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>>39533116

Although, you’re careful not to let your thoughts show on your face, he still somehow perceives them. “You are right to doubt me. I am but a ghost from the past and normally I would have the sense to remain as such.” He shakes his head heavily. “But there are powerful forces at work, and all my experience and knowledge say to me that you are in danger, little empress.”

The strength of his words, as well as his presence, wane as he finishes speaking, and he quickly realizes this fact. “There’s still time for me, whoever they are, they will not be rid of me so easily.” He rushes to finish his words. “Keep growing stronger, I will find you again when it’s time.”

Damn it. He stays only long enough to stir up so many questions, but you will not waste your words with any good-byes. You will have him impart at least one more piece of knowledge before he vanishes.

>Ask who he is to you.

>Ask how he’s speaking with you right now.

>Ask about the screaming voices you heard before speaking to him.

>Write in.

>>39533187
>Ask about the screaming voices you heard before speaking to him.

Hello there!

>>39533258
Going with this, as per usual, this will be the only update to continue with only one vote.

>>39533385
I'd vote but I gotta catch up on the threads I don't wanna muck anything up.

>>39533446
That's kind of you. Thanks for the consideration!

>>39533385
You step forward. “When you trying to reach out to me, I also heard so many screaming voices.” You see him fading more and more. “Do you know about them?!”

You can barely see his face as his brow furrows. “I know not of what you ask, Sophia. But if I had to venture a guess, those voices likely originated from The Maw.”

He is but a voice in the void now. “That plane is nothing short of a disgusting monstrosity, so take caution...”

Ah, you hadn’t noticed it until now, but it wasn’t him that was leaving, it was you. You slip away from that region deep in your mind, falling to another. Falling and falling, until you fall asleep.

~

You think you can here the rain.

>”So you chose to run here?” Your grandfather asks a question to the forgotten shapes.

Your eyes feel so heavy, and you can’t help but let your head droop as you sit on the couches in your parlor room.

>”There was no other choice.” A man’s deep and self-assured voice responds.

His voice an unpleasant recollection you had thought buried long ago. Even more unpleasant is how sore your feet are right now. You want to remove the small white slippers from your feet, but you’re much too tired for that.

>A heavy sigh from your grandfather, sitting across from you. ”Then what’s your plan?”

>”We thought we’d see how it is to live here.” A light woman’s voice of unparalleled warmth responds.

>A scoff. “Surely you don’t mean –here-?” Your grandfather asks incredulously.

Wait, isn’t it time for your line? At least, that’s how you remember this little memory playing out in your head. But it’s always just happened, what’s different now?

>Speak your line.

>Stay silent.

>>39534066
>Speak your line

>>39534066
>Speak your line

>>39534066
>Stay silent.

>>39534066
>Speak your line.
Heya Auri!

Hello everyone!

>>39534098
>>39534125
>>39534170

>Writing~

Hello auri!

>>39534552
Hello there, anon!

>>39534201

Everyone has their role to act, right?

You pout your cheeks a little. “Mama, my feet hurt and I’m tired. Can we go home now?”

You knew it was there, no matter how much you run from it, it won’t ever leave you.

>You’re pulled into a soft lap with great ease. “But we’re already home, Sophia.” Her voice responds with a gleeful edge as you’re laid down to drift off once again.

This fragmented memory is once again whole with her response.

Before you’re lost once again into the comforting warmth of darkness, you hear an angry sigh from your grandfather. “Upstairs…”

~

A cold sweat clings to the entirety of your body, except for your eyes where you rub away the damp heat.

It’s morning.

You lie up in your bed, fully clothed, and remove the cover that had been placed carefully over your frame.

The pain in your head throbs with each step you take as you head to the bath to remove this thin layer of stickiness on your skin.

You inspect your body for any bruises you may have given yourself, but find nothing but some dried blood in your silver locks and nose.

The dream remains vivid in your mind, but you have your eyes set for the future and not the past. Today you’re delving again.

You submerge yourself under the warm water of the bath.

[1/2]

>>39534943

~

Coffee doesn’t appeal to you today, but the water still does wonders for your aching head.

Laurent enters the kitchen from the backyard, his fingers dirty from tending to his garden. He looks at you with a great measure of concern.

You stop him before he can say anything on the matter. “I’m fine." You wave your hand on the matter. "I appreciate you getting me to my bed, but I don’t want to hear anything about that.”

He nods sullenly. Feels like you’ve been telling him not to worry about a lot of things as of late.

You gulp down some more of your water. “What did you and Ellie find out at the market?”

He finds a rag and begins to clean off his hands. “Absolutely no sign of the other Occultist order.” He responds without looking at you.

“Any signs of Ali?” You ask without thought.

“None.” His cleaning becomes more aggressive. “I found something worse...”

He glances up, and you motion for him to continue.

“At least six Occultist hunters. Fully geared.” He’s practically scraping the skin of his hands now. “They only send out that many for an inquisition. Probably because of the summonings...”

Ugh, that sounds incredibly troublesome.

“That can’t be good. Right?” You ask, already knowing the answer.

“The worst. A lot of deaths in the end…” He sighs and stares at you with pleading eyes.

He wants to act, he conscience needs to act, but doing so would put both you and him in danger’s way, and you're not sure if he's fully capable either.

The best course of action would be to remain out of sight as Matthias is doing. You’re not tied to any major organization so, you won’t find any trouble if you don't go looking for it.

He is your weapon, direct him.

>Have him steer clear of the matter.

>Permit him to see to the inquisition as he see's fit.

>Write in.

>>39535022
>Have him steer clear of the matter.
No point in actively finding danger. Stay put, laurent. None of our business.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait for another vote before continuing, if not then I'll stop early and reschedule.

>>39535022
>Have him steer clear of the matter
I don't think this is a good situation to go out looking for trouble.

>>39535324
>>39535512
Alright, back on track.

>Writing~

>>39535537

No sense in starting something reckless.

You shake your head. “Forget it, Laurent. It’s none of our business.”

A surprising amount of emotions swim over his face, none of them positive. He wants to yell, you can see that he’s trying his best to bottle his feelings, but the way he clenches his jaw betrays his true thoughts.

“Argghh…” He lets out under his breath and throws the rag to the side.

Without another word, he returns outside, to vent his frustrations on the soft soil outside.

For the slightest moment you thought you might have had to enforce your stance, but you’re glad you don’t, for now.

~

You find your two apprentices sitting in the parlor room, entertaining themselves with Marissa’s floating shadows, as she tries to shape them to Ellie’s requests.

She’s quite adept at manipulating those things now.

You clear your throat to gain their attention. They both look pleased enough to see you.

“We’re delving today.” You announce as you take a seat across from them, turning your attention to Marissa. “Any information?”

She smiles slyly at your question and returns the shadows to the palm of her hand. “Some.” She flicks her tail playfully behind her. “Found some of Sayuline’s associates in the guild, and they were more than willing to share what they knew.”

[1/2]

>>39536254

Well, that saves you the trouble of heading there yourself.

“Seems that its best use is amplifying the strength of practically any Occult art.” She looks up in thought. “But it’s a limited effect, so you’ll need to keep replacing them if you plan on relying on them, as Sayuline likely is.”

“Any information on how they’re formed?” You press on.

“None, yet.” Her tail rests on her thighs. “But I’ll find her if she goes back to any of her contacts.” She gives a wicked grin, with sharp canines clear in view.

Impressive. You have to admit that, even if you don’t want to know about how she managed to gather all this information. But it’s your now, that’s all that matters.

“Ummm...” Ellie raises her hand.

For a moment you fear that she might ask something about Marissa’s work.

“About the delve today, I need some advice.” She continues without waiting for permission to continue. “I’ve was looking into something my last delve, right? And, I think I may have found something like, -really- important.” She looks through her journal for the right notes.

Well, out with it. Of course, now that she’s caught your interest, she slows down.

“There’s these transient channels that keep opening up, all fleshy, super deep, and gross and stuff.” She flips a few more pages. “But I think that these might lead to one of the inner realms you’ve told us about.” She looks up meekly. “But I don’t know how to go about confirming it.”

That certainly does pose a problem. She’s not like you or Marissa in that she wouldn’t be able to defend herself in any way in case she found something at the end of one of these channels. But since this is her discovery, she should reason it out herself.

Then again, this would explain quite about the various creatures you saw in the outer realms, and maybe shouldn’t be left to amateur hands.

>Go with her to investigate the channels.

>Send Marissa with her to investigate.

>Have her decide how she wants to investigate.

>Write in.

>>39536323
>>Have her decide how she wants to investigate.
Makes sure she knows that the inner realm is rather harsh. Also last time she delved with us things went badly for her.

>>39536323
>Send Marissa with her to investigate.
Gets defense with the benefit of her being awake to take notes on the damned thing

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>39536378
>>39536419

I'd rather not, but rolling to decide the winner.

>Writing

>>39536526
It’s interesting, but not enough to warrant heading out with her yourself. So you choose to do the next best thing.

You turn to your other apprentice. “Marissa…”

She sighs heavily, knowing full well what you’re going to tell her to do.

“Alright...” She yields. “But you’re taking care of cleaning duty for a week.” She directs to Ellie.

“That’s fine.” Ellie grins. “You do such a poor job anyway, that I already end up having to do it over.”

Marissa stands up defensively. “Sounds like you want to be in charge of the cleaning duty.” She jabs into Ellie’s chest with her tail.

“Okay.” Ellie stands up to meet her. “My first order in charge is to banish your dirty butt to the backyard. Who knows where it’s been…”

She finishes the last part under her breath.

Ouch. Cruel, but ultimately a little true. You head upstairs for some peace and quiet, pondering whether or not you should someday help out with the cleaning.

“Get your tail out of my face!”

“What are you going to do about it? This tail has been in soooo many dirty places.”

Sounds like they’ve come to an agreement of sorts.

[1/2]

>>39537158

~
You choose to leave the hairpin behind for this delve, it’s become too unpredictable for you to risk taking it to unknown places. But you're sure to bring along your dagger.

Your delving tub is filled with a particularly concentrated amount of blood, you figure you ought to see if has any effects on your delves to the inner realm.

“Careful, you two.” You instruct them, as the three of you remove your clothing. “The inner realms are a much harsher place than anywhere you’ve delved before.” You grab your candle and step toward your tub. “Confirm what you have to, and turn back as soon as you do.”

“Roger!”

“Understood.”

There isn’t anything more that needs to be said than that. If what Ellie thinks is true, then she may have found a way for a normal person to reach the inner realms.

Your pale legs breach the surface of the crimson liquid and you begin your chant.

The three of you sink further and further, as more of the blood stains your skin. There’s nothing else except for the steady chant of your words.

Nothing else except a small whisper.

“Paradise awaits you.”

The whisper is kind, but behind its soothing notes hide the muffled voices of the screams you’ve been hearing.

The blood rises to your chin. There’s nothing to perceive of that realm other than its sounds. There’s likely much left for you to find in that palatial city,
but you feel that this “Paradise” might satisfy that deep gnawing hunger you have a little more if you're willing to take the risk.

>Delve to the palatial city.

>Delve to "Paradise."

>Write in

>>39537192
>Delve to "Paradise."
We can always run if need be.

>>39537192
>>Delve to the palatial city
We're not going to the Maw

>>39537192
>Delve to the palatial city

>>39537192
>Delve to the palatial city
For some reason, I doubt paradise lives up to its namesake.

>>39537192
>Delve to "Paradise."
Sounds like a nice place.

>>39537219
>>39537243
>>39537258
We'll postpone that vacation.

>Writing~

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>>39537192
>Delve to the palatial city.
Smells fishy.

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>>39537352

If you’re going, then you’re going when you want to and on your own volition. This paradise is likely The Maw Grivermillion spoke of.

Your mind focuses on the grand face of the palace, leaving those voices behind.

“We’ll be waiting, Sophia.” The whisper fades.

The darkness engulfs you once again in its comforting warmth as you fade from this realm.

~

The warmth is gone, in its place, chills.

The lower half of your body lies in a shallow river, as what seems to be water flows slowly over your bare skin.

The palace can be seen in the distance, a few citizens amble about the edge of the river, but none seem to pay any mind to you.

You pull your body out from the water, and allow the raw energy coursing from your hands to return precious warmth, shivering as you impatiently wait to dry.

“Are you alright, miss?”

You look up to see a dark skinned humanoid, atop a slowly sauntering creature. Small flames flow out of his facial orifices, but it doesn’t give him a threatening look at all.

The creature he rides upon is a construct of flesh. Comprising of likely many unknown creatures, but its many legs clearly point to one of its ingredients.

[1/2]

>>39538008

“I’m fine, just fell in on accident. Trying to warm up” Your magnificent wings hug your back to further emphasize your half lie.

He stares at you in awe for quite a long time before realizing what he’s doing. “Forgive me, it’s only that I’ve never seen one of your kind outside
drawings in a text.” He adjusts his the metallic reigns he has on the creature.

He shakes his head. “I’m afraid that I can’t leave without at least asking.” His deep voice now containing a note of excitement. “I am an Occultist, specializing in Viviogenesis.” He tilts his head forward slightly. “Creation of life using the already living…But not like how you might think!”

He sighs at his own words. “Please, the template barely goes through any discomfort, and I’m sure that you’d make a splendid creation. Plus I'd let you keep the creation if you wish, completely free of charge.” He quickly adds in hope that you'll agree.

You wonder what would be considered Occult in the realms that all Occult practices are supposed to be normal. He doesn’t seem to be a threat, but you do have other work you can be doing.

Then again, the more knowledge gained, the better.

>Agree to help him.

>Refuse and be on your way.

>Write in.

>>39538045
>Agree to help him.
Don't be pussies, he seems legit.

>>39538045
>>Agree to help him.
Haemonculi?

>>39538045
>Agree to help him.
Sure.
but the moment it becomes weird, bail out.

>>39538045
>Refuse and be on your way.
Getting a template of a supposedly rare race is worth more than what he offers. He could possibly do alot more things if he acquired it.

>>39538045
>Agree to help him.
We can always kill him if shit hits the fan. >>39538090
Seems like it.

>>39538076
>>39538090
>>39538128
>>39538148
Mostly tentative agreement, mostly, haha.

>Writing~

>>39538231

You stand up and are sure to let him know full well what you’re capable of if threatened. The display of power only seems to spur his excitement further.

“I’ll help you.” You nod toward him. “Lead the way.”

His smile at your words is suitable for a once in a life-time great event, which for him, this might be it.

~

The journey back to the city is a painfully slow one, even as he goads his creature to move its fastest. The things many legs awkwardly bump into each other as they hurry along the best they can.

“You haven’t had any illnesses lately, have you?” He’s already been fervently scrawling notes into a small tome, but now he waits on your answer.

“Not recently, no.” You answer honestly. Come to think of it, since you first starting delving, you don’t think you’ve even felt the slightest bit sick.

“Good, good.” He continues writing and then stops as if he suddenly remembers something important. “You haven’t done this before right? Because if you have, you have to tell me right now.” His voice is gravely serious.

You can only wonder why that matters.

You push a lock of hair out of your face. “No. I didn’t even know this practice existed until today.”

[1/2]

>>39538817

He breathes a heavy sigh of relief. “Oh, good. But come now, surely you’ve heard of it in to some extent. It’s an extremely popular practice among the nobles.” He gives you a quick glance. “No? Well, maybe you’re too young to remember its heyday.” He shakes his head. “Maybe it’s better that you don’t remember those days...”

The two of you finally reach the stone building that contains his laboratory. He allows you in, as he heads around back to store his mount.

The contents of his lab are pretty much exactly what you would expect to find. Shelves full of reference tomes, most of them only there to collect dust, several flasks and vials of various sizes, and an inordinate amount of black storage containers.

You step over the cold floor to one of the larger ones. A soft humming can be heard from within.

“You have a good eye.” He walks over to you, no longer donning his traveling cloak. “This one has been fermenting for almost as long as I’ve been doing been an Occultist.” He touches it affectionately. “I’ve been saving it for a special occasion, and I can think of no better day than today.”

He pulls suddenly on the large container, and drags it to a ritual circle across the room.

He returns to you, out of breath. “Oh, I’m not getting any younger.” He smiles slightly. “Let’s begin shall we?”

He rushes over to a drawer, where he pulls out a small knife, and a curved piece of clear glass.

“My whole career and I’ve only found one variable I can control, its disposition.” He holds up the knife. “Blood will give it a similar disposition to the template, hair on the other hand, will result in a different being.”

He offers you the knife. Do you want someone like you running around?

>Hair.

>Blood.

>>39538861
>Hair.
I am guessing its going turn become what people expected us to be, haughty.

>>39538861
>Blood.

>>39538861
>Hair
>>39538898
We're still haughty, but we're overall pragmatic so it doesn't serve to be like that all the time.
So maybe something even different.

>>39538861
>Blood

I have a feeling i'm going to regret this.

>>39538861

>Hair.

T-t-t-t-t-t-tt-t-t-tiebreaker

>>39538951
She is going to start screaming and eventually go mad once people start plucking the feathers.

>>39538990
>implying people will be plucking the feathers

>>39538898
>>39538934
>>39538980

>Writing~

>>39539010

You decline the knife, and wrap several strands of hair around your finger then give a quick tug.

Oww damn, well at least you know now that your transformed hair has stronger roots than your normal hair.

“Interesting choice, most everyone chooses the blood the first time they come around.” He accepts your hairs and walks over the ritual circle.
“But, most everyone says that they would choose different if they could choose again." He shakes his head disapprovingly at the thought. "Please remain over there until I say so.” He calls out to you.

He grinds your hair in with a clear white paste, which turns a very dark black, very quickly. The Occultists laughs excitedly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so pure!” He shouts from across the room.

He pours an unknown boiling liquid into the black container, and then moments later adds the black paste.

You don’t think you’re going to be able to replicate this on your own, unless of course you take over his lab.

He kneels at the ritual circle, chanting quick and elegant words as whatever inside begins to react to his words. The contents churn, with increased vigor, as he speaks his incantation with stunning speed.

Some of the boiling fluid splashes on his face, but he’s not deterred in the slightest, he finishes his chant through a eager smile, as the reaction stops as well.

The Occultist mumbles a few words to himself, wishing that everything was a success, before finally standing to remove the top of the container.

He gasps in awe and can only manage to make a few hurried gestures for you to look yourself.

You hurry over to find what he created inside the container, sleeping peacefully.

~

>>39539282

Okay, that's where I'm going to end it for today. A bit of a slow start, but the thread got rolling smoothly as time went by, and I want to thank everyone that played today! As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them in the thread, and I will do my best to respond to them.

If not then I wish you a good day/night, and hope to see you again next time!

>(Twitter)
https://twitter.com/QM_Auri

>>39539282
Wait, what?
Something was made?

>>39539310
Thanks for running Auri!

>>39539330
You skip over the last few updates or something?

>>39539310
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

BUT THOSE CLIFFHANGERS DOE

>>39539330
Yes, the whole ritual was to create another living thing from your own material.
>>39539352
You're very welcome!
>>39539361
You're also very welcome! They just keep happening don't they? Hahaha

>>39539352
>>39539384
I was suprised that she got suprised from it. It must be important.

>>39539384
I'll be stepping out now. Until next time!

>>39539566
We'll see just how important "it" is, next time.