>>45707369
It’s been several days since that extremely uncomfortable night on top of the observatory rooftops and since then the inn has transformed into a bustling hub of activity. It feels like more and more snakes are arriving each day and even without them it’s full of Hiss’ living corpses and branded human servants. Of which you suppose you should include yourself within.

Hiss has been very busy and you’ve decided that’s fine by you. What she told you about power can’t help but make you worry about her however and you do your best to deal with that by throwing yourself into your work.

And just what is your work exactly?

>Brewing.

>Studying.

>Working on Hom’s body.

>Investigating the matter of your deal with the ...other Hiss.

>Helping Hiss with Potions College matters.

>Babysitting Zigzag.

>Other

>>45707374
>Working on Hom’s body.

>>45707374
>Investigating the matter of your deal with the ...other Hiss.

>>45707374
>>Working on Hom’s body.
Hom before Other hiss

>>45707374
>Studying.

>>45707374
>>Working on Hom’s body.

>>45707439
We should at least check up on her, make sure she's not doing anything too crazy in there, and tell her of our progress

Can we only do one of these during the entire time skip?

>Working on Hom’s body.

You've decided that you've put it off for long enough. You don't want to be another Moldran. Hom has been trapped in his bottle for long enough and it's long past time to try and set him free.

Despite its previous failure you think your Soulshape Brew should still be adequate. The problem with your last attempt wasn't in the recipe itself but in the base materials it was working with. Making a body out of liquid is a fool's game.
Which means you're going to need some more base ingredients to work with.

>Ask Hiss for some human corpses.

>Get a bunch of assorted junk meat from a slaughterhouse.

>Use some of Aashenpreet's shed snakeskins, they're plenty big enough.

>Various pieces of wooden detritus and trash.

>Ask Oster for help carving a body.

>Use a living creature like a rat or a cat.

>Just try the potion by itself again.

>Other

>>45707716
>>Use some of Aashenpreet's shed snakeskins, they're plenty big enough.

>>45707560
No.

>>45707716
How about we use living plant matter

>>45707716
>Get a bunch of assorted junk meat from a slaughterhouse.
also include a speech elixir, regen, potence, champion, and skinshedder during the body creation

>>45707839
That also works. Knew I was forgetting something.

>>45707716
>Get a bunch of assorted junk meat from a slaughterhouse.
>Use some of Aashenpreet's shed snakeskins, they're plenty big enough.
>>45707841
These brews too if it's the proper time for that.

>>45707716
>Ask Oster for help carving a body.

>>45707841
Wouldn't the speech elixir only work during the soul creation phase since it works on the soul though?

>>45707841
> regen, potence, champion, and skinshedder
How about we wait to see if it is sentient/sane before we make it an unkillable powerhouse?

>>45708000
Well they'll only be permanent if we add them while the body is being formed

>>45708023
Point still stands, we can't be sure it won't go feral, or that the body will be viable. In both scenarios we'd have to put it down. Again.

>Slaughterhouse leavings.
>Shed snakeskins.

You borrow a cart and go out into the city to locate your nearest slaughterhouse. From there it's only a matter of showing them your signets before they pile up your cart with hooves, lips, assorted entrails and pig heads.
You had to pay quite a bit more than you initially expected as you had to beat the price they were expecting to make by selling them to those who couldn't afford proper meat and various pie-makers. But you have coins to spare and it isn't long until you make your way back with a cart piled high with putrid meat.

You aren't able to take it through the front entrance so you cart it around the back alley and into the little back-house that the former innkeeper used to live in.
Lacking a cauldron big enough, you dump the pig-slurry into the innkeeper's bathtub. It smells atrocious.

But is that really all? No, you should be trying a little harder than that! You ask Aashenpreet for some skin and she's more than happy to oblige. She doesn't even ask what you need it for!
You dump twenty foot of hollow snakeskin into the tub and do your best to break it up and mix it in with the various meats.

You then spend the rest of the day making sure the Soulshape is ready and able to mix with the disgusting concoction currently sitting in the tub. But before you take the final plunge, you step back and think about whether you want to add any additional brews.

If you add any physical brews now they'll probably become part of Hom's bodily processes, much like the soul brews you added during his conception are now part of him. They'll be a part of him permanently.

>Add none.

>Go for it (Specify)

>>45708174
Yeah you've got a point. Wish we could have communicated with Hom before this to test the waters.

>>45708278
does the speech elixir count as a physical or a soul brew?

>>45708323
Soul.

>>45708278
>A heal all to improve the condition of the mixture

>>45708278
> JERK OFF INTO THE TUB

We'll give the very essence of life.

>>45708278
Potence, regen, and skinshedder to give it a human form it can use

>>45708278

>Go for it (Specify)
maybe just a heal all so the end result isn't a walking abattoir, hopefully

>>45708278
> speech elixer

>>45708390
> MFW Deadpool style regenerating super cancer

I still say we should be working on giving ourselves permanent boosts.

>>45708383
How about just regen and skinshedder with a male human form.

>>45708368
>>45708390
I don't know if heal-alls will work that way. Do you want a regen brew instead?Heal alls only work on preexisting wounds.

>>45708383
this without potence

guys I'm scared Hom is gonna be all crazy from his awful life so far

>>45708743
If that's the case we should put him down for good

>>45708788
Or put him in a plant

>>45708743
Probably. He's been stuck in a bottle while sapient for a while now. Probably should have mercy killed him and started over.

That's why I shifted from insisting we make him a body to obliterating him.

But hey, why ruin our streak of really bad decisions and amazing alchemy so far.

>Regen
>Skinshedder

You brew up a Regen and a Skinshedder as best you can and then stop. Before you is a small cauldron of Soulshape and a bathtub filled with organic detritus. Which of the two are you supposed to be adding these brews to?

You spend a few minutes deliberating before tossing them in at the exact same time as you uncork Hom's bottle.
"Sorry about the wait, little guy. Enjoy."
You pour him into the Soulshape cauldron and as it begins to bubble you empty the cauldron into the bathtub.
That's your work then, all you can do now is sit back and hope that Hom pulls themselves together into something coherent.

The bathub boils and bubbles and the mixture begins to move on its own, something slowly taking shape in the depths of the semi-solid slurry.

It's not a fast process. You don't know if it's because of inexperience or unfamiliar ingredients or because of the alchemical properties you just added but it takes nearly a full hour for Hom to slowly grow himself together.

He squeals and writhes and you almost want to pull him out of the bathtub but you don't want to hurt him while he's still hardening. And indeed, in time, Hom was able to pull himself out.

He looks atrocious. There's no other word for it. Perhaps...grotesque. Abominable. Disgusting. Yes, those would all also do as well.

The bottom of his body is a fat snake-tail, one that might have once been a pale yellow but has been bleached completely white. His snake body is completely scaleless and soft and it constantly sweats diluted pig blood, oozing and blubbery like a slug. As the tail continues upward it starts to crack and break, soft flesh and random entrails billowing through ever-growing gaps until the snake body gives way to a soft fleshy mass that expands into a vaguely-defined torso. Three pig heads sprout from the upper torso like malformed breasts but they are all blind and each one whispers a different tune incessantly.
1/2

>>45708993
Haha fuck mistakes were made. I didn't think the ingredients would influence the shape.

>>45709054
Yeah, doesn't make much sense to me.

>>45708993
There is no head at the top of his shoulders, only a protruding spinal cord which wiggles and twists about in a prehensile manner atop a broken oesophagus that has no mouth but simply vents itself into the open air.

He has no arms or legs but three more spines push themselves out of his upper body and clothe themselves in pork and beef to become probing tendrils without fingers.

"Uh...hi. Hello Hom?"

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Hom squeals something you cannot hear as he slithers out of the tub, his obese snake/slug lower half struggling to carry the weight of his abattoir upper body.
He reminds you a little of the Snakecatcher.

"Oh right, I need to get you a speech elixir, don't I?"

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

>Give him a speech elixir.

>Ask him to try out his skinshedding powers first.

>Maybe you should get someone else's opinion on this.

>Flee

>>45708993
>>45709054
Should have used a plant, now we made the funking unstable flesh

>>45709054
>>45709130
Well the ingredients are what the soul has to use as bodily materials. Hom is fine, he feels fine.

>>45709132
>Give him a speech elixir.
>Ask him to try out his skinshedding powers first.

>>45709132
>Give him a speech elixir.
>Get him to use the skinshedder immediately after, what the fuck. Shouldn't we have been able to decide the human form?

>>45709132

>Give him a speech elixir.
>Maybe you should get someone else's opinion on this.
Not Aash

>>45709132
>>45709169

>>45709160
Right but we didn't become snake with human features when we used the shape stealer on hiss and it uses the same concept

Well I don't see how this is an ideal form at all for fighting spirits. Soulshape might be a dead end lads.

>>45709132
>Give him a speech elixir.
>Ask him to try out his skinshedding powers first.

>Speech Elixir
>Ask about skinshedding.

You raise your hands up to show that you mean no harm before you start to brew up a Speech Elixir as quickly as possible.
"Wow. Uh, yeah. You look way worse than Eva did."

aaaa

"Like, don't get me wrong, Eva was pretty freaky. But I think making you was some sort of crime somewhere."
You're babbling. Luckily Hom can't understand you.

You finish the Speech Elixir and gingerly pass it to the homunculus. He seems to understand what to do with it, even if he doesn't know what it is and he tips it down his open throat.

As he drinks it, the constant whispering of his three dangling pig heads start becoming more coherent.
'fish fish fish fish fish fish fish'
'Art scheme sin work water brew'
'Dread ow hurt meat fun'

Relatively coherent. They just keep whispering three separate and constant streams of gibberish. Hom bends towards you, flecking you with blood and juices as he speaks with his main 'mouth'.
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

"Hi, Hom. It's me. My name is Cennen and I'm your creator."

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Fantastic, you've made a monster that does nothing but scream all of the time.
"Is there...anything I can help you with?"

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

"Alright, I get that bit. Shit. Oh shit. Try and shed your skin, Hom. You should be able to do that. You should have a male human form."

Hom chooses to lurch forward instead. You step back but one of his bony tentacles wraps around you. He pulls you forward...and into his embrace.
You are pressed against a practical wall of awful-smelling meat while Hom wraps his tendrils around you softly and wails. His three lower heads try to nibble at you mindlessly.

>Recoil. Holy fuck, get away from me.

>Use this as an opportunity to feed him another potion (Specify)

>I love my dead pig son.

>Pet homunculus.

>Seek help.

>Other

>>45709474
>>Pet homunculus.
>Seek help.

>>45709474
>>I love my dead pig son.
>Seek help.
he never did anything wrong

>>45709240
I'm not sure how that follows. The Soulshape lets the disembodied soul suspended in it attempt to take a form that comes naturally to them, using whatever else is around and present as ingredients.
Hom was literally formless, there is no form that comes 'naturally'.

>>45709474
>Pet homunculus.
Keep trying to get him to shapeshift I guess. Not really sure what to do here. Let's use a soulsight to figure out why exactly he's so fucked up mentally too.

>>45709474
Is he trying to figure out how to take human form?
>>Pet homunculus.

Mental note to drink a thawing potion and have Hiss eat out this memory

>>45709474
>>Pet homunculus.
Keep encouraging him to shapeshift.

>>45709600
at the very least we need to take a bath of basically unimaginable proportions

So uh... Should we kill him and try again? Or just kill him? Unless he can take a human form Hom is a complete failure.

>>45709748
Well his soul is just as fucked up as his body so I guess if he doesn't take an inconspicuous human form and if he keeps acting crazy we should just get rid of him entirely.

>>45709748
Fuck, why don't we just feed him a love potion and then get him to use a transformation potion and then we can see what he can do on his own after communication occurs.

I have no fucking clue what you guys expected from using a bunch of random fucking offal. Can any of you explain why you thought that was a good idea?

>>45709748
there's a lot we could learn from him and just straight up murdering him is something we should only do once we know his life is nothing but suffering.

>>45709748
We should try to comunicate with him first.

>>45709807
I assumed he needed organic components and that they wouldn't influence the shape in such a disturbing way.

File: thiscouldbehom.jpg (6 KB, 246x205)

6 KB JPG

>>45709807
I wanted to use a plant

>>45709824
Most babies come into the world screaming.

>>45709908
Right but Eva could speak just fine

>>45709900
That could have been neat.

And probably the best choice desu. Wish I had been here to support it.

>>45709900
Well now we know. I'd support a plant body next time. Unless it literally just makes a stationary plant.

>Pet homunculus.

You wince as you receive a full-body coating of...meat sweat but you don't pull away. You don't exactly return the love either (and who could blame you?) but you do your best.
"Uh...there, there."
You pat them awkwardly on the side.

Hom slowly wraps his dripping tail around your legs and you stand there like that for several minutes. It's a struggle to stay bolt upright and not vomit from the stench or the texture but you do your best until Hom disengages and backs off.

'aaaaaaaa', he mewls softly.

"Hom, I really need you to be able to take a human form."

Hom curls in upon himself and starts shivering and shuddering. And then his bulk seems to deflate, shrivelling up from the inside out as he folds and compacts. The tail is the last to go.

And then standing before you is a man. Not the most reputable looking of men but a man all the same. He's tall and wiry with curly brown hair and a beard and is clothed in what appears to be an almost exact replica of your own current clothing. He just stares at you.

"Hom?"

He nods wordlessly.

"Can you understand me?"

He nods again.

"Can you speak?"

"aaaaaaa"
It's not really a scream this time, just a wheezy breath.

"Alright. Okay. Are you doing alright? Are you hurt?"

A nod and then a shake. So he's doing fine?
"aaaaaaaa."

"Oh. So you're mute? More or less?"

A nod.
"aaaaaa"

You think for a moment before asking the next question.
"Why?"

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

Shit. Of course he can't answer that. But what went wrong? There shouldn't be anything wrong with his body in that sense. Is it a psychological thing?

>"That's something we can work past. I'm glad you're fine."

>"I'll have to find a way to fix that."

>This experiment has been a failure. Dispose of the homunculus.

>Inspect with soulsight.

>Get someone else.

>>45710021
>"That's something we can work past. I'm glad you're fine."
>Inspect with soulsight.

>>45710017
> next time
That's probably how Moldran started

>>45710021
>"That's something we can work past. I'm glad you're fine."
>"I'll have to find a way to fix that."
>Inspect with soulsight.
I kinda want try a soulsight+dream oil, Ouro said it could let us let us examine souls in greater detail.

>>45710021
>"That's something we can work past. I'm glad you're fine."
>"Can you write?"
>Inspect with soulsight.

>>45710072
lol what

>>45710021

>"That's something we can work past. I'm glad you're fine."
>"I'll have to find a way to fix that."
>Inspect with soulsight.
>Can you write?

>>45710021
>"That's something we can work past. I'm glad you're fine."
>Inspect with soulsight.

>>45710021
>Inspect with soulsight.
>"That's something we can work past. I'm glad you're fine."

Well muteness isn't so bad really. Especially considering he can't speak our language without a speech elixir anyway.

>"That's something we can work past. I'm glad you're fine."
>Inspect with soulsight.

"Well, being mute isn't so bad. I'm glad you're fine."
You step back and inspect Hom's human body further. Unlike his 'true' body which is always bubbling and squirming involuntarily, his human form is very still. Too still. He makes absolutely no movements unless he has to.

"I hope your stay in the bottle wasn't too uncomfortable?"

He nods. And then shakes his head. And then nods again. You're not sure what that means.
"Well, maybe this'll give a bit more insight. Hold still."
You pull the Soulsight from your bandoleer and down it in a single motion. The rest of the world falls away as the background fades until it is just you and Hom.

That is not a soul.

Hom's figure is coated in a faint sheen of something white and pearly but beneath that membrane his body and self is pitch black. It's a different darkness than the kind you see in people like Hiss however. An absence.
Hom's 'soul' is like a hole or a window and through him you can see the heart of the world.

Your eyes are drawn into it, tracing sparks and imaginary lights deep within. Your head is hurting more and more. And suddenly you realize that there is no darkness here, what you're looking at is a gate to something far too large and bright for you to even see.
But you can, if you want to. You can go further.

>Why the fuck would I want to do that? Look away.

>Keep staring.

>>45710558
>>Why the fuck would I want to do that? Look

hahahaha no.

> Keep staring.

We have to see if our results with Eve are reproducible.

>>45710558
>Keep staring.
spooky

>>45710558
>Why the fuck would I want to do that? Look away.

Nearly blinded ourselves last time.

>>45710558
>Keep staring.
Tell him to stay calm and wait, we might become unconscious for a bit.

>>45710558
>>Why the fuck would I want to do that? Look away.
This is one of those things that get classed under 'very bad ideas'.

>>45710558
>>Why the fuck would I want to do that? Look away.
i mean of course im curious but this seems like an unsafe method now that we know something is out there

>>45710558
>Keep staring
Daddy needs to do a stupid thing for a bit, be a good boy and don't flip out when my eyes start bleeding the pitch ichor of fallen angels.

Also get me a heal-all for the hang over of having stared into satan's puckered anus.

>>45710558
>Keep staring.
time to learn unknowable fundamental truths about reality and magic!

>>45710558
It looks like a halo
>Why the fuck would I want to do that? Look away.
We should come up with some sort of safety measure first

>>45710558
>Keep staring.

>Keep staring.

Doing this has literally never worked well for you in the past but whose to say that it'll be the same here! And what's the worst that could happen?
Aside from getting a headache, going blind or dying that is.

You can't help but step closer and you're no longer aware whether you're physically approaching or some essential perceptive part of you is spiralling outwards towards the rift. You can feel tears on your cheeks.

The gap in the world grows to meet you and its not long before it overtakes your world completely. You find yourself back in the metaphorical spider's web, threads spinning in every direction away from an impossibly dense core. Some of the threads impale you, reaching out to something inside of you and bypassing your flesh as if it wasn't there.
This place is not meant for you.

You begin to climb as you once did before, pulling yourself towards the hole in the world. But this time you are confronted before you can reach anything.
One of the hypothetical spiders rears in front of you, invisible save for the nexus of threads that are forever being spun into it, a single line leading from it to the core.
Ghostly children are nestled upon its nonexistent back, unthreaded spiderlings.

It reaches out for you with a limb that you feel more than you see.

>Cancel the sight.

>Flee upon the web.

>Try to fight.

>Try to bypass it and use its thread as a way to climb towards the centre.

>Die

>>45710558
> Keep staring.

We haven't looked away from anything yet, and it hasn't led us astray.

>>45710984
>>Try to bypass it and use its thread as a way to climb towards the centre.

WIZARDS ARE SPIDERS. SPIDER WIZARDS IN THE CRACKS OF REALITY.

Cool.

>>45710984
>Try to bypass it and use its thread as a way to climb towards the centre.

>>45710984
>>Try to bypass it and use its thread as a way to climb towards the centre.

>>45710984
>Try to fight.

>>45710984
>Try to bypass it and use its thread as a way to climb towards the centre.
Introduce the innocent spider to the cheap tricks of the material world

>>45710999
We were blinded last time, almost permanently.

>>45710984

>Cancel the sight.

>>45711075
We were blinded because it's a defense mechanism for wizard souls. This is a bit different.

>>45710984
>>Cancel the sight.
im just going to be the unheeded voice of caution

>>45710984
>Flee upon the web.
I'm thinking these spiderlings are what we keep putting into a soul form when we make homunculi

>>45711092
Do you not remember the last time we peered at Eva's soul? How we were nearly eaten? How looking into the soul of eldritch things end badly?

>Try to bypass it and use its thread as a way to climb towards the centre.

It occurs to you that all of this is probably just a flimsy metaphor constructed by your own mind to explain something that is probably incomprehensible.
There are no threads, no spiders and there is almost certainly no actual line heading back to the center that you can physically touch.

So with that in mind, what you're doing probably makes absolutely no sense to the spider itself. Providing that it sees this world for what it really is, your attempt to jump past it and grab its main thread would certainly be just as incomprehensible to it as it is to you.

And that's just too bad for it!

>Roll a 1d100, using the best of the first three.

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>45711136

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>45711136
fuck

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>45711136
We haven't made an offering to the dice gods recently...

>>45711180
Not too bad. Probably just barely hit the DC.

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>45711136

>>45711136
So this is kind of like the dreaming where perspective is reality but we can actually dictate our own reality a bit like a spirit?

>>45711180

You swing through and past it somehow and grab hold of its central thread with both hands. The spider wriggles, unable to understand you.

You don't waste any further time, you're going to milk this metaphor for all its worth. You scramble upwards, the centre infinitely far away and yet growing closer with every motion.

The thread thrums beneath your hands and you hear a faint tone, one that mortal minds cannot discern.
reeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
The spider that you had bamboozled has began to retract itself, spinning back up the same thread that you climb on! You feel like you can almost reach out and touch the center but you don't have much time!

>Just keep climbing and try to outspeed it.

>Try to jump onto another part of the web and let the spider speed past you.

>Surrender.

>Die

>Die

>>45711341
>Just keep climbing and try to outspeed it.
Gotta go fast!

>>45711341
>Try to jump onto another part of the web and let the spider speed past you.
racking up Dies again

>>45711341
No option to be a good normie and get out?
>Just keep climbing and try to outspeed it.

>>45711341
Freeze a bit of the thread with our bane, snap it and continue climbing

>>45711341
Which way is up anyway? Slide down the thread into the art heart. Gravity doesn't exist in this dimension.

>>45711446
>>45711341
Wait, no ignore >>45711474

and do >>45711446 instead.

>>45711483
Good idea

>>45711341
>Just keep climbing and try to outspeed it.
I don't think our bane would do anything here desu senpai. It's not anti-magic.

>>45711483
Unless gravity is just a metaphor for some other force that makes it harder to reach the hole in the world

>Outspeed it

There's no time to try anything fancy so you just keep on going up. And is it really above you? There's a void in all directions so it might as well be below you.
And with that thought you pick up a lot more speed as you start to slide down the thread towards it. Or at least you think you're going faster anyway.

You reach the center moments before the spider does, the dense little knot revealing itself to be a pinprick hole in the world from which new strands are constantly drawn.

>Leap in.

>From your perspective, the spider looks like something else...

>Die

>Die

>Die

>>45711659
>Leap in.
I'm not THAT confident in our perspective-mancy

>>45711659
>>From your perspective, the spider looks like something else...

>>45711659
>>Leap in.
I regret many things

>>45711659
>Leap in.
all these metaphysical metaphors might be melting my mind

>>45711659

>From your perspective, the spider looks like something else...

File: 9GK7ceR.jpg (224 KB, 889x500)

224 KB JPG

>>45711659
>Leap in

>>45711659
>Leap in.
Our perspective doesn't change its directive so it doesn't matter whether it's a spider or not

>>45711659
>Leap in.
scary art spiders
spinning their magical webs
you'll never catch me

>alliteration and now a haiku
Are you okay anons? You're kinda weirding me out.

>>45711932
inb4 massive cennen san loss

>>45711659
>>From your perspective, the spider looks like something else...

File: 20160229_101710.jpg (727 KB, 2048x1152)

727 KB JPG

Clearer pic

>>45712063
Neat. You should scan it. I think there's a phone app that can do it if you don't have access to a proper scanner.

>>45712063
>The ahegao
Every. Fucking. Time.

>>45712063
Man, getting those images and using one for the secondary OP would be great.
Totally use the lewd one.

>Leap in.

Aw fuck it, screw just putting your hand in there like last time. You leap towards it and either you shrink or it grows because you fall in without even touching the edges.

And now you are adrift in an ocean of...of...something. It is light and fire and liquid and void. It is power, of a sort. You are orbiting it, caught ever closer and closer as it threatens to burn you to nothing.

Many hands have been here before you and have reached in and grasped something of this power. Grasped it and brought it back to the world like stolen fire of the gods.
You see them, just as you see for each of them there had been a hundred hands that had failed and been burned to nothing.

A kaleidoscope of people and places cross your eyes and you can see the footsteps of those who had walked this path before you. They didn't see webs but they were here all the same.

...A hundred different shambling creatures know this place instinctually and their forefathers once drank deep here...

...A tall robed figure hunched nearly in half bent over a deep well. One clawed hand is holding a handful of dusty bones while the other draws invisible flame from the source and joins them together...

...A short pale woman with black hair and gouged-out eyes reaches into an infinite mirror and reaches past her own reflection, pulling back not sight but Sight...

...A black dragon with a bloodstained belly fights its way through the walls, the corpses of a thousand ruined spiders trampled beneath its feet as it claims a prize...

...A man with skin like ebony and a mind like a puzzle reaches into the flame and though his hands burn he imposes order upon it and while the others had all been wild, he pulls back with something as ordered and structured as he was...

...and an uncounted number of things and people that had tried and failed. Failure was death and worse besides. And you can see yourselves beside them. If you reach out for it you will die.

1/2

>>45712212

>Reach out (Warning: This will later prompt a roll where every result save 100 will lead to death)

>Flee back.

>Cancel the soulsight.

>Other

>>45712237
>Reach out (Warning: This will later prompt a roll where every result save 100 will lead to death)

>>45712237
>Cancel the soulsight.
Well shit. Simultaneously neat and disappointing,

>>45712212
>...A hundred different shambling creatures know this place instinctually and their forefathers once drank deep here...
Magical creatures
>...A tall robed figure hunched nearly in half bent over a deep well. One clawed hand is holding a handful of dusty bones while the other draws invisible flame from the source and joins them together...
the first wizard
>...A short pale woman with black hair and gouged-out eyes reaches into an infinite mirror and reaches past her own reflection, pulling back not sight but Sight...
First Seer
>...A black dragon with a bloodstained belly fights its way through the walls, the corpses of a thousand ruined spiders trampled beneath its feet as it claims a prize...
Fairly obvious this is either Hiss or a dragon of power that started their rebellion
>...A man with skin like ebony and a mind like a puzzle reaches into the flame and though his hands burn he imposes order upon it and while the others had all been wild, he pulls back with something as ordered and structured as he was...
Tolemy the first Alchemist


>>45712237
>Cancel the soulsight.
We must prepare first.

>>45712265
What the fuck man

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>45712237
>Cancel the soulsight.
Alright, my curiosity is sated; Let's not shitpost all our progress away and gamble on /tg/ dice.

Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>45712290
I felt lucky.

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>45712237
>Cancel the soulsight.
Damn. That's lame. Check my 100 though.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>45712237
>Cancel the soulsight.

>needs a nat 100
gay. at least we learned something though.

>>45712237
>>Cancel the soulsight.

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>45712237

>Cancel the soulsight.

>>45712289
Most likely it was the first snake king before the fall

>>45712350
Nice one
Let me try

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>45712441
You're doing it all wrong anon, watch this

>Cancel the soulsight.

You decide to do the sensible thing and back away. The odds of you not burning to death are pretty slim and besides, you're an alchemist first and foremost. What need do you have for anything else?

You cancel the soulsight and let the world fall back into place. You suddenly feel very cold.

Hom is standing over you. As you get up his body briefly deforms, masses of pig blubber pushing through cracks in his human skin for just a moment before he is normal once more.
He peers at you with blank eyes.

Now what?

>Start teaching Hom alchemy.

>It's time to show off your new homunculi!

>Experimental brewing.

>You should probably clean yourself (and this whole room) up first.

>Scream and never stop screaming.

>Other

>>45712289
Clawed hands don't really seem like something a wizard would have. They're normal humans originally.

>>45712515
>You should probably clean yourself (and this whole room) up first.

>>45712515
>You should probably clean yourself (and this whole room) up first.

>>45712515
>Other
>Scream, but stop screaming after a little while.
>Show off new homunculi! While screaming internally.

>>45712515
>>You should probably clean yourself (and this whole room) up first.

>>45712515
>You should probably clean yourself (and this whole room) up first.
Just another day in the life of a soul alchemist, no biggie. Have Hom lend us a hand.

>>45712515
>You should probably clean yourself (and this whole room) up first.
Take this chance to explain the importance of staying in human form unless we tell him otherwise

>>45712515
>You should probably clean yourself (and this whole room) up first.
Did we have our bane while exploring metaphor land?

File: shittyjpg.jpg (42 KB, 640x427)

42 KB JPG

>>45712350
>>45712401
>mfw anons think I'd just give them phenomenal cosmic power or new magic for nothing.

Anyway called for cleaning

>>45712681
Hard to say. I don't know if our soul entered or if we entered a new dimension physically or mentally.

>>45712724
Can we trade Phenomenal Cosmic Power for an itty-bitty living space?

I mean it wouldn't be much difference from our alchemy hole anyway.

>>45712724
I understand your reluctance but I wouldn't consider creating a sketchy living backdoor to the art heart nothing

>You should probably clean yourself (and this whole room) up first.

Thanks to spending so much time with Hiss you've learned to only scream on the inside.

You just get to you feet and pat yourself off.
"Just another day. You feeling alright, Hom?"

"aaaaaaaaaaa."

"Neat. And oh fuck I'm covered in blood."
The bathtub and the room in general are equally filthy. This is going to take a while.

Several hours later you emerge squeaky clan with reddened skin from where you had virtually flayed yourself with the brush. Hom is still there. He watched.

The floors are scrubbed and as for the bathtub itself...well, there's probably no saving that thing. You could probably use it to brew another homunculus in but you certainly wouldn't want to bathe in there. You'll have to warn Hiss about that.

In the time it took you to get clean the sun has gone down and night has fallen. Hiss is probably back by now.

>Keep on brewing.

>Try to make another homunculus. You're on a hot streak!

>Tell Hiss about this.

>Bring somebody here and show them Hom. (Specify)

>Spend some time studying.

>Try to teach Hom alchemy.

>Teach Hom how to fight.

>Other

>>45712538
Yeah wizards are different. They get possessed by art spiders in exchange for power.

>>45712933
>Keep on brewing.
Let him watch and possibly assist. His brews might get altered by the brews we've used on him though.

>>45712933
>Try to teach Hom alchemy.
Buddy buddy

>>45712933
>Tell Hiss about this.
Godhiss may know something about this

>>45712933
>>Tell Hiss about this.
its so cool, im sure she wants to hear all about it

>>45712933
>Tell Hiss about this.
Maybe avoid showing his true form though.

>>45712933
>Tell Hiss about this.

>>45712933
>Tell Hiss about this.

So what should our next homunculus be designed for? Physical combat?

>>45713213
We should get Hiss to kill a snake (one of the traitors) and use their body to make a homonculus.

>>45713213
Well we've got some good brews for it. I say we make some improvements to brews like potence, regen, and champion brews first though. For example we could improve the regen brew pretty easily by mixing it with a heal-all.

>>45713258
I don't think she would go for that. She'll probably be butthurt about Hom's snakelike true appearance.

>Tell Hiss about this.

You're fairly certain that Hiss probably wouldn't care all that much about Hom himself but she would be ecstatic to learn that your anti-spirit weapon is finally up and about. Not to mention all of that business with the hole in the world, might be worth asking her inner self about that.

You tell Hom very firmly to stay here and not do anything until you get back as you walk out the door. You don't feel safe walking Hom through the crowded inn just yet but Hiss might be willing to come back and see him.

As you make your way back up to Hiss' room, you notice something odd. She's taken to posting living corpses as guards lately but instead of standing by her door as usual they are both standing all the way down the corridor instead.
"What's up guys?"

The closest one shakes his head.
"We were told to back off so we wouldn't hear what's inside."

"Oh. You're not going to stop me, are you?"

"Why would we? You're always allowed."

"Nice, thank you."

"No worries."

Hiss' living dead are a lot nicer than you'd think once you get to know them. After all, they still have human souls inside of them. Maybe not the human soul that the body was meant to have but still...

As you approach the door you start to hear Hiss speaking to somebody. Is it really fine for you to be hearing this?

"-think I haven't noticed? That I would tolerate you forever?"
She doesn't sound very happy.

"Hiss-"
That's Aashenpreet's voice but you don't get much of a chance to hear it before Hiss cuts her off.

"I have reports from multiple sources, you know. I know what you've been doing to Cennen. Are you trying to take him for your own? Subvert him against me?"

"Of course not! We are friends and nothing more."
Even Aashenpreet is starting to sound a little heated now.
"Believe it or not, your Majesty, but we are not all like you."

"I beg your pardon?"

This could potentially be bad.
1/2

>>45713473
On the other hand, Hiss doesn't sound too violent yet and you intruding could make things worse.

"Just what," Hiss purrs, "are you implying with that?"

>Let yourself in.

>Just stay outside and be ready to interrupt if things get really bad.

>March out of earshot and wait.

>Use Potion (Specify)

>Other

>>45713521
>>Just stay outside and be ready to interrupt if things get really bad.
maybe they'll come to a decent resolution
it could happen

>>45713521
>Let yourself in.

>>45713521
>Let yourself in.
Ask ash if she fucked Oster yet

>>45713521
>Let yourself in.
Don't bully the Aash

>>45713566
Aash is celibate. And oster is gay/somewhat asexual.

>>45713521
>>45713566
Supporting this. We must loudly intrude and ask about Ash's inexistent love affair with Oster.

The mood will be ruined, the day will be saved, and then we can transition to telling Hiss about how awesome our spirit hole is.

Just keep talking.

>>45713521
>Let yourself in.
Don't say anything about fucking oster. It's retarded.

>>45713473
>>Just stay outside and be ready to interrupt if things get really bad.

We are just here to have Hiss' back if shit goes wrong. Like if Aash calls her a pervert for fucking a human.

Ironically, Hiss is the most egalitarian snake we've met.

>>45713521
>>Let yourself in.

>>45713566
>>45713623
Hiss won't buy it and it will make her more paranoid

Whatever happened to zigzag and Elle?

>>45713751
Elle got lobotomized and Zigzag is currently being nelected (by us)

>>45713798
Oooooh, let's use Elle for the next Homonculus transformation!

>>45713657
also she's possessive of oster anyway

>>45713909
What? No.

>Let yourself in.

You creak the door open a little just in time to see Aashenpreet stride forward, her finger jabbing right in Hiss' face. Hiss' expression is carefully blank.

"What I am IMPLYING, Hiss, is that you are a pathetic little worm with no faith or empathy and worst of all, you think everyone is secretly like you! As if you have to make the whole world ugly just so you'd fit in better. I'm not trying to subvert him or mak-"
Aashenpreet looks oddly relieved as she speaks, as if getting something off her chest that had been long coming. But then she hears you walk in through the door and she deflates with sudden self-awareness, her righteous tirade averted before it really got a chance to begin.
"Oh, Cennen! How long have you been there?"

Hiss looks annoyed.
"I could have sworn I told my guards to keep the hallway clear."

"You did but you also told them a while ago that I could always come through."

"Hmph. What do you want?"

Aashenpreet slowly sidles away while looking embarrassed.

>Tell her about Hom.

>"I think I need to talk to your inner self."

>"Where's Elle?"

>"What's going on here?"

>"Aash wasn't doing anything with me."

>Other

>>45714006
>Tell her about Hom.
>"Where's Elle?"

>>45714006
>Tell her about Hom.
>"I think I need to talk to your inner self."

>>45714006
>"What's going on here?"

>>45714006
ah man, too bad aash didn't get the chance to speak her mind.

>"Aash wasn't doing anything with me."
>Tell her about Hom.
apologize for barging in too i guess

>>45714006
We're really just good friends Hiss.
>Tell her about Hom.
If she suddenly seem so Ike's he said other me a bad mood then
>"I think I need to talk to your inner self."

>>45714006
>>Tell her about Hom.
>"Where's Elle?"
>Other

"Sounds like the two of you have something to work out together, but I would appreciate it if you remembered that Aash is my friend, Hiss, even if you don't get along with her. And Aash, I would like you to remember that Hiss is your Queen and if you think there is something that needs to be brought up then fine. Me being alive is proof that she's willing to listen to things she doesn't want to hear. But don't be so rude or insulting that even being my friend will save you from her wrath. Cennan - OUT!"

Fuck getting involved in a cat-fight, just remind them they're both important to you but Hiss is more important and could wreck Aash if it comes down to it.

>>45714006
Tell hiss we're just friends with Aash and not to worry about it.
>Tell her about Hom.
>"I think I need to talk to your inner self."
>>45714160
this whole write in is awful desu senpai

>>45714006
>Tell her about Hom.
>"What's going on here?"
If you guys want to fight, you can mudwrestle .

>>45714006
>Tell her about Hom.
>"I think I need to talk to your inner self"

>>45714160
>Cennan
Come on now anon it's Cennen. I usually hold my tongue but you always spell his name wrong.

>>45714236
I only post when hammered. I blame Soma.

The shitposting life didn't choose me, I choose it.

>>45714160
>remember that Hiss is your Queen
>filthy southern barbarian slut
>your Queen
non-Qesh pls leave

>>45714236
Actually the one who usually did that was me, not that anon.

Also I eventually learned to spell it right!

>>45714205
Meh, just tell them to play nice and not kill each other, and leave then.

I don't see you contributing shit fuck all, so go die.

>>45714292
Uh, Hiss is EVERYONES Queen. Some of them just haven't been informed yet.


> Reminder that over-sized Cow-Snake is exiled from Quedesh and is a shit.

Heads up, this update might take a bit longer than normal because I really need to go eat at some point today.

>>45714354
>the hiss-aash catfight threatens to spill into the quest chat itself

sublime

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>>45714215
Oh, you!

>>45714354
Aash is objectively best girl
pure snek>mean snek

>>45714413
>not Rock
pleb

>>45714326
> leave

>>45714413
>already forgot about Tanni

File: Q6DUbUf.gif (4.83 MB, 380x430)

4.83 MB GIF

>>45714367
Enjoy

>>45714292
>non-Qesh
Haven't finished eating yet but technically the right term is Tiqesh. It means foreigners while also carrying all kinds of negative connotations that lets you drop sick insults on the barbarians when you address them as such.

>>45714413
Daily reminder that Aash views us as something inherently sub-"human" and lesser and that it is impossible for us to ever change that intrinsic quality about ourself.

She is snake-regressive-left. The Snake Justice Warrior. She is a shit.

Hiss is honestly pretty fucking horrible, but at least she see's us a person if an exceptional one for our species.

Objectively, Hiss is much better than Aash. All Aash is, is nice and that's about it. Hiss outstrips her in every other metric.

And even then, Aash's "nice" is fake, whereas Hiss is nice to us even though it's hard for her because she actually likes us.

>>45714443
Rock is the ded, we moral quandried her into suicide.

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31 KB JPG

>>45714475
I still remember

>>45714558
Spirits can't actually die in the dreaming. Rock is just dormant and got assimilated into a more powerful spirit. She could theoretically be saved but I have no idea how.

>Tell her about Hom

"Am I interrupting something?"
You already know that you are but you don't want it to be obvious that you were eavesdropping.

Hiss just rolls her eyes.
"Clearly. But it wasn't about anything important. Or anyone."
Aashenpreet bristles in the background but stays silent.

"Okay, I'm not going to ask. Do you remember Hom?"

"Who?"

"My second or third homunculus."

"Not ringing any bells."

"The one I put in a bottle!"

"Sorry Cennen, you're going to have to be a bit more specific than that."

"The anti-spirit one."

Hiss' eyes light up.
"Him? Is he awake?"

"Yes, I got him a body just earlier."

Hiss pats you on the head.
"Good boy. Is all well with him?"

"Yes and no. I mean, he's functional. Just not aesthetically pleasing."

"So is everything else about you and what you do, Cennen. Never let it stop me before. Can I see him?"

"Sure, follow me."

You open the door and walk back out, Hiss following you and leaving Aashenpreet alone in the room behind you. But not for long.
Aashenpreet steps out past you and bars the way.
"Excuse me?"

Hiss looks a little surprised to see that she's still here.
"Yes, you're excused. Congratulations. Get out of my way."

"Our conversation was not yet over, your Majesty."
At some point Aashenpreet must have learned what sarcasm is because her last two words drip with it.
"I have yet to make my issues with you properly known...as you requested."

Hiss reaches out and tries to shove Aashenpreet out of the way. Aashenpreet doesn't budge, confident in the superior strength lended to her by her true size.
And then Hiss pushes her all the way down the hallway regardless.
"I hope you can consider yourself now properly put in your place once more. Now leave."

For a moment it looks like Aashenpreet is about to quail and flee. But she stands herself up straight once more and pokes Hiss in the chest.
"Go fuck yourself. You don't scare me."
1/2

>>45715042
It wasn't exactly the long rant that she had probably been expecting to deliver but she looks overjoyed anyway to finally stand up to Hiss.

>Aashenpreet gains one Snake Art.

>Aashenpreet levels up her Priestess skill.

>>45715094
>>Aashenpreet levels up her Priestess skill.

>>45715094
>Aashenpreet gains one Snake Art.

>>45715094
>Aashenpreet gains one Snake Art.
Nice. Didn't ever think this would happen.

>>45715094
>Aashenpreet gains one Snake Art.
Stronger vs. more preachy? Tough choice...

>>45715094
>Aashenpreet gains one Snake Art.
Go girl

>>45715094
>Aashenpreet gains one Snake Art.
I thought her inferior snek genes prevented this. Rad.

>>45715042
>"So is everything else about you and what you do, Cennen. Never let it stop me before.
Fuck, hiss is rude as shit

>>45715296
Stop the presses!

>>45715258
Unless she gets some unique snake arts due to her experience as a priestess she'll still be inferior. We probably need to get her scales since she has no defensive arts.

>>45715378
She should get more HUGE, that's her strong point

>>45715378
>Unique snake arts.
>Called her your Majesty even sarcastically triggers from albino to be Hiss's priestess in minute colouration.

>>45715378
>>45715437
>Aash grows a blue streak down her belly like hiss has a Red one.
>Both are confused as fuck.

>>45715258
It technically does and it means that she will never have the kind of growth Hiss had but this is explained away by her having put a lot of retroactive effort into training whatever Art you guys choose.
Of course, no amount of training would actually get her anywhere without a catalyst.

Aashenpreet however does not have the full selection of Snake Arts that Hiss has always had to learn from. Instead she has always been given very defined ideas about what Art is and isn't okay for priestesses to take and will only learn Snake Arts that are pure.

>Gorgon Eyes: While most Art related to devouring souls is too impure for a chosen priestess, the Art to destroy a human's soul through eye contact is not. While the oblivion offered through this Art is not the snakebelly nirvana that truly good humans deserve, it still removes their soul forever from the wheel of reincarnation and suffering.

>Last Rattle: An upgrade to the Death Rattle, an Art favoured by priests as a way to bloodlessly settle conflict and prevent the impure from touching them, this is an altogether much more dangerous Art that stops the heart of any human that hears you. But sometimes such measures are needed.

>Scales: Priestesses of the holy mountain are not expected to leave their shrines often or face significant physical hardship. But this is still a useful and pure Art regardless.

>Sidewinder: This Art is an upgrade to Constrictor Strength and allows the user to transfer their strength into speed and endurance. It is pure but usually unnecessary for those who live their entire lives sheltered in the shrines.

>Camouflage: This Art can be useful for observing human pilgrims and can aid in meditation.

>Growth: Aashenpreet already has this taken once. Taking it a second time will make her true form 30 foot long and grant a corresponding strength boost. Her most comfortable human form becomes 15 feet tall.

>>45715518
>They both recognize it as a mark of a priest.
>Denial intensifies from both sides.

>>45715566
>Camouflage: This Art can be useful for observing human pilgrims and can aid in meditation.
Yo Ouro do Aash a solid a give her a bonus to this since she used to have it from a wish

>>45715566
>Growth
Will she change to her comfortable form right now as a result before she realizes?

>>45715566

>Growth: Aashenpreet already has this taken once. Taking it a second time will make her true form 30 foot long and grant a corresponding strength boost. Her most comfortable human form becomes 15 feet tall.

HUGE

>>45715566
>Camouflage: This Art can be useful for observing human pilgrims and can aid in meditation.

>>45715566
>Growth: Aashenpreet already has this taken once. Taking it a second time will make her true form 30 foot long and grant a corresponding strength boost. Her most comfortable human form becomes 15 feet tall.

>>45715566
>Scales: Priestesses of the holy mountain are not expected to leave their shrines often or face significant physical hardship. But this is still a useful and pure Art regardless.
If she wants to keep hanging out with us she needs to be able to take a hit or hide from enemies.

>>45715566
>>Camouflage: This Art can be useful for observing human pilgrims and can aid in meditation.

>>45715566
>>Scales: Priestesses of the holy mountain are not expected to leave their shrines often or face significant physical hardship. But this is still a useful and pure Art regardless.

>>45715566
>Camouflage: This Art can be useful for observing human pilgrims and can aid in meditation.

All you disgusting huge voters wanting to make Cow-snake even fatter.

>>45715609
That would require her to first go back to her natural form and then back to a human one so no, probably not. However since the size of her human form is defined by a division of her true form, she will end up being accidentally 9 feet or so.

She'll be able to squeeze herself back to 6 afterwards though. Tanni manages it and she's much larger.

>>45715566
>>Growth: Aashenpreet already has this taken once. Taking it a second time will make her true form 30 foot long and grant a corresponding strength boost. Her most comfortable human form becomes 15 feet tall.

>>45715566
While the oblivion offered through this Art is not the snakebelly nirvana that truly good humans deserve, it still removes their soul forever from the wheel of reincarnation and suffering.

I'm tempted to give her a soulsight so she can see the anguish of the human souls eaten by snakes

>>45715566

>Camouflage: This Art can be useful for observing human pilgrims and can aid in meditation.

Calling for Camouflage.

>>45715786
That would be hilarious to see her reaction.

>>45715978
I'm keeping this in mind for the next time she gets uppity.

> Hiss points out she's as far above Aash as Aash thinks she is above Cennen.

> Sad Cennen

Reminder that Hiss is the only one to ascend through Tash and that Aash should be kissing her ass.

>Camouflage

Hiss nearly steps back but stops herself at the last moment.
"Excuse me? Do you want to b-"
Aashenpreet vanishes before her eyes before she can finish her sentence.
"Hey! Where are you!"

It occurs to you that Hiss might be the apex of all Snake Art but there is no Snake Art that lets you see through a powerful camouflage. And Aashenpreet is no doubt already well-practised thanks to previous experience.

You put your hand on Hiss' shoulder and do your best to calm her down.
"It's fine. It wasn't that bad."

Hiss grunts something indecipherable.
"Let's just go see your dumb homo-thing."

The two of you walk to the back-house where Hom is still obediently waiting. Hiss turns up her nose.
"When you said it was ugly, I was expecting a little more. This is fine."

>"You haven't seen anything yet." Tell Hom to show his true self.

>"Trust me, you don't want to know."

>Pretend that the human form is his main form.

>>45716083
>"Trust me, you don't want to know."

>>45716083
>"You haven't seen anything yet." Tell Hom to show his true self.
You just had to ask Hiss...
>Homo-thing.
Hey got Ash on your mind hiss?

>>45716083
>"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Let's not expose our son to the mean thoughtless lady. She's pretty harsh and I'd rather he didn't resent her.

>>45715296
She's made her displeasure about what your potions usually look like well-known in the past. Besides, what are you going to do? You can't exactly call her ugly in return because she isn't.

>>45716069
Aashenpreet only sleeps at night by pretending most of the Compact House Incident didn't happen.

>>45716083
>"Trust me, you don't want to know."
She should be warned, in case she ever gets to see it.

>>45716083
Could we

. . . . Maybe make him a new body and transfer his soul? I feel like we pulled a dick move here on his body.

>>45716083
>"Trust me, you don't want to know."
Rapidly change the subject by asking to visit inner hiss

>>45716083
>>"Trust me, you don't want to know."

>>45716083
>"You haven't seen anything yet." Tell Hom to show his true self.

>>45716083
>"Trust me, you don't want to know."

>"Trust me, you don't want to know."

"This isn't his true form, he has shapeshifting capabilities."

"Ah, so just like my little magpie here."

"I chose the first bird I could think of, come on!"

"It's fine Cennen, I liked it. Only regret was that I wasn't able to get you into a cage. Turnabout is fair play and all that."

"Maybe later. Now Hom here should be inimical to spirits. I haven't been able to test it but still..."

"I have faith in it. If there's one thing you can be relied not to mess up on, it's alchemy."

"Yeah, about that. There was something else I did here as well."
You tell her about what you saw when you gazed through Hom.

Hiss looks quizzical.
"I can't really offer much expertise there, I'm afraid. Even I have my limits."

>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."

>"What if I feed you a homunculus 'soul'?"

>Offer to give her a Soulsight so she can look.

>"You're right, it's probably worth thinking about later."

>Other

>>45716392
>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."
>"What if I feed you a homunculus 'soul'?"
Not this one!

>>45716392
>>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."
We still have the wish she owes us, right?

>>45716392
>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."

>>45716392
>>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."
painful, but we can't ignore this forever

>>45716392
>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."
Yeah might as well use that unofficial wish if she declines at first

>>45716392
>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."

Besides, we can let her know that Homonculi making is advancing.

>>45716392
>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."
>Also I think I saw the spirit of the first snake king claiming his power from it. Like Tolemy claimed Alchemy.

>>45716533
does have interesting implications, the snakes aren't given their power by the creator, rather they stole it perhaps.

>>45716599
Or maybe the first red and black dragon stole some extra power which is why its bloodline has the strongest art.

>>45716599
Maybe they used it to differentiate themselves from the creator

>>45716630
well the uniqueness of snake arts makes it seem like they're specifically a different kind of art and not just more, of course its hard to come to a solid conclusion on a few moments of metaphorical vision

>"Yes, but I think you're holding someone who does."

"You might not but I think you're holding someone who does."

She shakes her head.
"No, if any of my souls knew about this then so would I. So-and you're talking about HER, aren't you?"

You nod.

"No! Absolutely not."

"Come on Hiss, it's not that bad."

"Speak for yourself. But you can't go down there alone, I have to be there too for you to even get there. And I don't want to go back down there Cennen. Never again."

She used to be pulled down there every night, you recall. Back before your deal the inner Hiss had gleefully spent every night tormenting her.
"I'm sorry Hiss but I have to talk to her anyway."

"Cennen, you don't have to. Please."

"You still owe me one informal wish. Remember?"

She looks like she's about to bite your head off for a moment before she crumples and sighs.
"Fine. But just this once."

"Thanks Hiss."
You hug her.

It only takes a few minutes to brew up the Dream Oil and you let Hiss drink her fill before you do.
Hiss giggles as the modified snake oil does its work.
"Maybe it won't be so bad..."
She drifts off to sleep.

You take what's left of the Dream Oil and let unconsciousness take you.

...

You awaken but not where you expect to. You're expecting the secluded little forest glen that the inner Hiss seems to favour but there's none of that now. Instead you're in some kind of throne room?
The throne is empty and it, along with the vast chamber itself, are carved from a smooth and cold black stone that reflects the light.

Behind the throne on a dias is a statue of Hiss, her hands stretched out to anyone passing beneath her. The statue is in black stone as well save the hands, which are blood-red and dripping.

You are alone.

>Search for the real Hiss.

>Call out.

>Touch the statue.

>Sit in the throne.

>Just wait.

>Other

>>45716771
>Touch the statue.
>Call out.
I bet hiss is the statue

>>45716771
>Search for the real Hiss.
If we can get her comfortable going here, we can do this without wasting that informal wish.

>>45716771
>Call out.
>Search for the real Hiss.

>>45716771
>Call out.

>>45716771
>>Call out.
>Sit in the throne.

>>45716771
>Touch the statue.
I hope hiss can eventually gain some cool snake arts from spirit hiss

>>45716771
>>Search for the real Hiss.
>Call out.

>>45716771
>>Sit in the throne.
>Sit in the throne.
>Sit in the throne.
>Sit in the throne.

It'll get a reaction from both of them, I'm sure.

>>45716771
>>Call out.
If no one answers
>>Sit in the throne.

>>45716771
>Sit in the throne.
Honey, we're home.

>>45716771
>>45716827
>>45716942
Yeah, Ill add sitting as to get her attention

>>45716871
>>45716942
>>45716957
>>45716974
>>45716981

Cheeky

>Call out.

Where's Hiss? Either of them? You are loathe to touch anything just yet without knowing the answer to that question. If they don't answer the call, well, you could just sit in the throne. That would get their attention for sure.
"Hello? Hiss? Anyone there?"

"Hello Consort."
You spin around to find that the throne has suddenly grown to twice its size. The false Hiss is lounging in it. She's still dressed up in her Vtriya outfit. She's still twice your size and she still has two long horns growing out from behind the mask. And there's still that perfect and unbroken white-gold halo above her head.
Everything about her voice, about the shape of her body, is Hiss. But you know it isn't her. And you must remain resolute in that fact.

"Hi. Nice to see you again."

"Agreed. It's been much too long. Now, you were thinking about sitting in this throne weren't you? It's okay, I could see it in your face."

"I may have been."

She laughs and she sounds just like Hiss.
"Well you still can, Cennen."
She pats her lap invitingly.
"Come sit upon the throne with me and we can talk."

>Sit on the throne.

>"Only if you're not on it."

>"I'd rather talk here thanks."

>"Where's Hiss?"

>Other

>>45717046
Goddamnit, all those votes for sitting on the throne at the last minute. Not sure how I feel about it.

>"Where's Hiss?"

> "Why do you always have to make it so difficult? We're keeping up our end of the deal."

>>45717046
>Sit on the throne.
Hiss is the statue I'm guessing? I thought you had gotten over being petty and treating her badly.

>>45717046
>"Where's Hiss?"
>Sit on the throne.

>>45717046
>While I appreciate the sentiment
>"I'd rather talk here thanks."
>Well good news is I can make an artificial soul with alchemy now, the body bit is being more...... troublesome. It did lead me to finding something rather odd.
>Hiss is the statue isn't she?

>>45717046
>>Other
Wander over and investigate the statue while ignoring her.

>>45717093
This. Also ask her for a proper name since I'm tired of not having one

>>45717046
>"Where's Hiss?"
>Sit on the throne.

>>45717115
Rude

>>45717046
>"I'd rather talk here thanks."
>"Where's Hiss?"

>>45717046
>"Only if you're not on it."
Looks like you've been busy. Well so have I. How are things inside your version of the Dreaming or whatever this place is?

>>45717119
Naming things can be dangerous yo.

>>45717204
I'm not sure what you mean

>>45717046
>>"I'd rather talk here thanks."
>>"Where's Hiss?"
>>45717119

>"Where's Hiss?"
>Sit on the throne.

Well, it probably couldn't hurt. You step forward and climb the steps to the throne, levering yourself up as best you can. She grabs you and pulls you up the last stretch of the way, depositing you on her lap. You have to look almost directly up to get a good look at her masked face from her, your head level with her chest while your legs sit atop hers like a wayward child.
She is very warm.

"Now Consort," she says while she ruffles your hair absent-mindedly. "I've been keeping my end of the deal. Have you?"

"Soon. I'm still working out the process. Where's Hiss?"

"She's not important right now. Tell me about your studies."

"No. Where's Hiss?"

She sighs but does so in a good-natured way.
"Ever the defiant, aren't you? She's right over there."
She jerks her thumb back behind her and while you can't actually see over her you can guess she means the statue.
"Don't worry about her, she's getting exactly what she deserves."

>"Release her."

>Tell her about the homonculi.

>Tell her about the thing you saw.

>Ask about names.

>Other

>>45717305
>Tell her about the homonculi.
>Tell her about the thing you saw.
>Ask about names.