• Graded • The Call

[Thysbae]

The flowers weren’t blooming and that caused only mild distress. Bae watched them valiantly, hands fisted at his thighs as he stood over them. Thelma had told him once already that they would open up just fine, but he couldn’t help the uncertainty that crept into them. The others - a jasmine of some kind that he couldn’t remember the name of - had already bloomed. Another yellow flower - a tulip? - had opened up and glowed a buttery color. But yet the pale pink petals of this particular bunch of flowers remained closed. The mortalborn had moved them from one spot to the next with the shift in the day as the suns traversed the sky. They went from one window to the next and it was in this latest move that he felt it.

A strange pulse that left his whole body thrumming with pain. It had been a few bits since he’d felt it, tears still at the corner of his eyes as he moved on from it. But then it came again, more intense than the first time. A punch to the gut was what it felt like, a headache following not long after. And the tears - they came on more easily with each pulse. Like something had ripped inside and taken every sad part of him, the tears came and they did not stop. Not as the clay pot slipped from his hands and shattered with the next pulse. Not as he felt every part of his body tense up as though it were trying to keep from being torn apart.

A whimper left him as he fell, curling into himself. Thelma might have heard him, or maybe she had not; her hearing wasn’t all that great. But when she turned around he would gone, with the broken pot and soil scattered about in his place.

Speech | Thought

[Loque]

The trial had seemed not unlike any other to Loque. The lithe little wyvarnth tended to their chores as they always had, keeping the home clean and presentable for those who lived within and those who might visit. This was how Loque spent most trials, after all, remaining out of sight and possibly out of mind of the master and his kin. This trial was no different, or at least, started off as such. Loque had resumed wearing more conventional clothing; a simple shirt and trousers with the blade gifted to them by the master strapped beside their tail- out of the way, but reachable on the horrible off chance of some ill fated intruder bringing ill will to the master's home or kin.

It started almost like an odd static, a tingle against their skin as though they'd slept awkwardly on their arm-- and yet this sensation covered their whole form. They didn't give it much thought at the time as it passed just as soon as it had arrived, and did not impede their tasks. A stray thought, however, bring pause to their efforts. In these long trials prior they had learned and seen far more than they had in their time as a freshly captured and... trained slave. The master seemed a chaotic man, and yet Loque felt no differently to him than to the animals they respected-- rather more-so fond given such likeness. So many concepts buzz in their head, Becoming? Hone? Magic? They were all so new, so strange and so confusing that Loque could only barely understand them as general concepts, let alone actual practices that the Lotharro they'd met put to use. Even having seen the runes of Hone dance on their skin to erase a simple bruise, and watching in horrific awe as the master's form burst from man to mammoth beast, it was so very much to try and grasp as reality.

Again the strange feeling hit. This time a bit more noticeable as it start as a strange tightness in their chest that ripple outward across their form like stinging needles pricking their scaled hide before ebbing into numbness. Loque stop moving, remaining still for but a few bits as the sensation pass and leave more confusion in its wake. Perhaps it was simply the excitement of the past trials catching up to them? Not being near any of the inhabitants of the home, Loque move to seclude themselves in another part of the home-- it was not Fridgar's, but Rhostus' dwelling that the lizard was in current care of. A secluded place to lay down, to perhaps try and balance out whatever was causing this oddly numb pain that seemed to wash over them and subside in but trills.

Another pulse-- a pulse, that was perhaps the best way to describe it. As though something were reverberating off Loque's core, sending ripples of its energy cascading over them and setting their nerves alight with a suddenly increasing pain. Rhostus had not been seen this trial, nor any others that Loque trusted. A slave outside their home without permission or orders was unheard of-- to seek help was pointless. No, Loque was confident this would pass.

Ba-dum. Gripping at the front of their shirt the ithecal tense on the floor, their tail seeking out and curling itself tightly around the leg of a table-- anything to ground themselves as gravity seemed to become a foreign concept. Ba-dum each wave was coming sooner and sooner, more intense than the last, synchronized in a way with their own heartbeat to further set their senses alight with a previously unknown agony. Ba-dum Faster now, more, more, a sense of panic began to creep in like shadows to the corner of their vision. Where was this pain coming from? Was it their heart? no-- the pain was too far spread, it was as though every fiber of their being was being rend and set aflame.

Ba-dum

"M-master Rhostus.... h-help...." their voice sound foreign even to their own ears, meek, raspy, aired, little more than a pathetic whimpering whisper in desperation as they reach blindly for anything to grasp, writing and trembling on the floor. The pain was near constant now, washing over them in waves of intensity cycling up and down but never relenting. Fear set its claws and set them deep, a familiar sense tickle at the back of their mind, dancing about as though to try and bring some sense of comfort and yet only managing to plunge their heart through the stone below and chill it so wholly that it bring a new ache and sting to their eyes.Their green eye soon found nothing but black, matching to their other perfectly in blind nothingness. The pain so overwhelming it was indistinguishable if the tears were of suffering or sorrow, with a ragged gasping breath Loque give a final plea to the air as though it were perhaps the last thing to keep even their memory tied to this realm.

"Fridgar.... Sorry...."

[Pegasus]

The Call: Thread Review

Overview

Ok everyone, this is the first of the reviews but I figure, since everyone posted here, this is the one to start with so you all get a start! I'm so impressed with the level of imagination in these posts - every single person dealt with the unique nature of getting involved here so well.

The way I'm going to do this here is that everyone will get the knowledge they've asked for (up to 20 of them). However, in these threads I'm also going to be throwing in small rewards, so please check the reviews thoroughly. Thanks everyone - and thank you for the patience and understanding you've shown in this event. Appreciated!

As always - if you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me. Thank you muchly!!

Addendum
If you were initiated into a magic in The Call (for a couple of you, that means more than one) - then you may use one thread's XP as for that magic. This is only one thread, and only for the magic you were initiated into. If you were initiated twice, you may apply that twice. Thanks!

Luther

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Points

XP = 20 (Ghost only)
Renown = None

knowledge

Discipline: Chronic psychic pain
Discipline: Fighting against ecto-form failure
Discipline: Surviving the Call
Discipline: Focusing on the hunt despite psychic injury
Discipline: Letting a meal go
Discipline: Listening to the human side
Discipline: Pushing past a soul-shaking agony
Discipline: Keeping a goal in mind can reduce mental pain
Discipline: The stronger the psychic pain, the harder it is to focus
Discipline: Limiting the hunt to the scum of Rharne
Syphon: The sweet taste of fear
Syphon: Soothes the mental anguish of death
Syphon: Best to choose villainous victims
Syphon: Can be interrupted by mental pain
Syphon: Life energy tingles
Syphon: Abates the endless hunger of the afterlife
Syphon: Every living soul has a unique taste
Syphon: Best time to syphon is at night
Syphon: Ultimately a futile effort to fill an empty belly
Syphon: Disturbs the human side of my mind

Rewards

The ghost-bloom.
As he left the alley, there was a small and beautiful little flower on the cobblestones. He saw it, but didn't really pay attention. When the Call was over, the flower was there again. It was a small beautiful bloom which Luther can fully experience no matter his ghostly form. Scent, touch etc - they are are absolutely real to him. The flower shares it's physical "state" with him - so when he's solid, it is, etc. The scent of the flower gives Luther a vague sense of calm and is soothing.

[

Sephira

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

None requested. Please PM me with your request as per this review Thanks.

Rewards

Element Pin:
This tiny pin is on Sephira's coat when she exits The Call. It could be used as a button on a coat. It has an attractive pattern on it, swirling flame, shifting in colour through the colours of the four elements. When she's wearing the pin, Sephira is able to sense if someone is a Defier as they have a small aura of elements around them, swirling in the same pattern, in her eyes.

Hart

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Politics: The basics of ruling
Politics: Asserting political control
Politics (Eastern Settlement): The merchant houses of Pyke
Politics (Eastern Settlement): The merchant houses of Welles
Politics (Eastern Settlement): The merchant houses of Oakleigh
Politics (Eastern Settlement): The merchant houses of Berwick
Politics (Eastern Settlement): The state of Oakleigh's coffers
Politics: Balancing a duchy's budget
Politics: Determining where money is most needed
Politics: Understanding a duchy's wealth relative to its neighbors'
Navigation: Arranging transportation through a blockade
Navigation: Crossing border check points
Navigation (Eastern Settlement): About five breaks / hours from Pyke to Welles by ship
Navigation (Eastern Settlement): About three breaks / hours from Pyke to Welles by air
Navigation (Eastern Settlement): Two and a half trials / days from Welles to Oakleigh by mount
Navigation (Eastern Settlement): Two trials / days from Welles to Oakleigh by air
Navigation (Eastern Settlement): Four and a half trials / days from Oakleigh to Berwick by mount
Navigation (Eastern Settlement): Three trials / days from Oakleigh to Berwich by air
Navigation (Eastern Settlement): The route from Tristan's Estate in Oakleigh to the capital of Oakleigh
Navigation (Eastern Settlement): The layout of the capital city of Oakleigh

Rewards

Baby Monitor
Although he was pulled away from Ru - Hart finds that he is now always able to tell where his baby is. No matter the distance, he is aware of her and will know if her life is in immediate danger. However, this provides no way of getting to her.

Maxine

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

None requested. Please PM me with your request as per this review Thanks.

Rewards

Loaded Dice
Two dice. Plain, ordinary dice. Except, once a trial you can will them to land how you want. Handy in a high-stakes game.

Cervantez

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Blades{Greatsword}: Defending against thrall attacks
Blades{Greatsword}: Keeping enemies at a distance
Unarmed Combat {Necro Kickboxing}: Kicking undead away from you
Unarmed Combat {Necro Kickboxing}: Blocking thrall swipes with your fists
Research: Careful Testing on Yourself
Research: Get as many details as possible
Research: Taking as many notes as possible
Research: Organising an experiment
Research: Compiling data
Research: Record findings
Investigation: Reading the journal of a deceased mage
Psychology: trying to figure out the mental state of a dead mage
Acrobatics: Sidestepping attacks
Acrobatics: Bob and weave
Detection: A sensation that my spark adores
Detection: What is this Feeling?

Rewards

Enthralling Illusion.
A small necklace, glowing with magic. When a thrall (only works on thralls) is wearing this - the thrall looks less... dead. They could almost pass scrutiny as alive and will require someone with expert level detection or psychology to observe that the thrall is not... quite... right.

Tio

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Engineering: Catapult Mechanics
Engineering: Using mackerel parts
Engineering: Siege weapons
Engineering: Mackerel catapults
Engineering: Using fish bones
Engineering: Using fish muscles
Engineering: Using fish skin
Engineering: Projectile weaponry
Engineering: Animal part weapons
Engineering: Siege mechanics
Engineering: Miniature catapults
Engineering: A fun hobby
Engineering: Alleviates boredom
Engineering: Substitute materials
Engineering: The many uses of a fish
Meditation: Trying not to go stir crazy on a ship
Meditation: Alleviates boredom
Meditation: Can be done while working on a hobby
Meditation: Clear mind, steady hands
Meditation: Concentrating on mechanics

Rewards

Mick The Magic Mackerel
Whenever Tio is on - or near - the water, he will realise that his friend Mick the Magic Mackerel is there. Mick is a magic talking mackerel - only Tio can hear him talk, and Mick's conversation is limited. However, should Tio ask Mick to find out things, listen in on conversations on boats etc - then Mick is more than happy to comply.

Wald

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Hunting: Hunting large serpent
Hunting: Hunting under water
Hunting: Hunting with a Hyena
Hunting (Man-Hunter): Hunting Myr
Hunting: Myr Hunting tactics
Hunting: Hunting on a boat
Hunting: Hunting with a net
Hunting (Man-Hunter): Sybil's smell
Hunting: Hunting for a group of three
Combat Ranged (Longbow): Shooting down Myr
Combat Ranged (Longbow): Fighting multible targets
Combat Ranged (Longbow): Defending a boat
Combat Ranged (Longbow): Defending a helmsman
Combat Ranged (Longbow): Rope arrows
Combat Ranged (Longbow): Shooting meat chunks
Butchering: The inside of a large serpent
Detection: Seeing inside a large serpent
Detection: Noticing the smell of Sybil
Trap Making: Net trap
Trap Making: Spiked net trap

Rewards

Environment Tent:
Wald's tent seems to have been impacted by the after effects of the Call. It has become a place where - no matter what the weather outside - it is a comfortable temperature for him.

Sybil

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Discipline: Resisting a potentially lethal possession
Discipline: Allowing survival instincts to kick in as needed
Discipline: Dealing with trans-world disorientation
Discipline: Silencing cacophonous panic to focus on the task at hand
Discipline: Seeing a man burn alive via magic flames and working past it
Leadership: Taking the reigns of authority during a crisis
Leadership: When one presumes to lead, hard decisions await
Leadership: Sometimes decisions backfire harshly: Adapt
Leadership: Getting Loque out alive during the events of the Call
Persuasion: Laying out clear instructions to clear the air of fear
Persuasion: Key timing can loosen lips of even spectral beings
Psychology: Diagnosis: Possession
Psychology: Glimpsing the Harvester's truth by questioning
Psychology: Empties are very adept at lying, never trust what they show
Psychology: Never trust someone that appears simply an archetype
Psychology: Sudden transportation can be traumatizing
Psychology: Even dreams can be maddening, if lucid enough
Psychology: The immediate trauma of possession
Research: Some technology have no origin, nor means of research
Research: Some knowledge is both irrational and unknowable

Rewards

Suture Kit
A small, neat kit which has a scalpel, a suture needle and thread. Using this will make clean, non-infected cuts and the sutures will always be neat and non-infected. The suture thread never runs out.

Llyr

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Attunement: The Act of Attunement.
2 Attunement: Frequency: Domain Magic (Sparks).
3 Attunement: Note: Domain Magic - Becoming.
4 Attunement: Note: Domain Magic - Transmutation.
5 Attunement: Note: Domain Magic - Rupturing.
6 Attunement: Note: Domain Magic - Hone (Lucis).
7 Attunement: Note: Domain Magic - Hone (Umbral).
8 Attunement: Note: Domain Magic - Abrogation.
9 Attunement: Note: Domain Magic - Necromancy.
10 Attunement: Note: Balance.
1 Business Management: Validating referrals for potential employees.
2 Business Management: Hiring an effective team that works together.
3 Business Management: Budget Management.
4 Business Management: Meeting Agendas.
5 Business Management: No Time Wasted.
6 Business Management: Facilitating meetings.
7 Business Management: Administrative Upkeep.
8 Business Management: Defined roles for employees.
9 Business Management: Don’t overwork your employees.
10 Business Management: Austere maintenance of enterprise properties.

Rewards

Chamealean Cloak
A dapper cloak which is whatever colour Llyr chooses for it to be - it's always clean, never stained, doesn't get wet or creased.

Varthakh

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

None requested. Please PM me with your request as per this review Thanks.

Rewards

Chamealean Cloak
A dapper cloak which is whatever colour Frid chooses for it to be - it's always clean, never stained, doesn't get wet or creased.

Vega

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Resistance: Alcohol
Resistance: Building up a taste
Resistance: Making sure that you stay alert
Resistance: Knowing your limits
Resistance: Poison in the food.
Resistance: Recognising your own symptoms
Resistance: Can be built up by long-term use
Resistance: Some toxins are tasteless
Singing: Maintaining a melody
Singing: Breathing to emphasise
Defiance: Initiation
Defiance: Ether
Defiance: Shaping the elements
Defiance: Sensing the elements
Defiance: The four elements, and how the feel
Defiance: Feeling the Spark
Defiance: Deference
Defiance: Calling
Defiance: Hearing the Elements Song
Defiance: Connecting to the Elements

Rewards

!	Message from: Basilisk
	Star of Hope After the events of The Call conclude, Vega finds a white gemstone on her person, about the size of a worry stone. This stone glows like a star when someone near Vega, or Vega herself, is feeling hopeless, a small light to hold on to when all else seems lost.

Kisaik

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Alchemy: Sulfur, ground charcoal, and composted manure explosive
Alchemy: Merging of Magic and Chemistry
Alchemy: Immortal's Bodies Have Special Properties
Alchemy: Combining ingredients to make Magic
Alchemy: The Use of Ingredients for Magic
Alchemy: Can strengthen cloth
Alchemy: Requires careful planning
Alchemy: Binding two substances to get the best of both worlds
Alchemy: The reagents needs to be added at the creation stage
Alchemy: Requires multiple steps
Stealth: Trading Silence For Chain Mail Protection
Stealth: Don't Wear a Path to Your Own Home
Stealth: Tracking Soldiers
Stealth: Following Humans Up Mountains Silently
Stealth: Sleight of Hand Allows for “Magic”
Stealth: Use the Light of Someone Else' Torch
Stealth: Staying Near the Edge of a Fight Keeps you Hidden
Stealth: Staying Away from Firelight
Stealth: Keep back until you know where you are
Stealth: Hard to hide in the middle of a circle

Rewards

Armour
The weird events of the Call seem to have sort of ..oozed into your armour. Kisaik will find that, from this point onwards, his armour is always in tip-top condition, not denting, rusting etc, and furthermore - it's always really comfortable. It's light, makes no difference to his movement etc. It's not more effective as armour.

Arlo

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Combat (Brawling): Fighting when in pain
Combat (Brawling): Swinging wildly sometimes works
Combat (Brawling): Ensure that you keep an eye on the periphery
Combat (Brawling): Steps like a dance
Combat (Brawling): Working in partnership in a fight
Combat (Brawling): Don't give away your moves
Combat (Brawling): Minimal effort, maximum reward
Combat (Brawling): Use your environment to maximum effect
Combat (Brawling): Attitude can make a major difference
Combat (Brawling): Fighting multiple opponents.
Range Combat (Bow): Maintaining your bow
Range Combat (Bow): Fast-draw
Range Combat (Bow): Keeping a steady hand even while in pain
Endurance: Preparing for a battle when in pain
Endurance: The pain of being poisoned
Endurance: Fighting is exhausting
Endurance: Lifting weights for strength and endurance
Endurance: Working through the night
Endurance: Carrying a dead weight
Endurance: Gut-pain

Rewards

Fortune-Telling Cards
Arlo finds a deck of cards. They have a strange effect that, once a day, he can get someone else to pull a card and the picture on it will resonate with them, to the point that it reminds them of a story. If they feel so inclined, they might share it with him.

Velaine

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

None requested. Please PM me with your request as per this review Thanks.

Rewards

Chamealean Cloak
A dapper cloak which is whatever colour Vel chooses for it to be - it's always clean, never stained, doesn't get wet or creased.

Rabu

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Alchemy: Gather samples, because you never know
Alchemy: Congelation: One of the primary alchemical processes.
Alchemy: Potion: Ghost Pepper Brew can keep you warm in the cold, and stave off frost.
Alchemy: Triggers can help, or hinder.
Alchemy: Apply each test individually.
Alchemy: Blood from Immortals, mortalborn and marked are all reagents
Alchemy: Types of wells and their use
Alchemy: Use the most obvious reagents - they make the most sense.
Alchemy: Fire wells
Alchemy: Backlash happens.

Chemistry: Congelation makes a fluid more viscous.
Chemistry: Some fluids can congeal to the point of crystallization.
Chemistry: Viscous fluid can become dry like puddy or unrefined rubber.
Chemistry: Elimination Process: Trying salts and other materials on a substance to create viscosity.
Chemistry: Solids, liquids, and gases
Chemistry: Alkaline vs acid
Chemistry: Potential of hydrogen
Chemistry: Testing different chemical reactions with small samples
Chemistry: Baking powder is an Alkaline and will rise with the help of an acid
Chemistry: Always measure twice.

Rewards

Medicine Bag
A small bag which will have in it, once a day, one dose of any medical herb / plant / natural substance that Rabu knows about. He must be willing it / wishing for it, and it must be for a medical purpose.

Praetorum

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Detection: Figuring out relationships between people
Detection: Catching someone contradicting themselves
Detection: Spotting when someone is choosing their words carefully
Detection: Catching an implied threat
Detection: Recognizing a disguised face
Detection: Identifying when someone's trying to con you
Detection: Spotting a trap through the behavior of an enemy
Detection: Noticing a feint
Detection: Knowing a bluff when you see one
Detection: Finding hidden tracks in the woods
Endurance: The pain of skin being torn from the inside out
Endurance: Being drained of all ether
Endurance: Knowing your own limits
Endurance: Fighting through a concussion
Endurance: Be aware of what wounds you can't ignore
Endurance: Hiding the pain from foes
Endurance: A slice across the palm hurts
Endurance: Staying awake for trials at a time
Endurance: When exhausted, don't stop moving
Endurance: One last burst of energy

Rewards

Armour
The weird events of the Call seem to have sort of ..oozed into your armour. Prae will find that, from this point onwards, his leather armour is now as effective as masterwork fullplate, whilst still allowing him the freedom of movement of leather.

Ricky

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

Blades, Bastard: Powerchain
Blades, Bastard: Guard Break
Blades, Bastard: Counter Slash
Blades, Bastard: Broad Cut
Blades, Bastard: Jump Attack
Blades, Bastard: Overhead Arc
Blades, Bastard: Flesh Skewer
Blades, Bastard: Retaliating Slash
Blades, Bastard: Compass Slash
Blades, Bastard: Aerial Sweep[/sptitle]
Defiance: Communing With The Elements
Defiance: Convincing Water to Hold A Form
Defiance: Impressions From the Elements
Defiance: The Spark of Elements
Defiance: Initiated Within A Storm
Defiance: Water Is My First Element
Defiance: Gauging Ether Consumption
Defiance: Learning To Control Elements
Defiance: An Exemplar
Defiance: Elemental Control Becomes Second Nature Once Revealed

Rewards

Spyglass
A sailor's spyglass which, once a trial, will allow Enrick to spy "through" solid objects like walls etc. The range of the spyglass doesn't change, so wherever he's looking at, it will need to be within that range and it doesn't give him any enhancement in terms of sound etc.

Thysbae

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

None requested. Please PM me with your request as per this review Thanks.

Rewards

Mirror Image
A hand-held mirror which allows Thysbae to see themselves as changed in any way they imagine. Older, hair colour change, different skin tone, bigger nose, smaller eyes. You name it - all they have to do is look in the mirror and think about it and they'll see how they'd look.

Loque

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Points

XP = 20
Renown = None

knowledge

None requested. Please PM me with your request as per this review Thanks.

Rewards

Chamealean Cloak
A dapper cloak which is whatever colour Vel chooses for it to be - it's always clean, never stained, doesn't get wet or creased.