GalacticBattler
[OCs] Character/setting concept time.
GalacticBattler
I've made vague mentions of this in the past but I might as well formalize it
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A D&D-esque fantasy universe
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In this setting, Sorcerers are aristocrats whole are in charge because they have all the arcane magic
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there's also Divine magic but that's like the Church's thing and they're an accepted check and balance to the sorcerers' power
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And other nations might have shit like psionics but that's out of the scope of what we're looking at right now
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Right NOW
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Someone just discovered how to Wizard
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IE how to do arcane magic without being a sorcerer
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And holy shit the sorceres don't like that because if ANYONE can do arcane magic then their grip on society is going to start eroding
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So this story is about the first wizard
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who is like a super angry/passionate revolutionary student
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and their friends/body guards
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as they try to stay one step ahead of the aristocracy
kamikasei
Have you ever heard of the Hex Coda
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Because the aristocracy can blow you up with their minds
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I have not
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But you know what there are no original stories left
Princess Emily
cool I'm in
kamikasei
It's not really the same thing but might be of interest as a point of comparison/inspiration - it's a couple of NWN modules about magic hackers trading experimental scrolls underground.
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Our hero gets in fights with people twice their size constantly because they cannot leave well enough alone
xyzzy
does this revolution lean more Akame ga Kill or Les Miserables in tone
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Les Miz
xyzzy
rad
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Like the country isn't TERRIBLE
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There are good sorcerers and bad sorcerers
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but the sorcerers are firmly in charge
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and even the nice ones are a little nervous about these rumors of Wizards
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And then the Church is torn
xyzzy
a good sorcerer is still a gear in an evil system
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Just so
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because on one hand official doctrine is supporting that the sorcerers have the divine right to rules
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rule*
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but on the other hand if wizards become a thing then the sorcerer's power base will weaken
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and the church will be ascendant
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So like they're officially condemning this wizard
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but also certain more politically minded clerics are trying to subtly help them
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not out of kindness but out of pure machiavellian trickery
xyzzy
I'm imagining wizard magic working via complex and consistent systems and principles and sorcerer magic being just, like, anime superpowers
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yeah probably
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In my head Wizardry is kinda like FMA alchemy
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not exactly like it but kind of
kamikasei
I was going to ask, did the wizard need some kind of access to learn arcane magic, and was that a crazy sorcerer
kamikasei
But it might have been a subversive priest
kamikasei
Also I assume the canon title is Class Warfare
GalacticBattler
It might well be
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Sorcery is very unscientific
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Sorcerers go on about how their power comes from their passion and emotions
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They couldn't TELL you how it works because they don't really know
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It's like explaining to someone how you move your arms
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You just do
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Wizardry, on the other hand, is basically about tricking the universe into doing what you want it to via elaborate rituals and spell circles
moontouched
sorcerer: i like this 'wizardry' thing better cos you can actually explain it - oh man this is gonna get me super kicked out
kamikasei
So this isn't like D&D where sorcerers and wizards cast the same spells via different means
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no
xyzzy
"It's not real magic if you think about it" --a sorcerer
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wizards and sorcerers are tapping into the same power but they're using it very differently
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though to the uneducated, the difference between a well prepared wizard and a sorcerer would be hard to spot
moontouched
tbh i just find the idea of a sorcerer just really disliking all this Emotions and Passion shit and finds wizardry's structure much more appealing really funny
kamikasei
Imagine the differences in spirit summoning
kamikasei
Sorcerer: "I bind you by the right of my name and the oaths you swore to my ancestors and by my own force of will"
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I imagine spirit summoning is more of a divine magic thing
kamikasei
Wizard: "Says here I get one free boon"
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Sorcerers are more shooting fireballs from their hands and flying
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Clerics bind spirits to their will via true name magic
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Wizards make deals and haggle
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Right now though there's only one wizard
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and maybe an apprentice or two
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the Wizard has NO IDEA what they're doing and is very much just making it up as they go
NekoIncardine
I like this idea
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They went to a good university and eventually got kicked out in their senior year for arguing with professors too much
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all "FINE"
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"I'LL MAKE MY OWN SCHOOL"
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"AND IT'LL HAVE BLACKJACK AND MAGIC"
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"IN FACT, FORGET THE BLACKJACK"
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I'm feeling like Wizard is missing an arm
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but built a magic prosthetic after they became a wizard
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I'll be honest Edward Elric is def an inspiration here
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Because we must never forget October 3rd, 1911
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ANYWAYS
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A sorcerer probably was behind the missing arm, which they SAY is why they're so mad at sorcerers
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and want to fuck the system
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But really it was more of an excuse because they're just a naturally angry person
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So sorcery is basically just, like
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superpowers
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you just have Some Things You Can Do
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similar powers tend to run in bloodlines
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One family might have a bunch of sorcerers who can all fly and control the wind
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another might have a specialty in healing or making force fields
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Miracles (divine magic) I'm still working on a unified aesthetic for
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I'm thinking a specialized divine spellcaster is just
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not a thing
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But that god just kind of watches out for their followers
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Haven't figured out what god's deal is in this universe
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but God is definitely NB, and to refer to them as "he" or "she" is technically blasphemous
GRYPHON KIIIICK
I am reminded in a good way of the bullshit noble bloodline magic from 7th Sea
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I'm thinking Miracles are more tied to places than to people
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So like a cleric isn't powerful
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his church is
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And in the church he can do amazing things
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but if he gets too far his powers rapidly dwindle
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Wizardry is very vancian
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or not EXACTLY but like
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A spell takes, on average, like 10-20 minutes depending on how complex/powerful it is
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but
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some spells you can do like 90% of it
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and then stop
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and then finish it when you need it and it'll just go
ArtIsArt
Yeah, that checks out.
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There is, in theory, no limit to what Wizardry can do
ArtIsArt
a barbarian. What's the racial balance like?
ArtIsArt
... Thanks plurk.
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but each spell is HUGELY complex and takes tons of research to learn
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Races hmmmm
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I'm thinking this part of the world, at least, is like 99% human
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Occasionally you get elves and shit as travelers from distant lands
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But they probably get stared at in the street
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because "Wow I've never seen a real elf before"
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Not really a lot of like
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prejudice
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just "woah weird"
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Oh shit here's an idea
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Golems
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Those are a thing
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but they are basically mobile churches
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A "church" shaped like a person and given life and will by god
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to protect their servants
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Okay there's a setting
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And GO:
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Wizard is a girl, because Necrobot in Prof's thing is a boy
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As I mentioned, she technically has access to an infinite variety of spells
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But has a few stand-bys that she usually has armed and ready
❆𝒮𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻
so question- if other races do exist, what is magic like for them? like for elves, do they also have the same kind of wizardry? etc etc
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I'm thinking for most races magic just works the same
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you could have elven sorcery families
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elven clerics
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and an elf could also learn wizardry
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well, not elven clerics but churches in elven lands
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I mean they COULD be clerics but you know what you get what I'm saying
❆𝒮𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻
yeah
ArtIsArt
What about spell-like abilities, if we're basing this on D&D?
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sorcery
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this isn't specifically based on D&D it's just got a vaguely similar aesthetic
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I'm thinking magical creatures with spell-like abilities are very rare, though
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and largely unique
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There aren't medusas there's just The Medusa
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I want this story to be mostly about people vs people
ArtIsArt
OK, cool!
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I like the idea of a revolutionary power nerd
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Wizard's go-to spells:
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Phase Door: /teleports you to a random location nearby, usually within 100 feet
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usually at ground level. She's still working the kinks out
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Thunderwave: sends out a sonic blast that stuns and knocks down anyone near you
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Wear ear plugs before casting
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Shield: Covers you in a force field bubble. Lasts as long as you concentrate on it, or until it just takes too much damage. Can be rolled.
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from the inside or the outside
❆𝒮𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻
oh my god, phase door
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Levitate: fly up or down. Moving side to side is an exercise left to the caster
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I'm trying to make all the spells be useful but also a little finnicky
ArtIsArt
Grease. Greases everything. You have to clean up afterwards. There's a lot of grease. Good luck.
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I'm thinking more like it greases everything in a radius around you
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everyone has trouble standing up
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including you
ArtIsArt
Yes, exactly. And it doesn
ArtIsArt
*doesn't just go away.
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She once cast it in someone's house just to spite them
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Oh right going back to the prosthetic arm thing:
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Magic Items are also a new thing
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ish
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blessed items exist, but those are very rare
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and controlled by The Church
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and aren't very utilitarian
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great if you want to banish evil and shit
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but not so much if you just want a flaming sword
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But wizards can just attach magic to a thing and make it work
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like, for example, an arm that attaches to your shoulder stump and does what you want it to
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Or a flying carpet
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she has a flying carpet
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useful but anyone who knows the proper phrasing can shout commands to it and it'll obey them
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Which she really doesn't want anyone to know
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Anyways Wizard (who I really need a name for) needs friends
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and body guards
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and students
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and rivals and antagonists
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Join me join my cast
ArtIsArt
I'll play the person who was a barbarian until they got therapy for rage issues and went on alchemical mood stabilizers. /half joking
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I should mention that by andlarge most sorcerers are just people
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Not particularly good or evil. Just usually a little out of touch with what normal people think like
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But most of them are condemning our hero for being a revolutionary. And the ones that aren't aren't really helping her
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Name she needs a name
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Will brainstorm more while working
kamikasei
Magic items are the Internet of Shit?
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kamikasei
I have no idea what you mean by that
NekoIncardine
I want to make someone for this. Not sure who yet but
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I'm gonna say Wizard lost her arm when a sorcerer accidentally and drunkenly summoned phantom swords
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So like. The sorcerer was sorry
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But got out of it without any real repercussions
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Meanwhile she's down one arm and basically just has to live with that
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And she has, with the magic prosthetic arm and all, but she's still mad that that sorcerer kind of ruined her life and got off Scott free
kamikasei
Internet of Shit = the Internet of Things (that are horribly poorly secured and easy for people to remotely compromise)