>>27899079
"What does it actually mean for the little guy, Tarda?"

>>27899079
"If we left it in, what'd happen to him?"

>>27899079
>[] Ask Tarda for more information/clarification [Specify what you'd like to ask.]

What would happen if we leave it in there?
will he grow like he did when the parasite took over?
will his personality change?

>If he became fully attached to Ann, it could be a real asset to her if she does decide to go back.

>>27899079
Pick Bruno up and look directly into his eyes.

"What do you think little guy?"

"What does it actually mean for the little guy, Tarda?"
"No clue." She says. "Dragons adapt notoriously well to new situations. I figure that if you leave it in, the remaining minionstuff could do, well, anything. Fire breath could progress to some kind of focused plasma, or he could get bigger and stronger... or change exponentially, losing his shape and dying horribly."
She shrugs. "It could be positive or negative. There's no way to tell which."
"Will he grow like he did when the parasite took over?"
"I don't think so." She says. "That was more like the parasite coming *out* of him, not quite taking him over."
"Will his personality change?"
"I doubt it." She says.
You pick Bruno up and stare into his eyes.
"What do you think, little guy?"
Bruno yawns, and you see flickering, firey light in the back of his throat. Then he hiccups at you, and you see light come out of his nostrils, alongside the smell of something burning.
He looks pleased.

>>27899170
"If anything, this is down to you, Ann. Why don't you give him a few more days and see how it goes?"

>>27899170
"You could remove it later, right? Because I think we should wait and see."

>>27899170

How long until the parasite remains fully integrate?

>>27899170
"Oh, Tarda, by the way, I got stabbed earlier, and it's still hurting."

Leave it in.

"How long until the parasite remains fully integrate?"
"A few more weeks." She says. "That's when the changes should start getting more pronounced. It should be possible to remove the remains even after that, but it gets a bit more dangerous the longer you wait."
You stare at Bruno.
He stares back at you.
The thorns in your lung twist, making you force back a hiss. You spend a few moments getting your breath back, but Ann looks too flustered to notice.
Tarda's eyes squint at you.
"If anything, this is down to you, Ann." You say. "Why don't you give him a few more days and see how it goes?"
Ann thinks about it for a time, and then reaches up to pat Bruno on the head.
"That's what I'll do." She says, and pulls Bruno into a hug. The dragon squeaks, happy to get attention.

"Oh, Tarda, by the way." You say. "I got stabbed earlier, and it's still hurting."
"What?" Ann asks. "Are you okay?"
"I figured it was something like that." Tarda says, mostly talking over Ann; the girl gave the wizard a glare. Tarda didn't seem to notice. "Let me see it."

Tarda pulls up your shirt, and her hands touch your wound for a few minutes.
Her eyebrows meet.
"... This isn't normal." She says. "This obviously isn't what I thought would happen. Have you been... eating minions? Like remnants do? Because your heart is... degenerating."

>>27899277
"Of course not, don't be silly. I don't even know HOW to do that."

>>27899277

"I have not, my 'boss' stabbed me a little while ago though. Please tell me you can do something about it, it's slowing me down somewhat."

>how old is Strelok?

>>27899277
I guess we have to start eating things.

>>27899325

that causes degeneration.

>>27899342
I missed a few threads. We have a remnant heart, don't we? Remnants eat minions. Seems obvious that our heart is degenerating because we haven't eaten enough.

>>27899314
>He's in his mid-thirties, in a world where most mundane people die in their forties.

"Of course not, don't be silly. I don't even know how to do that."
"Put them in your mouth and chew, of course." She says. "And you call me silly?"
"So... I have to start eating things?"
"No, no." She says. "That'd make the problem worse. Degeneration is caused when a remnant consumes the flesh and fuel of another remnant. But when two of them have different designs, it causes the remnant's systems to get confused, and causes-"
The thorns twist, causing you to hiss. The pain is not getting better. Tarda's eyes widen.
"Please tell me you can do something about it." You say, your voice low.
"... I can try." She says. "To be honest, if I didn't need you to pilot Mudimuna, I'd take you to my operating table and have my way with you."
You blink at her word choice, and then lightning starts to dance between her fingers.
"This is going to hurt. Hold still."

Ann watches with wide eyes as Tarda shoves her hand against your chest. Something hot and powerful burns into your lung, almost like a branding iron, and you find yourself howling in pain.

Next thing you know, you're sitting back, on the ground. Tarda's standing there with bandages, wrapping your wound. Ann is watching, eyes wide, and Bruno is standing on her shoulder, almost glaring at Tarda.
"Cut out the degenerating material." She says. "So you started bleeding. The rest should be stable for now, and your lungs should be fine."
Then she taps her chin. "To be honest, your degeneration reminds me of your remnant. I wish I knew more about lifeblood, because as is, I have no clue what's causing this."

>>27899441
"Well if we make it out the next two days alive, feel free to use me for research as much as you like."

>>27899441

"Could it be because my father is Lelan? Cromwell figured out lifeblood, you might want to talk to him about it... Please do."

test breathing and moving, carefully.

>>27899458
her research involves cutting us up to see what makes it all tick. No thank you.

>>27899441
"Well it's stopped hurting which is good enough for me."

"Could it be because my father is lelan?" You ask.
"I doubt it." She says. "Try stretching."
You take a deep breath, and twist from side to side. It's still stiff, but you don't seem to be bleeding into your lungs, and nothing is constantly digging into your lung anymore. You twist wrong, and find yourself coughing up something black. Tarda pats your shoulders rather hard, and a few moments you're up again.
"That should pass after a while. All that extra material, see."
"Cromwell told me he all but figured out lifeblood. You might want to talk to him about it"
"I will." She says. "Not like I can do much more with the Indomitable Project right now, anyway."

Tarda shimmies down the vine rope, making her way to the bottom of the temple, and stomps toward Cromwell's tower, leaving you and Ann behind.
The sun is still high in the sky, and you're feeling a lot better than you have since E.E slipped his blade through your ribs. The day is your oyst-
"Are you okay?" Ann asks. "What happened?"
She looks worried. So does Bruno, now that you think of it.

>>27899602
"Just some minor trouble after I was stabbed by my boss. That's one thing good about being royalty actually, there's no boss, so there's no stabbing potential, you know?"

>>27899602

"Well, that thing which saved my life after I almost died? seems like it is now the thing slowly killing me, and we have no idea what is making it go bad."

"Also, my boss is in town, you might want to steer clear of him. Seriously, you want to do that."

>>27899602
"My heart is melting."

"Well, the thing which saved my life after I almost died?" You ask. "It seems like it's now the thing that's slowly killing me, and we have no idea what is making it go bad."
"... Oh." She says.
"Also, my boss is in town. You might want to steer clear of him. Seriously, you want to do that."
"Your boss? Why steer clear of him?"
"He's the one who stabbed me. That's one thing good about being royalty, actually. There's no boss, so there's no stabbing potential, you know?"
"... I don't think bosses are supposed to stab people." She says, eyes wide.

You shrug. He's a pretty good boss when he stays away from you for years on end, after all.
"I've decided." Ann says, suddenly. You look over to her. "I'm crossing being Tarda's apprentice off of my list of choices. The runes are fun, but the way she was talking... It's like she doesn't even consider us real people. I don't want to look at people like that when I grow up."
She frowns.
"She is grown up, right?"
"She just looks that way." You say, and look out over the horizon.

You swear you remember Rebel talking about some lost ruins in the woods... And the caves seem marginally safer now that you have free roam over the kobold territory. You have a few ways you can spend the rest of your day...
>Do you want to do anything in particular, or buy things from the caravan, or talk to ___?

>>27899800

see if the Caravan has any basic first aid supplies we can take with us.

we should probably have a look around the caves, with Mal present if possible but just having a look shouldn't be to risky.

>>27899800
Weren't the lost ruins in the woods the ones we found Rebel in?

Anyway, I'm down for doing some more cave exploring.

>>27899877

possibly a different location, the facility where Rebel was housed might have some fun things though, last time we were there we got out without looking further.

>>27899800
More armor from the caravan. See what weapons they've got
I really want to increase the pressure in our steamsling so it's got more punch.

>>27899923

that would put a much greater strain on its structure, and we've been doing fine with it so far.

>The steamsling has as much punch as it can have. Any stronger and you wouldn't be able to wield it in one hand.

You say your goodbyes to Ann, and make your way down the side of the temple to approach the caravan. Mal is lying back in his wagon, relaxing, so you give him a wave. You make your way up to the caravan.
"Do you need anything else?" The caravaneer asks. He gives you a pleasant smile, obviously glad to see you - no doubt because you've sold him plenty of treasure.
"Well, I need some basic first aid supplies." You say. Mal's own had been lost when you fought the large golem-remnants, after all. The caravanneer takes out a medium-sized wooden box, and the two of you haggle for a time before finally trading coin and supplies.

"What weapons and armor do you have?" You ask.
"Well, I have little of either." He says. "Few request weapons or armor this far away from the capital..." He says. "I do have some leather armor, but I know for a fact that that guardsman's overcoat is tougher than it. Claws and arrows should have problem getting through... But it's smashing attacks you need to be wary of, as for the lack of a breastplate."

He looks you up and down. "But I do think I have a weapon that might suit you..."

He climbs into the back of the caravan, and brings out a large, heavy thing made mostly of steel. It's almost like a miniature cannon, with lovingly carved wooden accessories.
"This is a beauty, isn't it? It's an old firearm from one of the noble houses in lelan. Takes a very long time to load a single shot, but that single shot is like a rampaging jackolope. It took me a lot to get my hands on it. But for it... I don't want money. I'd like a task."
"What kind of task?" You ask.
"I heard, based on a complete rumor, that there's treasure in a cave not far from here." He says. "It's a gleaming blue stone, and the scholars back home are dying for a piece of it. If you promise to go try and find some to bring to me, I'll give you this."

>>27900092
"I've seen a few gleaming blue stones in my travels here. Got any more info on what it looks like?"

>>27900092

"Do you know why they want it so badly?"

we should try and ask Cromwell about any gleaming blue stones, he's a scholar too after all.

>>27900092
>Would these happen to be the caves with the Kobolds in as well?

"I'll try and do what I can, but I can't make any guarantees."

"I've seen a few gleaming blue stones in my travels here. Got any more info on what it looks like?"
"The size, mostly." He says. "It's the same material as the blue crystal in golem hearts, but many times larger."
"Do you know why they want it so badly?"
"No, I don't, I'm afraid." He says. "Something about storing information. Which makes little sense- couldn't they use parchment? But they're willing to pay for it."
"Well... I'll try and do what I can, but I can't make any guarantees."
"In that case, I may as well give this to you now. If you can't find the stone, you can go ahead and give this weapon back."

He holds out the weapon, and you hold it up in two hands. It's like a very, very sturdy musket, with a barrel thick enough to club someone with. It's too short to be useful as a club, though.
"And here's your ammunition." He says, holding out enormous pointed shells. They're very... weighty. Behind that, he hands you a small pile of enormous pouches full of gunpowder. "You'll need to load the powder pouch first, and put the slug in there next. Make sure to hold it with both of your hands when you pull the trigger, will you?"

>>27900284

"I think I will."

This will come in handy as a initiation weapon.

let's go tell Mal we're going stone hunting.

but we'll have to make a stop at Cromwell and Tarda, they probably know more about the rocks.

>>27900284
"I'll do just that. If I can't find this stone, then I'll bring it straight back."

>>27900284
Go find Mal

<Bro, we're going cave exploring.>

>>27900284
Guys, didn't tarda say both the Rune project crystal and the golem hearts came from the same rock? We should maybe ask her something about it.

>>27900463
Yeah we should go see her first.

>>27900433
Somebody post that cave explorer comic.

"I think I will." You say, and toy with the weapon for a time. You practice loading it, but you're nowhere near as skilled as you are with the steamsling- reloading won't be either fast or easy. You load it for now, keeping the wheelock down, and sling it onto your back.

You make your way back to Mal, and knock his forearm with yours.
<Wanna go cave exploring, bro?> You ask.
<Hell yeah.> He says. <It's probably best to keep away from the village while your boss and my paid merc is here. Something might go wrong.>
<Let's to make a stop at Cromwell's. Tarda's there, and she might know something.>
<Alright.> He says.

You explain the basics of the job, and Mal, upon learning there's no monetary gain for doing it, figured out how to split the treasure- in that, if you happen to find anything *but* the crystal, he gets it.

You knock on the door, and Cromwell pulls it open.
"I have guests." Cromwell says, looking behind him.
"Might as well let them in. I know who it is, anyway." Tarda says.
Cromwell opens the door the rest of the way, and the two of you enter. Tarda looks uncharacteristically... meek. She's sitting in a chair, and there's a very obvious 'personal bubble' she's keeping, making sure to sidle away from Cromwell as he comes near. She looks incredibly, incredibly uncomfortable here.
"Anyway, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Cromwell asks. "I was just talking to the High Wizard about my theories on lifeblood transplants."

>>27900575
"Ah, well, CaravanMan wants me to get some blue shining rocks from nearby caves. Sounds exactly like the rune core, though. Is there anything I need to worry about if I want to grab a piece?"

>>27900575

"The caravan master told me about gleaming blue rocks which a lot of scholars back towards civilization would LOVE to get their hands on. they are made from the same stone as the golem cores, thought you two might be able to tell me a bit more about it and if it would be safe to trade them."

>maybe ask Tarda if something is the matter?

>>27900575
"I made a deal with the caravan to find, according to his description, something that sounds like the core of your project, in the local caves. Are there any of those big crystals left?"

>>27900682
>>maybe ask Tarda if something is the matter?
Isn't she just creeped out by Cromwell? Wouldn't hurt to ask I suppose.

>>27900728

probably, it's also sort of amusing.

"The caravan master wants some blue shining rocks from nearby caves." You say. "It sounds exactly like the rune core, though, and they're made from exactly the same as the golem cores. I thought you two might be able to tell me a bit more about it, and if it would be safe to trade them."
"There's a lot of it." She says, still uncomfortable. "It's extremely difficult to mine, but we've had minions working on carving out large parts of it. I doubt the minions have stopped by now, so they likely have some large stones to take. Then again, they could be just as wild as the remnants in the city, or controlled... Or even monsters tried eating them. A lot of things could have gone wrong. But there's enough to trade, if it's just once."

You nod, and look from Cromwell to Tarda.
"You okay? Something the matter?" You ask.
Tarda's eyes widen, and she glances at the pleasantly smiling Cromwell.
"What? No, no, everything's fine." She says. "I'm just, um, slightly unnerved."

>>27900842
"About? Learnt some horrible revelations about lifeblood energy?"

>>27900842

"Science does differ heavily from magic, so that is understandable."

should probably ask about it when we get back.

"About?" You ask. "Learnt some horrible revelations about lifeblood energy?"
"What? No, that's not it." Tarda says.

"She finds me unnerving." Cromwell says. "Because of an... incident in my childhood, I apparently lack lifeblood, which throws off her senses."
"It's like you're a doll pretending to be a person." Tarda frowns.
"I find it interesting, for the most part." Cromwell adds.
"Science does differ heavily from magic, so that is understandable."
"Not quite." Cromwell says. "Science and magic do differ... the same way natural philosophers and engineers differ. Wizards don't seek *why* things work, but *how* to do them. Whatever works is suitable to them."

"Again, thank you." Tarda murmurs, refusing to meet Cromwell's eyes.
"Oh, it's more than worth it for these notes." Cromwell says.
Then, quite suddenly, Cromwell whirls around to face you and Mal. "Anyway, here is our current working theory for as to what is going strange about your heart."
He points a finger at you. "Lifeblood is, among other things, an energy born from the concept of ownership. This is also the energy that powers minions and remnants. Your remnant, according to Ms. High Wizard, is heavily degenerated and enormously powerful. It appears as if your ownership of it is giving you some kind of... abnormal feedback."

"Maybe." Tarda says. "Even though I've never heard of anything like this before."

>>27901077
"So it's probably something about my ownership, specifically?"

>>27901077

"So, if i can somehow reverse the degeneration on Steve, it might stop my heart from acting up?"

>>27901077
"What kind of abnormal feedback? Do I need to get rid of Steve?"

>>27901077
"But I don't want to banish Steve. Can I shift ownership of him?"

"... What kind of abnormal feedback?"
"Minions can communicate wordlessly with one another." Tarda says. "Some of my master's notes mention that they do it through pulses of lifeblood energy, which also allows them to tell when their masters are near, but... Well, you have remnant body parts too, so it's messing with you too."

"It suggests some kind of resonance." Cromwell continues. "Your heart is reacting to your remnant's presence. And the confusion that a remnant's body goes through is somehow getting transferred."
"So, if I can somehow reverse the degeneration on Steve, it might stop my heart from acting up?"
"It'd be a lot easier to dismiss him." Tarda says.
"But I don't want to banish him. Can I shift ownership of him? Is it *my* ownership, specifically?"
"Yes." Tarda says. "Then again, a remnant so degenerated still listening to someone? That has to be your effect on him. That's why he hasn't gone wild yet, is my theory. It goes both ways. If you transfer ownership to someone else, it might go wild."

>>27901230
"Ah, such dilemma. It's only when I get injured, so, I just have to not get injured for now."

>>27901230
"Do you have a safety bunker room or something we can do the ownership transfer in?"

>>27901230

I really don't want to get rid of Steve but if it becomes to dangerous we really should, even if we manage to revert our heart back to a human one, Steve might still go on a rampage.

"how much time do you reckon I have?"

>>27901230
"I guess today'll be the last day for Steve, then."

"Ah, such a dilemma." You say. "It's only when I get injured, right?"
"Yeah, It seems to be." Tarda says. "Else I'd have noticed it earlier. Maybe when you're hurt, it weakens enough of your lifeblood that some returns from the remnant..."

"Do you have a safety bunker room or something we can do the ownership transfer in?"
"You really intend to do that?" Tarda asks. "It would be easier to just destroy it. Or possibly send it to destroy itself against Kaederi's barrier. The latter is probably the best idea."
You think about it for a while...

>[] Leave Steve be for now. He's extremely powerful, which could come in handy. You just have to not get injured.
>[] Try to transfer ownership to someone else. Who?
>[] Destroy Steve personally.
>[] Order steve to go attack Kaederi until either the barrier or Steve is destroyed.
>[] Other?

>>27901479
Modify Steve's Form into a suit of Armor!

>>27901479

>Destroy Steve personally.

hate to do it, but we've not exactly been very good at avoiding injury.

>>27901479
>[X] Order steve to go attack Kaederi until either the barrier or Steve is destroyed.

BLAZE OF GLORY

>>27901479
"Hold on a sec. If I send it at Kaedri, he won't be able to forcibly take control will he? And it won't backfire on us, will it?"

Let's just decide what to do later. Keep Steve around to help us take care of whatever the fuck we find in the mines.

>>27901479
>>[] Leave Steve be for now. He's extremely powerful, which could come in handy. You just have to not get injured.

>>27901587
Seconding this. Kaederi getting ahold of Steve isn't a good thing at all. Let's just take care of the dungeon first and come back to this decision. Heck, let's bring Steve with us if we decide as we go.

>>27901594
Seconding this. Stop trying to hit us with the nerf bat Exabutt!

"Hold on a sec." You say. "If I send it at Kaederi, he won't be able to forcibly take control, will he? And it won't backfire on us, will it?"
"I doubt he has a remnant heart." Tarda says. "He won't be able to keep it under control like you have been. Your remnant is too degenerated."
"... I'll decide later." You say. "I'll decide after I go to the cave. For now, he'll stick with me."
"Good idea." She says. "Even if there's nothing wrong, you'll still need some muscle to take care of the crystal."

You call for Steve, and the remnant quickly enters the tower as well, alongside Mal.
"Is there anything else you wanted?" Cromwell asks. "And before you ask, I've taken a look at the golems, but it seems their cores are both too destroyed to use."

"And the temple isn't the fastest way to get to the mine." Tarda says. "Go to the beach, then head north. There should be an outcropping there with an entrance. Unless there's been some kind of earthquake or a cave-in."

>Anything else before going to the caves?

>>27901732
"Unless you've discovered some miraculous concepts or invented any new things I can use, that'll be it, I think."

Do we pass by Leroy's farm on the way to the beach? We should recharge the cloaking field if we do.

>>27901732

have a quick look to see if Miriam is doing alright being carried off by E.E and then leg it to the beach.

>>27901765
Heck, even it if isn't, we should go out of our way to top up on electricity and steam-pressure. Also let someone besides the two marginally-crazy people know where we are heading in the case we don't return by nightfall.

>>27901732
"You said anybody can move soulforce. Can you use it cause harm to others?"

"Earlier, you said anybody can move soulforce. Can you use it to cause harm to others?"
"Probably." Tarda says. "But it's definitely not easy, even for us wizards. It'd be almost impossible for those without the talent."
You nod.
"Unless you've discovered some miraculous concepts or invented any new things I can use, that'll be it, I think."
"Take care, then." Cromwell says with a wave. You nod to him, nod to Mal, and walk out.

<What was that all about?> Mal asks.
<About Steve, mostly.> You say, and explain as you walk back into town. It's not toward the coast, obviously, but it is toward the tavern and Leroy's farm. You eye the tavern, finding E.E and Marcus scarfing down food on opposite sides of the room, while Miriam cooks. You continue on, to Leroy's farm, and borrow his generator. It takes a short while pedaling on it to recharge your cloaking device, but eventually, it's full.

The two of you turn straight around, and head back toward town, and then the coast. It isn't far, as always. You head northward, along the coast, and you eventually reach some cliffs overlooking the ocean- and there, held up by large marble pillars is the entrance to the mines.
<I think they had to use stone because the metal would rust, or the wood would rot.> Mal says, and looks over the entrance. He takes a step closer, and the pillars crackle with power.
<Warning. The titan mines are forbidden from entry from unauthorized non-wizards.> They buzz at you in kystaran. <You will be incapacitated if you attempt entry.>

You translate for Mal, and he frowns.
<Then how do we get in?> He asks.

>>27901957
<We've been authorised to get in by Third Wizard!>

>>27901957
"I think we may need Tarda for this one."

>>27901957
Do we have that badge thing we got from Rebel's base? wave that around

Rolled 90

>>27901957
Ask rebel?

"I think we may need Tarda for this one." You say, and think about it for a bit. Then, you reach into your bag, and hold out the visitor's badge.
<We've been authorized to get in by the Third Wizard!>

There's a delay, and then the pillars stop crackling.
<Access Granted. Reason for entry: Rebel Project.>

You and Mal meet eyes, rather stunned that that worked, and enter the mine.

The halls are long, but quiet. There's little light for you, and it just goes straight west. No bends, no corners, no nothing... At least, until you find a large, closed metal door. You tug on it.

It's rusted.

You have Steve tug on it, and he pries the entire thing open, making it groan and squeal loudly.
Almost two dozen crouched remnants turn to face you.

Face you- as in, they have no eyes. The eyeless remnants are all carrying picks, and their hands and feet are webbed, all with three claws. They start clicking to eachother. They're sitting around a large chunk of gleaming crystal, as if it were a campfire. Through the darkness, there are various tunnels, both natural and held up by pillars, throughout the corners of the chamber.
One remnant raises a hand toward you, as if reaching out to try to touch you. It clicks more loudly.

Mal draws his musket.

>What do?

>>27902164
<Mal, firebomb. Steve, close the door after Mal's thrown it.>

>>27902164
Let steve deal with them, while we provide fire support

>>27902164
Um.....these guys don't seem like they're degraded. They're certainly not mindlessly violent.

>>27902164
Uh.

Hello?

>>27902186
>>27902211
Guys...they aren't attacking us. Could we NOT escalate this purposefully?

>>27902256
Holding off to see what they do isn't a bad idea.

Rolled 96

>>27902164
Don't let that fucker touch you, jump back and ready our new gun, it's strong so try to line up a good shot that can take out at least 2 of them if we have to.
Say "stop" in kystarin.

Warily, you look to Mal.
<Prepare a firebomb, but don't throw it.> You tell him, and step in.

You raise a hand, and change to kystaran. <Uh... Hello?> You ask.
It clicks again. Then drops its pick.

Then it whirls back and clicks to the other minions. It starts clicking rapidly, and the rest of the remnants suddenly spring to their feet.
You back away, raising your weapon as they dust themselves off. They start clicking rapidly, and bolt toward the tunnels.
And then, as you watch, one runs back into the main chamber and drops some of the crystal. Then a second does the same. And a third, and fourth. All differently-sized fragments of the stone, in different sizes.
Finally, they dust themselves off again, and bow to you.

There's the one piece they were sitting around, less than a dozen large chunks you'd have trouble carrying yourself, and half a hundred of the small, golem core-sized chunks.

<This was... a lot easier than I'd thought.> Mal says.

Seriously, WHY IS EVERYBODY TRIGGERING HOSTILE?

They aren't asking hostile at all, they aren't degraded as far as we can tell, and considering behind the fucking lightning wall and the rusted-shut gate, they are unlikely to have so much as SEEN Failure.

>>27902421
Oh lord.
<Steve, please take the form of a wagon, and in place of wheels, legs.>

Then get the miner remnants to load up the crystals.

Rolled 33

>>27902421
Gather up the loot, leave the stone that the remnants were sitting around alone.
Try to see if you can get any more

>>27902465
Pretty sure they just delivered all the stone they've mined.

>>27902421
This is something we just HAVE to tell Tarda, these remnants have just been waiting to deliver this all this time and either did not degrade at all, all degraded in the same way without eating each other or something else entirely. This can be very useful, but I can't think of how as I'm tired right now.

Rolled 84

>>27902586
In 16 years that's all they got? Lazy bums the lot of them, I just assumed that they gave us a typical load. I would hate to leave without at least poking my head around a little bit...

>>27902429
To be fair, they're probably the first remnants we met that aren't being directly controlled and aren't hostile.

>>27902421
It'd be cool as fuck if we could smash some of them into shards and shoot them as ammo from our steam pistol. Maybe they're like depleted uranium where the smaller the shards get the more they have a tendency to self sharpen, and set oxygen on fire.

<Steve, please take the form of a wagon, and in place of wheels, legs.>
Steve's beady red eyes blink at you, and then he splits open vertically, tendrils writhing wildly from his insides.
There's a cacaphonous howl, and Mal jerks, turning around to see a nearly infinite amount of wild black tendrils rampaging around him, all melding together into a pair of legs.
A moment later, Steve is humanoid again, on the ground. Then it gets to its feet again.

It's most decidedly not a wagon, you realize, as you see the deep scores Steve's wild tendris had dug into the stone surrounding the cavern. It had apparently avoided hurting you and Mal, but just barely.

<What the fuck?> Mal asks. <What the *fuck*?>
<... Let's just get what we can.> You say. You pick up most of the smaller crystals, putting them in a pack, and try to lift one of the medium chunks. You and Mal are just able to lift it, so you simply leave it to Steve.
<Steve, carry that chunk and follow me.>

The three of you turn around to leave, making sure to close the door behind you...
And standing, just outside of the cave, is a Remnant. It's long limbed, much too thin, and has four eyes.
In one hand, it has a very long, thin sword. It makes your spine tingle. Beneath it's feet is a large pool of some strange kind of black ichor, crawling underneath it... Like it's alive.
<And now you steal important resources from the kystaran nation.> The figure says, through Kaederi's voice. <Typical.>

>>27902863
<I wouldn't say it's stealing if it's been unused for more than ten years.>

Rolled 43

>>27902863
Electric+lance

No words, just boom

>>27902863
<Come on dude, just give up. It's not even like we're fighting you or anything anymore.>

>>27902863
<Steal? Come on, I've got an official pass from the third wizard and everything. Of course I'm actually selling them, but it's not like you knew that.>

>>27902863
<It's not stealing. It's salvaging things from nation long dead.>

>>27902863
<Are you going to fight us? I'm really not in the mood today. I've been stabbed by my boss already this morning.>

>>27902945
<yet I am not the one using the life force of the kystaran people as a power source so I don't think you have the moral high ground here
..
.>
.

>>27903005
Let's not tip our hand just yet.

<I wouldn't say it's stealing if it's been unused for more than ten years.>
<It's stealing if it belongs to someone else.>
<I've got an official pass from the third wizard and everything. Of course, I'm actually->
<The third wizard seeks to tear apart everything I've worked toward.> He interrupts you. <She is a traitor to the country, as are you. As was your mother. I've no desire to play with you any more. Begone.>
He raises his sword.

Mal fires, but the strange ichor on the ground springs up, whipping the bullet away from its trajectory.
Steve senses that you're going to fight, gently sets down the chunk he's carrying, waiting for the order to fight.

Rolled 13

>>27903156
What did you say about my momma?
>use all of the runes. ALL of them

Rolled 19

>>27903156
<Steve, keep him busy.>

I want to shoot him with our new gun.

>>27903156
"Steve tear him apart"

>>27903156
What are your plans anyways? Why is Tarda so evil!?

Rolled 14

>>27903156
Can we use the earth rune to grow a big spike from under him?

>>27903336
Not with these rolls.

>>27903156
"Why don't you actually come and fight me instead of being a big bitch and using sockpuppets."

Rolled 89

>>27903387
I can't remember, does he take whatever rolls or does he call them first?

Rolled 89

>>27903204
Use all of the element runes and lance. Something should get through, worst case we waste runes we hardly ever use, best case, we summon captan planet. Worth it!

<What are your plans anyways? Why is Tarda so evil!?>
<Because she's trying to prevent me from acting for the good of us all.> He responds. He thrusts a palm out, and a sliver of light shoots out toward Mal. The bashiki barely dodges, and starts to scrabble to his feet.
<Steve.> You say. <Tear him apart.>

The remnant springs forward, his power fast enough to crack the ground beneath him. He tears closer to Kaederi's remnant, punching a hole through the black ichor that raised to stop him.

Kaederi recieves Steve's charge with a single hand. A moment later, there's a strange, arcane sphere around Steve. He's floating there, drifting away from the wizard's remnant, spinning wildly. The harder he struggles and tries to reach Kaederi, the faster he spins.

<I am curious how you're able to control this... *thing*, but no matter.> The remnant says.

But by this point, you're already acting. You grit your teeth, and raise your gun to fire. It's already locked and loaded. All you need to do is fire.

>DC: 60. Failure.
But just as you pull the trigger, a whip of remnantstuff comes out of the ground, knocking your weapon to the side. With an echoing, enormous bang, the weapon jerks hard in your hands, the slug tearing out and into the sky.
<Why don't you come and fight me, instead of being a big bitch and using sock puppets.> You snarl.
<Because I would fail, die, and all of this would be for naught.> He responds. <You're simply a better fighter than me. I have no allusions as to my own skill.>

The remnant springs toward you, silver sword in hand. Your spine tingles with energy, and you sling your heavy gun onto one hip.

Then, lowering yourself and lowering your center of gravity, you press your hands together.
<Earth-Time-Blast-Surround-Self-Lightning.> You snarl, all in one breath.

You feel something in your arms tense, and power surge through your body.
>Roll Affinity. Unknown difficulty.

Rolled 82

>>27903509
This is a bad idea.

Rolled 88

>>27903509
This is where we unintentionally discover the formula for a magical nuclear explosion right?

Rolled 14

>>27903509
>Affinity
Haha good thing we're skill-

No, wait, we aren't. Because the idiots demanding claws and hurr mutation threw that away.

>>27903536
Or a really good idea

Rolled 95

>>27903509
Let the crazy stuff begin!

File: 1382568777357.png-(2 KB, 169x169, DEFINITELYFINALDUNGEON.png)

2 KB PNG

DC: 80. Success

Time slows.

That's the only thing you can be sure of. A field surrounds you and Kaederi's remnant, the silver sword wrenching itself toward you. Slowly, you watch it come closer- and peel itself, flecks of silver falling away until Kaederi's swing is complete. Lightning wrenches around you, becomes you, as you reach forward.

With imperceptible slowness, your mind dazed and confused, you reach for Kaederi's remnant. Your power surges as you touch its head, and then you clench your palm.

Your fingers melt through the remnant's skull like puddy.

A moment later, there's a cacaphonous bang, and you find yourself falling to your hands and knees. Your limbs twitch, uncontrollably, and you howl.
You're not sure why you're howling- if it's in pain or in triumph- and then you realize that it's not yours.

It's Kaederi's howling, from far, far away. You can hear it, over the horizon.
Time returns to normal, and you're kneeling in the sand outside of the mine.

Surrounding you is nothing but sand, superheated into glass and somehow instantly cooled. The remnant is nowhere to be found.

You hear a roar of anger- and something blazes into existence. An emerald fortress, quivering with power.
<... It's coming all the way down here.> Mal says, his voice low.

>Pic related!
>Also, end of session!
>My twitter is at @futureexabyte
>The IRC is #Exabyte on Rizon

>>27903749
Thanks for running, Exabyte.

>>27903749
>Kaederi's swing is complete
Is supposed to be;
>Kaederi's sword is completely gone, no more than a hilt.

>>27903749
Where Steve @? he okay?

>>27904261
I hope Steve is okay. He's awesome.

>>27904261
>>27904279
Steve is okay. The sphere vanished when you atomized the remnant.

>>27904309
Steve doesn't like turning into a wagon though? What's up with that?

I wanted to haul all the crystals out and dump them on everyone in town.

>>27904346
>Steve doesn't like turning into a wagon, though? What's up with that?
It seems that he doesn't have the control necessary. There may be a reason he's in a humanoid form as opposed to the forms you've set him in.