TTRPG magic and multiverses

"All I am saying is that well, there should be a few more of us around."

"I am not going to dedicate the last 3 minutes of my life to make more of you, there should only be more of me."

Around the corner more of Noels duplicates were bickering, as if he wasn't already fighting with himself enough. Great now there were two more of them, and the arguments didn't cease. He hated himself, and now he had only all the more reason for it, he must be incompetent going by his doubles.

"Report, please", Noel had yet to taste freedom from his brief incarceration, and he wanted something to sustain himself.

"Aye, aye Captain, we found several corpses, various id cards, weapons and knickknacks and one killed himself with a grenade."

"Anything else."

"You might not want to enter the, the the the door to my left dear higher up."

He knew he had to investigate, stepping past his double, and then into the room only to find a changing room, organised into a corpse gala, all corpses in various stages of undress. He had to pounder for a moment on whether they should keep on asexually reproducing or if he wanted the room sealed.

He closed the room, and moved on they can go and rot here for all he cares about, now about that freedom.

Well, that freedom got put into question when a bunch of haggard guard came rushing around the corner and immediately opening firing upon everybody in the corridor.

3 duplicates simply perished and he first in line answered with a fireball to their faces, his mage armour kept strong still the occasional stray still put one or two holes into his body, superficial wounds for an immortal spirit trapped in eternal flesh.

The others immediately opened fire with either their magic missiles or their own fireballs, but if they did so they wouldn't get to duplicate, for their might was far more limited, they were sure to perish one ay or another.

Noel turned around, the guards dying as their flesh, their cloths and minds got consumed by the fire, their explosives doing their job just not at the right place or time, making one last fireball.

He hit the doorpost with all he had, every dupe turned to him.

"To arms we are under attack!", he screamed his voice thundered with thaumaturgy, three times louder than what he should be capable of, now everybody should have a general gist of his location all enemies and all dupes.

In the room everybody had the blood drain from their faces, till a bloodcurdling scream of excitement ripped from their throats. Everybody hands and mouths moved almost in union and the workforce almost doubled.

Cloning is only as scary as their numbers allow them to be, if they all can nuke you on top of that run or give up, what are you going to do outrun a nuke.

The zombies picked up whatever they could from their old guns to banks, and smaller lockers, they would make do as meatshields. Everybody was moving and the final nuke was a last resort, in the mean time he got healed in the middle of his group, not that he could stay dead or die in the first place, but rather safe than, wander through limbo for 10 years until the world would rebirth him.

In the confusion he hadn't even realized he hit level 7, all that approached wasn't purple and didn't look like them got set on fire ripped apart by arcane forces or otherwise mutilated.

The group was doubling anywhere from 40 seconds to 1 minute 30. All armed with arcane powers. All enemies that fell to the horde were raised up more resilient and stronger than before, in eternal undeath.

Less attackers than before, no traps, no more guards, no golems or robots, nothing just nothing for over the past 5 minutes.

Long enough that he would allow everybody to scatter again the enemy learned that head on attacks would no longer work so the would and now it's guerilla strikes.

"Groups of 5 to 6, and take some zombies with you, majority stay with me some of you focus solely on duplicating in safety. Good."

"Everything is good your Majestie.", and all parties dispersed.

Somewhere else

"Ok first the waves of frost now this, ladies what is going on here!" a skinless towering behemoth of a women screamed at her subordinates, draped in a commander's combat uniform.

"It appears that we might be under attack.", one rather brave armed woman answered sarcastically.

Grabbed at her neck and lifted for her near insubordination and stepping out of rank.

"I know you little, have you made contact with other squats or secured access to a rout for possible retreat or anything you little!"

"Ma'am we are rather close to the helipads, if necessary, we could try to defreeze some of the fuel, and get something running, the electricity grid is still up and we have not yet faced any threats."

"You mean besides the fucking pink guys and the zombies they order around, you little shit!"

"Miss Red Skull Ma'am, we have not yet faced any opposition have you."

"We just shot them until they disappeared into smoke, you?", incredibly confused about what she was witnessing and hearing.

5 minutes ago

The got ambushed, right as they were coming around the corner, one girl got shot into her calf by something blue immediately but didn't start bleeding.

Their zombies worked shit as meatshield for the enemy, but no two-meter-tall giant could hide behind naked petite girls, and not get hit by her trained squat.

They were damn tough, but several bullets to the head, still put them down. The were tougher than the zombies they were hiding behind. Attacks from the zombies resulted mostly in a miss, and unlike her squat they were fine standing in the open, while they were actually taking cover and making quick work of them, well until the were shooting strange collared orbs of smoke at her girls.

Nothing she couldn't pull a subordinate over to take it in her place but still it seemed to stun them in place, and reduced their effectiveness., weird.

The encounter was finally reduced when 3 pins were drawn and the, grenades launched, detonating in between them.

What was learned from the encounter they were under attack, the enemy was inside the base, no alarm was raised, any and all speech or voice they man made was unintelligent didn't sound human, their eyeballs were seemingly maid of twine.

She was 60 and technically in retirement, if only, if only her old colleagues didn't convince her that in a year or so of hanging around the time to move out would come, and maybe then it would all finally be worth it.

Present

Some of the girls were shaking their heads, seemingly tearing up, executing them would harm moral, and she really needed a damn smoke.

"Sigh"

"Sigh"

"Well girls, looks, you start fucking investigating the bodies or keep a look out, we don't want to be caught unaware again now do we."

One smoke break later, some of the girls were patrolling, one waiting to report, others still investigating.

"Speak"

"Those girls were with out a doubt some of ours, but we do not know as what to classify the humanoids they came with as, there powers, augmented or not we have no prior information on them, or their limits."

"Well shit, that lead goes down the drain, any easy to defend corner around here or a fucking bunker that could help, girls?"

Spotting one of her girls beckon at something or something in the distance, calling it over, hopefully reinforcement.

Pecking around the corner on a first peek, yes it was reinforcement on a second, wiping one's head around showed they were walking perfectly in line with those purple creatures right behind them.

"Alarm, you dumb fucks, get shooting!"

Ducking back, Red Skull saw some pink beams fizzling out before even reaching the corner, still better be careful, the girl still hasn't shot at them, why hasn't she opened fire at them, a quick reposition should yield a better position, and cover fire.

Was what Red Skull thought till the girl standing in the corridor stopped waving, wasn't immediately shot down and instead shot through her thighs, while her back was turned, trying to organize resistance.

'What the hell', was all Red Skull thought as she lay on the once sterile floor, while the girl that just shot her practically embraced the enemy.

Terribly confused all she did was ready her gun, and turn around, waiting for the closer coming footsteps to halt before her.

Slowly bleeding on the floor some of the sane members of the squad, were collecting themselves around her. One even made a quick check about how serious the bullet wound was.

Standing still ever since she shot her superior, her gun aimed right at her centre, no expression visible behind her helmet.

One started to position herself behind her. "Drop the weapon", she said, but no response in any way came, not verbal or figuratively. Only aiming straight at Red Skull.

And then it came "Charm Person", nobody understood what those words meant, but as it hit the guard of her squad, she stopped aiming at the traitor and become one herself.

Not to guards were aiming at her, and behind them came more A.I.M soldiers most likely also mind controlled, and some shambling corpses, some where already unloading their weapons into them, but those killed just came back undead.

Now in the firefight, al she could do was wait on the ground, for some of those purple guys, to show their ugly mug and blow it up. Bullets sailed over her, when would it finally be time for her, to kill again or was this how it would end.

Finaly, she aimed and then it came again, "Charm Person", and again "Charm Person", and no more bullets where fired around her, Red Skull realized only she was left and still her enemy hide themselves behind her subordinates and their corpses.

All she could do now was fire till her gun was empty or take one shot and go out and allow her enemies easier access to her corpse, all was lost now. Still, she took the chance and shot at the one who showed his face.

Only for the to deviate upon coming a inch close to him, still he lost part of his face and brain, he should collapse soon, right?

Well, he pointed at her and spoke, "Charm Person!".

Noels

"Say is that who I think it is", one said to the other.

"Yup"

"But why does she have boobs, or rather why is it a she at all?"

"Well, I invoke Rule 632

"No just no, no, no"

"Come on if this is what I think it is, this is amazing!"

"Are you going to cast 'Comprehend Language' so that while they are now pretty much our slaves, we can't order them around if they don't fucking understand us?"

"The actions to defend us are automated, we are their most trusted person, their best friend or maybe more if we want to be"

"You are thinking about getting a blowjob by a woman that doesn't even have facial expressions."

Two idiots where debating what to do before their time would be up.

"Screw it I cast Comprehend languages", and with a clap of his hands the spell was cast.

"Information would still be required and would it count as taking damage if you deflower them."

"Sigh"

"That could allow them to break out of the spell. But please do go on, it would be funny to watch you trying to get it on only to disappear mid act not even managing to asexually reproduce or rather in no way at all."

Now turning around, he had one last look at a version of himself that copes differently with their situation and then vanishes into thin air, he wished only that he could have on last chuckle and that their conversation would be longer but it is what it is.

Getting a salute for his services from the other double, he would inevitably be forgotten when, the duplicate line of his was erased, but until then the entire 3 minutes they spent together would be unforgettably anchored in his mind.

He wished he still had tears to spill for himself, but alas the river was empty.

"Twine double!", and were there was one there are now two.

"So, are we going to send them like that to our origin?"

"Well, we need to know the limits of this world and we don't have the time to really get laid or live long enough for the afterglow anyway."

"But the prime one is currently inhibiting his emotions, why tell me of your infinite wisdom"

"You are literally made out of my mind, you have the knowledge, why do you ask?"

"Might be fucked anyway so let's have a chuckle at least", he said while feeling up some of the charmed guards.

"Should we heal them or not"

"Better right"

Red skull still sat on the floor bleeding, only looking up at her masters, waiting for orders.

"Still for not having a face she still has quite a bust and a nice figure?"

"Considering how this spell might work she could blush at you if she would understand a lick of what you would be saying?"

"What do ya mean?"

"Well do we speak English or did we have most of our experience our professions, language skills ripped out of us or maybe just shaved of as they wouldn't conform to what ever system of power we got implemented with and she is maybe single and in her 60s"

"We are in some nightmare mishmash of 1610 right"

"Does nightmare refer to gender bend"

"Yes"

"In that case yes"

"Time is running short"

"Twine double" resounded twice in the halls.

"Let's heal them alright, funny enough the original will be around even after universes blow out, but for us his doubles even those women over their will be around longer after we are gone.

"Healing word" "Cure minor wounds", and all was well with the women.

"Comphrehend languages"

"Do you understand me now"

"Yes, yes we finally understand you"

"Will they serve", one that hasn't yet cast comprehend languages asks.

"Obviously" another says

"Would you pretty girls be so kind as to follow us"

"Of course, whatever you say, we have to protect you", blushing a storm under their helmets and visors, the A.I.M soldiers stood in formation ready and more motivated than ever.

Red Skull was back on her feet she knew something was wrong but she had o protect them no harm was allowed to get to them, all of those under the effects of charm person were practically ready to die for their 'master'.

"Let's bring them to the original."

Meanwhile by Noel Prime

Realizing he achieved level 7 far too late; he increased his Hitpoints by one d10 rolling a 6 plus his con modifier of 5 gained him 11 points for a total of a max of 78. New spells Polymorph, and Dimensional Anchor. The spell that is going to actually be studied among those two would be Polymorph. Because who doesn't want to be a dinosaur for one minute.

Anyway, still wandering with around with shambling corpses and doubles of himself, nobody knows how to escape this bloody underground prison and in his absolute genius he keeps killing anybody who might know how to escape, mostly because he keeps panic casting fireball on his enemies.

"Sigh"

"So did you come to the natural conclusion that morality is to be abandoned this world ripped into pieces for experience, and those you like made to be your slaves."

"Really, really, and I mean honestly I am not even sarcastic about it those are all very good suggestions but not yet, I think just not yet ok.", he was very sarcastic about it.

"Still gonna cast charm person on everybody now?"

"If they survive the first volley of fireballs sure"

"Yeah sure because we don't need rest, sleep, food or sustenance of any kind, and are immortal on top of it, but must still, walk this now deserted prison, till we find the exit. We have been here for a few hours now.2

"With or without the time we have been incarcerated?"

"Without."

"Ok, ok but still our troop situation is looking so good, I could just keep killing you guys for exp."

For a second the everlasting smile of the short-lived illusion vanishes, replaced with the grimace of a dead man.

"Hahahahaha!", Noel couldn't stop looking at the reflection he found, perfectly mirroring his own in that situation, he hugged him, with a smile, a slight giggle still on his lips.

"Got you their"

"Yeah, yeah you got me"

Neither broke the much-needed hug and they stayed like that till the time came for one of them. All others just watching with different emotions some joined it others sneered at it, and found that Noel should get it over with, they all were equally damaged yet coped all differently. What did this tell Noel, besides that they needed help as much as he did.

"Well, you pieces of shit, at which age were we the most productive?"

"15 or 16 with out a doubt, it was work or failure for us at the time, and from their it only went down with our mental faculties or rather our psyche."

"And now should we act like some kid who has to get everything done every hour of every day without rest."

"Do you want to say that we have to sacrifice ourselves at every instance of time we have?"

"I'm not going to stop you there, just feel exhausted for you!"

"Let's get a move on!"

"Aye"

All duplicates were still only level 6, and incapable of polymorphing.

"Savour, Saviour", it hailed from the halls somebody was following them.

Everybody was ready, and waiting to cast fireball, omly for another dupe to show up with more behind him some corpses and the Red Skull and her guards.

"See boss he went with make love not war"

"Yes"

"Guys we have to rub this in his face or we can't in about 1 minute"

"Well time doesn't stop for anybody"

...

"So, what have you found"

"The exit, that this world is gender bend, and most likely based upon 1610, and that the biggest crisis will be secret wars in about 5 to 10 years"

Even having a lot of his emotions missing didn't help the building panic as he realized just how of he was about how fucked he was. Breath in, breath out repeat 3 times minimum.

"Sigh"

Breath in, breath out repeat 3 times minimum.

"Ok morals are out of the fucking window now when an antimatter bomb can end this planet any fucking minute now."

"Let's get to the fucking exit, then we have to mass produce arms, bombs and hope a Reed Richards exists and can fic all of this better than us."

"You are this smart and the best you can think of is let's have somebody else fix it?"

"Zip it, if we can we are going to personally locate city planets, if we have the levels, not like a massive shrink ray might work but then we won't get the exp, so we should think about it later, ok?"

"So Charm and enslave whoever you can as we will need the man power?"

"Since the situation changed yeah sure."

Most doubles immediately high fived each other, at managing to in the span of hours talk the original into potentially killing billions, all while having subhuman charisma.

Ambushing a bunch of search parties on the way to the exit, charming and enslaving them gave a extra layer of security to Noel, who was now forced to behave like a coward, not that he wasn't one before.

What magic would be capable of decimating planets, maybe Sphere of ultimate Destruction, but that had the effect of by accident sending something to a different dimension or reducing the caster to nothing if concentration is lost. And most certainly didn't have the needed reach for a whole planet.

Need a few levels as an artificer or more levels in general and better spells, and more exp means more 'necessary# murder, etc. At least epic levels will be needed.

"Ok any plans on how to save this planet and expand from there on?"

"Yes, charm and enslave the leaders act in the shadows or whatever, while building weapons of mass destruction that make Hiroshima look like a clown parade!"

"Figured"

"Want to ask the 'slaves' you just have to cast comprehend languages and all should go well."

"Well, where even are we?"

"Not in Canada and not in Murica so ask the servants."

"Sign! Oh well then"

One wave of his hand, a flick here a whisper there and 'Comprehend Languages' was cast.

"Now dear Red Skull do you mind telling me about the current affairs of this world, and its inhabitants."

"But of course"

Several lengthy discussions about just about everything in the world, only made the doubles more ecstatic about everything they heard. X-men exist, no ultimate's or avengers yet, Magneto got a mutant country, all enhanced humans are illegal, and shield property once they turn 18, they will serve as soldiers. Shield is international, kind of like UNO (United Nations Organization), just a lot more militarised and lacking in funding., and just about every country is scheming against them, and constantly breaking international law. Great just, ... just amazing, no more words there.

"Boss here women are catcalling men, we need to stay, screw fleeing this world, we are in heaven!"

"We need to stay, please, please!"

Noel shouldn't listen to the voices in his head even if they escaped. The gender ratio was slightly of in favour of women, which meant in favour of lucky men, technically maybe, and as was this world gender bend and common logic for an exhuman from a slightly 'male' dominated society flipped.

All of those were things, he had thought about but their implications were both soul crushing and slightly funny, in several ways, and even Noel couldn't keep a slight giggle from escaping.

Anyways finally entering the main building after a short trip on the surface in subzero temperatures, where everybody not heated by prestidigitation or wearing a suit designed for such temperatures, like the stripped corpses got a bit of a frostbite.

Now how many doubles were around well every single one produces between 2 too 3 in its short lifetime, well they double about every minute if something unfortunate doesn't happen to them or the have to use their arcane power elsewhere leaving no energy left over to duplicate. Anyway, Noel now had way too many doubles even overland, let's not talk about the rooms full of noel doubles with the sole purpose of making more. 

Killing them might make him level up a bit.