File: Joy-In-Embers.jpg (117 KB, 500x411)

117 KB JPG

>>41460702
“Maybe I should send her back?” You say to Voice. “I can find another car…”

“No.” Voice says. “You should stick together. You’d be easy prey for Hubris, or the People of Joy. Also, you two are just in your relative infancy, in regards to your ability. She’s much more typical than you think.”

You smile a bit. “So…I’m not typical?”

“You have a bit more raw talent for this, and your level of focus is certainly a boon. Not to mention the fact that you don’t suffer emotional trauma from violence, due to your severe overexposure to it.” Voice chuckles. “Before the Event, Embers would be seen as normal, and YOU’D be the liability.”

“Alright, so…what now?” You ask.

“Well, I approve of wanting to avoid being outnumbered when facing Ruin.” Voice says. “I can think of three places that might work. The first would be Cygnus Dam itself. The heavy presence of water would cause the Locals, as you call them, to obey their urge to consume it. Also, there’s the chance of getting me access to the facility.

“The second option would be an area that’s surrounding a Clean Energy Reactor.” Voice says. “The reactor has long overloaded, and the area is heavy with fallout. You and Embers can withstand it, as long as you stay in your regalia. The Locals wouldn’t be able to survive it. At least, the parts of them that are human. Since they actively avoid trying to become Vainglories, or dying. The only one who could survive in that area would be Joy-In-Ruin.

“The last option is a large skyscraper that’s still standing. You can see it from where you are, when it’s daylight.” Voice says. “Hubris prefer low, warm, wet places. Places that are high, dry, and cold seem to cause discomfort, and I’ve seen cases where it weakens them. The same factors would apply to Ruin.”

(cont)

File: Emmy.jpg (1 MB, 982x1198)

1 MB JPG

>>41460728
“And the downsides?” You ask.

“The Dam is a mediocre advantage, at best, but it lacks any obvious disadvantages. You’ll reduce the Locals a bit, and Ruin will be as she is. The Fallout zone will severely reduce Ruin’s followers…but Ruin herself might get more powerful. The skyscraper will weaken Ruin, but she’ll have a lot more Locals to back her up. All options are valid, and I ran the numbers, and the statistical odds of your success in each location are close enough to be identical.” Voice says. “As long as you don’t do anything silly, there’s a probability of success.”

“How big of a probability?” You ask.

A pause. “You shouldn’t ask silly questions like that. You’ll get depressing answers.”

> Go to the dam.
> Go to the Fallout Zone.
> Go to the Skyscraper.

>>41460751
> Go to the dam.

>>41460751
> Go to the Skyscraper.
Weeee

>>41460751
>Go to the Skyscraper.
What better place for a boss battle?

Also, welcome back, EG. Thought we lost you

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>41460751

>>41460751
>> Go to the Skyscraper.

>>41460979
>Thought we lost you
Every thread.

>>41460865
>>41460979
>>41461300

"We'll try the skyscraper idea." You say. "Weakened Ruin also might mean weakened Locals."

"A sound theory." Voice says. "Just be very cautious. The structural stability of that building is highly suspect. Good luck."

"I find it strange to hear something like 'good luck' come from you." You say. "Thought you'd be too 'rational' about it."

Voice sighs. "A silly stereotype. While romantics tend to add silly additions and prose to the concepts, it's silly to deny the presence of things like Luck, Love, Friendship, and the power that inhabits them. In the end it's all probability, neuro-chemicals, and sociological paradigms. Easily understandable concepts that scrape the surface of greater elements of the universe that's humanity's pleasure and purpose to explore."

"Huh?" You say.

"Never mind." Voice says. "Just something I used to debate with Love about. Things are different now, I suppose. Sleep well." She signs off.

You get in a few hours of rest before the sun comes up.

You tell Emmy of the plan. She obviously has misgivings, but the lack of a better plan (Apart from 'Go Home') keeps her silent.

You drive to the Skyscraper. Whatever purpose it had has long been lost. Signs of salvagers and squatters are present, but the place is vacant, indicating that anyone who lived here is now part of the Local Color.

"So...how high are we going?" Emmy asks.

The skyscraper gets more dangerous and unstable the higher you go. The question is where's the sweet spot that saps Ruin's power, but isn't a death trap.

Either way, it's going to be a bitch to climb ALL those stairs.

> 30 floors up, Ruin will have a little draw, and that's the last bit of the building that's still mostly intact.
> 40 floors up, Ruin will get a good sap, but those floors have no windows. Lots of wind, and risk, but the floors are stable.
> 50 floors up, the most unstable in regards to the floors, but Ruin will get a BIG power sap. Also, it does have some windows.

>>41461795
>In the end it's all probability, neuro-chemicals, and sociological paradigms. Easily understandable concepts that scrape the surface of greater elements of the universe that's humanity's pleasure and purpose to explore."
I like her.

> 50 floors up, the most unstable in regards to the floors, but Ruin will get a BIG power sap. Also, it does have some windows.

>>41461795
> 30 floors up, Ruin will have a little draw, and that's the last bit of the building that's still mostly intact.
try and rig basic noise traps to alert us in case anyone comes up so we can retreat to the higher floors

>>41461795
>> 40 floors up, Ruin will get a good sap, but those floors have no windows. Lots of wind, and risk, but the floors are stable.

>>41461795
> 50 floors up, the most unstable in regards to the floors, but Ruin will get a BIG power sap. Also, it does have some windows.

>>41461795
> 50 floors up, the most unstable in regards to the floors, but Ruin will get a BIG power sap. Also, it does have some windows.
The higher up we are, the better our chances for a dramatic stormy roof battle!

>Please fill me in on the fluffy yuri level in this quest. Thanks.

>>41461795
>> 50 floors up, the most unstable in regards to the floors, but Ruin will get a BIG power sap. Also, it does have some windows.
Go back down then up the stars a few times for maximized gains.

>>41462073
Well we apparently garbled some marbles before the quest started.

We could still be bi I guess.

>>41462073
MC like the D enough to knock boots with a preacher's son cause he was cute.

>>41462073
We marinated in his man meat.

>>41462179
said preacher's son is now in an RV with a big scary man and a sniper lady trying to find us.

>>41461881
>>41461898
>>41461958

50 flights of stairs/collapsed floor slopes/climbing up stacked desks, and a rather equal amount of swearing from the pair of you. You arrive at the 52nd floor. It has a floor that's been long stripped of its carpet, and dirt caked windows.

You and Emmy just lie on the ground for a moment, panting and wheezing. The fact that you did the whole thing as Lupa was, in retrospect, probably a poor decision.

Still, better not to give the game away, and like Voice said, the stronger Lupa gets, Ashes gets stronger exponentially.

Still, it's hard to think of the benefits when you're lying on the bare floor of a tall building, covered with sweat and regret.

"I think I can feel the floor sway." Emmy says.

"Mmmh." You say.

"So...before we lure the crowd here. Anything you want to set up?" Emmy asks.

"Well, get up some barricades, and some noise traps for one." You say, slowly sitting up. "That's easy."

"It'd also be easy to collapse that last stairwell we came up." Emmy says. "It's only got a few supports."

"Yeah, but that could cause half the floor to give way." You say. "Maybe."

"True." Emmy sighs and looks at you. "And I guess that you're going to want her to be here too, huh?"

1.
> Collapse the Stairs
> Let them stay

2.
> Ask for Embers.
> Stay with Emmy.

>>41462262
> Collapse the Stairs
> Stay with Emmy.

I figure given we don't want people to turn into vainglories we'll want a normal person around to deal with them while we talk to Ruin.

>>41462262
> Collapse the Stairs
> Stay with Emmy.

>>41462262
> Collapse the Stairs
> Stay with Emmy

>>41462262
> Let them stay
> Ask for Embers.

>>41462312
>>41462358
>>41462397

It's pretty easy to collapse the last flight of stairs, just wedge a few supports out of the walls, and push with your feet. There's a rumble and the stairs cave in on themselves, one flight collapsing on top of the other. Boom, boom, boom...

> Roll 1d6

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>41462568

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>41462568

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>41462568

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>41462568
ok

>>41462590
Seems good.

>>41462073
We haven't been told its impossible, and there have been no signs of railroading us away from it.

It probably won't happen in the field though.

>>41462590
Booooom...the last distant rumble sends up a cloud of dust.

The pair of you back away, coughing and wiping away dust.

Emmy's set up a series of barricades and has her gun ready, along with her reloads. She also has the flare gun ready.

You close your eyes, and Embrace Joy. It feels good to be Ashes again. The air through your mask seems...better, somehow. Also, your body doesn't ache anymore, and you feel lighter on your feet.

'Okay." Joy says, finally back in your mind. Oh you missed her, more than you'd like to admit. 'I think, from what little I've gleaned from what we've seen, I think Ruin might be a Healer. At least.'

'Okay, and?'

'Joy-In-Hearts who are Healers are very strong. Only people who are straight punchers like Embers are stronger...and she's had a LOT more practice than Emmy and Embers.' She says. 'Also, they're tough too. Have to be. Let's just pray she can't regenerate.'

'Can...can we purify her?' You ask. 'Like the others?'

"I...don't know.' Joy says. 'She might be too far gone. I KNOW 'humility' won't work, so...you'll need a new glyph.'

'Which one?' You ask.

'No idea.' Joy says.

'Great.' You sigh, and then nod at Emmy.

Emmy gets the flare gun you got from when you looted Meadows' place, and fires it out of a broken window. The bright glowing light shoots out, and leaving a trail of smoke behind it as it makes its descent. There's no chance anyone missed it.

They must have been already searching for you. It's only a few minutes, and you see three school buses heading towards the building.

They stop, and you see about 30ish dots go into the building.

Now it's just a matter of waiting, and seeing how many people make it up past all those stairs, and other obstacles. Not to mention the newest one you just created.

> Roll 3d6

Rolled 6, 1, 6 = 13 (3d6)

>>41462932

Rolled 1, 6, 3 = 10 (3d6)

>>41462932
HWG

Rolled 3, 4, 2 = 9 (3d6)

>>41462932

>>41462960
the roll of extremes!

>>41462932
>three school buses

Buggers are using school buses as APCs. Smart girls.

>>41462960
>>41462978
Wow, triple 6's. Nice.

File: Joy-In-Ruin.jpg (15 KB, 300x291)

15 KB JPG

Rolled 9 (1d12)

>>41462960
You can look down the ruined stairwell, and see the crowd assemble. It's a baker's dozen, with Ruin, in her duct tape and bandages, as number 13.

"You may not want to bring your friends up here." You say. "Unless you want them to change into Vainglories...monsters."

They all look at each other, and they talk in that 'tik-tik' language of theirs.

I know the pic is from somewhere else, but that's the closest image I could find for Ruin.

>>41463083
Three of the Locals leave. The rest all gather around Ruin. She peels strips of her bandages/duct tape off of her, and covers their mouths with it.

You can feel the Expression of Joy. It's clear that Ruin's power will keep the Locals from going Vainglory.

'That's going to be a pretty big power draw, so the more people Ruin's protecting, the weaker she'll be.' Joy says.

You can see that the group are slowly working their way up the ruins of the stairwell and the last few collapsed floors. It'll take a bit but they'll get up there.

"Joy-In-Ruin?" You ask. "Hello? Can we talk?"

Ruin doesn't reply.

> Try to nock them down as they climb
> Offer to help them up
> Get ready to ambush them the moment they arrive

>>41463189
> Offer to help them up

>>41463189
> Offer to help them up

I doubt diplomacy is going to work. But I have to at least try.

>>41463189

> Offer to help them up

I have conflicted feelings, for one, they are breeding bugs to infect the rest of humanity.

On the other hand, they are a people eking out a peaceful existence here.

>>41463189
>> Offer to help them up
Can't say we didn't try.

>>41463248
"Hey, do you guys want a hand?" You ask. "We've got some rope."

"Ashes!" Emmy snaps. "Remember the LAST time we dealt with these people!? They don't exactly view us as friendly."

"I have to try." You say, as you get the rope.

You toss it down. Ruin grabs it, and scrabbles up it, amazingly fast. She instantly rolls away from you and makes a defensive stance.

The other Locals aren't as fast, climbing up the rope.

It would be very easy to just let go...otherwise, you'd have to stand there and let the whole nine of them get up. There's no safe place to tie the rope to.

> Let go of the rope.
> Let them come.

>>41463359
> Let them come.
Fuck it. In for a penny.

>>41463359
>> Let them come.

So what is our end goal for diplomacy?

That they agree to not let loose the plague?

>>41463359
> Let them come.

>>41463396
optimistically? We help them purge the hubris completely.

What 'words' could we use to help Ruin though?

>>41463465
The humans won't be able to sustain themselves without the hubris right?

And they existence is not one worth living for the rest of the humans.

>>41463436
Alright, so it's Ruin, 9 locals, and the two of you.

Thankfully, it does seem that the height, and the cold, are kind of affecting them. You can see them blinking a lot, occasionally shaking their heads to keep focus, and one or two are slightly swaying.

Ruin herself keeps flexing her hands, and you see her visibly swallow.

"So...now what?" She asks. "Fight?"

You look at Emmy, and then back at Ruin. "Not if we can help it." You say.

She nods. "Alright...so...what do you want?"

You're arms' reach away from her. If you're fast...

> Try to hit her with a purifying glyph.
> Put a knife in her sternum.
> Grab her hand and see if you can just 'slightly' touch her mind.

>>41463592
> Grab her hand and see if you can just 'slightly' touch her mind.
We honestly need to know her better then this in order to make a glyph for her. Humility was perfect for that first guy because he had let his pride and his hubris overtake him.

Ruin is obviously very, very different.

>>41463465
>words to help ruin
Decomp and death isn't nice but it's needed. Lemme think...
Tranquility?
Release?
Clean?
Repair?

>>41463637
This is good

>>41463592
> Grab her hand and see if you can just 'slightly' touch her mind.

>>41463665
>>41463659
>>41463637

Okay...if you do this right, you'll be fine. If not...

'You'll kill everyone in this building, and possibly all of Swanmay.' Joy says.

Alright, you've had experience with how it feels with how you've scraped Gold and West Wind's minds, and the point of no return with Civility and Meadows.

You hold out your hand to Ruin, and look at her.

She looks at you cautiously. The Locals all get ready with their various melee weapons.

Emmy adjusts behind her barricade, and keeps her arm stable, and aim as straight as possible.

Ruin slowly places her hand in yours.

> Roll 1d20

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>41463868

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>41463868

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>41463868
ok

>>41463889
nice

>>41463889
Beautiful.

>>41463889
success!~

I'm so glad we didn't roll a 1 here. I was just waiting for a 1 to pop up.

>>41463929
You and me both, sunshine.

>>41463889
You have saved us!

>>41463889
You see it all. The fighting kept going in Swanmay. The Civil War didn't stop just because the world ended. The only thing that changed was that there wasn't any 'cause' anymore, just Them and Us.

Then she started getting the headaches, and angry all the time.

Then she heard a song from the Goddess...or a Goddess...or maybe it was just a pre-recorded song that kicked on when someone got the power working.

Either way...she could fix things. Help people.

Everyone was sick by then. The worms were in the water. Boiling the water didn't help.

They worshipped her at first. Then the ones that talked a lot, and bossed people around, they got too many worms and they turned into monsters.

She killed them. To save the others...and then she figured out how to hold the others together. Tape and bandages, keeping the entire nation held together.

It's all on her. She makes them build simple things to watch, and has them harvest, and her stitches and bandages are all around.

She's so tired...but she has to hold them together.

She knows they can't survive without her.

Only...that's not just her in that last bit. You can hear the screams of the Larvae. Feeding that part of her ego.

She doesn't trust anyone.

She's missing Trust.

You don't get more details than that, but you don't really need to.

You come back to Now, and you see that Ruin has tears running down her cheeks. She looks at you with a look of horror and pity.

"Why aren't you even sad?" She asks.

'Uhh, we may have a problem?' Joy says.

'What?' You ask, in your mind.

'You purify Ruin...and you're going to break her control on her Expression.' Joy says. 'The good news is that will probably kill the Hubris across Swanmay. But I have NO idea what it would do to the Locals.'

'Can you guess?' You ask.

'Maybe nothing. Maybe instant death. Maybe they go Vainglory. Either way, shit WILL go down.' Joy says.

You're still holding Ruin's hand.

> Put the Glyph of 'Trust' on her.
> Let her go.

>>41464183
> Put the Glyph of 'Trust' on her.

>>41464183
> Put the Glyph of 'Trust' on her.
Got to take the first step then

>>41464183
>> Put the Glyph of 'Trust' on her.

>>41464183
> Put the Glyph of 'Trust' on her.
Welp.

Oh I see. This is where we roll the 1. When things are looking up and we get a resounding 'hah! You thought there was going to be hope? It was me! Dio!'

>>41464350
I absolutely mangled that meme. I am so, so proud.

>>41464183
>Trust

But also, no matter how much it hurts, hug that poor girl.

Rolled 6, 6, 6, 3, 3, 1, 6, 1, 4 = 36 (9d6)

>>41464272
The People of Joy are not having a good month. They've lost Plath, there's two mutant Koy-In-Hearts that have not only activated but have dropped off the radar, and now there's three REALLY angry psychopaths that have been carving a bloody swath through all of their smaller bases and locations.

To top all of it off, the University Problem is kicking up dust, and all of it means that no one is keeping Gaft from making progress on OLYMPUS.

"Coffee, Mel?" Henry says, as he hands his Superior a cup of steaming hot instant coffee.

"Ah, the one good thing left on this planet." Elder Sister Melpomene says as get grabs a cup of the vile liquid.

She downs it, and scowls at the screens. "Still nothing. Next time, we're killing them."

"Yes." Henry says, gesturing to the road burn scars on his face. "I agree. We need to get the rest to be a little less afraid of bloodshed."

"Well, if we move too quickly we'll cause tro-WHOA!" She says as the entirety of Swanmay lights up on her screens, as if the entire nation exploded for a fraction of a moment.

From your perspective, you traced a sigil on Ruin's chest. Trust being a known word in Civ. Then Ruin's eyes rolled back into her head and she dropped to the ground.

As for the locals.

>>41464489
i think thats an ok result but i dont know

>>41464489
Welp, 2 died but 4 made it spectacularly.

>>41464489
4 do the same thing as Ruin. They just pass out.

Three drop to the ground, and start convulsing as blood leaks from their eyes, ears, and noses. Then they go still, eyes open.

The last two...they have metal shaving claws burst out from their fingertips, making it look like they have double long four-jointed fingers. They rip off the tape over their mouths and it takes a large amount of skin with it, showing their teeth and jawbones. Now, a mass of metal shavings, and oversized incisors.

They look at you and roar TAKAKAKAKAKA at you, their mouths chattering like novelty teeth do, and they charge at you.

> Roll 1d10 for Initiative

Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>41464609

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>41464609

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>41464609

Rolled 8, 5, 6 = 19 (3d10)

>>41464642
And for Vainglory A, B, and Emmy...

>>41464662
Amy is very bad at this game.

But good news - We gained an ally! Joy in Ruins! Healer has joined the party!

>>41464662
You go first.

> Ash shot
> Ash cloud
> Ash choke
> Ash armor
> Ash knife
> Dodge Kick

>>41464685
We killed like half of her people. I doubt she is willing to join us.

>>41464694
> Ash cloud

>>41464694
>> Ash armor

Always buff first.

>>41464694
> Dodge Kick

>>41464694
> Ash knife

>>41464694
> Dodge Kick

>>41464707
Oh true. Only 4/9 made it. I wonder what happened to the other citizens.

But we gave her trust back! We could win it now!

Or we just setup a Joy in Ruin warlord in Swanmay.

>>41464694
>> Ash armor

>>41464694
> Ash cloud

I completely forgot what half of the skills did.

> Ash shot
Basic attack, made of ash, we shoot people with it
> Ash cloud
Makes a cloud of ash so people can't see
> Ash choke
Generates ash in a persons lungs, chokes them
> Ash armor
Armor
> Ash knife
Our knife can be thrown and then turned to ash and come back to our hands
> Dodge Kick
Teleport out of the way of an attack, kick them in the nuts.

>>41464904
Thanks good anon!

Then >> Ash cloud, then Ash armor

>>41460702
Awesome, thought this was dead

>>41464904
Also, you now throw 2 knives at once, and Ash Armor now causes your body to become Mostly-Solid, and you can make dodge rolls against attacks after the round you summoned the armor.

The more you use a skill, the better chance you have of advancing the skill or getting new powers.

Please remember Emmy's in the room too.

And I need a tie breaker.

>>41465050
> Ash knife

>>41465050
Ash armor.

>>41465050
> Ash cloud

>>41465050
Huh we should use ash shot more, right now its pretty pathetic.

>>41465092
Ash cloud usually have a lot of utility as a control spell, but the enemy is not going to be stopped by blinding them or breathing in ash.

Rolled 6, 4, 10 = 20 (3d20)

>>41464720
>>41464788
>>41465085

You cross your arms and summon up the armor around you, and you feel your body start to become slightly less solid.

Chattery Vainglory A swipes at you with its claws.

Emmy fires her gun at Chattery Vainglory B

CV B tries to attack you as well with its claws.

>>41465178
everyone whiffed.

>>41465178
The Vainglories can't break your newly formed armor.

As usual, Emmy can't hit anything.

Your turn.

> Ash shot
> Ash cloud
> Ash choke
> Ash knife
> Dodge Kick

>>41465211
>> Ash knife

>>41465211
> Ash shot
we can curse mark them with a 20

>>41465211
> Ash knife

>>41465211
> Ash shot

>>41465211
> Ash shot

>>41465225
>>41465236
>>41465243
(Ash Shot has a Co-Op move with Embers.)

You flick your hand out and shoot a stinging, scalding, flesh rending, cloud of ash at the Vainglory.

> Roll 1d20

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>41465292
>20

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>41465292
HWG

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>41465292

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>41465292

>>41465312
well, there is that 1 Ive been expecting

>>41465312
OW! Damnit...your blast misfired and you get a face full of soot and ash, and you're the one gagging and choking through your mask.

Well...on the plus side now you know what this shit does to people. And it hurts like hell.

Pick
> Take a wound
> Skip a turn

>>41465348
>> Take a wound

>>41465348
> Skip a turn

>>41465348
> Skip a turn

>>41465348
>> Skip a turn

>>41465348
> Skip a turn

>>41465348
> Skip a turn
Remind Embers not to damage the building.

Rolled 2, 3, 19 = 24 (3d20)

>>41465729
Alright.

The two Vainglories continue to try and rip your skin off, and Emmy fires.
VA-E-VB

>>41465777
Roll to dodge the second Vainglory's attack.

> Roll 1d20

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>41465803

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>41465803

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>41465803

Rolled 16, 12, 16 = 44 (3d20)

>>41465810
You try to dodge, but you're still shaking off your own effects, and it scratches off a large chunk of your armor.

Your armor is half gone. You are still Semi-Solid

Second verse, same as first.
VA-E-VB

>>41465777
Vainglory is really good at this.

>>41465866
Emmy nails the second Vainglory. All that practice has slowly started to pay off.

Vainglory A claws off the last of your armor, and you use the last of your time in semi-solid state to try and dodge B's attack

> Roll 1d20 to dodge

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>41465896

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>41465896

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>41465896

>>41465946
You let the claws just phase through your side, it slightly tingles, and leaves no harm whatsoever.

Your turn.

> Ash shot
> Ash cloud
> Ash choke
> Ash armor
> Ash knife
> Dodge Kick

>>41466013
> Ash shot

>>41466013
>Ash armor
Meh

>>41466013
> Ash shot

>>41466013
>> Ash shot

>>41466194
Alright...let's try this again.

Flick of the hand and BAM!

> Roll 1d20

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>41466242
ok

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>41466242

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>41466242

>>41466256
thank you based anon

Rolled 14, 19 = 33 (2d20)

>>41466256
BAM! Right in the Vainglory's eyes and you can see the flesh being peeled off of the creature's face and neck, and the ash stinging its eyes.

Vainglory A is busy wiping away ash. Emmy fires her gun. Vainglory B swipes at you.

>>41466454
BAM! Emmy hits the Vainglory, just as it gives you a nasty gash with its claws.

Your turn.
> Ash shot
> Ash cloud
> Ash choke
> Ash armor
> Ash knife
> Dodge Kick

>>41466477
> Ash knife

>>41466477
> Ash armor

>>41466477
>Dodge kick
VA is busy getting de-ashed, meaning it's not really in position to defend well. The sooner we turn action economy to our side, the better.

Okay, so I had a thought. Emmy/Embers developed a Quick Change technique, right?

Is there any way they could use that to, say...infuse the bullets with fire? Like...I dunno. Emmy aims, Embers fires while channeling magic or something and bam, incendiary rounds.

Either way, there's gotta be some technique that can use the best of both their worlds...

>>41466477
> Ash knife

>>41466477
>> Dodge Kick

>>41466539
this

>>41466540
The more she tries and the more she hits things she'll discover new powers...but since she can't hit for shit

>>41466539
>>41466591
>>41466650

You swing back your foot and focus on the core of your body being less solid and focusing on the breezes in this tall room.

> Roll 2d20

>>41466477
>Ash armor
Not dying seems nice.

Rolled 15, 12 = 27 (2d20)

>>41466689
DICE

Rolled 8, 4 = 12 (2d20)

>>41466689

Rolled 7, 3 = 10 (2d20)

>>41466689
sure

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>41466704
CRACK! Your first kick slams into the chest of the Vainglory and it literally snaps in half and it collapses bent in on itself. You try to Ash Dodge over to the last Vainglory, but the thing bends its body out of the way.

Emmy changes to Embers. Embers places her hand over her gun, and then sun starts to glow with a bunch of embers dancing around it. Then she changes back to Emmy.

The Vainglory tries to bite you.

>>41466770
No chance. You easily bend out of the way.

Your turn.

> Ash shot
> Ash cloud
> Ash choke
> Ash armor
> Ash knife
> Dodge Kick

>>41466788
> Ash knife
> Dodge Kick

>>41466770
>Ash knife

The Emmy/Amber show never gets old

>>41466788
>> Dodge Kick

>>41466788
> Ash shot
Because I want to upgrade it.

>>41466818
The how far they can fail team?

>>41466788
> Ash shot

>>41466825
Didn't it unlock cloud/choke?

>>41466842
We'll know when she shoots us with her next attack

>>41466859
As of now your Ash Shot, hits on 13+, if it's 17+ it also causes a Lost Turn.

>>41464489
>Next time, we're killing them."
Who?

>>41466898
Could you, if you have the time, create a skill tree of the stuff we've unlocked?

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>>41466898
>if it's 17+ it also causes a Lost Turn.
That is pretty fucking strong.

>>41466877
She'll either vaporise the other side of the floor we're on or overshoot and make the floor above fall down on our ass

>>41466950
Ash Shot
1d20 - Hits on 13+, 17+ add lost turn, Crit 2 Wounds + 1 Lost Turn

Ash cloud
1d20, Created on 12+, Enemies roll 14+ or lost turn, Crit Fail wounds

Ash choke

Ash armor
Auto, Adds 2 hits, after summon turn can Ash dodge hits. (Dodge is -2 Hit Score, I.E. Enemy Roll is 17, dodge on 15+) Lose dodge upon losing 2 hits.

Ash knife
2d20, Summon 2 knives. 14+ Hits, Crit creates another 2 knives that hit at +15, another Crit creates 2 more knives at +16 hit, etc.

Dodge Kick
2d20, Kicks, then Dodges and kicks again. Wounds on 13+, (NOTE: First Kick Must be 10+ or second kick auto fails) Crit 2 Wounds per kick

>>41467130
So ash choke actually does nothing good to know.

>>41467130
Ash choke
1d20, Lose 1 turn on 14+, 17+ lose two turns, Crit 2 turns lost + 1 wound

>>41467153
Don't be an ass.

>>41467167
That is actually quite good.

Also, there's a team up move with Embers

Eruption
Ashes hits with Ash Shot- 1d20 +13 (Last 3 turns, OPTION: Attack lands on +11 but causes no wounds)
Embers hits with Singe Punch- 1d20 +13
3 wounds + 1 lost turn

>>41467320
Also, I need a tie breaker for the next attack.

>>41466788
>Ash knife
>>41467395

>>41467450
You focus your ash cloud, and throw your knife, and the copy forms out of the ash and flies at the Vainglory.

> Roll 2d20

Rolled 1, 4 = 5 (2d20)

>>41467490

Rolled 17, 12 = 29 (2d20)

>>41467490

Rolled 20, 18 = 38 (2d20)

>>41467490

Rolled 10, 14 = 24 (2d20)

>>41467490

Rolled 6, 1 = 7 (2d20)

>>41467490

>>41467503
...Fuck me.

>>41467503
>>41467514
>>41467515
Good job on cancelling out that 1. So its 17, 18

>>41467503
>>41467515
We managed the recovery though.

>>41467503
>>41467515
Well, one knife misses and sticks into the plaster of the wall and fails to dissolve back into ash and reform at your side.

However, the second one THUD hits right into the Vainglory, and you feel a surge and you toss your arm to the side and you ash cloud forms ANOTHER two blades that streak out towards the Vainglory.

> Roll 2d20

>>41467515
You have saved us!

Rolled 17, 18 = 35 (2d20)

>>41467561

Rolled 12, 1 = 13 (2d20)

>>41467561

Rolled 18, 6 = 24 (2d20)

>>41467561

Rolled 16, 9 = 25 (2d20)

>>41467561
exploding crits are crazy

Rolled 13, 8 = 21 (2d20)

>>41467561
Trying again!
Never give up, never surrender!

>>41467573
Fuck me.

>>41467573
>>41467575
hmm which one is mine?

The ones don't stop coming.

>>41467594
Phew, just glad I didn't roll 1.>>41467575

>>41467570
>>41467573
>>41467575
eh, so one hits, the other hits emmy's gun

>>41467621
Yeah, you must be so ... happy.

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>>41467584

>>41467964
yes!
I need to re-watch galaxy quest.

>>41467573
Both blades miss, and your blade still hasn't reformed at your side.

Not that it matters, that earlier knife hit the thing in the throat and it hits the ground bleeding, twitching, and then it goes still.

"Awww..." Emmy says as she brushes the embers off of her gun like they were dandruff flakes. "I wanted to show off the new trick."

"Next time." You say.

After you separate the dead bodies from the still living, the two of you wait a half-hour for the Swanmays to return to consciousness.

Ruin looks at you and she shakes her head. "Oh...oh. What have you done?"

"I...You were...so I then..." You drop your hands and shrug. "What I thought was right."

The Locals slowly get to their feet. Ruin makes a few steps towards them, but one holds out a hand.

"Stay away." He says.

"But..." She starts.

"No." He shakes his head. "No...I mean...thank you. You..." He nods. "You helped...but..." He nods at the corpses and Vainglory Husks. "Oh God..." He winces.

"Oh God!" Ruin says. "It's not like before, is it?" She sounds terrified.

He shakes his head. "No. No. But I can hear it."

"It's already starting to fade. That loud bit at the beginning." Another Local says, also trying to keep her distance from Ruin.

"Oh. Good...can you...do you know?" Ruin gestures outside.

"No monsters." The female local says. "That was just because of them...but so many dead...and nothing happened to the nurseries."

"So the water...shit." Ruin sighs.

"There's the alternatives now. We'll gather up what we can and who, and I guess we'll try to head to that township of theirs." He gestures at Emmy.

"Will you be able to make it?" Ruin asks.

The first Local shrugs. "We have to try."

"And there's no way you'll let me come." Ruin says.

"We can't...you know why." He says. "It wasn't your fault the first time, but you know what will happen if it starts again. What you'll do. Don't act like we don't know, and haven't seen."

She nods yes, tears on her face. "Goodbye, then."

(cont)

Squid girl and socially awkward guy is still the best movie couple bar none

>>41467964
>>41467986
Where can I find people like you to play poker with?

>>41468005
Yes. Very lewd. Lots of hand holding.

>>41468090
You'll never find me gambling, anon
Except in stocks. SPXU, oh god...

>>41468002
The locals leave, slowly working their way down the building. Leaving Ruin alone with you and the bodies.

Ruin sighs, and starts to strip off the bandages and duct tape. The clear skin seems to just depress her more. She doesn't unwrap her feet. Eventually she's just wearing the simple robe, and she goes to strip the clothes off of the dead bodies. The end result has her in dried-blood-brown stained clothing, and feet wrapped in duct tape and bandages.

You and Emmy look at each other.

"Are you going to explain ANY of that?" Emmy asks.

She opens her mouth and then closes it. "They don't want me back...because they know that I'd end up trying to control everyone to keep them from getting hurt. Again.

"They aren't mad at me, because I saved their lives, and I wasn't the one in control at first. However, when I GOT control...I just wanted to keep everyone safe...not cure them."

"Could you have?" You ask.

She shrugs. "Maybe...there were chances, and I passed on them. They were too risky...or that's what I told myself." Ruin shakes her head. "I'm not a person who can be trusted with power."

"And how do they know all this?" Emmy asks.

"The...you call them Hubris?" Ruin asks.

You both nod.

"The Hubris...it's like what we did. I don't know if it's because I was manipulating them...or it's just how they work. But you end up very 'close' to each other, and there's a lot of bleed through." Ruin says. "It's a part of the reason why Hives become erratic...if they weren't already assholes to begin with."

"Huh?" You ask.

"Well, Hubris are attracted to people who have large mood swings, or act overly emotionally, or take excessive pleasure in things. Sadly, as things now, the people who usually find themselves swimming in good emotions and adrenaline..."

"Are assholes who are indulging themselves." Emmy says.

"Bingo, and the Hubris feed into that. But...the other one, I think it's tied into the Big One." Ruin says.

(cont)

>>41468264

So it was the fall of the eldar

Crap

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>>41468264

>>41468264
"The Big One? You mean...The Event? The End? You know what it was?" You ask.

She nods. "The Hubris don't have any agenda beyond feed and breed. They're just...like us. Altered creatures, no different than the Critters. Only, like us, it's not JUST Clean Energy and Fallout that's warped them. The Event changed them too.

"When a normal person gets infected by the Hubris, they slowly become irrational, insane, and they lash out at other people. It's because being around other people is making them insane." Ruin says.

"You've lost me." Emmy says.

"Alright...what's your least favorite vegetable?" Ruin asks.

"Huh?" Emmy asks.

"Humor me." She says.

"Beets. Sight, smell, taste. Yuck." Emmy says.

"Your opinion on beets?" Ruin asks you.

You shrug. "I don't hate them."

"Alright, good. So...imagine being around her, and looking at a beet. You don't think anything, and maybe you're looking forward to dinner, but at the same time, all of her disgust and hatred is seeping into your brain. Those two thoughts are fighting each other, and in the end, beets just make you angry and you don't know why."

"And...shit," You say, kind of getting it. "That applies to almost everything doesn't it? I mean, people have different opinions about everything, even if they're the same opinion."

Ruin nods. "Exactly. Now the Hubris do it very gradually, and just on people that are close to each other. What do you think would happen if nearly everyone in the world had that happen to them all at once, all at the same damn time?"

You remember seeing all the suicides, all the crazed murder sprees, the screaming, and how people just sat shock still and turned into vegetables.

"The end of the world." You say.

END EPISODE 15

>>41468525
Ouch. Thanks for running Eg!

>>41468525
its the big reveal oh damn
thanks for running

Thanks for running.

>speculation
So the Event was basically a giant mind meld on a global scale. I think I know what Love was trying to do. She thought that if people just could understand one another they would stop fighting, so she tried to link everyone to everyone else. Only people are not built for that and.... well the End happened.

>>41468525
Well ain't that some shit

>>41468002
>"We can't...you know why." He says. "It wasn't your fault the first time, but you know what will happen if it starts again. What you'll do.

What is he referring to? Ruin killing off the leaders who almost went vainglory?

>>41468598
So, she built a giant bi-polar machine?

>>41468598
That also explains why all the joy in hearts split to protect from minds touching.

>>41468598
So this whole quest is what happens after a mind flower victory.

Given how hubris are basically just animals I bet it wasn't just humans and joys who got linked. But everything alive.

>>41468697
>mind flower victory?

I am not sure if I got the reference.

>>41468709
Beyond Earth I believe, its a game where one of the victory conditions is basically what happened here, but Good End instead of Bad End.

>>41468746
Oh thanks anon. So basically the ascension victory in AC.

>>41468641
Pretty much, Ruin was just a tool the Cult Leaders used to keep people under their control as everyone became a Hive. However, they broke under the strain, and ended up dead. Ruin was left in charge, and she just did everything she could to keep people alive. Then she slowly drifted off the well-intentioned path into Savior Myopia.

>>41468792
Poor girl.

I for one still favor party member her.

>>41468681
Well, I should make the timeline a little more clear.

00:01 All Joy-In-Hearts that are currently in regalia drop dead instantly, at this moment.

00:05 Everyone goes into a trance.

03:05 Trance ends

03:06 Everyone goes nuts

>>41468828
Oh yeah, if she's up for it. Seconded.

(It helps I'm playing an RPG and just gained a new party member.)

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>>41468873
>03:06 Everyone goes nuts

>>41468879
Ruin
>Past
Ashes
>Present
Embers
>Future

?

>>41469421
>Embers
>>Future
That is horrifying.

>>41469677
She was kinda doing alright at the end there. Was hitting things.

..Wait, no, that was Emmy.

>>41469710
I mean more on her name then her skill.

Everything is now fire.

>>41469751
...oh dear.

>>41469751
>>41469677
Depends on what you mean by fire. Spark of life? Fire of civilization?
Embers in ashes? Phoenix?
Many ways you can take this. You have to admit though, she'd fit better into civilized society than we ever could.

>>41470310
I meant hell.

>>41470310
I always interpreted it aw where they came from Lupa came from the ashes of civilization while Emmy came from the embers.

Emmy may be the last embers of hope, cause let's face it Lupa is broken enough for a hubris'd up Meguca to be utterly horrified.

>>41471658
That actually works well.

I wonder if it is intentional.

>>41474796
In which way was Lupa broken again?

The sexual slavery childhood? The utter normalcy for killing?

>>41475137
She's broken in several ways. Such as her need to pay back debts, abandonment issues, probably other stuff I've forgotten because hiatus. Both Civility and Meadows were/are like Wow you fucked up kid.

>>41475346
True, but that is standard issue for your average wasteland hero!

>>41475137
The normal walk-the-wasteland scavenger type of broken. She's lived in the worst remnants of misery since she was a child and it doesn't even phase her.

>>41475137
what>>41475346 said plus our seeming inability to feel sorrow. We're just sigh of a sociopath

Even if we do save the world, we won't be able to be a part of it. We'll either die in the climactic last battle, or simply wander the world a broken drifter. An ashed-filled ghost of ages past.

>>41477348
I have faith that the journey can heal Ashes into something resembling a normal person. Especially if she meets some of the Originals like Love at some point.

>>41477516
Considering Love likely CAUSED the apocalypse to happen. She's likely more broken than Ashes as this point.

>>41477635
That's possible, but I'm going to choose to believe that she's so amazing that nothing can break her. Inhuman levels of unbreakableness.