#int ft. jonah

[jroycethethird]

“Exactly,” Royce replied in a chipper tone, “See, you get it. Some would say it’s cheating and cheating at life isn’t noble, but one must use what they have at their disposal.” He hadn’t known this Jonah fellow for long, but Royce had decided in a shocking turn of events that he quite liked him. He seemed good natured, intelligent, easy going — what wasn’t to like? “No, thank heavens. We’d have an incident on our hands if so. I did nearly get caught in college when I used the duplicate to date roommates at the same time. Clever lie about a twin brother visiting from the States cleared that up. They weren’t exactly bright — they believed me when I said that I was the Third and he was the Fourth,” he laughed at the memory, though it was only partially correct. He did come up with a clever moniker for his duplicate that didn’t suggest they had the same name. That was ridiculous, but made the story funnier. His brow furrowed, “Hmm, I suppose, but I never did make for a good coxswain, so it may not have been effective.” He waved a hand dismissively, “Nonsense — in the reality we live in now, the victory is yours, and that’s what matters. I may be a jerk but I’m not a sore loser, and I don’t need what ifs and alternatives to comfort me. You should be very proud.”

His grin widened at their shared interest of life at sea, but even so as Jonah spoke of his work. Royce hardly showed interest in other people, but he liked hearing about interesting occupations. “I once went on an excursion, replanting coral in the Indian Ocean. It was as fun as it was enlightening. That’s a very noble line of work you do, it really is making a difference in the world. To think, your contributions could keep our oceans healthy for years to come.” He could sense the weight of it, of how much Jonah missed the expeditions. One didn’t need telepathy to know. Royce often had wanderlust and would leave when things felt too fretful, too tough. It was easier for him than it was for the humans of Lunar Cove. When he crossed the boundary, everything within his mind was intact. When they did, they lost their memories. It was sobering, and he could only imagine how difficult it would be for him. To want to go on those adventurous and meaningful expeditions, but at the cost of forgetting some of his own life here. He knew it better than many realized, had seen it first hand with his wife whenever they left Lunar Cove for sporadic trips and returned. The way the memories escaped her, and then came crashing back. Like the heavy and tumbling tide bounding on the beach. Even now, without Eliza at his side, he felt an uncomfortable pang of hurt for her, for putting her through that. And she didn’t even remember it now. Royce pushed that aside, buried deep beneath his unfeeling bravado. “What was your most interesting expedition?” He asked, curious and wanting his mind to drift elsewhere. “I assume you’ve been to many a fascinating place on research assignment.”

"Of course, that makes sense, and why wouldn't you, right? They're still you and if you have it, why not use it to your advantage." Had he such a power, Jonah would likely be doing the same too. One in the lab, one out at the ocean and another one on some errand much like how Royce used his. "The classroom one is funny though, did you ever get caught?" He could easily picture that, children attempting to use their powers that they were just growing into for truancy and troublemaking. But he knew there was a fair bit of responsibility and discipline required for magic, to use was one thing to control was another. Still, it would be nice to have something the likes of that. Hearing Oxford was not one bit surprising, "Could you have had one of your duplicates yell at you?" he joked, light laugh falling through, "But that makes sense too. Maybe if this was more competitive the win would surely be yours."

As the other mentioned living on boats Jonah wholeheartedly agreed, a dreamy sort of sigh escaping, "I get that. I would love to live on a boat too, nothing beats life at sea. Yes, I'm a Marine Biologist. Marine life is the primary of my studies but there's a big focus on conservation too, especially on coral. Currently, it's in the labs at the aquarium and the beach here, but I used to spend most of my time on the ocean. Expeditions and research trips, it was a good time." He missed it immensely and the weight of it reflected in the way he spoke, but coming here, as much as he knew Lunar Cove was his home now, he missed his time on the open the open water.

[thecreaturecodex]

Reptilicus

Image © William Stout

[It’s been a while since “movie monsters” and “Halloween” lined up on my schedule. This is going to be the next theme block for a while--I’m planning through the end of October and into November.

Would you believe there’s a Danish kaiju movie? Reptilicus was made in Denmark in English (sort of--the actors spoke their line phonetically) for an American market, and the finished product is... something. Reptilicus himself is a marionette, filmed on a camera so undercranked it resembles a slide show. The special effects for him eating someone involve his victim being replaced by a still image, superimposed into his mouth with animation. And the shots of him flying were so unconvincing even by these standards that they were cut from the American release. It’s a hoot and a half, well worth checking out for the dedicated lover of trash. It was the featured movie in the first episode of the MST3K reboot, an honor it deserves, although I still would recommend the uncut version over the one with Jonah and the Bots. For one thing, MST3K cuts out the lengthy interlude that seemingly exists only to advertise Copenhagen as a tourist attraction, complete with an original song!]

Reptilicus CR 21 CN Dragon This creature is a serpentine dragon, with large scales and a slimy cast to its hide. It has four short, clawed legs, and a pair of fan-like wings protruding above its forelimbs. Its face is twisted into a perpetual snarling visage.

A reptilicus is an animalistic aquatic dragon, most dangerous because of its incredible regenerative ability. A reptilicus can recover from wounds at remarkable speed, and fire and cold slow this regeneration down but do not necessarily stop it. A reptilicus switches between frenzied activity and deep torpor, feeding on huge quantities of meat until it is sated, and then returning to the depths of the ocean to sleep. A reptilicus is as comfortable on land as it is in the water, and so may come to the surface to feed on people and livestock if it tires of whales and fish.

Reptilicuses are barely sapient, but seem to enjoy destroying buildings, ships and other large manufactured items out of the sheet joy of breaking things. They use this in combat primarily in order to target flaming swords, magic wands and staves, and other items capable of dealing fire or cold damage. Enemies that keep their distance are sprayed with its sticky acidic breath, and any that come close are eaten. A reptilicus does have strong claws, but they have short reach compared to its jaws and tail. 

The reptilicus is an asexual creature; it reproduces not through traditional means, but from damage. If a significant chunk of its body is torn away, it will regrow into an entire new organism. As such, reptilicuses that are older and well fed may intentionally antagonize creatures that are capable of actually hurting them, such as true dragons, sea monsters, and powerful adventurers, in the hopes of calving off an offspring. For whatever reason, few reptilicuses mutilate themselves to achieve such effects.

Reptilicus            CR 21 XP 409,600 CN Colossal dragon (aquatic) Init +4; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., Perception +22, scent Aura frightful presence (180 ft., DC 25) Defense AC 36, touch 2, flat-footed 36 (-8 Dex, +34 natural) hp 410 (20d12+280); regeneration 20 (cold, fire) Fort +26, Ref +14, Will +18 DR 20/magic; Immune acid, charm, compulsion, fear; SR 32 Defensive Abilities ferocity, improved regeneration Offense Speed 50 ft., swim 100 ft., fly 100 ft. (poor) Melee bite +29 (4d8+17 plus 2d8 acid plus grab), 2 claws +29 (2d6+17), tail slap +24 (4d6+8) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. (15 ft. with claws) Special Attacks breath weapon (140 foot line, Ref DC 34, 21d8 acid, 1d4 rounds), swallow whole (AC 27, 41 hp, 2d6+25 bludgeoning and 6d8 acid) Statistics Str 45, Dex 10, Con 38, Int 3, Wis 19, Cha 20 Base Atk +20; CMB +45 (+49 grapple, sunder); CMD 55 (57 vs. sunder, 59 vs. trip) Feats Combat Reflexes, Greater Sunder, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Vital Strike Skills Fly +6, Perception +22, Survival +22, Swim +43 Languages Draconic (cannot speak) SQ amphibious Ecology Environment temperate land and aquatic Organization solitary Treasure none Special Abilities Breath Weapon (Su) A creature that fails its save against a reptilicus’ breath weapon is entangled in slime for 1d4 rounds. Each round it is entangled, it takes 10d8 acid damage. Water does not wash away this slime, but a gallon of strong alcohol or universal solvent will remove it. The save DC is Constitution based. Flight (Su) A reptilicus’ fly speed is a supernatural ability. In areas of antimagic, it cannot fly, but takes no damage from a fall and lands on its feet. Improved Regeneration (Su) A reptilicus’ regeneration is reduced only by 5 any round in which it takes cold or fire damage. In order to disable its regeneration, it must take cold or fire damage from enough sources each round to drop the number of hit points regenerated to 0. Swallow Whole (Ex) If a creature cuts its way out of a reptilicus, the reptilicus can use swallow whole again the next round that its regeneration functions.

[julianrchandlerx]

Julian was an artist, and he thought himself to be a damn good one. Sure he lost some of his muse on account of his untimely death, and his freelance work had dried up as of late, but goddamn it he was still a fine artist. There was just one medium which always seemed to elude him. Staring with narrowed eyes at the pumpkin he had hallowed out, a sharpie in hand, he let out a breath before saying, “Alright you… It’s just you and me now, and by gif are we about to make a masterpiece. Don’t fail me now, pumpkin.” He was ready to free hand a daring design, but his attention turned towards Jonah. Temporarily pulled away from this serious task at hand, a wide grin found its way on Julian’s face. “Nah, I think I only got a little bit on my sleeve, but…” he looked around them, pumpkin guts spread everywhere, “…honestly that could be from my own pumpkin. Boy did we make a big mess, eh?” He laughed, eyes crinkling in response. “This stuff is sorta gross, but it comes with the territory. This is partially why I tend to avoid pumpkin carving, truthfully.” That and he was somehow terrible at it. “What about you — are you a pumpkin carving pro, or?”

for: @julianrchandlerx location: pumpkin carving

No better way to dive into Fall and festivities than with the classic pumpkin, at least that's what Jonah had told himself as he made his way over the to the pumpkin carving space. Halloween was something he enjoyed on the occasion and partook in things for the sake of it, but this town had shown him the darker side of the day, ensured that despite the laughter that rang through to never let ones guard down. But skittish as he was, he was polite with smiles and tried to relax by putting his mind to work on this task. Choosing the stencil and the pumpkin was simple, cutting off the top was easy enough too, but now came the arduous and messy part of scooping out the guts. "Who knew pumpkins had so much on the inside," he muttered as he cleared another spoonful, "Please tell me I didn't get any of this on you, Julian, I knew to expect mess but this..." he pointed around them, "Surpasses my expectations."

[julianrchandlerx]

He didn’t have very much to begin with, having gone from a high paying corporate job to the starving artist life, and deep down Julian knew it wasn’t smart to pull from his savings. He wasn’t a gambling man, or at least he never really tried. Too much risk, but lately he’d been taking risks. And he wanted to start fitting in to local society, so maybe a little gambling at the casino’s New Years event was a good time to test the waters. That’s what he thought anyway — it had proven to be a pretty bad idea. With only a couple chips left in his hands, Julian watched the table with wide and bewildered eyes. His brows pulled together and he frowned at what appeared to be another loss for most of the table save one man who he thought eerily resembled the Monopoly man. He turned to the other man addressing him with a sad smile. “I think the only side Puck’s on is his own… and maybe that guy, but he’s probably also making a ton off him too,” he replied in a low voice. “Do you… understand how this whole,” he motioned towards the table, “ thing works? Maybe we’re just playing wrong?”

for: @julianrchandlerx​ time + location: puck’s luck, new year’s eve

Having already lost most of his quarters to the the slots, Jonah, for reason no other than simply because he was here and it seemed like a fun idea at the time, cashed out a crisp five dollar note for a stack of chips. And they held their structure as a stack until he sat in at one of the tables and saw them disappear as quick as blinks. “Ah shucks…” Was uttered far too often, except on the occasion he won a round, a rare sight but two loses seemed to follow for every win he had. Twirling the last chip between his fingers, he turned to the person next to him, “You think there’s a trick to it or just luck? Puck doesn’t seem to be on my side here…”

[jroycethethird]

He didn’t mean to laugh at Jonah’s confirmation he’d fall for such a trick. Well he did, because it was absolutely hilarious, but Royce didn’t mean for it to sound mocking in anyway. But his head tipped back as a loud laugh escaped him. Luckily the tone at which the other admitted it made it seem less shameful and all part of a friendly chat, so he assumed he hadn’t offended. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’d be the only one,” he said with an amused grin. As Jonah spoke, Royce nodded his head slowly, confirming, “Deployed works,” during a natural break in the other’s words. He chewed over the question, knowing to some his response could be unsavory. Then again, a lot of things about Royce was unsavory to others, so with a light shrug he finally confessed, “All the time.” Then after a beat, he elaborated, “I use the duplicates a lot for business. Have one sit in on a meeting while I’m in the other room dealing with other things, send another on time sensitive errands at the same moment. One time I sent one in for an exam while I loitered outside the classroom. Most people can’t be in two places at once — if I play my cards right, I can. And I enjoy taking advantage of that.” It was odd to take apart why he was the way he was, or why he had certain abilities naturally. The duplication felt like some kind of armor, a way for people to interact with him without always seeing the real him. Not that many saw that often on a deeper level, but… Well that was to be unpacked an entirely different time. He raised his brows at the other, “Well that’s very impressive, nonetheless.” A genuine compliment, doled out with a charming grin. Royce nodded, “I did competitive rowing for years, including all my years at Oxford. Men’s eights, coxed boat. Perhaps that’s where it went wrong — I’m used to being in a stern pair and having someone yell at me while I go.” It had been a lighthearted joke, reference to how things worked in the boats he used to compete in. “But I also still spend a lot of time in boats. I think I prefer it — the gentle rocking, nothing but water all around, that calm serenity... If I could live full time on my yacht, truth be told I would.” His brows pulled together, “You study… Marine life, correct? Do you spend a lot of times out at sea, or mostly in a research room on land?”

Not expecting to hear that, Jonah laughed at what was said, "That actually would be funny," he agreed, "And if I'm being honest, I would fall for it too." It was less a shameful confession and more just stating an open fact, he would indeed fall for such a trick. But before he had the moment to continue on that ramble that surely would've been voiced, the other Royces vanished laving one behind and that positively had Jonah beaming at the display of magic, "Has that happened before? Where people meet the real you first and then duplicates? I mean, not you..uh.. deploying duplicates bit but overall? Also...is that right word? Deploy? I'm not sure the functions of magic or the proper terms yet, it's still something of a wonder to me." With a breath to control his tangents, he shook his head, "Not really, no, I was just on the swim team. But I've been on many boats in my life, so I just picked it up from that? Did you? You seemed like you knew what you were doing setting the pace and everything."

[jroycethethird]

It was perhaps quite ridiculous of him to expect to relive his glory days as a member of the Oxford University’s Boating Club, as well as the 8th seat of the oft times victorious Dunfries School for Boys’ crew team, at this campfire retreat of all things. Armed with duplicates of himself to help set the proper rhythm and pace in the boats to secure a win, he thought the Boating activity was a sure win for the Coven. What he hadn’t counted on was the tenacity the CONs would come in with, or their unaffiliated magical beings. But that was another story. He was angry, though mostly at himself for not anticipating their strategy. Wasn’t that always what JR said was the first step in successful strategizing? Anticipating the opposition’s moves? He’d been too cocky, too arrogant. But he knew that it wouldn’t do to dwell and be a sour sport, and he could commend the other group on their fine rowing. Or at least, he decided that he should think of them as great rowers to not hate it so much.

Down to four duplicates, he was a bit amused at the human taking time to shake the hand of each version of him individually, leaning back against a canoe and setting the oar back on it as Jonah drew near. He propelled himself to his full height, taking the extended hand in a firm and hearty shake, identical to the ones that came before, and tilted his head back to laugh. “Wouldn’t it be funny if the first one you shook hands with was the real me and then you just took unnecessary time to shake the hands of four duplicates after?” As quick as a blink of an eye, the other four Royces disappeared then, leaving the one Jonah was shaking hands with alone. “Yes, I’m the real me,” he said as he released the other’s hand. “Congratulations on your win… That was some damn fine rowing out there. Did you compete in school?” He didn’t know Jonah exceptionally well, beyond the fact he was now married (he believed?) to former coven member Rohan Persaud, and maybe worked with marine life but otherwise he knew nothing about the other man. He figured he could take a moment to try and get to know him. Royce could be affable… when he wanted to be, anyway.

for: @jroycethethird time: after the canoeing event with cons and coven

While water gave him comfort and eased his anxious state of being, it could not grant the powers of supernatural skill. There had been a great desire to do well, to try despite the odds, to not let the team down and help them the best he can, this was his element after all. Hand dipped into the water before as he slid into the boat, a smile forming as the waves greeted him, cool and flowly, Jonah tried to embody that. Of course he had factored some competitive spirit to rise up, it was a game but he had not expected them to actually win nor could he forsee the astounding amount of effort his team mates put into this, with both magic and muscle.

Jonah beamed at them, laughter bubbling up at the air boat his cheer mixing in when Jas crossed the finish line, glad that they all seemed to be having fun. The win was a sweet thing too, surreal but he was thrilled nonetheless. Climbing back onto the riverbank, Jonah left the oars to the side as he moved to shake hands with the others. Perhaps maybe made a mistake to start with Royce...and his many duplicates, but Jonah was committed. "Good match," he said, easy and quick, as he moved through each one, however, after the fourth, though hand still extended out, he couldn't help but laugh, "As much as the rest are also you...please tell me this is the real you?"