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Previous Thread: http://archive.foolz.us/tg/thread/29629082/

((Warning: While I don't aspire to make this quest outright explicit, it may contain materials that some players will find offensive, objectionable, or just unappealing. Viewer discretion is advised.))

Walking into the great hall you can already see the other mages seated at a long table. With the exception of another empty chair in the far corner the others appear to be here already. You slide into an empty seat near the rear and appraise the others.

A blonde caucasian woman like you, she is dressed quite casually in jeans and a halterneck.
An Indian looking man in a suit. He's quite handsome and has long curly hair.
A caucasian brunette with braided hair.
An asian woman. She looks conspicuously older than the others.
An ambiguously brown young man with a line of freckles across his face.
A very short caucasian brunette with large, brown eyes.
A tall, blonde man wearing a white suit.
The last chair is empty.

The Mage's Association judge, Kelen Elz, strolls in behind you. “Greetings friends, and welcome. It is my great pleasure to welcome you all once again to this most auspicious gathering. You have been chosen by your respective houses to take part in this two hundred and thirty seventh tournament of dreams. To be chosen is a great honor, and a great responsibility. Now that we are all gathered I will go over the rules one more time. You may only challenge an opponent in their dreams, and only one challenge may be issued to a person per night. The tournament is only over once all remaining parties agree so before a judge. You may not harm any of your opponents physically. No aggression during daylight hours will be tolerated. Beyond these rules, you are free to do as you wish. Now then, if there aren't any other questions I will leave you to one another."

>Ask Kelen something.
>Leave and prepare.
>Other?

>>29801476
>>Leave and prepare.

>>29801476
If someone is asleep during the daytime, are they fair game?

(To self: Is a daydream dream-state enough for a challenge?)

>>29801645
>No aggression during daylight hours will be tolerated

>>29801695
So what, we just switch up our rythm and bam, challenge immunity?

>>29801645
You raise your hand and speak. “And what about the daytime? If we happen to be asleep then can we challenge others?”

“I'm afraid not,” Elz shakes his head. “For the sake of the judges and to give all contestants a level playing field we are restricting challenges to night time. There's no rule that you must sleep at night, but we must insist that you stay awake during the day. Association judges will be watching to enforce this rule.”

>Anything else?
>Let's get going.

>>29801759
Awww nerts!

Oh well.

>Leave and prepare, whatever that entails.

>>29801759
Well it was worth a shot. Glancing around the room you decide to head back to your room and prepare a strategy. Trying to wheedle information out of your opponents at this stage would be like talking to a brick wall, and you never had much patience for socializing anyhow. As you make your way out the side door though a figure quickly catches up and grabs your arm. You wheel around to discover the tall brunette from earlier.

"Hello Sally," she says with a grin. "We have a lot to talk about.

Your name, she knows who you are, and god only knows what else. Preparations for your entry were made with the utmost secrecy. Nobody else should know who you are, not even....

The woman produces a dimly glowing tally, a metal coin marked with the emerald tree of house Kenet. "No need to worry, we're on the same side. You can call me Freia. Our superiors informed me of your arrival and said we should cooperate. I have some information you might find interesting. What do you say?"

You turn the offer over in your mind. It's unlikely that the tally is a fake, or even stolen as mages sometimes (illegally) do. The association surely would have caught such a crude deception on entry. But that doesn't mean she's trustworthy. Kenet is hardly known for it's cooperative spirit, and you've never seen this girl before. On the other hand, you don't have much to go on and she already seems to know more than enough about you....

>Tell me more.
>Get lost.

>>29802015

>Tell me more.

>>29801772
It's cool, we can still play music all night to stop anyone else from sleeping.

>>29802015
>Tell me more

>>29802379
>>29802258
You can't run away from this. If she knows your real name, she knows your background. If she knows your background she might know your dreams. Too dangerous to ignore, and besides there's always the chance that she's genuine in her desire to help you.

“I'm listening.” You say cautiously.

“Wonderful,” she claps her hands and drags you off into a more secluded side room. “I'm so glad I have somebody to rely on here. It's so nerve wracking thinking anybody might try to attack me tonight.” She fishes through her pockets as she continues to speak. “As I'm sure you know we have... certain interests... in house Maya. In a stroke of good luck, our agents have informed us that one of their members is trying to defect. To whom and why we don't know, but we do know that they are here, participating in the the games.”

>Is this legal?
>What else do you know?
>And you want me to.... what?
>Other

>>29802500
>Is this legal?
>What else do you know?
>And you want me to.... what?

What does she get out of this, and who told her about us? Trust is a two way street.

>>29802814
“Even still... it's not much to go on. How are we going to find this person, and what do you expect me to do about it if we do?”

“We know this Maya wants to escape, and we have this.” She finally finishes fishing around in her pockets and produces a piece of paper. It appears to be a sketch of some kind, of a lush tropical area with a Japanese structure in it. “Our agent was able to touch their dream for a moment, and this is what he saw before he had to flee. If you seek this out while searching dreams you'll be sure to find them.”

“Alright, so why me? It's nice of you to be so cooperative, but why not attack them yourself if you think this will be such an easy get?”

(1/2)

>>29803342
“I never said easy. It's likely that the Maya entered this person into the tournament as an excuse to kill them. That means we don't have much time before they make their move. We need somebody to go in there and convince them to surrender to us, by force if necessary. I'm too well known. You can be sure there were people in that room who know me, and who are waiting for me to expend too much energy so they can attack me in turn.”

“But I'm expendable, is that it?”

Freia sighs exasperatedly. “You're not well known. No offense but you're rather low rank, unlikely to know anything useful.” She sees your face dimming and quickly tries to turn the conversation around. “But too strong in a fight to crush outright. Please. This could be an important break for us. If we get a hold on the information in his head, and his power, it could be a huge advantage later on. You want to win right?”

>Alright.
>Do your own dirty work.
>I have concerns about this (what?)

>>29803366
>Alright.

Can't really think of any concerns.

>>29803522
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Are you sure you can't give me anything else to work with though? Details of where this person is from? What kind of rank they held?"

"Sorry, even I'm not trusted with that kind of information. If either of us lose, Kenet needs to be able to control the damage. If I could fight with you I would, but rules are rules. You're on your own for this one."

For all your reservations, this isn't an offering to pass up. Forcing a surrender would be a huge coup for you. As much as it pains you to admit it, your standing in house Kenet isn't so high that you have been entrusted with any kinds of valuable intelligence or techniques yet. But if you could take a Maya mage, that might change.

>Go to sleep.
>Do something else first.
((You might do well to think about your strategy before you go in. How much willpower are you willing to invest in the fight, and how will you go at it? For reference here again is your character sheet from the first thread.))

Sally Wainwright
House Kenet: Masters of emotion.
Full Moon: You prefer to attack, you are as comfortable in the dreams of others as in your own.
Hot Blooded: You have trouble controlling your emotions sometimes.
Autophobia: you can't stand being alone.

Your avatar is a humanoid figure made up of coruscating wreaths of flame and water that are constantly destroying one another. You have an easy time working with fire and water.

>>29803793
All in, go to sleep.

WE WILL STEAMROLL WHOEVER IT IS AND MAKE THEM OUR SEX SLAVE.

>>29803793
>Go to sleep.

Let's go all in.
Well crush the first one and make everyone else lose their will to fight us.

>>29803961
... Can we do that? Fuck around in their mind and make them do what we want?

>>29803961
It's late. You make your way back to your room and prepare. Laying out your implements, you quickly down a specially made sleeping drought and lay down on the bed. No more time for hesitation, by the time you awaken you'll either be a real contender in this tournament or..... well it doesn't bear thinking about. You're going to win.

As to potion seizes hold you feel your thoughts retreating. Just as you've trained, you wait and then extend your mind outward in the last moments of consciousness. Free from your body you begin searching through the mists of the elsewhere. Calling up the drawing from your memory you focus on the details. Palm trees, mountains, a shrine. All at once the scene presents itself before you. You dive headlong into the dream before it slips away, barely taking the time to conceal your avatar as you enter.

>>29804126
You can absolutely do that, but to make somebody a slave would involve degrading their ability to think so severely that they'd be nearly worthless.

(1/2)

>>29804217
Why not just remove sexual inhibitions, then?

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>>29804217
Grass. You're lying in grass. You stand up slowly and get your bearings. The area around you is a lush tropical paradise. Palm trees sway in the breeze, flocks of small birds fly from treetop to treetop, and above it all a large set of cloud capped mountains enclose the area. You stroll out a few yards to a nearby stream to inspect yourself. You managed to hide your avatar passably. You now appear as a tall, red headed woman with glowing blue eyes. It will conceal you for now, but might break down under heavy fighting. You were never the best at illusions.

Strangely nothing has come to greet your intrusion. You listen intently, but hear nothing but the chirping of birds and the wind blowing gently through the forest. Hiding, the coward. Well you'll just need to flush him out, or try to talk him down. To your north you can see the shrine outlined in the drawing, and to your west a path leads away to a domed building.

>Go North
>Go West
>Try to talk to.... somebody.
>Do something else?

>>29804433

>start a forest fire
else
>go west

>>29804433
>>Go North

Let's checkout the shrine. It's important.

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>>29804724
>>29804890
"Hello?" You call out. Nothing answers except your echoing voice carrying on the wind.

This isn't how you imagined things going. You didn't come here to wander around some half baked mental amusement park. You don't like waiting, you hate Maya, and you absolutely cannot -stand- the idea of sitting around in a forest alone. Fuck this.

Summoning up your flames all at once you unleash a torrent of blue fire. It arcs across the forest floor, cutting dark lines in the earth and setting several of the trees alight. Regarding the smoldering trees, you take a deep breath and try to calm down. That was rash. You let the wind wash over you, smoothing the anger away until it's gone entirely. After several minutes, the gentle gusts pick up all at once into a furious gale. The blast tears through from the north, extinguishing your flames. You could feel it. Something out there, fuzzy, almost imperceptible, but definitely there.

Following the path north you arrive at the shrine. It's a large wood building in the Japanese style. There are streams all around, and flocks of peacocks and other birds sun themselves on the lawn. You look around, searching in vain for your opponent's avatar, can sense nothing. The wind rustles through a nearby tree in what sounds an awful lot like laughter.

>Calm down, it's just trying to waste your energy.
>Fuck calm, blow some shit up. He's in here somewhere.
>Any other strategies?

>>29805249
>Any other strategies?
>Calm down, it's just trying to waste your energy.

>>29805369
>>Any other strategies?

((That was a write-in prompt))

>>29805449
((That was a write-in prompt))

I know. I accidentally copied it and forgot to delete it. Please ignore it.

>>29805249
>Don't waste energies - concentrate your power in small beams and cut apart the house.

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>>29805249
You tamp down your anger and force yourself to focus. This is an obvious trick, an artless Maya ploy to make you waste all your energy so they can consume you all at once when you're weakest. There's no way you'd fall for something so rudimentary.

You make your way to the temple center and sit next to a large golden Buddha statue. The air is cool here, and the surroundings quiet. For as much as you hate being alone it's rather nice actually. You wonder if such a place really exists somewhere, or if it's just something this Maya cobbled together out of pictures and expectations. It would be a shame if that's all it amounted to.

Sitting crosslegged in contemplation, you can feel it here. There's definitely an avatar somewhere near but it's cloaked so heavily that you can't discern it's location. It takes all your focus just to perceive it's existence, and even that is difficult. The wind caresses you gently and causes the shape to slip from your mind. You'll just have to wait here is all. If you sit here patiently he's bound to reveal himself to you eventually. Besides, you could certainly think of worse places to be. If you wake now you'd just have to sit in your dingy little room waiting for another chance to attack. Why not enjoy the vacation?

>Keep calm and wait for him to reveal himself.
>Attack something.
>Leave this dream, we're not accomplishing anything here.

>>29805881
>>Attack something.
Take off the Buddhas head. It's like they've never read Gantz

>>29805881
Worth stating that there are other avenues you could pursue as well, if you like. It's not just those.

>>29805993
Fire lazers!

>>29805993
>>29806060
You don't feel the frustration like last time, only calm calculation. This mage already know you can work with fire, and you need to do something to provoke them. Looking up at the great statue you have an idea. You stand up abruptly and address nobody in particular.

"Well you know what they say! If you meet the Buddha....." Instead of finishing the sentence you suddenly focus a great torrent of fire into your fist. Striking forward you drive your fist into the Buddha's head, discharging the pent up flame. The head explodes violently, shrapnel littering the temple walls and floor.

A tapestry behind the great statue catches alight and begins to burn in a way you can only describe as "satisfyingly". All at once though the winds return, rushing through the halls to extinguish the fire before it can spread.

You can feel it, the avatar, exerting it's strength. If you can just pinpoint where it is!

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 7

>>29806363
Time to beat down an avatar and net us one servant.

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Rolled 59

>>29806363
Rolling.

>>29806422
Classy

Rolled 11

>>29806363

Welp. Was a fun quest.

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((system is best of three roll under btw, so hurray for you.)

>>29806422
It's soul flares for only a moment, but this time you're ready. As the winds rush through the hall you reach outward towards the source, pinpointing it at last. A tiny, brown bird, grazing on the lawns amongst others like it. A perfect camouflage. You've never seen a mage hide themselves so adeptly before. Even now you can barely sense the energy radiating out of it. If it escapes again you may not ever find it without burning this place to the ground. Maybe.... maybe you should just wait here for now? You don't feel confident about fighting right now, and you're sure if you just wait here patiently it will do something.

>Wait for the right moment to strike.
>Go out and ambush the bird. Take it now before it escapes.
>Leave this dream. We have his identity now. Let Freia take him if she wants him.
>Something else?

>>29806726
Also roll d100 if you want to attempt an ambush. You'll get bonuses if you can incorporate your favored elements.

>>29806726
>Go out and ambush the bird. Take it now before it escapes.

>>29806765
You'll get bonuses if you can incorporate your favored elements.

Are we a good enough water mage to hold them still through the water in their bodies? Does that skill eve transfer to dreamscape?

At wost let's see if we cant find some body of water to surprise attack and bind them with.

Rolled 80

>>29806857
Here, rolling

I think someone misarchived your quest.

>>29806857
We could always melt into water and move through the soil until we're under the bird, then strike.

Rolled 35

>>29806726
SET EVERYTHING ON FIRE.

THEN PELT IT WITH HAIL

>>29807028

In that case I would like to put my vote as well as my 80 roll towards that, please.

>>29807028
>We could always melt into water and move through the soil until we're under the bird, then strike.
>Are we a good enough water mage to hold them still through the water in their bodies?
Being a direct representation of the self, avatars are extremely difficult to manipulate. It is certainly beyond your skill, and that of most mages.

>At worst let's see if we cant find some body of water to surprise attack and bind them with.
There is a stream nearby. You have not yet shown the bird your affinity to water, and your disguise is still intact.

>>29807044
Also an option, though saturation bombing the area would be a massive investment of willpower. There is no ambient fire or hail to use.

Can we get a final consensus? I will count rolls independent of the plans they were attached to so nobody gets screwed.

Rolled 66

>>29807276
Slide into the groundwater, use it for spikes to attack from below. Once she starts flying, heat up the air and belt with firebolts.

We will give you a little code word that will erase your inhibitions, little birdie. You'll be all ours~

>>29806887 Here


>>29807276
>There is a stream nearby. You have not yet shown the bird your affinity to water, and your disguise is still intact.

Alright then we shall inconspicuously move move on the opposite side of the birds from where the water is. Then we'll use a wall of flame to heard them over the water and catch the avatar.

Rolled 59

>>29807414
YES.

>>29807321
>>29807414
>35
You attempt to saturate yourself into the earth for a surprise attack, but the pressure caused by your escaping steam almost instantly threatens to tear you apart. Well, so much for that plan.

Instead you opt to try encirclement by other means. You feign indifference, strolling slowly along the bank of the river while looking at nothing in particular. As you pass the flock of birds you wheel around suddenly and stamp your foot down with all your strength. The flock bursts into flight, a whirling cloud of colors scattering in every direction. As they start to climb you conjure a great wall of flame before you, feigning defense as you push the birds inexorably towards the river.

Just before the little mage reaches the river you can feel it hit you. Before it had been subtle, almost imperceptible, but this time is different. A deep, dull calm washes over you, chasing away your cares and threatening your focus. You know you need to keep your eyes on the bird but you desperately want to just sit down and wait.

>d100 to resist
>You should just wait. He's already fleeing, you'll never catch it. Why waste the energy chasing birds?
>>29807012
So they did. I lol'd.

Rolled 42

>>29807631
FUCK YOU BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRD

Rolled 96

>>29807631
>>d100 to resist

>35
How did a 80 and a 66 make a 35?

>Calm down, it's just trying to waste your energy.
>Keep calm and wait for him to reveal himself.
>Wait for the right moment to strike.
>You should just wait. He's already fleeing, you'll never catch it. Why waste the energy chasing birds?

Oh thank god we only picked that once.

>>29807677
You desperately struggle against the overwhelming tide. The attack caused you to lose the bird among his camouflage, and the entire flock is nearly at the center of the river now. If you can just pick him out of the flock again before it's too late!

There. As it reaches the middle of the stream you spring your trap. The river beneath the bird explodes into a ring of spray, which quickly contracts into a scintillating sphere of water suspended in the air. Extending your hand you coax the sphere over to the bank where you can get a better look.

Perfect. The little bird cheeps frenetically as it batters itself against the edges of it's cage in a frenzied effort to escape. You look up with one eye to notice that the sky has darkened and the wind around you has picked up considerably. The palm fronds shake menacingly as all the tranquility drains out of the air. You can feel the ominous force, plainly now, pushing on your construct, trying to get out. Just to be sure you empty more of your will into the prison before bending down to eye level.

“Hello pretty bird.”

>You've suffered enough of it's tricks. Crush it before it wastes anymore of your energy.
>You have it's avatar now, try to force an emotion onto it (How Much/What?).
>Try to talk to it.
>Other?

>>29807918
Muh trip.

Rolled 16

>>29807918
>>You have it's avatar now, try to force an emotion onto it (How Much/What?).
Intense loyalty to a person with the name (our name here). Not servitude, just deep, deep need to make us happy and gain our gratitude.

>>29807962
>Dat roll

Servant get.

Rolled 100

>>29807918
>You have it's avatar now, try to force an emotion onto it (How Much/What?).

Love and adoration.

>>29807993
Oh god fucking damnit.

Rolled 97

>>29807918
Hey QM, I just realized (Thanks to the reaction to my nat 100) that rolling high is a bad thing.

When was this ever mentioned?

>>29807962
That is a more complex thought which you would have to directly implant onto him if/when his mind is open.

>>29807993
Interesting..... Writing.

>>29808096
It was when you found the bird, sorry if it was unclear.

>>29808129
>Interesting..... Writing.

Quest over. Fuck dice with critfails. There's nothing I hate more than a decent or even well-thought out plan being fucked over not because we missed something but WHOOPS YOU'VE A 1/100 CHANCE TO FUCK UP LITERALLY ANYTHING ANYTIME FOR ANY REASON

>>29808172
>WHOOPS YOU'VE A 1/100 CHANCE TO FUCK UP LITERALLY ANYTHING ANYTIME FOR ANY REASON
Better than 1/20

>>29807993
You become alarmed with the violence with which the bird is battering itself against the water and try to pour feelings of love and adoration into the little bird. Unfortunately this goes..... poorly. Still on edge from the battle and your near miss from the river, you utterly fail to insinuate the proper emotions into the bird. This only seems to agitate it further, sending it into a complete frenzy.

"Hey, quit it already would you? I just want to talk to you."

It pays you no mind as it bounces around the sphere like a pinball. The bird is liable to kill itself at this rate, and you simply can't have that.

>Try to calm it down. What should we say?
>We're past that. Pour as much willpower into the bird as we need to tranquilize it.
>Something else?

>>29808129
>Do everything right and by the book
>Win with clearly superior skill
>whups you lose because of a 1/100 roll

God, I hate this shit. I'm sorry, anon, but please, consider removing critfails from your system.

>>29808355
Not suggesting, too liable to roll 100 and fuck up again regardless of the suggestion or plan

>>29808355
Sorry, don't want to fuck everything up over a 100 and end the quest.

>>29808361
Calm your tits. 1/100 is pretty lenient compared to other systems.

>>29808355
Too dangerous to suggest and roll a 100. Sorry.

Rolled 80

>>29808355
>Try to calm it down. What should we say?

Not sure just base it and it's effectiveness on my roll.


I can't roll horribly a third time in a row, right?

>>29808491
Welp, fuck this. This shit is way too based on luck.

Rolled 32

>>29808491

Fuck

>>29808458
>>29808423
These options do not require rolls, as one is social and the other is simply swamping it with as much energy as you need to.

Don't worry too much about critfails. I treat them as regular fails basically, with perhaps slightly worse outcomes. Very little has actually changed.

>>29808542
>These options do not require rolls
Neither did the others.

>>29808355
>We're past that. Pour as much willpower into the bird as we need to tranquilize it

>>29808542
You didn't call for rolls before, either.

>>29808491
"I'm not going to kill you. I'm not even going to lobotomize you, or steal your fucking secrets, so calm the fuck down and let's talk like people, alright? Christ, some people."

>>29808542

Sorry , you rarely give prompts for rolls when they're required so we've just gotten used to rolling for everything.

>>29808542
Didn't call for rolls when you decided they suddenly counted, either.

>>29808635
Seconding this.

>>29808635
Yeap.

Rolled 20

>>29808635
>>29808743
>>29808794

forthed.

>>29808567
“Be STILL.” You marshal your emotions and pour a dense, soporific calm into the creature. It stops struggling and falls to the bottom of the orb, twitching slightly. “That's better. If you're ready to stop struggling hear me out we have a lot to talk about. If not....well I suppose I could just let you go until your guildmates find you.”

"And what would we talk about," a thin, frightened male voice says from seemingly nowhere.

"Your future. I already know you were trying to leave house Maya. They know too, and they're going to kill you for it. You're about as exposed as anybody in this fight, and frankly you're not much for defending yourself. You're very short of friends."

(1/2).

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>>29808922
"And I should trust you?" The voice asks bitterly.

You withdraw the prison holding the now prostrate bird and stroke it's head gingerly. "Not that you have much of a real choice at this point, but yes. I need your help, and I'll give you my word I won't take anything from you that you don't offer up freely. Otherwise, I'll let you go and you can see if the Maya are feeling merciful."

There is a long pause, before the bird finally responds. "Very well, I'll join you."

His mind opens to you. Now he is within your power. There is nothing stopping you from taking whatever you want and making him obey from now on, save his potential usefulness as a servant.

>Ask him something.
>Go back on your word and search his mind for something.
>Go back on your word and force a compulsion on him.
>Leave.

>>29808647
>>29808594
Sorry, consider that my bad, I'm still getting the hang of this. I'll treat this as though the roll succeeded

>>29808922
Wait, what? Why did you take that one?

>>29808999
I took all of them.

>>29808922
>>29808987
>Takes the minority option

uhm

>>29809013
Then why did you quote only one, not use any of the dialogue provided, and do the action from the minority?

>>29808999
>>29809028
>>29809053

Who cares, it worked didn't it?
Could of just unceremoniously offed us.

>>29808987
>Ask him something.
Ask him what he knows about the other competitors.Especially Freia.

>>29809013
Just implant a suggestion in his mind for total and complete servitude at the use of a code word. I dunno, blathersnipes.

>>29809123
Sounds good.

>>29809123
Seconding, not that it'll get taken with majority (what an odd voting system.)

>>29809108
>>29809123
"First off, what can I call you? If we're going to work together we should probably get at least that far."

"I'm called Thrush here, to those who know me. I'd rather not give you my real name for now if it's alright."

"For now. Tell me about the others. Who do you know? If you want to stay safe I need intelligence. do you know anybody named Freia?"

"I wish I did. The only one I know is... Raksha. He's from Maya like me, an illusionist. He's the Indian one. I think he's trying to kill me."

Despite his help your new "friend" certainly seems less than full blooded in his support, which could become a problem. On the other hand he's so weak that crippling his mind with barriers would be unacceptable. He'd probably just get himself caught all over again. The third route is adding a mental trigger to cripple his defenses at a key moment. You understand the concept of triggers like this, and they are theoretically possible, but they're hardly your specialty. You were always more of a sledgehammer than a scalpel. You could attempt it, but it would be difficult and failure would almost certainly incense Thrush. What he might do about it in his position is another question.

>Try to implant a trigger. (D100>70)
>Ask him something else.
>Leave this dream.

Rolled 10

>>29809440
>>Try to implant a trigger. (D100>70)

>>29809462
I forgot we're rolling under (because I got very, very drunk waiting for replies earlier). So yes I'll accept that.

>>29809440
>Try to implant a trigger. (D100>70)

>>29809462
I'll be damned if I'm rolling though.

>>29809462
And then we'll test it later to see if he's willing to flash us at our convenience. Handy.

>>29809462
You continue nattering Thrush with inane questions about the other contenders, knowing full well he doesn't know anything useful. The conversation is just to keep him occupied while you work on him. With his mind open he has no way to sense your intrusion. As long as you don't cock up the job too badly or appear too distracted he shouldn't ever know. The work is exhausting for you, but you carry through. A thought here, an imperative there, all tied together with a trigger. That.... should... do it.

"Thrush." you interrupt one of his pointless answers. "Could you tell me your real name my pretty little bird?"

His face slackens as the trigger immediately banishes his conscious thoughts. "My name is Jason Parish mistress."

Huh. That's odd, you didn't put that last part in there. Oh well. "Thank you, you can wake up now my pretty little bird."

He snaps back to reality and looks slightly confused.

"The Ornos?" You say, feigning irritation. "You were telling me what you knew about them?"

"Oh uh... nothing. Nothing at all. Sorry. They didn't tell me much in the guild. We weren't on good terms."

"Well," you sigh. "I suppose that's fine."

((Thanks for playing. This seems like a good place to cut off and let me sober up.))

>>29809875
Don't run this drunk again. It was a fucking mess.

>>29809967
Oh hush you.

>>29809875
Nice session Morph, sorry my crit fails caused a clusterfuck in your thread.
When are you running next, I'll be sure to be here for it.

>>29809967
Sorry, I was so fixated on trying to keep the plot moving and internally consistent that I started letting shit slip. I'm going to remove crits and do a flat best of 3, since I barely registered them anyways.

>>29810323
I will run again next Saturday (due to superbowls) at 13:00, give or take. I'll announce an hour before as usual. Oh and don't let me forget to archive BEFORE we start, since we have a suptg stalker. I'm really offended that we're being called a yuri fetish quest. Clearly Sally's proclivities transcend all gender, race, and species. Her love is boundless.