>>39548793
Firearms are actually hard to find in this day and age. Pytor is considered amazingly well armed for a loner, with both his shotgun, revolver, and a shoebox that’s filled with loose .352 bullets and buckshot shells. That rifle that the Confessors brought out last night was one of five firearms that the congregation had as a whole. They probably have three shoeboxes worth of ammo. Genesis is the best armed group in the area, and they only have one gun/rife for every 5 people, and the scout teams and watchtower crews get the lion’s share of them.

It’s not completely uncommon to find another loaner scavenger who has a gun, but odds are good that they used up all ammunition they had a long time back and are bluffing with an empty weapon.

The reason for this, is that at a certain point in the past before the End, the Civilization wasn’t using standard firearms and cartridges as the go-to weapon. They used sleek things that resemble pistols, rifles, and other firearms, but they’ve look like they’re made out of thin metal, a thick milky plastic, and what looks and feels like safety glass. They don’t have any magazines, and they don’t work. No one’s found any manuals that talk about their use, or how to even turn them on. Also, the materials are next to worthless, even when taken apart.

You know Genesis has their people working on figuring them out, but rumors say that Genesis has been working on a lot of ‘projects.’ Ways to survive being in a Fallout Area, ways to cure fallout poisoning, better Batteries, and they’ve reportedly have a whole room full of Civ Translators who pour over anything they can get. It’s probably true that they have people working on those things, and two or three Translators, but Genesis’ priorities have always been getting more territory, and making their farms and cars work.

(Although, recently, you now have a suspicion as to how those special guns work, or at least what can get them working.)

(cont)

File: Lupa2.jpg (105 KB, 1066x750)

105 KB JPG

>>39548814
Still, conventional firearms are still found here and there. Hunting stores, antique stores, and certainly in military installations.

“How’re we getting in?” You ask as you clean up breakfast. “When you said ‘burn through the door…”

“Thermite. We’ll get in, and then you can figure out what’s worth taking.” Pytor says. “Then we come back, sell what we’ve got, and we’ll have enough fresh meat, or Genesis scrip, to last us for a good while.” He says, slightly rolling his eyes at the idea of getting scrip for guns.

You nod, smirking, but you’re not dismissing the idea. Genesis often pays the Confessors in scrip for their meat. It’s a sneaky tactic of theirs to get people to accept their rule. In turn the Confessors unload the stuff onto travelers, and independent traders, for things that they can actually use. Then the traders use that scrip to travel in Genesis territory, and enjoy the safety, and warmth, of their housing.

With enough scrip, you could travel to East Gate without causing a fuss, if you cared to. Or, you could also have meat as a part of dinner for a month. The latter is more of a draw.

“Possible trouble?” You ask.

Pytor nods. “Critters were seen in the area. The usual Hounds, Mites, and Felines. Not to mention we’re leaving Genesis patrolled areas, and that means we might hit squatters or other Scavengers, or even raiders.” He frowns and shudders. “Can’t leave out the Righteous Path either, whatever they’re doing to themselves, it’s made them even MORE crazy and dangerous. So, bring your knife, and I’ll bring the shotgun.”

And his crowbar. Pytor always brings his crowbar.

You’re about to climb into the passenger seat of the RV, when there’s a knock at the door. Pytor looks out one of the windows and then points at you, and then at the door.

(cont)

File: Ray William IV.jpg (78 KB, 500x400)

78 KB JPG

>>39548827
You open it, and it’s Raymond William IV, Preacher Bill’s son. He’s got a mask on, and is dressed in an environment suit. He’s also got a knife in his belt, and a pipe-rifle sling on his back.

“Hey Lupa.” He says. “Father says you’re going to scavenge across the bridge. Can I come and help?”

Pytor is there behind you and he frowns. “Our scavenge, our rules. Any guns you find are automatically ours. You get last pick of salvage when we divvy up, and you get one pick for our two. You bring your own food and water, or you buy it from us. We don’t watch out for you. You fall behind, you get left.”

You’ve never seen someone agree to such bad terms so quickly. He nods eagerly.

Pytor points at the pipe rifle. “Your Father will be unhappy that you are using his weapons.”

“This is mine.” Ray says. “I’ve got ammo for it too.”

Pytor’s eyebrows go up, extra firearms were always a big plus. “It accurate?”

Ray sighs and shakes his head. “It’s not…great. I made it from our old broken rifles. But, I’ve used it to kill a Hound, and it can crack the shell of a Mite! It also won’t break or blow up like the other ones.”

Pytor sighs disappointedly, relying on a patchwork gun was a quick way to get a bullet in your foot, and then shrugs and looks at you. “You choose. I don’t care.” He goes to the driver’s seat of the RV.

You can tell that under the mask, Ray is giving you a hopeful smile.

> The more the merrier, and you and Ray get along. Also having another rifle and someone else for the Critters to eat might be useful. Ray can come.
> Yeah, it’s obvious that Ray is trying to use this scavenge trip to go out on a date with you. You don’t need any of that drama. Tell Ray that he’s not coming.

>>39548838
>> The more the merrier, and you and Ray get along. Also having another rifle and someone else for the Critters to eat might be useful. Ray can come.

>>39548838
> The more the merrier, and you and Ray get along. Also having another rifle and someone else for the Critters to eat might be useful. Ray can come.
may as well

>>39548838
>> Yeah, it’s obvious that Ray is trying to use this scavenge trip to go out on a date with you. You don’t need any of that drama. Tell Ray that he’s not coming.
Honestly I'm against him trying to butter us up.

>>39549151
Why? Out of curiosity?

>>39549151
im of the opinion that he could be useful and we can always just shoot him down every time he tries something

>>39549180
Not really interested in the preachers son? Especially given how said preacher worships... well us.

>>39548838
>The more the merrier, and you and Ray get along. Also having another rifle and someone else for the Critters to eat might be useful. Ray can come.
We could always use a plucky non-magical sidekick. I say take'm.

So besides Ray how many have we had? In the sack I mean.

Captcha tells me I am the WorSt

>>39549198
Meh, He doesn't worship us perse just that we're a saint or some odd. Besides he's got a gun and all too.

>>39549192
Well we've already fucked each other at least once. Boy fell for us hard.

>>39549223
Angel is not the same thing as a saint. One embodies god's will, the other works towards it.

>>39549281
True. Still he doesn't think we're God. Just sent by him.

>>39549201

Well, Mother use to let people pay her to let you 'sit in their laps' but she made the mistake of trying to roll Pytor, before she was willing to let it go further.

This is the simplest way to express how bad Lupa's mother was: There were some nights that Lupa went hungry, and her mother didn't.

Ray's not your first. Your first was...overly dramatic, but it's not something that you like to talk about. Mostly because it's one of the few things that causes Pytor to laugh.

Anyway, concerning Ray: You were at a Confessor party to celebrate them finding some sheep, good food and homemade alcohol made Ray brave enough to ask, and he was cute enough and you felt like it.

>>39549201
>>39548932
>>39548874

You nod and step aside. Ray nods in thanks and climbs in. He pats his backpack. “I brought some jerky, if you want to share.”

You make a noncommittal grunt and go climb into the passenger seat.

Ray is mercifully quiet during the slow trip over the bridge. You place back and see him just sitting in a chair, slowly puzzling his way through a Civilization book that you left out. You smirk and resist the urge to tell him how it ends.

The RV pulls into the ruined city and instantly, all the meters in the RV and your suits start going off. People avoid cities for a reason. Still, the meters are showing that the levels are very low, so you can survive this, you just don’t want to be staying here.

> Observation roll, 1d12

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>39549509

Rolled 9 (1d12)

>>39549509

Rolled 12 (1d12)

>>39549509

Rolled 2 (1d12)

>>39549509
weird dice.

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>39549603
nicely done

>>39549603
NICE!

>>39549610
Echo likes on standard dice.

>>39549610
I think its skill based dice, the more skilled, the higher the dice you roll

>>39549637
That's actually pretty cool.

>>39549603
You keep a keen eye out and carefully tell Pytor how to follow the Confessor's directions. There's no problem getting there, and on your way there, you notice a few things.

1) There's obvious evidence that there's a large pack of Hounds that hunt around here. It looks like they're not here as of now. Hounds are nocturnal though, and they hate bright light. So, right now you're fine. Just don't smell like blood. As a plus, that large number of Hounds will keep Felines away.

2) There are posters plastered over one wall of a building you pass buy.

One is of men dressed in uniforms that look like VERY advanced versions of the vest you're wearing under your suit. They're either saluting, or standing on a mountain looking brave.

'ENLIST TODAY' 'EMBRACE YOUR FUTURE' is written on it in Civ.

Another is of a mother and father smiling at a baby that's inside what looks like a crib made of crystal that's 'glowing' or giving off waves or just doing something.

'NEVER TOO EARLY TO TEST FOR ACCEPTANCE! TEST EARLY, TREAT EARLY!'

Finally, and this poster you see in a large 20ft high version along the side of a building, is that of your Sister...wait...no...a Girl...right. It's a girl dressed in a uniform that looks vaguely Genesis in style, and certainly military. Although you think that West Wind had the clothing first, and Genesis just scavenged them after the End. Wait...who? The girl is saluting on the poster.

'THE WEST WIND BLOWS FOR YOU!'

Finally, and you may put it down to it being early, or these images of this girl causing your head to hurt, but you swear, you saw one of the soldiers on the 'ENLIST' posters turn its head and look at the RV as it passed, and then snapped back in place when it saw that you saw.

(cont)

>>39549855
Pytor stops the RV in front of your destination. A squat, square, concrete building with the Civ symbols of DEFENSE, and PREPARE/ENLIST/TRAIN, carved into the grey stone.

“I thought it’d be bigger.” Ray says.

Pytor nods. It is smaller than you’d expect a military building to be. Especially one that has such an imposing looking steel door. Yeah, you’re going to be needing the thermite to get through that. But you’ve done this trick before, and Pytor knows what he’s doing.

“You two go out and check to make sure that we’ll be okay.” Pyotr says as he gets up and starts to get the bottles of rust dust, metal shavings, glue and a tin can. “This will be bright, we can’t help that.”

You and Ray head outside and look around.

“So,” Ray says. “Do we…stay together? Or do you go that way, and I go that way?”

> Split up
> Stay Together

>>39549967
> Split up
cover more ground faster

>>39549967
>> Split up
keep in ear shot.

>>39549967
> Split up
We need radios

>>39549967

>Split up
But as Dubs-Quaddington said over here>>39550000 keep within yelling range.

>>39550000
“Stay within yelling range.” You say as you motion for him to check the other side of the building. “We need radios.” You mutter.

“I don’t think Genesis trades theirs.” Ray says. He stiffens up and tried to put on a thick Genesis accent. “I say! Resources must go to the greatest need to the best effect, we don’t need to chance our survival just so two uncouth waifs can go trotting about!”

You laugh. You can’t help it. He does a really good ‘stuck up Genesis’ accent.

Ray’s eye crinkle up in a smile. “And it’s not like the Flock would be much better ‘PRAISE the LAWD!’ He says in an exaggerated Confessor drawl. ‘We have these GLORIOUS new tools so that we may FURTHER tell each other how WICKED we are. PRAISE HIM!’

You laugh again, rolls your eyes, and motion for him to get to work. You walk over to the side of the building. More posters, lots of overgrowth, Critter stool…

> Observation roll 1d12

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>39550276
What could possibly go wrong?

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>39550276

Rolled 11 (1d12)

>>39550276

Rolled 1 (1d12)

Rolled 4 (1d12)

>>39550276
OH he is good.

I still don't like him

>>39550591
Thank god you're late

>>39550599
Is it because he's a guy?

>>39550425
There's a Mite nest here. It looks like a grey papery lump in the ground. It goes deep, and those cockroach-wasp hybrid things are attracted to bright lights, like someone setting off some thermite.

Thankfully, they're not the strongest, or that intelligent. A garbage can, just like the one that's nearby, placed over the nest like so, and weighted down with a decent sized rock is more than sufficient enough to keep the bugs out of your hair.

Also, you've found a dead body. Ancient, skeletal remains with plants growing in them. They've got that iridescent sheen that plants growing in fallout areas get. His clothing's just shreds of unrecognizable fabric.

It looks like he was just sitting here, when he died. There's a small piece of sheet metal nearby with Civ writing on it. 'UNACCEPTABLE. VETERAN. PLEASE HELP. BLESS YOU.'

There! You saw it again! You swear that one of those posters blinked and looked at you, and then went back to normal the moment you noticed it.

> Grab the poster off the wall.
> Talk to the Poster
> Tell yourself that you're not going crazy, and walk away.

>>39550654
> Grab the poster off the wall.
magical watchers?

>>39550654
> Talk to the Poster
failing that
> Grab the poster off the wall.

>>39550612
It's because he is the first thing offered. We always take the first thing offered.

>>39550654
> Talk to the Poster
Well the fallout is the the amount of magic in the air right?

I guess ghosts then?

>>39550654
>> Talk to the Poster

>>39550654
> Talk to the Poster?

"Hello? O.P. stop being a faggot"

then
>Grab poster off wall

>Talk to the poster

>>39550680
"Who are you?" You say at the poster. "What are you doing?"

The poster does not reply.

"You better not mess with me! I know you're doing something...I can do things too you know!"

The poster does not reply.

"So stay out of our way, and I wont have to mess you up. Got it!?"

The poster does not reply.

"And...I'm talking to a wall." You mutter, and then you grab the poster off the wall and crumple it up into a ball and stuff it in a pocket.

You hear a whistle from the front of the building, and head back. Ray and Pytor are there, ready with the thermite.

"Problems?" Pytor asks.

"Mite's nest." You say. "Covered it up."

"Mmmh," Pytor grunts. "One nest seen means three we don't. Go get some hairspray and a lighter from the drawer labeled 'pest control,' it's above the purifier." He tells Ray. Ray nods and heads into the van.

"Anything else?" Pytor says, and he nods for you to help him rig up the thermite can.

> Tell him about the posters
> Keep quiet.

Also
> Keep the poster
> Rip it to shreds
> Burn it

>>39550865
>> Keep quiet.
> Burn it
for when we deal with the mites. that way we get ash.

... how new looking are the posters? Because if they are from the Event shouldn't they be kinda.... ruined?

>>39550865
>Keep quiet.
>Keep the poster
Might come in handy later, and we can always use it for tinder/fuel for a fire if we need to.

>>39550865
> Keep quiet.
> Keep the poster
We might need to negotiate at one point.

>>39550865
> Keep quiet.
> Burn it

>>39550940
Heh. You spotted it. Good catch.

> Roll 1d8

Rolled 3 (1d8)

>>39551007

Rolled 3 (1d8)

>>39551007
Here we go

Rolled 2 (1d8)

>>39551007

>>39551019
>>39551043
>>39551048
heh, I guess we don't see anything special.

>>39551019
The posters are quite old. The colors are faded, and the paper's yellowed, and there's a light covering of dirt on the front.

There do seem to be signs of other posters having decayed into nothing, save for the huge one of West Wind on that tall building, but that's not made out of paper.

Maybe the people who put them up layered them and this is just the layer that hasn't decayed? Or maybe the fallout preserved them?

There's something else...but you don't see it.

Whatever it is, you're not going to tell Pytor.

You help him right the thermite can over the door lock.

You're still on the fence if you should 'volunteer' to have the poster serve as the fuse for the thermite.

Ray comes back with the hair spray and lighter.

> Burn the poster you have.
> Don't burn it and keep it.

>>39551181
> Burn the poster you have.
If it's a magic looking glass, nuke it now.

>>39551181
> Don't burn it and keep it.

>>39551181
> Burn the poster you have.

>>39551181
>Burn the poster you have.

>>39551195
>>39551308
>>39551326

You roll up the poster into a tight fuse and hand it to Pytor.

Pytor lights the fuse and all three of you look away from the door as the thermite ignites and starts burning away.

It's quite bright, and it does put on quite a nice show for anyone who cares to see.

> Roll 1d8

Rolled 8 (1d8)

>>39551358

Rolled 3 (1d8)

>>39551358
Burn baby Burn

Rolled 7 (1d8)

>>39551358

Now we roll an 8

>>39551364
You hear a lot of buzzing and hissing from the side of the building that you were on. It sounds like the Mites are trying to come out of the nest you covered up.

That's typical Mite behavior, they'll get agitated in one way or another and then they'll all burst out of whatever nest is the closest.

Thankfully, it sounds like the trash can is holding.

After a bit, Pytor goes up and with a large amount of effort, pushes the steel door in to make an opening wide enough for him to squeeze through.

You and Ray hurry in after him, and the three of you push the door close.

Pytor nods and then gets out his flashlight.

You and Ray do the same.

The room is very clean for being empty for 150 years. Just a thin layer of dust.

The room's wall are covered with pictures of Joy-In-West Wind. She's dressed in her uniform, her dress uniform, she's shaking hands with some well dressed men, standing in front of a row of soldiers, saluting a smaller squad of women dressed in uniforms, and her just looking generally inspiring.

This looks like a room that was designed to welcome people, and then have them sit and wait in the large room behind the desk.

You know this, because the waiting room is filled with mummified bodies. People died just sitting here.

As per usual, the three of you start searching corpses for anything useful.

> Salvage Roll 1d10

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>39551811
> Salvage Roll 1d10

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>39551811

>>39551811

Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>39551811
>pictures of Joy-In-West Wind
how do we know whoever this is?

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>39551811

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>39551811
I'm sure we can find something neat.

>>39551861
>>39551881
I don't know how I feel about both of these being late.

>>39551982
since the highest counting roll is an 8 im pretty fine with it

Catching up, just want to chime in that I'm very disappointed that you guys passed up a golden robot mouse pet in thread 1.

>>39551859
>how do we know whoever this is?
You have NO idea, and that is REALLY unsettling. You just knew when you say your Sister in her regalia, that she was Joy-In-West Wind...and she is NOT your sister...but that's the word that pops into your head when you think about her.

But apart from the name, you don't know anything about her.

>>39551842

You find some old Civ devices, little thin boxes of hard plastic, some have headphones on it, some have fancy designs carved into them. They're useless bricks.

You also find some, very yellowed, near crumbling, papers on a lot of the people. From what you can read, these are medical records. Birth, death, vaccine records, Birth Acceptance Trait Record, Treatment Acceptance Trait Record, and a lot of abbreviations and numbers that don't make sense to you.

There are two guys who look like they were military. They've got junk-plastic guns. The odd thing is that, if you look at how they fell on the ground, and the stain and bone shards in the wall. It looks like they shot themselves with their own guns.

You do find something worthwhile on the ground behind the large desk. A box of .352 bullets that's only missing one bullet. No gun though.

There are some keys, coins, and other small stuff, but the clothing's too far gone, and the rest is worthless.

"Let's head further in." Pytor says, carefully taking the bullets.

The large room leads into a hallway that's a bunch of smaller rooms. These all have a slightly 'medical' feel to them. There's eye test charts on the wall, scales, examination tables, and more dead bodies, some of them wearing nothing but their undergarments.

> Salvage Roll 1d10

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>39552080
We need to roll higher.

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>39552080

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>39552080

Rolled 9 (1d10)

I guess radiation killed these guys quick. Or someone gassed the facility.

>>39552080
Can we grab one of the "useless" guns?

>>39552294
When people have shot themselves that implies some sort of magical fuckery which makes me think we are likely to meet some sort of new beasty.

>>39552318
Radiation is not a pleasant way to die. And with the doors sealed I doubt they had much hope of surviving. Less painful to do it yourself.

>>39552342
If that was the case there would likely be some sort of sign of panic in the other bodies as it stands according to the description they just seem dead.

I will also say I like the naming conventions , joy in ashes being in the area where civilization has truly collapsed almost entirely, and joy in embers being in the area where there is some semblance of civilization.

Ask Joy what the barrette and ribbon and all that are for and how to use them when we get the chance.

>>39552441
I find it weird that the People of Joy are putting their hope in Joy of Ashes when them getting their way means there's no more ashes.


>"Are we sure about this?" One of the People of Joy asks the Old Man. "If we pull this off...150 years...they wont exist. WE won't exist."

>"You would rather live in this Hell?" The Old Man asks. "We must make the sacrifice, yes. But I have hope. I believe in the Great Joy of Life, and that we will be reborn in the world that we win back. Otherwise...what is there to hope for?"
Then again, she's awfully self-interested and it's not like she's going to be alive in 150 years. Probably.

>>39552130
"Medical cabinet!" You hear Ray say happily.

"In here too!" You reply.

A couple of rounds of smashing glass later and you're sitting on a sweet score.

Pain killers, antibiotics, fresh bandages, antiseptic spray, antihistamines, and generic cold medicine. Good stuff across the board. No weapons, but still useful.

You also notice in one room something weird. The door was locked, so you forced your way in. There was a corpse in the room, but it look like that the corpse had gotten every single bottle of anti-psychotic, mood leveler, and beta blocker and hoarded them.

"Weird." Ray says as he stores a bottle of lithium pills. "There's stronger stuff in that cabinet we raided."

Finally there's the collection of clear fluid in sealed vials that are designed to be used with hypodermic needles.

ACCEPTANCE THERAPY - SI
ACCEPTANCE THERAPY - BD
ACCEPTANCE THERAPY - HE

You have no idea what these are.

> ???? Roll 1d12

Rolled 9 (1d12)

>>39552545

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>39552545

Rolled 11 (1d12)

>>39552545

>>39552558
>>39552564
>>39552570
Freaky

>>39552558
>>39552564
>>39552570
not bad. not bad at all.

My bet is these let you channel Energy without being a Joy. You Accept Energy into yourself.

>>39552513
I think those lines mean if they pull it off the PAST 150 years wont exist. Everything that brought us this post apocalypse would be undone, or never happened in the first place.

>>39552590
No, it's probably something bad.

>Another is of a mother and father smiling at a baby that's inside what looks like a crib made of crystal that's 'glowing' or giving off waves or just doing something.

'>NEVER TOO EARLY TO TEST FOR ACCEPTANCE! TEST EARLY, TREAT EARLY!'
I'm guessing Acceptance is what makes Hubris. They didn't show up until after the Fall because they had therapies and screening and shit.

>>39552639
Huh, nicely spotted. If what killed them wasn't radiation.... hmm. That could be a problem.

Remember what Joy in Ashes said about Hives? They usually had strokes or heart attacks and die when advanced enough. What if every single person in here had been a Hive?

And most died because there was no access to Energy.

But I bet most doesn't mean all did.

>>39552682
What were the advanced ones called?
Vainguard?
When hives manage to find a source of energy before croaking right?

>>39552682
As I said before new beasties, I propose we knock on every door before we apply the crowbar to it and see if we can hear movement from inside. I also want to get one of those glass guns and see if we can channel our energy through it.

>>39552732
Vainglory

>>39552570
You feel another brief spike of pain in your head. It's that same feeling you had last night when you were talking about the Righteous prisoners. It even has that same 'after-taste' if you can call it that.

You're upset that you spat in your own face after you offered yourself a gift.

You're also amazingly relieved that nothing happened.

Also, just like last time, it looks like Ray has zoned out for a moment. Just staring at nothing.

You feel like it would be a really good idea if Ray kept the mood drugs and beta-blockers on hand.

You push the load of anti-psychotic medicine into his chest and he starts.

"Sorry? What were we talking about?" He asks.

"Nothing. Keep those." You say.

"Right...right..." Ray rubs his eyes as he stows the medicine in his own pouches. "Dry in here. Eyes hurt."

The two of you leave the office and continue your search of the facility.

You've caught up to Pytor who's trying to slowly force another set of metal doors open. The complex goes downward, as clear to see by the fact that you're standing in a room that's lined with elevator doors.

Pytor is trying to open the fire door, that leads to the staircase, but it's slow going. You've seen him break thicker doors, though, so it's more of a matter of 'when,' and not 'if.'

There's more propaganda posters and pictures of Joy-In-West Wind in this place.

> Translation Roll 1d12

Rolled 2 (1d12)

>>39552748

Rolled 7 (1d12)

>>39552748
HWG

Rolled 1 (1d12)

>>39552748

Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>39552765
>>39552769
>>39552774
hopefully good enough

>>39552748
>You're upset that you spat in your own face after you offered yourself a gift.
>You're also amazingly relieved that nothing happened.
>Also, just like last time, it looks like Ray has zoned out for a moment. Just staring at nothing.
Okay, what the fuck is up with this. Second time it's happened. Why.

>>39552774
Yay
Glory to the RNG
May they enjoy our suffering

At least we got the chance to try. I can't imagine what this quest would be like if we weren't good at reading Civ. Everything would be so much more confusing than it already is.

>>39552769
There's a sign with instructions.

Approved Unaccepted are to follow white line. Please follow all directions given, and best of luck!

Approved Acceptance please follow green line and wait for bus. Extra training and therapy are permitted, please contact your group leader.

Small Joy please follow yellow line. Please refrain from expressing yourselves, unless in assessment.

Joy-In-ASHES please follow red line.

"Ray?" You ask. "Could you check this last line for me?"

"Sure." Ray says. "Uhhh...Happiness/Power/Champion and then there's a space that's got what looks like gold glitter covering it...Request...Red Line. That anything what you read?"

"Yeah. Thanks." You say. Then you turn around and see that Ray's at the other side of the room helping Pytor with the door.

You had to get close to this sign to even see that there was writing in this gloom.

Weird.

Anyway, You see white, green, yellow and red lines. They each lead to different elevators. There's a bunch of green elevators, a few yellow ones, two white ones, and one red one.

> Roll 1d20 for Pytor's progress

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>39552987
This is mg killing grounds ain't it?

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>39552987

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>39552987

>>39552987
Okay so the posters are magical in some way with the gold glitter
>>39553007
Stop with the 1s

Hmm, should we check out Small Joy? I bet it'd have a good primer\pamphlet about being a Joy.

What are the chances this is a trap? I suppose those moving posters point toward it being genuine. Maybe.

>>39553029
Do we WANT him to make progress? We're a walking battery. Those elevators should work.

>>39553007
You hear a CRACK and then Pytor swears.

You look, well, Pytor got the door open, but it looks like the stairs have collapsed some time ago. It'd take a day or three to clear the rubble. It's not impossible, but you guys only have so much food, and you'd be sleeping in light fallout. Not to mention the RV is still out there, and the possibility of a large number of hounds.

Fuck.

You look at the elevators. You could probably pry one of their doors open if you tried.

You point at them when Pytor looks at you. He shrugs and goes to one and pulls it open. It's pitch black inside, and there's no wind. He looks inside, and looks up and looks down, then to the side.

> Roll 1d8

Rolled 7 (1d8)

>>39553131
A ladder or something still around?

Rolled 7 (1d8)

>>39553131

Rolled 1 (1d8)

>>39553131
ok

Rolled 6 (1d8)

>>39553131
Come on, working elevator.

>>39553146
>>39553147
>>39553148
thank god d8s no longer crit.

Rolled 8 (1d8)

>>39553131
Stop with the fails.

>>39553111
Well we certainly didn't want that.

>>39553146
"Service ladder." He says. "Small though, I don't see any rust, but it's just rungs sticking out of the wall."

You nod and go to the empty shaft, you see the ladder that Pytor is talking about. He ties a rope to you and helps you onto them. It seems to hold your weight.

You start climbing down.

> Observation Roll 1d12

Rolled 2 (1d12)

>>39553202

Rolled 9 (1d12)

>>39553202
Going down

Rolled 6 (1d12)

>>39553202

Rolled 2 (1d12)

>>39553202
Ladders are so boring.

Rolled 8 (1d12)

>>39553202
HWG

>>39553207
>>39553214
>>39553215
not terrible (and no 1s yay)

>>39553214
Okay, so the down side is that you don't see any way to get the elevators to start back up. Although you do see EMERGENCY STOP, which is just the universe laughing at you.

You see markings on the inside of the doors you pass. UNACCEPTING LAB, TRAINING/ACCEPTANCE, S.J. ASSESSMENT, ADVANCEMENT TREATMENT, and you can't see what's on the bottom floor, because that's the floor the elevator is on.

It does look like the elevator has an access hatch.

It also looks like the other doors have emergency latches to open them.

> Open the door to UNACCEPTING LAB
> Enter TRAINING/ACCEPTANCE
> Enter S.J. ASSESSMENT
> Enter ADVANCEMENT TREATMENT
> Pop open the Elevator and go to the Bottom Floor.

>>39553333

> Open the door to UNACCEPTING LAB

>>39553333
>Look for the red line.
>Follow it

>>39553333
> Enter S.J. ASSESSMENT

>>39553333
>Look for the red line.
>Follow it
>If it's not present, enter S.J. ASSESSMENT

I figure the final floor is where the posters want us to be. So that is where we go last.

>>39553388
You're assuming we're going to have time to get to everything. Bad assumption. Important things come first.

>>39553399
If I had to pick three?

Small Joy (personal information on joys), Training (loot), Final floor (plot).

>>39553373
>>39553376
>>39553432

“I’m opening one of the doors.” You say. “Stay there, and I’ll scream if there’s trouble.”
“Fine.”
You pull the lever on the S.J. ASSESSMENT door and slowly force the doors open and then step onto the floor. This is the floor where yellow lines AND red lines go. These halls are long and very smooth. You’re also stepping over the bodies of what look like girls your age every twenty, thirty feet. There are black screens set into the walls. There are also these archways that are made out of steel.

There’s a position where an operator stands as people walk through the gates. You move into his little position and see a console filled with meters. ’CLEAN ENERGY ASSESSMENT’ is displayed across the top. And best of all, there’s a small laminated sheet of instructions that’s hung up along the side of the console.

> Translation Roll 1d12

Rolled 11 (1d12)

>>39553588

Rolled 5 (1d12)

>>39553588
HWG

Rolled 7 (1d12)

>>39553588
roll

Rolled 6 (1d12)

>>39553588
This place had a lot of Joys that mysteriously dropped dead. Scary.

wait a minute. Can we look up Ray in the Book to see what his entry says next time we get the chance?

>>39553761
Seconding
Maybe that West Wind chick too. Im not sure if she'd be in the book but theres no harm in looking.

>>39553596
>>39553632
>>39553682
not bad.

>>39553761
I'd laugh if there was a snotty remark about him fucking Joy of Ashes.

>>39553596
'Please inform all applicants that they are to manifest as much regalia as possible.'

'Please allow all applicants to pass through archway. As explained in video, slight siphon of Clean Energy is normal, abilities will not be affected.'

'Please allow applicants to pass, one at a time, but they are free to wait for groups to be processed before continuing. However, do encourage people not to idle.'

'If monitor shows that applicant is at Advancement Levels, note applicant's ID number. (Privately please, last thing we want is a group of Small Joy to get upset because one of them can become a full Joy-In-XXXX)'

'If blue light detector goes off, IMMEDIATELY press the RED button. CONTINUE OPERATIONS AS NORMAL, DO NOT SHOW ALARM.'

'Joy-In-West Wind thanks you for your service, and know that there's no Greater Joy than serving your country.'

So...this thing is supposed to measure the power Joy-In-Whatevers have. They're supposed to walk through this thing in 'full regalia' which you're pretty sure means 'transformed.'

You look back. Pytor and Ray haven't followed you.

> Open Your Heart To Joy and walk through the detector. It's the only way you're going to be getting any answers that don't come from your own head.
> Don't and keep going down the hall. The people up top showed small signs of struggle when they died. It looks like these girls just dropped stone dead where they stood. That's a good reason not to.

>>39553915
>> Open Your Heart To Joy and walk through the detector. It's the only way you're going to be getting any answers that don't come from your own head.

Whatever killed everyone is long gone.

Rolled 6 (1d8)

>>39553915
> Don't and keep going down the hall. The people up top showed small signs of struggle when they died. It looks like these girls just dropped stone dead where they stood. That's a good reason not to.

>>39553915
> Open Your Heart To Joy and walk through the detector. It's the only way you're going to be getting any answers that don't come from your own head.

>>39553915
> Don't and keep going down the hall. The people up top showed small signs of struggle when they died. It looks like these girls just dropped stone dead where they stood. That's a good reason not to.

>>39553915
> Open Your Heart To Joy and walk through the detector. It's the only way you're going to be getting any answers that don't come from your own head.

>>39553915
> Open Your Heart To Joy and walk through the detector. It's the only way you're going to be getting any answers that don't come from your own head.

I feel like Joy-in-West Wind was here at the end we will probably find her at the bottom.

>>39554007
Her corpse, maybe.

gonna loot that corpse

>You look back. Pytor and Ray haven't followed you.
I don't get why she's trying to keep being Ashes secret. It's going to be blindingly obvious to Pytor if she keeps traveling with him.

>>39554076
That was what I was thinking as well, honestly I am very much hoping it is her corpse. If she is still alive I am more than a little concerned about the state she would be in.

>>39554181
There could be a video. It's probably that, if Lupa doesn't have People of Joy stalkers tailing her.

>>39554007
You close your eyes.

“Where do you find Joy?”

“I find Joy even in the Ashes.”

Everything goes white for a moment, and you feel your clothing, and mask change and shift, as well as the ash cloud swirl around you.

‘Ugh…eventually we’re going to stop getting headaches.’

‘Was that us back there? With Ray and the headaches?’

‘Yes. That was us. Can we not to do it again? It’s a bitch. That’s why he needs to start taking those pills. It’ll stop it from happening.’

‘What are we doing?’

‘We’re…not sure. It’s important though. If we don’t, Ray will touch minds with us, and the best case scenario is that we drop dead, right there on the spot.’

‘Huh?’

‘Seriously, that’s all we know. It’s like we were just given a manual with no context and no further information. All we know is that pain is an involuntary reaction from us, keeping us from ‘touching minds’ which is apparently a VERY bad thing.’

‘So why are we touching minds in the first place?’

‘We don’t know. It’s ALSO involuntary.’

‘So…we instinctually do something…and then we instinctually do something ELSE to STOP the first thing…and we have no idea what causes either reaction?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is it too late to go back to just being cold and hungry all the time?’

‘We would like nothing more. Trust us.’

‘So, how do we know Joy-In-West Wind?’

‘That’s her name. When we see one of our Sisters, we know their name. No, we have no idea why. Also, no, we don’t know what the difference is between a Small Joy and…Us. How about you walk through the arch and see?’

You sigh and walk through the archway.

> Roll 1d12

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>39554244

Rolled 12 (1d12)

>>39554244

Rolled 9, 6, 9 = 24 (3d12)

>>39554244

>>39554244
Get the fuck away from Ray as soon as possible. Got it.

>>39554315
Or let him take the drugs. Honestly if MGs do it involuntarily it must be important.

>>39554349
LOVE is extremely deadly to Joys.

>>39554371
I've not seen that anywhere. and you're assuming things. He wasn't present the first time we headached. Mind voice said get him on the drugs, we get him on the drugs.

File: Boss.png (164 KB, 400x300)

164 KB PNG

>>39554371
Tell me about it.
>You are now imagining The Boss as a magical girl.
>Is this awesome.
>Y/Y?

>>39554280
I guess our Clean Energy generator is feeling extra frisky today.

>>39554397
I thought they were talking specifically about Ray and the headaches. He was present both times and said he zoned out both times.

There's definitely more than one kind of headache in play here.

>>39554280
You feel a slight tingle and Joy mercifully shuts up for a bit.

Then every single light in the facility turns on, and all the screens come to life, turning blue.

"WHOA!" You hear from back upstairs, and you can see the elevator door closing down the hall.

The Screen nearest to you blinks and there's West Wind's smiling face. "Hello Sister, and welcome! Thank you very much for answering your country call. I salute you!" She salutes. "Here we'll be best determining how you can serve your country. For the Smallest Joy can have the biggest part! Please keep your regalia on at all times, if you have any. However, unless requested, please do not express your Joy. We don't want anyone getting hurt! Let's head down the hall and see what our good men and women are doing to keep us safe and make YOU a part of that. Shall we?"

The screen goes to a spinning icon of a Civ icon that means 'Joy-In-West Wind.'

You hear the elevators starting up behind you. Pytor and Ray must have gotten them working. Shiiiit.

> Stay as Joy-In-Ashes
> Go back to Lupa

Also

> Go back to the Elevators and rejoin your friends
> Head down the hall and see what West Wind has to say.

>>39554512
> Stay as Joy-In-Ashes
>Head down the hall and see what West Wind has to say.

>>39554512
> Stay as Joy-In-Ashes
> Head down the hall and see what West Wind has to say.

>>39554512
>> Stay as Joy-In-Ashes
> Head down the hall and see what West Wind has to say.

>>39554244
Why was this in reply to my previous post?
>Stay as Joy-In-Ashes
> Head down the hall and see what West Wind has to say.

So apparently you can manifest a 'regalia' without manifesting as Joy.

Interesting.

>>39554560
I think that means don't start throwing ashes everywhere and shooting light energy

....

Did we just power up the entire facility just by walking through the arch once?

>>39554604
Yes, what of it? We're a walking battery.

>>39554604
Yes. We critted and are apparently a damn powerful if unskilled mg.

>>39554604
Way to be subtle Lupa.

>>39554620
Seriously, Pytor is going to find out very, very quickly. Best to rip off that bandaid now.

>>39554555
your roll was the one that decided the outcome

There's no way that cult leader guy hasn't somehow sensed this and dispatched goons.

Is anyone else getting serious bad vibes from this place? Institutionalized child soldiers, rampant nationalism... who were they fighting a war with?

>>39554746
Slime monsters.

>>39554746
Well, these people did cause the apocalypse through Hubris. There has to be lots rotten apples in the cellar.

>>39554791
You run down the hall, making a couple of turns. You pause for a moment, and you’re pretty sure that Pytor and Ray aren’t going to be suddenly coming around the corner and see you like this.

You head down the hall, and eventually one side of the room becomes a window and you’re looking down. It seems that one of the rooms below you is a huge gym. You see an empty pool with corpses laying on the bottom, and other bodies just lying there. Holy shit…it looks like one person…yeah, judging by how they’re sitting. It looks like they broke their own neck by smashing it with a stack of weight plates inside a…deltoid press, or whatever that deathtrap is called.

A screen pops on, it’s West Wind again. “Here you’ll see our brave girls exercising. I know you’ve seen the videos of me lifting that building wall, but that’s more than just magic!” She does a brief arm flex for the camera. “Those who are lucky enough to become a full Joy In Heart will indeed find your bodies getting stronger, tougher, and more capable. But you only get out what you put in, and we want you to be the best! Even the Smaller Joys can benefit from good physical training! You’ll be able to express yourselves easier and more often! Give all of your new Sisters a wave!” The screen blinks out.

(cont)

>>39554868
that's messed up

>>39554868
You continue down the hall, more corpses to step over, and then there’s another overlook to a large empty room. This one looks like a firing range. It also has corpses.

A screen turns on. “And this is where you’ll all be practicing how to express your Joy!” West Wind says. “Remember, the more you practice the better you get at it, and those who are blessed enough to become Joy In Hearts will find the more you express your joy, the more varied ways you have to use them! So be creative! I wasn’t able to pull tornadoes out of clear blue skies when I started!” She laughs. “Of course, I’m sure you Small Joys are frowning now, your Big Sisters get all the cool things, and all you have is one or two stupid little ways to express yourselves.” She tsks and waves a finger. “Never underestimate a Small Joy. YOU can express yourselves without having to display your regalia…I can’t do that! Also, I work with three Small Joys and I wouldn’t swap any of them for even Joy-In-Love! You may only have one or two tricks, but you’ll be the BEST at them, AND I KNOW you’ll come up with a bunch of wonderful ways to use them! Okay, let’s keep going!”

You come to another Assessment Gate. It looks identical to the first.

"At this point," West Wind says on the nearby screen. "I'd like to lead everyone in the national anthem..."

A few bars of music start, and then the screen cuts off suddenly.

The power doesn't seem to be fading though...

> Walk through the arch as Joy-In-Ashes
> Go back to being Lupa before passing through.

>>39554910
They probably died quickly, like the small joys earlier. It's just that they were doing stuff as they died instead of only standing there.

More signs of suicide. People drowning themselves. And that death by exercise equipment.

>>39554916
> Walk through the arch as Joy-In-Ashes

>>39554916
>Go back to being Lupa before passing through.

>>39554916
>> Walk through the arch as Joy-In-Ashes

>>39554916
>> Walk through the arch as Joy-In-Ashes
Don't suppose the firing range had any guns laying around?

>>39554916
> Walk through the arch as Joy-In-Ashes

We're going to be out of power when we need to fight. I'd stake Lupa's life on it.

>>39554988
I think this is a Joy only firing range. So just powers.

>>39554916
Can we express ourselves without displaying regalia??? We haven't tried.

>>39554964
>>39554988
>>39554997
You walk through the gate, and you see a bunch of lights go on in the observer’s kiosk. You walk over and take a look.

Well, the meters that measure your Clean Energy output, your suitability for being a Joy In Heart are all at the maximum. Also you are apparently wearing and carrying metal objects that, according to the laminated sheet here, should have been removed by facility to be returned later.

Also, that video cutting out wasn’t a mistake. ‘When Video cuts out, please instruct applicants to continue singing anthem. Any applicant who cannot sing anthem, please note. Also, instruct applicants to complete SECOND verse of anthem, please note any applicants who show NO HESITATION when singing second verse.’

You do notice now, that you do indeed set off the all important blue light as well. Again, the technician is to press the red button and not show any signs of alarm.

***Kcchk*** “Lupa?”

That’s Ray’s voice! It’s coming from…well…everywhere from the echoes.

“Lupa, if you can hear this. I don’t know what you did, but it’s got the entire place working! We’re on the second floor, it’s where they equipped their soldiers, and man Lupa…we hit the fucking JACKPOT! Hallelujah! Anyway, get to the second floor as soon as you can.”

The PA system shuts off.

> Continue down the hallway on your tour. You want to see all of what West Wind has to show you.
> Double back and find a way up to the second floor. You saw maintenance doors, maybe there’s other stairs.

>>39555235
> Continue down the hallway on your tour. You want to see all of what West Wind has to show you

>>39554988

> Continue down the hallway on your tour. You want to see all of what West Wind has to show you.

>>39555235
>> Continue down the hallway on your tour. You want to see all of what West Wind has to show you.

I wonder if NO HESITATION is a good or bad sign. So creepy.

>>39555235

> Continue down the hallway on your tour. You want to see all of what West Wind has to show you.

>>39555235
Can we yell at them? Say we're busy but unhurt or something?

>>39555235
You push that red button immediately young girl.

>>39555314
You continue down the hall it winds and twists, and has a couple more dead bodies. The next viewing window is coming up. You look out, and see Pytor and Ray staring at you.

Shit! You hit the ground...and then slowly get back up. They can't see you.

"Are you sure this is one way glass?" You hear Ray ask Pytor, muffled though it is.

Pytor nods, and he pounds on it. "Yes...strong too." After a moment he shrugs. "Get back to cataloguing."

It looks like the boys have found what looks like a barracks. Footlockers, beds, sinks and toilets at one end. Dead corpses on the beds, or one with his head in the toilet.

The boys have been looting the footlockers, and it looks like they hit money. Standard issue kit for these guys apparently includes sealed MREs, nice looking body armor, and a .357 snub-nose hold-out pistol with ammo. They've got a nice looking pile on one of the beds.

"A little treat for you girls." West Wind says with a wink. "Our brave Accepting men. Now, I know you've all heard the rumors about men with the Acceptance trait, and I'm here to tell you that MOST of them aren't true. Acceptance does indeed make our boys bigger, or tougher, or faster, or all three, or something else entirely! But they won't be expressing their Joy any time soon. Or ever." She chuckles. "So those rumors of the Tributary's forces? Rumors, and have you SEEN a Trib man? Pfft. Take a look at OUR boys...heh. Anyway, you'll be introduced to a squadron of Acceptance support. They'll have talents that will supplement your own, use them. I know I've owed my life to the brave men who put themselves at risk. So, get one last good eyeful ladies, and let's move on..."

The screen winks out.

> Observation Roll 1d12

Rolled 4 (1d12)

>>39555646

Rolled 7 (1d12)

>>39555646
And what do we see?

Rolled 9 (1d12)

>>39555646

Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>39555646
Tribuary, huh. Looks like guys can do shit too, neat.

>>39555646
That whole West Wind paragraph had me giggling.

So world war between human factions using magical child forces?

And the fallout from the magic being used in their magitech devices huh

Which began to mutate into the hubris

>>39555763
Something tells me that MGs were exceptional sluts. Who'd have thunk it?

>>39555646
>Tributary
>a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake
I bet these dudes touch minds all the time. Possible hivemind?

>>39555809
If that's the case, magical girls dropping dead when they touch minds would be a sensible defense against Tributary people.

>>39555763
Propaganda. Propaganda.

>>39555803
Gotta pass on those Acceptance genes. Fuck for your country!

>>39555724
You’re about to leave, when you look up and your eyes go wide. Oh shit.

Hubris.

Pytor and Ray are in a room who’s ceiling is covered in Eyeless. This time they look like baseball sized pillbugs. Only their bodies look slightly gelatinous, and you can see Hubris Larvae floating in those black spherical masses.

Okay, good news is that they’re apparently more content to just stay on the ceiling and crawl over each other. Ray and Pytor haven’t been loud in their search.

You do see one drop down onto the ground, near the boys, but the Eyeless then starts to crawl away from the men, and towards the bathroom area. There’s a small puddle around one of the leaking toilets. The seam is broken and when someone flushed (One of them must have taken a leak.) water dripped out. Also, apparently the plumbing is also operational here…but more importantly, Eyeless like water more than they like people.

Eyeless like Joys the best though, you can see that the mass on the ceiling is slowly shifting towards the direction of the one-way mirror.

> Pound on the glass and yell to get the guy’s attention.
> Bust through the glass.
> Hurry down the hall and try to find some way to get to them
> They’re not stupid, and the Hubris aren’t interested in them…If you remain calm and keep going forward, maybe you can lure the Eyeless swarm away

>>39555935
> They’re not stupid, and the Hubris aren’t interested in them…If you remain calm and keep going forward, maybe you can lure the Eyeless swarm away
>Express your power a little.

Holy shit, looks like I was right about everyone being a hive.

>>39555935
> They’re not stupid, and the Hubris aren’t interested in them…If you remain calm and keep going forward, maybe you can lure the Eyeless swarm away
>Express your power a little.

>>39555935
>> They’re not stupid, and the Hubris aren’t interested in them…If you remain calm and keep going forward, maybe you can lure the Eyeless swarm away

Uhhhhhhhhhhhh. I'm okay with any of these options. I'll go with the ballsiest one.

>>39555935
>They’re not stupid, and the Hubris aren’t interested in them…If you remain calm and keep going forward, maybe you can lure the Eyeless swarm away
>Express your power a little.

No panic, no panic...

Can we shoot those see the true form ashes through the window? We have line of sight, maybe it goes through windows.

>>39556053
Ashes are sadly a material thing. If we had light? Sure. But all ashes will do is coat the glass.

>>39555935
They’re not stupid, and the Hubris aren’t interested in them…If you remain calm and keep going forward, maybe you can lure the Eyeless swarm away
>Express your power a little.

I wish that power drain hadn't shut headvoice up. I miss her.

>>39556007
'No panic, no panic!'

'No panic...we aren't panicing.' Oh good, adrenaline has woken up Joy.

'Good to know that we're all here...now...we take a step back...and to the side....'

And you watch as the majority of the Eyeless pillbugs swarm towards your location. Your location that you are trying to put as close to the water as possible, and furthest away from the boys.

'What are our options?'

'What?'

'Well...we've heard nothing else but West Wind babbling about expressing our Joy...let's get expressive! What are our options?'

'Limited with this thick piece of safety glass between us and them!'

'Anything will do!'

'Alright, alright.'

> We can create a little light in our palm.
> We can cake ash around our body and harden it
> We can blast a thick ash cloud in the area.

'THAT'S IT?'

'Unless we want to break the mirror, we don't have very many options!'

>>39556237
> We can cake ash around our body and harden it
Armor. Armor is good.

Given we're about to be swarmed armor is VERY good.

>>39556237
> We can create a little light in our palm.

Armor is good, but I'm quite fond of lasers.

>>39556237
> We can cake ash around our body and harden it

>>39556237
> We can create a little light in our palm.

>>39556264
a ball of light isn't going to immediately evolve into a laser.

>>39556277
A little ash hardening isn't going to be servicable armor immediately either.

oh wait, we're facing pillbugs. Maybe it will.

>>39556237
>We can cake ash around our body and harden it

The important thing is that we're against a swarm. Armor is good for that, right?

>>39556305
a ball of light is less useful than thin armor.

Alright, here is my guess due to the whole mind linking thing.

Linking between full Joys? Not safe. Or at least not safe while untrained. People generally explode.

Linking between Acceptance and Small Joys to a single full Joy? Safe and most importantly powerful. The small rivers leading to the lake to give it more power. Or the other way around. Joys can allow Acceptance to use more power.

>>39556352
There's no point in arguing about it, ash hardening has clearly won.

but flashlights are useful when the power isn't on and Hounds are sensitive to bright light. ... two reasons that are not currently relevant

>>39556409
There is no reason we can't do the other things later. I mean smothering a wasp nest with ash? Very smart. Very practical. Using it against Eyeless. Things with no eyes? That home in our power? Not the brightest thing to do. Same with using the light here. We don't need to see or ward off nocturnal creatures.

>>39556397
That's possible, but it contradicts what Joy said: Ray kills us. Totally not PoJ propaganda.

I'd prefer not to test this until we get another viewpoint, at least.

>>39556323
You take in a deep breath and your ash cloud starts to close in around you, just like it did before you…exploded…that other time. This time however, it feel different. That was to keep something in, this is to keep something out. This stuff is thicker, substantial. Something that it would take all day to chip away and ruin a knife while doing so.

It also makes it look like you’re covered in grey mud, save for your mask and hair.

‘Oh shit.’

‘Oh…shit.’

The eyeless noticed, and apparently they want to get a look at the new you. They have changed from a slow gradual shift, to a massive FLOOD. They’re all pilling up against the glass, you can see the twitchy, leggy, larvae, squirmy gooey undersides of them, and you are glad you haven’t eaten…or plan on sleeping. Ever.

So, good news is that you’ve gotten the horde of Eyeless pillbugs away from Pytor and Ray. They’re all on the glass…and converging towards your position. All you had to do was just touch the glass with your armored hand and they’re swarming all over the area.

Bad news…that glass is starting to crack.

“Are we going to the next room, or are we staying and waiting for Lupa?” Ray asks Pytor.

Pytor shrugs as he throws the last of the salvage into his backpack. “Lupa is smart…she always finds her way back. We have more to search.”

The pair turn to leave.

The glass is still cracking…you just need to hold the pillbugs in one place a liiiiitttttllllee longer!

But can that glass handle it?

If you walk away though, will the Eyeless go for the boys and get to them before they get away?

> Risk the glass
> Risk walking away.

If everyone in this place was a Hive, why was that one dead guy hoarding meds?

>>39556502
> Risk the glass

Do normal people somehow not notice Eyeless?
Because it seems that every time Eyeless have been around no one else has noticed until we say something.

>>39556502
>> Risk the glass
We can do that explosion thingie to kill all of them in one swoop.

>>39556516
Maybe everyone in this place wasn't a hive?

Maybe they just all got locked in here or something and went crazy.

>>39556502
> Risk the glass

I am far, far more concerned about this now that I know there are enough of these things to crack thick glass. Holy shit.

>>39556622
"Alright. But I'm going back to the PA room and letting her know we're still here." Ray says.

Pytor shakes his head and pauses in the door way with Ray. "Go. Just remember, only I have sex in the RV. You wait until your back at your farm, to ask if you want to fuck her."

"It's a ranch!" Ray says, going red. He then blinks and looks behind Pytor at the glass. "Is...do you see something there?" He asks.

Pytor turns to look.

> Roll 1d20, you need a 14 or higher for the glass to hold

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>39556716

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>39556716
Hahahahaha this is the best nat 1. I'm so happy we failed this roll.

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>39556716

>>39556724
Thanks

File: 1097573_574982145871725_6(...).jpg (25 KB, 325x681)

25 KB JPG

>>39556724

>>39556724
Wait, is that a crit failure? An automatic failure?

>>39556763
crit fail.

>>39556763
I think only d8 is immune to the dreaded 1.

>>39556766
fuk

I'm starting to think that expressing wasn't a good idea.

>>39556724
5th nat 1 we've rolled today.

Jeeze.

>>39556724
(Thank you Dice Gods.)

One moment Ray and Pytor are looking at a one-way glass mirror. It seems fine. (Though for some reason Ray swears he can see something on the other side of the mirror, a blurry shape that looks like its got two ropes hanging from each side of it.

Then the mirror shatters, completely breaking into pieces, and there’s a flash of light.

When their vision returns they see a monster. It’s about five foot tall, and it’s humanoid in shape, and it’s covered in these horrible giant gooey pillbug things. Also these thick white tentacle things are growing out of, what they assume, is the things’ head. Where it ISN’T covered in demonic looking insects, it’s flesh is thick, grey, and craggy. It’s also letting out this horrible shrieking noise as it thrashes back and forth.

“RUN!” Pyotr says, as he pushes Ray to get to the elevator, and he lifts his shotgun and shoots once at the creature. Then, without looking to see if the thing was hurt or not, he also takes off.

So…you’re covered in Pillbug Eyeless who are eating through your armor to get at you, and Pytor just shot at you with his shotgun.

> Roll 1d20 to dodge

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>39556866
OK. That was worth the nat 1.

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>39556866
gj

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>39556866
Hue

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>39556866

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>39556866

>>39556877
>>39556889
>>39556896
eh, not great, not bad either

>>39556897
almost anon, almost.

>>39556866
Amazing. Are we dodging the shotgun? That is some fast thinking there.

>>39556914
I think we're trying to the Ashen Dodge trick. You know, dissolve into ashes, let the breeze carry you away and reform.

So we aren't covered in pillbugs

>>39556896
You feel your armor get blown off as you do your ash-shift to the side. Thank GOD Pytor wasn't aiming to kill.

So...you're covered with Eyeless, now what?

> What do you think?! Bright Burst! NOW!
> Waitwaitwaitwait! We do that and we'll go back to being Lupa and we won't be able to change back for a bit! Maybe there's another way, for now though, running, stomping, and rolling around on the ground sounds like a good idea!

>>39556942
> Waitwaitwaitwait! We do that and we'll go back to being Lupa and we won't be able to change back for a bit! Maybe there's another way, for now though, running, stomping, and rolling around on the ground sounds like a good idea!

>>39556866
Why was I thinking they would recognize her again? Pointless masquerade intact.

>>39556942
> What do you think?! Bright Burst! NOW!

>>39556942
> Waitwaitwaitwait! We do that and we'll go back to being Lupa and we won't be able to change back for a bit! Maybe there's another way, for now though, running, stomping, and rolling around on the ground sounds like a good idea!
Plus, Brightburst might just hurt ourselves instead of hitting the bugs.

>>39556942
>> Waitwaitwaitwait! We do that and we'll go back to being Lupa and we won't be able to change back for a bit! Maybe there's another way, for now though, running, stomping, and rolling around on the ground sounds like a good idea!

Stop drop and roll!

>>39556970
knowing our dice? It is practically guaranteed.

>>39556942
> What do you think?! Bright Burst! NOW!
No reason to stay this way really and theyre probably really starting to wonder where the fuck shes at

>>39556989
We still need to go through the assessments and advancement and maybe other stuff. Can't do that as Lupa.

>>39556974
You've discovered a few things, as you roll on the ground and thrash.

1) You are SO glad your regalia has a mask.

2) Your Ash-Shift doesn't work on Eyeless. They travel with you...probably because they're not 'normal' creatures.

3) The Eyeless have now eaten through your armor and are now munching on you. It hurts. A LOT.

> You will now start to take wounds from being devoured.

> Run down the halls back through those Assessment Arches. Those things drain Clean Energy. It'll fry these guys!
> Jump into the room and run to the showers and turn them on. Eyeless are drawn to water. You can wash them off!
> See if Joy has any new powers!
> Fuck it! Bright Burst!

>>39557072
> Jump into the room and run to the showers and turn them on. Eyeless are drawn to water. You can wash them off!
> See if Joy has any new powers!

>>39557072
> Jump into the room and run to the showers and turn them on. Eyeless are drawn to water. You can wash them off!
> See if Joy has any new powers!

>>39557072
>> Run down the halls back through those Assessment Arches. Those things drain Clean Energy. It'll fry these guys!
>If that doesn't work, Bright Burst!

>>39557072
Let's hit those showers

>>39557080
>>39557091
>>39557111

'ANY HELP WE HAVE IS APPRECIATED!'

'Each a Universe unto themselves. Utterly alien. Impossibly familiar.'

'WHAT?' You ask as you grab a shower dial and crank it as hard as it can go.

'Screaming. Then it stopped. Then it started again.'

The cold water bursts out of the pipe and covers you.

'Give me SOMETHING!'

'I....I...I...I...that is why there MUST be WE.'

Okay, Joy's not being helpful with her mind full of Hubris.

Still you were quick with the water. Let's see if it's helping.

> Roll 1d20

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>39557260
please helping

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>39557260
pls work

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>39557260
I really hope this works...

>>39557260
Hivemind intensifies. Why aren't we getting hit by this?

>>39557295
OHTHANKGODIT'SWORKING!

The majority of the Eyeless are falling off of you, rolling around in the water. And the ones that are currently trying to bite their way into your skin have slowed as they now try to slurp up the water, THEN bite into your skin.

Either way, you've been fast enough, and have slowed them that, you're now only mostly covered with nightmare pillbugs.

They ARE still trying to eat you.

> You're still at 0 wounds so far, well done.

> More water. They like it, let them drown in it, and if something's working...
> Try to concentrate and do an Ash-shift across the entire room. A foot or two they can follow, but 20-30 feet? That might be enough to break free.
> Brute force this thing, grab a towel and just wipe them off. That you KNOW will work...maybe you'll only get nibbled on a little.

>>39557359
> Brute force this thing, grab a towel and just wipe them off. That you KNOW will work...maybe you'll only get nibbled on a little.

>>39557359
>More water AND a towel.

>>39557359
> More water. They like it, let them drown in it, and if something's working

>>39557359
Harden the ash around each pillbug then smash them?

>>39557359
Scrub a dub dub baby
(water and Towel)

>>39557410
Come on, there's no reason why we can't do both.

Guys, there might be a reason why they like water. It might not be smart to feed them.

>>39557456
Nice theory. Let's confirm it.

>>39557452
>>39557449
>>39557410

You grab a towel and soak it as you stay in the water, the water is filthy grey and full of ash, and every time that you try to wipe off one of the pillbugs, it bursts and larvae spray everywhere, they burst the moment they come into contact with your skin. It stings like a bitch.

Joy is just shrieking in pain and still babbling.

> Roll physical 1d8

>>39557465
Isn't that the kind of theory you don't want to confirm?

Rolled 1 (1d8)

>>39557468

Rolled 5 (1d8)

>>39557468

Rolled 3 (1d8)

>>39557468

>>39557471
Between assuming it's true and actually KNOWING, I'll take knowing.
>>39557478
HAH. YOU DON'T COUNT.

>>39557478
nat 1 #6.

>>39557481
You get the last of the Eyeless off and stomp the other ones to death.

You've got an assortment on small bites, nibbles, general Clean Energy drain, and you're never getting those images out of your head. You're still pretty good though, all things considered.

> Wound: 1

'Why do they like water?'

'Ugggghh...common. Water is water is water. It's easy to understand and consume.'

'So...they aren't going to grow wings or anything?'

'Nah...it just keeps them from drying out and dying. Eyeless last as long as there's Clean Energy or water. But if the water's clean of Clean Energy, they'll stay there and drink until...poof.'

'Good to know. What was that back there, they had a hive mind right? Why weren't we affected?'

'We WERE. That was why we have this set-up! One of us gets driven insane by the Hubris, and the other keeps going. If we want to trade positions, feel free any time.'

*ksshk* "LUPA! LUPA YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THERE! THERE'S THIS...THIS...THING! PYTOR AND I ARE HEADING BACK TO THE TOP. MEET US THERE! GET OUT NOW! PLEASE LORD, LET LUPA BE SAFE!"

> Change back to Lupa and make your way out. Pytor will leave without you if you've been gone too long.
> He won't leave for a couple of hours. Probably. Go back and see the end of the Assessment Corridor.

>>39557613
>He won't leave for a couple of hours. Probably. Go back and see the end of the Assessment Corridor.

>>39557613
> He won't leave for a couple of hours. Probably. Go back and see the end of the Assessment Corridor.
If we leave after that? I'll bite you.

>>39557613
>> Change back to Lupa and make your way out. Pytor will leave without you if you've been gone too long.
> Change in front of them, reassure them, and head back in.

Fuck this secret.

>>39557613
>He won't leave for a couple of hours. Probably. Go back and see the end of the Assessment Corridor.

Can we seriously change positions? I would switch off every fight in a heartbeat if that was possible.

How are we going to explain this to them?

>>39557705
Pytor won’t leave for a couple of hours. You know this because he will be staying here to see if the horrible monster he saw is the type that holds a grudge and hunts prey down, or if it’s the type that doesn’t like getting shot at, and wont bother people who don’t come back into it’s home. People who don’t learn that lesson tend to be VERY surprised when a Feline jumps down from a tree, five months after you only winged it, and tears their throat out.

Also, by then it may be getting dark. Pyotr wouldn’t risk the RV going up against a pack of Hounds. Not when he has a thick steel door to hide behind. So…judging by what you know about the guardian that just shot you, you feel that it’s okay to keep exploring.

You head back into the assessment hall and continue following it. Joy is still pretty quiet as she recuperates and tries to heal you.

The hallways end in a door that opens up to a room that looks like a classroom.

“Hello Sisters!” West Wind’s face pops up. “If you’ve gotten this far and have a number, you’re certainly a Small Joy, and maybe even more! Let’s give a big applause for our Female Acceptance Candidates, they’re still our Sisters and we look forward to helping them!” A pause. “Now, we’ll have the written part of the assessment! Yes, yes, I know. But this is an easy test and there are NO wrong answers, so NO cheating from your neighbor!”

There’s only one corpse here. It looks like he died as he was putting small paper booklets and pencils on each of the desks. His death is apparently by way of pencil to the neck.

> Observational Roll 1d12

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>39557844
>> Observational Roll 1d12

Rolled 4 (1d12)

>>39557844

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>39557844

>>39557844
>There’s only one corpse here. It looks like he died as he was putting small paper booklets and pencils on each of the desks. His death is apparently by way of pencil to the neck.
Fucking brutal.