Pax RP

((Why yes, I was sleeping. How'd you guess? ))

Swix landed on her feet, but even so it hurt a little after the impact. The shadow covered woman read the sign, then looked over the bottles. "Hmm, drink to restore after stone?" she mused, so what had the stone done to her during her first wrong attempt? Swix made the living dark that covered her body melt back into it, snatched one of the bottles and examined the now far more humanoid parts of herself to see just exactly what had been done and what needed restoring. The four extra limbs that sprouted from her back remained as they were, fully out and slowly undulating behind her.

((Ooh! I'm glad you did that!))

When Swix shed her darkness to get a better look at herself, she would likely be surprised to see that yes, the stone actually had done something to her. While nearly all of the changes the first step made were internal (hence the nausea!) the evil woman could immediately spot a faded green tinge to her skin tone. Weird.

More careful inspection would reveal differences such as black spots, a bright, wavy lime green streak up her spine, and the changing of her hazel eyes to yellow. But, alongside some odd changes to her gait, (she might find skipping more suitable!), she was still very much the woman she was before.

"Oh, lovely. I'm well on my way to being a swamp monster" Swix said, sarcastically, and decided she didn't much like the changes of hue to her skin or the spots. So much so in fact that she decided to drink the bottles that had been offered to them without even a second thought.

So you just drink bottles you find in caves, huh?

That's cool. They should have a support group, "People who just find things, and are alright with eating them, anonymous."

Except no one would be in it.

Because they are all dead.

So you went ahead and drank some random bottle, on a table of random bottles, in a creepy cave. Didn't even check the label, or notice that the note was in a completely different style than the riddle. It only took seconds before the woman's vision swam, and the first powerful waves of nausea took hold. They were so much worse this time, eventually resulting in such dizziness you were forced to collapse to the floor. Your eyes water, your bones burn, and you blink and see how much better your vision has become. You probably hadn't even noticed it had changed, but hey, you're now noticing how much actually was different, now that it's back in order. Eventually, you can get up, feeling fit as a fiddle.

And no spots.

What kind of magic rock would change you around for such a trivial reason without offering a quick way back to normal?

Of course, she did. Swix was freaked out by the similarity of the pond trial to one she'd had to endure when she was younger and slightly more foolish, checking the labels hadn't even occurred to the humanoid. But after writhing around on the floor after the feeling of the horrible effects of the liquid had given her Swix pulled herself back up via her arm and the table, paused there for a moment, and stood up again on two legs normally. Swix gave herself a cursory examination and started off down the caverns pathway. She didn't even give the robot a second glance, or an offer of assistance. It wasn't really in her nature anyway.

The Artificer watched as Swix grabbed a bottle, drunk it, and collapsed to the floor. It as just about to check to see if she'd died when she finally got back up and headed down the path. The remark about turning into a swamp monster caught it's attention however.

[[SYSTEMS DIAGNOSIS, PENDING...]]

((Yeaaaaaa, how (if at all) is this effecting the robot? ))

After he had risen from the pond's shoreline, the now cascading ripples began to die down as to stop his competitors from getting anymore freaked out. Which of course, more insanity just lied up ahead.

As Grathon walked around the curve and towards the building, the riddle stuck him to his thoughts whilst reading.

Wait, would I need to use the common script? Or should I use the one I'm famil-oh. The Roman Alphabet is ascribed on the stone.

The ones left at the porch steps continued nervously chattering about while he approached the stone. Apparently, three have already succeeded in this challenge, so how hard could it be?

“R.” Pressing the insignia as he spoke. Followed by a heavy yawn provoked by the lack of sleep the night before day.

((Swix, sorry, your update will come in the morning when I can properly arrange the next task.

*is a terrible person*.))

Now that you know something strange actually did happen, you set out to find exactly what that thing is. As reported earlier, some readings had been coming back strangely. They checked out, but the data was often irrelevant to what you should be needing at the time. If you had perhaps been built with aquatic operations in mind...

Diagnostics on your structure read differently too. It seems as though changes in your limbs have made you better suited to jumping in bursts. If you had the ability to see it, one would find the robot literally dripping with the green energy from before, forcing him into this structure out of his control.

((How is this effecting a robot? Magic))

((Ooh, not quite Jent.))

Pressing the letter caused a shock of green energy feedback to course through your clay exoskeleton, and a simultaneous sigh of dismay to come from the crowd. They had been hoping someone else would get it, and maybe explain to them how to get past.

Now covered in the energy, depending on how sensitive you are to these sort of things, you feel the power start to overtake your own enchantments, shifting the clay as well as the real Claymolder inside. Just as Swix, your clay avatar develops spots and a green tone. It's worrying, but it's not like you could possibly get it wrong again...

((I figured it'd be magic, that illogical nonsense thing ))

The Artificer cursed in it's ancient tongue, the magical effects of the stone were taking hold. Magic, the one thing that eluded the Artificer empire. They loathed it, the strange energies were erratic and unpredictable. Illogical.

Scanning what liquid remained from the bottle Swix had drunk and cross referencing it with the liquid on the table. With a series of whirs and clicks, section of it's arm opened up, and the machine poured the liquid inside.

[[LIQUID TRANSFUSION INITIATED, CYCLING]]

It waited for any effect to be had, surging a little extra power into it's fail safe and self repair systems.

The potion worked just as well being "cycled" as it did being drunk. You feel, with the screech of shutting metal, the blanket of interference your first exposure with the magic caused. Static takes up everything, leaving you completely deprived of sense, until it all fades back in again.

Another check would reveal everything was in order, with no more oddly reporting sensors.
((Bed time! See you when I get up!))

The disorientating experience re-emerged, but after it had passed everything seemed to be in order, and actually in order this time. Snapping it's attention to the path, the Artificer wasted no time catching up to Swix.

"I see you guys with the so called higher intelligence can't cope with snap decisions" Swix said, when the robot caught up to her "must be horrible, knowing you're inferior at some things. Where've you been? Who or whatever you are... I was starting to get lonely up here". The evil woman shot at The Artificer, as she turned a leering eye at the mechanical creature. She wasn't afraid, and clearly wasn't going to be any time soon.

((Yes, she likes pushing dangerous people ))

((Me-ow ))

The strange voice was heard again, this time giving the impression of a dozen voices replying with disinterest.
"Why risk tampering with unknown forces when willing pawns will do it for you? Such stupidity - sorry - bravery should be utilised to great effect."

The machine paused for a moment.
"Make your remarks whilst you can, it won't be long before you shall refer to me as-" It's voice suddenly matched Swix's perfectly "-my lord."

((;Heh, where would RP be without banter? ))

Swix didn't stop her walking, but she did turn to look at the robot when it copied her voice to stare. "Oh you can copy sounds. What are you, part parrot?" she said, then turned back to look where she was going. Although she still kept an eye on the robot "Ah, I get it. You're afsaid of the unknown. Magic like this must drive xou crazy. But magic is familiar to me... and I won't be referring to a tin can like you as my lord at any time soon. That's liable to annoy the one I truly serve. And she is much more intimidating than you"

((... irl though that was actually creepy enough to give me cold shivers. Good job XD))