ChickenBonanza

Depends very much on what they’d do and the feelings they’d be mean to invoke, I’d think.

At last, Reginn’s earthen defense crumbles to dust and blew away in gentle breeze. He himself was absolutely spotless, staring down at a hastily annotated map. ”There are many entrances available to us, though it is a mystery as to which is most suitable, what with the lack of useful information.” His head swivels towards the mayor. Perfectly level, like an owl. “Is there any credit to these apparent rumors of a scientist tampering with your water supply?”

A garbled noise follows as he takes the map. ‘Thankye,’ perhaps. Reginn would begin a thorough inspection of the sewer’s features. Entrances, its pathways, any quiet alcoves or open areas and crossroads which might serve as dwelling for a large amount of rats. Or a person. Soon, he would peer outside towards the mayor. “What can you tell me about rat operations? Areas of especially common sighting, favored food stores, any entrances to the sewer you’ve sealed.”

Grumbling, the eyes retreat again. Another hole crumbles open. Reginn’s arm sticks out once more. His hand motions for Hilda to give him the map.

Reginn grumbles his annoyance, retracting his arm and retreating into the darkness of his makeshift defense. A few moments pass, and two more eye holes appear. Pink glass stares directly at Hilda. “Where’s the most likely spot for a colony?”

More dirt crumbles away. Reginn’s arm sticks through, hand open. “Map.”

A small amount of dirt crumbles from Reginn’s mudball, revealing two lenses of faded pink, like fallen flower petals. His voice is muffled by dirt. “Where’s your mayor or whoever? I need a map of your sewer system.”

Slowly, the mud orb began to move, toward the thickest source of tiny vibration that could only belong to a rat swarm. The orb’s state was constant change, pliable then not. Spikes grew on its surface only to be crushed as it rolled.

Reginn sighed as the rats scrabble their way up his robes, like climbing curtains. In an almost defeated fashion, he sat down on the ground. And covered himself in a rapidly solidifying orb of mud.

Reginn commanded the mud up and around, attempting to envelope as many rats as possible. Hoping to keep at least one alive.

A poor state this place was in. Reginn shook his head in a reserved expression of sadness. The rats had grown so bold. He’d turn the ground in front of them into mud, to harden around them as soon as they’d step near.

A clarification, all solid material of pure-Investiture would be metallic. Aethers are weird because they’re not really(?) Investiture, but like this odd esoteric Investiture-utilizing material. Like Dragonsteel, theoretically. Though I can’t say I’m burnt out on metallic Investiture material, and would be perfectly content with a solid Foil aether.

Well, all solid Investiture is metallic, but perhaps it being a liquid could be neat. Either way one goes, I think, it would be similar in style to the Tallow and Blood aethers, or the Amberite and Talus aethers. Producing a liquid or a solid.

I like it being its own unique thing. A pseudo-steel with vague Investiture traits, like a Godmetal or Dragonsteel might have. It being a liquid metal like mercury’d be odd, I think. Names… Chalybis? Steel vibes.

I would not say that Midnight would fit as a Blood corollary, I think. I have conflicting thoughts. (Aether of Night, her and in future:) I would not ascribe ‘illusion’ as a description for a ‘Vapor’ aether. I don’t think whatever valor the aether would produce should do anything hyper-magical, besides it’s own inherently magical effects. Like anti-Lifesense and physical abnormalities. Like, illusion should certainly not reflect illusions of light, and I don’t think it’s be right to have it produce any intense mind-altering effect. A ‘Foil’ aether should produce its own special metal, not any random old metal, I think. More in-line with other aethers that way, I think. (Zephyr making mundane(?) breathable air is odd, as it’s a mundane material, but Roseite crystal and Verdant vines are surely not just any old quartz or plant, they’re their own thing.) I still don’t like feel of acid as a representative Blood, but any non-aqueous liquid would theoretically fit. Yet, surely it would not be regular blood, because Crimson producing coral as a Sinew/flesh analogue was specifically so aetherbound wouldn’t be walking around making massive piles of gore, if I recall right. I struggle to think of a substantive alternative. And, holy, I have nothing for any potential twelfth. All Ten Essence slots are filled, so no use there, so it’s could just be any old mundane thing. Silk? The aether strain could be called ‘Seri’ as in sericulture.

If sticking to Ten Essence inspiration, I think that would be a better fit for the ‘Vapor’ role than poisonous gases would be. Poison doesn’t speak to me as an aether ability, really. Same thing with Acid for blood, doesn’t sit well. What the twelfth would be is a mystery to me. I’d prefer it not resemble any of the others, but then, Roseite, ‘Foil’, and ‘Talus’ inspire similar images to me, too. Eh, maybe poisonous substance could work for an aether. Iunno. And, if using Ten Essence inspiration, ‘Blood’ covers all non-oil liquids, so who anything can fill that space. For a Cognitive effect for Vapor, it might fit to be granted similarly effects to Allomantic copper, to resist supernatural detection. Maybe more effective at dampening sound, too.

Without a word, the paper slips off the end of the staff and flutters to land on the desk between them. It lies face down. Only then does the Wizard withdraw his staff. “Bah,” he complains, to none in particular. “Too many of you at once.”

Without looking, he retracts his staff from the board, tearing away a posting in the process. Miraculously, it sticks fast to the staff as he brings it closer to his face for inspection. “Eh. Haven’t been there awhile.” Then, he points his staff directly towards the scribe, so that the posting is inches away from their face. “This one.” The paper reads: RATS!

“Geh,” he holds up a hand. “Not done yet.” He scans the papers for a few moments more. Then, his head turns as if on a swivel, to behold the scribe with bespectacled eyes. A thump, as he taps the board with a gnarled wooden staff that was not there before. “I’ll be taking that one.” The staff touches multiple.

Someone new enters the tavern. They stop just beyond the doorway, gaze passing over each section of the building in turn, before walking straight towards the quest board. With a tall hat and voluminous robes of faded purple, it is obvious they are some form of wizard. Their beard of masking volume serves that purpose, too. Facing the quest board, they ignore the scribe and instead peer intently towards each individual posting, one after another.