>>42839129
Days pass. Weeks. All without major incident, no other sails on the horizon. You left the waters of the Ulund behind you quite some time ago and have pushed onward through the open sea. The wind is always to your favour and the skeletons work the oars without rest.
You sort of wish that the creeping mist would go away but that seems to be an avoidable side-effect of the weatherworking.

There’s not much private space aboard, it’s something that the Melach seem to have no use for. Another part of their culture or simply a habit picked up from centuries of undeath? Hiss might know the answer but you’ve never been curious enough to ask.
But you take what space you can get for your experiments. But what have you been experimenting on, exactly?

> Snake blood

> Bunyip hair

> Shed Snakeskin

> Scales

> Hiss’ venom

> Your brand

> Further deriviatives of Treebrew.

> Serpentbane

> Alteration and Shapestealer

> Soul Guise

> Other Potion (Specify)

> Mixture of the following Potions (Specify)

> Other

>>42839145
> Snake blood

>>42839145
> Your brand

>>42839145
> Snake blood
Good for the soul
We should ask Hiss about using her spirit powers against her father. Maybe Rock could give her a hand with them

>>42839129
We're gonna be able to make multiple brews right?

>>42839145
> Your brand
> Snake blood
> Bunyip hair

>>42839145
> Your brand
I really want a better solution rather than just never using snake arts again. We need to figure out what's really going on with it.

>>42839145
>> Your brand

>>42839255
Yes.

>>42839290
Maybe a magic identification brew to check it out?

>>42839290
I sort of want to be able to control the transformations at the very least. Snake capable Cennen would lead to some interesting interactions with Hiss.

>>42839382
We could make a snake art strengthening brew...

>>42839408
I think we'd get a strong resistance to that one.

I wish we had a list of the brews we could have made but never did.

We need to make that fully powered heal-all from the quedeshi book sometime too.

>>42839145
> Bunyip hair
> Your brand

>Your brand

As tempting as it had been to return to your more conventional studies immediately, your first focus was the mutated brand currently crawling up your arm, shoulder and torso.

You spent the first few days trying to get something going with your current stopgap measure, the Defang Elixir. But alas, your experiments with it proved fruitless in regards to a more permanent solution.

Nearly a week of failed ideas later, you finally hit upon something that could be exactly what you're looking for!

> It involves Hiss and the Introspection Brew.

> You've enlisted Rock to get some help from the Dreaming.

> You've fallen back to a more potent version of the Defang Elixir which might lead to an outright recession but with considerable side-effects.

> You have a modified shapeshifting brew which, while it doesn't stop the brand outright, can put it off forever.

> You've found a way to sever the connection between you and Hiss for good.

> Other

>>42839290
Reminder that there's now a 1 in 5 chance we'll mutate further each time we use a snake art

While we have time skip in progress, can we get potency + Permanency going again?

>>42839511
> It involves Hiss and the Introspection Brew.

>>42839511
> It involves Hiss and the Introspection Brew.

>>42839511
> It involves Hiss and the Introspection Brew.

>>42839518
Yeah don't worry, you'll also get a free restock after all the experimenting. Just like the last timeskip.

>>42839511
> It involves Hiss and the Introspection Brew.
Seems like the only way to actually figure this out

>>42839511
> It involves Hiss and the Introspection Brew.
So I'm guessing this works with the snake nature of the brand, while Rock's solution focuses on our human aspect?

>>42839511
Magic identification/vision brew

>>42839511
These options seem a lot more vague than usual

> It involves Hiss and the Introspection Brew.

"Are you sure this'll work?"
Hiss looks at the potion skeptically.

"I don't know if I'm going to get anywhere if I keep attacking the brand itself. We need to take this straight to the source."

"The source being...?"

"You know where it is. I didn't ask what happened when you took the Introspection Brew back in Quedesh but I know you saw SOMETHING. She isn't gone, is she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hiss snaps.

"Look, just drink this with me?"

"Yeah because that's never gone wrong before."
Despite her muttering she drinks it and her stiffness evaporates as she quickly becomes oil-drunk and then unconscious. You do the same, though your process feels considerably less pleasurable.

You let yourself sink down, your consciousness pulled into Hiss' orbit. You've only done this with her once before but you remember what it looks like, what it feels like.

This is not it.

You sit in a very familiar forest, the night sky above you faded and scratched into a flat block of colour.
Hiss sits across from you, twice your size and covered head-to-toe in Vtriya robes, her face hidden by a mask. Two slender horns rise from behind the mask, a white-gold halo suspended between them.
"Cennen? How good it is to see you again. Have you come to free me?"

"Free you?"
Your thoughts come slowly, your mind sluggish as you reawaken within the clearing.

"I've been trapped in here for so long! And you're my consort, you love me. You can help me get out."

In you lap sits a small snake, glossy black with a streak of red on her belly. A very small snake, in fact. Barely a worm.
It writhes and hiss inaudibly.

> "How can I help you?"

> "I need to know about this." Show her your brand.

> "You're not the real Hiss."

> "Stop it!"

> Nobble

> Other

>>42839935
> "I need to know about this." Show her your brand.
It's linked to you, isn't it?

>>42839935
> "I need to know about this." Show her your brand.

>>42839935
> Pet the snake
> "I need to know about this." Show her your brand.
Is she developing into some sort of alter ego?

>>42839935
> Pet the snake
> "I need to know about this." Show her your brand.

>>42839935
> "I need to know about this." Show her your brand.
Do you know anything about yourself? Where did you come from?

>>42839935
> Nobble

>>42839935
Did it really take cennen a week to figure out that trying an introspection brew would be helpful?

>>42839935
What will you do when you get out of here?

>>42839935
>>42840017
this

>>42840109
He burned through a bunch of alchemical ideas that turned out to be dead-ends first.

>Pet snake.
>"I need to know about this." Show her your brand.

You pat the tiny snake gingerly on the head with a fingertip, feeling it latch onto your finger with toothless jaws.

"There's something I need to know."
You shrug your shirt off, revealing the brand.
"What's the deal with this? I know this is because of you."

Hiss looks at you blankly for several seconds, her face entirely hidden away.
"Oh that? I was wondering what that connection was. You must have snagged yourself on me last time we met."

"Yeah well it hasn't been very nice to me so far. It's weird and I don't like it. Can you take it back?"

"No."

"What?"

"No. I could take it back, yes but I fail to see what reason I have to do so. What's wrong with it? My brand is so much stronger than whatever you'd been getting from that pathetic worm."
Hiss gestures at the snake in your hands and it cowers away, completely defanged.

"I don't appreciate what you're doing to Hiss, by the way."

"She'll live with it. This is my Dreaming, you're all whatever I want you to be in here. It's not permanent."

"Is there anything I can do that would convince you take this off?"

Hiss folds her fingers together.
"Yes, actually. While I don't think it is in your power to free me, I could use some help. So I think I'll bind you into a wish-bond."

"Pardon?"

"That's well within my power, you know. I'll remove the brand and as payment, you owe me three wishes. Don't worry, I won't use them right away. But you won't be able to resist when I call."

"That's an absurd price."

'Rich, coming from you. Isn't that what you do to others all the time? And I have no other price and I highly doubt you can force me to do anything."

> Accept her offer.

> Plead.

> Try to force her.

> Just leave.

> Other

>>42840365
> Just leave.

Have we started daily sword training with oster again?

>>42840365
>> Plead.
tough choice, but maybe this well tell us something about her goals

>>42840365
Ask if she can at least explain what's going on with it and what might happen if it continues to spread

>>42840365
Nobble.

>>42840365
> Just leave.
Fuck that.

>>42840465
This. I don't get why we keep gaining new arts.

>>42840520
>creator level brand
>a Snake's brand can stack too much anyways
It's not too much to assume that we're getting overloaded by her brand.

>>42840365
She was way nicer before we punched her in the face.
What if Hiss managed to subdue her? Would she gain acces to her power without losing herself?
>>42840465
This, then
> Leave.

>>42840365
Ask for information so we can better use this power she gave us

>>42840365

Just want to ask >>42840465
It looks like we're leaving. I'd vote for plead though if it were really bad.

>Ask for information
>Leave


"Well, can you at least explain what this thing is? Why does it keep mutating?"

"It's not big enough, I'd say."

"Big?"

"Metaphysically. It's a very thin stream trying to channel an ocean, of course there's going to be some pressure. But don't worry, it's beginning to open wider. It's channeling more and more with each use it gets."

"And if it keeps growing and opens all the way? What happens then?"

Hiss inspects her nails, small beads of black blood oozing out from beneath them.
"You'll cease to exist, I imagine. You'll become a living conduit to my Dream. Just another expression of myself. I thought we talked about this before Cennen. My power and identity cannot both be held at once. One displaces the other."

"Tha-That won't work. My Bane would stop that from happening."

She laughs.
"Consort, please. I could peel that Bane off you right now if you wanted. DO you want that?"

You shake your head, clasping the tiny snake between your hands.
"Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll be taking my leave now."

You close your eyes and try to will yourself out of Hiss' soul. Nothing happens.

Hiss waves a hand.
"Oh? Yes, you may leave."

...

You wake up with a start, Hiss right beside you. She's clutching your side, her eyes wide open and staring into the middle distance.

"Are you alright, Hiss?"

"Nngh."

"I'm going to assume that's a yes."

"I'm fine. I'd rather not do it again though."

> "Is that what happened the last time? Is that why you didn't want to talk about it?"

> "What's it like? To you, I mean?"

> "How do you deal with her?"

> Probably best to not to raise the subject right now.

> Other

>>42840789
> "Is that what happened the last time? Is that why you didn't want to talk about it?"
> "What's it like? To you, I mean?"
> "How do you deal with her?"

>>42840789
>Hug Hiss

>>42840789
> "Is that what happened the last time? Is that why you didn't want to talk about it?"
>>42840830
This
> "How do you deal with her?"
> "Does she have power over you?"

>>42840789
> "What's it like? To you, I mean?"
Hug the hiss

>>42840876
The answer is obviously no and hiss won't appreciate the question one bit

>>42840830
You're just trying to get Cennen hit again.

>>42840789
> "What's it like? To you, I mean?"
Well maybe I can deal with it somehow now that we know it's linked to her

>>42840789
>> Probably best to not to raise the subject right now.

>>42840903
If I wanted that I'd have him take a monotone voice and say something to the effect that it's only a matter of time before we engulf her and that even the consort is a tool to be used against her.

>>42840903
Why? It's just reassuring her
>>42840891
I thought it was important to know, but you're right, now's not the time to ask that.

>>42840983
She tends to flip out when people touch her. She's just been through a traumatic experience where she was powerless. She may immediately react by exerting the power she now has.

>>42841002
She's already hugging us right now. We just want to hug her back.

>>42840789
>You'll become a living conduit to my Dream
This makes zero sense to me.

>>42841002
She's grown over all of that with Cennen, at least.

>>42841042
Especially since her Dreaming is actually Hiss's soul.

>>42841042
We'll be somewhere between a gate to her power and a remote control Cennen.

We're becoming a mobile/wireless emitter for her power/magic/whatever.

She may also be able to totally control and use Cennen's form to do whatever she wishes, possibly even reshape it as she sees fit.

>>42841077
What would happen if we used shapestealer on Hiss now? It mimics the soul too.

>>42841042
I feel the same way.

> "What's it like? To you, I mean?"
>Hug the Hiss

You look at Hiss, noting how she's still staring. She feels much warmer than usual, actually radiating heat for once instead of simply absorbing.
"What was that like for you?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Yeah, that's fine. But if you need an-"

"It's what she always does. Tries to make me something else than who I am. And she's still in my dreams sometimes."

"The real her?"

"Does it matter?"

You nod, rolling around to face her. You pull her closer and wrap your arms around her. Together the two of you lie there like that for some time.

"Cennen?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for not letting go of me before."

And that marked the end of your first failed attempt.

> You experimented on the brand further.

> You brewed instead. Maybe better to just leave it to the Defang Elixir for now.

> Other

>>42841042
We basically become a puppet to her will.

>>42841135
>> You experimented on the brand further.

>>42841135
> You brewed instead. Maybe better to just leave it to the Defang Elixir for now.

>>42841042
The brand pumps power from her to the outside 'real' world. It's effectively a gateway.

>>42841077
Not quite. It's like she's in a bubble nested away inside it.

>>42841102
Nothing out of the usual, alas.

>>42841135
>> You brewed instead. Maybe better to just leave it to the Defang Elixir for now.
we'll attack the problem anew once our minds are clear

>>42841135
Did we gain any new possible ideas to deal with it now that we know more about it? Otherwise I don't wanna waste any more time fucking with the brand.

>>42841175
Right but I don't get why we would cease to exist. Woukd we just wink out of existence or become her puppet or what?

>>42841135
> You experimented on the brand further.
Fuck, that's frustrating.

>>42841135
> You experimented on the brand further.
Okay so she's basically the anti-creator and we're linked to her. This is bad news. Yet she's also maybe necessary to kill the snake king. Idk what to do with this.

>>42841182
Not really. Nothing that helps anyway.

>>42841202
It's the difference between a human with a brand and a brand with a human. Of course, you only have her word to go on all of this.

>>42841135
> You brewed instead. Maybe better to just leave it to the Defang Elixir for now.

>>42841214
Changing this to
> You brewed instead. Maybe better to just leave it to the Defang Elixir for now.

> You brewed instead. Maybe better to just leave it to the Defang Elixir for now.

Fuck, you're not sure what else you want to do with the brand right now. Do you want to poke it that badly? And can you really trust everything that "Hiss" tells you in this regard? Either way, you certainly don't want to owe anyone three wishes.

Instead you return to your studies, safe within the realm of alchemy where things have repeated and understandable effects. As for the brand, for now you've settled for simply keeping it quiescent with your brews.

> Snake blood

> Bunyip hair

> Shed Snakeskin

> Scales

> Hiss’ venom

> Further derivatives of Treebrew.

> Serpentbane

> Alteration and Shapestealer

> Soul Guise

> Other Potion (Specify)

> Mixture of the following Potions (Specify)

> Other

>>42841356
> Shed Snakeskin

>>42841356
> Soul Guise

>>42841356
> Shed Snakeskin
Learn Shapeshifter finally.

>>42841356
> Snake blood
Are we not a soul alchemist?

>>42841356
> Snake blood
I wanna find a way to weaponize our soul alchemy. Maybe similarly to bloodkin but I'm not sure.

>>42841356
> Snake blood

>>42841356
>> Permanency potion & Snake blood
I want to try and get rid of that big make everything that happens to use permeant effect

>>42841415
dude what

Potiosn we really need to learn before we make landfall
Shapeshifter
Dispel
True Heal All

>>42841425
whatever the potion is that makes potions we take after that like potency and regen, I think we chould make one that works just on the next effect to happen to us.

>>42841356
>> Serpentbane
we gots to up our game to stand a chance against the serpent king

>>42841356
> Further derivatives of Treebrew

Let's go full Joshua tree.

Could we make a brew that lets a weapon we put it on harm souls directly? Or maybe an soul explosive?

>>42841603
>Hiss I want to try to destroy the being of infinite power by placing a bomb in your soul. It'll be fiiiine.

>>42841625
That's not my plan at all. I don't have any delusions about being able to doing anything to spirit hiss. I wanna use it on other unspecified enemies.

>>42841660
we've already got one it's called bloodkin due to our bane we essential give the enemy a freezing soul hug

>>42841603
You're thinking of a soul cutter?

>>42841697
Right but we can surely make more effective offensive soul brews

>>42841603
We already have powerful venom we could use on a blade to kill anything.

>>42841713
I agree I just think we need things that make Cenenn himself stronger, like a way to make potency last longer

>>42841749
No we don't not while risking the brand exploding.

Sorry about the delay, I just feel really shitty.

>Snake Blood

Is this not your specialty? Of course you're going to try for some more soul related brews. The biggest problem is having to rely on Hiss for a regular supply of blood but you think she's secretly pleased by your entire specialty revolving around needing her blood for every brew.
"Every potion you make is only possible because of borrowed power, you know."

"Yes Hiss, that is more or less the very definition of alchemy."

> Just a basic blood mix.

> Mix it with the Weakening Cloud.

> Mix it with the Snakebreaker.

> Mix it with the Inferior Heal-All.

> Mix it with the Journey Brew.

> Mix it with (Specify)

> Other

>>42841776
> Mix it with the Inferior Heal-All.
Spirit heal?

>>42841776
>> Mix it with Bunyip hair

>>42841776
> Mix it with the Snakebreaker.
Throw in some of our most potent venom that we saved earlier too.

>>42841776
> Mix it with the Inferior Heal-All.

>>42841846
This. I'm still worried about those spirits who probably followed us out of the dreaming.

>>42841776
>>42841776
> Mix it with the Inferior Heal-All
> Mix it with (Specify)
Potence

You alright to go on, Ouro?

>>42841776
Mix it with acid and the knockout brew. It would probably erode the short term memory of anyone caught in the gas cloud. And we would be immune.

>>42841776
Are you having some sort of serious health issues or what?

>>42841995
Nah I don't actually get sick very often. But I feel just generically shitty often, possibly because I have slept for 3 hours last night.

> Mix it with the Inferior Heal-All

The snake blood takes to your own version of the Heal-All quite well. You can choose two from the following list:

> A brew that can heal the corporal form of spirits on contact, restoring them and repairing external damage.

> A brew that grants the drinker a soul-ward for the next three hours that prevents their souls from being meddled with in any way.

> A potion that can help a damaged soul regrow. It can't bring back lost pieces but it can let the soul grow back new, blank pieces in the hopes one day becoming whole once more.

> A brew that if ingested by being with one or more souls held within it, will slowly heal and regenerate the captive soul so that it may be fed on for a far greater length of time before fading.

> A brew which can help the drinker restore forgotten memories of all kinds. Does not work on memories that have been outright stolen.

> A brew which will thaw out a Spiritbane for a day's time.

> A brew which will recreate one soul-link or bond that you used to possess but has since been broken by alchemy. Cannot recreate links or wish-bonds that are broken naturally.

>>42842256
> A potion that can help a damaged soul regrow. It can't bring back lost pieces but it can let the soul grow back new, blank pieces in the hopes one day becoming whole once more.

>>42842256
What are the actual downsides of having a damaged soul?

>>42842314
Well Oster is pretty fucked up.

>>42842334
Lemme rephrase that, what are the benefits of healing a damaged soul? He still makes new memories and the brew wouldn't restore his stolen memories.

>>42842256
> A potion that can help a damaged soul regrow. It can't bring back lost pieces but it can let the soul grow back new, blank pieces in the hopes one day becoming whole once more.

>>42842256
> A brew which will thaw out a Spiritbane for a day's time.

>>42842256
> A brew that can heal the corporal form of spirits on contact, restoring them and repairing external damage.

>>42842359
He can make new memories but he can't change his perspective or his way of viewing things. He's essentially locked into a single mode forever.

>>42842309
>>42842389
>>42842407

It's 'select two' by the way.

>>42842256
> A brew that grants the drinker a soul-ward for the next three hours that prevents their souls from being meddled with in any way.
For pseudo-bane
and
> A brew which will recreate one soul-link or bond that you used to possess but has since been broken by alchemy. Cannot recreate links or wish-bonds that are broken naturally.

>>42842389
> A brew which will thaw out a Spiritbane for a day's time.
This too. Might let us modify our soul in interesting ways before making it invincible again.

>>42842256
>>42842407
Adding a second
> A potion that can help a damaged soul regrow. It can't bring back lost pieces but it can let the soul grow back new, blank pieces in the hopes one day becoming whole once more.

>>42842309
add
> A brew that grants the drinker a soul-ward for the next three hours that prevents their souls from being meddled with in any way

>>42842256
> A potion that can help a damaged soul regrow. It can't bring back lost pieces but it can let the soul grow back new, blank pieces in the hopes one day becoming whole once more.
> A brew which will thaw out a Spiritbane for a day's time.

Sorry about that, I actually fell asleep and nodded off for a few minutes there. I think I'm going to take a rest. Sorry. I'll run the other half of this thread later.

>>42842830
Later today?

>>42842857
If I wake up before I have to go to work, yes.

>>42842888
You're in the land of Aus right?

Thanks for running, hope to see you later.