Curator POV
Following their progress back to the slaver camp is kind of....boring. Just, mostly silence, the occasional cackle or muttered "I was chosen" from the 'greenhorn' and twitchy movements of hands from the Poppit-Puppet as my horror noodle tries to get a feel for more movement. Hopefully that'll be know how for them that won't need more usage, although, after this is all done I can pull their 'skin suit' into my storage space to see if things actively decay, degrade, or change, while in storage so still a valuable thing to hold onto I think. Honestly, this slight reprieve between atrocities is kind of nice.
"Poppit, Vahlu, when the camp comes into sight, call for me to take part in this. These horrors are mine to bear, and bear witness to as well." (Curator)
"Gotcha" (Vahlu)
After a 'nod' from the head of the Poppit-puppet I shift my focus back to my core and domain instead of my exploratory group. Seeing Vekla in my core chamber still and quite excitedly examining my core my interest is piqued.
"Hey Vekla, what's up, something interesting happen?" (Curator)
Vekla POV
Jumping with a start as Curator speaks to me so suddenly I can't help but feel a bit sheepish. Rubbing the back of my head as I chuckle nervously.
"Well Curator, I was inspecting how you work mana through yourself, inspecting the flow of it and...you shape, circulates it naturally until it has enough to form a more solid band in the oposite direction of your natural shape. Which, in turn seems to speed up the flow of mana through you with each additional band. Which makes me think you might be able to use your mana faster with the more bands you have. Like a sand flow on a dune, the higher up it starts the faster it ends up going and the more sand that shifts." (Vekla)
"That's a good observation actually and...gives me some ideas for tools and weapons for some later point. Good catch there Vekla. Now what was that you said about inspecting the flow of mana?" (Curator)
"Simply that, if you put mana in your eyes in the right way you can see how mana moves and changes. Like when you named Vaslo and titled him and Vahlu. Your mana flowed out of you and weaved itself through every bit of them, more so for Vaslo than Vahlu, but it moved and changed them down to the bones and then after that, the remainder of the mana flow collected around a kind of...second heart for magic and mana, forming bands on them as well." (Vekla)
"Wait...so mana can be directly observed you said, by focusing mana the right way behind one's eyes. I don't have eyes but....let's see. Heh" (Curator)
From there the most...unsettling sensation flows over me. Not a direct sensation but a feeling like I would have when inspecting a small bit of meat. It's discomforting, but, I bear it for a moment before speaking up.
"Is...is that sensation your doing? I feel like a chunk of meat being inspected for rot." (Vekla)
"Ah, sorry lil buddy. I was trying to 'see' what you meant and may need to fine tune it but....heh...I noted a bit more than just mana" (Curator)
Curator POV
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So, using mana and magic for me, so far, has been entirely based off visualization. So, Vekla said they flow mana through their eyes to see mana, but I don't have eyes, and I don't know how to actively flow mana. So, let's get imagining eh? Focusing on Vekla, I visualize inspecting him with a magnifying glasses like an old detective or investigator would use to see finer details. After a moment of this I can, clearly see the heart of mana he's talking about, his seems to have two bands around it, I think that's good. Is that all I could see doing this though? So, maintaining that mental image as I focus on him a bit longer, more information suddenly pops up moments before he speaks.
"Is...is that sensation your doing? I feel like a chunk of meat being inspected for rot." (Vekla)
"Ah, sorry lil buddy. I was trying to 'see' what you meant and may need to fine tune it but....heh...I noted a bit more than just mana" (Curator)
Looking at the information....pop ups I guess...that I can see over Vekla's head I can't help but smile. A green bar, nice and full, with a blue bar below it that has to blocks under it reminding me of how some games would indicate additional bars worth of health, but this being for mana. Then there's the name kinda of 'floating' under his head with
"What do you mean Curator?" (Vekla)
"Well...I think I can see your general health, the amount of mana you have to use, your name and the title I gave you. Kind of like a general 'status' thing I guess? Do you still feel that discomfort you'd mentioned before?" (Curator)
"No, not at all. However being able to glean so much is great to hear, and it's bound to have useful applications, right?" (Vekla)
"Oh, very very much so. I wonder..." (Curator)
Turning my attention to the biggest of the Poppit's that resides near my core I focus on them like I had with Vekla, this time though, creating the mental image of viewing them through a microscope instead of simply a magnifying glass. Watching as those details start to show as well, before Poppit looks strait up into my 'point of view' like it's looking me in the proverbial eyes. This causes a loud PING to resonate through me as I get a system pop up.
>Congratulations, you can now freely use Identify to view basic details of creatures. Focusing allows you to glean more detailed information. Some details may still be hidden and require much more exertion to uncover.<
Pulling my focus back into my core I notice a slight...change in how my form feels. Vekla is looking up at me with big eyes, and his ears covered. Even Babe up on the ceiling of my chamber seems to have been disturbed by...whatever's happened this time. Poppit though seems excited, but when are they not excited to get attention?
"What...what was that just now Curator. A loud crack like thunder then what sounded like multiple voices talking over and through each other. It was...it sounded....wrong." (Vekla)
"I must agree with the head of magic research on both accounts. That sound was disconcertingly loud, and, the sounds after were a jumbled mess, at best." (Babe)
"Huh....so, based on proximity, when the system or whatever speaks to me other's can hear it, but not make it out. That's....good to know. So, that loud initial sound was probably me getting a notification, the sounds after were me being told what the notification was about. Aaaand, thanks to you Vekla, I've a new, seriously useful, tool in my toolbox. Thanks for that. I'll tell y'all more later on this need to...think a bit." (Curator)
Looking back at Poppit, I can SEE the threads of mana leading to all the other Poppits, like a shifting web of connections, and following that thread to another, it too, connects to all the other Poppits. Seems like even if one of them dies it won't cause the others to just...stop functioning. That's good, not that I want any of my lil Poppit buddies to die but, if they are guardians, that may happen so this is a bit of reassurance. Shifting back to my core chamber I, once more look at Poppit, that same information like Vekla had, hovering over their head. This time however, I can see a little icon like an eyeball under the given title of Guardian, as well as to the right of both their health and mana bars.
Starting with the one under the title and focusing on it a little an actual pop up window would appear, giving me general statistics like I'm used to in MMORPG style games. Strength, Stamina, Agility, Wisdom, Intelligence, Spirit. All their and quantified, maybe not with numbers, but that whole 'ranking' system. B in Strength and Stamina, A in Agility, D in both wisdom and intelligence, the real surprise though is the SS in Spirit. I wonder if Spirit is like morale and courage in effect or maybe it affects something else? Eh, now's not the time to dig further on that thread.
That's when I notice the list to the right. A list of titles. Based on how things look, they list in order of acquisition. Reading through the list is...interesting, and, it seems that I can see when a Title is in the process of being earned too.
>Ambusher, Scion, Auspicious One, Seeker, Devourer, Prankster, Friend of Sand Scales, Guide, Guardian*, the Swarm, Null-space Traveler, Restrainer, Sin Eater, Puppet Master (Developing).<
Hmm, looking at Guardian, it seems that granted titles also have special denotation. Looking into Restrainer to get more details it gives me more to mull on.
>Restrainer: You've becomes skilled at restraining foes without inflicting harm. When restraining an opponent, they will only be able to break free without serious injury should they be two steps or more higher than you in the appropriate attributes. Earned by performing a restraint ten times without causing injury with the restraint.<
Hmmm...based on this titles grant notable benefits, or maybe down sides depending on the title, and, each Poppit counts as a separate thing for unlocking a title shared between them. That's...actually a huge upside to being a hive mind, although, on the flip side, since they are all connect, I'm willing to bet that they have vulnerabilities to certain effects too.
Now then, what's that "Sin Eater" title all about.