let's get this over with before more masters arrive in town, then."
> "I'm in the woods around the stream to the southeast. In...let's say fifteen minutes, I'll start moving towards you, and whatever happens in the middle happens."
> "Oh, one last thing. If you see a strange fog rolling in, let's call a time out, okay? Berserker likes to show up when there's more than one servant in an area and we'll want to focus our attention on him."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 30, 2018, 06:08:44 PM
@Archer: "Sure, but I don't see why you wouldn't want to keep your servant manifested all the time. Unless they just don't get along."
> "Alright, let's get this over with before more masters arrive in town, then."
> "I'm in the woods around the stream to the southeast. In...let's say fifteen minutes, I'll start moving towards you, and whatever happens in the middle happens."
> "Oh, one last thing. If you see a strange fog rolling in, let's call a time out, okay? Berserker likes to show up when there's more than one servant in an area and we'll want to focus our attention on him."

>"It conserves mana use," Archer sends. "And makes us harder to detect. Why do you think I do it all the time?"
>"Yeah, no," Georgia says. "You really think I dumb enough to go to your battlefield? Let's head up north on the beach, away from all the people."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 30, 2018, 06:15:30 PM
> "Hah, fine. I'll see you there. May the best woman win."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 30, 2018, 06:56:56 PM
> "Hah, fine. I'll see you there. May the best woman win."

>"Just don't keep us waiting too long. Who am I looking for, anyways?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 30, 2018, 07:30:07 PM
> "Oh, just a moment."
> Scoot next to Archer and take a selfie.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 30, 2018, 08:17:56 PM
> "Oh, just a moment."
> Scoot next to Archer and take a selfie.

>"Hey, what're you doing?" Archer says as you move next to her, then take a picture. Looking at the results, you have caught Archer looking at you in confusion.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 30, 2018, 09:57:20 PM
> Send it to Georgia. "I don't have time to Blingee it up, so just imagine a few sparkles and a Snoop or two."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 31, 2018, 07:41:48 AM
> Send it to Georgia. "I don't have time to Blingee it up, so just imagine a few sparkles and a Snoop or two."

>You actually hear a snort of almost-laughter in response to your quip. "Huh, you disguised your Servant. If you got her some clothes that fit better, she'd blend right in. Okay, yeah, we'll see you."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 31, 2018, 04:19:05 PM
> "We'll be there." Hang up.
> "Alright Archer, we're going to meet at the be--"
> "Oh god damnit, she said NORTH beach. We need to hurry."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 31, 2018, 05:18:59 PM
> "We'll be there." Hang up.
> "Alright Archer, we're going to meet at the be--"
> "Oh god damnit, she said NORTH beach. We need to hurry."

>"You mean all the way North, past our camp?" says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 31, 2018, 07:25:16 PM
> "Yeah, she wanted to fight where there weren't any people around. I think we'd better go get the car."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on March 31, 2018, 09:03:11 PM
> "Yeah, she wanted to fight where there weren't any people around. I think we'd better go get the car."

>"Didn't we park it there?" Archer says,

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on March 31, 2018, 10:59:21 PM
> Groan, drag hand over face. "We did."
> "Hold on, I got it."
> Check if there's a taxi service in town.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 01, 2018, 05:21:27 AM
> Groan, drag hand over face. "We did."
> "Hold on, I got it."
> Check if there's a taxi service in town.

>Aside from the usual app=based exploitative gig services, you find there are indeed a couple of taxi services.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 01, 2018, 02:40:17 PM
> Call one up, see how fast they can get here.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 01, 2018, 02:45:08 PM
> Call one up, see how fast they can get here.

>You're in the middle of a woods right now. You'd be surprised if they could get there. Where do you plan to meet one?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 01, 2018, 04:18:26 PM
> How about the Fairfield Inn, right next to the highway?
> Have Archer carry us there for some extra hustle!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 01, 2018, 07:40:15 PM
> How about the Fairfield Inn, right next to the highway?
> Have Archer carry us there for some extra hustle!

>You make the call, and they promise you a cab within 20 minutes.
>"Wait, you want me to carry you now?" Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 01, 2018, 08:47:45 PM
I'm sure we can walk back there within 20 minutes, so nevermind :V

> "I ordered a cab, it'll pick us up at that hotel at the edge of the woods. As long as we get there within fifteen minutes of her, we can call it fashionably late."
> Start back towards the hotel, at a brisk pace.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 06:44:45 AM
> "I ordered a cab, it'll pick us up at that hotel at the edge of the woods. As long as we get there within fifteen minutes of her, we can call it fashionably late."
> Start back towards the hotel, at a brisk pace.

>"Ah, I see."
>The trip back is a little hurried, but you make it to find a black cab waiting for you at the Fairfield parking lot. The driver, a thoroughly unimpressive older man by the name of Dennis, asks for your drop off point, then launches into a rambling diatribe about the various beach parties he's totally been to. Given the fact most of the tourists seem to be older people and their children, you're pretty sure he's either omitting some details, or lying outright. Thankfully, this doesn't last terribly long as as he more or less follows the same route you used to get to your campsite to start with, and in fact dumps you off about about three blocks from where you initially parked, near the beach. The whole trip costs 29 dollars.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 02, 2018, 11:42:34 AM
>Thank him and pay him 40.
>"Keep the change, Dennis." :3
>Exit the cab and move on to our destination.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 04:41:34 PM
>Thank him and pay him 40.
>"Keep the change, Dennis." :3
>Exit the cab and move on to our destination.

>"Geez, thanks a million, kid!" Dennis says as you tip him generously and depart.
>"You must've really liked his probably fake stories," Archer says, as she looks around.
>Heading toward the beach, it is empty. This isn't surprising, there's only a small neighborhood around it, this is hardly a tourist or party area. The sky is dark, but there's a surprising amount of visibility from the reflection of city light in the distance. The ocean seems pretty calm, you aren't really familiar with it but the waves don't seem that high or nasty. The beach is kind of nasty, though. There's a fair amount of trash that has probably been washing in for heaven knows how long. Looking around, you think you can see someone some distance down the beach, to the northwest.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 05:02:50 PM
> "Eh, he got us here on time and I was feeling generous."
> Start approaching the other individual. Are they alone?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 05:41:52 PM
> "Eh, he got us here on time and I was feeling generous."
> Start approaching the other individual. Are they alone?

>You start to approach. They are alone.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 06:16:27 PM
> @Archer: "She really doesn't want to show her hand, huh?"
> Continue our approach and keep an eye out to the sides for any ambushes...
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 06:21:17 PM
> @Archer: "She really doesn't want to show her hand, huh?"
> Continue our approach and keep an eye out to the sides for any ambushes...

>You approach. AS you come within a a couple hundred yards; not quite close enough to make out many details, another figure materializes beside her. A taller black man in colorful clothing.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 06:24:11 PM
> "That's not Assassin." Keep approaching until we can see them better.
> Wave to them and call out. "Evening, Georgia."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 06:28:06 PM
> "That's not Assassin." Keep approaching until we can see them better.
> Wave to them and call out. "Evening, Georgia."

>You stop about a bit over a hundred yards from them. You aren't sure who the Servant is, but he is most definitely wearing some tye-die. Archer quietly shifts from her borrowed clothes to her normal ones.
>"About time you got here, Lily," she says back.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Suwako Moriya on April 02, 2018, 06:31:11 PM
(Oh boy, Jimi Hendrix is Caster!)
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 06:36:12 PM
Quote
(Oh boy, Jimi Hendrix is Caster!)
Worst than that, he's Stratocaster! :dragonforce:

> "Sorry, we were kind of in the middle of the woods when we talked."
> Are we unable to ID the servant because of the darkness, or do we genuinely not recognize him?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 06:44:15 PM
> "Sorry, we were kind of in the middle of the woods when we talked."
> Are we unable to ID the servant because of the darkness, or do we genuinely not recognize him?

>You're just too far away. You can't see either of their faces, just some general details.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 06:54:30 PM
> @Archer: "If you can get a closer look, I need you to describe the guy. His clothes are from about forty~fifty years ago, so it's probably someone I've heard of."
> @Archer: "When we start, I'm going to run up the shore to take cover. I can't make a very strong wall out of sand."
> Call out. "So, I guess this is it. Anything you want to say before we begin?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 06:57:58 PM
> @Archer: "If you can get a closer look, I need you to describe the guy. His clothes are from about forty~fifty years ago, so it's probably someone I've heard of."
> @Archer: "When we start, I'm going to run up the shore to take cover. I can't make a very strong wall out of sand."
> Call out. "So, I guess this is it. Anything you want to say before we begin?"

>"A wall of sand is better than no wall," Archer says. "But I got you, I'll take the vanguard."
>"Just want you to know," Georgia says, "This'll probably hurt, a lot. But if you surrender, we'll go easy. Unless you try to trick us with that, then you better kill us both in one shot, because you're a dead woman!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 07:04:52 PM
> "Sorry, my servant isn't a big fan of the whole "me surrendering" thing. But I won't hold it against you!"
> Palm a Wall stone to cover us in case we get attacked right away.
> Also double check to make sure we brought the damn mace this time.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 07:18:22 PM
> "Sorry, my servant isn't a big fan of the whole "me surrendering" thing. But I won't hold it against you!"
> Palm a Wall stone to cover us in case we get attacked right away.
> Also double check to make sure we brought the damn mace this time.

>You prepare a stone, and make sure your mace is in there.
>"Yeah, I'd hope so," says Georgia. "So, we ready?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 07:23:12 PM
> @Archer: "Remember, try not to shoot Georgia, but I'll leave it to your discretion."
> "I'm ready. Let's go!"
> Roll for initiative!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 07:31:56 PM
> @Archer: "Remember, try not to shoot Georgia, but I'll leave it to your discretion."
> "I'm ready. Let's go!"
> Roll for initiative!

>"I'll try not to," Archer says. "At least not until things get real bad."
>You signal to begin. In response, Archer moves forward, preparing her bow. The opposing servant seems to conjure something out of air, something strapped over his shoulder and  dangling over his waste. Your suspicions about it are confirmed as electric guitar music begins to fill the air.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 07:36:55 PM
> Move away from the shore and up towards the nearest cover!
> Check data: Is it the greatest of guitar heroes, Jimi Hendrix, as Caster??
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 07:47:41 PM
> Move away from the shore and up towards the nearest cover!
> Check data: Is it the greatest of guitar heroes, Jimi Hendrix, as Caster??

>There isn't much cover to be had on a sandy beach, unless you can somehow hide behind loose bottles and debris.
>You...think he is. It would help if you could see his face, or something that you could attach to him. Caster definitely feels correct, though.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 08:10:13 PM
No trees along the shore, huh?

> @Archer: "I think I know who it is! Let me know if he has puffy hair and a mustache!"
> Looks like we'll have to build a sandcastle! Pick a spot to throw down our Wall and take cover.
> If we decided we wanted to turtle, would using Forbidden Zone be appropriate for building solid fortifications, or should we try to sustain a few Walls simultaneously?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 08:45:26 PM
The beach is the shore. If you're going inland, you need to specify that.

> @Archer: "I think I know who it is! Let me know if he has puffy hair and a mustache!"
> Looks like we'll have to build a sandcastle! Pick a spot to throw down our Wall and take cover.
> If we decided we wanted to turtle, would using Forbidden Zone be appropriate for building solid fortifications, or should we try to sustain a few Walls simultaneously?

>"Got it!" Archer sends.
>You cast a wall spell and hide behind it. It would be much better to use the latter technique, Forbidden Zone doesn't like to be shaped like that.

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 08:56:10 PM
> What kind of terrain features are inland?
> Toss out two more walls, extending the first and covering our flanks somewhat, but mostly leaving room to dodge from side to side and still stay behind cover.
> Try to get a feel for how much mana it will take to sustain our little bunker while we watch Archer leap into action.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 09:52:28 PM
> What kind of terrain features are inland?
> Toss out two more walls, extending the first and covering our flanks somewhat, but mostly leaving room to dodge from side to side and still stay behind cover.
> Try to get a feel for how much mana it will take to sustain our little bunker while we watch Archer leap into action.

>There are some trees, and some houses past them.
>You try to set up two more walls, but you find that the amount of mana it demands is...much more than you expected, and you fumble trying to reach for it.
>It shouldn't take enough to concern you at all.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 10:12:05 PM
> Whoops! We'll just keep another stone on hand and use it when we need to, then. (Good thing we just made a whole bunch of these...)
> Peek out to see what happens next. Don't forget to keep track of Georgia.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 02, 2018, 10:27:20 PM
> Whoops! We'll just keep another stone on hand and use it when we need to, then. (Good thing we just made a whole bunch of these...)
> Peek out to see what happens next. Don't forget to keep track of Georgia.

>You peek out in time to see Archer sending an arrow at Caster, who deftly side-steps it. the music not even skipping a beat. Georgia seems to be moving back, and carrying a large black object in her hands.
>"Definitely mustache!" Archer sends, as she moves to flank around Caster. "Hair looks pretty puffy to me!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 02, 2018, 11:12:53 PM
> Does Georgia have her keyboard?? Well, whatever, Archer probably has enough Magic Resistance to ignore whatever she does.
> Description confirmed. Check the data again?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 03, 2018, 12:29:24 AM
> Does Georgia have her keyboard?? Well, whatever, Archer probably has enough Magic Resistance to ignore whatever she does.
> Description confirmed. Check the data again?

>You focus on all the information you've managed to glean...
>Information Update: Caster

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 03, 2018, 12:35:47 AM
> Duck behind our little fort and check it!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 03, 2018, 09:08:47 AM
> Duck behind our little fort and check it!

>You take cover again.
>Caster: Jimi Hendrix
>Strength: C   
>Mana: A+
>Endurance: C   
>Luck: B
>Agility: C   
>N. Phantasm: C      
> Class skills:
>>Item Construction:   A 
>>Territory Creation:   A 
>Personal skills:
>>Distortion       A+
>>Charisma       A+
>Noble Phantasms:
>>The Experience 
>>Screaming Eagle   
>James Marshall Hendrix, better know as Jimi Hendrix, created music that is renowned throughout the world. He transformed and defined the face of rock in his era and given impetus to numerous other genres to follow. He lived a short life, dying at the age of 27 as a result of the substance abuse issues that plagued much of his later life. Though only musically active for 4 years, his performances transformed the musical landscape, inspiring countless musicians and turning the tide of music itself. As a younger man, he was enlisted in the military to avoid prosecution after being caught riding in stolen cars multiple times. While he never saw combat, he completed his training with distinction, then was honorably discharged after it was determined he simply did not care for military at all. He has played with many of the greats of his era, working his way up from band to band, eventually touring in the UK where he would be discovered and thrust onto the world stage. By the end of his life, he had headlined and dominated numerous major venues, cementing him as a legend. He bears a curious distinction of having more albums released after his death than during his life.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 03, 2018, 02:34:54 PM
> Check Skill/NP descriptions.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 03, 2018, 03:37:25 PM
> Check Skill/NP descriptions.


>Class Skill: Item Construction:  This skill allows one to create objects related to their particular role or class. In Caster's case, he may use it to fashion musical equipment fitting for his use.
>Class Skill: Territory Creation:  This skill grants a caster the ability to create to create locations that can serve their particular role.
>Personal Skill: Distortion: The ability to to disrupt things through a medium. In the case of Caster, he may use sound as a method to disrupt the flow of energy, of air, and ultimately of matter.
>Personal Skill: Charisma: The ability to gather large groups of people and unify them toward one cause. Traditionally used to gather armies, this skill can be also devoted toward swaying those who are in the wielder's presence. At its highest ranks, it can be considered identical to a charm or a curse:
>Noble Phantasm: The Experience: The power of Caster's music affects all that it touches, serving as a medium for his various skills. Though his music, he may disrupt the flow of magic, manipulate the air in crude ways, and ultimately have an effect on solid forms of matter with enough time and focus. This Noble Phantasm grants a broad range of such abilities, rivaling even the magical abilities of other Caster Class servants. As it it based on sound rather than his playing, this allows him brief moments where he need not be physically playing music to continue the effects, but only as long as the sound lingers.
>Noble Phantasm: Screaming Eagle: The summation of a paratrooper's skill. Caster is comfortable in airborne situations, and if able to act freely need not worry about a fall from any kind of height. He may use these skills to ride upon existing winds and cover great distances, though his control is dependant on the winds themselves.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 03, 2018, 04:17:50 PM
> @Archer: "It's Caster, alright! That's Jimi Hendrix! Yikes, listen to this..."
> "He's got some kind of skill that lets him disrupt pretty much anything tangible...he might disrupt the air to make your arrows not fly straight, or distort your camouflage if you use your phantasm..."
> "It seems like he'll use his music to change the environment, so watch your step. Oh, and it keeps working as long as you can hear it, so he's not vulnerable the instant he stops playing."
> "Also, it seems like he can fly if the wind picks up..."
> "This'll get bad if it drags out! Go all-out on him!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 03, 2018, 05:27:04 PM
> @Archer: "It's Caster, alright! That's Jimi Hendrix! Yikes, listen to this..."
> "He's got some kind of skill that lets him disrupt pretty much anything tangible...he might disrupt the air to make your arrows not fly straight, or distort your camouflage if you use your phantasm..."
> "It seems like he'll use his music to change the environment, so watch your step. Oh, and it keeps working as long as you can hear it, so he's not vulnerable the instant he stops playing."
> "Also, it seems like he can fly if the wind picks up..."
> "This'll get bad if it drags out! Go all-out on him!"

>"Got it!" Archer sends back, as the music grows louder, and more like an actual song than just some guitar licks. "Any ideas? I'm not used to wizards!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Yaersulf on April 03, 2018, 05:49:35 PM
>"His music seems to be the source of his power. If you can stop him from playing or damage his guitar somehow it should give you the upper hand."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 03, 2018, 07:04:31 PM
>"His music seems to be the source of his power. If you can stop him from playing or damage his guitar somehow it should give you the upper hand."

>"That feels too easy," she sends back, "But I'll give it a shot."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 03, 2018, 07:57:58 PM
> "He can definitely fix it, but opening him up for a moment might be all you need."
> "By the way, I noticed Georgia has her keyboard. If she does anything to interfere, it probably wouldn't hurt to wreck *that*."
> Pop back up to watch. Shape a little battlement in our wall if possible.

(If we can win this battle while commanding from our mighty sandcastle, god help me I will do it)
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 03, 2018, 08:35:51 PM
> "He can definitely fix it, but opening him up for a moment might be all you need."
> "By the way, I noticed Georgia has her keyboard. If she does anything to interfere, it probably wouldn't hurt to wreck *that*."
> Pop back up to watch. Shape a little battlement in our wall if possible.

>"Got it," Archer sends. "The Master's drawing back right now."
>You aren't sure if you could shape a battlement into the wall when making it, but it is too late now. You pop back up, and see Archer sending an arrow at Caster, then another. Caster moves around one; the other thuds directly into his guitar; he brushes it away without missing a beat. The song is picking up tempo.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 03, 2018, 09:10:57 PM
> "Oh. I guess that doesn't work. It's more like a shield, really..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 03, 2018, 09:52:00 PM
> "Oh. I guess that doesn't work. It's more like a shield, really..."

>"I was aiming for him!" she sends back.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 03, 2018, 10:25:09 PM
> "Well, he saved you the trouble of testing it!"
> Since we're not casting anything, would it be possible to buff Archer by letting her use more mana?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 03, 2018, 11:51:17 PM
> "Well, he saved you the trouble of testing it!"
> Since we're not casting anything, would it be possible to buff Archer by letting her use more mana?

>That may be possible, but it would take some kind of refining. It may not be within your talents. And given you had some difficulty within one of your best spells a couple moments ago...

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 12:01:37 AM
> Damnit! We are such a shitty magus! But the good ones are all psychopaths, so I guess it can't be helped.
> At least keep watching. Caster's attack could come from anywhere, so the least we can do is warn Archer about it.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 12:52:13 AM
> Damnit! We are such a shitty magus! But the good ones are all psychopaths, so I guess it can't be helped.
> At least keep watching. Caster's attack could come from anywhere, so the least we can do is warn Archer about it.

>You're honestly pretty skilled, just magic tends not to be amenable to being changed up on the fly.
>Archer sends another arrow at Caster, which he steps away from. Suddenly the song's tempo shifts downward, and you can feel it in your teeth. The sand in front of Arch suddenly explodes outward as if a meteor hit it!

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 01:08:51 AM
> "Aaah! Archer, are you okay??"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 10:55:35 AM
> "Aaah! Archer, are you okay??"

>"Yeah, just got some in my eyes and up my nose!" she sends back.
>Archer draws back at the sand hits the ground, wiping her face with her sleeve. More blasts of sand erupt around her, but them seem to be more distractions than anything.  You note that Georgia has stopped drawing back, and does seem to be readying what appears to be a portable keyboard strapped around her neck.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 02:28:13 PM
> "Georgia's getting ready to do something. Try moving sideways until you can see again, I think he's trying to box you in!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 02:40:26 PM
> "Georgia's getting ready to do something. Try moving sideways until you can see again, I think he's trying to box you in!"

>"Got it!" Archer says, as she starts to circle around Caster, putting her back to the ocean.
>Caster's music builds upward, the pacing and the pitch growing higher and higher. As it does, the sand begins to gather underneath him, raising him into the air as a hill forms under him. Then entirely different sounds join his guitar music as Georgia begins to play, adding something that sounds suspiciously like Sega Genesis music to the air and clashing horribly. You think you can see the air crackle around her.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 02:59:24 PM
> "Georgia's charging up some kind of lightning spell! If you start feeling static, go flat!"
> Can we land a Blind spell on Georgia from this distance? It won't stop her from playing, but at least it'll make it hard for her to keep track of what's going on.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 03:18:35 PM
> "Georgia's charging up some kind of lightning spell! If you start feeling static, go flat!"
> Can we land a Blind spell on Georgia from this distance? It won't stop her from playing, but at least it'll make it hard for her to keep track of what's going on.

>"Thanks! I can barely see her from here!" Archer replies.
>You should be able to hit her with Blind from here.
>The hill of sand continues to rise higher, stretching higher into the air. Archer sends a few arrows toward Caster, but he dodges around one, and catches the other two with his guitar, brushing them away without missing a beat.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 03:23:29 PM
> "Keep it up! You just have to hit him once to turn this around!"
> Try to curse Georgia with Blind!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 03:45:31 PM
> "Keep it up! You just have to hit him once to turn this around!"
> Try to curse Georgia with Blind!

>You place your curse on her, sending it speeding invisibly toward her. Curiously, unlike your early attempt at the wall spells, this one does not seem to have to draw upon an unusual amount of mana. She screeches as it hits, and you can feel her nearly manage to shrug it off, but not quite.  Still, this establishes she's no slouch herself.
>Caster suddenly leaps back from the hill of sand, which has become a more of a plateau at this point. At first he falls, before a small parachute unfurls from his back with unnatural speed, catching him and letting him drift back away from the sandy monument he create, his song uninterrupted. As for the plateau itself, it starts to collapse toward Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 03:50:11 PM
> "Oh, crap."
> Pitch a Wall at the collapsing sand to try to solidify some of it and give Archer more time to get away!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 05:04:54 PM
> "Oh, crap."
> Pitch a Wall at the collapsing sand to try to solidify some of it and give Archer more time to get away!

>Normally you would not be able to accurately throw a Wall that far, but a hill of sand is a terribly hard target to miss. Rather, it's question of whether you even have that much arm strength. You lob the stone with all your might, enough to make your shoulder ache fiercely in protest. A moment later, it thuds into the collapsing edifice, and you cast the spell. Ultimately, it amounts to a molehill in a mountain, only solidifying a bit of it. But you feel there could be more; there shouldn't be, but you feel that there may be, perhaps if you dedicated more mana, or concentrated harder? Or maybe you're imagining things?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 05:12:19 PM
> There's no reason to back off now! Push it to the limit!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 06:05:33 PM
> There's no reason to back off now! Push it to the limit!

>You push as far as you can go, and feel a decent amount of mana flow through you. You can feel the spell take hold, and the cascading sand begins to slow. That's...strange. But it allows plenty of time for Archer to get out of the way, and move around the slowly falling edifice, as Caster drifts back close to Georgia and retracting his parachute the moment he hits the ground, the song unbroken the entire time.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 06:09:17 PM
> Phew! Let it go once Archer's out of the way.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 07:22:45 PM
> Phew! Let it go once Archer's out of the way.

>You let it go, and the sand slowly begins to cascade down again.
>"Thanks!" Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 08:39:16 PM
> "I'm not sure how I did that, but you're welcome!"
> Since everyone's moving further up the beach, watch for an opportunity to advance safely and plant a new wall as cover.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 09:05:33 PM
> "I'm not sure how I did that, but you're welcome!"
> Since everyone's moving further up the beach, watch for an opportunity to advance safely and plant a new wall as cover.

>"What?" Archer says, then adds, "No time for this!"
>You move to keep pace with the others. How must distance will you allow between them and yourself?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 10:34:10 PM
> Keep about the same distance from Caster as we have until now.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 04, 2018, 10:55:15 PM
> Keep about the same distance from Caster as we have until now.

>You move in a little, and create a new wall. This one doesn't seem to have unusual mana drain either.
>As you do, Archer sends out several more arrows. This time, Caster doesn't even seem to bother to dodge. They flight straight at him, until there's a series of loud pops and momentary flashes of lightning from Georgia. The arrows simply fall out of the air, useless. A moment later, Caster's music distorts, and you feel as though you've been kicked in the gut!

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 04, 2018, 11:42:03 PM
> "Oof!" Collapse behind our wall for a sec.
> "I guess you couldn't shoot her if you wanted to. Hey, are her eyes open? I tried blinding her earlier, I can do it again."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 12:45:17 AM
> "Oof!" Collapse behind our wall for a sec.
> "I guess you couldn't shoot her if you wanted to. Hey, are her eyes open? I tried blinding her earlier, I can do it again."

>You lean against the wall, which certainly helps.
>"No, she's definitely not seeing anything," Archer sends back. "I don't think she needed to see for that!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 05, 2018, 02:45:30 AM
> "Well, that's obnoxious!"
> Think for a bit...
> "Hey, this is kind of a crapshoot, but your phantasm can poison trees, right? Does it work on wood in general? Because old guitars are made of wood."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 10:33:56 AM
> "Well, that's obnoxious!"
> Think for a bit...
> "Hey, this is kind of a crapshoot, but your phantasm can poison trees, right? Does it work on wood in general? Because old guitars are made of wood."

>"No, it has to be a tree in the ground," Archer sends, as she fires a couple more arrows, both struck down by cracks of lightning. Casters music takes on on a slower, more distorted pace.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Yaersulf on April 05, 2018, 12:03:32 PM
>What's the terrain above the beach like? Specifically note if there is any foliage.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 12:21:55 PM
>What's the terrain above the beach like? Specifically note if there is any foliage.

>There is cloudy sky above the beach, and little to no terrain at all. To the north is the ocean, though at this point it's probably technically a bay.  To the south there are some houses with scattered trees in their yards, fences don't see to be common. You came from the east, there's more beach that way. To the west is also more beach, but you think that soon ends in a river.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 05, 2018, 02:08:09 PM
I don't think NFMK is gonna be useful in this fight, the distortion can probably strip away her stealth. Also, as long as we're on the beach, Caster is just attacking us with sand, and I don't really want to add trees and rocks to the mix.

> Peer over our wall and try to get a sense of the power dynamic here. Is Georgia doing her lightning thing under her own power or is she getting energy from Caster?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 02:30:11 PM
> Peer over our wall and try to get a sense of the power dynamic here. Is Georgia doing her lightning thing under her own power or is she getting energy from Caster?

>You are certain that it is something she is doing herself.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 05, 2018, 02:44:46 PM
Wait a minute, if that's the case, then maybe...

> "Archer! She's using her own mana to power her magic music! If we can disrupt her playing somehow, you can concentrate more on Caster! So maybe we should aim for her instrument and not his..."
> ...Also, we did bring our phone along, right?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 05, 2018, 02:47:01 PM
> "Actually, even if you can't land a hit, I bet that uses a lot of mana...I'd be surprised if she could keep it up for long."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 03:06:06 PM
> "Actually, even if you can't land a hit, I bet that uses a lot of mana...I'd be surprised if she could keep it up for long."

>"It's a question of how long she needs to stall,"  Archer sends. The wind is picking up suddenly.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 05, 2018, 04:42:07 PM
> "Ugh, here we go. He's probably taking to the air..."
> "If you can lead him away, I'll advance on Georgia and wreck her keyboard with magic."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 04:58:15 PM
> "Ugh, here we go. He's probably taking to the air..."
> "If you can lead him away, I'll advance on Georgia and wreck her keyboard with magic."

>"Maybe," Archer sends back. "Be careful, you might get shocked too."
>The sand near Archer explodes outside, forcing her to leap back.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 05, 2018, 06:13:21 PM
> Take cover and see what they do next.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 06:39:22 PM
> Take cover and see what they do next.

>You take cover. The song shifts pitch several more times, each time punctuated by another explosion of sand, and some profanity from Archer at one point. You can hear sand caught by the wind hitting your wall.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 05, 2018, 06:45:49 PM
> Pop back up and take stock of the situation again.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 07:55:08 PM
> Pop back up and take stock of the situation again.

>You pop up, and get a faceful of sand! It seems there is a sandstorm raging now, and Archer has been forced back from Caster and his Master. Georgia seems to be drawing back, clutching her keyboard to her chest.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 05, 2018, 09:18:04 PM
> Time for science! Let's see if we can slow the sand again, even if it's in the air this time...
> Chuck out another Wall ahead, in Archer's vicinity, and see if we get the same feeling from it as before.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 10:38:11 PM
> Time for science! Let's see if we can slow the sand again, even if it's in the air this time...
> Chuck out another Wall ahead, in Archer's vicinity, and see if we get the same feeling from it as before.

>You cast a Wall spell in archer's general direction. It lands nowhere near here. This time, you try to draw upon mana, and nothing happens at all. It simply doesn't come to you and the rock just lies there, unused.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Yaersulf on April 05, 2018, 11:39:34 PM
>"Something seems to be affecting my magic, I think it might be Caster. I don't know how reliable it's going to be here."
>Can we tell if Georgia is still sparking?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 05, 2018, 11:56:50 PM
>"Something seems to be affecting my magic, I think it might be Caster. I don't know how reliable it's going to be here."
>Can we tell if Georgia is still sparking?

>"Hell," Archer replies.
>She doe snot seem to be, she seems to have stopped playing entirely.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 06, 2018, 01:54:13 AM
Okay, from what we've observed so far:
- We were able to cast a spell well beyond its normal parameters while Georgia was playing.
- We have failed repeatedly to cast spells beyond their normal parameters while Georgia was not playing.

Theory: Georgia herself is low-grade antimagic, but while she's playing she reverses the effect.

Therefore:
- While Georgia is playing, Archer will have a harder time dealing with Caster, but we may be able to mitigate it somewhat with our own supercharged spells.
- While Georgia is not playing, Archer has a better chance of succeeding, but we can't do shit personally.

Conclusion: ?\(?_o)/?

> "No, wait, I think I get it. Georgia's playing might make everyone's magic stronger, including mine, but it's weak otherwise."
> "I'm not sure how to make a strategy out of that, but maybe we can adapt as we go!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 06, 2018, 02:25:46 AM
> "No, wait, I think I get it. Georgia's playing might make everyone's magic stronger, including mine, but it's weak otherwise."
> "I'm not sure how to make a strategy out of that, but maybe we can adapt as we go!"

>"Are you sure it's not Caster?" Archer says, as she leaps away from another sand explosion, "He's doing a lot of crazy crap right now!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 07, 2018, 07:51:49 PM
> "I'm not really sure of anything, to be honest. But I'll keep testing it!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 07, 2018, 08:50:27 PM
> "I'm not really sure of anything, to be honest. But I'll keep testing it!"

>"Well good luck with that!" Archer sends back, as she draws away from Caster, more sand erupting where she had just stood.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 08, 2018, 12:39:47 AM
> "I'm open to suggestions!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 08, 2018, 01:00:56 AM
> "I'm open to suggestions!"

>"Well do something about her!" Archer sends back, as she fires another arrow through the growing sandstorm.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 08, 2018, 04:32:50 PM
> "Okay!"
> Look to make sure Archer is between us and Caster, then make a break for it towards Georgia!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 08, 2018, 05:04:46 PM
> "Okay!"
> Look to make sure Archer is between us and Caster, then make a break for it towards Georgia!

>She is not quite between you and Caster. Caster is ahead and to your right, while Archer is less far ahead and further to your right.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 08, 2018, 06:29:05 PM
> Use ART OF THE SPIDER (https://youtu.be/l68-rg4jKkA?t=791).
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 08, 2018, 06:34:02 PM
> Use ART OF THE SPIDER (https://youtu.be/l68-rg4jKkA?t=791).

>Translate that into an actual action, please.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 08, 2018, 06:37:40 PM
I was joking in lieu of having any actual good ideas.

> Let's make a break for it towards Georgia and see how far we can get before Caster knocks us on our ass.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 08, 2018, 07:48:48 PM
> Let's make a break for it towards Georgia and see how far we can get before Caster knocks us on our ass.

>You dash for opposing Master, leaving your wall behind. He turns to face both you and Archer as well as he can suddenly drawing his hand down his guitar's neck in a dramatic fashion, drawing out ap powerful sound. As it washes over you, it feels like you've been socked in the gut with a bat! You stagger, nearly falling. You don't really see it, but you catch a glimpse of something forcing Caster to make a fairly drastic movement from the edge of your vision.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 08, 2018, 10:20:37 PM
> Fight the urge to keel over, and hustle a few more steps away before we take a knee and put down another Wall.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 08, 2018, 10:22:49 PM
> Fight the urge to keel over, and hustle a few more steps away before we take a knee and put down another Wall.

>You stagger forward a few more steps, and put down another wall; thankfully this time it works without much problem.
>"You okay?" Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 09, 2018, 02:46:07 AM
> "Uggh, this hurts...but I think he's honoring me and Georgia's agreement to not kill each other, at least."
> Locate Georgia while we catch our breath.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 09, 2018, 11:16:06 AM
> "Uggh, this hurts...but I think he's honoring me and Georgia's agreement to not kill each other, at least."
> Locate Georgia while we catch our breath.

>"Maybe," Archer says. "He hasn't hit me any harder, I think."
>Georgia seems to be staggering away, more toward the inland to the south than anything. You think she may still be blinded.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 09, 2018, 02:46:30 PM
> "Really? I wonder what's holding him back. We haven't really given Georgia a chance to get going, but it'd be weird for a servant to be that dependent on their master."
> Take a moment to check how Archer is doing.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 09, 2018, 03:07:08 PM
> "Really? I wonder what's holding him back. We haven't really given Georgia a chance to get going, but it'd be weird for a servant to be that dependent on their master."
> Take a moment to check how Archer is doing.

>Archer is in the center of the sandstorm, her cloak and hair whipping about wildly. She's trying to squint against the sand and keep her hands on her bow, but you imagine with all that wind, even a legendary archer is going to have a hard time managing to hit anything.
>"Could be a bunch of things," Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 09, 2018, 04:07:32 PM
> As soon as we've recovered and Archer appears to have Caster occupied, let's make another break towards Georgia.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 09, 2018, 09:19:34 PM
> As soon as we've recovered and Archer appears to have Caster occupied, let's make another break towards Georgia.

>You torso aches pretty fiercely, but you think you're going to be alright. Archer is having a harder time. While she has Caster preoccupied, she isn't really doing much to occupy him at the moment, as the wind and sand rage around her.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 09, 2018, 11:51:45 PM
> "Archer, do you think we should lead him off the beach? I'm worried about him throwing worse stuff than sand around, but the grass might be okay?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 12:03:03 AM
> "Archer, do you think we should lead him off the beach? I'm worried about him throwing worse stuff than sand around, but the grass might be okay?"

>"I think we'd have to go through that neighborhood," Archer says, "But past that is the forest we're camping in. It could work, especially if his Master is still blinded."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 12:12:45 AM
> Do we think we have a realistic shot at catching Georgia in the current situation?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 12:25:13 AM
> Do we think we have a realistic shot at catching Georgia in the current situation?

>It will come down to how well Caster can be forced to ignore you, and just what Georgia can do while blinded.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 12:52:46 AM
> "How long do you think you can hold out like this? I think we probably need to change the venue, but I might not get another chance at Georgia..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 01:04:53 AM
> "How long do you think you can hold out like this? I think we probably need to change the venue, but I might not get another chance at Georgia..."

>"I'm going to need a shift in tactics, at least,"  Archer sends. "Haven't quite settled on what, yet."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 01:14:47 AM
> "I'm gonna make another run for it. Here I go!"
> Regain our footing, and chase off after Georgia once more.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 02:00:56 AM
> "I'm gonna make another run for it. Here I go!"
> Regain our footing, and chase off after Georgia once more.

>"Fine, I'm just going to close in on him," Archer sends back.
>You move after Georgia. This time, Caster focuses on you, his music shifting to a higher, cleaner pitch. Archer Dashes toward him, bow at the ready. You find the wind is starting to get stronger around you, more sand whipping into the air and starting to sting your eyes.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 02:14:57 AM
> Close our eyes and push forward, trusting in Archer to make good use of the distraction.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 02:30:36 AM
> Close our eyes and push forward, trusting in Archer to make good use of the distraction.

>You close your eyes, and can only hear the wind growing louder, and the sand stinging your face. The song comes faster, gusts of wind start to buffet you, sending your hair flying in about every direction. You can hear an angry shout from Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 03:11:14 AM
> We may have made a terrible mistake.
> Regardless, it is too late to do anything other than press on.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 03:42:23 AM
> We may have made a terrible mistake.
> Regardless, it is too late to do anything other than press on.

>You press on. There are more angry cries. and more stinging sand, but you are not immediately punished any further for this. However, there is the issue of seeing where you're going...

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 04:03:17 AM
> Archer is yelling out loud (i.e. at Caster) and not trying to send, right?
> As long as we keep going forward, we are theoretically gaining ground on Georgia...
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 12:05:21 PM
> Archer is yelling out loud (i.e. at Caster) and not trying to send, right?
> As long as we keep going forward, we are theoretically gaining ground on Georgia...

>Correct. And it's not really words so much as utterances.
>You may be. Who knows where's she stumbled off to right now?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 02:16:12 PM
> "What's going on!?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 02:25:01 PM
> "What's going on!?"

>"Turning the sand against me, because I'm getting too close!" Archer sends.  "And you're going the wrong way!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 02:26:52 PM
> "God damnit!"
> Can we use that thing that makes us know when we see another master to sense where Georgia is?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 03:24:17 PM
> "God damnit!"
> Can we use that thing that makes us know when we see another master to sense where Georgia is?

>You aren't sure. It would probably take some focus, which may not be a great idea given the circumstances.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 03:28:50 PM
> Let's put down another Wall as a wind barrier and stop for a sec. (Also to count how many Walls we've already blown through. Good thing these are easy to make.)
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 04:31:38 PM
> Let's put down another Wall as a wind barrier and stop for a sec. (Also to count how many Walls we've already blown through. Good thing these are easy to make.)

>You put down your fourth wall, or fifth if you count the failed one.
>Ducking down, it takes a lot of pressure off your face.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 04:58:12 PM
> Let's try to reorient ourselves and see if we can figure out where everyone is.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 07:07:55 PM
> Let's try to reorient ourselves and see if we can figure out where everyone is.

>You peek out and see you have gained some ground, Caster is almost to your right now. Georgia seems like she has been staggering past you, and is ahead and to your left.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 10, 2018, 11:18:35 PM
> Approximate distance to Georgia?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 10, 2018, 11:38:16 PM
> Approximate distance to Georgia?

>About forty or so feet away?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 12:45:54 AM
> Try to nail her with Halt!
> Because I have learned my lesson from past experiences, and attempting to dramatically reveal my plan never works, can we clarify the properties of Elemental Conjuration? Say we catch up and we want to conjure some water to fry her keyboard/synth/whatever it is. Could we pull this off at a short distance, and if so, with any accuracy, or will we need to get the keyboard away from her/pin her down with it? How long will it take to cast?
> Also, am I correct in thinking that Crash will not work on a keyboard?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 01:02:53 AM
> Try to nail her with Halt!
> Because I have learned my lesson from past experiences, and attempting to dramatically reveal my plan never works, can we clarify the properties of Elemental Conjuration? Say we catch up and we want to conjure some water to fry her keyboard/synth/whatever it is. Could we pull this off at a short distance, and if so, with any accuracy, or will we need to get the keyboard away from her/pin her down with it? How long will it take to cast?
> Also, am I correct in thinking that Crash will not work on a keyboard?

>You send a Halt curse toward Georgia. She squawks and stumbles, falling over onto her rear.. You don't think the spell has held any longer than that.
>If you are within five feet or so, you should be able to do that. You aren't especially precise with your conjuration, but the keyboard is a large target.
>You aren't sure, you've never tried to crash a keyboard before. However, given Archer likely saw her use some kind of storage medium on it, you're have a pretty good reason to think it will work.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 03:35:08 AM
> "Georgia's close, I'm gonna make one more run for her! If I can't get her, we'll start moving inland!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 03:54:46 AM
> "Georgia's close, I'm gonna make one more run for her! If I can't get her, we'll start moving inland!"

>"Good luck!" Archer sends. "I'll do what I can here, but I'd be ready for another one of those attacks."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 04:03:20 AM
> Make a run for Georgia, prepping Elemental Conjuration.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 03:11:03 PM
> Make a run for Georgia, prepping Elemental Conjuration.

>You dash at Georgia, the wind blowing at your side now, whipping your hair in front of your face.  You can hear the music build up again, and prepare yourself. Then a blow slams into your stomach that nearly bowls you over; it this what being kicked by a horse is like?! But you were prepared, and remain more or less standing, however much you've staggered.
>"Come and get some!" Georgia says. now about 20 or so feet away. She has stopped, and is brining her keyboard back out. "You think I need to see you to drop your ass?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 03:42:17 PM
> "Good luck, my ass is huge!!" Wait shit that wasn't a good comeback.
> Charge forward and attempt to douse her keyboard!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 05:18:44 PM
> "Good luck, my ass is huge!!" Wait shit that wasn't a good comeback.
> Charge forward and attempt to douse her keyboard!

>She doesn't comment, thankfully, instead starting up another song of her own. The air crackles around her one more time.
>You stagger forward, which is nearly a charge, and prepare the spell. This one does not come nearly so naturally to do, and requires a fair deal of effort. The ocean is right there, which certainly helps with the casting. But it draws fairly heavily on your mana, and you have to focus a considerable amount of effort on it to force it where it needs to go. Then you release the spell, which feels about like releasing a box full of hardback books, and direct the water toward Georgia's general position.
>Water appears out of thin air in front of Georgia and cascades mostly downward, spilling all over her synthesizer. The result is not dramatic; the music just dies out suddenly, and the crackling in the air with it. "Son of a-!"  Georgia shouts, leaping back ineffectively.
>A moment later, your stomach feels as though you suddenly come down with appendicitis!

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 05:33:45 PM
> "Gotcha! --Urrgh!"
> Start staggering backwards and try not to keel over...
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 07:59:19 PM
> "Gotcha! --Urrgh!"
> Start staggering backwards and try not to keel over...

>You stagger back, as Georgia strips off her keyboard and tosses it aside. "You know how much that cost?!" she shouts over the window as she approaches roughly in your direction.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 09:00:11 PM
> "It must have a warranty, right?" Keep moving backwards...
> "Archer, I did it! I got rid of her keyboard. I think she's gonna try to clobber me now, though, and I'm pretty sure Caster is trying to crush my intestinal tract."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 09:22:26 PM
> "It must have a warranty, right?" Keep moving backwards...
> "Archer, I did it! I got rid of her keyboard. I think she's gonna try to clobber me now, though, and I'm pretty sure Caster is trying to crush my intestinal tract."

>"Mine too!" Archer sends. "It's definitely getting worse! Just kick her in the crotch or something, I'll try to keep Caster occupied."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 09:33:47 PM
> In spite of the mana we've used and the gastrointestinal violence being inflicted on us, do we feel up to casting anything?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 09:44:44 PM
> In spite of the mana we've used and the gastrointestinal violence being inflicted on us, do we feel up to casting anything?

>You can. But it may be a good idea not to push anything too stressful.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 10:09:30 PM
> Just chuck a Wall at her feet and keep shuffling away, it'll take some time for her to get up and find us again while blind.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 10:27:55 PM
> Just chuck a Wall at her feet and keep shuffling away, it'll take some time for her to get up and find us again while blind.

>You toss a wall stone, but the spell simply doesn't work; you can't draw upon the mana to make it happen.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 11, 2018, 11:05:48 PM
> "Hey Georgia, do you have some kind of anti-magic thing going on, or what?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 11, 2018, 11:52:41 PM
> "Hey Georgia, do you have some kind of anti-magic thing going on, or what?"

>"I'm about to knock the magic right out of you!" she shouts as she closes on you, drawing her hand back.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 12, 2018, 12:03:20 AM
Geez, she's really pissed off from the whole "destroying her keyboard" thing!

>She's probably going to punch us anyway, so, put one hand in front of our face and the other arm across our midsection, and prepare to counter punch with either if possible.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 12, 2018, 12:25:08 AM
> She's blind, just dodge it...
> No, maybe it would be a good idea to try to catch her attack and trip her or something.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 12, 2018, 01:15:16 AM
>She's probably going to punch us anyway, so, put one hand in front of our face and the other arm across our midsection, and prepare to counter punch with either if possible.

> She's blind, just dodge it...
> No, maybe it would be a good idea to try to catch her attack and trip her or something.

>You move to try and catch her arm as she takes a wide swing in you general direction! You grab her arm, and find she's built up way more momentum than you can grab. She tears through your grip and decks you pretty firmly in the shoulder, knocking you a bit off balance! She wastes no time swinging with her other arm!

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Yaersulf on April 12, 2018, 04:09:40 PM
>Try to move around her punch without falling over, and if she has her eyes open, mace her!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 12, 2018, 05:04:38 PM
She's already blind

Hmm.

> Fall over on purpose and roll away. If she tries to stomp on us, try to get her leg.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 12, 2018, 06:52:38 PM
>Try to move around her punch without falling over, and if she has her eyes open, mace her!

> Fall over on purpose and roll away. If she tries to stomp on us, try to get her leg.

>You fall over and purpose and hit the sand fairly roughly. Still, it's a bit softer than falling on bare dirt, though perhaps not as soft as grass. You roll away from her as she flails a bit more.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 12, 2018, 07:34:52 PM
Dark Souls training paid off.

> Try to get to our feet before she's on us again.
> Is there any driftwood (or otherwise suitable objects) around that we could bonk her with?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 12, 2018, 10:30:33 PM
> Try to get to our feet before she's on us again.
> Is there any driftwood (or otherwise suitable objects) around that we could bonk her with?

>You get back into your feet. This is not as fast of a process as you would like, given the sandstorm and your own residual aches. On the plus side, Georgia doesn't seem to hear you get up.
>The closest thing to blunt objects on the beach right now seem to be the odd plastic bottle that is mostly buried in the sand. They would probably not be very effective.
>You're stuck by another fierce ache, this one lighting your stomach on fire for a moment!

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 13, 2018, 02:30:26 AM
> Keep our distance from Georgia at the moment.
> "Nngh! How's it going on your end, Archer?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 13, 2018, 02:34:18 AM
> Keep our distance from Georgia at the moment.
> "Nngh! How's it going on your end, Archer?"

>"Frustrating!" Archer sends back. ""I'm trying to get close, and he isn't letting me! And-Ah hell, he's coming your way!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 13, 2018, 02:59:05 AM
> Oh no.
> Try to spot him!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 13, 2018, 03:07:27 AM
> Oh no.
> Try to spot him!

>You look over, and see a deployed parachute floating in your direction.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 15, 2018, 04:34:52 PM
> OH NO.
> Try to escape in a direction perpendicular to Caster and Georgia.
> "Archer, I don't think I can cast anything right now!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 15, 2018, 06:46:51 PM
> OH NO.
> Try to escape in a direction perpendicular to Caster and Georgia.
> "Archer, I don't think I can cast anything right now!"

>"Shit!" is all Archer replies with.
>You blanch and run! You cover a few yards, but you are not faster than a parachute in a windstorm, it smacks right into you with surprising force, and knocks you off your feet and onto your side.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 15, 2018, 07:50:43 PM
> Try to cast Forbidden Zone, turning the surrounding ground into quicksand! Maybe it'll buy a moment for Archer to catch up...
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 15, 2018, 08:02:27 PM
> Try to cast Forbidden Zone, turning the surrounding ground into quicksand! Maybe it'll buy a moment for Archer to catch up...

>You attempt to cast a spell, and cannot draw upon the mana to do so.
>As you attempt to cast, the parachute quickly retracts, revealing caster standing in front of Georgia, his attention turned toward you. At this distance, you would have recognized him at a glance. His hands play along his guitar, seeing to move almost of their own volition. His expression is unreadable.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 15, 2018, 09:51:56 PM
> Quick! Say something clever!
> "Uhh..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 15, 2018, 11:10:43 PM
> Quick! Say something clever!
> "Uhh..."

>Caster doesn't answer, his expression doesn't change. Instead he changes the tune he's playing, and you feel the sand shift under you.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 12:30:32 AM
> Run??
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 12:32:42 AM
> Run??

>Running while lying on your side isn't going to be very effective. You are probably not Curly Howard.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 12:49:04 AM
> Crawl??
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 01:52:45 AM
> Crawl??

>You start trying to crawl away, and feel the sand stand to give out under your legs.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 02:04:33 AM
> If we can't draw on our own mana, maybe an outside source will work??
> Scramble for a mana vial, and try to use it to create a Wall to pop us back up!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 02:36:07 AM
> If we can't draw on our own mana, maybe an outside source will work??
> Scramble for a mana vial, and try to use it to create a Wall to pop us back up!

>You try to draw upon the Mana Battery, and find it is no more successful.
>The sand gives way,and your legs suddenly drop downward, into a steep pile of sand with no bottom that you can feel, you feel yourself starting to slip down.

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 02:50:22 AM
> "ARCHER IF YOU CAN TAKE A SHOT DO IT NOW"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 03:00:36 AM
> "ARCHER IF YOU CAN TAKE A SHOT DO IT NOW"

>"Trying!" she sends back. "Don't gamble on it!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 03:43:06 AM
> Is the parachute still in our reach?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 03:57:00 AM
> Is the parachute still in our reach?

>No, it retracted after you were knocked over.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 01:43:25 PM
I can't make up my mind between trying to move or not, because you're not supposed to move in quicksand, but this isn't exactly quicksand.

> "GEORGIA YOUR SERVANT IS MURDERING ME AND IT'S VERY RUDE"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Suwako Moriya on April 16, 2018, 02:15:18 PM
What is there to say that would piss off Jimi Hendrix enough to distract him, like with Ford and Armstrong before him? Maybe insult Bob Dylan?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 02:25:40 PM
While that worked great in the last two cases, the intent was to distract the enemy servant so that Archer could shoot them in the back, while at this particular juncture we have Caster's full attention.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 03:00:57 PM
> "GEORGIA YOUR SERVANT IS MURDERING ME AND IT'S VERY RUDE"

>"You're pretty damn chatty for a murder victim!" Georgia shouts back.

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 03:08:33 PM
> With both of them right there, can we identify the reason for being unable to use magic?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 03:39:19 PM
> With both of them right there, can we identify the reason for being unable to use magic?

>You are a bit too busy at the moment. But you did take out Georgia's synthesizer, so it is probably not that.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Suwako Moriya on April 16, 2018, 03:57:25 PM
It still might be worth trying, just to catch them off-guard. I don't think Lily's given any out-loud hint she has a clue who Caster really is.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 04:02:35 PM
I don't think it'll be useful (yet), but feel free to put in the command yourself.

> Try to gain ground by throwing ourselves up the slope rather than clawing at the sand!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Suwako Moriya on April 16, 2018, 04:13:28 PM
Well, if you don't think it's worth trying at this moment, then I'd rather not waste it right now. It'd be better to save such a surprise agitation for a more useful time.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 04:21:29 PM
I just think Caster's most likely response to pissing him off while he's in the middle of killing us is killing us faster.

Also, just to make things clear, I'm not in charge here! You don't need my permission to do things.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 05:24:15 PM
> Try to gain ground by throwing ourselves up the slope rather than clawing at the sand!

>You flop upward a little bit, and make some ground before starting to slide down again.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 05:33:48 PM
> Keep at it!
> "Gaaaah! If I go out like this, you can forget about getting any sleep for the rest of this Grail War, because Archer won't disappear when I do!!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 09:02:53 PM
> Keep at it!
> "Gaaaah! If I go out like this, you can forget about getting any sleep for the rest of this Grail War, because Archer won't disappear when I do!!"

>You keep flopping, it's not particularly comfortable, but you suppose it works to keep you from falling inside. You also get some sand in your mouth while shouting at Georgia. You also hear some activity behind you, around where Caster should be.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 09:27:41 PM
> "Phbt! Bleh!"
> Keep doing our best seal impression until we feel like we've got a good enough footing to look behind us.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 16, 2018, 11:00:12 PM
> "Phbt! Bleh!"
> Keep doing our best seal impression until we feel like we've got a good enough footing to look behind us.

>You flop a few more times, and make it onto something like solid ground. It will take a bit more effort to drag yourself onto decent enough footing to stand.
>Glancing back, it seems Archer has given up on her bow for the time being, and is going after Caster with her daggers. Caster is doing a fairly good job of holding her off, even periodically jabbing at her with the body of his guitar, somehow still managing to keep up his music in the process.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 16, 2018, 11:43:46 PM
> Locate Georgia to make sure she's not about to kick us back in the hole, then work on getting to our feet.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 17, 2018, 12:12:53 AM
> Locate Georgia to make sure she's not about to kick us back in the hole, then work on getting to our feet.

>Georgia seems to be a little ways back, behind Caster.
>It takes some work, but you manage to stand. It seems a bit sandy sinkhole opened up near you, and quickly collapsed into a kind of antlion-like pit.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 17, 2018, 12:53:58 AM
> Georgia is out of the picture (mission accomplished) so let's back off and get behind Archer.
> "That was close, but I'm okay! I don't think Georgia can do anything now!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 17, 2018, 01:10:24 AM
> Georgia is out of the picture (mission accomplished) so let's back off and get behind Archer.
> "That was close, but I'm okay! I don't think Georgia can do anything now!"

>"Just don't let Caster get you too far from me," Archer sends. "Grah! Slippery bastard!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 17, 2018, 02:14:09 AM
> "Right?? I'm starting to wonder if his stats were missing information. I still can't figure out where the antimagic is coming from..."
> Once we're in a good position, grab another Wall reagent, and without tossing it, see if we can get any mana to come out yet.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 17, 2018, 02:44:42 AM
> "Right?? I'm starting to wonder if his stats were missing information. I still can't figure out where the antimagic is coming from..."
> Once we're in a good position, grab another Wall reagent, and without tossing it, see if we can get any mana to come out yet.

>"Not in a position to speculate!" Archer sends as she is forced back by a sudden swing of Caster's guitar.
>You try to prepare a Wall spell, and have no luck.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 17, 2018, 01:32:55 PM
> Oh well. Just make sure we stay out of the way.
> Watch Caster closely and see if we can determine if he's the source of the problem.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 17, 2018, 03:26:24 PM
> Oh well. Just make sure we stay out of the way.
> Watch Caster closely and see if we can determine if he's the source of the problem.

>You try to stay back for now. What position will you be taking?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 17, 2018, 04:12:11 PM
> Keep moving, so as to keep Archer between us and Caster. Archer requested we not go too far, so we won't.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 17, 2018, 06:06:54 PM
> Keep moving, so as to keep Archer between us and Caster. Archer requested we not go too far, so we won't.

>You move a bit further away. as sand starts to swirl more and more heavily around Caster.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 17, 2018, 08:45:13 PM
> Wait to see if Archer starts losing ground again.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 17, 2018, 08:55:30 PM
> Wait to see if Archer starts losing ground again.

>Archer steps back, you think she's trying to guard her face with her left arm, without taking it entirely out of the action. She lunges with her right; Caster sidesteps and suddenly shifts his grip on his guitar, holding it by the neck and swinging it right into her sides. You can practically feel the instrument slam into her and send her staggering back a few steps, the guitar smashing into several pieces. Caster drops the ruined instrument without missing a beat, stepping back and dropping the mangled guitar and bringing his hands together. Then he spreads them with a quick gesture and conjures another guitar, resuming the song fading from the air without missing a beat.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 17, 2018, 10:56:29 PM
Well, so much for that idea from earlier. Breaking his instrument does jack shit!

>"Damn it! Archer, you alright?!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 17, 2018, 11:16:08 PM
>"Damn it! Archer, you alright?!"

>"Hurt, I'll be fine!" Archer sends back.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 18, 2018, 04:39:39 AM
> "He might try to set the next one on fire. You should probably run if he does that."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 18, 2018, 04:43:36 AM
> "He might try to set the next one on fire. You should probably run if he does that."

>"He can do that?" Archer sends, as she falls into a defensive stance. Caster seems content to ignore her for the moment.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 18, 2018, 02:02:03 PM
> "Long story."
> "Anyway, whenever you want to try moving inland, just give the word."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 18, 2018, 03:02:56 PM
> "Long story."
> "Anyway, whenever you want to try moving inland, just give the word."

>"Let's do it," Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 18, 2018, 05:31:12 PM
> "Okay! Just keep your eyes on Caster, I'll let you know if I'm in trouble."
> Start moving away from the beach while trying to keep our relative position to Archer.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 18, 2018, 08:23:00 PM
>You start to circle around Caster, Archer doing the same thing.  Caster doesn't seem like he's moving, though he turns to face you both.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 18, 2018, 09:06:43 PM
> Keep going for now. Watch our step, though.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 18, 2018, 09:13:35 PM
> Keep going for now. Watch our step, though.

>You keep going, and soon find that the sand is starting to shift around your feet again. Caster does not seem to be moving; Archer sends a few arrows at him, but the wind ends up deflecting about half of them, and he catches the others on his guitar, brushing them away easily.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 18, 2018, 09:28:14 PM
> Adjust course closer to Archer.
> "He's targetting me again!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 18, 2018, 09:50:28 PM
> Adjust course closer to Archer.
> "He's targetting me again!"

>"If I could just poison him, that'd ruin his whole waiting game!" Archer sends back. "Are you alright?"
>You shift closer to Archer, as another pit collapses into the sand.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 18, 2018, 10:09:56 PM
>"We just, we just... need to get him close to trees, bushes, grass, something you can use Yew Bow on..."
>Try seeing if we're close to anything of that nature before we fall in that next pit...!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 18, 2018, 10:32:29 PM
>"We just, we just... need to get him close to trees, bushes, grass, something you can use Yew Bow on..."
>Try seeing if we're close to anything of that nature before we fall in that next pit...!

>The nearest trees are a ways inland, around some houses and what seems to be a yacht club.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 18, 2018, 10:34:25 PM
> Roll acrobatics check to avoid pit.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 18, 2018, 11:39:25 PM
> Roll acrobatics check to avoid pit.

>Clarify what you intend to do with this. Are you intending to leap back from the pit, try to leap over the pit, go around it, or what?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Yaersulf on April 19, 2018, 12:29:29 AM
>Bank hard to the right, and keep going until the ground feels solid under our feet again. Then resume course inland.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 19, 2018, 01:03:23 AM
>Bank hard to the right, and keep going until the ground feels solid under our feet again. Then resume course inland.

>You move away and around the pit, having to dance back back as it opens wider and wider, but you manage to avoid it. The sand that was inside it sprays everywhere, pelting your face and arms, getting under your glasses.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 19, 2018, 02:36:32 PM
> "Bleh! Slow down a sec, I've got sand in my eyes..."
> Try to keep moving while we correct the issue.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 19, 2018, 03:36:53 PM
> "Bleh! Slow down a sec, I've got sand in my eyes..."
> Try to keep moving while we correct the issue.

>"It doesn't matter if I slow down anyways, he isn't following," Archer sends back.
>You rub your eyes with your forearm, which works decently enough for now.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 19, 2018, 08:49:14 PM
> Pick up the pace again and watch our step to avoid running into another one.
> "If he doesn't want to follow us, does that mean he would let us get away? That would mean he doesn't think he's winning, right?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 19, 2018, 09:30:07 PM
> Pick up the pace again and watch our step to avoid running into another one.
> "If he doesn't want to follow us, does that mean he would let us get away? That would mean he doesn't think he's winning, right?"

>"Or he's not worried about us opening distance," Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 22, 2018, 03:40:55 PM
> "Uh...hmm. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He might be able to attack us as far as we can hear him, which is a long way out."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 22, 2018, 03:44:43 PM
> "Uh...hmm. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He might be able to attack us as far as we can hear him, which is a long way out."

>"So we need a way to make him move," Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 22, 2018, 03:47:05 PM
> Check the Wall stone again. Still no mana?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 22, 2018, 04:00:28 PM
> Check the Wall stone again. Still no mana?

>Nothing.

>_

Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 22, 2018, 05:16:26 PM
> "Okay, how about this - what if you use your noble phantasm and sneak up to Georgia and abduct her? He'll have to follow when you carry her off and it's not like he can just blast you while you're carrying her."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 22, 2018, 06:07:14 PM
> "Okay, how about this - what if you use your noble phantasm and sneak up to Georgia and abduct her? He'll have to follow when you carry her off and it's not like he can just blast you while you're carrying her."

>"That sounds like a great idea," Archer sends.
>A moment later, she follows with, "There's a problem. I can't make it work."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 23, 2018, 05:22:04 AM
> "Huh? What's wrong?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 23, 2018, 06:03:43 AM
> "Huh? What's wrong?"

>"I just told you," Archer sends. "I can't make it wo-"
>Her message is cut off as she suddenly staggers.
>"Ugh, got me again..." she finishes.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 23, 2018, 08:26:17 AM
>"Damn it... I'm starting to think, as long as he's able to play his music, there might not be a way to beat him. He doesn't miss a beat ever no matter what we send at him, he can get us from any distance, I can't cast anything..."
>"Maybe I should just surrender my seals and listen to death metal while I wallow in... my... loss."
>IDEA.
>Get out our phone, maximize volume, and go to our music playlist.
>"Archer. I just had a breakthrough in my breakdown."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 23, 2018, 02:35:05 PM
The words you have typed have deeply upset me, yet I am intrigued.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 23, 2018, 03:26:26 PM
>"Damn it... I'm starting to think, as long as he's able to play his music, there might not be a way to beat him. He doesn't miss a beat ever no matter what we send at him, he can get us from any distance, I can't cast anything..."
>"Maybe I should just surrender my seals and listen to death metal while I wallow in... my... loss."
>IDEA.
>Get out our phone, maximize volume, and go to our music playlist.
>"Archer. I just had a breakthrough in my breakdown."

>"The hell you are!" Archer sends. "You can't let setbacks like this get you down! Hell, you've already stopped his master cold, so we're still doing better than we did against Explorer! Wait, what?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 25, 2018, 05:41:16 AM
>"Well, Archer, an idea just came to me; if we can't fuck up Caster's playing, then maybe, just maybe we can fuck up the melody! What I'm saying is, we fight music... with music!"
>"So, cover me!"
>Begin going back towards Caster a bit, putting our phone in our pocket and hitting Play! Let the roaring, growling, screaming, and hard riffs flow!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 25, 2018, 05:55:18 AM
>"Well, Archer, an idea just came to me; if we can't fuck up Caster's playing, then maybe, just maybe we can fuck up the melody! What I'm saying is, we fight music... with music!"
>"So, cover me!"
>Begin going back towards Caster a bit, putting our phone in our pocket and hitting Play! Let the roaring, growling, screaming, and hard riffs flow!

>You hold up your phone!
>The volume you're capable of is...frankly nothing compared to what he is putting out. If it's putting any kind of dent in what he's doing, it's not noticeable at a glance.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 25, 2018, 06:20:03 AM
>"....."
>See if we can at least squeeze out some mana now, no matter how minimal.
>If yes, do we have any abilities that we could use to make our music louder?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 25, 2018, 04:54:09 PM
>"....."
>See if we can at least squeeze out some mana now, no matter how minimal.
>If yes, do we have any abilities that we could use to make our music louder?

>You have no luck drawing upon mana right now.
>Your spells are not designed for that, you would need to find another way to do it.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 26, 2018, 12:56:58 AM
> "Aaagh, nothing's working! I couldn't even use my stored mana when I tried earlier. It's just totally blocked."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 26, 2018, 01:22:11 AM
> "Aaagh, nothing's working! I couldn't even use my stored mana when I tried earlier. It's just totally blocked."

>"Were you trying to drown it out?" Archer sends. "Maybe it wasn't loud enough?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 26, 2018, 04:17:24 AM
>"Less drowning it out than getting the music to cause enough dissonance within his music to cancel it out or at least make it awkward, but yeah, that's the problem, I think. If I had some speakers or something to attach it to I could get a better volume, but I don't."
>"I'd have you go swipe something like that, but then I'd be a sitting duck."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 26, 2018, 04:33:11 AM
>"Less drowning it out than getting the music to cause enough dissonance within his music to cancel it out or at least make it awkward, but yeah, that's the problem, I think. If I had some speakers or something to attach it to I could get a better volume, but I don't."
>"I'd have you go swipe something like that, but then I'd be a sitting duck."

>"Maybe we could use something else?" Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 27, 2018, 01:35:24 AM
>"Hmm."
>Look around. Is there anything we can use here for that purpose before we really have to retreat and come back?
>Like, if someone left their boombox on the beach or maybe a closeby lost and found or something.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 27, 2018, 02:36:20 AM
>"Hmm."
>Look around. Is there anything we can use here for that purpose before we really have to retreat and come back?
>Like, if someone left their boombox on the beach or maybe a closeby lost and found or something.

>You don't see anything of the sort. Do people even use boomboxes anymore?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 27, 2018, 06:05:18 PM
There's probably newfangled models that play digital media these days. But eh.

>Time to think of a new, albeit related strategy!
>Do we have earbuds on hand?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 27, 2018, 06:53:40 PM
>Time to think of a new, albeit related strategy!
>Do we have earbuds on hand?

>You do.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 27, 2018, 11:27:57 PM
>"Hmm, maybe..."
>Turn down the volume a little bit and plug said earbuds into our phone.
>Put them in ears, adjust volume until we can hardly hear Caster's tune, if at all.
>Try dredging up mana again.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 28, 2018, 12:58:25 AM
>"Hmm, maybe..."
>Turn down the volume a little bit and plug said earbuds into our phone.
>Put them in ears, adjust volume until we can hardly hear Caster's tune, if at all.
>Try dredging up mana again.

>Still no luck.
>"What should I be doing?" Archer sends.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on April 28, 2018, 03:07:04 AM
>"Damn, so it's not that. looks like we really do need to at least drown his music out with our own..."
>Sigh. Archer's asking us what she should do, but we don't know. Well, if we're going to go with the original idea...
>"Fall back for now, we need to find something with a little more oomph if I'm going to go through with this plan of mine."
>Do so and start looking for an electronics store.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 28, 2018, 04:07:48 AM
>"Damn, so it's not that. looks like we really do need to at least drown his music out with our own..."
>Sigh. Archer's asking us what she should do, but we don't know. Well, if we're going to go with the original idea...
>"Fall back for now, we need to find something with a little more oomph if I'm going to go through with this plan of mine."
>Do so and start looking for an electronics store.

>You don't think there's much in the way of electronic stores here, given it's just a little suburb and a shopping center.
>You continue to draw back, and find yourself drawing close to the Yacht Club. The parking lot is empty, but there at a few boats laid out in neat stacks around it.  The building itself is a essentially a large rectangle, nothing much to look at. In the nearby channel, you see a couple of boats have been moored. You think you'd struggle to call any of them "yachts".

>_

>_

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on April 30, 2018, 11:00:22 PM
Well, we've come this far, might as well run with the idea.

> Can we see any speakers indicating the building has a PA system?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on April 30, 2018, 11:34:53 PM
> Can we see any speakers indicating the building has a PA system?

>You do not.  WHat you do see, however, is that one of the boats moored nearby does seem to have something like that.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 01, 2018, 12:26:01 AM
> "Ooh! Archer! There! The boat with the speakers!"
> Hustle over to it.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 01, 2018, 12:38:18 AM
> "Ooh! Archer! There! The boat with the speakers!"
> Hustle over to it.

>"He's starting to follow," Archer says. "But he's taking his time. I dunno, I get the feeling he's building something up."
>You hustle toward the boat. It is a decent-sized boat, you guess. About thirty or so feet long, white, with a cab that that is large enough to be its own room. You think it's more of a fishing boat than any kind of yacht. Honestly, you are kind of out of your sphere of knowledge with this thing. It's easy enough to hop from the pier onto it, though. It's also nice that there's less sand in the air, since you left the beach proper, though the wind hasn't let up, nor has the music.

>_

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 01, 2018, 12:42:47 AM
> Head over to the...steering wheel? Does it have one? Man, we don't know shit about boats.
> Anyway, look around there for the speaker system controls.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 01, 2018, 01:44:12 AM
> Head over to the...steering wheel? Does it have one? Man, we don't know shit about boats.
> Anyway, look around there for the speaker system controls.

>You head for the cab, and find the door is locked.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 01, 2018, 01:56:48 AM
> "Really??"
> Any windows big enough to crawl through?
> (Presuming intent to do away with any impeding panes, obviously.)
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 01, 2018, 02:10:25 AM
> "Really??"
> Any windows big enough to crawl through?
> (Presuming intent to do away with any impeding panes, obviously.)

>The front windows are pretty large.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 01, 2018, 02:59:56 AM
> Oh man, I'm sorry, boater dude.
> "Archer, smash this for me!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 01, 2018, 03:11:38 AM
> Oh man, I'm sorry, boater dude.
> "Archer, smash this for me!"

>Hopefully whoever can afford this boat can afford insurance or basic repairs.
>"Coming!" Archer sends, giving up on firing on Caster with little effect and dashing toward you. She dashes up the pier, hops onto the boat without slowing, and lands a kick on the window! It shatters into a countless little shards; thank god for safety glass.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 01, 2018, 05:18:29 AM
> "Thanks! I sure hope this pays off. Watch your ears."
> Slide in and scrutinize the controls.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 01, 2018, 05:30:40 AM
> "Thanks! I sure hope this pays off. Watch your ears."
> Slide in and scrutinize the controls.

>You scrabble inside; trying to avoid the glass. You also manage to avoid falling over as you clamber inside. The cabin is not particular large, and the control panel is fairly foreign-looking. There is a seat and a fairly large wheel, and some monitors and analogue gauges. Something that looks like a loudspeaker. Several large levers.  Shattered glass is everywhere.
>"He's coming!" Archer sends, "He's deployed that parachute thing again!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 01, 2018, 05:51:15 AM
> "Crap! Try to keep him busy, I'm gonna need a minute..."
> Examine loudspeaker and nearby controls. Use our keychain flashlight if we need to.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 01, 2018, 06:47:50 AM
> "Crap! Try to keep him busy, I'm gonna need a minute..."
> Examine loudspeaker and nearby controls. Use our keychain flashlight if we need to.

>"I'll hold him," Archer sends.
>You examine the loudspeaker. It looks like it was something that was bodged into the boat's dashboard, rather than something that was originally designed for it. Certainly there's some rough spots where the plastic was cut out for it.  But it looks like it works like any walkie talkie or PA system, just talk into the speaker. Near it is a dial that looks a whole lot like a speaker's volume dial. The dashboard doesn't appear to be powered at the moment, but you note there is a turn-key built into the console.
>Caster's music is getting louder, the wind is causing the boat to rock.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 02, 2018, 04:40:32 AM
> Try the turn-key!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 02, 2018, 05:09:44 AM
> Try the turn-key!

>You do so, and much of the instrument panel lights up. Something heavy slams into the side of the cabin; thankfully not near the windows.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 02, 2018, 04:07:31 PM
> "Whoa! What was that!?"
> Test the speaker at normal volume before cranking it up.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 02, 2018, 07:21:28 PM
> "Whoa! What was that!?"
> Test the speaker at normal volume before cranking it up.

>"Random bucket, I thi-"
>Another wave of pain courses through your abdomen, sending you to your knees.
>"-Ugh, that made me taste blood..." Archer finishes. "Hell, he's on the boat!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 02, 2018, 10:01:29 PM
> Shit, no time!
> "Cover your ears!"
> Crank the volume and scream into the loudspeaker!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 02, 2018, 10:45:15 PM
> Shit, no time!
> "Cover your ears!"
> Crank the volume and scream into the loudspeaker!

>You crank the volume, hit the speaker button, and vent your terror and frustrations into a a single shriek that leaves your throat feeling raw. The louder rings and ververates with your voice, immediately distorting with feedback and static. But for a moment, all you can hear is amplified, butched sound of your voice. The wind outside dies instantly, settling the boat to rocking.
>Then the music picks up again, and you can hear the wind stir, but nowhere near tis former strength. You can also see Caster outside, near front of the boat, and Archer assaulting him with fury, sending kicks and stabs his way, and forcing his back to the left side of the boat. Without the wind and sand, he cannot hold her back nearly so effectively, and focused on dodging, his music seems to be suffering.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on May 02, 2018, 11:38:12 PM
>"It's... it's working... Ugh. Heh heh..."
>Start up the music on your phone again and press it against the loudspeaker. It's time for some music of our own.
>Our shuffle falls on a tune by Once Human: Eye of Chaos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VHA0H8peZ0)
>"Appropriate lyrics... Heheheh."
>Try our mana again.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 03, 2018, 12:43:03 AM
>"It's... it's working... Ugh. Heh heh..."
>Start up the music on your phone again and press it against the loudspeaker. It's time for some music of our own.
>Our shuffle falls on a tune by Once Human: Eye of Chaos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VHA0H8peZ0)
>"Appropriate lyrics... Heheheh."
>Try our mana again.

>You struggle to get your phone ready, selecting some terrible music that is sure to antagonize Caster even more. It blares out the loudspeaker, but coming from a artificial source it does not play too clearly, nor gain quite the volume that your shriek from before did. Still, it is enough to at least to kind of distort and muffle what you're hearing.
>Attempting to draw mana, you can feel that it kind of works, but it doesn't feel wholly reliable or as efficient as it should be.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on May 03, 2018, 12:56:57 AM
>Well, it'll have to do for now.
>"This stuff isn't for everyone's tastes but I hope it's helping you, Archer."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 03, 2018, 03:06:57 AM
>Well, it'll have to do for now.
>"This stuff isn't for everyone's tastes but I hope it's helping you, Archer."

>"Feel free to try any other plans you have!" Archer sends back.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 03, 2018, 05:07:48 PM
> Wonder if there was a reason Georgia was using that particular kind of synthesizer sound, or if she's just a Yuzo Koshiro fan.
> Does there appear to be a radio hooked up to the sound system? It might be more effective than trying to run it through our phone.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 03, 2018, 08:46:05 PM
> Wonder if there was a reason Georgia was using that particular kind of synthesizer sound, or if she's just a Yuzo Koshiro fan.
> Does there appear to be a radio hooked up to the sound system? It might be more effective than trying to run it through our phone.

>That's an interesting question.
>There might be a radio in the dashboard somewhere, but at a glance you can't find it. You don't think there is one wired to the loudspeaker, at least.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 03, 2018, 09:26:10 PM
> Look around. Is there any emergency equipment potentially useful for shenanigans, like a flare gun or a bullhorn?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 03, 2018, 09:52:10 PM
> Look around. Is there any emergency equipment potentially useful for shenanigans, like a flare gun or a bullhorn?

>At a glance, you can see a first aid kit.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 03, 2018, 11:42:56 PM
> We don't really want to leave our phone behind...
> Focus on steadying ourselves while we see how Archer's doing.
> "I need a moment, but when you're ready I can try screaming again to give you an opening!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 12:13:01 AM
> We don't really want to leave our phone behind...
> Focus on steadying ourselves while we see how Archer's doing.
> "I need a moment, but when you're ready I can try screaming again to give you an opening!"

>You steady yourself. This is good time, as you feel another blow slam into your abdomen. It's not quite so bad as the last few, but being braced does a lot for it.
>You can see Archer stagger as well; she clearly took it worse, but not enough to really stop her. Caster takes this moment to go on the offensive, suddenly swiping his guitar toward her face. She backs off, and it's enough to give him a little more room before she resumes her offensive.
>"I'll say go..." Archer sends. "I think I figured it out..."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 01:46:41 AM
> "Okay, I'll be ready!"
> Take a moment to let the pain subside, then take a deep breath as we wait by the loudspeaker...!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 02:24:35 AM
> "Okay, I'll be ready!"
> Take a moment to let the pain subside, then take a deep breath as we wait by the loudspeaker...!

>You take a deep breath. Moments pass. Archer seems to be playing defensive now. Caster takes advantage of this, but he seems less interested in harming her so much as he does pushing her back.
>"Now!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 02:31:00 AM
> Scream into the loudspeaker as loud and as long as our little lungs will allow.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 03:01:45 AM
> Scream into the loudspeaker as loud and as long as our little lungs will allow.

>You shriek as passionately as you can! As you do, Archer levels a kick at him as he draws his hand down the neck of his guitar. It connects, sending him staggering! She wastes little time, following through with a knife toward his chest. He moves, but then you see that her target wasn't his chest, but rather his guitar strap, neatly severing it. It falls, his grip is ruined and his song as he grabs it with his right hand. She follows with another kick, this one to his legs, then stabs deeply into his chest!

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 03:27:11 AM
> Yes!! Does he go down?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 03:34:26 AM
> Yes!! Does he go down?

>He staggers, and Archer wastes no time in following with another stab, then another and another, as she staggers, falls to his knees, then slumps over.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 03:59:49 AM
> Climb out the window.
> "You did it, Archer!!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 04:20:03 AM
> Climb out the window.
> "You did it, Archer!!"

>"...Yeah," she says, panting a bit. The wind is rapidly dying away. "Are you alright?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 04:33:01 AM
> "Well, uh, I think I'm gonna want to take tomorrow off..."
> Examine Caster.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 04:39:11 AM
> "Well, uh, I think I'm gonna want to take tomorrow off..."
> Examine Caster.

>"Good thing is, burning charcoal isn't too hard," says Archer, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to have to take it easy tonight."
>Caster is currently laying on the deck of the boat, bleeding. His eyes are glassy, and he is becoming translucent.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 04:47:05 AM
> "Do you have anything you want me to tell Georgia, Mr. Hendrix?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 04:56:59 AM
> "Do you have anything you want me to tell Georgia, Mr. Hendrix?"

>He closes his eyes and is silent.
>"...She never needed me to tell her what to do," he says at length.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 05:02:34 AM
> "...Alright."
> Try as we may, we can't really think of anything to say that wouldn't come off as patronizing...
> "Let's go, Archer."
> Make our way off the boat, and locate Georgia.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 05:49:57 AM
> "...Alright."
> Try as we may, we can't really think of anything to say that wouldn't come off as patronizing...
> "Let's go, Archer."
> Make our way off the boat, and locate Georgia.

>The two of you leave the body, your legs shaky Your torso is fairly sore from repeated...whatever he did. But you think you ought to be able to soldier on, as much as you want a real bed.
>"So," says Archer as you step onto the pier, "I think it's pretty likely everyone heard that."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 05:52:50 AM
> "Yeah, we need to grab Georgia and move."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 06:12:08 AM
> "Yeah, we need to grab Georgia and move."

>"Where is she, anyways?" Archer says. "We left her on the beach, but I don't see her."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 01:49:47 PM
> "Aaaah, shit. She can't have gotten far, she should still be blind."
> Hustle back to where she was last seen and look for footprints in the sand.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 06:33:45 PM
> "Aaaah, shit. She can't have gotten far, she should still be blind."
> Hustle back to where she was last seen and look for footprints in the sand.

>"Maybe," Archer says, as she follows you.
>Hustling back to the beach, you don't see much in the way of footprints. You suppose that's the side effect of a prolonged windstorm kicking up all the sand.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 06:46:08 PM
> "Oh, man..."
> "Archer, I really need to get out of sight before the police show up. You can just disappear if you need to, so can you search for her?"
> "If she won't come along quietly, just kick her in the stomach or something until she gives up."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 07:23:51 PM
> "Oh, man..."
> "Archer, I really need to get out of sight before the police show up. You can just disappear if you need to, so can you search for her?"
> "If she won't come along quietly, just kick her in the stomach or something until she gives up."

>"Can't you just call her or something?" Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 07:28:23 PM
> "OH, duh! I forgot I had her number."
> Do so.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 08:32:57 PM
> "OH, duh! I forgot I had her number."
> Do so.

>You make a call. After a couple rings, it picks up.
>"He's dead, isn't he?" she says without preamble.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 09:27:03 PM
> "Yeah, sorry. Archer won."
> "Anyway, my offer's still good. Give yourself up and we'll bring you back to our camp tonight, Sister Gibson will clear your command seals in the morning, and you'll be free to go."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 09:42:10 PM
> "Yeah, sorry. Archer won."
> "Anyway, my offer's still good. Give yourself up and we'll bring you back to our camp tonight, Sister Gibson will clear your command seals in the morning, and you'll be free to go."

>"No point," she says. "They faded off already. It's how I knew for sure."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 09:56:02 PM
> Pause for a sec.
> "That's...I'm pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to work."
> @Archer: "She says her command seals just disappeared."
> "Well, let me see you so I know you're telling the truth. I can fix your eyes while I'm at it, if your vision's still blurry."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 10:04:38 PM
> Pause for a sec.
> "That's...I'm pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to work."
> @Archer: "She says her command seals just disappeared."
> "Well, let me see you so I know you're telling the truth. I can fix your eyes while I'm at it, if your vision's still blurry."

>"Huh," Archer says. "I guess it makes sense, if the servant's dead?"
>"I got it fixed," she says, "It took a while. And how do I know you're not thinking to have your archer snipe me or something?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 10:26:46 PM
Okay, OOC - am I actually totally mistaken about masters usually keeping their seals if their servant disappears? That was something I gleaned from the wiki a while ago and if I've been wrong the whole time I have done an egregious amount of faffing about.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 04, 2018, 10:34:03 PM
The quick answer is yes and no. It's situational.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 04, 2018, 10:41:33 PM
In that case I'll just write it off as Lily's own lack of reference. Sister Gibson didn't correct us when we posed the question, so...

> "Why would I do that? Even if you DO have command seals, all I have to do is have Archer knock you out and drag you over to the Overseer."
> "I've been entirely sporting up until now, so can you just let me see you for two minutes and we can be done with this?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 05, 2018, 12:42:45 AM
> "Why would I do that? Even if you DO have command seals, all I have to do is have Archer knock you out and drag you over to the Overseer."
> "I've been entirely sporting up until now, so can you just let me see you for two minutes and we can be done with this?"

>"Sporting my ass!" she says, her tone sharpening. "Bitch, that synth cost than your whole family! Don't even try to come in here with that sporting bullshit!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 05, 2018, 02:49:54 AM
> "That's your own fault!! Why didn't you have Caster make you one instead of hauling in your own!?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 05, 2018, 03:02:44 AM
> "That's your own fault!! Why didn't you have Caster make you one instead of hauling in your own!?"

>"Because it wouldn't work!" she says. "You're lucky I saved everything or I'd be tearing your eyes our right now!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 05, 2018, 03:19:02 AM
> Groan.
> We could probably catch her by sending Archer out to find her car, but running like that would be pretty hard on her in her current state, and we can't really do anything about her internal bleeding.
> "Forget it. Get out of here, Georgia. If any other master sees you they'll probably ice you on the spot."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 05, 2018, 03:33:01 AM
> Groan.
> We could probably catch her by sending Archer out to find her car, but running like that would be pretty hard on her in her current state, and we can't really do anything about her internal bleeding.
> "Forget it. Get out of here, Georgia. If any other master sees you they'll probably ice you on the spot."

>You can't imagine she would escape Archer, even injured.
>"Wait, there's other masters here with us?" she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 05, 2018, 03:43:37 AM
> "I haven't found where they're staying, but yes. Lancer's master was ahead of me yesterday, so they're probably somewhere around here, and Berserker has been on my tail the whole way. Anyone who isn't here yet is probably on their way in."
> "If you want to play it safe and see the Overseer to make sure you're out of the game, you should really come with me."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Jana on May 05, 2018, 04:35:31 AM
Don't forget to relay Caster's last words!
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 05, 2018, 05:47:17 AM
> "I haven't found where they're staying, but yes. Lancer's master was ahead of me yesterday, so they're probably somewhere around here, and Berserker has been on my tail the whole way. Anyone who isn't here yet is probably on their way in."
> "If you want to play it safe and see the Overseer to make sure you're out of the game, you should really come with me."

>You hear a long sigh. "Yeah, okay, fine. Might as well. So, you said something about a camp?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 05, 2018, 03:49:02 PM
> "Yeah, I don't have the money to stay at a hotel every night so we found a spot in the woods to camp out. Fortunately, Archer is a capable woodsman."
> "I mean, we COULD crash at your hotel room, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. Someone might find us as easily as I found you."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 05, 2018, 05:51:44 PM
> "Yeah, I don't have the money to stay at a hotel every night so we found a spot in the woods to camp out. Fortunately, Archer is a capable woodsman."
> "I mean, we COULD crash at your hotel room, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. Someone might find us as easily as I found you."

>"I'd really rather you not," she says. "I meant, where is it?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 05, 2018, 07:57:50 PM
> "It's between the park border and the railroad. Pretty far out of the way."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 05, 2018, 09:30:36 PM
> "It's between the park border and the railroad. Pretty far out of the way."

>"...Gonna have to be a bit less vague if you expect me to find it," she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 05, 2018, 10:21:59 PM
> "You're not going to find it without us leading you to it. Actually, I'm not even sure I can find it without Archer leading me to it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 05, 2018, 10:43:17 PM
> "You're not going to find it without us leading you to it. Actually, I'm not even sure I can find it without Archer leading me to it."

>"What, the campsite?" Archer says. "That's easy, just go south of where we parked and look for the earthen wall and the tent. Can't miss it."
>"Fine, let's just meet up somewhere." Georgia says.


>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 05, 2018, 11:22:10 PM
> @Archer: "Is it really that easy? Huh. I kinda wasn't paying attention."
> "Are you on your way to get your car? We'll meet you at the parking lot."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 05, 2018, 11:53:08 PM
> @Archer: "Is it really that easy? Huh. I kinda wasn't paying attention."
> "Are you on your way to get your car? We'll meet you at the parking lot."

>Archer nods. "It's been a day. And it's not like we've gone that way many times."
>"Yeah, sure," Georgia says. "I'll be there."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 12:02:52 AM
> "Right, see you soon."
> "Oh, right, uh...I asked Caster if he wanted me to tell you anything...he just said 'you never needed him to tell you what to do.'"
> "...That's all."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 12:50:46 AM
> "Right, see you soon."
> "Oh, right, uh...I asked Caster if he wanted me to tell you anything...he just said 'you never needed him to tell you what to do.'"
> "...That's all."

>"Are you trying to fuck with me?" Georgia says. "You and I both know he never said a word. I bet he didn't even make a sound when you shot him up."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 01:01:30 AM
> "Well, I thought it was weird he wasn't talking, but...he never said ANYTHING to you?"
> "No, I swear, he told me that when I asked him, and that's the only thing he said."
> @Archer: "He did say that, right? I didn't imagine it or anything?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 01:26:36 AM
> "Well, I thought it was weird he wasn't talking, but...he never said ANYTHING to you?"
> "No, I swear, he told me that when I asked him, and that's the only thing he said."
> @Archer: "He did say that, right? I didn't imagine it or anything?"

>"Not a thing," says Georgia. "I thought that's just how Servants were? He could hear my thoughts if I wanted him to, but I never got anything back."
>"Yeah, he did," Archer says. "I heard it too."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 01:33:00 AM
> "No, that's weird, I haven't seen any other servants that couldn't talk. (Well, Assassin didn't say anything, but...)"
> "I dunno, he must've had a reason for it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 02:13:21 AM
> "No, that's weird, I haven't seen any other servants that couldn't talk. (Well, Assassin didn't say anything, but...)"
> "I dunno, he must've had a reason for it."

>"I figured he just didn't like me," says Georgia.
>Archer starts in the direction of the parking lot, motioning for you to follow.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 04:32:48 AM
> "See you soon."
> Hang up and follow before anyone starts showing up.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 04:38:28 AM
> "See you soon."
> Hang up and follow before anyone starts showing up.

>You hang up, and follow Archer through a few yards and across a couple empty streets, then circle around the service center along the one road that leads here.  You can see Georgia in the distance, standing by the road. She sees you as well.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 04:40:49 AM
> Approach as unmenacingly as possible.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 05:28:33 AM
> Approach as unmenacingly as possible.

>You do so. Her hands are shoved into her pockets, and she looks like she'd just fall like a log if you pushed her over. But, you don't think she's about to try and stove your head in with a rock, at least.
>"So, what now?" she says as you approach.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 02:36:52 PM
> "Hmm."
> Can we still sense that she's a master?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 06:13:02 PM
> "Hmm."
> Can we still sense that she's a master?

>It doesn't seem that way.
>"Well that tells me a whole lot, doesn't it?" she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 06:27:23 PM
> "Well, Georgia, now that I've gotten a good look at you, you might be free to go."
> "I don't think I need to check for the command seals. I can't sense you being a master anymore."
> "What about you, Archer?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 07:53:23 PM
> "Well, Georgia, now that I've gotten a good look at you, you might be free to go."
> "I don't think I need to check for the command seals. I can't sense you being a master anymore."
> "What about you, Archer?"

>"That it?" she says. "You're just expecting me to go driving merrily down that one road out of town while the cops are almost definitely going to be coming up it? With out of state plates. Naw, you said something about a camp and I'm going to hide there until this shit blows over and we figure out how you're gonna replace my synth."
>"I think she's about as clean as she can get," says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 08:51:06 PM
> Start having flashbacks. YOU'RE GOING TO REPLACE MY BIKE ASH KETCHUM
> "Uh. I mean, if you WANT to come I guess you can. But I dunno about the whole 'blowing over' thing, I'd say it's probably going to get a lot crazier around here over the next few days."
> Start making our way into the woods.
> "I'll tell you right now that there's no chance in hell I'll be able to pay for your synth, and I don't feel particularly obligated to. You WERE going to use it to kill us."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 09:24:18 PM
> Start having flashbacks. YOU'RE GOING TO REPLACE MY BIKE ASH KETCHUM
> "Uh. I mean, if you WANT to come I guess you can. But I dunno about the whole 'blowing over' thing, I'd say it's probably going to get a lot crazier around here over the next few days."
> Start making our way into the woods.
> "I'll tell you right now that there's no chance in hell I'll be able to pay for your synth, and I don't feel particularly obligated to. You WERE going to use it to kill us."

>Oh god, you do have a Misty.
>"You remember that when I blow up your damned car, because I wasn't going to kill anyone until then," Georgia says, as she follows you. "And don't act like I don't know it's that ratty ass one from Illinois, because who the hell else is going to park something like that here?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 09:28:50 PM
> "Urrgh. How much does it cost?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 06, 2018, 09:57:22 PM
> "Urrgh. How much does it cost?"

>"About 3000 dollars before tax and stuff," she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 06, 2018, 10:33:12 PM
> "Great."
> Send to Archer: "I think I might have to have you engage in some thievery after all. I don't really want to find out what her capacity for acting out of spite is."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 12:53:18 AM
> "Great."
> Send to Archer: "I think I might have to have you engage in some thievery after all. I don't really want to find out what her capacity for acting out of spite is."

>"Yeah, great," she says. "Hey, is that tent up there yours?"
>"I bet she's willing to take it pretty far," Archer sends back, sounding amused.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 07, 2018, 03:06:19 AM
> "That it is." (assuming it is, in fact, ours.)
> "Archer even built a pretty nice fire pit."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 03:39:08 AM
> "That it is." (assuming it is, in fact, ours.)
> "Archer even built a pretty nice fire pit."

>Huh, yeah," she says as she approaches your campground and walks around the tent, peering around. "A big ole wood pile, too. Huh, how long are you planning to stay here with all that wood?"
>"That ought to make enough charcoal to last us the week or more," Archer says. "I might even see about getting a little kiln going, so I can throw a pot or two."
>"Oh, she does talk," says Georgia. "I thought you just did the quiet thing like Jimi did. Who are you anyways?"
>"Archer," answers your Servant. Georgia just makes a face.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 07, 2018, 05:33:13 AM
> "With Archer's particular skillset, I actually don't think it would help much to figure out her identity. But I'm gonna keep it quiet just in case."
> "Hm. I need to figure out where you're going to sleep. I only have one bag."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 06:01:52 AM
> "With Archer's particular skillset, I actually don't think it would help much to figure out her identity. But I'm gonna keep it quiet just in case."
> "Hm. I need to figure out where you're going to sleep. I only have one bag."

>"I was just going to wait a couple hours," Georgia says. "Long enough for the pigs to sweep through and clear out. And you're not gonna tell me? What am I going to do? Take her down one on one?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on May 07, 2018, 06:22:05 AM
>"Well, when you put it like that..."
>Glance in Archer's drection and sigh "Unfortunately I think her answer is why I can't. She doesn't want us to tell you, so I'm just going to stand by her decision."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 07:07:18 PM
>"Well, when you put it like that..."
>Glance in Archer's drection and sigh "Unfortunately I think her answer is why I can't. She doesn't want us to tell you, so I'm just going to stand by her decision."

>"It's nothing personal," Archer says, "But I have to be ready for other masters who'd torture you to get anything you know. Frankly, you'd've probably won if we didn't figure out who Caster was."
>"Heh, lucky me, then, getting one of the most recognizable people on the planet, eh?" says Georgia.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 07, 2018, 07:19:32 PM
> "You know, it's actually really weird how many servants in this Grail War have been famous people from the past century. Usually servants are people like...King Arthur or whatever."
> "Like, Rider was Henry Ford, and some crazy lady managed to summon Neil Armstrong with a made-up class."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 07:28:49 PM
> "You know, it's actually really weird how many servants in this Grail War have been famous people from the past century. Usually servants are people like...King Arthur or whatever."
> "Like, Rider was Henry Ford, and some crazy lady managed to summon Neil Armstrong with a made-up class."

>"Seriously?" she says. She frowns thoughtfully. "It makes more sense, though, when you think about it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 07, 2018, 07:36:30 PM
> "How do you figure?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 08:17:13 PM
> "How do you figure?"

>"What's King Arthur done for anyone?" says Georgia. "But someone like the ones you mentioned? They did things that matter to us."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 07, 2018, 09:08:43 PM
> "Well, I'm not going to complain about getting Archer, but you have a point. I don't understand why it would be a thing specific to this Grail War, though."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 09:28:29 PM
> "Well, I'm not going to complain about getting Archer, but you have a point. I don't understand why it would be a thing specific to this Grail War, though."

>"Who said it was?" says Georgia. "I mean, there's been others but they're all secrets, so who knows what other people got? Or how they messed with the process."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: The ⑨th Zentillion on May 07, 2018, 09:49:40 PM
>"That's true. I mean, from what I know about the last one that happened, was that it was a pretty huge deal as far as Grail Wars tend to go. Just not the big details about it."
>"I mean, hmm. Maybe the Throne of Heroes decided to modernize its selection this time. That's my best guess."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 09:58:27 PM
>"That's true. I mean, from what I know about the last one that happened, was that it was a pretty huge deal as far as Grail Wars tend to go. Just not the big details about it."
>"I mean, hmm. Maybe the Throne of Heroes decided to modernize its selection this time. That's my best guess."

>"Oh, you know about that thing?" says Georgia, raising an eyebrow. "I couldn't find anything other than just a reference to its name."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 07, 2018, 10:22:22 PM
> "I've always been pretty interested in the Grail War, so I did some research on it out of curiousity."
> "I don't know if that was prophetic or just lucky, but I'm really glad I did."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 11:13:29 PM
> "I've always been pretty interested in the Grail War, so I did some research on it out of curiousity."
> "I don't know if that was prophetic or just lucky, but I'm really glad I did."

>"Must've had better connections than me, that's for sure," Georgia says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 07, 2018, 11:23:56 PM
> "I'll admit I'm curious what kind of circles you run in. How did you figure out how to do magic with a synth? I've had nothing but bad experiences mixing magic and electronics."
> "Is it only the sound that matters?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 07, 2018, 11:32:26 PM
> "I'll admit I'm curious what kind of circles you run in. How did you figure out how to do magic with a synth? I've had nothing but bad experiences mixing magic and electronics."
> "Is it only the sound that matters?"

>"You got it in one," says Georgia. "It's all about the sound and sound quality. In theory, I could do it with a harp or my voice or a bunch of trash cans, but it's not that easy. Quality of sound, and how good you are at making it comes into play too, and what you're most comfortable with is best. For me, it's my synths."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 08, 2018, 03:31:31 AM
> "And that's why it costs $3000," we respond with a cringe.
> Open the cooler. "Want a soda?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 08, 2018, 03:35:37 AM
> "And that's why it costs $3000," we respond with a cringe.
> Open the cooler. "Want a soda?"

>"You gotta pay for quality," she says. "And sure."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 08, 2018, 03:48:30 AM
> Hand it to her.
> "So what was your wish gonna be, if you don't mind saying?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 08, 2018, 03:56:15 AM
> Hand it to her.
> "So what was your wish gonna be, if you don't mind saying?"

>She takes it and sighs.  "You'd just laugh."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 08, 2018, 04:21:29 AM
> "Mine is 'Save the World'. I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to end up qualifying that yet. Yours can't possibly be worse."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 08, 2018, 04:49:27 AM
> "Mine is 'Save the World'. I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to end up qualifying that yet. Yours can't possibly be worse."

>"Maybe," she says. She shakes her head and sighs. "Well, okay. So, you know the stories, right, about how there's there's one perfect song that everyone loves and it brings people together in harmony and makes them want to love one another and make the world a better place? That's what I want, in a way that I can make the best use of it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 08, 2018, 02:27:17 PM
> "Huh. I actually think that one might be better than mine, since you have an idea of how to go about it."
> "I might be inclined to steal it if I didn't also want to account for outside threats to humanity."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 08, 2018, 10:07:32 PM
> "Huh. I actually think that one might be better than mine, since you have an idea of how to go about it."
> "I might be inclined to steal it if I didn't also want to account for outside threats to humanity."

>"Well...thanks," she says. "That's better than I expected to hear."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 08, 2018, 11:04:46 PM
> "I wouldn't laugh at it knowing you wanted it bad enough for the Grail to pick you."
> "Well, at least I think that's how the Grail works."
> "Okay, I really have no idea."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 09, 2018, 01:32:23 AM
> "I wouldn't laugh at it knowing you wanted it bad enough for the Grail to pick you."
> "Well, at least I think that's how the Grail works."
> "Okay, I really have no idea."

>She nods. "Me either. Just, the dreams, you know?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 09, 2018, 05:27:19 AM
> "OH THANK GOD, I'm not the only one. Hey, do your dreams have a recurring theme of things, like, slowing down for some reason?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 09, 2018, 06:06:17 PM
> "OH THANK GOD, I'm not the only one. Hey, do your dreams have a recurring theme of things, like, slowing down for some reason?"

>Her eyes widen at your outburst.
>"...Oh, I get it now," she says. "It's you, you're Slow Girl."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 09, 2018, 07:11:28 PM
> "Slow Girl??"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 09, 2018, 07:46:39 PM
> "Slow Girl??"

>"Yeah, Slow Girl," says Georgia. "That's you, isn't it?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Suwako Moriya on May 09, 2018, 07:55:08 PM
> Frown.
> "Okay, fine, sure, I know I'm overweight, but that's a bit unnecessary, don't you think?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 09, 2018, 08:19:31 PM
> Frown.
> "Okay, fine, sure, I know I'm overweight, but that's a bit unnecessary, don't you think?"

>"No, I mean you were always moving really slowly, like you're stuck out of time," she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 09, 2018, 08:51:08 PM
> "Oh, well yeah, in my dreams everything's always slowing down...the weird thing, though, is that it always feels like it's good, in a way?"
> "So are you saying you've seen me more than once in your dreams? For me it's more like I've been getting little hints about everyone else, here and there."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 09, 2018, 09:28:43 PM
> "Oh, well yeah, in my dreams everything's always slowing down...the weird thing, though, is that it always feels like it's good, in a way?"
> "So are you saying you've seen me more than once in your dreams? For me it's more like I've been getting little hints about everyone else, here and there."

>"No it was just the once," says Georgia. "Usually most of what I've been seeing is stuff from back in the 60s."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 09, 2018, 10:35:23 PM
> "You haven't run into any masters besides me, right?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 09, 2018, 11:28:30 PM
> "You haven't run into any masters besides me, right?"

>"Not that I know of," she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 11, 2018, 01:07:35 AM
> "For me it's never more than a day in advance, so I guess that's why."
> "In the meanwhile, I guess you were just seeing Caster's memories, maybe?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 11, 2018, 01:40:50 AM
> "For me it's never more than a day in advance, so I guess that's why."
> "In the meanwhile, I guess you were just seeing Caster's memories, maybe?"

>She nods. "That's what I thought, anyways. I'm pretty sure at least one of them was Woodstock."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 11, 2018, 02:59:51 AM
> "Huh, what was that like?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 11, 2018, 03:58:43 AM
> "Huh, what was that like?"

>"Loud, colorful, lotta white people, smelled like weed," she says. "I didn't have any real context for what I saw, or who was on stage."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 11, 2018, 05:51:46 PM
> "Oh, that's right...speaking of the slow thing..."
> "Can you run me by what exactly you and Caster were doing around the time he tried to dump that mountain of sand on Archer?"
> "I was having a hard time using any mana throughout most of the fight, and at first I thought that might be coming from you, since it didn't go away unless you were playing."
> "I threw one of my walls into it as kind of a crapshoot to buy some time, but at that moment I was able to stop the flow of the whole thing so Archer could get away, and I've never been able to do anything like that before."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 11, 2018, 07:48:53 PM
> "Oh, that's right...speaking of the slow thing..."
> "Can you run me by what exactly you and Caster were doing around the time he tried to dump that mountain of sand on Archer?"
> "I was having a hard time using any mana throughout most of the fight, and at first I thought that might be coming from you, since it didn't go away unless you were playing."
> "I threw one of my walls into it as kind of a crapshoot to buy some time, but at that moment I was able to stop the flow of the whole thing so Archer could get away, and I've never been able to do anything like that before."

>"Oh, he could distort mana flows," Georgia says. "It's kind of a gamble, since it affects everyone, including me. But we coordinated so he'd drop it at times and I could do stuff. Once you killed my synth, though, there wasn't any reason for him to stop anymore. Surprised you didn't figure it out. I got no idea what you're talking about with that other stuff."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 11, 2018, 08:01:41 PM
> "I wonder what happened, then..."
> Have we ever learned how to cast a spell intuitively, rather than through study?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 12, 2018, 08:00:35 AM
> "I wonder what happened, then..."
> Have we ever learned how to cast a spell intuitively, rather than through study?

>"What was the spell supposed to do?" Georgia asks.
>That sort of thing hasn't really been possible for millennia, as far as you know.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 12, 2018, 02:43:47 PM
> "Well, y'know, I thought I would just try to pour a lot of mana into it and make a really big wall to hold it for a moment."
> "That's not what happened though, instead it was more like it slowed down gravity long enough for Archer to get away."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 12, 2018, 05:03:30 PM
> "Well, y'know, I thought I would just try to pour a lot of mana into it and make a really big wall to hold it for a moment."
> "That's not what happened though, instead it was more like it slowed down gravity long enough for Archer to get away."

>"That...shouldn't happen," she says, frowning. "I mean, you don't just cast one spell and get a different one."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 12, 2018, 05:17:44 PM
> "Yeah, I dunno. All I can do is chalk it up to the magic getting weirded out by Caster's distortion."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 12, 2018, 06:38:32 PM
> "Yeah, I dunno. All I can do is chalk it up to the magic getting weirded out by Caster's distortion."

>"I never had that happen," she says with a shrug.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 12, 2018, 11:02:48 PM
> "I mean, if it turns out I actually am Slow Girl and I have secret timestop powers that'd be cool, but also really disturbing. That's the kind of thing people try to dissect you for."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 13, 2018, 03:26:04 AM
> "I mean, if it turns out I actually am Slow Girl and I have secret timestop powers that'd be cool, but also really disturbing. That's the kind of thing people try to dissect you for."

>"Yeah, I might not let word of that get to the Mage Association," she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 14, 2018, 02:16:01 PM
> "Well, Georgia, I think I'm gonna call it a night. Caster almost turned me and Archer inside-out and I'd really like to lie down now."
> "Good luck getting out of here, I'll call you when I figure out what I'm gonna do about your synth."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 14, 2018, 05:56:48 PM
> "Well, Georgia, I think I'm gonna call it a night. Caster almost turned me and Archer inside-out and I'd really like to lie down now."
> "Good luck getting out of here, I'll call you when I figure out what I'm gonna do about your synth."

>"I'm going to need a bit," Georgia says, as you start to notice the distinct red and blue lights of police cars dance weakly across the trees. "But yeah, you get some rest."
>"They're driving past," Archer says. "Probably going to start with the beach."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 14, 2018, 06:18:34 PM
> "Oh yeah. Well, the cooler's there if you need something to eat."
> "Archer, can you see her to her car once the cops are gone?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 14, 2018, 07:51:00 PM
> "Oh yeah. Well, the cooler's there if you need something to eat."
> "Archer, can you see her to her car once the cops are gone?"

>"I'll go easy on it, don't worry," says Georgia.
>"Sure, that's easy enough," Archer says. "Just get some rest."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 14, 2018, 09:22:39 PM
> "Good night, then."
> "Nice meeting you, Georgia. Thanks for being sane, it's a rare quality in a magus."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 14, 2018, 09:43:47 PM
> "Good night, then."
> "Nice meeting you, Georgia. Thanks for being sane, it's a rare quality in a magus."

>"Isn't it?" she says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 15, 2018, 12:22:23 AM
> Let's go to our tent and get some rest.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 15, 2018, 01:25:13 AM
> Let's go to our tent and get some rest.

>You crawl into your tent.
>Sleep comes fitfully; you'd really rather be resting on a proper bed, but this sleeping bag is good enough. You sort of drift in and out for awhile, sometimes you can hear Georgia and Archer talking softly. At one point, you are sure you hear something like water splashing softly, but given that Archer isn't raising an alarm, your sore and half asleep mind doesn't really rouse enough to worry about. While trying to fall asleep, your mind drifts back to what happened with your Wall spell. By all rights, that should have been impossible. You don't just cast a spell and get a wholly different one. What happened? Why did it happen? You have no ready answers.
>All around you is traffic, moving slower and slower. You smile as you stand between the lines on the road, cars passing as if they were merely strolling. Smog fills the air, blotting out the sun. You watch as individual wisps move in a gradual dance, pushed by strong winds too slow to feel. There is a light, a flame, charging across the the highway. It does not stop, it does not slow. You watch as it vaults over a car, landing atop another and pushing forward, not losing any of its momentum. The flame burns with exuberance, coming from nowhere and destined for nowhere. It simply exists, exulting in this fact, uncaring of part or present. It does not slow, it does not halt. It burns and burns, and will continue until there is naught left to burn. The cars have come to a standstill, the birds barely inch across the sky, the flam leaps from another car and grabs onto the edge of an overpass, flowing up onto it.  Do you hate it? Envy it? You cannot answer.
>The red-haired woman in green kneels over her partner. The smaller, dark-haired woman's body is riddled with wounds. Her blood seeps into into the ground, staining nourishing the roots of a yew tree. Each moment it moves more and more slowly, you cannot exult in this. They speak, their words are too low, too slow to hear. Perhaps they aren't to heard by either. "It's not so bad," the dark-haired woman utters, her voice haggard and weak. Then the other reaches down, her hand moving with the speed of an icicle forming, and closes the wounded one's eyes. There may be others, but in permanent sense, you understand she will always be alone in some sense. The sun is rising, lighting the eastern sky with rays of slow-moving pain.
>You awaken, sore and hungry. It is not quite dark.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 15, 2018, 02:56:53 AM
> Are we hungrier than we are tired?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 15, 2018, 03:54:36 AM
> Are we hungrier than we are tired?

>It seems like.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 15, 2018, 03:57:28 AM
> Get up, then.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 15, 2018, 04:40:48 AM
> Get up, then.

>You slowly get up. You're still sore, but...not so badly as yesterday. The pain is duller. You kind of want some ibuprofen.
>It seems to be just before dawn. Opening up the tent, you can see Archer sitting beside what appears to be a waist-high pile of dirt.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 15, 2018, 02:55:56 PM
That dream combined with that new avatar is distressing.

> "Morning, Archer. Whatcha got there?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 15, 2018, 06:43:02 PM
That dream combined with that new avatar is distressing.

> "Morning, Archer. Whatcha got there?"

>"Morning, Lily," Archer says. "This is the charcoal mound I was talking about yesterday. All that wood I gathered up is burning away in here. Sometime later, we'll pull it open and there will be a nice pile of fresh charcoal for us. If I get time, I'll make a basket to put it in. You feeling okay?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 15, 2018, 07:16:31 PM
> "I just had a prophetic dream about dying horribly in the middle of traffic, so I think I'm going to take your advice and not ride in any more cars until the Grail War's over."
> "Aside from that, still kind of rough, I guess. How about you?"
> Move towards the cooler.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 15, 2018, 07:52:14 PM
> "I just had a prophetic dream about dying horribly in the middle of traffic, so I think I'm going to take your advice and not ride in any more cars until the Grail War's over."
> "Aside from that, still kind of rough, I guess. How about you?"
> Move towards the cooler.

>"A lot better," Archer says. "Though I was probably a bit hard on your mana to get there. But I felt it was for the best. And...really, you dreamed about that? Because I was going to suggest we should drive somewhere and get a more hearty breakfast than what we have here. It'd do you some good."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 15, 2018, 10:13:48 PM
> "Yeah, you remember me talking about the whole slowing down thing, right? This dream was the same, except this time there was someone that was just charging by and totally immune to it."
> "I couldn't really tell who it was. Just by the feeling of it, it could've been about Berserker, but that's just a guess."
> "But yeah, I think I'm gonna take that omen seriously and take it slow this morning. We'll walk into town later and go out for a victory lunch instead."
> Root around for a quick fix to our hunger.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 15, 2018, 11:34:50 PM
> "Yeah, you remember me talking about the whole slowing down thing, right? This dream was the same, except this time there was someone that was just charging by and totally immune to it."
> "I couldn't really tell who it was. Just by the feeling of it, it could've been about Berserker, but that's just a guess."
> "But yeah, I think I'm gonna take that omen seriously and take it slow this morning. We'll walk into town later and go out for a victory lunch instead."
> Root around for a quick fix to our hunger.

>"Have you dreamed about servants before?" Archer says. "And yeah, feel free to laze around for the next few hours, I think you've earned it. Can't imagine we'd have to worry about an attack here."
>You root around, and find a variety of snacks that aren't suitable for any meal. It seems Georgia took a little, but not too much.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 12:11:59 AM
> "Well, it's not super clear, but not usually, no. It's the masters I normally get the sense of. If it was the master I saw, though, that was one hell of a master."
> "Oh, except for you. Whenever I see myself, you're there too."
> "Did Georgia give you any trouble?"
> Settle for cheetos and a beer.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 12:18:47 AM
> "Well, it's not super clear, but not usually, no. It's the masters I normally get the sense of. If it was the master I saw, though, that was one hell of a master."
> "Oh, except for you. Whenever I see myself, you're there too."
> "Did Georgia give you any trouble?"
> Settle for cheetos and a beer.

>You decide on breakfast.
>"Wait, hold on, I'm in them?" Archer says, "What do you mean?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 12:34:54 AM
> "Oh, uh, when I see myself in the dream, it's not from my point of view. Like, I see myself in third person, and you're there with me. Actually, I think I might not have even realized it was supposed to be me if you weren't there too."
> "Anyway, yeah, you were there talking to me while I was kind of like, dying dramatically or whatever."
> "Uhh I think there was just one other time, I want to say it was from Koch's point of view? We were building a shelter and having fun and he was thinking we were just street scum or whatever."
> "Actually, huh, that's what we're doing now, isn't it?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 01:05:01 AM
> "Oh, uh, when I see myself in the dream, it's not from my point of view. Like, I see myself in third person, and you're there with me. Actually, I think I might not have even realized it was supposed to be me if you weren't there too."
> "Anyway, yeah, you were there talking to me while I was kind of like, dying dramatically or whatever."
> "Uhh I think there was just one other time, I want to say it was from Koch's point of view? We were building a shelter and having fun and he was thinking we were just street scum or whatever."
> "Actually, huh, that's what we're doing now, isn't it?"

>"You're not wholly wrong," Archer says. "Was that dream from before we met? Because he died on our first night together."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 01:25:55 AM
> "No, actually, that one was from the night before last, which makes even less sense."
> "Since Georgia got one of those dreams too, I'm thinking they're coming from the Grail. If it's connected to all of us, it might have Koch's memories in it."
> "I'd ask Kimimela if she's having the dreams, but, uh, I don't think we're on polite conversation terms right now."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 01:35:18 AM
> "No, actually, that one was from the night before last, which makes even less sense."
> "Since Georgia got one of those dreams too, I'm thinking they're coming from the Grail. If it's connected to all of us, it might have Koch's memories in it."
> "I'd ask Kimimela if she's having the dreams, but, uh, I don't think we're on polite conversation terms right now."

>"Well, you've given her some time," says Archer, "So maybe if you're more polite, and don't make it look like you're trying to get information that could be used against her, you might do okay? Oh! While I'm thinking about it, Georgia wanted you to have this."
>She produces a piece of paper and hands it to you.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 01:48:50 AM
> "Hmm?"
> Eye it suspiciously for a sec to make sure it doesn't have a curse or anything, then read it.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 02:09:23 AM
> "Hmm?"
> Eye it suspiciously for a sec to make sure it doesn't have a curse or anything, then read it.

>You look at it and see nothing wrong with it. Opening it up, it seems to be a discord handle.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 02:47:09 AM
> "Oh, huh, it's a way to contact her."
> Open up our phone and start downloading the Discord app.
> Then check if we have any more presents from Lancer.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Yaersulf on May 16, 2018, 02:49:49 AM
Man, if the Curse client weren't defunct there would have been a great joke there.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 03:11:32 AM
> "Oh, huh, it's a way to contact her."
> Open up our phone and start downloading the Discord app.
> Then check if we have any more presents from Lancer.

>You already have it! This is how Lancer has been bothering you.
>Speaking of, it seems he has sent you a picture of a golden retriever laying on a sidewalk, seemingly asleep. Judging from the quality, you assume it was taken from his phone's camera, or at least a phone's camera.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 03:28:26 AM
> Add Georgia. Send her a picture of Archer's charcoal burning mound. "If we stay here long enough, maybe Archer will build me a house."
> Return to our conversation with Lancer. Consider telling him about last night's events, but decide against it. If he and Kimimela knew that they didn't have to do anything special to get rid of Command Seals, Kimimela might be encouraged to kill Archer with a clear conscience.
> "Good morning, Lancer. Are you a dog person?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 04:47:35 AM
> Add Georgia. Send her a picture of Archer's charcoal burning mound. "If we stay here long enough, maybe Archer will build me a house."
> Return to our conversation with Lancer. Consider telling him about last night's events, but decide against it. If he and Kimimela knew that they didn't have to do anything special to get rid of Command Seals, Kimimela might be encouraged to kill Archer with a clear conscience.
> "Good morning, Lancer. Are you a dog person?"

>You add Georgia. It doesn't seem she is on right now.
>"He is tired," Lancer answers after a few moments. "And very yellow!"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 04:57:57 AM
> "I'd like to have a dog, but they don't mix well with magic laboratories."
> "Hey, do you know if Kimimela's been having any dreams about other masters? Because I have, and my last one was kind of a doozy."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 05:19:15 AM
> "I'd like to have a dog, but they don't mix well with magic laboratories."
> "Hey, do you know if Kimimela's been having any dreams about other masters? Because I have, and my last one was kind of a doozy."

>"Why would you ask such a question?" Lancer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 02:29:59 PM
> "I never had anything like this before the Grail War started, so I think the dreams are coming from an outside influence. I just wanted to know if other masters have been getting the same thing."
> "Also, if her dreams have shown her anything useful, I guess."
> "On that note, you might want to stay off the highway today."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 05:33:37 PM
> "I never had anything like this before the Grail War started, so I think the dreams are coming from an outside influence. I just wanted to know if other masters have been getting the same thing."
> "Also, if her dreams have shown her anything useful, I guess."
> "On that note, you might want to stay off the highway today."

>"What an ominous prophecy! Do go on," Lancer replies.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 05:53:33 PM
> "Most nights I have a dream that feels like an out-of-body experience, where I see something from another master's perspective. One of my earlier ones was Kimimela's, I'm pretty sure."
> "But last night I had a dream where I died horribly in the middle of traffic - I remember seeing an overpass - while some kind of unstoppable force was passing by. I couldn't tell if it was the master or the servant."
> "I mean, it was obviously targetted at me, but my number one cause of death at the moment is servants, which would be a problem for Kimimela too."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 06:16:50 PM
> "Most nights I have a dream that feels like an out-of-body experience, where I see something from another master's perspective. One of my earlier ones was Kimimela's, I'm pretty sure."
> "But last night I had a dream where I died horribly in the middle of traffic - I remember seeing an overpass - while some kind of unstoppable force was passing by. I couldn't tell if it was the master or the servant."
> "I mean, it was obviously targetted at me, but my number one cause of death at the moment is servants, which would be a problem for Kimimela too."

>"This is not nearly enough detail for me to interpret this dream," Lancer answers. "Tell me more."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 10:54:05 PM
> "Why, do you consider yourself a specialist in this sort of thing?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 16, 2018, 11:01:24 PM
> "Why, do you consider yourself a specialist in this sort of thing?"

>"I want you to understand just how hard I am laughing at you right now," Lancer replies after a couple moments. "Do our ways mean so little that you cannot even recognize them?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 16, 2018, 11:24:07 PM
> "Okay, sorry, that was a dumb question."
> "Let me think about it. Telling the whole thing involves a few personal details I'm not keen on sharing."

While potentially illuminating, I don't want to tell Lancer about our time slowing thing.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 12:29:39 AM
> "Okay, sorry, that was a dumb question."
> "Let me think about it. Telling the whole thing involves a few personal details I'm not keen on sharing."

>"That makes much more sense," Lancer replies. "But do be mindful. Something your people never really came to understand are that dreams are messages from the world you cannot see. Perhaps they are garbled because you are not able to see, perhaps they are not garbled at all? Consider everything carefully. And whether we can help is also in question. I may have no insights, but...I wouldn't gamble on it."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 01:28:58 AM
> "I'll consider it. Let me get back to you later."
> "Oh, one last thing, Berserker will show up sooner or later, but have you encountered Assassin yet? I'm worried he's just going to sit things out until his noble phantasm screws everything up."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 01:47:22 AM
> "I'll consider it. Let me get back to you later."
> "Oh, one last thing, Berserker will show up sooner or later, but have you encountered Assassin yet? I'm worried he's just going to sit things out until his noble phantasm screws everything up."

>"Very well," Lancer says. "If it makes you feel better, I will keep your confidences, within reason."
>"No, and I feel you are right," Lancer says. "What I will tell you in turn is that Saber stalks this region now."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 02:07:12 AM
> "Oh, hell. Hey Archer, Lancer says Saber's in town."
> Back to Lancer: "I thought it was strange they hadn't showed up yet, but that doesn't mean I was looking forward to it. Did you see the master or just the servant?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 02:12:42 AM
> "Oh, hell. Hey Archer, Lancer says Saber's in town."
> Back to Lancer: "I thought it was strange they hadn't showed up yet, but that doesn't mean I was looking forward to it. Did you see the master or just the servant?"

>"Well then," says Archer.
>"Perhaps both," Lancer says. "It is not certain."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 02:35:32 AM
> "If I'm understanding correctly, are you saying this might be an atypical situation? Because I don't normally see servants in my dreams, but the person I saw seemed too powerful to be a master."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 02:50:54 AM
> "If I'm understanding correctly, are you saying this might be an atypical situation? Because I don't normally see servants in my dreams, but the person I saw seemed too powerful to be a master."

>"Why is that?" He says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 02:59:52 AM
> "Ah, let me start over, I don't mind sharing this part."
> "The 'unstoppable force' I mentioned was...well, what I saw was a flame, but I think it was supposed to be a person. It was charging down the road, it couldn't be stopped by anything, just jumping over cars like they were nothing, until I saw it leave by going over an overpass. It was burning so strongly, like the only thing that would stop it was burning itself out."
> "I haven't seen anything so dramatic of any other master, if it was supposed to be a master, that is."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 03:23:40 AM
> "Ah, let me start over, I don't mind sharing this part."
> "The 'unstoppable force' I mentioned was...well, what I saw was a flame, but I think it was supposed to be a person. It was charging down the road, it couldn't be stopped by anything, just jumping over cars like they were nothing, until I saw it leave by going over an overpass. It was burning so strongly, like the only thing that would stop it was burning itself out."
> "I haven't seen anything so dramatic of any other master, if it was supposed to be a master, that is."

>"Was there anything special about the cars, or the road?" Lancer sends. "Anything that may have helped or hindered this person? Or was it just you and them?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 03:45:45 AM
> Take a moment to consider. There's the time slowing, of course, but it's not unique to this dream, and the implications of this person being unaffected by it are already pretty obvious to us.
> "I remember the wind was strong, but I don't think that mattered..."
> "I'm not sure if I would say we were alone, since I was watching myself and Archer in third person - that's an exception, by the way, I've seen Archer with me before - but no, if there was anything else there the person wasn't affected either way."
> "One more thing, seeing this person gave me a bad gut feeling, like it was someone I disliked, but it was hard to read."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 04:02:48 AM
> Take a moment to consider. There's the time slowing, of course, but it's not unique to this dream, and the implications of this person being unaffected by it are already pretty obvious to us.
> "I remember the wind was strong, but I don't think that mattered..."
> "I'm not sure if I would say we were alone, since I was watching myself and Archer in third person - that's an exception, by the way, I've seen Archer with me before - but no, if there was anything else there the person wasn't affected either way."
> "One more thing, seeing this person gave me a bad gut feeling, like it was someone I disliked, but it was hard to read."

>"Mmm. There may be meaning to that wind, there may not be," Lancer says. "I would recommend that you ponder why you disliked this person."
>"Now, you say you were watching Archer and yourself. What happened? What did you watch?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 04:13:52 AM
> "I don't really want to go into detail, but I was already lying on the ground dying from a bunch of wounds and Archer was tending to me. It was really bloody. Uh, then I died."
> "Now that I think about it, I didn't see the flame do anything to me."
> "...Now that I REALLY think about it, I'm not sure I was in the same place as the flame. There was a tree there. One of Archer's."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 04:25:04 AM
> "I don't really want to go into detail, but I was already lying on the ground dying from a bunch of wounds and Archer was tending to me. It was really bloody. Uh, then I died."
> "Now that I think about it, I didn't see the flame do anything to me."
> "...Now that I REALLY think about it, I'm not sure I was in the same place as the flame. There was a tree there. One of Archer's."

>"Hm. Interesting. Now, if I may, how did you know those two that you saw were you and Archer? Did they look like you, or did you just know when you saw them?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 04:50:27 AM
> "I recognized us. Archer's red hair really stands out."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 04:55:03 AM
> "I recognized us. Archer's red hair really stands out."

>"Was anything unusual about them?" Lancer replies. "Aside from the dying, of course."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 05:06:29 AM
> "I can't think of anything? I had a sense of Archer's feelings, but that's private."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 05:27:15 AM
> "I can't think of anything? I had a sense of Archer's feelings, but that's private."

>"Of course," says Lancer. "And the other?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 05:32:55 AM
(Clarify the question?)
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 05:47:32 AM
(he means the other person)
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 05:02:34 PM
> "She was trying to play it cool, I guess. I didn't get a sense of what she was feeling, maybe because I didn't want to think about it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 05:48:37 PM
> "She was trying to play it cool, I guess. I didn't get a sense of what she was feeling, maybe because I didn't want to think about it."

>"How was she playing it cool? That may be important," Lancer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 05:55:05 PM
> "I couldn't make out anything of what they were saying, if anything, but the last thing she said was 'it's not so bad'."
> We won't say as much, but we may have gotten the sense we were at peace with it. Is that a bad thing? Maybe we don't have enough drive to win?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 08:18:36 PM
> "I couldn't make out anything of what they were saying, if anything, but the last thing she said was 'it's not so bad'."
> We won't say as much, but we may have gotten the sense we were at peace with it. Is that a bad thing? Maybe we don't have enough drive to win?

>"How noble!" Lancer replies. "You may think I am being snarky, but I do respect such a sentiment, nobly meeting one's end. It is a shame that more cannot, but that is to be human and have dreams, isn't it? I am curious, have you discussed this with your Servant?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 08:59:06 PM
> "A bit, but mostly about the practical implications. It was actually her idea that we not use the car too much, since she thinks it'd be too easy for someone to ambush us. Having that dream just reinforced it for me."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 09:36:59 PM
> "A bit, but mostly about the practical implications. It was actually her idea that we not use the car too much, since she thinks it'd be too easy for someone to ambush us. Having that dream just reinforced it for me."

>"We've certainly been using the truck," Lancer says. "It hasn't been a problem yet. But one can hardly blame you."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 10:17:05 PM
> "Well, talking to you makes me think I may have taken the dream too literally, so I'll reconsider that. Thanks."
> "So, back to that question before, you said you weren't sure if you saw Saber's master. What did you mean? Usually we know each other on sight."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 17, 2018, 10:48:35 PM
> "Well, talking to you makes me think I may have taken the dream too literally, so I'll reconsider that. Thanks."
> "So, back to that question before, you said you weren't sure if you saw Saber's master. What did you mean? Usually we know each other on sight."

>"Distance is a factor, as I'm sure you know," Lancer replies.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 17, 2018, 11:29:42 PM
> "But Saber's presence was bright as day, I take it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 12:46:55 AM
> "But Saber's presence was bright as day, I take it."

>"I don't think it was possible for him to hide it, no," Lancer answers.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 01:13:45 AM
> "Maybe he'll attract Berserker and then neither of us will have to deal with him."
> "Thanks for the tip. I'll be laying low today and doing some research. Talk to you later."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 01:59:10 AM
> "Maybe he'll attract Berserker and then neither of us will have to deal with him."
> "Thanks for the tip. I'll be laying low today and doing some research. Talk to you later."

>"Wouldn't that be helpful," Lancer sends. "If I'm available, I'll reply."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 02:13:22 AM
> Put our phone down.
> "So, the good news is that Lancer says we'll be able to see Saber coming from a mile away, the bad news is that probably means he's super powerful."
> "No word on what the master looks like, since they sensed him at such a distance."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 02:28:00 AM
> Put our phone down.
> "So, the good news is that Lancer says we'll be able to see Saber coming from a mile away, the bad news is that probably means he's super powerful."
> "No word on what the master looks like, since they sensed him at such a distance."

>"Well then, that just makes him easy to aim for," says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 02:48:19 AM
> "Maybe we'll finally get to try the traps, too."

OOC: Here's a little list of things I'd like to do today. I'm writing it down here so anyone else following can help me keep track of it all.
- #1 goal: go find that dancing plant we need to mask the mana battery and finish it today, now that Saber's on the prowl.
- Talk to Sister Gibson and let her know Georgia's command seals went away on their own. (We probably don't need to worry about her leaking this to Lancer.)
- Talk to Michael Collins and see if he can clarify Explorer's story or give us any other leads on this moon business.
- Get a notebook while we're in town so we can work out our magic bullshit without having to draw it in the dirt. Also acquire munchies.

Optional:
- Have Archer get a look at Saber so we can work on IDing him.
- Case the area for rich assholes to rob so we can replace Misty's bike.
- Look into acquiring another catalyst - this would give us a starting point for looking further into the whole "summoning a second servant" business.
- Attempt to win Kimimela's heart.
- What the fuck are we going to do about Assassin?

With that laid out!

> How can we go about looking for a Dancing Plant? Do we know any divinations or such that could point us towards one?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Kilgamayan on May 18, 2018, 02:52:36 AM
I have a bizarre feeling that Saber is going to turn out to be Dwight Eisenhower. I have no idea why I think this, I just do.

For something actually helpful, remember that you're in Delaware, the land of LLCs. You can't throw a rock five feet without hitting a rich asshole.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 03:55:22 AM
> "Maybe we'll finally get to try the traps, too."
> How can we go about looking for a Dancing Plant? Do we know any divinations or such that could point us towards one?

>"That would be nice," Archer says. "If what I know about sabres holds true, we can do with that."
>As far as finding one, your best bet is probably your phone, whether it is searching the net or calling various locales that deal in or keep plants. As for obtaining one...that may depend on how questionably legal you are willing to be.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 05:15:43 AM
> All things begin with google. Let's see if we get any easy hits nearby.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 06:10:39 AM
> All things begin with google. Let's see if we get any easy hits nearby.

>You do not find any easy hits. In fact, it turns out to be kind of a difficult thing to google. There's all kinds of sites that talk about the plant in general, but precious little information on where you can see one. You are contemplating giving up when you find pictures of one on delaware resident's instagram that an image search turns up, and a mention about it being at the University of Delaware.
>As you search, you notice that Archer seems to have found a collection of fairly long and slender saplings, which she has split in half, and has become begun to kind of lace together. The sun is just about to rise now.

>_

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 02:56:11 PM
> Checking the map, going to the University of Delaware would involve going right back up the main highway.
> "Ugh, this isn't going to work..."
> "Is that for the basket, Archer?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 05:17:23 PM
> Checking the map, going to the University of Delaware would involve going right back up the main highway.
> "Ugh, this isn't going to work..."
> "Is that for the basket, Archer?"

>"What's not going to work?" Archer says, "And that's right."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 05:31:25 PM
> "Oh, remember that dancing plant I need to hide Koch's mana battery? The closest one I can find is back up the highway we came in on, near the state border. I think the chance of us being spotted is too high to go get it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 06:36:43 PM
> "Oh, remember that dancing plant I need to hide Koch's mana battery? The closest one I can find is back up the highway we came in on, near the state border. I think the chance of us being spotted is too high to go get it."

>"Spotted by who, exactly?" Archer says. "Other masters can't be everywhere at once."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 07:23:28 PM
> "Well, no, but if we're spending a few hours on the only road in and out of the area, the chances are higher there than anywhere else..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 08:15:14 PM
> "Well, no, but if we're spending a few hours on the only road in and out of the area, the chances are higher there than anywhere else..."

>"Honestly," Archer says, "I think our chances there are lower; we met Caster around here, and Lancer's lurking around somewhere. And apparently Sabre is, too."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 08:28:05 PM
> Pace around a bit.
> "Maybe...sorry, that dream just has me spooked. I feel like I'm going to get whacked today if I make the wrong call."
> "I definitely don't want our camp being found, so I have to do something."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 08:45:31 PM
> Pace around a bit.
> "Maybe...sorry, that dream just has me spooked. I feel like I'm going to get whacked today if I make the wrong call."
> "I definitely don't want our camp being found, so I have to do something."

>"Have any of your other dreams predicted the future like that?" says Archer.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 09:02:10 PM
> "No, they just kind of gave me a sense of someone I'd just met or was about to meet. Really vague."
> "This one was pretty hamfisted by comparison."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 09:07:53 PM
> "No, they just kind of gave me a sense of someone I'd just met or was about to meet. Really vague."
> "This one was pretty hamfisted by comparison."

>"I wonder if Eileen saw that she was going to die, beforehand?" says Archer. "Or Koch?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 09:13:25 PM
> "Uh."
> "Okay, that's a good point. If the dreams are coming from the Grail, like I think they are, it wouldn't make much sense for it to play favorites like that."
> Rub the sides of our head. "Okay. We'll go this morning so I'll have time to finish it for tonight when we get back."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 09:55:45 PM
> "Uh."
> "Okay, that's a good point. If the dreams are coming from the Grail, like I think they are, it wouldn't make much sense for it to play favorites like that."
> Rub the sides of our head. "Okay. We'll go this morning so I'll have time to finish it for tonight when we get back."

>"If the grail is going to play favorites, I wish it would go ahead and play them a little harder," Archer says. "And that's fine. You're going to need to get a better meal, anyways."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 18, 2018, 10:18:49 PM
> "On that point, I agree."
> Check the time. It's probably too early to call Sister Gibson (especially considering how liberal she's being with her travel budget), so let's send her a text.
> "Met Caster's master last night, arranged a duel and won. Parted amicably with the master - her seals disappeared along with her servant. Is that supposed to happen?? - Lily"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 18, 2018, 10:35:33 PM
> "On that point, I agree."
> Check the time. It's probably too early to call Sister Gibson (especially considering how liberal she's being with her travel budget), so let's send her a text.
> "Met Caster's master last night, arranged a duel and won. Parted amicably with the master - her seals disappeared along with her servant. Is that supposed to happen?? - Lily"

>It's a bit after 6 AM.
>You send her a text. There is no reply, she'll probably get to it when she can.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 19, 2018, 04:28:48 AM
> Let's try to walk off our aches while we ponder the dream.
> What kind of feeling did we really get when we were watching the flame?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 19, 2018, 06:31:41 AM
> Let's try to walk off our aches while we ponder the dream.
> What kind of feeling did we really get when we were watching the flame?

>You decide to take a walk. "Don't wander off too far," Archer says.
>Thinking back to that flame, you...can't sort of what you really felt. You don't think you felt exactly threatened. Just...upset that it kept moving. Maybe something else, too?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 19, 2018, 03:32:57 PM
> "I'll be around."
> Did we feel like it was breaking the rules? Like it was a cheater, maybe?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 19, 2018, 05:43:54 PM
> "I'll be around."
> Did we feel like it was breaking the rules? Like it was a cheater, maybe?

>You don't think so. You think, if anything, the part that was annoying was that it wasn't slowed, and it wouldn't stop...

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 19, 2018, 06:29:53 PM
> Did it feel more like a failure on our part to slow it, or more like an offense on their part to not slow down?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 19, 2018, 06:41:10 PM
> Did it feel more like a failure on our part to slow it, or more like an offense on their part to not slow down?

>That you cannot say. Perhaps either, or both?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 19, 2018, 07:12:11 PM
> Maybe we should experiment to see if we can make it happen again...
> The starting point seems to using a spell that would normally work in the situation, then changing to the slow effect.
> There isn't any running water around, is there?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 19, 2018, 07:23:48 PM
> Maybe we should experiment to see if we can make it happen again...
> The starting point seems to using a spell that would normally work in the situation, then changing to the slow effect.
> There isn't any running water around, is there?

>None of that should work. However, it shouldn't have worked the first time, so this method is fairly valid, all told.
>There are some creeks around, but it would take a little hiking.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 19, 2018, 07:36:04 PM
> We'll put it off until we're ready to leave with Archer.
> Actually, let's find a few stones and make a half dozen Wall reagents to replace the ones we used last night.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 19, 2018, 09:47:44 PM
> We'll put it off until we're ready to leave with Archer.
> Actually, let's find a few stones and make a half dozen Wall reagents to replace the ones we used last night.

>You decide to put it off, and find some good stones easy enough. They were probably washed out of the ocean at some point in the past, given their smoothness.
>Returning back, you set to work making a few more wall spells. Archer leaves you be, working on her basket and slowly but surely assembling it as she weaves each stick between the framework she has made.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 19, 2018, 11:07:11 PM
> How nice is the basket?
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 20, 2018, 12:07:34 AM
> How nice is the basket?

>It's crude and clearly handmade, but it looks surprisingly functional. Thinking on it, have you ever seen a hand-made basket?

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 20, 2018, 12:45:56 AM
> "You know Archer, now that I think about it, this is the first time I've ever seen a basket that wasn't either a cheap decoration or an $80 designer piece at Bed Bath and Beyond."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 20, 2018, 01:20:19 AM
> "You know Archer, now that I think about it, this is the first time I've ever seen a basket that wasn't either a cheap decoration or an $80 designer piece at Bed Bath and Beyond."

>"Yeah, it seems like you guys just use other things," Archer says, not looking up,  "But it's easier to do this."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 20, 2018, 03:30:40 AM
> Dawdle around for a bit, thinking of various things.
> Is it at all possible to determine where a master or servant is in the most general sense? If we focus on it, could we determine if Assassin was anywhere within 500 miles of us? The same country? The same continent? It seems like the Grail should offer some kind of solution if one of the masters turns out to be a runner.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 20, 2018, 05:49:41 AM
> Dawdle around for a bit, thinking of various things.
> Is it at all possible to determine where a master or servant is in the most general sense? If we focus on it, could we determine if Assassin was anywhere within 500 miles of us? The same country? The same continent? It seems like the Grail should offer some kind of solution if one of the masters turns out to be a runner.

>You suspect the the solution is probably something it would handle itself. Unless there is some secret you haven't tapped into, you do not have a Master radar.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 20, 2018, 06:41:22 AM
> "Oh yeah, Lancer said they haven't seen any sign of Assassin, either..."
> "I wish we had at least gotten a look at the master. There isn't really any way to hunt him down."
> Check the news.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 20, 2018, 07:15:58 AM
> "Oh yeah, Lancer said they haven't seen any sign of Assassin, either..."
> "I wish we had at least gotten a look at the master. There isn't really any way to hunt him down."
> Check the news.

>"I don't know if that one or Berserker worries me worse," says Archer.
>You check the news. ...Oh dear. A suspect for Koch's murder has been found and arrested, one Martin Kwang Sun, who is apparently the grandson of North Korean refugees.  It seems he was seen near the area at the time and most certainly not a resident. More restrained sources report that he was passing through there after work and stopped to go shopping, and took a walk. Less restrained sources loudly declare he's a North Korean sleeper agent and should be given the chair at once. Friends of his have publically vouched for him, largely to be met with detached skepticism to calls for them to follow him into prison. Apparently they are planning a protest rally at the holding center, and many are predicted doom and gloom. As far as the White House is concerned, it seems to be taken for gospel that Martin is guilty and also in the employ of the North Korean Government, leading to a series of quickly sent and badly spelled tweets demanding that North Korea surrender immediately "or else". Apparently screenshots of a deleted version of the "or else" tweet are a lot more profane. The official response from the North Korean Government has been, "Please give him a trial first."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 20, 2018, 03:37:33 PM
> Scroll through it. "Oh no. Oh noooo..."
> "Hey Archer, they arrested someone for Koch's murder and they think he was acting on behalf of a foreign government. This is gonna escalate really quickly."
> "I gotta think of a way to clear his name without giving myself away..."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 20, 2018, 05:48:41 PM
> Scroll through it. "Oh no. Oh noooo..."
> "Hey Archer, they arrested someone for Koch's murder and they think he was acting on behalf of a foreign government. This is gonna escalate really quickly."
> "I gotta think of a way to clear his name without giving myself away..."

>"...Well," Archer says. "...Um."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 20, 2018, 06:58:21 PM
> "Maybe I could buy a burner phone to call it in, and...wait, no, they know my voice from the 911 call...agh, man, that was a bad idea, why did I do that?"
> "I've gotta do something, I'm the only one that saw it happen!"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 20, 2018, 07:03:20 PM
> "Maybe I could buy a burner phone to call it in, and...wait, no, they know my voice from the 911 call...agh, man, that was a bad idea, why did I do that?"
> "I've gotta do something, I'm the only one that saw it happen!"

>"It was a pretty good idea at the time," Archer says.
>"Is there any way you could make them believe anything?" Archer says. "I mean, best case scenario is that they do, and then the Mage Association sends every assassin they have after you, right?"

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 20, 2018, 07:21:42 PM
> "No, no, no, I won't tell them about the Grail War or anything, I'll just...say I saw a different guy with Assassin's description do it."
> "And it's not like the police are going to capture Assassin, so that should be the end of it, right?"
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 20, 2018, 07:53:37 PM
> "No, no, no, I won't tell them about the Grail War or anything, I'll just...say I saw a different guy with Assassin's description do it."
> "And it's not like the police are going to capture Assassin, so that should be the end of it, right?"

>"They'd probably either think your lying to save their guy," says Archer. "Or they'd think you're lying because you ran about a thousand miles away."

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 20, 2018, 07:58:40 PM
> "Arrrgh...yeah, you're right. It's being caused by Assassin's phantasm, so it'll probably go wrong no matter what."
> "We have to kill him to stop it, but there just isn't any way to do that if all he wants to do is wait it out."
> "It's like the master is getting his wish without even having to win. I hate it."
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 20, 2018, 09:05:54 PM
> "Arrrgh...yeah, you're right. It's being caused by Assassin's phantasm, so it'll probably go wrong no matter what."
> "We have to kill him to stop it, but there just isn't any way to do that if all he wants to do is wait it out."
> "It's like the master is getting his wish without even having to win. I hate it."

>"If I catch wind of him, I'll be sure to drop everything and put an arrow through his head," Archer says.

>_
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Stuffman on May 20, 2018, 10:34:27 PM
> "Much appreciated."
> Plop down and have a seat.
Title: Re: Jojo's Bizarre Grail War Part 3: A Z-Machine Adventure
Post by: Hello Purvis on May 21, 2018, 12:17:46 AM
> "Much appreciated."
> Plop down and have a seat.

>"Wait, I understand now," Archer says. "It's you. You're Assassin! Hold still, I got my knife right here..."