Awakening

[Barrigan]

Curious, Astrid opened each of the books starting with the Spellcraft Primer followed by the Evocation one. She could read the titles, but she wasn't sure if they were in a language she understood or if the system was translating for her. It was weird that she couldn't read them until she focused on them as focusing seemed to be what activated the interface.

Noticing the glow, Astrid reached for her bag, opening it to see what the octarine light was coming from. She was glad the bag had come with her as it would make it easier to carry the books, coins and what was apparently a mana potion. She had played enough games to know vaguely that mana was something like fuel for spells and the books seemed to indicate that magic was real and it was possible to learn it. Who had written them though? If people were writing starter books on Spellcraft did that mean there were wizards? If she read them could she learn magic too?

Astrid was intrigued, but she still had more mysteries to explore. She finally turned to the PiP on her arm and took a look at the screen. She scanned the device itself as well. Were there buttons or maybe it was a touchscreen?

[Draco Cyberneticus]

As you open each book see a prompt floating over the pages of the book, "Do you wish to consume book and learn the contents? Yes or No?" Closing the book makes the prompt disappear. Rooting around in your bag you find the glow is coming from your bank card, pulling the bank card out you notice the glow has a yellow underlayer. Upon focusing on the card a prompt appears, "Would you like to access this currency storage?"

Upon examining the PiP you realize it is a touch screen and seems to have some apps installed. You see labeled icons for map, camera, sounds, and store.

[Barrigan]

Astrid had been called a voracious reader before, but 'consuming' a book was a new one even for her. It seemed like these weren't really books so much as download devices which, if magic was as real as it now seemed to be, would probably transfer their contents straight into her head. It was a new way of learning things and one she actually wished had been available back in law school. She opened each book again and answered 'Yes' to the prompt.

The bank card was an interesting one. It described itself as a storage device. She wondered if that was a literal description. Astrid clicked 'Yes' to the prompt and took the card in one hand and one of the copper coins in the other and tried feeding the coin into the card. She tapped the corner of the card on the coin, placed the coin on the top of the card, passed the card a few inches above the coin and generally willed the coin to be absorbed into the card as she did so. If successful she would do the same with the rest of the coins.

Finding the apps on her PiP, Astrid went straight for the map and checked her location. She looked for points of interest and particularly for names and labels, wanting to find out where she was. She zoomed the map out as far as she could, trying to get something like a world map out of it.

[Draco Cyberneticus]

As you select yes on each book's prompt the text appears and you begin reading, as you read you turn the pages faster and faster until they are turning themselves, After about 5 minutes with each book, it slams shut and crumples into dust. Book Effects OOCGain 1 rank each in Spellcraft and Evocation.

As you select yes on the bank card a 5X5 grid appears in a prompt over the bank card and it is no trouble to insert the copper coin in one of the squares and a little one appears in the lower right corner of that square. Going ahead placing the rest of the coins in results in a coin showing one square with a counter of 150 in the corner of that square. You notice that the bank card does not feel any heavier.

Upon opening the map app you a black screen a circular topographic map of the area where you are standing, looking at the scale key in the corner tells you the circle's diameter is the same as how far you can clearly see and make out details. Zooming in you can get close enough for the chest to be 3px X 3px square, and zoomed out far enough for the circle to be 10px across.

[LDDragon]

Hmm, confusing.

 

Kyle turns to see if he can look at the phone icon directly, then makes a gesture to see if he can touch it at all.

He also takes out his phone and looks at it to see if it has changed at all. This is a very strange situation.

She seems busy... to greet or not to greet? He ponders for a moment, then decides to walk towards the chest and see what happens.

 

 

Edited April 26 by LDDragon (see edit history)

[Draco Cyberneticus]

As you focus on the phone icon a prompt opens in your vision saying "Personal Information Processor Configuration needs Sophont input: Remain Technologica, Make Arcane, Make Magitech?"

Upon approaching the chest you notice it is a perfect cube 1mX1mX1m. Opening the Chest reveals 3 bottles of red liquid, 15 silver coins, a nylon fanny pack, and a book.

 

[Barrigan]

The books flooded her mind with knowledge and she grasped a basic understanding of magic and the school of evocation. She wasn't sure if she could cast any spells yet but it was a start! Having put the money into her bank card she tucked it and the mana potion and anything else which was in the chest she opened into her bag and slung its strap over her shoulder.

Having a map was helpful but looking around a bit she guessed it was only showing her the area around her she could see and everything else was black. The zoom settings seemed to indicate it could cover quite a wide area but only once she had been there already. If she was lucky there would be a way to feed it map data in order to expand it without her having to actually visit. Idly she wondered if flying upwards would allow her to see more and therefore widen the scope of her map.

Engrossed in her screen she didn't even notice someone approaching until the notification alerted her. Astrid looked up to find a man heading straight for her. Or possibly the chest, she couldn't tell which.

"Um, hi!" she began tentatively. At her new reduced stature he looked like a giant. Nearly twice as tall as her. He was armed as well, a strange but sturdy-looking staff in his hand. Hopefully he was friendly, although it was probably too much to ask that he spoke English. "Do you live around here?" Astrid asked with a slight Australian accent.

[LDDragon]

"Hello! I do not live around here, this is all very strange..." Kyle replies in a New Zealand accent.

 

Leaning the staff against himself, he comments "I was practicing at home when I suddenly got transported to here. Do you know where we are, or what is going on? I am Kyle, by the way."

 

Pondering the options, he focuses on the Make Arcane choice, to see if it will get selected.

 

"Is that yours?" He inquires curiously, gesturing to the chest and its contents. He is intrigued about the book and other items, but it would be rude to just take them if they belonged to the person in front of him.

 

"May I... see that book?" He gestures towards the book in the chest, somewhat intrigued.

[Barrigan]

"You're a Kiwi?" Astrid exclaimed, not sure what she had been expecting, but it definitely wasn't that. "Fantastic! At least not everything in this place is weird." She gestured at the upwards horizon and the magic, colour changing box and the strange square torches.

"Astrid," she said, offering a handshake. "Nope and no idea, to answer your questions. I was out getting a coffee when those screens popped up, everyone fainted and I woke up here. You can see them too, right?" Astrid asked, hoping she wasn't going crazy.

At Kyle's queries she turned to see the chest was open again and this time contained a whole new set of items. Ones she had not seen before. "Not mine," she answered. "Does any of that resemble what you had on you before? Some of my stuff changed in the transfer. My coffee turned into a mana potion and my devices turned into this." She indicated the PiP on her arm. "My cash turned into copper coins and my bankcard is magic now. Also magic is real apparently, so there's that. Oh and I'm really short and have wings," Astrid pointed over her shoulder with a thumb. "You look relatively normal, all things considered," she mused, looking him over again.

Astrid stepped aside so Kyle could inspect the items and see the book. "Go ahead, I think that's your stuff anyway. While you look at that I'm going to test a theory."

Astrid was still getting used to her wings but she managed to think hard enough about flying to make it happen but not so hard that she had to take over manually. Using her wings mostly by the muscle memory she apparently now had, she flew straight up in the air about 60ft and looked around for any landmarks. While she was up there she checked the map on her PiP to see if the circle of visible area had expanded now that she could see more of the landscape.

She also tapped the man-in-a-circle notification on her PiP to see what it did.

Edited April 28 by Barrigan (see edit history)

[Draco Cyberneticus]

 

Edited April 30 by Draco Cyberneticus
clarity (see edit history)

[LDDragon]

"Pleased to meet you Astrid! Yeah I see something with a phone icon, says something about Technologica, Arcane or Magitech. My things seem the same, as far as I can tell."

He examines the three section staff he is holding suspiciously, raising his left eyebrow as Astrid states that magic is real.

 

"Ah, thanks!" Kyle exclaims when Astrid tells him to go ahead.

 

He startles back as she flies into the air.

"Whoa! You can fly?!?!"

 

After the initial surprise, he continues marveling at this new development for a while, then turns his attention to the items in the chest.

He begins with the nylon fanny pack, examining and opening it, then securing it around himself so he can store other items in it.

 

Kyle picks up and looks at the coins and bottles, then puts them in the fanny pack. Finally, he takes the book and begins to read it.

 

[Draco Cyberneticus]

The fanny pack seems to be full of first aid supplies. As you begin to read, the blurry title becomes readable, Manual of Bo Katas, the you turn the pages faster and faster until they are turning themselves, After about 5 minutes, the books books crumbles to dust. Book Effects OOCMake Bo Staff a tag skill. The bottles are labeled, but the text seems to swim and change.

[LDDragon]

"Oh good, a portable first aid kit!"

 

After reading he stands in place, a little stunned. "This is the fastest I have integrated any learning!"

 

To Astrid he calls out:

"See anything interesting from up there?"

Edited Sunday at 12:35 AM by LDDragon (see edit history)

[Draco Cyberneticus]

As Astrid rises, the upwards curve of the horizon becomes more obvious, you are definitely on the inside of a sphere, not the outside. To the West, at least according to the Sun, lies ocean as far as you can see. Inland from the ocean lies a jungle as far as the eye can see. While surveying the area, a bright streak passes overhead and crashes into the jungle.

 

[Barrigan]

Astrid looked around from her vantage point, taking in the new world around her. Being able to fly apparently reassured her subconscious enough that heights and falling were nothing to worry about and she felt completely comfortable despite her feet dangling in empty air below her.

She heard Kyle call from below and replied with what she could see. "Ocean to the west, jungle everywhere else really. No major landmarks that I can see, although it looks like we're on the inside of a sphere. If it's a planet then it's one much smaller than Earth or we wouldn't be able to see the curvature," she explained.

Then a bright light flashed overhead and crashed into the jungle. "Scratch that. One newly formed landmark. Want to go check out the crash site and find out what that was? The crater looks like it's glowing with magic!" Astrid was excited. Her old life had been understandable. Predictable. She was on a straight career path with certain expectations that if she worked hard and completed her tasks she would be paid well, promoted and eventually make it to the top just in time to retire. There was no excitement, no mystery, no exploration or adventure. She missed her family and hoped she would find a way to see them again but for the moment she was captivated by the endless possibilities. What was in that crash site? What lay over the horizon? What even was this place? Astrid couldn't wait to find out.

She marked the crash location on her PiP's map and descended to ground level. If Kyle was ready to head out they could set off immediately. "Bring that first aid kit of yours. Someone might have been injured in the crash. And bring the staff as well. They might not be friendly."