ErfWiki - Changes related to "Parson Gotti" [en]

Charlie

2013-05-19T22:18:19Z

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	When Parson first contacts Charlie via Thinkamancy{{erf\|1\|088}}, the mental picture in Parson's head (red jumpsuit, black background) is a duplicate of the "telepathy" used in the television series [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mork_%26_Mindy Mork & Mindy], when Mork is conversing with his superior, Orson.		When Parson first contacts Charlie via Thinkamancy{{erf\|1\|088}}, the mental picture in Parson's head (red jumpsuit, black background) is a duplicate of the "telepathy" used in the television series [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mork_%26_Mindy Mork & Mindy], when Mork is conversing with his superior, Orson.

-	His original title, the Wizard of Efbaum, is a reference to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.	+	His original title, the Wizard of Efbaum, is a reference to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The fact that he is a Carnymancer is a reference to how The Wizard of Oz was a circus performer and con man.

	{{Office Holder		{{Office Holder

Tramennis

2013-05-19T17:51:29Z

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	[[Category:Characters]]		[[Category:Characters]]
-	[[Category: Proposed Canon]]	+	[[Category:Proposed Canon]]
-		+	[[Category:Speculation]]
-		+	[[Category:Warlord]]
-	[[Category: Speculation]]	+

Summon Perfect Warlord Spell

2013-05-19T01:50:54Z

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	=Proposed Canon=		=Proposed Canon=

-	The '''Summon Perfect Warlord Spell''' is what summoned [[Judy Gale]] and [[Parson Gotti]] to [[Erfworld]]. Using unknown means, this spell has been cast by a combination of a [[Predictamancy]], [[Thinkamancy]], [[Lookamancy]], and [[Findamancy]]. It can be dispelled with [[Carnymancy]].	+	The '''Summon Perfect Warlord Spell''' is what summoned [[Judy Gale]] and [[Parson Gotti]] to [[Erfworld]]. Using unknown means, this spell has been cast by a combination of a [[Predictamancy]], [[Thinkamancy]], [[Lookamancy]], and [[Findamancy]]. It can be dispelled with [[Carnymancy]]. In addition to [[warlord]] status, it also granted Parson the [[caster]] [[special]], though he did not have access to it initially and had to unlock it by examining an unrolled [[scroll]].

	In Parson's case, the original [[Spell]] package, including both spell and casting, cost 500,000 shmuckers.		In Parson's case, the original [[Spell]] package, including both spell and casting, cost 500,000 shmuckers.
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	In Judy Gale's case, the spell was cast by [[Haffaton]]'s Thinkamancer and Predictamancer, as well as [[El-Efbaum]]'s Lookamancer and Findamancer in order to defeat the sides known as [[Easteros]] and [[Westeregg]].		In Judy Gale's case, the spell was cast by [[Haffaton]]'s Thinkamancer and Predictamancer, as well as [[El-Efbaum]]'s Lookamancer and Findamancer in order to defeat the sides known as [[Easteros]] and [[Westeregg]].
		+
		+	==Compensating==
		+
		+	The spell's results were more than unusual. After pulling Parson, the spell created a number of magical items on the following days to equip him and transform him into the true Perfect Warlord:
		+
		+	* A pair of [[3D_Glasses\|3D Glasses]] that gives him the Erfworlder's natural ability to see other units' stats;
		+	* A [[Mathamancy_Bracer\|strange bracer]] that attaches to his [[Calculator Watch\|calculator watch]], allowing computation of combat probabilities;
		+	* And finally, a [[Parson's_Sword\|three-piece sword]], with the enchantments of "Leadership", "Combat ability" and "Ruthlessness".
		+
		+	Judy Gale carried a set of magic items as well, which were likely a result of the same effect, including:
		+
		+	* A tiara.
		+	* A [[broomstick]] that enabled [[flight]].
		+	* An anklet.

	=Speculation=		=Speculation=
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	Looks like they got what they paid for.		Looks like they got what they paid for.
-
-	~~==Compensating==~~
-
-	~~The spell's results were more than unusual. After pulling Parson, the spell created a number of magical items on the following days to equip him and transform him into the true Perfect Warlord:~~
-
-	* A pair of [[3D_Glasses\|3D Glasses]] that gives him the Erfworlder's natural ability to see other units' stats;
-	* A [[Mathamancy_Bracer\|strange bracer]] that attaches to his [[Calculator Watch\|calculator watch]], allowing computation of combat probabilities;
-	* And finally, a [[Parson's_Sword\|three-piece sword]], with the enchantments of "Leadership", "Combat ability" and "Ruthlessness".

	=Real World References=		=Real World References=

Arkenpliers

2013-05-18T22:56:13Z

Powers when Attuned:

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	The pliers allow the attuned Croakamancer to [[decrypt]] corpses as new units on her side. Since the decrypted do not appear to degrade over time as a normal [[Uncroaked]] would, this allows her to create a nearly unstoppable army. Every time Wanda wins a battle, she decrypts the corpses of the enemy, giving her an even larger advantage in the next battle.		The pliers allow the attuned Croakamancer to [[decrypt]] corpses as new units on her side. Since the decrypted do not appear to degrade over time as a normal [[Uncroaked]] would, this allows her to create a nearly unstoppable army. Every time Wanda wins a battle, she decrypts the corpses of the enemy, giving her an even larger advantage in the next battle.

-	It is unclear what other powers, if any, Wanda has gained from her attunement. Given ~~that~~ that Croakamancy is the aspect of [[Naughtymancy]] ruled by [[Fate]], it would seem that it is a powerful artifact of fate in her hands and the pair are something to be feared, even by [[Stanley the Tool]]. [[Wanda]] is capable of [[Fate]] magic in disciplines outside of [[Croakamancy]], so those spells might also be enhanced by the [[Arkenpliers]].	+	It is unclear what other powers, if any, Wanda has gained from her attunement. Given that Croakamancy is the aspect of [[Naughtymancy]] ruled by [[Fate]], it would seem that it is a powerful artifact of fate in her hands and the pair are something to be feared, even by [[Stanley the Tool]]. [[Wanda]] is capable of [[Fate]] magic in disciplines outside of [[Croakamancy]], so those spells might also be enhanced by the [[Arkenpliers]].

	==Real World References==		==Real World References==

Jetstone

2013-05-18T18:33:16Z

Current Characters:

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	*[[Prince]] [[Forthewin]] - Former [[Heir]], [[Croaking\|croaked]] prior to [[Ansom]] becoming heir		*[[Prince]] [[Forthewin]] - Former [[Heir]], [[Croaking\|croaked]] prior to [[Ansom]] becoming heir
	*[[Downer]], [[Warlord]], [[croaked]] by [[Captain Archer]].		*[[Downer]], [[Warlord]], [[croaked]] by [[Captain Archer]].
		+	*[[Ace Hardware]] - [[Dollamancer]], fell in final moments of the [[Siege of Spacerock\|Battle of Spacerock]]

	==Current Characters==		==Current Characters==

-	*[[~~Prince~~]] [[Tramennis]] - older brother of Prince Ossomer, ~~new~~ [[Chief Warlord]] after Ossomer and [[Heir]]	+	*[[King]] [[Tramennis]] - older brother of Prince Ossomer, was named [[Chief Warlord]] after Ossomer and [[Heir]], both on the day he became King.
	*[[Cubbins]] - [[Hat Magic\|Hat Magician]]		*[[Cubbins]] - [[Hat Magic\|Hat Magician]]
	*[[Pierce]] - [[Healomancer]]		*[[Pierce]] - [[Healomancer]]
-	*[[Ace Hardware]] - [[Dollamancer]]
	*[[Lloyd]] - [[Dittomancer]]		*[[Lloyd]] - [[Dittomancer]]
	*Captain [[Price]]		*Captain [[Price]]

Mathamancy Bracer

2013-05-18T18:24:35Z

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	The Mathamancy Bracer is an [[Artifact]]. It is worn on the forearm, covering the upper part from elbow to wrist. Two straps hold it to the arm. The upper portion is similar to hard plastic and includes a spot where Parson's calculator watch can snap in.{{erf\|1\|054}} The watch is vital to its function: without the watch, the bracer does nothing.		The Mathamancy Bracer is an [[Artifact]]. It is worn on the forearm, covering the upper part from elbow to wrist. Two straps hold it to the arm. The upper portion is similar to hard plastic and includes a spot where Parson's calculator watch can snap in.{{erf\|1\|054}} The watch is vital to its function: without the watch, the bracer does nothing.

-	The bracer instantly and effortlessly does raw calculations necessary to analyze probabilities and predict outcomes of battles - that is, [[Mathamancy]].{{erf\|1\|054}} It is ~~operated~~ by voice command.	+	The bracer instantly and effortlessly does raw calculations necessary to analyze probabilities and predict outcomes of battles - that is, [[Mathamancy]].{{erf\|1\|054}} It is also capable of displaying Parson's current level, which in Parson's case, is invisible to other units. The user operates it by voice command.

	=Speculation=		=Speculation=

Siege of Spacerock

2013-05-18T17:49:46Z

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	Jack chose to bring in a [[purple dwagon]]. Its sonic attack finished off Jetstone's remaining forces, but Jack lost control over it, had a [[fall]], and [[croaked]]. Enraged, Parson broke the king's back and asked him why he had switched capitals. The king explained that he had done it to avenge [[Ansom]] and protect Jetstone. He revealed that the capital switch was a trap, and that Charlie had come up with the idea. He gloated that the [[fire]] had gone to [[inferno]], leaving Parson with no chance to survive, and asked Parson to claim his prize. Parson threw Slately to a red dwagon, who crushed the King in its mouth.		Jack chose to bring in a [[purple dwagon]]. Its sonic attack finished off Jetstone's remaining forces, but Jack lost control over it, had a [[fall]], and [[croaked]]. Enraged, Parson broke the king's back and asked him why he had switched capitals. The king explained that he had done it to avenge [[Ansom]] and protect Jetstone. He revealed that the capital switch was a trap, and that Charlie had come up with the idea. He gloated that the [[fire]] had gone to [[inferno]], leaving Parson with no chance to survive, and asked Parson to claim his prize. Parson threw Slately to a red dwagon, who crushed the King in its mouth.

-	To undo the trap, Parson asked [[Stanley]] to switch Gobwin Knob's [[capital]] over to Spacerock. Stanley refused, and before Parson could make his case, the [[thinkagram]] was cut off. Believing the thinkagram had been cut off by Maggie's dwindling [[juice]], Parson attempted to send his message through by [[Eyebook]], transmitting that by switching capitals, it would open the portal and allow him to call Sizemore in to put out the fire. But then, Charlie finally revealed his hand. Believing Parson's [[Fate]] to have been sealed, Charlie proceeded to taunt him, saying, "I gave you a way out, Parson. You should have taken it." and urged Parson to cast the scroll Charlie sent him.	+	To undo the trap, Parson asked [[Stanley]] to switch Gobwin Knob's [[capital]] over to Spacerock. Stanley refused, and before Parson could make his case, the [[thinkagram]] was cut off. Believing the thinkagram had been cut off by Maggie's dwindling [[juice]], Parson attempted to send his message through by [[Eyebook]], transmitting that by switching capitals, it would open the portal and allow him to call Sizemore in to put out the fire. But then, Charlie finally revealed his hand. Believing Parson's [[Fate]] to have been sealed, Charlie proceeded to taunt him, saying, "I gave you a way out, Parson. You should have taken it." and urged Parson to cast the [[scroll]] Charlie sent him.
		+
		+	Parson began fiddling with his [[Mathamancy Bracer]] and discovered that in addition to being a [[warlord]], he was also a [[caster]] of some kind. It revealed a tiny, but non-[[zero]] chance of him casting a [[Dirtamancy]] spell to put out the fire. When asking it for the odds of casting the [[Carnymancy]] scroll Charlie sent him, the [[Titans]] used Carnymancy to tamper with it, making it say zero. But Charlie's Carnymancy allowed the true odds to flash for an instant: 98%. Feeling that he had no other choice, Parson opened the scroll, which in turn unlocked his power as a caster. But as he attempted to cast the spell, a wooden beam collapsed and left him [[incapacitated]].
		+
		+	After an existential moment with [[Zhopa]], Stanley came to realize that he actually ''did'' care about Parson. After some deliberation, he rushed to his [[throne]] to switch [[Gobwin Knob]]'s [[capital]] over to [[Spacerock]].

	==Notes==		==Notes==

Charlie

2013-05-18T17:11:43Z

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	*One calculation on the odds of Gobwin Knob still standing after at the end of the current [[turn]].{{erf\|1\|105}}		*One calculation on the odds of Gobwin Knob still standing after at the end of the current [[turn]].{{erf\|1\|105}}
	*One calculation on the odds that forfeiting the eight remaining calculations would be a fair exchange for learning [[decrypted\|why the Archon units lost at Gobwin Knob now fight for Stanley]]. The calculation (a 4.14% chance of the exchange being worth it) led Charlie to refuse the deal. This calculation backfired: it taught Parson how to use his bracer to perform sophisticated calculations (and meta-calculations) on abstract future events.{{blog\|2009\|10\|summer-updates-039}}		*One calculation on the odds that forfeiting the eight remaining calculations would be a fair exchange for learning [[decrypted\|why the Archon units lost at Gobwin Knob now fight for Stanley]]. The calculation (a 4.14% chance of the exchange being worth it) led Charlie to refuse the deal. This calculation backfired: it taught Parson how to use his bracer to perform sophisticated calculations (and meta-calculations) on abstract future events.{{blog\|2009\|10\|summer-updates-039}}
-	*One calculation on the odds that Parson is capable of casting a [[scroll]].{{ref\|[[LIAB 108]]}}	+	*One calculation on the odds that Parson is capable of casting the [[Carnymancy]] [[scroll]] Charlie gave him.{{ref\|[[LIAB 108]]}} In this case, the bracer gave glitched results. The [[Titan]]s' [[Carnymancy]] tampered with the bracer, giving a chance of [[zero]], so as to dissuade Parson from taking the option. But Charlie's Carnymancy fought against it, allowing the true odds to flash briefly. The bracer revealed that Parson is indeed a caster and had a 98% chance of successfully casting the scroll.

	===Charlie's Rules===		===Charlie's Rules===

Mathamancy Bracer

2013-05-18T16:46:20Z

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	The Mathamancy Bracer is an [[Artifact]]. It is worn on the forearm, covering the upper part from elbow to wrist. Two straps hold it to the arm. The upper portion is similar to hard plastic and includes a spot where Parson's calculator watch can snap in.{{erf\|1\|054}} The watch is vital to its function: without the watch, the bracer does nothing.		The Mathamancy Bracer is an [[Artifact]]. It is worn on the forearm, covering the upper part from elbow to wrist. Two straps hold it to the arm. The upper portion is similar to hard plastic and includes a spot where Parson's calculator watch can snap in.{{erf\|1\|054}} The watch is vital to its function: without the watch, the bracer does nothing.

-	The bracer instantly and effortlessly does raw calculations necessary to analyze probabilities and predict outcomes of battles - that is, [[Mathamancy]].{{erf\|1\|054}}	+	The bracer instantly and effortlessly does raw calculations necessary to analyze probabilities and predict outcomes of battles - that is, [[Mathamancy]].{{erf\|1\|054}} It is operated by voice command.

	=Speculation=		=Speculation=

Caster

2013-05-18T16:43:12Z

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	==Using Magic==		==Using Magic==
	A caster seems to automatically know some of the spells available to him. He can also learn spells from other casters <sup>[[IPTSF Text 23]]</sup> or work them out through experimentation. The potency of a caster's spells increases with his level <sup>[[IPTSF Text 20]]</sup>. To cast a spell a caster expends some of his [[juice]] <sup>[[TBFGK 104]]</sup>. Since the amount of juice a caster has is limited, the amount of magic a caster can perform during one turn is also limited <sup>[[TBFGK 90]]</sup>.		A caster seems to automatically know some of the spells available to him. He can also learn spells from other casters <sup>[[IPTSF Text 23]]</sup> or work them out through experimentation. The potency of a caster's spells increases with his level <sup>[[IPTSF Text 20]]</sup>. To cast a spell a caster expends some of his [[juice]] <sup>[[TBFGK 104]]</sup>. Since the amount of juice a caster has is limited, the amount of magic a caster can perform during one turn is also limited <sup>[[TBFGK 90]]</sup>.
		+
		+	All casters have extra senses. One for magic in general, and one related to their discipline. For example, all casters are able to gain an innate understanding of the magic that lies behind a [[scroll]].<sup>[[LIAB Text 59]]</sup> But only [[Thinkamancer]]s have an innate sense for the vibrations of a [[G-String]].<sup>[[LIAB Text 38]]</sup>

	Casters can use [[scroll]]s to cast spells without expending juice. Scrolls also allow a caster access to disciplines and spells that she does not know <sup>[[TBFGK 126]]</sup>. It is unknown if there are restrictions on the disciplines or spells that can be made into scrolls.		Casters can use [[scroll]]s to cast spells without expending juice. Scrolls also allow a caster access to disciplines and spells that she does not know <sup>[[TBFGK 126]]</sup>. It is unknown if there are restrictions on the disciplines or spells that can be made into scrolls.

-	Some casters know (and can cast) spells outside their discipline. The talent for this differs strongly between casters, from (almost) none ([[Sizemore Rockwell]]) to quite a lot ([[Wanda Firebaugh]]) <sup>[[TBFGK 13]]</sup>. The ability to cast spells outside one's discipline ~~may be (partly) level-~~dependent <sup>[[IPTSF Text 19]]</sup>. There may be restrictions on the disciplines or spells accessible in this way. It is unknown whether a caster can attain Adept or Master rank, with the associated benefits, in a discipline that he does not belong to.	+	Some casters know (and can cast) spells outside their discipline. The talent for this differs strongly between casters, from (almost) none ([[Sizemore Rockwell]]) to quite a lot ([[Wanda Firebaugh]]) <sup>[[TBFGK 13]]</sup>. The ability to cast spells outside one's discipline is dependent on level<sup>[[IPTSF Text 19]]</sup>, current casting [[bonus]]es, and familiarity with the discipline. There may be restrictions on the disciplines or spells accessible in this way. It is unknown whether a caster can attain Adept or Master rank, with the associated benefits, in a discipline that he does not belong to.

-	Casters can also create [[Magic_Item\|magic items]] <sup>[[LIAB 69]]</sup>. No particulars about the creation process have been revealed.	+	Casters can also create [[Magic_Item\|magic items]] <sup>[[LIAB 69]]</sup>. No particulars about the creation process have been revealed, although [[Ace]] has been shown chanting spells over items that were previously non-magical.

	==Commander==		==Commander==

Summon Perfect Warlord Spell

2013-05-18T16:28:42Z

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	=Proposed Canon=		=Proposed Canon=

-	The '''Summon Perfect Warlord Spell''' is what summoned [[Judy Gale]] and [[Parson Gotti]] to [[Erfworld]]. Using unknown means, this spell has been cast by a combination of a [[Predictamancy]], [[Thinkamancy]], [[Lookamancy]], and [[Findamancy]].	+	The '''Summon Perfect Warlord Spell''' is what summoned [[Judy Gale]] and [[Parson Gotti]] to [[Erfworld]]. Using unknown means, this spell has been cast by a combination of a [[Predictamancy]], [[Thinkamancy]], [[Lookamancy]], and [[Findamancy]]. It can be dispelled with [[Carnymancy]].

	In Parson's case, the original [[Spell]] package, including both spell and casting, cost 500,000 shmuckers.		In Parson's case, the original [[Spell]] package, including both spell and casting, cost 500,000 shmuckers.

LIAB Text 59

2013-05-18T15:17:04Z

Links added

New page

{{pager int|Text 59|LIAB}}

It wasn’t like he’d imagined. The heat baked him from every direction. Burning embers and sparks occasionally spun through the room. But the smoke wasn’t that bad. There must have been a draft coming up from the lower [[dungeon]] [[level]]s. For now, he could breathe.

[[Parson]] knew about as much about [[fire]] as he remembered from fire safety month in elementary school, and the occasional [[Weather]] Channel show about firefighters. He knew that fire burned upwards, and you should stay low. It needed oxygen and could, like, flashover or something. Whatever that was, it was bad. That was about it.

And who knew if any of that was even true in [[Erfworld]], which had its own fire physics? Units caught in an inferno took damage randomly and could take a few specific actions like fleeing, fighting, and casting. There were damage penalties when moving, fighting was done at a penalty, etc. Some of it didn’t make a lot of sense with the actual physics of combustion.

So he sat on the floor, planting his ass in the empty [[portal]], and touched his [[bracer]]. The [[Warlord]] [[Antium]] and the last four [[Decrypted]] [[troops]] were beating the flames with cloaks and rugs at the other end of the room. That had seemed pointless at first, but then he remembered something about how units taking action to fight the fire could effectively transfer their actions to a unit they were protecting.

So...he’d better do something.

For the last few minutes, he’d kinda been raging out and panicking, he realized. But [[Charlie]]’s request for a calculation had the weird effect of numbing him up and focusing his mind on this one trivial thing. It wasn’t quite the same as getting an order, but he ''was'' contractually obligated to carry out Charlie’s calculation unless it would hurt his [[side]], and he couldn’t make a good enough case to refuse it.

Plus, whatever Charlie’s game was—trying to railroad him into using this [[spell]]—Parson needed to know this, too. Could he cast this spell? (Or any spell?) A way out was a way out, and going home beat [[dying]]. Maybe there was even a way back to Erfworld if he did...

The bracer hummed, and inside the little glass window he saw his own name in blue light:

'''[Parson Gotti, Warlord ([[Chief]]) (Level 3)]'''

Huh. Really? Three? He hadn’t felt anything at all. For a moment, he felt weirdly proud of himself for leveling. Then he blinked at the thing and subvocalized, “Hypothetical: me as a caster.”

The words changed:

'''{[Parson Gotti, Caster (unspecified) (unspecified)]}'''

There was a shout and a rumble from the other side of the room. A significant section of wall and floor began sliding down and away, churning up a shower of sparks. Parson gripped the edge of the portal until the collapse settled. He squinted. Antium had two soldiers over there now, not four.

Numbly, he looked back down and subvocalized, “Odds of: successfully casting the [[Carnymancy]] spell I’m touching.” He reached over and held [[Jojo]]’s [[scroll]], which he had set upon the floor next to him after pulling it out of his belt.

The window showed a long decimal number, then blinked and showed a short one instead. Then it ran through a series of digits that changed every split second. Then it went blank. Then it read:

'''specify conditions'''

“What? Here and now,” said Parson.

'''specify target'''

“Me!”

Another number flashed by, too quickly to read. Then the display read '''0.0'''

Parson looked into the display. “Izzat my odds, or are you just surprised at the question?” he said out loud.

But he knew that the bracer had just given zero probability of successfully casting the spell. Either Charlie was wrong, or he’d been toying with his prey. Although...neither thing seemed very Charlie-ish. He looked down at the lonely zero-point-zero.

Okay what now? Maybe he had phrased it wrong.

“Odds of: me as a warlord, as I am, casting this Carnymancy spell, right here and now.”

Again, a number flashed quickly, but changed to: '''0.0'''

“Odds of: me casting any spell at all.”

multiple parameters unspecified

Parson breathed heavily through his nose, and could feel the burn of smoke in it. The partial collapse had changed the air currents. It was now getting worse by the second in here.

“True/false: a non-[[zero]] chance of me successfully casting any spell exists.”

'''T'''

“So I am a caster of some kind. Or something,” he muttered. He had explored the possibility of casting spells before, and always failed. But he’d never thought to put the question to the bracer this way. “True/false: conditions exist that would give me a non-zero chance of successfully casting the Carnymancy spell.”

'''T'''

Way out restored, then. But no clue how. “True/false: I could create conditions ''here and now'' that would give me non-zero odds of casting the Carnymancy spell.”

'''T''', read the display.

Then, suddenly: '''F'''

“What the ''hell''?” Parson shouted to the air. “Charlie, are you screwing with this thing, too?”

When he looked up, he saw that Antium was walking up to him. The man’s face was sooty, and both his hands looked burned. Behind him, one of the last two soldiers was on the floor with his hair on fire, yelling. The other was beating him with a cloak.

“Chief, I think we have done all that we can,” said Antium.

Parson looked up at him. There were flames right there in the ceiling now, in bits where the plaster had fallen. The crackling sound was surreal, all around his head, like the sound you hear when you roll in a pile of dead leaves. That ceiling was going to come down on them any second. God, if [[Sizemore]] could just get here somehow, he could shore that up. And fix everything else.

“I don’t think I have, yet,” he said.

With a grunt, he rose to his feet. He spoke aloud to the bracer now. “Odds of: me successfully casting a [[Dirtamancy]] spell to put out the fire.”

The window showed a number. It had a decimal and six or seven zeroes after it, but it was a number.

Parson clapped his hands and made a hocus-pocus gesture. How the hell would you cast a spell, anyway? He had certainly tried before, but never with any indication of success.

“Put out the fire!” he shouted. He stomped his foot for emphasis. Nothing.

Nah, he needed some word or phrase from his world that was associated with putting out fires. That seemed to be how it worked.

“Alka-Seltzer! Pepto-Bismol! Gaviscon!” He felt nothing. “We Didn’t Start The Fire!”

He looked around, starting to realize he was a little dizzy from smoke and whatever else he was breathing. Somewhere on another floor high above, there was a rumbling crash.

“No, I guess we did,” he said.

“It’s been an honor to fight beside you, Chief Parson,” said Antium.

“Don’t start that shit,” said Parson. “I’m not done here. I’m not.” He looked around, spotting the scroll on the floor. He bent over and snatched it up.

“Odds of me casting this spell!” he shouted at the bracer.

The same number as before flashed, then changed to: '''0.0''' He almost saw what it was this time.

“Again!”

Number, then '''0.0'''. It was a long one. Hard to see the first digits. He looked at Antium, who was standing close. The other two soldiers were a few feet behind him, stepping on embers as they fell to the floor. The one whose hair had caught fire was black and burnt from the shoulders up, but he kept stomping.

“I think this thing is lying to me,” said Parson to the perplexed-looking warlord.

“Again,” he commanded the bracer. And again, a long number showed, then '''0.0'''. There was another collapsing sound, very close this time, maybe from the next room over. That first number after the decimal was not a 0. It might have been an 8...

“Run this same calculation ten times in a row. Go.”

The blue numbers in the bracer began blinking. The '''0.0''' was a dimmer blue as it blinked on and off, but the other number was superimposed over it: '''.980104773'''

A 98% chance of casting success.

He looked up at Antium. There was a lot more smoke in the room now, and Parson’s eyes were stinging. The bracer was lying. It was telling him he didn’t have a chance. Why? So he wouldn’t try to cast Charlie’s spell...

“Jojo said it’s free will versus [[Fate]],” he said. “But I’m really just getting railroaded by two different GMs here. I dunno wha— Huhg!” He broke into a coughing fit that left him bent over. Tears from his watering eyes ran down both cheeks. God damn, it was hot in here. Felt like the smoke was literally burning his lungs.

“Ah...fuggit!” he gasped, barely regaining control of his breathing.

He unbound and unrolled the scroll, holding it up in front of him. It shimmered brightly. His fingertips tingled. There were words on the parchment, a poetic stanza. But he couldn’t read them at first. He was seeing something else.

No, not seeing. More like...detecting, or knowing. There wasn’t a word for this sense, but some little compartment in his mind opened up, and what was in there was as rich in information as vision or hearing. He understood some of the things behind the things he could see.

Of course this was a spell. Of course it was. And it was built like...a key that would unlock the spell that had brought him here. He could see what it was. It was a spell to break a spell and snap it back. It would...fling him [[Parson's World|home]]. And he knew how to cast it.

The floor creaked, and listed slightly. He could read the poem on it now. Funny...

Yeah, it was time now. Time to go home.

He spoke, with a new understanding of how to intone the words of a spell. It was as different from plain speech as singing, but in a magical way.

“Roses are—”

The burning plaster hit his arms, just soon enough to warn him, just the barest moment before the flaming wooden beam came down on his helmet and flattened him to the floor. The magic sense—and every other sense—left Parson Gotti’s mind.